Biophysical characterization of the CXC chemokine receptor 2 ligands

The chemokines of the immune system act as first responders by operating as chemoattractants, directing immune cells to specific locations of inflamed tissues. This promiscuous network is comprised of 50 ligands and 18 receptors where the ligands may interact with the receptors in various oligomeric states i.e., monomers, homodimers, and heterodimers. Chemokine receptors are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) present in the membrane of immune cells. The migration of immune cells occurs in response to a concentration gradient of the ligands. Chemotaxis of neutrophils is directed by CXC-ligand (CXCL) activation of the membrane bound CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2). CXCR2 plays an important role in human health and is linked to disorders such as autoimmune disorders, inflammation, and cancer. Yet, despite their important role, little is known about the biophysical characteristics controlling ligand:ligand and ligand:receptor interaction essential for biological activity. In this work, we study the homodimers of three of the CXCR2 cognate ligands, CXCL1, CXCL5, and CXCL8. The ligands share high structural integrity but a low sequence identity. We show that the sequence diversity has evolved different binding affinities and stabilities for the CXC-ligands resulting in diverse agonist/antagonist behavior. Furthermore, CXC-ligands fold through a three-state mechanism, populating a folded monomeric state before associating into an active dimer.

Latest Trends in Lipase-Catalyzed Synthesis of Ester Carbohydrate Surfactants: From Key Parameters to Opportunities and Future Development

Carbohydrate-based surfactants are amphiphilic compounds containing hydrophilic moieties linked to hydrophobic aglycones. More specifically, carbohydrate esters are biosourced and biocompatible surfactants derived from inexpensive renewable raw materials (sugars and fatty acids). Their unique properties allow them to be used in various areas, such as the cosmetic, food, and medicine industries. These multi-applications have created a worldwide market for biobased surfactants and consequently expectations for their production. Biobased surfactants can be obtained from various processes, such as chemical synthesis or microorganism culture and surfactant purification. In accordance with the need for more sustainable and greener processes, the synthesis of these molecules by enzymatic pathways is an opportunity. This work presents a state-of-the-art lipase action mode, with a focus on the active sites of these proteins, and then on four essential parameters for optimizing the reaction: type of lipase, reaction medium, temperature, and ratio of substrates. Finally, this review discusses the latest trends and recent developments, showing the unlimited potential for optimization of such enzymatic syntheses.

Mechanical Perspective on Increasing Brush Cytology Yield

Brush cytology is a sampling technique extensively used for mucosal surfaces, particularly to identify malignancies. A sample is obtained by rubbing the brush bristles over the stricture or lesion several times until cells are trapped. Brush cytology detection rate varies, with malignancy confirmed in 15-65% of cases of adenocarcinoma-associated biliary strictures and 44-80% of cases of cholangiocarcinoma. Despite the widespread use of brush cytology, there is no consensus to date defining the optimal biliary brushing parameters for the collection of suspicious lesions, such as the number of passes, brushing rate, and force applied. The aim of this work is to increase the brush cytology diagnostic yield by elucidating the underlying mechanical phenomena. First, the mechanical interactions between the brush bristles and sampled tissue are analyzed. During brushing, mucus and detached cells are transferred to the space between the bristles through the capillary rise and flow eddies. These mass transfer mechanisms and their dependence on mucus rheology as a function of pH, brush displacement rate, and bristle geometry and configuration are examined. Lastly, results from ex vivo brushing experiments performed on porcine stomachs are presented. Clinical practitioners from a variety of disciplines can apply the findings of this study to outline clear procedures for cytological brushing to increase the sensitivity and specificity of the brushings.

Short communication: Correlation of methane production, intensity, and yield with residual feed intake throughout lactation in Holstein cows

The environmental impact of dairy production can be reduced in several ways, including increasing feed efficiency and reducing methane (CH4) emissions. There is no consensus on their relationship. This study aimed at estimating the correlations between residual feed intake (RFI) and CH4 emissions expressed in g/d methane production (MeP), g/kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk methane intensity (MeI), or g/kg of DM intake methane yield (MeY) throughout lactation. We collected CH4 data using GreenFeed devices from 107 Holstein cows, as well as production and intake phenotypes. RFI was predicted from DM intake, fat- and protein-corrected milk, BW, and body condition score. Five-trait random regression models were used to estimate the individual variance components of the CH4 and production traits, which were used to calculate the correlations between RFI and CH4 traits throughout lactation. We found positive correlations of RFI with MeP and MeI ranging from 0.05 to 0.47 throughout the lactation. Correlations between RFI and MeY are low and vary from positive to negative, ranging from -0.18 to 0.17. Both MeP and MeI are favorably correlated with RFI, as is MeY during the first half of lactation. These correlations are mostly favorable for genetic selection, but the confirmation of these results is needed with genetic correlations over a larger dataset.

Thinking through critical posthumanism: Nursing as political and affirmative becoming

As a rejection and continuous reframing of theoretical humanism, critical posthumanism questions and imagines the human condition in the current context, aligning it with nonhuman and more than human entities, past and future. While this philosophical approach has been referenced in many academic disciplines since the 1990s, it has been gradually garnering interest among nursing scholars, leading to questions such as what it means to be human and what it means to be a nurse in the here and now. As a deeply ethical and political project, posthumanism, which we associate with poststructuralist concepts of power and resistance, questions the formation of posthuman subjects who more accurately reflect complex times, characterized by capitalistic commodification of life-human and nonhuman. In this article, we aim to explore how the ontological and epistemological underpinnings of critical posthumanism, specifically through Rosi Braidotti's works, can be useful to understand a posthuman subjectivity that favors affirmative actions aimed at actualizing our world in becoming. Through examples in nursing practice, education, and research, we will explore not only how critical posthumanism allows us to frame transformations in the current situation that we are embedded in as nurses and more generally as beings but also how these examples allow us to move beyond critique to the actualization of affirmative actions that correspond to the creation of new worlds.

Influence of exogenous polyamines on the secondary somatic embryogenesis of cork oak (Quercus suber L.)

Quercus suber L. is the main woody tree species in the Mediterranean basin. The in vitro regeneration from adult material, through primary somatic embryogenesis, is a well-known process, but the use of secondary somatic embryos for plant regeneration remains a very sparsely studied process. The main objective of this work is to explore the cork oak regeneration potential by using the secondary somatic embryogenesis process. Mainly, in this work, we report the polyamine effect. Explants used consisted on primary mature embryos, derived from leaves rejuvenated by epicormic shoot of the Moroccan Quercus suber. Three different polyamines were added to the basal medium, which was composed by macronutrients of N30K, 30 g/l glucose, and 7 g/l agar. Three polyamines, Putrescine, Spermine, and Spermidine, were added to the basal medium at 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6 mg/l. Explants were tested after 8 weeks. Morphological analysis showed that the medium with 0.4 mg/l Spermidine provided the best result for secondary embryos, which corresponds to a very significant (p < 0.05) increase of 375%. The number of secondary embryos directly formed was 2.70 ± 0.51. Similarly, the optimum concentrations for high number of clusters (0.50 ± 0.11) and embryo clusters (1.43 ± 0.35) were increased by 145% and 158%. The addition of the polyamine also acted on the quality of embryos formed. A very significant (p < 0.05) increase in the size of secondary embryos was observed compared to the medium without polyamines. Spermidine showed the greatest increase (about 38%).

Novel genetic parameters for genetic residual feed intake in dairy cattle using time series data from multiple parities and countries in North America and Europe

Residual feed intake is viewed as an important trait in breeding programs that could be used to enhance genetic progress in feed efficiency. In particular, improving feed efficiency could improve both economic and environmental sustainability in the dairy cattle industry. However, data remain sparse, limiting the development of reliable genomic evaluations across lactation and parity for residual feed intake. Here, we estimated novel genetic parameters for genetic residual feed intake (gRFI) across the first, second, and third parity, using a random regression model. Research data on the measured feed intake, milk production, and body weight of 7,379 cows (271,080 records) from 6 countries in 2 continents were shared through the Horizon 2020 project Genomic Management Tools to Optimise Resilience and Efficiency, and the Resilient Dairy Genome Project. The countries included Canada (1,053 cows with 47,130 weekly records), Denmark (1,045 cows with 72,760 weekly records), France (329 cows with 16,888 weekly records), Germany (938 cows with 32,614 weekly records), the Netherlands (2,051 cows with 57,830 weekly records), and United States (1,963 cows with 43,858 weekly records). Each trait had variance components estimated from first to third parity, using a random regression model across countries. Genetic residual feed intake was found to be heritable in all 3 parities, with first parity being predominant (range: 22-34%). Genetic residual feed intake was highly correlated across parities for mid- to late lactation; however, genetic correlation across parities was lower during early lactation, especially when comparing first and third parity. We estimated a genetic correlation of 0.77 ± 0.37 between North America and Europe for dry matter intake at first parity. Published literature on genetic correlations between high input countries/continents for dry matter intake support a high genetic correlation for dry matter intake. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the feasibility of estimating variance components for gRFI across parities, and the value of sharing data on scarce phenotypes across countries. These results can potentially be implemented in genetic evaluations for gRFI in dairy cattle.

Machine learning models predict PTSD severity and functional impairment: A personalized medicine approach for uncovering complex associations among heterogeneous symptom profiles

OBJECTIVE

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric illness, experienced by approximately 10% of the population. Heterogeneous presentations that include heightened dissociation, comorbid anxiety and depression, and emotion dysregulation contribute to the severity of PTSD, in turn, creating barriers to recovery. There is an urgent need to use data-driven approaches to better characterize complex psychiatric presentations with the aim of improving treatment outcomes. We sought to determine if machine learning models could predict PTSD-related illness in a real-world treatment-seeking population using self-report clinical data.

METHOD

Secondary clinical data from 2017 to 2019 included pretreatment measures such as trauma-related symptoms, other mental health symptoms, functional impairment, and demographic information from adults admitted to an inpatient unit for PTSD in Canada (n = 393). We trained two nonlinear machine learning models (extremely randomized trees) to identify predictors of (a) PTSD symptom severity and (b) functional impairment. We assessed model performance based on predictions in novel subsets of patients.

RESULTS

Approximately 43% of the variance in PTSD symptom severity (R²avg = .43, R²median = .44, p = .001) was predicted by symptoms of anxiety, dissociation, depression, negative trauma-related beliefs about others, and emotion dysregulation. In addition, 32% of the variance in functional impairment scores (R²avg = .32, R²median = .33, p = .001) was predicted by anxiety, PTSD symptom severity, cognitive dysfunction, dissociation, and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results reinforce that dissociation, cooccurring anxiety and depressive symptoms, maladaptive trauma appraisals, cognitive dysfunction, and emotion dysregulation are critical targets for trauma-related interventions. Machine learning models can inform personalized medicine approaches to maximize trauma recovery in real-world inpatient populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Determination of policyclic aromatic compounds, (PAH, nitro-PAH and oxy-PAH) in soot collected from a diesel engine operating with different fuels

A qualitative and quantitative analysis of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), oxygenated and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OPAHs and NPAHs)) present in the soluble organic fraction (SOF) of different soot samples has been carried out to determine the effect of soot-generation conditions on their composition and health effects. The soot samples were generated using a diesel engine bench powered by diesel (DS) and biodiesel (BS) fuels under different combustion conditions. To optimize the procedure, a surrogate soot (Printex-U) and a certified reference material (SRM1650b) were also tested. Different extraction methods were used to extract the PAHs, OPAHs and NPAHs, and the Soxhlet technique using pyridine:acetic acid 1 % was found to be the most suitable procedure to extract the highest concentration (ng mg-1) and more types of PAHs and OPAHs from the soot. The results show that the PACs identified, and their concentrations, depend on the formation and collection conditions. The predominant compounds in all soot samples studied were fluorene (Flo), phenanthrene (Phe), fluoranthene (Fla), pyrene (Pyr), 9-fluorenone (9Flo) and 9,10-anthraquinone (9,10Anq). As such, the presence of these PACs in the atmosphere of urban and rural areas can mainly be attributed to the emissions from diesel vehicles. The percentage of OPAHs with respect to total PACs was highest in the soot generated from a biofuel. These oxidized compounds favor regeneration of the diesel particulate filter (DPF). The results also indicate that the carcinogenicity of the soot depends on the combustion conditions and type of fuel.

MiRNome variations in milk fractions during feed restrictions of different intensities in dairy cows

BACKGROUND

In dairy cows, diet is one factor that can affect their milk production and composition. However, the effect of feed restriction on milk miRNome has not yet been described. Indeed, milk is the body fluid with the highest RNA concentration, which includes numerous microRNA. Its presence in the four different milk fractions, whole milk, fat globules, mammary epithelial cells and extracellular vesicles, is still poorly documented. This study aimed to describe the effects of different feed restrictions on the miRNome composition of different milk fractions.

RESULTS

Two feed restrictions were applied to lactating dairy cows, one of high intensity and one of moderate intensity. 2,896 mature microRNA were identified in the different milk fractions studied, including 1,493 that were already known in the bovine species. Among the 1,096 microRNA that were sufficiently abundant to be informative, the abundance of 1,027 of them varied between fractions: 36 of those were exclusive to one milk fraction. Feed restriction affected the abundance of 155 microRNA, with whole milk and milk extracellular vesicles being the most affected, whereas milk fat globules and exfoliated mammary epithelial cells were little or not affected at all. The high intensity feed restriction led to more microRNA variations in milk than moderate restriction. The target prediction of known microRNA that varied under feed restriction suggested the modification of some key pathways for lactation related to milk fat and protein metabolisms, cell cycle, and stress responses.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlighted that the miRNome of each milk fraction is specific, with mostly the same microRNA composition but with variations in abundance between fractions. These specific miRNomes were affected differently by feed restrictions, the intensity of which appeared to be a major factor modulating milk miRNomes. These findings offer opportunities for future research on the use of milk miRNA as biomarkers of energy status in dairy cows, which is affected by feed restrictions.

CellNeighborEX: deciphering neighbor-dependent gene expression from spatial transcriptomics data

Cells have evolved their communication methods to sense their microenvironments and send biological signals. In addition to communication using ligands and receptors, cells use diverse channels including gap junctions to communicate with their immediate neighbors. Current approaches, however, cannot effectively capture the influence of various microenvironments. Here, we propose a novel approach to investigate cell neighbor-dependent gene expression (CellNeighborEX) in spatial transcriptomics (ST) data. To categorize cells based on their microenvironment, CellNeighborEX uses direct cell location or the mixture of transcriptome from multiple cells depending on ST technologies. For each cell type, CellNeighborEX identifies diverse gene sets associated with partnering cell types, providing further insight. We found that cells express different genes depending on their neighboring cell types in various tissues including mouse embryos, brain, and liver cancer. Those genes are associated with critical biological processes such as development or metastases. We further validated that gene expression is induced by neighboring partners via spatial visualization. The neighbor-dependent gene expression suggests new potential genes involved in cell-cell interactions beyond what ligand-receptor co-expression can discover.

Optimization of Alkali Treatment for Production of Fermentable Sugars and Phenolic Compounds from Potato Peel Waste Using Topographical Characterization and FTIR Spectroscopy

Potato peel waste (PPW) was utilized as a bio-template for the production of valuable compounds such as reducing sugars (RS), total sugar (TS) and total phenolic compounds (TPC). Two methods of alkali treatments, i.e., chemical (NaOH) and thermochemical (NaOH assisted with autoclaving) processes, were employed for the deconstruction of PPW. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the effects of alkali concentration (0.6-1.0 w/v), substrate concentration (5-15 g) and time (4-8 h) on the extraction of RS, TS and TP from PPW. The application of alkali plus steam treatment in Box-Behnken design (BBD) with three levels yielded the optimum releases of RS, TS and TP as 7.163, 28.971 and 4.064 mg/mL, respectively, corresponding to 10% substrate loading, in 0.6% NaOH for 8 h. However, the alkali treatment reported optimum extractions of RS, TS and TP as 4.061, 17.432 and 2.993 mg/mL, respectively. The thermochemical pretreatment was proven a beneficial process as it led to higher productions of TP. FTIR and SEM were used to analyze the deterioration levels of the substrate. The present work was used to explore the sustainable management of PPW, which is a highly neglected substrate bioresource but is excessively dumped in open environment, raising environmental concerns. The cost-effective methods for the breakdown of PPW starch into fermentable sugars might be utilized to extract valuable compounds.

Assay-agnostic spatial profiling detects tumor microenvironment signatures: new diagnostic insights for triple-negative breast cancer

The role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in immuno-oncology has driven demand for technologies that deliver in situ, or spatial, molecular information. Compartmentalized heterogeneity that traditional methods miss is becoming key to predicting both acquired drug resistance to targeted therapies and patient response to immunotherapy. Here, we describe a novel method for assay-agnostic spatial profiling and demonstrate its ability to detect immune microenvironment signatures in breast cancer patients that are unresolved by the immunohistochemical (IHC) assessment of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) on immune cells, which represents the only FDA microenvironment-based companion diagnostic test that has been approved for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Two distinct physiological states were found that are uncorrelated to tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), PD-L1 expression, and intrinsic cancer subtypes.

Development and validation of a prognostic model for death 30 days after adult emergency laparotomy

The probability of death after emergency laparotomy varies greatly between patients. Accurate pre-operative risk prediction is fundamental to planning care and improving outcomes. We aimed to develop a model limited to a few pre-operative factors that performed well irrespective of surgical indication: obstruction; sepsis; ischaemia; bleeding; and other. We derived a model with data from the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit for patients who had emergency laparotomy between December 2016 and November 2018. We tested the model on patients who underwent emergency laparotomy between December 2018 and November 2019. There were 4077/40,816 (10%) deaths 30 days after surgery in the derivation cohort. The final model had 13 pre-operative variables: surgical indication; age; blood pressure; heart rate; respiratory history; urgency; biochemical markers; anticipated malignancy; anticipated peritoneal soiling; and ASA physical status. The predicted mortality probability deciles ranged from 0.1% to 47%. There were 1888/11,187 deaths in the test cohort. The scaled Brier score, integrated calibration index and concordance for the model were 20%, 0.006 and 0.86, respectively. Model metrics were similar for the five surgical indications. In conclusion, we think that this prognostic model is suitable to support decision-making before emergency laparotomy as well as for risk adjustment for comparing organisations.

What Impact Does Participation in a Communication Skills Training Program Have on Health Professionals' Communication Behaviors: Findings from a Qualitative Study

Communication skills training can enhance health professionals' knowledge and repertoire of effective communication practices. This paper describes the conceptual model underlying a 3-day retreat communication skills training program, methods used for training, and participant perception of outcomes from the training using qualitative interviews. Repeated qualitative telephone interviews (approximately 6 months apart) with participants of a 3-day Clinical Consultation Skills Retreat. Fourteen participants (70% response, 57% doctors) took part at Time 1, with 12 participating at Time 2. Semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed, and directional content analysis was conducted to assess themes in areas of key learnings, implementation of skills, and barriers. The training was received very positively with participants valuing the small group learning, role play, and facilitator skills. Key learnings were grouped into two themes: (i) tips and strategies to use in clinical practice and (ii) communication frameworks/methods, with the second theme reflecting an awareness of different communication styles. Most participants had tried to implement their new skills, with implementation reported as a more deliberate activity at T1 than at T2. Those implementing the new skills noted more open conversations with patients. Practical barriers of lack of time and expectations of others were mentioned more often at T2. A 3-day retreat-based communication training program was positively received and had a positive impact on the use of new communication skills. While further work is needed to determine whether effects of training are evidenced in objective clinical behaviors, the positive longer-term benefits found suggest this work would be worthwhile.

Nanoemulsions of synthetic rhamnolipids act as plant resistance inducers without damaging plant tissues or affecting soil microbiota

Plant pathogens and pests can cause significant losses in crop yields, affecting food security and the global economy. Many traditional chemical pesticides are used to combat these organisms. This can lead to the development of pesticide-resistant strains of pathogens/insects and negatively impact the environment. The development of new bioprotectants, which are less harmful to the environment and less likely to lead to pesticide-resistance, appears as a sustainable strategy to increase plant immunity. Natural Rhamnolipids (RL-Nat) are a class of biosurfactants with bioprotectant properties that are produced by an opportunistic human pathogen bacterium. RL-Nat can act as plant resistance inducers against a wide variety of pathogens. Recently, a series of bioinspired synthetic mono-RLs produced by green chemistry were also reported as phytoprotectants. Here, we explored their capacity to generate novel colloidal systems that might be used to encapsulate bioactive hydrophobic compounds to enhance their performance as plant bioprotectants. The synthetic mono-RLs showed good surfactant properties and emulsification power providing stable nanoemulsions capable of acting as bio-carriers with good wettability. Synthetic RLs-stabilized nanoemulsions were more effective than RLs suspensions at inducing plant immunity, without causing deleterious effects. These nanoemulsions were innocuous to native substrate microbiota and beneficial soil-borne microbes, making them promising safe bio-carriers for crop protection.

Electrically Mediated Static Contact Angle and Hysteresis of Polyelectrolyte Solutions

Manipulating a droplet by electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) is vital in various fields ranging from industrial applications to life sciences. As of now, EWOD research has focused primarily on aqueous electrolytes and ionic liquids. This paper investigates the electrowetting behavior of weak polyelectrolyte solutions containing poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The study reveals distinct wetting behavior of weakly and fully charged PAA droplets controlled by their solution pH. Under an applied electric field, strongly ionized PAA wets more effectively than weakly charged PAA. The electrowetting hysteresis of fully ionized PAA droplets was also higher than that of weakly charged droplets. The reason may be the suppression of retraction flow near the contact line. In this thin region, the electric field aligns the stretched polymer chains perpendicular to the dielectric surface, thus affecting the bulk rheological properties. The results reveal how charge-connectivity and polyelectrolyte conformation under an external electric field can control the electrowetting gain and the hysteresis. This previously unexplored electrowetting mechanism of polyelectrolyte solutions might help order and manipulate biological polyelectrolytes, such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), polypeptides, and glycosaminoglycans.

Mattering: Per/forming nursing philosophy in the Chthulucene

This paper presents an overview of the process of entanglement at the 25th International Philosophy of Nursing Conference (IPNC) at University of California at Irvine held on August 18, 2022. Representing collective work from the US, Canada, UK and Germany, our panel entitled 'What can critical posthuman philosophies do for nursing?' examined critical posthumanism and its operations and potential in nursing. Critical posthumanism offers an antifascist, feminist, material, affective, and ecologically entangled approach to nursing and healthcare. Rather than focusing on the arguments of each of the three distinct but interrelated panel presentation pieces, this paper instead focuses on process and performance (per/formance) and performativity as relational, connected and situated, with connections to nursing philosophy. Building upon critical feminist and new materialist philosophies, we describe intra-activity and performativity as ways to dehierarchise knowledge making practices within traditional academic conference spaces. Creating critical cartographies of thinking and being are actions of possibility for building more just and equitable futures for nursing, nurses, and those they accompany-including all humans, nonhumans, and more than human matter.

Comparison of methane production, intensity, and yield throughout lactation in Holstein cows

Genetic selection to reduce methane (CH4) emissions from dairy cows is an attractive means of reducing the impact of agricultural production on climate change. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of such an approach by characterizing the interactions between CH4 and several traits of interest in dairy cows. We measured CH4, dry matter intake (DMI), fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM), body weight (BW), and body condition score (BCS) from 107 first- and second-parity Holstein cows from December 2019 to November 2021. Methane emissions were measured using a GreenFeed device and expressed in terms of production (MeP, in g/d), yield (MeY, in g/kg DMI), and intensity (MeI, in g/kg FPCM). Because of the limited number of cows, only animal parameters were estimated. Both MeP and MeI were moderately repeatable (>0.45), whereas MeY presented low repeatability, especially in early lactation. Mid lactation was the most stable and representative period of CH4 emissions throughout lactation, with animal correlations above 0.9. The average animal correlations of MeP with DMI, FPCM, and BW were 0.62, 0.48, and 0.36, respectively. The MeI was negatively correlated with FCPM (<-0.5) and DMI (>-0.25), and positively correlated with BW and BCS. The MeY presented stable and weakly positive correlations with the 4 other traits throughout lactation, with the exception of slightly negative animal correlations with FPCM and DMI after the 35th week. The MeP, MeI, and MeY were positively correlated at all lactation stages and, assuming animal and genetic correlations do not strongly differ, selection on one trait should lead to improvements in all. Overall, selection for MeI is probably not optimal as its change would result more from CH4 dilution in increased milk yield than from real decrease in methane emission. Instead, MeY is related to rumen function and is only weakly associated with DMI, FPCM, BW, and BCS; it thus appears to be the most promising CH4 trait for selection, provided that this would not deteriorate feed efficiency and that a system of large-scale phenotyping is developed. The MeP is easier to measure and thus may represent an acceptable alternative, although care would need to be taken to avoid undesirable changes in FPCM and BW.

Genetic relationships between weight loss in early lactation and daily milk production throughout the lactation in Holstein cows

After calving, high-yielding dairy cows mobilize body reserves for energy, sometimes to the detriment of health and fertility. This study aimed to estimate the genetic correlation between body weight loss until nadir and daily milk production (MY24) in first- (L1) and second-lactation (L2) Holstein cows. The data set included 859,020 MY24 records and 570,651 daily raw body weight (BWr) phenotypes from 3,989 L1 cows, and 665,361 MY24 records and 449,449 BWr phenotypes from 3,060 L2 cows, recorded on 36 French commercial farms equipped with milking robots that included an automatic weighing platform. To avoid any bias due to change in digestive content, BWr was adjusted for variations in feed intake, estimated from milk production and BWr. Adjusted body weight was denoted BW. The genetic parameters of BW and MY24 in L1 and L2 cows were estimated using a 4-trait random regression model. In this model, the random effects were fitted by second-order Legendre polynomials on a weekly basis from wk 1 to 44. Nadir of BW was found to be earlier than reported in the literature, at 29 d in milk, and BW loss from calving to nadir was also lower than generally assumed, close to 29 kg. To estimate genetic correlations between body weight loss and production, we defined BWL5 as the loss of weight between wk 1 and 5 after calving. Genetic correlations between BWL5 and MY24 ranged from -0.26 to 0.05 in L1 and from -0.11 to 0.10 in L2, according to days in milk. These moderate to low values suggest that it may be possible to select for milk production without increasing early body mobilization.

COVID-19 in cancer patients: update from the joint analysis of the ESMO-CoCARE, BSMO, and PSMO international databases

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has significantly affected patients with cancer and revealed unanticipated challenges in securing optimal cancer care across different disciplines. The European Society for Medical Oncology COVID-19 and CAncer REgistry (ESMO-CoCARE) is an international, real-world database, collecting data on the natural history, management, and outcomes of patients with cancer and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS

This is the 2nd CoCARE analysis, jointly with Belgian (Belgian Society of Medical Oncology, BSMO) and Portuguese (Portuguese Society of Medical Oncology, PSMO) registries, with data from January 2020 to December 2021. The aim is to identify significant prognostic factors for COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality (primary outcomes), as well as intensive care unit admission and overall survival (OS) (secondary outcomes). Subgroup analyses by pandemic phase and vaccination status were carried out.

RESULTS

The cohort includes 3294 patients (CoCARE: 2049; BSMO: 928, all hospitalized by eligibility criteria; PSMO: 317), diagnosed in four distinct pandemic phases (January to May 2020: 36%; June to September 2020: 9%; October 2020 to February 2021: 41%; March to December 2021: 12%). COVID-19 hospitalization rate was 54% (CoCARE/PSMO), ICU admission 14%, and COVID-19 mortality 22% (all data). At a 6-month median follow-up, 1013 deaths were recorded with 73% 3-month OS rate. No significant change was observed in COVID-19 mortality among hospitalized patients across the four pandemic phases (30%-33%). Hospitalizations and ICU admission decreased significantly (from 78% to 34% and 16% to 10%, respectively). Among 1522 patients with known vaccination status at COVID-19 diagnosis, 70% were non-vaccinated, 24% had incomplete vaccination, and 7% complete vaccination. Complete vaccination had a protective effect on hospitalization (odds ratio = 0.24; 95% confidence interval [0.14-0.38]), ICU admission (odds ratio = 0.29 [0.09-0.94]), and OS (hazard ratio = 0.39 [0.20-0.76]). In multivariable analyses, COVID-19 hospitalization was associated with patient/cancer characteristics, the first pandemic phase, the presence of COVID-19-related symptoms or inflammatory biomarkers, whereas COVID-19 mortality was significantly higher in symptomatic patients, males, older age, ethnicity other than Asian/Caucasian, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥2, body mass index <25, hematological malignancy, progressive disease versus no evident disease, and advanced cancer stage.

CONCLUSIONS

The updated CoCARE analysis, jointly with BSMO and PSMO, highlights factors that significantly affect COVID-19 outcomes, providing actionable clues for further reducing mortality.

A novel allelic donkey β-lactogobulin I protein isoform generated by a non-AUG translation initiation codon is associated with a nonsynonymous SNP

β-Lactoglobulin I (β-LG I) is one of the most important whey proteins in donkey milk. However, to our knowledge, there has been no study focusing on the full nucleotide sequences of this gene (BLG I). Current investigation of donkey BLG I gene is very limited with only 2 variants (A and B) characterized so far at the protein level. Recently, a new β-LG I variant, with a significantly higher mass (+1,915 Da) than known variants has been detected. In this study, we report the whole nucleotide sequence of the BLG I gene from 2 donkeys, whose milk samples are characterized by the β-LG I SDS-PAGE band with a normal electrophoretic mobility (18,514.25 Da, β-LG I B1 form) the first, and by the presence of a unique β-LG I band with a higher electrophoretic mobility (20,428.5 Da, β-LG I D form) the latter. A high genetic variability was found all over the 2 sequenced BLG I alleles. In particular, 16 polymorphic sites were found in introns, one in the 5' flanking region, 3 SNPs in the 5' untranslated region and one SNP in the coding region (g.458G > A) located at the 40th nucleotide of exon 2 and responsible for the AA substitutions p.Asp28 > Asn in the mature protein. Two SNPs (g.920-922CAC > TGT and g.1871G/A) were genotyped in 93 donkeys of 2 Italian breeds (60 Ragusana and 33 Amiatina, respectively) and the overall frequencies of g.920-922CAC and g.1871A were 0.3065 and 0.043, respectively. Only the rare allele g.1871A was observed to be associated with the slower migrating β-LG I. Considering this genetic diversity and those found in the database, it was possible to deduce at least 5 different alleles (BLG I A, B, B1, C, D) responsible for 4 potential β-LG I translations. Among these alleles, B1 and D are those characterized in the present research, with the D allele of real novel identification. Haplotype data analysis suggests an evolutionary pathway of donkey BLG I gene and a possible phylogenetic map is proposed. Analyses of mRNA secondary structure showed relevant changes in the structures, as consequence of the g.1871G > A polymorphism, that might be responsible for the recognition of an alternative initiation site providing an additional signal peptide. The extension of 19 AA sequence to the mature protein, corresponding to the canonical signal peptide with an additional alanine residue, is sufficient to provide the observed molecular weight of the slower migrating β-LG I encoded by the BLG I D allele.

Physicochemical Properties, Antioxidant Markers, and Meat Quality as Affected by Heat Stress: A Review

Heat stress is one of the most stressful events in livestock life, negatively impacting animal health, productivity, and product quality. Moreover, the negative impact of heat stress on animal product quality has recently attracted increasing public awareness and concern. The purpose of this review is to discuss the effects of heat stress on the quality and the physicochemical component of meat in ruminants, pigs, rabbits, and poultry. Based on PRISMA guidelines, research articles were identified, screened, and summarized based on inclusion criteria for heat stress on meat safety and quality. Data were obtained from the Web of Science. Many studies reported the increased incidences of heat stress on animal welfare and meat quality. Although heat stress impacts can be variable depending on the severity and duration, the exposure of animals to heat stress (HS) can affect meat quality. Recent studies have shown that HS not only causes physiological and metabolic disturbances in living animals but also alters the rate and extent of glycolysis in postmortem muscles, resulting in changes in pH values that affect carcasses and meat. It has been shown to have a plausible effect on quality and antioxidant activity. Acute heat stress just before slaughter stimulates muscle glycogenolysis and can result in pale, tender, and exudative (PSE) meat characterized by low water-holding capacity (WHC). The enzymatic antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) act by scavenging both intracellular and extracellular superoxide radicals and preventing the lipid peroxidation of the plasma membrane. Therefore, understanding and controlling environmental conditions is crucial to successful animal production and product safety. The objective of this review was to investigate the effects of HS on meat quality and antioxidant status.

What can anarchism do for nursing?

The notion of mutual aid, which Peter Kropotkin introduced in the 19th century, goes against the logic of competition as a natural condition, and instead shows how mutual aid is a more important factor to consider for the survival and flourishing of a group. The best cooperation strategies allow organisms to adapt to different types of changes in their environment-and we have witnessed a lot of these changes since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This propensity towards cooperation is not a foreign concept, despite how it seems to be overshadowed by individualism in Western societies. These reflections then lead us to believe it is possible to apply the anarchist philosophical principle of mutual aid to our social organizations, rather than giving priority, again and again, to competition and professional hierarchies, especially in healthcare systems, and particularly in hospitals were the majority of nurses work. For us, anarchist philosophical precepts, including but not limited to mutual aid, can be the key to a more adequate functioning of healthcare institutions. Anarchism can help to imagine the first steps needed to take to gradually move away from ideologies that encourage competition, professional hierarchies, and illegitimate authority. In this paper, we will first explore some anarchist philosophical precepts before turning to mutual aid as it is currently conceptualised, then highlight several concrete ways it is visible in nursing, as well as ways it can be applied in hospitals, and healthcare systems.

A pioneer morphological and genetic study of the intertidal fauna of the Gerlache Strait (Antarctic Peninsula)

The underexplored intertidal ecosystems of Antarctica are facing rapid changes in important environmental factors. Associated with temperature increase, reduction in coastal ice will soon expose new ice-free areas that will be colonized by local or distant biota. To enable detection of future changes in faunal composition, a biodiversity baseline is urgently required. Here, we evaluated intertidal faunal diversity at 13 locations around the Gerlache Strait (western Antarctic Peninsula), using a combination of a quadrat approach, morphological identification and genetic characterization. Our data highlight a community structure comprising four generally distributed and highly abundant species (the flatworm Obrimoposthia wandeli, the bivalve Kidderia subquadrata, and the gastropods Laevilitorina umbilicata and Laevilitorina caliginosa) as well as 79 rarer and less widely encountered species. The most abundant species thrive in the intertidal zone due to their ability to either survive overwinter in situ or to rapidly colonize this zone when conditions allow. In addition, we confirmed the presence of multiple trophic levels at nearly all locations, suggesting that complex inter-specific interactions occur within these communities. Diversity indices contrasted between sampling locations (from 3 to 32 species) and multivariate approaches identified three main groups. This confirms the importance of environmental heterogeneity in shaping diversity patterns within the investigated area. Finally, we provide the first genetic and photographic baseline of the Antarctic intertidal fauna (106 sequences, 137 macrophotographs), as well as preliminary insights on the biogeography of several species. Taken together, these results provide a timely catalyst to assess the diversity and to inform studies of the potential resilience of these intertidal communities.

Decay Kinetics of Gd3Al2Ga3O12:Ce3+ Luminescence under Dense Laser Irradiation

The decay kinetics of Gd₃Al₂Ga₃O₁₂:Ce³⁺ single crystal luminescence were studied under dense laser excitation. It was shown that the decay times as well as the intensity of Ce³⁺ luminescence depend on the excitation density. The observed effects were ascribed to the interaction between excitons as well as to the features of energy transfer from the excitons to Ce³⁺. The numerical simulation of the experimental results was performed for justification of the proposed model.

Fluctuations of cell geometry and their nonequilibrium thermodynamics in living epithelial tissue

We measure different contributions to entropy production in a living functional epithelial tissue. We do this by extracting the functional dynamics of development while at the same time quantifying fluctuations. Using the translucent Drosophila melanogaster pupal epithelium as an ideal tissue for high-resolution live imaging, we measure the entropy associated with the stochastic geometry of cells in the epithelium. This is done using a detailed analysis of the dynamics of the shape and orientation of individual cells which enables separation of local and global aspects of the tissue behavior. Intriguingly, we find that we can observe irreversible dynamics in the cell geometries but without a change in the entropy associated with those degrees of freedom, showing that there is a flow of energy into those degrees of freedom. Hence, the living system is controlling how the entropy is being produced and partitioned into its different parts.

Effets de la violence verticale sur le travail d’infirmières soignantes exerçant en milieux hospitaliers : une étude exploratoire

Introduction&#160;: more than 39.7% of nurses report being victims of psychological harassment in the workplace. In 60% of cases, the abuse is vertical, involving a person in a position of authority.Context&#160;: few studies have examined this phenomenon without conflating it with other forms of workplace violence.Objective&#160;: the purpose of this study was to shed light on cases of vertical violence experienced by nurses working in hospitals.Method&#160;: data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews with six nurses working in hospitals in the province of Quebec (Canada). Descriptive phenomenology was used to analyze the collected data.Results&#160;: the overall effects of the vertical violence experienced by nurses in hospital settings resulted in less diligent and individualized nursing care.Discussion&#160;: it is recommended that organizational policies against vertical violence put in place in hospital be enforced in a rigorous and transparent manner. Further investigation is needed to identify the organizational factors that contribute to vertical violence in hospital settings.

Development and internal validation of a model for postoperative morbidity in adults undergoing major elective colorectal surgery: the peri-operative quality improvement programme (PQIP) colorectal risk model

Over 1.5 million major surgical procedures take place in the UK NHS each year and approximately 25% of patients develop at least one complication. The most widely used risk-adjustment model for postoperative morbidity in the UK is the physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity. However, this model was derived more than 30 years ago and now overestimates the risk of morbidity. In addition, contemporary definitions of some model predictors are markedly different compared with when the tool was developed. A second model used in clinical practice is the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Programme risk model; this provides a risk estimate for a range of postoperative complications. This model, widely used in North America, is not open source and therefore cannot be applied to patient populations in other settings. Data from a prospective multicentre clinical dataset of 118 NHS hospitals (the peri-operative quality improvement programme) were used to develop a bespoke risk-adjustment model for postoperative morbidity. Patients aged ≥ 18 years who underwent colorectal surgery were eligible for inclusion. Postoperative morbidity was defined using the postoperative morbidity survey at postoperative day 7. Thirty-one candidate variables were considered for inclusion in the model. Death or morbidity occurred by postoperative day 7 in 3098 out of 11,646 patients (26.6%). Twelve variables were incorporated into the final model, including (among others): Rockwood clinical frailty scale; body mass index; and index of multiple deprivation quintile. The C-statistic was 0.672 (95%CI 0.660-0.684), with a bootstrap optimism corrected C-statistic of 0.666 at internal validation. The model demonstrated good calibration across the range of morbidity estimates with a mean slope gradient of predicted risk of 0.959 (95%CI 0.894-1.024) with an index-corrected intercept of -0.038 (95%CI -0.112-0.036) at internal validation. Our model provides parsimonious case-mix adjustment to quantify risk of morbidity on postoperative day 7 for a UK population of patients undergoing major colorectal surgery. Despite the C-statistic of &lt; 0.7, our model outperformed existing risk-models in widespread use. We therefore recommend application in case-mix adjustment, where incorporation into a continuous monitoring tool such as the variable life adjusted display or exponentially-weighted moving average-chart could support high-level monitoring and quality improvement of risk-adjusted outcome at the population level.

Milk proteins as a feed restriction signature indicating the metabolic adaptation of dairy cows

Milk production in dairy cows is affected by numerous factors, including diet. Feed restriction is known to have little impact on milk total protein content but its effect on the fine protein composition is still poorly documented. The objective of this study was to describe the effects of two feed restriction trials of different intensities on the milk protein composition of Holstein cows. One restriction trial was of high intensity (H: 8 mid-lactation Holstein cows) and the second of moderate intensity (M: 19 peak lactation Holstein cows). Feed restriction decreased the milk protein yield for caseins under the M trial and of all six major milk proteins under the H trial. These decreased yields lead to lower concentrations of αs1-, αs2- and β-caseins during the H trial. The milk proteome, analyzed on 32 milk samples, was affected as a function of restriction intensity. Among the 345 proteins identified eight varied under the M trial and 160 under the H trial. Ontology analyses revealed their implication in carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolisms as well as in the immune system. These proteins reflected adaptations of the animal and mammary gland physiology to feed restriction and constituted a signature of this change.

Diversification of habenular organization and asymmetries in teleosts: Insights from the Atlantic salmon and European eel

Habenulae asymmetries are widespread across vertebrates and analyses in zebrafish, the reference model organism for this process, have provided insight into their molecular nature, their mechanisms of formation and their important roles in the integration of environmental and internal cues with a variety of organismal adaptive responses. However, the generality of the characteristics identified in this species remains an open question, even on a relatively short evolutionary scale, in teleosts. To address this question, we have characterized the broad organization of habenulae in the Atlantic salmon and quantified the asymmetries in each of the identified subdomains. Our results show that a highly conserved partitioning into a dorsal and a ventral component is retained in the Atlantic salmon and that asymmetries are mainly observed in the former as in zebrafish. A remarkable difference is that a prominent left-restricted pax6 positive nucleus is observed in the Atlantic salmon, but undetectable in zebrafish. This nucleus is not observed outside teleosts, and harbors a complex presence/absence pattern in this group, retaining its location and cytoarchitectonic organization in an elopomorph, the European eel. These findings suggest an ancient origin and high evolvability of this trait in the taxon. Taken together, our data raise novel questions about the variability of asymmetries across teleosts and their biological significance depending on ecological contexts.

Bio-Inspired Rhamnolipids, Cyclic Lipopeptides and a Chito-Oligosaccharide Confer Protection against Wheat Powdery Mildew and Inhibit Conidia Germination

Plant protection is mainly based on the application of synthetic pesticides to limit yield losses resulting from diseases. However, the use of more eco-friendly strategies for sustainable plant protection has become a necessity that could contribute to controlling pathogens through a direct antimicrobial effect and/or an induction of plant resistance. Three different families of natural or bioinspired compounds originated from bacterial or fungal strains have been evaluated to protect wheat against powdery mildew, caused by the biotrophic Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici (Bgt). Thus, three bio-inspired mono-rhamnolipids (smRLs), three cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs, mycosubtilin (M), fengycin (F), surfactin (S)) applied individually and in mixtures (M + F and M + F + S), as well as a chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) BioA187 were tested against Bgt, in planta and in vitro. Only the three smRLs (Rh-Eth-C12, Rh-Est-C12 and Rh-Succ-C12), the two CLP mixtures and the BioA187 led to a partial protection of wheat against Bgt. The higher inhibitor effects on the germination of Bgt spores in vitro were observed from smRLs Rh-Eth-C12 and Rh-Succ-C12, mycosubtilin and the two CLP mixtures. Taking together, these results revealed that such molecules could constitute promising tools for a more eco-friendly agriculture.

Basal characteristics of the prospective spanish immunotherapy registry of cardiovascular toxicity: SIR-CVT

Background

The immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have improved the prognosis of many cancers in the last years but concerning cardiovascular toxicity (CVtox) have been reported. Nowadays, specific surveillance protocols are lacking, and early diagnosis of toxicity may be challenging.

Purpose

To characterize the cardiovascular (CV) effects of immunotherapy and to seek for the mechanisms of CVtox of ICI in a protocolize surveillance program of cardio-oncology.

Methods

A multicentre national registry was developed by a research consortium of scientific societies of Cardiology and Oncology (SEC and SEOM) and the cardiovascular research centre (CNIC) in Spain (Figure 1). A total of 18 hospitals participate in recruiting since Q4 2021. A follow-up protocol was stablished with clinical, electrocardiographic (EKG), echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and laboratory assessment, including cardiac biomarkers, inflammatory panel and the expression of miR-721, a specific myocarditis biomarker. Toxicity management is performed at each institution following international guidelines.

Results

53 patients were currently included. Median age was 68 [59, 75] years-old, 79% were male. 83% had at least 1 CV-risk factor (75% smoking history, 20% diabetes mellitus, 50% hyperlipemia, 57% hypertension, 19% chronic kidney injury) and up to34% had previous CV disease. 93% had at least one dose of COVID19 vaccine. Dyspnoea was referred by 23% of patients, 28% have abnormal EKG findings and one-third (33%) abnormal cardiac biomarkers (median Troponin I-hs 5.30 [2.60, 11.00]; NT-proBNP 199 [68, 736]). Mean LVEF (60% [56.15, 66.78]) and GLS (−18 [−19.75, −16]) were within the normal range but 26% showed LGE at baseline. Cancer characteristics are summarized in Table 1.

Conclusion

Real-world SIR-CVT patients show a high CV risk profile and frequent pre-existing CV diseases before ICI treatment. The prospective follow-up of this cohort will help to develop personalized surveillance protocols according to baseline CVtox risk and to define different grades of cardiotoxicity.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Three in one: molecular phylogeny of the genus Helodrilus (Crassiclitellata: Lumbricidae) with a description of two new genera and two new species

The earthworm genus Helodrilus comprises about 20 species with distributions ranging from the Iberian Peninsula to the Caucasus, through Central Europe, the Balkans, Anatolia and the Levant. The species prefer moist habitats and are often found in the mud of river banks, in swamps or in caves. Although a high degree of morphological variability is observed in the taxonomic characters, the genus shares a common feature: the absence of nephridial bladders. In this study, we clarify the phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Helodrilus using an integrated approach including a multilocus molecular phylogenetic analysis and thorough morphological examination of several species across the putative Helodrilus area of distribution. The findings of this study have led to the genus Helodrilus being split and to the description of two new genera and two new species: Coventina Szederjesi, Sarbu & Csuzdi gen. nov. and Imetescolex movilensis Szederjesi, Sarbu & Csuzdi gen. & sp. nov. The highly homoplasic nature of the absence of nephridial bladders was also revealed.

A half-century record of coral skeletal P/Ca reveals late 20th century nutrient pollution in Port Dickson, Malaysia

Anthropogenic nutrient pollution has been identified as one of the key stressors of coastal ecosystems. However, the paucity of long-term nutrient records limits our understanding of both the extent of nutrient pollution as well as of the ecological impacts. Here, using coral skeletal phosphorus (P/Ca), we reconstructed a half-a-century record of seawater phosphate at Port Dickson, Malaysia. The P/Ca in the coral revealed an up to 8-fold increase in coral P/Ca from the late 1970s to 2000s, likely linked to increases in fertilizer use (R² = 0.47) and variabilities in rainfall (R² = 0.17). The rise in coral P/Ca in coincided with a contemporaneous 18 % decrease in coral skeletal density, suggesting phosphate enrichment may impact the growth and structural integrity of reef-building corals. Given the importance of both agriculture and heavy reliance on coral reefs by populations in Southeast Asia, our study highlights continue the need to develop environmental management upstream of coastal zones.

Blowing the whistle during the first wave of COVID-19: A case study of Quebec nurses

The experiences of nurses who blew the whistle during the COVID‐19 pandemic have exposed gaps and revealed an urgent need to revisit our understanding of whistleblowing.

Injectable Hydrogels Based on Inter-Polyelectrolyte Interactions between Hyaluronic Acid, Gelatin, and Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals

The present work dealt with the development of physically cross-linked injectable hydrogels with potential applications in tissue engineering. The hydrogels were composed of a ternary mixture of a polyanion and a polyampholyte, hyaluronic acid (HA) and gelatin, respectively, bridged by cationic cellulose nanocrystals (cCNCs). A 3D network is formed by employing attractive electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding between these components under physiological conditions. The hydrogels demonstrated low viscosity at high stresses, enabling easy injection, structural stability at low stresses (<15 Pa), and nearly complete structure recovery within several minutes. Increasing the cCNC content (>3%) reduced hydrogel swelling and decelerated the degradation in phosphate-buffered saline as compared to that in pure HA and HA-gelatin samples. Biological evaluation of the hydrogel elutions showed excellent cell viability. The proliferation of fibroblasts exposed to elutions of hydrogels with 5% cCNCs reached ∼200% compared to that in the positive control after 11 days. Considering these results, the prepared hydrogels hold great potential in biomedical applications, such as injectable dermal fillers, 3D bioprintable inks, or 3D scaffolds to support and promote soft tissue regeneration.

Towards democratic institutions: Tronto's care ethics inspiring nursing actions in intensive care

Care as a concept has long been central to the nursing discipline, and care ethics have consequently found their place in nursing ethics discussions. This paper briefly revisits how care and care ethics have been theorized and applied in the discipline of nursing, with an emphasis on Tronto's political view of care. Adding to the works of other nurse scholars, we consider that Tronto's care ethics is useful to understand caring practices in a sociopolitical context. We also contend that this vision can be used specifically to politicize nurses, by encouraging them to think critically about the context in which they work and how they can participate to change the status quo, notably by prompting the democratization of care in institutional settings. We illustrate this by demonstrating how moral distress that can occur with aggressive or futile treatments in the intensive care unit can be reduced if nurses are systematically included in the decision-making process. By showing some ways in which nursing political actions can begin to change the status quo as it pertains to futile treatments at the end of life, we can help empower nurses to strive to be included in political spaces and voice their concerns to have their professional needs met.

CD69 expression on Treg cells prevents chronic heart damage after myocardial infarction

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN), through the Carlos III Institute of Health (ISCIII)-Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI19/00545)

Background

Increasing evidences advocate for an important function of T cells in controlling immune homeostasis and pathogenesis after myocardial infarction (MI), although the molecular mechanisms remain elusive.

Result and Methods

In this study, a broad analysis of immune markers in 283 patients show a significant CD69 overexpression on Treg cells after MI. Our results in mice demonstrate that CD69 expression on Treg cells increases survival after left-anterior-descending coronary artery (LAD)-ligation. Cd69-/- mice develop strong IL17A+ gdT cell responses after ischemia that increase myocardial inflammation and, consequently, worsen cardiac function. CD69+ Treg cells induce apoptosis and decrease IL-17A production in gdT cells by a CD39-dependent mechanism. Adoptive transfer of CD69+ Treg cells to Cd69-/- mice after LAD-ligation reduces IL17A+ gdT cell recruitment increasing survival. Consistently, clinical data from two independent cohorts of patients indicate that increased CD69 expression in peripheral blood cells after acute MI is associated with a lower risk of re-hospitalization for chronic heart failure (CHF) after 2.5 years of follow-up. This result remained significant after adjustment for age, sex and traditional cardiac damage biomarkers (OR 0.929, 95% CI, 0.838-0.980; p&lt;0.0409).

Conclusion

Our data highlight CD69 expression on T cells as a therapeutic and prognostic target to prevent CHF after MI.

Bioinspired Cationic-Aromatic Copolymer for Strong and Reversible Underwater Adhesion

Developing new underwater glue adhesives with robust and repeatable adhesion to various surfaces is promising and useful in marine life and medical treatments. In this work, we developed a novel glue based on a copolymer with a cation-co-aromatic sequence where the cationic units contain both catechol and positively charged sites. The glue consists of a crosslinked copolymer of poly(2-hydroxy-3-phenoxypropyl acrylate-co-3-(5-(3,4 dihydroxyphenyl)-4-oxo-3 N-pentyl)imidazolium) bromide in dimethyl sulfoxide. Solidification of the glue, triggered by contact with water, undergoes a coacervation stage and causes a drastic growth of its mechanical properties over time. The glue demonstrates fast-developing, strong, and repeatable underwater adhesion to different materials and can maintain its strength for a long time. The adhesion strength tends to increase with the surface energy of the substrate material, to a maximum value of 160 kPa found in plywood. Experiments conducted in aqueous media with different pH and ionic strengths, including physiological conditions and seawater, showed an even stronger adhesion than that evolved in deionized water. Thus, the developed glue is a promising candidate for use in marine life, tissue adhesives, and other freshwater and saline water applications.

Bioinspired Rhamnolipid Protects Wheat Against Zymoseptoria tritici Through Mainly Direct Antifungal Activity and Without Major Impact on Leaf Physiology

Rhamnolipids (RLs), glycolipids biosynthesized by the Pseudomonas and Burkholderia genera, are known to display various activities against a wide range of pathogens. Most previous studies on RLs focused on their direct antimicrobial activity, while only a few reports described the mechanisms by which RLs induce resistance against phytopathogens and the related fitness cost on plant physiology. Here, we combined transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches to unravel the mechanisms underlying RL-induced resistance in wheat against the hemibiotrophic fungus Zymoseptoria tritici, a major pathogen of this crop. Investigations were carried out by treating wheat plants with a bioinspired synthetic mono-RL with a 12-carbon fatty acid tail, dodecanoyl α/β-L-rhamnopyranoside (Rh-Est-C12), under both infectious and non-infectious conditions to examine its potential wheat defense-eliciting and priming bioactivities. Whereas, Rh-Est-C12 conferred to wheat a significant protection against Z. tritici (41% disease severity reduction), only a slight effect of this RL on wheat leaf gene expression and metabolite accumulation was observed. A subset of 24 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 11 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) was scored in elicitation modalities 2, 5, and 15 days post-treatment (dpt), and 25 DEGs and 17 DAMs were recorded in priming modalities 5 and 15 dpt. Most changes were down-regulations, and only a few DEGs and DAMs associated with resistance to pathogens were identified. Nevertheless, a transient early regulation in gene expression was highlighted at 2 dpt (e.g., genes involved in signaling, transcription, translation, cell-wall structure, and function), suggesting a perception of the RL by the plant upon treatment. Further in vitro and in planta bioassays showed that Rh-Est-C12 displays a significant direct antimicrobial activity toward Z. tritici. Taken together, our results suggest that Rh-Est-C12 confers protection to wheat against Z. tritici through direct antifungal activity and, to a lesser extent, by induction of plant defenses without causing major alterations in plant metabolism. This study provides new insights into the modes of action of RLs on the wheat-Z. tritici pathosystem and highlights the potential interest in Rh-Est-C12, a low-fitness cost molecule, to control this pathogen.

Absolute calibration of Fujifilm BAS-TR image plate response to laser driven protons up to 40 MeV

Image plates (IPs) are a popular detector in the field of laser driven ion acceleration, owing to their high dynamic range and reusability. An absolute calibration of these detectors to laser-driven protons in the routinely produced tens of MeV energy range is, therefore, essential. In this paper, the response of Fujifilm BAS-TR IPs to 1-40 MeV protons is calibrated by employing the detectors in high resolution Thomson parabola spectrometers in conjunction with a CR-39 nuclear track detector to determine absolute proton numbers. While CR-39 was placed in front of the image plate for lower energy protons, it was placed behind the image plate for energies above 10 MeV using suitable metal filters sandwiched between the image plate and CR-39 to select specific energies. The measured response agrees well with previously reported calibrations as well as standard models of IP response, providing, for the first time, an absolute calibration over a large range of proton energies of relevance to current experiments.

[The use of a derivative of hypnosis in care]

Polymedication leads to undesirable effects that are often deleterious for elderly people with comorbidities. Complementary non-medicinal approaches should be favored to help patients better control their pain, thus increasing their comfort and autonomy.

Application of Response Surface Methodology to Optimize Solid-Phase Extraction of Benzoic Acid and Sorbic Acid from Food Drinks

An experimental design was applied for the optimization of the extraction process of two preservatives, benzoic and sorbic acids (BA, SA), from food drinks. A simple, rapid, and reliable solid-phase extraction (SPE) method for the simultaneous extraction of these two preservatives and their determination by liquid chromatography with a diode array detector was considered. Box−Behnken design (BBD) was applied to both steps of the SPE process: (i) the sample percolation to ensure the retention of the totality of the acids by the silica-based C18 sorbent; (ii) the elution step to ensure desorption of the totality of the acids from the cartridge. Thus, the volume, pH, and flow rate of the sample, and the percentage of MeOH, volume, and flow rate of the elution solvent, were optimized. Sample volume and pH have a significant influence (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0115) on the percolation yield. However, no effect was recorded for the flow rate (p > 0.05). Flow rate also has no significant effect on the elution efficiency. The proposed new solid-phase extraction method, which can be easily applied to routine monitoring of preservatives BA and SA in juice and soft drink samples, included 0.5 g of C18 sorbent, 1 mL of food drink adjusted to pH 1 and percolated at 4.5 mL min−1, and 1 mL of a solvent mixture composed of methanol/acidified water (pH = 2.6) (90:10, v/v) used in the elution step at a flow rate of 4.5 mL min−1. Validation of the SPE method and the technique of analysis were evaluated, namely, the accuracy, precision, detection, and quantification limits and linearity. Recovery percentages of benzoic and sorbic acids were above 95% with relative standard deviations lower than 1.78%. Detection and quantification limits were 0.177 and 0.592 µg mL−1, and 0.502 and 0.873 µg mL−1 for benzoic acid and sorbic acid respectively. Optimal conditions were applied to commercial fruit juices and soft drinks and a minimal matrix effect was observed. This method was compared with other SPE methods using oxidized activated carbon and multiwalled carbon nanotubes as adsorbents. The yields determined with these last two were low compared to those determined with our method.