Combined First-Principles and Experimental Investigation into the Reactivity of Codeposited Chromium-Carbon under Pressure.

High-pressure synthesis in the diamond anvil cell suffers from the lack of a general approach for the control of precursor stoichiometry and homogeneity. Here, we present results from a new method we have developed that uses magnetron cosputtering to prepare stoichiometrically precise and atomically mixed amorphous films of Cr:C. Laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments carried out on a flake of this sample at pressures between 13.5 and 24.3 GPa lead to the observation of Cr3C (Pnma) over the entire pressure range-in good agreement with our in-house theoretical predictions-but also reveal two other metastable phases that were not expected: a novel monoclinic chromium carbide phase and the NaCl-type CrC (Fm3̅m) phase. The unexpected stability of CrC is investigated by using first-principles methods, revealing a large stabilizing effect tied to substoichiometry at the carbon site. These results offer an important case study into the current limitations of crystal structure prediction methods with regard to phase complexity and bolster the growing need for advanced theoretical approaches that can more completely survey experimentally unexplored phase space.

Among-species variation in six decades of changing migration timings explained through ecology, life-history and local migratory abundance.

Species exploiting seasonal environments must alter timings of key life-history events in response to large-scale climatic changes in order to maintain trophic synchrony with required resources. Yet, substantial among-species variation in long-term phenological changes has been observed. Advancing from simply describing such variation towards predicting future phenological responses requires studies that rigorously quantify and explain variation in the direction and magnitude of changing timings across diverse species in relation to key ecological and life-history variables. Accordingly, we fitted multi-quantile regressions to 59 years of multi-species data on spring and autumn bird migration timings through northern Scotland. We demonstrate substantial variation in changes in timings among 72 species, and tested whether such variation can be explained by species ecology, life-history and changes in local abundance. Consistent with predictions, species that advanced their migration timing in one or both seasons had more seasonally restricted diet types, fewer suitable breeding habitat types, shorter generation lengths and capability to produce multiple offspring broods per year. In contrast, species with less seasonally restricted diet types and that produce single annual offspring broods, showed no change. Meanwhile, contrary to prediction, long-distance and short-distance migrants advanced migration timings similarly. Changes in migration timing also varied with changes in local migratory abundance, such that species with increasing seasonal abundance apparently altered their migration timing, whilst species with decreasing abundance did not. Such patterns broadly concur with expectation given adaptive changes in migration timing. However, we demonstrate that similar patterns can be generated by numerical sampling given changing local abundances. Any apparent phenology-abundance relationships should, therefore, be carefully validated and interpreted. Overall, our results show that migrant bird species with differing ecologies and life-histories showed systematically differing phenological changes over six decades contextualised by large-scale environmental changes, potentially facilitating future predictions and altering temporal dynamics of seasonal species co-occurrences.

High end-of-treatment hepatitis B core-related antigen levels predict hepatitis flare after stopping nucleot(s)ide analogue therapy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Accurate biomarkers to predict outcomes following discontinuation of nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapy are needed. We evaluated serum hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) level as a biomarker for predicting outcomes after NA discontinuation. METHODS: Patients with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) without cirrhosis were enrolled in a prospective trial evaluating clinical outcomes until 96 weeks after NA discontinuation. End of treatment (EOT) and off-treatment levels of serum HBcrAg, HBsAg, HBV RNA and HBV DNA were used to predict key clinical outcomes including hepatitis flare (ALT ≥5 × ULN and HBV DNA > 2000 IU/mL). The SCALE-B score was calculated for the purposes of model validation. RESULTS: HBcrAg was tested amongst 65 participants. The median age was 54 years, 54% were male and 83% were Asian. HBcrAg was detectable in 86% patients. HBcrAg level ≥4 log U/mL at EOT was predictive of hepatitis flare [8/10 (80%) vs. 17/55 (31%), p = .001]. The presence of either HBcrAg ≥4 log U/mL or detectable HBV RNA at EOT predicted for both biochemical relapse and hepatitis flare. The SCALE-B model at EOT predicted for virological relapse, biochemical relapse, hepatitis flare and HBsAg loss in this cohort. An increase in the serum HBcrAg level off-treatment was also associated with hepatitis flare. No participant with EOT HBcrAg level ≥4 log U/mL achieved HBsAg loss. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of serum HBcrAg predict for hepatitis flare after stopping NA therapy and low likelihood of HBsAg loss at week 96. People with high levels of serum HBcrAg are not suitable candidates for NA discontinuation.

A 38-colour high dimensional immunophenotyping panel for human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

High dimensional immunophenotyping panels are invaluable resources for performing extensive phenotyping on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We designed a 38-colour high dimensional phenotyping panel to measure innate (monocytes, dendritic cells, NK cells, basophils, innate like lymphoid cells), T cell (γδ T cells, MAIT cells, CD4 and CD8 memory, Th1, Th2, Th17, Tfh, Treg) and B cell (memory, plasma cells, transitional B cells, plasmablasts, IgG, IgM) subsets in addition to their activation status using the 5-laser Cytek Aurora. We optimised optimal fluorochrome combinations and titres to minimise spread and autofluorescence of rare immune cell populations and tested this panel on PBMCs from 15 healthy adults. This high dimensional panel will be invaluable for direct ex vivo studies to evaluate immune cells in the context of human health and disease, especially when samples are limited.

Isosteric Replacement of Sulfur to Selenium in a Thiosemicarbazone: Promotion of Zn(II) Complex Dissociation and Transmetalation to Augment Anticancer Efficacy.

We implemented isosteric replacement of sulfur to selenium in a novel thiosemicarbazone (PPTP4c4mT) to create a selenosemicarbazone (PPTP4c4mSe) that demonstrates potentiated anticancer efficacy and selectivity. Their design specifically incorporated cyclohexyl and styryl moieties to sterically inhibit the approach of their Fe(III) complexes to the oxy-myoglobin heme plane. Importantly, in contrast to the Fe(III) complexes of the clinically trialed thiosemicarbazones Triapine, COTI-2, and DpC, the Fe(III) complexes of PPTP4c4mT and PPTP4c4mSe did not induce detrimental oxy-myoglobin oxidation. Furthermore, PPTP4c4mSe demonstrated more potent antiproliferative activity than the homologous thiosemicarbazone, PPTP4c4mT, with their selectivity being superior or similar, respectively, to the clinically trialed thiosemicarbazone, COTI-2. An advantageous property of the selenosemicarbazone Zn(II) complexes relative to their thiosemicarbazone analogues was their greater transmetalation to Cu(II) complexes in lysosomes. This latter effect probably promoted their antiproliferative activity. Both ligands down-regulated multiple key receptors that display inter-receptor cooperation that leads to aggressive and resistant breast cancer.

Antennal transcriptome analysis reveals sensory receptors potentially associated with host detection in the livestock pest Lucilia cuprina.

BACKGROUND: Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is the main causative agent of flystrike of sheep in Australia and New Zealand. Female flies lay eggs in an open wound or natural orifice, and the developing larvae eat the host's tissues, a condition called myiasis. To improve our understanding of host-seeking behavior, we quantified gene expression in male and female antennae based on their behavior. METHODS: A spatial olfactometer was used to evaluate the olfactory response of L. cuprina mated males and gravid females to fresh or rotting beef. Antennal RNA-Seq analysis was used to identify sensory receptors differentially expressed between groups. RESULTS: Lucilia cuprina females were more attracted to rotten compared to fresh beef (> fivefold increase). However, males and some females did not respond to either type of beef. RNA-Seq analysis was performed on antennae dissected from attracted females, non-attracted females and males. Transcripts encoding sensory receptors from 11 gene families were identified above a threshold (≥ 5 transcript per million) including 49 ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABCs), two ammonium transporters (AMTs), 37 odorant receptors (ORs), 16 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 5 gustatory receptors (GRs), 22 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 9 CD36-sensory neuron membrane proteins (CD36/SNMPs), 4 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 4 myeloid lipid-recognition (ML) and Niemann-Pick C2 disease proteins (ML/NPC2), 2 pickpocket receptors (PPKs) and 3 transient receptor potential channels (TRPs). Differential expression analyses identified sex-biased sensory receptors. CONCLUSIONS: We identified sensory receptors that were differentially expressed between the antennae of both sexes and hence may be associated with host detection by female flies. The most promising for future investigations were as follows: an odorant receptor (LcupOR46) which is female-biased in L. cuprina and Cochliomyia hominivorax Coquerel, 1858; an ABC transporter (ABC G23.1) that was the sole sensory receptor upregulated in the antennae of females attracted to rotting beef compared to non-attracted females; a female-biased ammonia transporter (AMT_Rh50), which was previously associated with ammonium detection in Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830. This is the first report suggesting a possible role for ABC transporters in L. cuprina olfaction and potentially in other insects.

Immunogenicity of BNT162b2 as a first booster after a ChAdOx1 primary series in a Thai geriatric population living with frailty.

OBJECTIVES: Impact of frailty towards immunogenicity and reactogenicity of BNT162b2 boosters administered via intramuscular or intradermal routes in a Thai geriatric population DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, open-labeled. SETTING: Siriraj Hospital, Thailand. PARTICIPANTS: Geriatric adults aged ≥65 years. INTERVENTION: 10 µg intradermal or 30 µg intramuscular BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech). MEASUREMENTS: Anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain IgG, neutralizing antibodies (NAb), and interferon-gamma producing cells against Wuhan and Omicron BA.4/5. Analyses were stratified based on participants' Clinical Frailty Scale. RESULTS: A total of 139 participants were included in the analysis. Two-four weeks post-booster administration, NAb titers against Wuhan but not Omicron BA.4/5 were significantly lower among frail participants than non-frail participants who received intramuscular administration. Spike-specific T cell responses were similar for frail and non-frail participants, regardless of administration route. Frail participants who received intradermal BNT162b2 had fewer local adverse events (AEs), but higher systemic AEs than non-frail participants. CONCLUSION: Similar immune responses across vaccine routes warrants further evaluation of intradermal BNT162b2 in frail geriatric populations. Frail participants may be more sensitive to reporting systemic AEs. REGISTRATION OF CLINICAL TRIALS: The parent study was registered under the Thai Clinical Trials Registry (TCTR20220112002).

Blood Cancer Network Ireland (BCNI) and National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI) collaboration: challenges and utility of an Enhanced Blood Cancer Outcomes Registry (EBCOR) pilot.

BACKGROUND: The Blood Cancer Network Ireland and National Cancer Registry Ireland worked to create an Enhanced Blood Cancer Outcomes Registry (EBCOR). Enhanced data in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) included an extensive data dictionary, bespoke software and longitudinal follow-up. AIMS: To demonstrate the utility of the database, we applied the data to examine a clinically relevant question: Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) usefulness in predicting AML patients' survival. METHODS: A software designer and consultant haematologists in Cork University Hospital worked together to standardise a data dictionary, train registrars and populate a database. One hundred and forty-one AML patients underwent enhanced data registration. Comorbidities identified by chart review were used to examine the capability of the CCI and age at diagnosis to predict mortality using Kaplan-Meier curves, Cox regression and receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: In regression analysis, a dose-response relationship was observed; patients in the highest CCI tertile displayed a greater risk (HR = 4.90; 95% CI 2.79-8.63) of mortality compared to subjects in tertile 2 (HR = 2.74; 95% CI 1.64-4.57) and tertile 1 (reference). This relationship was attenuated in an analysis which adjusted for age at diagnosis. The area under the curve (AUC) for the CCI was 0.76 (95% CI 0.68-0.84) while the AUC for age at diagnosis was 0.84 (95% CI 0.78-0.90). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the CCI provides no additional prognostic information beyond that obtained from age alone at AML diagnosis and that an EBCOR can provide a rich database for cancer outcomes research, including predictive models and resource allocation.

Miniaturized Cultivation Profiling (MATRIX)-Facilitated Discovery of Noonazines A-C and Noonaphilone A from an Australian Marine-Derived Fungus, Aspergillus noonimiae CMB-M0339.

Subjecting the Australian marine-derived fungus Aspergillus noonimiae CMB-M0339 to cultivation profiling using an innovative miniaturized 24-well plate format (MATRIX) enabled access to new examples of the rare class of 2,6-diketopiperazines, noonazines A-C (1-3), along with the known analogue coelomycin (4), as well as a new azaphilone, noonaphilone A (5). Structures were assigned to 1-5 on the basis of a detailed spectroscopic analysis, and in the case of 1-2, an X-ray crystallographic analysis. Plausible biosynthetic pathways are proposed for 1-4, involving oxidative Schiff base coupling/dimerization of a putative Phe precursor. Of note, 2 incorporates a rare meta-Tyr motif, typically only reported in a limited array of Streptomyces metabolites. Similarly, a plausible biosynthetic pathway is proposed for 5, highlighting a single point for stereo-divergence that allows for the biosynthesis of alternate antipodes, for example, the 7R noonaphilone A (5) versus the 7S deflectin 1a (6).

Spatial distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis mRNA and secreted antigens in acid-fast negative human antemortem and resected tissue.

BACKGROUND: The ability to detect evidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection within human tissues is critical to the study of Mtb physiology, tropism, and spatial distribution within TB lesions. The capacity of the widely-used Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining method for identifying Mtb acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in tissue is highly variable, which can limit detection of Mtb bacilli for research and diagnostic purposes. Here, we sought to circumvent these limitations via detection of Mtb mRNA and secreted antigens in human tuberculous tissue. METHODS: We adapted RNAscope, an RNA in situ hybridisation (RISH) technique, to detect Mtb mRNA in ante- and postmortem human TB tissues and developed a dual ZN/immunohistochemistry staining approach to identify AFB and bacilli producing antigen 85B (Ag85B). FINDINGS: We identified Mtb mRNA within intact and disintegrating bacilli as well as extrabacillary mRNA. Mtb mRNA was distributed zonally within necrotic and non-necrotic granulomas. We also found Mtb mRNA within, and adjacent to, necrotic granulomas in ZN-negative lung tissue and in Ag85B-positive bronchiolar epithelium. Intriguingly, we observed accumulation of Mtb mRNA and Ag85B in the cytoplasm of host cells. Notably, many AFB were negative for Ag85B staining. Mtb mRNA was observed in ZN-negative antemortem lymph node biopsies. INTERPRETATION: RNAscope and dual ZN/immunohistochemistry staining are well-suited for identifying subsets of intact Mtb and/or bacillary remnants in human tissue. RNAscope can identify Mtb mRNA in ZN-negative tissues from patients with TB and may have diagnostic potential in complex TB cases. FUNDING: Wellcome Leap Delta Tissue Program, Wellcome Strategic Core Award, the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA), the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health at UAB, the UAB Heersink School of Medicine.

Development of a human papillomavirus (HPV) multiplex immunoassay to profile HPV antibodies.

Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) are considered the primary mechanism of vaccine-mediated protection against human papillomaviruses (HPV), the causative agent of cervical cancer. However, the minimum level of NAb needed for protection is currently unknown. The HPV pseudovirion-based neutralization assay (PBNA) is the gold standard method for assessing HPV antibody responses but is time-consuming and labor-intensive. With the development of higher valency HPV vaccines, alternative serological assays with the capacity for multiplexing would improve efficiency and output. Here we describe a multiplex bead-based immunoassay to characterize the antibody responses to the seven oncogenic HPV types (HPV16/18/31/33/45/52/58) contained in the current licensed nonavalent HPV vaccine. This assay can measure antibody isotypes and subclasses (total IgG, IgM, IgA1-2, IgG1-4), and can be adapted to measure other antibody features (e.g., Fc receptors) that contribute to vaccine immunity. When tested with serum samples from unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals, we found high concordance between HPV-specific IgG using this multiplex assay and NAbs measured with PBNA. Overall, this assay is high-throughput, sample-sparing, and time-saving, providing an alternative to existing assays for the measurement and characterization of HPV antibody responses.

Accelarated Orthodontic Treatment Using Microosteoperforations: A Comparative Study.

Background: Accelerated orthodontic treatment has gained popularity in recent years as patients seek shorter treatment durations. Microosteoperforations (MOPs) have emerged as a minimally invasive technique to expedite tooth movement. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of MOPs in accelerating orthodontic treatment with conventional methods. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 60 orthodontic patients requiring dental alignment. The participants were divided into two groups: Group A (MOPs) and Group B (conventional orthodontic treatment). In Group A, MOPs were performed at the beginning of the treatment. Both groups received monthly orthodontic adjustments. Treatment duration, rate of tooth movement, and patient discomfort were measured and compared between the two groups. Results: The study found that in Group A, the treatment duration was reduced by 30% compared to Group B (P < 0.05). The rate of tooth movement in the MOPs group was 1.5 times higher than the conventional group (P < 0.01). Additionally, patient-reported discomfort levels were similar between the two groups. No adverse events related to MOPs were observed during the study. Conclusion: MOPs significantly accelerate orthodontic treatment, reducing treatment duration by 30% and increasing the rate of tooth movement by 1.5 times compared to conventional methods. Importantly, MOPs are well-tolerated by patients, making them a valuable option for expediting orthodontic treatment with minimal discomfort. This study highlights the potential benefits of integrating MOPs into orthodontic practice to improve treatment efficiency and patient satisfaction.

The VirTra V-100 Is a Test-Retest Reliable Shooting Simulator for Measuring Accuracy/Precision, Decision-Making, and Reaction Time in Civilians, Police/SWAT, and Military Personnel.

ABSTRACT: Buga, A, Decker, DD, Robinson, BT, Crabtree, CD, Stoner, JT, Arce, LF, El-Shazly, X, Kackley, ML, Sapper, TN, Anders, JPV, Kraemer, WJ, and Volek, JS. The VirTra V-100 is a test-retest reliable shooting simulator for measuring accuracy/precision, decision-making, and reaction time in civilians, police/SWAT, and military personnel. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-Law-enforcement agencies and the military have increasingly used virtual reality (VR) to augment job readiness. However, whether VR technology captures consistent data for shooting performance evaluation has never been explored. We enrolled 30 adults (24 M/6 F) to examine test-retest reliability of the VirTra shooting simulator. Approximately 30% of the sample had a tactical background (PD/SWAT and military). Trained research staff familiarized subjects with how to shoot the infrared-guided M4 rifle at digitally projected targets. Subjects then performed 3 identical experimental shooting sessions (consecutive or separated by 1-2 days) that assessed accuracy/precision, decision-making, and reaction time. Key metrics comprised projectile Cartesian position ( x , y ), score, time, and throughput (score or accuracy divided by time). Test-retest reliability was measured with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). After each visit, subjects completed a perceptual survey to self-evaluate their shooting performance and perceived VR realism. The simulator captured 21 ballistic variables with good to excellent test-retest agreement, producing a global ICC of 0.78. Notable metrics were the individual projectile distances to the center of the target (0.81), shot group radius (0.91), time-to-first decision (0.97), decision-making throughput (0.95), and target transition reaction time (0.91). Subjects had positive self-evaluations about their shooting performance, with "confidence" increasing from baseline to the end of the study ( p = 0.014). The VirTra V-100 virtual ballistic shooting simulator captures data with a high degree of test-retest reliability and is easy to familiarize regardless of starting expertise levels, making it appropriate for use as a method to objectively track progress or a tactical research testing tool.

Hearing loss in Australian First Nations children at 6-monthly assessments from age 12 to 36 months: Secondary outcomes from randomised controlled trials of novel pneumococcal conjugate vaccine schedules.

BACKGROUND: In Australian remote communities, First Nations children with otitis media (OM)-related hearing loss are disproportionately at risk of developmental delay and poor school performance, compared to those with normal hearing. Our objective was to compare OM-related hearing loss in children randomised to one of 2 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) formulations. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In 2 sequential parallel, open-label, randomised controlled trials (the PREVIX trials), eligible infants were first allocated 1:1:1 at age 28 to 38 days to standard or mixed PCV schedules, then at age 12 months to PCV13 (13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, +P) or PHiD-CV10 (10-valent pneumococcal Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine, +S) (1:1). Here, we report prevalence and level of hearing loss outcomes in the +P and +S groups at 6-monthly scheduled assessments from age 12 to 36 months. From March 2013 to September 2018, 261 infants were enrolled and 461 hearing assessments were performed. Prevalence of hearing loss was 78% (25/32) in the +P group and 71% (20/28) in the +S group at baseline, declining to 52% (28/54) in the +P groups and 56% (33/59) in the +S group at age 36 months. At primary endpoint age 18 months, prevalence of moderate (disabling) hearing loss was 21% (9/42) in the +P group and 41% (20/49) in the +S group (difference -19%; (95% confidence interval (CI) [-38, -1], p = 0.07) and prevalence of no hearing loss was 36% (15/42) in the +P group and 16% (8/49) in the +S group (difference 19%; (95% CI [2, 37], p = 0.05). At subsequent time points, prevalence of moderate hearing loss remained lower in the +P group: differences -3%; (95% CI [-23, 18], p = 1.00 at age 24 months), -12%; (95% CI [-30, 6], p = 0.29 at age 30 months), and -9%; (95% CI [-23, 5], p = 0.25 at age 36 months). A major limitation was the small sample size, hence low power to reach statistical significance, thereby reducing confidence in the effect size. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed a high prevalence and persistence of moderate (disabling) hearing loss throughout early childhood. We found a lower prevalence of moderate hearing loss and correspondingly higher prevalence of no hearing loss in the +P group, which may have substantial benefits for high-risk children, their families, and society, but warrant further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01735084 and NCT01174849.

Autophagy counters inflammation-driven glycolytic impairment in aging hematopoietic stem cells.

Autophagy is central to the benefits of longevity signaling programs and to hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) response to nutrient stress. With age, a subset of HSCs increases autophagy flux and preserves regenerative capacity, but the signals triggering autophagy and maintaining the functionality of autophagy-activated old HSCs (oHSCs) remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that autophagy is an adaptive cytoprotective response to chronic inflammation in the aging murine bone marrow (BM) niche. We find that inflammation impairs glucose uptake and suppresses glycolysis in oHSCs through Socs3-mediated inhibition of AKT/FoxO-dependent signaling, with inflammation-mediated autophagy engagement preserving functional quiescence by enabling metabolic adaptation to glycolytic impairment. Moreover, we show that transient autophagy induction via a short-term fasting/refeeding paradigm normalizes glycolytic flux and significantly boosts oHSC regenerative potential. Our results identify inflammation-driven glucose hypometabolism as a key driver of HSC dysfunction with age and establish autophagy as a targetable node to reset oHSC regenerative capacity.

Spatial and Temporal Resolution of Cyanobacterial Bloom Chemistry Reveals an Open-Ocean Trichodesmium thiebautii as a Talented Producer of Specialized Metabolites.

While the ecological role that Trichodesmium sp. play in nitrogen fixation has been widely studied, little information is available on potential specialized metabolites that are associated with blooms and standing stock Trichodesmium colonies. While a collection of biological material from a T. thiebautii bloom event from North Padre Island, Texas, in 2014 indicated that this species was a prolific producer of chlorinated specialized metabolites, additional spatial and temporal resolution was needed. We have completed these metabolite comparison studies, detailed in the current report, utilizing LC-MS/MS-based molecular networking to visualize and annotate the specialized metabolite composition of these Trichodesmium blooms and colonies in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and other waters. Our results showed that T. thiebautii blooms and colonies found in the GoM have a remarkably consistent specialized metabolome. Additionally, we isolated and characterized one new macrocyclic compound from T. thiebautii, trichothilone A (1), which was also detected in three independent cultures of T. erythraeum. Genome mining identified genes predicted to synthesize certain functional groups in the T. thiebautii metabolites. These results provoke intriguing questions of how these specialized metabolites affect Trichodesmium ecophysiology, symbioses with marine invertebrates, and niche development in the global oligotrophic ocean.

Contemporary HIV-1 consensus Env with AI-assisted redesigned hypervariable loops promote antibody binding.

An effective HIV-1 vaccine must elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) against highly diverse Envelope glycoproteins (Env). Since Env with the longest hypervariable (HV) loops is more resistant to the cognate bnAbs than Env with shorter HV loops, we redesigned hypervariable loops for updated Env consensus sequences of subtypes B and C and CRF01_AE. Using modeling with AlphaFold2, we reduced the length of V1, V2, and V5 HV loops while maintaining the integrity of the Env structure and glycan shield, and modified the V4 HV loop. Spacers are designed to limit strain-specific targeting. All updated Env are infectious as pseudoviruses. Preliminary structural characterization suggests that the modified HV loops have a limited impact on Env's conformation. Binding assays show improved binding to modified subtype B and CRF01_AE Env but not to subtype C Env. Neutralization assays show increases in sensitivity to bnAbs, although not always consistently across clades. Strikingly, the HV loop modification renders the resistant CRF01_AE Env sensitive to 10-1074 despite the absence of a glycan at N332.

High-Pressure Synthesis and Recovery of Single Crystals of the Metastable Manganese Carbide, MnCx.

Transition metal carbides find widespread use throughout industry due to their high strength and resilience under extreme conditions. However, they remain largely limited to compounds formed from the early d-block elements, since the mid-to-late transition metals do not form thermodynamically stable carbides. We report here the high-pressure bulk synthesis of large single crystals of a novel metastable manganese carbide compound, MnCx (P63/mmc), which adopts the anti-NiAs-type structure with significant substoichiometry at the carbon sites. We demonstrate how synthesis pressure modulates the carbon loading, with ~40 % occupancy being achieved at 9.9 GPa.

Long term impact of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation on hepatic morphology.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term morphologic changes occurring in the liver after TIPS creation with correlation with hepatic function to gain insight on the physiologic impact of TIPS on the liver. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who underwent TIPS creation between 2005 and 2022 and had contrasted CT or MRI studies prior to and between 1 and 2 years post procedure. Strict exclusion criteria were applied to avoid confounding. Parenchymal volume and vessel measurements were assessed on the pre- and post-TIPS CT or MRI and MELD scores calculated. RESULTS: Of 580 patients undergoing TIPS creation, 65 patients (mean age, 55 years; 36 males) had pre-TIPS and post-TIPS imaging meeting inclusion criteria at median 16.5 months. After TIPS, the mean MELD score increased (12.9 to 15.4; p = 0.008) and total liver volume decreased (1730 to 1432 mL; p < 0.001). However, the magnitude of volume change did not correlate with MELD change. Neither portosystemic gradient nor TIPS laterality correlated with total or lobar hepatic volume changes or MELD changes. The main portal vein diameter increased (15.0 to 18.7 mm; p < 0.001). Thrombosis of the hepatic vein used for TIPS creation resulted in a mean increase in MELD of +4.1 compared to -2.1 in patients who had a patent and normal hepatic vein (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Given lack of correlation between portosystemic gradient, hepatic atrophy, hepatic function, and TIPS laterality, the alterations in portal flow dynamics after TIPS may not be impactful to hepatic function. However, hepatic vein patency after TIPS correlated with improved hepatic function.