Level of Evidence: 3 Objective(s) To identify the risk factors for Cholesteatoma in a large UK cohort. Although some risk factors are well established (male sex, history of chronic otitis media), others require further evidence (deprivation, smoking). Design and Setting 1,140 cholesteatoma cases from UK BioBank were compared to 4,551 non-cholesteatoma middle ear disease and 493,832 ear disease-free controls. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated for demographic factors including age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation and smoking status with logistic regressions. Odds ratios for overlapping ICD-10 codes are also calculated. Results Cholesteatoma was significantly associated with sex (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for males=1.33), age (AOR=1.02) and deprivation (AOR=1.08) compared to ear disease-free controls ( p<0.001). Age and deprivation distributions for cholesteatoma and non-cholesteatoma ear disease were similar. Although there was no significant association with smoking status, cholesteatoma was significantly associated with the ICD-10 code mental and behavioural disorders due to tobacco use (OR=2.34, p<0.001). Cholesteatoma was also strongly associated with a wide range of inflammatory middle ear conditions and chronic sinus inflammation, suggesting an increased susceptibility to inflammation of the upper airways. Conclusion This study shows a large overlap between cholesteatoma and non-cholesteatoma ear disease in terms of numbers and demographics, with sex being a key factor distinguishing between the two, suggesting that there are both common and distinct risk factors exist.

Antibacterial lysozyme hydrogels show attractive advantages in wound dressings due to their intrinsic antibacterial activity, excellent biochemical and mechanical properties. Unfortunately, the development of such hydrogels is still greatly limited due to the lack of universal gelation strategies. Herein, a universal gelation strategy between lysozyme-nanofiber (LZF) and inorganic salts is proposed for the first time to construct functional nanofibrous lysozyme-based hydrogels. Specially, divalent anions are found to universally drive LZF for the aggregation and transformation into three-dimensional nanofibrous network hydrogels via electrostatic interaction, and the key role of divalent anions in the gelation is further proved by molecular dynamics simulation. In addition, near infrared light-mediated photothermal characteristics are endowed for LZF to enhance its inhibitory activity of multi-drug-resistant bacteria by the skeleton modification with genipin to produce genipin-conjuagted LZF (GLZF). As a distinct application paradigm, the brilliant immunomemory MnSO 4-crosslinked GLZF hydrogel is constructed to sensitize cGAS-STING pathway and skillfully establish an antibacterial immune microenvironment. It can excellently realize the infected anti-recurrence of diabetic wound via photo-enhanced bacterial killing and cGAS-STING pathway. Thereby, it paves the way to employ the universal divalent anion-mediated gelation strategy for future developing functional inorganic salt-hybrided lysozyme hydrogels.

This is the case of a 4-year-old girl, who was admitted to our pediatric orthopedic department to investigate a lameness associated with fever that had been evolving for 5 days. Mobilization of the right hip was painful. The laboratory tests were normal, as well as the X-ray of the pelvis. Ultrasound revealed a slight effusion in the right hip. MRI showed two anomalies located at the anterior and posterior walls of the right acetabulum, which appeared as hypo-intense on T1 and enhanced after contrast injection (fig1). An infectious or tumoral origin was suspected, and a CT-guided biopsy was planned. However, the day before the biopsy, it was discovered that the girl had developed right exophthalmos and periorbital ecchymosis (fig2). A cerebral CT scan was performed, revealing a lytic lesion of the greater wing of the right sphenoid bone with periosteal reaction invading the right external oculomotor muscle (fig3). A metastatic origin was suspected for both the orbital and acetabular lesions. A thoracoabdominal CT scan was performed in order to identify the primary tumor. A left retroperitoneal mass was found opposite L3 and L4, extending over 4 cm (fig3). A CT-guided biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of neuroblastoma. The patient was transferred to a specialized pediatric oncology center for further therapeutic management. The important clinical teaching of our case is to remember that exophthalmos with periorbital ecchymosis, excluding a traumatic context, in a child under 5 years old, should lead to suspicion of metastatic neuroblastoma, known as Hutchinson’s syndrome [1].References: 1. Dari D, Merad S, Medjahedi A. Syndrome d’Hutchinson : impact diagnostique de la scintigraphie à la 131I-MIBG et de l’imagerie hybride TEMP/TDM dans la prise en charge du neuroblastome. Médecine Nucléaire 2021; 45(4):218–9.

A case report on retrograde approach for recanalization of stumpless chronic total occlusion (CTO)Dayu Wang, MM1; Ruibin Wei, MM1; Junteng Zheng, MM1; Zhen Liu, MM 1; Jian Hou, PhD1#;Jianhao Li, MM1#;1 Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Panyu Central Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China#Correspondence to:Jian Hou, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Panyu Central Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China 511400, GD, China; E-mail: chnhouj@163.comJianhao Li, Department of Cardiology, The Affiliated Panyu Central Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China 511400, GD, China; E-mail: pydoctor_ljh@163.com

A Case Report of Granular Cell Tumor of the Left Mandibular CanalXing-Hong Zhou MD, Zheng-Da Zhu MD, Yue Yan MD, Rui-Juan Zhang MD, Shi-Min Chang MDDepartment of Stomatology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityCorrespondence: Shi-Min Chang, Department of Stomatology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.Email: changsm2005@163.com

A document by Yasmine Elsherif. Click on the document to view its contents.

Polycatenane gels have attracted extensive attention due to their high degree of freedom and mobility. However, the synthesis of poly[2]catenane gels reported to date all rely on the polymer as the backbone. Herein, we prepared poly[2]catenane gels based on entirely sequential assembly of small molecules. Monomer M1 with two unclosed rings was first prepared, which self-assembled to form supramolecular polymers(SPs) via hydrogen bonding and π-π interactions. Upon adding small molecule monomers M2 and M3 with aldehyde groups, ring closing of SPs occurred due to the amino groups in the SPs reacted with M2 to form imine bonds. In addition, M3, which has twice the number of aldehyde groups as M2, enabled SPs to ring-close, causing the proceeding of crosslinking process at the same time. Thus linear SPs were transformed into poly[2]catenane gel networks. Due to the presence of hydrogen bonds in the poly[2]catenane gel, the gel also possessed stimulus responsiveness and self-healing properties.

The Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell is a fibroblast-like cell that produces proteins with post-translational modifications similar to human glycosylation. It is widely used in the production of recombinant therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies. Culturing CHO cells typically requires the addition of a certain proportion of fetal bovine serum (FBS) to maintain cell proliferation and passaging. However, serum is characterized by its complex composition, batch-to-batch variability, high cost, and potential risk of exogenous contaminants such as mycoplasma and viruses, which impact the purity and safety of the synthesized proteins. Therefore, search for serum alternatives and development of serum-free media for CHO-based protein biomanufacturing are of great significance. This review systematically summarizes the application advantages of CHO cells and strategies for high-density expression. It highlights the developmental trends of serum substitutes from human platelet lysates to animal-free extracts and microbial-derived substances and elucidates the mechanisms by which these substitutes enhance CHO cell culture performance and recombinant protein production, aiming to provide theoretical guidance for exploring novel serum alternatives and developing serum-free media for CHO cells.

Understanding microbial adaptation is crucial for predicting how soil carbon dynamics and global biogeochemical cycles will respond to climate change. This study employs the DEMENT model of microbial decomposition, along with empirical mutation and dispersal rates, to explore the roles of mutation and dispersal in adaptation of soil microbial populations to shifts in litter chemistry, changes that are anticipated with climate-driven vegetation dynamics. Following a change in litter chemistry, mutation generally allows for a higher rate of litter decomposition than dispersal, especially when dispersal predominantly introduces genotypes already present in the population. These findings challenge the common idea that mutation rates are too low to affect ecosystem processes on ecological timescales. These results demonstrate that evolutionary processes, such as mutation, can help maintain ecosystem functioning as the climate changes.

The validation of a bioanalytical method is essential to ascertain its suitability for a specific purpose and ensure the accuracy of its analytical outcomes, particularly within the pharmaceutical industry. The pseudovirion-based neutralization assay (PBNA) is considered the gold standard for detecting and quantifying neutralizing antibodies against human papillomavirus in the development of the disease-prevent vaccines. This paper introduces a modified high-throughput triple-color PBNA method designed to simultaneously detect the neutralizing antibodies against as many as 14 HPV types. The primary objective is to present a comprehensive validation of the triple-color PBNA method applicable to general vaccine immunogenicity assays. The results demonstrate good specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity, robustness, and applicability of the method. This innovative triple-color PBNA provides a high-throughput approach for large-scale immunogenicity assessments that vaccine developers might encounter, overcoming limitations of labor-intensive and complex nature associated with traditional neutralization assays. The research establishes a robust foundation and good guiding example for evaluating vaccine responses in both preclinical and clinical phases, offering valuable insights to the field.

To avoid reaching lethal temperatures during periods of heat stress, plants may acclimate either their biochemical thermal tolerance, or leaf morphological and physiological characteristics to reduce leaf temperature (T leaf). While emerging evidence indicates that plants from warmer environments have a greater capacity to regulate T leaf, the extent of intraspecific variation and contribution of provenance is relatively unexplored. We tested whether upland and lowland provenances of four tropical tree species grown in a common garden differed in their thermal safety margins by measuring leaf thermal traits, midday leaf-to-air temperature differences (∆T leaf), and critical leaf temperature defined by chlorophyll fluorescence (T­ crit). Provenance variation was highly species- and trait- specific. Higher ∆T leaf and T­ crit were observed in the lowland provenance for Terminalia microcarpa, and in the upland provenance for Castanospermum australe, with no provenance differences observed in the other two species. Within-species covariation of T crit and ∆T leaf led to a convergence of thermal safety margins across provenances. These findings suggest that when grown under common conditions, lowland and upland provenances may not differ substantially in their vulnerability (defined here as thermal safety margin) to heat stress, despite differences in operating temperatures and T crit.

When approaching the common femoral artery (CFA), although arterial puncture is successful, inserting the sheath along the guidewire can sometimes prove challenging. This is particularly true in cases of severe CFA calcification, a history of multiple punctures due to chronic limb-threatening ischemia, or after CFA endarterectomy. Typically, attempts are made to

Abrupt vegetation shifts indicate sudden and profound changes in ecosystem structure and function, which may lead to excessive pressures on regional water resources and thus undermine sustainability. In the context of ecological restoration and climate change, it is unclear whether large-scale abrupt vegetation shifts have occurred on the Loess Plateau and what are the differences and mechanisms associated with the effects of these vegetation changes on soil moisture content (SMC). In this study, we found that approximately 27.9% of grasslands and 24.8% of forests on the Loess Plateau experienced positive abrupt vegetation shifts from 2000 to 2020, which may be associated with the implementation of the Grassland Ecological Compensation Program (GECP) and the Natural Forest Conservation Program (NFCP). By using the climate zone method and multi-period difference-in-differences (MDID) model, we found that the effects of abrupt vegetation shifts on SMC were heavily dependent on local climate conditions. While most abrupt vegetation shifts could wet surface soil (0–7 cm), only 55.9% of grasslands and 33.9% of forests in abrupt shifts had positive effects on entire soil (0–289 cm), specifically in areas with lower precipitation and stronger evaporation conditions. In contrast, approximately 35.7% of grasslands and 37.6% of forests in abrupt shifts may exacerbate soil drying. This study fills the knowledge gap in the effects of abrupt vegetation shifts on SMC and tries to explore the underlying mechanisms, with implications for water management and ecological programs in areas with similar climate conditions.

Trypanosome parasites of the genus Trypanosoma cause African animal trypanosomosis, a devastating livestock disease plaguing sub-Saharan Africa. Unlike many protozoan parasites, these extracellular blood-borne pathogens directly engage the host’s immune system. While the mouse model has provided valuable insights, a comprehensive understanding of the bovine immune response to trypanosomes remains elusive. Addressing immune response in cattle, the most relevant host species, and how it takes part in mitigating the negative impact of the disease could contribute to set up sustainable control strategies. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the immune response in cattle during trypanosomosis. Following a brief overview of infection processes and bovine trypanotolerance, we delved into the key immunological players: cellular and humoral immunity, cytokine regulation, and immune suppression. We discuss how these mechanisms contribute to tolerance or susceptibility to infection, highlighting critical gaps in knowledge that need further investigation.

This investigates the fluid flow, as well as the heat and mass transfer phenomena occurring within a vertical channel housing two immiscible fluids. It focuses particularly on slip effects, encompassing no slip, velocity slip, thermal slip, and multiple slips, each being applied with appropriate boundary conditions. The analysis thoroughly examines crucial characteristics such as variations in thermal conductivity and viscosity. By employing a sixth-order Runge-Kutta numerical method implemented via Mathematica, the study achieves precise solutions for complex scenarios. The extensive findings elucidate the intricate interactions among different slip mechanisms and relevant parameters, providing valuable insights for both theoretical comprehension and practical application in engineering contexts. Furthermore, this research offers significant insights into the dynamics of fluid flow, heat, and mass transfer under various slip effects. Noticeable variations in these slip effects are observed and visually represented. Engineering parameters such as Nusselt number, shear stress, and Sherwood number are meticulously calculated and analyzed using bar charts, offering insights into their impact and behavior.

Corydalis miaotaiensis, a new species of C. sect. Asterostigma Fedde ex C.Y. Wu & H. Chuang (Papaveraceae) from the Qinling-Daba mountains region, central China, is described. It belongs in the C. temulifolia group of the section and is most closely similar to C. ternatifolia C.Y. Wu, Z.Y. Su & Lidén, but differs by having crested (vs. ecristate) outer petals, unbranched, suberect, erect and decumbent (vs. branched, ascending) stems, bipinnate (vs. biternate) rosette leaves and by the presence (vs. absence) of axillary bulbils, long stolons, and long shoots. This study suggests the need of fully botanizing growth habit for species description in Corydalis that is linked to plant life stages.

Title: Burkholderia Cepacia Complex in Primary Ciliary DyskinesiaAuthors: José Muñiz-Hernández, BS1, Kimberley R. Kaspy, MD2, Jennifer S. Landry, MD2, Adam J. Shapiro, MD2, Michael G. O’Connor, MD3, Margaret W. Leigh, MD4 and Wilfredo De Jesús-Rojas, MD5

Water electrolysis using renewable electricity is a promising strategy for high-purity hydrogen production. To realize the practical application of water electrolysis, an electrocatalyst with high redox properties and low cost is essential for enhancing the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we fabricated Fe-doped nickel oxalate (Fe-NiC2O4) directly grown on Ni foam as an efficient electrocatalyst for the alkaline OER using a facile one-step hydrothermal method. Fe-NiC2O4 served as a precursor for obtaining highly active Fe-NiOOH via in-situ electrochemical oxidation. Consequently, 0.75Fe-NiOOH was demonstrated to be the optimal electrocatalyst, exhibiting outstanding OER activity with a low overpotential of 220 mV at a current density of 100 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 20.5 mV dec-1. Furthermore, Fe-NiOOH maintained its OER activity without performance decay during long-term electrochemical measurements, owing to the phase transformation from NiOOH to γ-NiOOH. These performances significantly surpass those of recently reported transition metal-based electrocatalysts.