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Introduction/objective Immunosuppressive therapy is the cornerstone of management in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patients on immunosuppressive therapy are at increased risk of developing opportunistic fungal infections. We conducted this analysis to describe the epidemiology, including incidence, risk factors, and outcomes, of fungal infections in hospitalized patients with SLE in the United States. Method A retrospective cohort study was performed by analyzing the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2016-2020 for all patients with a discharge diagnosis of SLE and fungal infections, including histoplasmosis, pneumocystosis, cryptococcosis, aspergillosis, and blastomycosis, as a primary or secondary diagnosis via ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision) codes. Frequencies, demographics, and trends were determined and compared between hospitalized patients with SLE and those without SLE. STATA version 17 was used for data analysis. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results In hospitalized SLE patients, there were lower odds of developing fungal infections in females (odds ratio (OR): 0.63 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.49-0.80)) and higher odds in Hispanic (OR: 1.52 (95% CI: 1.16-1.98) and Asian (OR: 1.78 (95% CI: 1.15-2.75) populations. Steroid use (OR: 1.96 (95% CI: 1.58-2.42)), concomitant HIV infection(OR: 22.39 (95% CI: 16.06-31.22)), and the presence of leukemias (OR: 3.56 (95% CI: 1.67-7.59)) and lymphomas (OR: 3.29 (95% CI: 1.78-6.09)) in hospitalized SLE patients were significant predictors of fungal infection (p < 0.01). There were differences in the incidence of fungal infections based on geographical areas in the US, with blastomycosis being more common in the Midwest. From 2016 to 2020, there was a decline in the incidence rate of hospitalization per 100,000 for non-SLE patients with fungal infections (10.7 per 100,000 hospitalizations in 2016 versus 9.6 per 100,000 hospitalizations in 2020), whereas this rate remained steady for the SLE cohort (0.1 per 100,000 hospitalizations in 2016 versus 0.2 per 100,000 hospitalizations in 2020). Conclusions Hospitalized patients with SLE are at an increased risk of developing fungal infections, and this risk is increased further in patients who are males, are on steroid therapy, and have HIV or leukemia and lymphomas. Further studies can be done to explain the increased risk of fungal infections associated with these patient characteristics.
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INTRODUCTION: Bladder cancer (BCa) with variant histology (VH) is notably aggressive and not as well studied as pure urothelial carcinoma (UC). The characteristics of variant BCa in the setting of metastatic disease may contribute to treatment response/resistance and subsequent disease progression. In this study, we sought to assess VH's impact on metastasis sites at presentation in metastatic BCa. METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried from 2004 to 2019 to analyze cT1-4 cN0-3 cM1 patients with UC and VH BCa. The primary endpoint was the presence of metastasis to different organs. Binomial multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the impact of VH on metastatic sites while controlling for multiple variables. RESULTS: Total 6005 eligible patients diagnosed with either UC or VH were included. Patients with small cell histology, the second most common VH, were more likely to have liver metastasis (OR: 4.335) while less likely to have lung metastases (OR: 0.521). Squamous cell carcinoma decreased the odds of bone metastasis (OR: 0.449). Adenocarcinoma increased the odds of lung metastases (OR: 1.690). Micropapillary VH is less likely to metastasize to the lungs (OR: 0.182) but more likely to spread to nonregional lymph nodes (OR: 2.623). Sarcomatoid subtype did not exhibit a statistically significant variation in the odds ratio for any of the metastatic sites. CONCLUSION: This study comprehensively analyzes the limited research regarding metastatic BCa and VH. Our analysis underscores each subtype exhibiting heterogeneous metastatic tropism. Importantly, these findings illustrate the role of routine somatic gene expression profiling to guide adequate staging and treatment intensification and to offer a foundation for future studies of VH BCa care.
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BACKGROUND: Penetrating thoracic injuries have a significant risk of morbi-mortality. Despite the advancements in damage control methods, a subset of patients with severe pulmonary vascular lesions and bronchial injuries persists. In some of these cases, post-traumatic pneumonectomy is required, and perioperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support may be required due to right ventricular failure and respiratory failure. CASE DESCRIPTION: A male was brought to the emergency department (ED) with a penetrating thoracic injury, presenting with massive right hemothorax and active bleeding that required ligation of the right pulmonary hilum to control the bleeding. Subsequently, he developed right ventricular dysfunction and ARDS, necessitating a dynamic hybrid ECMO configuration to support his condition and facilitate recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Penetrating thoracic injuries with severe pulmonary vascular lesions may need pneumonectomy to control bleeding. ECMO support reduces the associated mortality by decreasing the complications rate. A multidisciplinary team is essential to achieve good outcomes in severe compromised patients.
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Oxigenação por Membrana Extracorpórea , Pneumonectomia , Humanos , Oxigenação por Membrana Extracorpórea/métodos , Masculino , Lesão Pulmonar/cirurgia , Lesão Pulmonar/etiologia , Adulto , Traumatismos Torácicos/cirurgia , Traumatismos Torácicos/complicações , Ferimentos Penetrantes/cirurgia , Hemotórax/etiologia , Hemotórax/cirurgia , Cuidados Pós-Operatórios/métodosRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Half of dyslipidemic patients sometimes discontinue statin medication. It is unclear if blood atherogenic risk increases right after statin discontinuation or if there is a lingering protective effect. We sought to determine if a legacy effect prevented blood lipid increases during the first stages of statin cessation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Atherogenic blood lipid profile was measured in 10 overweight (BMI 31 ± 3 kg m-2) middle-aged males (62 ± 7 years old), statin users, while fasted and postprandially. Trials were conducted before (i.e., Day 0) and after 4, 7, 15, and 30 days of statin withdrawal and 20 days after statins reloading (Day 50). Four days after statin discontinuation, blood fasting LDL-c, total cholesterol (CHOL), and triglyceride (TG) concentrations increased by 30%, 18%, and 17%, respectively (P < 0.05). The increases in LDL-c, CHOL, and TG peaked after 7-15 days at 79%, 48%, and 34% of basal levels (P < 0.001), respectively. There were no significant correlations between the increases in blood lipids and the dose or years under statin treatment (P = 0.156-0.575). Twenty days after resuming statins, blood LDL-c (2.79 ± 1.06 vs 2.20 ± 0.50 mmol L-1; P = 0.568), CHOL (4.85 ± 1.41 vs 4.25 ± 0.83 mmol L-1; P = 0.747), and TG (1.47 ± 0.60 vs 1.50 ± 0.68 mmol L-1; P = 0.782), returned to basal levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our data does not support a statin lingering/legacy effect in blood lipids since they dangerously increased after only 4 days of statin withdrawal in every patient, regardless of dose and years under treatment. Reloading statins restored blood lipids, evidencing a reproducible biological effect at the whole-body level.
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Objective: To introduce MexOMICS, a Mexican Consortium focused on establishing electronic databases to collect, cross-reference, and share health-related and omics data on the Mexican population. Methods: Since 2019, the MexOMICS Consortium has established three electronic-based registries: the Mexican Twin Registry (TwinsMX), Mexican Lupus Registry (LupusRGMX), and the Mexican Parkinson's Research Network (MEX-PD), designed and implemented using the Research Electronic Data Capture web-based application. Participants were enrolled through voluntary participation and on-site engagement with medical specialists. We also acquired DNA samples and Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans in subsets of participants. Results: The registries have successfully enrolled a large number of participants from a variety of regions within Mexico: TwinsMX (n = 2,915), LupusRGMX (n = 1,761) and MEX-PD (n = 750). In addition to sociodemographic, psychosocial, and clinical data, MexOMICS has collected DNA samples to study the genetic biomarkers across the three registries. Cognitive function has been assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in a subset of 376 MEX-PD participants. Furthermore, a subset of 267 twins have participated in cognitive evaluations with the Creyos platform and in MRI sessions acquiring structural, functional, and spectroscopy brain imaging; comparable evaluations are planned for LupusRGMX and MEX-PD. Conclusions: The MexOMICS registries offer a valuable repository of information concerning the potential interplay of genetic and environmental factors in health conditions among the Mexican population.
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The increasing CO2 emissions and their direct impact on climate change due to the greenhouse effect are environmental issues that must be solved as soon as possible. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are one class of crystalline adsorbent materials that are thought to have enormous potential in CO2 capture applications. In this research, the effect of changing the metal center between Zr(IV), Ce(IV), and Hf(IV), and the linker between BDC and PDC has been fully studied. Thus, the six UiO-66 isoreticular derivatives have been synthesized and characterized by FTIR, PXRD, TGA, and N2 adsorption. We also report the BET surface area, CO2 adsorption capacities, kinetics, and the adsorption isosteric heat (Qst) of the UiO-66 derivatives mentioned family. The CO2 adsorption kinetics were evaluated using pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, Avrami's kinetic models, and the rate-limiting step with Boyd's film diffusion, interparticle diffusion, and intraparticle diffusion models. The isosteric heats of CO2 adsorption using various MOFs are in the range 20-65 kJ mol-1 observing differences in adsorption capacities between 1.15 and 4.72 mmol g-1 at different temperatures due to the electrostatic interactions between CO2 and extra-framework metal ions. The isosteric heat of adsorption calculation in this report, which accounts for the unexpectedly high heat released from Zr-UiO-66-PDC, is finally represented as an increase in the interaction of CO2 with the PDC linker and an increase in Qst with defects.
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The upconversion luminescence (UCL) lifetime has a wide range of applications, serving as a critical parameter for optimizing the performance of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) in various fields. It is crucial to understand that this lifetime does not directly correlate with the decay time of the emission level; rather, it represents a compilation of all the physical phenomena taking place in the upconversion process. To delve deeper into this, we analyzed the dependence of the UCL lifetime on the excitation pulse width for ß-NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles. The results revealed a significant increase in the UCL lifetime with both the excitation pulse width and the excitation intensity. The laser fluence was identified as the parameter governing the UCL decay dynamics. We showcased the universality of the pulse-width-dependent UCL lifetime phenomenon by employing UCNPs of various sizes, surface coatings, host matrices, Yb3+ and Er3+ ratios, and dispersing UCNPs in different solvents. Theoretical explanations for the experimental findings were derived through a rate equation analysis. Finally, we discussed the implications of these results in UCNP-FRET (Förster resonance energy transfer)-based applications.
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Chromium pollution of groundwater sources is a growing global issue, which correlates with various anthropogenic activities. Remediation of both the Cr(VI) and Cr(III), via adsorption technologies, has been championed in recent years due to ease of use, minimal energy requirements, and the potential to serve as a highly sustainable remediation technology. In the present study, a biochar sorbent sourced from pineapple skins, allowed for the upcycling of agricultural waste into water purification technology. The biochar material was chemically modified, through a green amination method, to produce an efficient and selective adsorbent for the removal of both Cr(VI) and Cr(III) from complex aqueous matrices. From FTIR analysis it was evident that the chemical modification introduced new C-N and N-H bonds observed in the modified biochar along with a depletion of N-O and C-H bonds found in the pristine biochar. The amino modified biochar was found to spontaneously adsorb both forms of chromium at room temperature, with binding capacities of 46.5 mg/g of Cr(VI) and 27.1 mg/g of Cr(III). Interference studies, conducted in complex matrices, showed no change in adsorption capacity for Cr(VI) in matrices containing up to 3,000× the concentration of interfering ions. Finally, Cr(III) removal was synergized to 100% adsorption at interfering ions concentrations up to 330× of the analyte, which were suppressed at higher interference concentrations. Considering such performance, the amino modified biochar achieved selective removal for both forms of chromium, showing great potential for utilization in complex chromium pollution sources.
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Carvão Vegetal , Cromo , Poluentes Químicos da Água , Purificação da Água , Cromo/química , Carvão Vegetal/química , Adsorção , Poluentes Químicos da Água/química , Purificação da Água/métodosRESUMO
Corpus callosotomy is a therapeutic approach for drug-resistant epilepsy, with positive outcomes observed in managing atonic seizures. Despite a decline in its usage, radiosurgical callosotomy remains a viable option for drug-resistant epilepsy due to its low risks of post-radiation neoplasia, albeit not with exceptions. Brain radionecrosis is characterized by tissue death and vascular endothelial damage following the procedure. Despite the low risk of intracranial secondary malignancy associated with radiation in some cases, post-radiation lesions might present with distinct characteristics needing a thorough diagnostic approach. Herein, we present a unique case of a patient with focal epilepsy who developed a radionecrotic lesion following radiosurgical callosotomy, affecting the anterior cingulate cortex, and mimicking a central nervous system (CNS) tumor. Molecular imaging techniques, including 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18-FDG PET/CT) and 11C-acetate PET/CT scans, were employed to differentiate the lesion from a tumor. This case underscores the importance of considering radionecrosis as a differential diagnosis in patients who undergo radiosurgical callosotomy presenting with ring-like enhancement lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
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In Spain, the public National Health Service provides care to Spaniards and other residents and is tailored for a decentralized state of autonomies. Each Autonomous Community has legislative capacity in its organization and management. We study the case of the collaboration between private hospitals and the public health service in La Rioja, an Autonomous Community of Spain located in the North of the Iberian Peninsula, due to the importance that this relationship has in health systems, in general. We applied the case study method as a methodological tool in a long-term local study. The interpretation was carried out within a national context, which allows us to understand its meaning and the historical keys to hospital development in this region. Primary sources have been reviewed (mainly reports, catalogs, and censuses of hospitals from the Ministry of Health and the Government of La Rioja) and other secondary sources, located in archives, libraries, Institute of Rioja Studies, and Department of Health. The hospital system in La Rioja was characterized by a predominance of public beds compared with private ones, although there has been a growing trend in the number of private beds from 2013 onwards due to the incorporation of health and social care convalescent hospitals (two). La Rioja has been promoting public-private collaboration (seen as a strategic alliance) and focusing on agreements in the socio-health space, particularly using the management service agreement and the concession of work formulas. The development of the public health service in La Rioja, from 1986 to 2019, has been determined by a progressive lower dependence on specialized hospitals from other health services of neighboring Autonomous Communities and by a mixed public-private hospital system.
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The frequency of early frosts has increased in recent years, which are injurious to olive growing, causing losses in the yield and quality of virgin olive oil. In this research, it was studied how the management of agronomic factors mitigates frost damage in Arbequina olives, minimizing the loss of phenols and volatiles in virgin olive oil, at different fruit ripening stages. A Box-Behnken design and multivariate analysis were performed, with three levels of irrigation, potassium fertilization, and foliar copper application (15 treatments). Virgin olive oil was extracted from fresh and frozen olives. Light frost caused a significant decrease in the total phenols and secoiridoid compounds in and the antioxidant capacity of the frost-affected oils, which were perceived as more pungent and had the slight defect of "frostbitten olives". According to the Box-Behnken design, an 86% reference evapotranspiration (ET0) or higher with 100 potassium oxide units (UK2O) and a 100% ET0 or higher with 250 UK2O would be required to minimize the effect of light frost on phenols and volatiles. Partial Least Squares Regression-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) differentiated the virgin olive oils according to their ripening stage and fresh and frost conditions. Moreover, PLS-DA positively correlated a 75-100% ET0 and 0 Uk2O with the dialdehydic form of the decarboxymethyl ligstroside aglycone (p-HPEA-EDA), the dialdehydic form of the decarboxymethyl oleuropein aglycone (3,4-DHPEA-EDA), the dialdehydic form of the ligstroside aglycone (p-HPEA-EDA-DLA), and with fruity, pungent, and bitter attributes. Precision agronomic management based on the needs of the crop itself would avoid unnecessary stress on olive trees and oil damage.
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Synthetic polymers, commonly known as plastics, are currently present in all aspects of our lives. Although they are useful, they present the problem of what to do with them after their lifespan. There are currently mechanical and chemical methods to treat plastics, but these are methods that, among other disadvantages, can be expensive in terms of energy or produce polluting gases. A more environmentally friendly alternative is recycling, although this practice is not widespread. Based on the practice of the so-called circular economy, many studies are focused on the biodegradation of these polymers by enzymes. Using enzymes is a harmless method that can also generate substances with high added value. Novel and enhanced plastic-degrading enzymes have been obtained by modifying the amino acid sequence of existing ones, especially on their active site, using a wide variety of genetic approaches. Currently, many studies focus on the common aim of achieving strains with greater hydrolytic activity toward a different range of plastic polymers. Although in most cases the depolymerization rate is improved, more research is required to develop effective biodegradation strategies for plastic recycling or upcycling. This review focuses on a compilation and discussion of the most important research outcomes carried out on microbial biotechnology to degrade and recycle plastics.
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Bactérias , Biodegradação Ambiental , Polímeros , Bactérias/metabolismo , Bactérias/genética , Polímeros/química , Polímeros/metabolismo , Plásticos/química , Plásticos/metabolismoRESUMO
TwinsMX registry is a national research initiative in Mexico that aims to understand the complex interplay between genetics and environment in shaping physical and mental health traits among the country's population. With a multidisciplinary approach, TwinsMX aims to advance our knowledge of the genetic and environmental mechanisms underlying ethnic variations in complex traits and diseases, including behavioral, psychometric, anthropometric, metabolic, cardiovascular and mental disorders. With information gathered from over 2800 twins, this article updates the prevalence of several complex traits; and describes the advances and novel ideas we have implemented such as magnetic resonance imaging. The future expansion of the TwinsMX registry will enhance our comprehension of the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in shaping health and disease in the Mexican population. Overall, this report describes the progress in the building of a solid database that will allow the study of complex traits in the Mexican population, valuable not only for our consortium, but also for the worldwide scientific community, by providing new insights of understudied genetically admixed populations.
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Interação Gene-Ambiente , Sistema de Registros , Humanos , México/epidemiologia , Masculino , Feminino , Adulto , Doenças em Gêmeos/genética , Doenças em Gêmeos/epidemiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Gêmeos Monozigóticos/genética , Gêmeos Dizigóticos/genética , Transtornos Mentais/genética , Transtornos Mentais/epidemiologia , Doenças Cardiovasculares/genética , Doenças Cardiovasculares/epidemiologiaRESUMO
We investigated if a bout of exercise in a hot environment (HEAT) would reduce the postprandial hyperglycemia induced by glucose ingestion. The hypothesis was that HEAT stimulating carbohydrate oxidation and glycogen use would increase the disposal of an ingested glucose load [i.e., oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT); 75 g of glucose]. Separated by at least 1 wk, nine young healthy individuals underwent three trials after an overnight fast in a randomized order. Two trials included 50 min of pedaling at 58 ± 5% VÌo2max either in a thermoneutral (21 ± 1°C; NEUTRAL) or in a hot environment (33 ± 1°C; HEAT) eliciting similar energy expenditure (503 ± 101 kcal). These two trials were compared with a no-exercise trial (NO EXER). Twenty minutes after exercise (or rest), subjects underwent an OGTT, while carbohydrate oxidation (CHOxid, using indirect calorimetry) plasma blood glucose, insulin concentrations (i.e., [glucose], [insulin]), and double tracer glucose kinetics ([U-13C] glucose ingestion and [6,6-2H2] glucose infusion) were monitored for 120 min. At rest, [glucose], [insulin], and rates of appearance/disappearance of glucose in plasma (glucose Ra/Rd) were similar among trials. During exercise, heart rate, tympanic temperature, [glucose], glycogen oxidation, and total CHOxid were higher during HEAT than NEUTRAL (i.e., 149 ± 35 vs. 124 ± 31 µmol·kg-1·min-1, P = 0.010). However, during the following OGTT, glucose Rd was similar in HEAT and NEUTRAL trials (i.e., 25.1 ± 3.6 vs. 25.2 ± 5.3 µmol·kg-1·min-1, P = 0.981). Insulin sensitivity (i.e., ISIndexMATSUDA) only improved in NEUTRAL compared with NO EXER (10.1 ± 4.6 vs. 8.8 ± 3.7 au; P = 0.044). In summary, stimulating carbohydrate use with exercise in a hot environment does not improve postprandial plasma glucose disposal or insulin sensitivity in a subsequent OGTT.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Exercise in the heat increases estimated muscle glycogen use. Reduced muscle glycogen after exercise in the heat could increase insulin-mediated glucose uptake during a subsequent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). However, plasma glucose kinetics are not improved during the OGTT in response to a bout of exercise in the heat, and insulin sensitivity worsens. Heat stress activates glucose counterregulatory hormones whose actions may linger during the OGTT, preventing increased glucose uptake.
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Glicemia , Metabolismo dos Carboidratos , Metabolismo Energético , Exercício Físico , Teste de Tolerância a Glucose , Glucose , Temperatura Alta , Humanos , Masculino , Exercício Físico/fisiologia , Adulto , Adulto Jovem , Glicemia/metabolismo , Feminino , Metabolismo dos Carboidratos/fisiologia , Glucose/metabolismo , Metabolismo Energético/fisiologia , Insulina/sangue , Insulina/metabolismo , Oxirredução , Voluntários Saudáveis , Glicogênio/metabolismo , Período Pós-Prandial/fisiologia , Hiperglicemia/metabolismo , Hiperglicemia/prevenção & controleRESUMO
Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a radiation hard wide bandgap semiconductor, which makes it an interesting alternative for radiation detector fabrication, with potential applications such as High Energy Physics, synchrotron and radiotherapy instrumentation. In addition, by reducing the amount of metal over the active area of said detectors (typically used for electrical connectivity with the implant of the pn-junction) unwanted effects from secondary interactions which can affect the accuracy of the measurement can be diminished, essential to meet the medical standards of precision. In this article, the use of epitaxially-grown graphene is explored as an alternative to metallic contacts with these prototypes. To this end, the first prototypes of SiC diodes with epitaxial graphene contacts were produced at IMB-CNM for radiation detection,along with reference devices. In order to characterise the feasibility of the technology in the medical application, the dose rate linearity of the SiC device with graphene was measured in a radiotherapy Linac in the dose rate range of 1-6 Gy/min. The response of the device was compared to that observed on devices with similar geometries reported elsewhere. To fully characterise the devices, the same exercise was repeated in a laboratory X-ray tube. Under the later set-up, the prototype is compared against a device with a fully metallised active region.
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Remarkable performance improvements occur at the end of the third postnatal week in rodents tested in various tasks that require navigation according to spatial context. While alterations in hippocampal function at least partially subserve this cognitive advancement, physiological explanations remain incomplete. Previously, we discovered that developmental modifications to hippocampal glutamatergic α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors in juvenile rats was related to more mature spontaneous alternation behavior in a symmetrical Y-maze. Moreover, a positive allosteric modulator of AMPA receptors enabled immature rats to alternate at rates seen in older animals, suggesting an excitatory synaptic limitation to hippocampal maturation. We then validated the Barnes maze for juvenile rats in order to test the effects of positive AMPA receptor modulation on a goal-directed spatial memory task. Here we report the effects of the AMPA receptor modulator, CX614, on spatial learning and memory in the Barnes maze. Similar to our prior report, animals just over 3 weeks of age display substantial improvements in learning and memory performance parameters compared to animals just under 3 weeks of age. A moderate dose of CX614 enabled immature animals to move more directly to the goal location, but only after 1 day of training. This performance improvement was observed on the second day of training with drug delivery or during a memory probe trial performed without drug delivery after the second day of training. Higher doses created more search errors, especially in more mature animals. Overall, CX614 provided modest performance benefits for immature rats in a goal-directed spatial memory task.
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Receptores de AMPA , Aprendizagem Espacial , Ratos , Animais , Ácido alfa-Amino-3-hidroxi-5-metil-4-isoxazol Propiônico/farmacologia , Memória Espacial , CogniçãoRESUMO
Recently, the manufacturing of porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with engineered porosity has gained considerable interest due to its tunable material properties and diverse applications. An innovative approach to control the porosity of PDMS is to use transient liquid phase water to improve its mechanical properties, which has been explored in this work. Adjusting the ratios of deionized water to the PDMS precursor during blending and subsequent curing processes allows for controlled porosity, yielding water emulsion foam with tailored properties. The PDMS-to-water weight ratios were engineered ranging from 100:0 to 10:90, with the 65:35 specimen exhibiting the best mechanical properties with a Young's Modulus of 1.17 MPa, energy absorption of 0.33 MPa, and compressive strength of 3.50 MPa. This led to a porous sample exhibiting a 31.46% increase in the modulus of elasticity over a bulk PDMS sample. Dowsil SE 1700 was then added, improving the storage capabilities of the precursor. The optimal storage temperature was probed, with -60 °C resulting in great pore stability throughout a three-week duration. The possibility of using these water emulsion foams for paste extrusion additive manufacturing (AM) was also analyzed by implementing a rheological modifier, fumed silica. Fumed silica's impact on viscosity was examined, revealing that 9 wt% of silica demonstrates optimal rheological behaviors for AM, bearing a viscosity of 10,290 Pa·s while demonstrating shear-thinning and thixotropic behavior. This study suggests that water can be used as pore-formers for PDMS in conjunction with AM to produce engineered materials and structures for aerospace, medical, and defense industries as sensors, microfluidic devices, and lightweight structures.
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Bacteriophages play a crucial role in shaping bacterial communities, yet the mechanisms by which nonmotile bacteriophages interact with their hosts remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap is especially pronounced in structured environments like soil, where spatial constraints and air-filled zones hinder aqueous diffusion. In soil, hyphae of filamentous microorganisms form a network of 'fungal highways' (FHs) that facilitate the dispersal of other microorganisms. We propose that FHs also promote bacteriophage dissemination. Viral particles can diffuse in liquid films surrounding hyphae or be transported by infectable (host) or uninfectable (nonhost) bacterial carriers coexisting on FH networks. To test this, two bacteriophages that infect Pseudomonas putida DSM291 (host) but not KT2440 (nonhost) were used. In the absence of carriers, bacteriophages showed limited diffusion on 3D-printed abiotic networks, but diffusion was significantly improved in Pythium ultimum-formed FHs when the number of connecting hyphae exceeded 20. Transport by both host and nonhost carriers enhanced bacteriophage dissemination. Host carriers were five times more effective in transporting bacteriophages, particularly in FHs with over 30 connecting hyphae. This study enhances our understanding of bacteriophage dissemination in nonsaturated environments like soils, highlighting the importance of biotic networks and bacterial hosts in facilitating this process.
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We report the complete genome sequence of Thermaerobacter composti strain Ins1, a gram-positive filamentous spore-forming bacterium, isolated from deep geothermal fluids used for electricity production. This is the first complete (circular) genome assigned to the species Thermaerobacter composti.
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Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) are widely used in forensic, genealogical, and population genetics. With the recent increase in the number of rapidly mutating (RM) Y-STRs, an unprecedented level of male differentiation can be achieved, widening and improving the applications of Y-STRs in various fields, including forensics. The growing complexity of Y-STR data increases the need for automated data analyses, but dedicated software tools are scarce. To address this, we present the Male Pedigree Toolbox (MPT), a software tool for the automated analysis of Y-STR data in the context of patrilineal genealogical relationships. The MPT can estimate mutation rates and male relative differentiation rates from input Y-STR pedigree data. It can aid in determining ancestral haplotypes within a pedigree and visualize the genetic variation within pedigrees in all branches of family trees. Additionally, it can provide probabilistic classifications using machine learning, helping to establish or prove the structure of the pedigree and the level of relatedness between males, even for closely related individuals with highly similar haplotypes. The tool is flexible and easy to use and can be adjusted to any set of Y-STR markers by modifying the intuitive input file formats. We introduce the MPT software tool v1.0 and make it publicly available with the goal of encouraging and supporting forensic, genealogical, and other geneticists in utilizing the full potential of Y-STRs for both research purposes and practical applications, including criminal casework.