Complex control of seed germination timing by ERF50 involves RGL2 antagonism and negative feedback regulation of DOG1.

Seed dormancy governs germination timing, with both evolutionary and applied consequences. Despite extensive studies on the hormonal and genetic control of these processes, molecular mechanisms directly linking dormancy and germination remain poorly understood. By screening a collection of lines overexpressing Arabidopsis transcription factors, we identified ERF50 as a key gene to control dormancy and germination. To study its regulation, we measured seed-related physiological parameters in loss-of-function mutants and carried out transactivation, protein interaction and ChIP-PCR analyses. We found direct ERF50-mediated repression of DOG1 and activation of EXPA2 transcription, which results in enhanced seed germination. Although ERF50 expression is increased by DOG1 in dormant seeds, ERF50 germination-promoting activity is blocked by RGL2. The physiological, genetic and molecular evidence gathered here supports that ERF50 controls germination timing by regulating DOG1 levels to leverage its role as enhancer of seed germination, via RGL2 antagonism on EXPA2 expression. Our results highlight the central role of ERF50 as a feedback regulator to couple and fine-tune seed dormancy and germination.

The impact of implementing a non-invasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (niPGT-A) embryo culture protocol on embryo viability and clinical outcomes.

STUDY QUESTION: Are modifications in the embryo culture protocol needed to perform non-invasive preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (niPGT-A) affecting clinical reproductive outcomes, including blastocyst development and pregnancy outcomes? SUMMARY ANSWER: The implementation of an embryo culture protocol to accommodate niPGT-A has no impact on blastocyst viability or pregnancy outcomes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The recent identification of embryo cell-free (cf) DNA in spent blastocyst media has created the possibility of simplifying PGT-A. Concerns, however, have arisen at two levels. First, the representativeness of that cfDNA to the real ploidy status of the embryo. Second, the logistical changes that need to be implemented by the IVF laboratory when performing niPGT-A and their effect on reproductive outcomes. Concordance rates of niPGT-A to invasive PGT-A have gradually improved; however, the impact of culture protocol changes is not as well understood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: As part of a trial examining concordance rates of niPGT-A versus invasive PGT-A, the IVF clinics implemented a specific niPGT-A embryo culture protocol. Briefly, this involved initial culture of fertilized oocytes following each laboratory standard routine up to Day 4. On Day 4, embryos were washed and cultured individually in 10 µl of fresh media. On Day 6 or 7, blastocysts were then biopsied, vitrified, and media collected for the niPGT-A analysis. Six IVF clinics from the previously mentioned trial were enrolled in this analysis. In the concordance trial, Clinic A cultured all embryos (97 cycles and 355 embryos) up to Day 6 or 7, whereas in the remaining clinics (B-F) (379 cycles), nearly a quarter of all the blastocysts (231/985: 23.5%) were biopsied on Day 5, with the remaining blastocysts following the niPGT-A protocol (754/985: 76.5%). During the same period (April 2018-December 2020), the IVF clinics also performed standard invasive PGT-A, which involved culture of embryos up to Days 5, 6, or 7 when blastocysts were biopsied and vitrified. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: In total, 428 (476 cycles) patients were in the niPGT-A study group. Embryos from 1392 patients underwent the standard PGT-A culture protocol and formed the control group. Clinical information was obtained and analyzed from all the patients. Statistical comparisons were performed between the study and the control groups according to the day of biopsy. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: The mean age, number of oocytes, fertilization rates, and number of blastocysts biopsied were not significantly different for the study and the control group. Regarding the overall pregnancy outcomes, no significant effect was observed on clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, or ongoing pregnancy rate (≥12 weeks) in the study group compared to the control group when stratified by day of biopsy. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The limitations are intrinsic to the retrospective nature of the study, and to the fact that the study was conducted in invasive PGT-A patients and not specifically using niPGT-A cases. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This study shows that modifying current IVF laboratory protocols to adopt niPGT-A has no impact on the number of blastocysts available for transfer and overall clinical outcomes of transferred embryos. Whether removal of the invasive biopsy step leads to further improvements in pregnancy rates awaits further studies. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This study was funded by Igenomix. C.R., L.N.-S., and D.V. are employees of Igenomix. D.S. was on the Scientific Advisory Board of Igenomix during the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03520933).

Increasing Dimensionality in Self-Assembly: Toward Two-Dimensional Supramolecular Polymers.

Different approaches to achieve 2D supramolecular polymers, as an alternative to the covalent bottom-up approaches reported for the preparation of 2D materials, are reviewed. The significance of the operation of weak non-covalent forces to induce a lateral growth of a number of self-assembling units is collected. The examples of both thermodynamically and kinetically controlled formation of 2D supramolecular polymers showed in this review demonstrate the utility of this strategy to achieve new 2D materials with biased morphologies (nanosheets, scrolls, porous surfaces) and showing elegant applications like chiral recognition, enantioselective uptake or asymmetric organic transformations. Furthermore, elaborated techniques like seeded or living supramolecular polymerizations have been demonstrated to give rise to complex 2D nanostructures.

Honey Varietals Differentially Impact Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Survivability in Yogurt through Simulated In Vitro Digestion.

BACKGROUND: Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis DN-173 010/CNCM I-2494 (B. animalis) is a probiotic strain commonly added to yogurt. Yogurt and honey are a popular culinary pairing. Honey improves bifidobacteria survival in vitro. However, probiotic survival in yogurt with honey during in vitro digestion has not been investigated. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to evaluate the effects of different honey varietals and concentrations on B. animalis survivability in yogurt through in vitro digestion. METHODS: Yogurt with honey or control-treated samples underwent in vitro simulated oral, gastric, and intestinal digestion. B. animalis cells were enumerated on de Man Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) medium followed by an overlay with a modified selective MRS medium; all underwent anaerobic incubation. B. animalis were enumerated predigestion and after oral, gastric, and intestinal digestion. There were 2 study phases: Phase 1 tested 4 honey varietals at 20% wt/wt per 170 g yogurt, and Phase 2 tested 7 dosages of clover honey (20, 14, 10, 9, 8, 6, and 4% wt/wt) per 170 g yogurt. RESULTS: Similar B. animalis counts were observed between all treatments after oral and gastric digestion (<1 Log colony forming units (CFU)/g probiotic reduction). Higher B. animalis survivability was observed in yogurt with clover honey after exposure to simulated intestinal fluids (∼3.5 Log CFU/g reduction; P < 0.05) compared to all control treatments (∼5.5 Log CFU/g reduction; P < 0.05). Yogurt with 10-20% wt/wt clover honey increased B. animalis survivability after simulated in vitro digestion (≤ ∼4.7 Log CFU/g survival; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Yogurt with added honey improves probiotic survivability during in vitro digestion. The effective dose of clover honey in yogurt was 10-20% wt/wt per serving (1-2 tablespoons per 170 g yogurt) for increased probiotic survivability during in vitro digestion.

Effect of chirality in the supramolecular polymerization of N-annulated perylenediimides: Cancelling pathway complexity.

Herein, the synthesis of two chiral NPBIs, (S)-1 and (R)-1, is reported and their self-assembling features investigated. The reported NPBIs form chiral supramolecular polymers with a rich dichroic pattern by the π-stacking of the aromatic backbones and the formation of an array of H-bonds between the amide functional groups. Furthermore, the peripheral 3,4,5-trialkoxy benzamide groups can form seven-membered pseudocycles by the intramolecular H-bonding interaction between the NH of the peripheral amides and one of the carbonyls of the imide units thus yielding a kinetically controlled self-assembly process. Unlike achiral NPBI 1, that has been reported to form up to four supramolecular polymorphs, the reported chiral NPBIs form only a J-type aggregated species. The results presented herein reveal how subtle changes exert an enormous influence on the supramolecular polymerization outcome.

A Connector for Integrating NGSI-LD Data into Open Data Portals.

Nowadays, there are plenty of data sources generating massive amounts of information that, combined with novel data analytics frameworks, are meant to support optimisation in many application domains. Nonetheless, there are still shortcomings in terms of data discoverability, accessibility and interoperability. Open Data portals have emerged as a shift towards openness and discoverability. However, they do not impose any condition to the data itself, just stipulate how datasets have to be described. Alternatively, the NGSI-LD standard pursues harmonisation in terms of data modelling and accessibility. This paper presents a solution that bridges these two domains (i.e., Open Data portals and NGSI-LD-based data) in order to keep benefiting from the structured description of datasets offered by Open Data portals, while ensuring the interoperability provided by the NGSI-LD standard. Our solution aggregates the data into coherent datasets and generate high-quality descriptions, ensuring comprehensiveness, interoperability and accessibility. The proposed solution has been validated through a real-world implementation that exposes IoT data in NGSI-LD format through the European Data Portal (EDP). Moreover, the results from the Metadata Quality Assessment that the EDP implements, show that the datasets' descriptions generated achieve excellent ranking in terms of the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability (FAIR) data principles.

Reshaping Smart Cities through NGSI-LD Enrichment.

The vast amount of information stemming from the deployment of the Internet of Things and open data portals is poised to provide significant benefits for both the private and public sectors, such as the development of value-added services or an increase in the efficiency of public services. This is further enhanced due to the potential of semantic information models such as NGSI-LD, which enable the enrichment and linkage of semantic data, strengthened by the contextual information present by definition. In this scenario, advanced data processing techniques need to be defined and developed for the processing of harmonised datasets and data streams. Our work is based on a structured approach that leverages the principles of linked-data modelling and semantics, as well as a data enrichment toolchain framework developed around NGSI-LD. Within this framework, we reveal the potential for enrichment and linkage techniques to reshape how data are exploited in smart cities, with a particular focus on citizen-centred initiatives. Moreover, we showcase the effectiveness of these data processing techniques through specific examples of entity transformations. The findings, which focus on improving data comprehension and bolstering smart city advancements, set the stage for the future exploration and refinement of the symbiosis between semantic data and smart city ecosystems.

Using artificial intelligence for exercise prescription in personalised health promotion: A critical evaluation of OpenAI's GPT-4 model.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in healthcare provides new possibilities for personalized health management. AI-based fitness applications are becoming more common, facilitating the opportunity for individualised exercise prescription. However, the use of AI carries the risk of inadequate expert supervision, and the efficacy and validity of such applications have not been thoroughly investigated, particularly in the context of diverse health conditions. The aim of the study was to critically assess the efficacy of exercise prescriptions generated by OpenAI's Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 4 (GPT-4) model for five example patient profiles with diverse health conditions and fitness goals. Our focus was to assess the model's ability to generate exercise prescriptions based on a singular, initial interaction, akin to a typical user experience. The evaluation was conducted by leading experts in the field of exercise prescription. Five distinct scenarios were formulated, each representing a hypothetical individual with a specific health condition and fitness objective. Upon receiving details of each individual, the GPT-4 model was tasked with generating a 30-day exercise program. These AI-derived exercise programs were subsequently subjected to a thorough evaluation by experts in exercise prescription. The evaluation encompassed adherence to established principles of frequency, intensity, time, and exercise type; integration of perceived exertion levels; consideration for medication intake and the respective medical condition; and the extent of program individualization tailored to each hypothetical profile. The AI model could create general safety-conscious exercise programs for various scenarios. However, the AI-generated exercise prescriptions lacked precision in addressing individual health conditions and goals, often prioritizing excessive safety over the effectiveness of training. The AI-based approach aimed to ensure patient improvement through gradual increases in training load and intensity, but the model's potential to fine-tune its recommendations through ongoing interaction was not fully satisfying. AI technologies, in their current state, can serve as supplemental tools in exercise prescription, particularly in enhancing accessibility for individuals unable to access, often costly, professional advice. However, AI technologies are not yet recommended as a substitute for personalized, progressive, and health condition-specific prescriptions provided by healthcare and fitness professionals. Further research is needed to explore more interactive use of AI models and integration of real-time physiological feedback.

Oligo(phenyleneethynylene)s: Shape-Tunable Building Blocks for Supramolecular Self-Assembly.

Oligo(phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) have attracted widespread attention due to their remarkable (opto)electronic and photophysical properties, which have enabled numerous applications. The versatile functionalization possibilities of OPEs make them unique candidates to form various shape-persistent geometries, including linear, triangular, rectangular, hexagonal and macrocyclic. However, as a result of this structural variety, it is oftentimes challenging to correlate molecular design with self-assembly properties. In this minireview, we have classified OPEs based on their molecular shapes and correlated them with their self-assembly behavior in solution. Particularly, we provide important insights into the aggregation propensity of the different molecular shapes and how to tune the association strength using various non-covalent interactions. Our classification will enable a better understanding of the structure-property correlation in OPEs, which is key to develop supramolecular functional materials.

Lightweight Mortar Incorporating Expanded Perlite, Vermiculite, and Aerogel: A Study on the Thermal Behavior.

Climate change is compelling countries to alter their construction and urbanization policies to minimize their impact on the environment. The European Union has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55%, recognizing that 50% of its emissions originate from maintaining thermal comfort within buildings. As a response, the EU has developed comprehensive legislation on energy efficiency. In this article, special mortars using aerogel, perlite, and vermiculite as lightweight aggregates were prepared and studied to enhance the thermal properties of the mortar. Their thermal properties were examined and, using a solar simulator for both hot and cold conditions, it was found that varying proportions of these lightweight aggregates resulted in a mortar that provided insulation from the exterior up to 7 °C more than the reference mortar in warm conditions and up to 4.5 °C in cold conditions.

Electronically and geometrically complementary perylenediimides for kinetically controlled supramolecular copolymers.

The synthesis of 3,4,9,10-benzo[d,e]isoquinolino[1,8-g,h]quinoline-tetracarboxylic diimide (BQQDI) 1 endowed with peripheral trialkoxybenzamide fragments is reported and its self-assembling features investigated. The peripheral benzamide moieties generate metastable monomeric species that afford a kinetically controlled supramolecular polymerization. The electron-withdrawing character of 1 in comparison with previously reported PDIs 2, together with the similar geometry, makes this dye an optimal candidate to perform seeded supramolecular copolymerization yielding four different supramolecular block copolymers. Whilst heteropolymers poly-1-co-2a, poly-2a-co-1 and poly-1-co-2b present an H-type arrangement of the monomeric units, heteropolymer poly-2b-co-1, prepared by seeding the chiral, metastable monomers of 2b with achiral seeds of 1, produces chiral, J-type aggregates. Interestingly, the monosignated CD signal of pristine poly-2b changes to a bisignated CD signal most probably due to the formation of columnar domains around the seeds of 1 which implies the blocky nature of the supramolecular copolymers formed.

Pneumonia due to Pasteurella multocida, case report and considerations.

Community acquired pneumonia is frequent in the elderly but a pathogen is identified in less than fifty per cent of the cases. It is rarely produced by Pasteurella multocida, a Gram-negative oral commensal of many dogs and cats. We report the case of an elderly man with chronic obstructive respiratory disease who owned a dog and developed severe pneumonia due to P. multocida.

Supramolecular polymerization of [6]helicene-based cyano-luminogens: on the overall efficiency of self-assembled circularly polarized emitters.

The synthesis of the [6]helicene-based luminophores 1 and 2 is reported. These chiral systems, endowed with cyano-stilbene fragments, form supramolecular polymers by the operation of intermolecular H-bonding interactions between the amides present in the peripheral side chains. The dissimilar disubstitution of 1 and 2 plays a crucial role in their self-assembling features. Thus, 1 does not show an efficient π-stacking of the central aromatic moiety. Instead, its self-assembling process results in a zig-zag arrangement of the monomeric units to form the aggregated species. On the other hand, 2 presents an efficient overlap of the aromatic backbones that affords a co-facial arrangement of the monomeric units. The solvent-dependent studies indicate that both [6]helicenes self-assemble following a cooperative supramolecular polymerization mechanism with a higher degree of cooperativity and stability for compound 2. The enantioenriched samples of both 1 and 2 display a rich dichroic pattern that changes when the supramolecular polymerization takes place. Furthermore, the presence of the cyano-stilbene moieties gives rise to an aggregation induced emission effect. The inherent chirality of both the monomeric and aggregated species of 1 and 2 provides the systems with CPL-emitting properties, presenting a remarkable overall CPL-efficiency, quantified by the BCPL parameter, that increases upon supramolecular polymerization.

Trapdoor endarterectomy for coral reef plaque of the paravisceral aorta in the modern era.

Coral reef atherosclerosis of the paravisceral aorta is a rare disease whose description is confined to before contemporary vascular surgical techniques. This study aims to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients with coral reef aorta treated with trapdoor endarterectomy at a single high-volume quaternary referral center since 2010. From 2010 to 2022, 14 patients with coral reef aorta were treated with trapdoor endarterectomy. The patient data were obtained via a retrospective medical record review. The patients were predominantly women (79%) with a median age of 65 years (interquartile range [IQR], 60-70 years). The patients universally had a tobacco smoking history and hypertension. More than 85% had previously diagnosed carotid stenosis. Two patients (14%) had undergone prior aortofemoral reconstruction, and one patient (7%) had undergone prior axillobifemoral bypass. The most common presenting symptoms were claudication (71%), chronic mesenteric ischemia (50%), and renovascular hypertension (43%). Of the 14 patients, 8 (57%) underwent isolated endarterectomy and 6 (43%) underwent concomitant aortobifemoral bypass. In addition, 13 patients (93%) required a supraceliac aortic clamp position with a median clamp time of 23 minutes (IQR, 20-30 minutes). The median estimated blood loss was 1650 mL (IQR, 1025-3000 mL). A cell saver was used in 13 procedures (93%), with a median transfusion of 563 mL (IQR, 231-900 mL). The median operative time was 341 minutes (IQR, 315-416 minutes). Eight patients (57%) experienced acute kidney injury in the postoperative period with a peak creatinine of 1.96 mg/dL (IQR, 1.50-2.84 mg/dL). The median length of stay was 11 days (IQR, 6-16 days), with an intensive care unit stay of 4 days (IQR, 2-7 days). One patient (7%) required reoperation in the immediate perioperative period for a retroperitoneal hematoma. The postoperative ankle brachial index increased from a median of 0.58 (right) and 0.57 (left) bilaterally in the preoperative period to 1.09 (right) and 1.10 (left) postoperatively. Eight patients (57%) had follow-up data available for >2 years postoperatively, with five patients (36%) having follow-up data available for >3 years. Two major adverse cardiac events were reported at the last follow-up. One patient reported mild recurrent symptoms of chronic mesenteric ischemia during 3 years of postoperatively, with no concurrent imaging findings or loss of patency found on computed tomography angiography. Symptomatic coral reef atherosclerosis of the paravisceral aorta is a complex disease rarely encountered even at high-volume referral centers. These patients can be expected to experience short-term postoperative morbidity and require intensive care. Despite these challenges, trapdoor endarterectomy is a safe and effective procedure for coral reef aorta, and most patients achieve dramatic symptomatic improvement with durable results.

The Oxidative Potential of Airborne Particulate Matter Research Trends, Challenges, and Future Perspectives-Insights from a Bibliometric Analysis and Scoping Review.

This study is a comprehensive analysis of the oxidative potential (OP) of particulate matter (PM) and its environmental and health impacts. The researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis and scoping review, screening 569 articles and selecting 368 for further analysis. The study found that OP is an emerging field of study, with a notable increase in the number of publications in the 2010s compared to the early 2000s. The research is primarily published in eight journals and is concentrated in a few academic and university-based institutions. The study identified key research hotspots for OP-PM, emphasizing the importance of capacity building, interdisciplinary collaboration, understanding emission sources and atmospheric processes, and the impacts of PM and its OP. The study highlighted the need to consider the effects of climate change on OP-PM and the regulatory framework for PM research. The findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of PM and its consequences, including human exposure and its effects. It will also inform strategies for managing air quality and protecting public health. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the field of OP-PM research and highlights the need for continued research and collaboration to address the environmental and health impacts of PM.

An overview of air pollution research in Chile: Bibliometric analysis and scoping review, challenger and future directions.

This study provides a comprehensive overview and bibliometric analysis of air pollution research in Chile from 1980 to 2022. The analysis reveals a significant increase in scientific production, a 9.2 annual growth rate, and an H-index of 60. The research spans 33 countries and is influenced by environmental sciences, meteorology, and atmospheric sciences journals. The top ten authors account for 33.49 % of all publications, with local institutions contributing more than 35 %. The University of Chile and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile are significant contributors. The most cited articles focus on health impacts and various pollutant sources, emphasizing air pollution as a critical public health concern. The study also emphasizes environmental science, meteorology, and atmospheric science, focusing on topics such as air pollution and health, pollutants, models, sources and chemistry, and social sciences. The findings are affirmed through rigorous discussion and review, providing a roadmap for future research, guiding decision-making processes, and expanding the knowledge frontier in the field.

Auritidibacter ignavus: an underestimated pathogen?

Auritidibacter ignavus is an emerging diagnosed microorganism associated with fulminant otitis, mastoiditis and recurrent otitis. Here we describe a clinical case in a little girl in La Gomera Island together with images of the bacteriological culture and whole genome sequencing.

Europium insertion into MgAl hydrotalcite-like compound to promote the photocatalytic oxidation of nitrogen oxides.

Easy synthesis of efficient, non-toxic photocatalysts is a target to expand their potential applications. In this research, the role of Eu3+ doping in the non-toxic, affordable, and easily prepared MgAl hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTlcs) was explored in order to prepare visible light semiconductors. Eu doped MgAl-HTlcs (MA-xEu) samples were prepared using a simple coprecipitation method (water, room temperature and atmospheric pressure) and europium was successfully incorporated into MgAl HTlc frameworks at various concentrations, with x (Eu3+/M3+ percentage) ranging from 2 to 15. Due to the higher ionic radius and lower polarizability of Eu3+ cation, its presence in the metal hydroxide layer induces slight structural distortions, which eventually affect the growth of the particles. The specific surface area also increases with the Eu content. Moreover, the presence of Eu3+ 4f energy levels in the electronic structure enables the absorption of visible light in the doped MA-xEu samples and contributes to efficient electron-hole separation. The microstructural and electronic changes induced by the insertion of Eu enable the preparation of visible light MgAl-based HTlcs photocatalysts for air purification purposes. Specifically, the optimal HTlc photocatalyst showed improved NOx removal efficiency, ∼ 51% (UV-Vis) and 39% (visible light irradiation, 420 nm), with excellent selectivity (> 96 %), stability (> 7 h), and enhanced release of •O2- radicals. Such results demonstrate a simple way to design photocatalytic HTlcs suitable for air purification technologies.

Supramolecular polymerization and bulk properties relationship in ester-functionalized N-annulated perylenediimides.

The synthesis of a series of N-annulated perylenediimides (NPDIs) 1-4 with an ester group and an alkyl spacer of different length in the peripheral chains was carried out, and the influence of the side chain architecture on the self-assembly, both in solution and in the solid state, was investigated. Solution studies evidenced that the carbonyl group plays a key role in the supramolecular organization of these derivatives, changing from an H-type isodesmic polymerization (4) to a J-type cooperative process as the spacer length decreases (1-3). On the other hand, bulk assays revealed an odd-even effect that correlates with the length of the alkyl spacer. Whereas the odd-spaced derivatives (2 and 4) organize in a disordered columnar hexagonal fashion, the even-spaced ones (1 and 3) show the formation of multiple crystalline (and liquid crystalline) structures. The results presented herein highlight the importance of side chain functionalization in the design of building blocks for in-solution and bulk purposes.