2024 European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Rhythm Society/Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society/Latin American Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation.

In the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017.

Associations between physicians' personal preferences for end-of-life decisions and their own clinical practice: PROPEL survey study in Europe, North America, and Australia.

Background: Physicians have significant influence on end-of-life decisions. Therefore, it is important to understand the connection between physicians' personal end-of-life care preferences and clinical practice, and whether there is congruence between what they prefer for themselves and for patients.

Aim: Study to what extent physicians believe their personal end-of-life preferences impact their clinical practice and to what extent physicians' personal treatment option preferences differ from what they prefer for their patients.

Molecular dynamics and machine learning stratify motion-dependent activity profiles of S-layer destabilizing nanobodies.

Nanobody (Nb)-induced disassembly of surface array protein (Sap) S-layers, a two-dimensional paracrystalline protein lattice from , has been presented as a therapeutic intervention for lethal anthrax infections. However, only a subset of existing Nbs with affinity to Sap exhibit depolymerization activity, suggesting that affinity and epitope recognition are not enough to explain inhibitory activity. In this study, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of each Nb bound to the Sap binding site and trained a collection of machine learning classifiers to predict whether each Nb induces depolymerization.

Nanobodies against the myelin enzyme CNPase as tools for structural and functional studies.

2',3'-Cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) is an abundant constituent of central nervous system non-compact myelin, and its loss in mice and humans causes neurodegeneration. Additionally, CNPase is frequently used as a marker antigen for myelinating cells. The catalytic activity of CNPase, the 3'-hydrolysis of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotides, is well characterised in vitro, but the in vivo function of CNPase remains unclear.

Comprehensive analysis of off-target and on-target effects resulting from liver-directed CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene targeting with AAV vectors.

Comprehensive genome-wide studies are needed to assess the consequences of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-mediated gene editing. We evaluated CRISPR-Cas-mediated on-target and off-target effects and examined the integration of the AAV vectors employed to deliver the CRISPR-Cas components to neonatal mice livers. The guide RNA (gRNA) was specifically designed to target the factor IX gene (F9).

Architecture of the Sap S-layer of revealed by integrative structural biology.

is a spore-forming gram-positive bacterium responsible for anthrax, an infectious disease with a high mortality rate and a target of concern due to bioterrorism and long-term site contamination. The entire surface of vegetative cells in exponential or stationary growth phase is covered in proteinaceous arrays called S-layers, composed of Sap or EA1 protein, respectively. The Sap S-layer represents an important virulence factor and cell envelope support structure whose paracrystalline nature is essential for its function.

Pesticide use in integrated pest and pollinator management framework to protect pollinator health.

Agricultural pesticides have historically been a critical tool in controlling pests and diseases, preventing widespread suffering and crop losses that led to catastrophes such as the Great Irish Famine (1845-1852) and the Cotton Boll Weevil Infestation (1915-1916). However, their usage has brought challenges, including resistance development, secondary pest outbreaks, harm to non-target organisms like pollinators, and environmental contamination. In response to these concerns, integrated pest management (IPM) has emerged as a comprehensive approach, emphasizing non-chemical pest control methods such as cultural practices, biological control, and crop rotation, with pesticides as the last resort.

Gradations in protein dynamics captured by experimental NMR are not well represented by AlphaFold2 models and other computational metrics.

The advent of accurate methods to predict the fold of proteins initiated by AlphaFold2 is rapidly changing our understanding of proteins and helping their design. However, these methods are mainly trained on protein structures determined with X-ray diffraction, where the protein is packed in crystals at often cryogenic temperatures. They can therefore only reliably cover well-folded parts of proteins that experience few, if any, conformational changes.

Do patients with fibromyalgia syndrome receive updated management strategies? A web-based survey among Italian physiotherapists.

Introduction: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) causes significant pain, disability, and costs among patients. It is paramount that healthcare professionals have an updated knowledge of its characteristics and Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs).

Objectives: To determine the knowledge, adherence to CPGs, and confidence of Italian physiotherapists in managing patients with FMS, explore barriers to the implementation of CPG' recommendations, compare groups' adherence to CPGs, and determine which variables explained most of the participants' knowledge.

Lunar dust dermatologic considerations for NASA's artemis program and the gateway space station: a narrative review.

The Artemis program and lunar gateway present an opportunity to advance NASA's presence away from Earth's orbit and back to the Moon. Astronauts will be faced with many dermatological challenges unique to the lunar environment, such as the surface material on the Moon. We used PubMed and Google Scholar to perform a literature review with articles related to the effects of lunar dust on skin collated and analyzed to assess the dermatological implications of these missions.

Tracking fructose 1,6-bisphosphate dynamics in liver cancer cells using a fluorescent biosensor.

HYlight is a genetically encoded fluorescent biosensor that ratiometrically monitors fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), a key glycolytic metabolite. Given the role of glucose in liver cancer metabolism, we expressed HYlight in human liver cancer cells and primary mouse hepatocytes. Through , , and experiments, we showed HYlight's ability to monitor FBP changes linked to glycolysis, not gluconeogenesis.

Intratumoral delivery of lipid nanoparticle-formulated mRNA encoding IL-21, IL-7, and 4-1BBL induces systemic anti-tumor immunity.

Local delivery of mRNA-based immunotherapy offers a promising avenue as it enables the production of specific immunomodulatory proteins that can stimulate the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells while limiting systemic exposure and toxicities. Here, we develop and employ lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs) to intratumorally deliver an mRNA mixture encoding the cytokines interleukin (IL)-21 and IL-7 and the immunostimulatory molecule 4-1BB ligand (Triplet LNP). IL-21 synergy with IL-7 and 4-1BBL leads to a profound increase in the frequency of tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells and their capacity to produce granzyme B and IFN-γ, leading to tumor eradication and the development of long-term immunological memory.

A biosensor-based phage display selection method for automated, high-throughput Nanobody discovery.

Biopanning methods to select target-specific Nanobodies® (Nbs) involve presenting the antigen, immobilized on plastic plates or magnetic beads, to Nb libraries displayed on phage. Most routines are operator-dependent, labor-intensive and often material- and time-consuming. Here we validate an improved panning strategy that uses biosensors to present the antigen to phage-displayed Nbs in a well.

Isolation and characterization of a novel methanogen Methanosarcina hadiensis sp. nov. from subsurface Boom Clay pore water.

Safe geological disposal of radioactive waste requires a thorough understanding of geochemical conditions in the host formation. Boom Clay is a potential candidate in Belgium, where active methanogenesis has been detected in its deep subsurface, influencing the local geochemistry. However, the pathways driving this process and the characteristics of the methanogenic archaea involved remain unclear.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of a stored-product psocid, Liposcelis tricolor (Psocodea: Liposcelididae).

Liposcelis tricolor (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae) is a significant pest affecting stored products globally. However, due to the lack of a detailed genomic reference, the mechanisms of sex determination, stress resistance, and potential control methods for this booklouse remain poorly understood. In this study, the chromosome-level genome of L.