Negative effects of salt stress may be counteracted by adequate management of sulfated nutrition. Herein, we applied 3.50, 4.25, and 5.00 mM SO₄²⁻ in a nutrient solution to counteract salt stress induced by 75 and 150 mM NaCl in cabbage cv. Royal. The increase in NaCl concentration from 75 to 150 mM reduced the contents of macronutrients and micronutrients in the shoot. When increasing from 3.50 to 4.25 mM SO₄²⁻, the contents of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S) in shoots were enhanced, at both concentrations of NaCl. Increasing from 3.50 to 4.25 mM SO₄²⁻ enhanced iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and sodium (Na) concentrations with 75 mM NaCl. With 150 mM NaCl, the increase from 3.50 to 4.25 mM SO₄²⁻ enhanced the contents of Cu and Mn, but also those of Na. Chlorophylls a, b, and total decreased as the concentration of SO₄²⁻ increased in plants treated with 150 mM NaCl. With 75 mM NaCl, carotenoid concentration had a positive relationship with SO₄²⁻. Hence, the 4.25 mM SO₄²⁻ concentration increased the contents of macronutrients and micronutrients in the presence of 75 mM NaCl, while, with 150 mM NaCl, it improved the contents of macronutrients except K. The chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b ratio remained close to 3 when the plants were treated with 5.00 mM SO₄²⁻, regardless of NaCl. Similarly, this level of SO₄²⁻ increased the concentration of carotenoids, which translated into reductions in the total chlorophyll/carotenoid ratios, indicating a protective effect of the photosynthetic apparatus. It is concluded that higher doses of sulfur favor the accumulation of nutrients and increase the concentration of carotenoids under salt stress. Full article

This study aimed to assess the relationship between the length of the dry period (DL) and the risks of dystocia and stillbirths in Holstein cows. A total of 1072 healthy cows in lactations 1 and ≥2 were categorized based on the DL (mean: 58.07 ± 0.33 days) into three groups: short DL (<40 days; 13.0% of cows), medium DL (40–70 days; 60.1%), and long DL (>70 days; 26.9%). Dystocia occurred in 12.4% of cows, while stillbirths accounted for 4.1% of calves. The medium DL group had the highest number of unassisted calvings. The dystocia rates were 11.4% for cows with gestation (GA) ≤ 274 days; 6.0% for cows with GA = 275–282 days; and 19.9% for cows with GA ≥ 283 days (p < 0.001). In season 1 (November–April), dystocia occurred in 15.0% of cases compared to 8.8% in season 2 (May–October) (p < 0.001). The stillbirth rates ranged from 3.6% to 4.0% for cows with medium and long DLs; while those with a short DL had 5.8% (p < 0.05). The stillbirth rates were 5.2% for cows with GA ≤ 274 days; 3.2% for cows with GA = 275–282 days; and 5.1% for cows with GA ≥ 283 days (p < 0.001). Season 1 had a stillbirth rate of 4.8%, while season 2 had a stillbirth rate of 3.3% (p < 0.001). This research provides insights that could assist the dairy industry in making informed decisions to reduce the incidence rates of dystocia and stillbirths in cows. Full article

Background: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein overexpressed on the surface of tumor cells in most of the patients affected by prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa). However, PSMA expression has also been demonstrated in the endothelial cells of newly formed vessels of various solid tumors, suggesting a role for PSMA in neoangiogenesis. In this scenario, gallium-68 (⁶⁸Ga) or fluoro-18 (¹⁸F)-labeled PSMA positron emission tomography (PET) may play a role in tumors other than PCa, generally evaluated employing other radiopharmaceuticals targeting different pathways. This review aims to investigate the detection rate of PSMA-PET compared to other radiopharmaceuticals (especially [¹⁸F]FDG) in non-prostate tumors to identify patients who may benefit from the use of such a theragnostic agent. Methods: We performed a bibliographic search on three different databases until February 2024 using the following terms: “positron emission tomography”, “PET”, “PET/CT”, “Prostate-specific membrane antigen”, “PSMA”, “non-prostate”, “not prostate cancer”, “solid tumor”, “FDG”, “Fluorodeoxyglucose”, “FAPi”, “FET”, “MET”, “DOPA”, “choline”, “FCH”, “FES”, “DOTATOC”, “DOTANOC”, and “DOTATATE”. Only original articles edited in English with at least 10 patients were included. Results: Out of a total of 120 articles, only 25 original articles comparing PSMA with other radiotracers were included in this study. The main evidence was demonstrated in renal cell carcinoma, where PSMA showed a higher detection rate compared to [¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT, with implications for patient management. PSMA PET may also improve the assessment of other entities, such as gliomas, in defining regions of early neoangiogenesis. Further data are needed to evaluate the potential role of PSMA-PET in triple-negative breast cancer as a novel therapeutic vascular target. Finally, unclear applications of PSMA-PET include thyroid and gastrointestinal tumors. Conclusions: The present review shows the potential use of PSMA-labeled PET/CT in solid tumors beyond PCa, underlining its value over other radiopharmaceuticals (mainly [¹⁸F]FDG). Prospective clinical trials with larger sample sizes are crucial to further investigate these possible clinical applications. Full article

The Tietê River receives most of the effluents and diffuse wastes from the São Paulo metropolis (21.9 million inhabitants). The study aimed to assess the extent to which environmental changes affected the fish fauna. We compared, in rainy and dry seasons, three sites in Tietê and three in tributaries with much better water quality conditions. No physical barriers exist between the sites. Fish were sampled with gillnets (exposed overnight) and the assemblage’s ecological attributes calculated. Water depth, transparency, temperature, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, total dissolved solids, pH, redox potential, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and chlorophyll were simultaneously determined. Low oxygen concentrations (near zero in the rainy period), and the opposite for nutrients and total solids, separated the predominantly hypereutrophic Tietê from the tributaries (PCA). Differences in the fish assemblages were also evidenced (nMDS), including a higher richness per sample in tributaries (11 to 14 spp.) compared to Tietê (3 to 4 spp.). Siluriformes with accessory breathing dominated in Tietê and the highly tolerant detritivorous Prochilodus lineatus (the main commercial fish) was the only species found in all sites. The species correlated positively with oxygen in the tributaries and with turbidity, redox potential, and nutrients in Tietê (DistLM) (rainy season). Recovery measures are urgently required. Full article

Hitherto, over 50% of countries with marine waters have established MSPs or launched related legal actions. However, there are still conceptual and practical challenges to be overcome in the development of MSP. In this study, we investigate two main approaches in MSP (hard vs. soft sustainability) through reports, published manuscripts and meeting proceedings in seven pioneering countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada). We highlight the gaps, challenges, and solutions in each of these approaches. From our findings, there are four common challenges in both soft and hard sustainability approaches as follows: (i) the political framework and inconsistent support of MSP efforts, (ii) insufficient knowledge on social dimensions, (iii) insufficient stakeholder engagement in the diversity of stakeholder’s groups or in their contribution to the planning process from the initial steps, and (iv) finding a balance between environmental conservation and economic growth. We recommend that future studies should investigate how MSP can become more adaptive to long-term environmental and economic targets, how effective involving socioeconomic strata is in MSP, and how decision-making tools could help to cover the gaps in MSP. Furthermore, public forums are suggested to be developed to facilitate the systematic sharing of MSP experiences worldwide. Full article

Advancements in cell culturing techniques have allowed the development of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models sourced directly from patients’ tissues and tumors, faithfully replicating the native tissue environment. These models provide a more clinically relevant platform for studying disease progression and treatment responses compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) models. Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and patient-derived xenograft organoids (PDXOs) emerge as innovative 3D cancer models capable of accurately mimicking the tumor’s unique features, enhancing our understanding of tumor complexities, and predicting clinical outcomes. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) poses significant clinical challenges due to its aggressive nature, propensity for early metastasis, and limited treatment options. TNBC PDOs and PDXOs have significantly contributed to the comprehension of TNBC, providing novel insights into its underlying mechanism and identifying potential therapeutic targets. This review explores the transformative role of various 3D cancer models in elucidating TNBC pathogenesis and guiding novel therapeutic strategies. It also provides an overview of diverse 3D cell culture models, derived from cell lines and tumors, highlighting their advantages and culturing challenges. Finally, it delves into live-cell imaging techniques, endpoint assays, and alternative cell culture media and methodologies, such as scaffold-free and scaffold-based systems, essential for advancing 3D cancer model research and development. Full article

Deep learning models can enhance the detection efficiency and accuracy of rapid on-site screening for imported grains at customs, satisfying the need for high-throughput, efficient, and intelligent operations. However, the construction of datasets, which is crucial for deep learning models, often involves significant labor and time costs. Addressing the challenges associated with establishing high-resolution instance segmentation datasets for small objects, we integrate two zero-shot models, Grounding DINO and Segment Anything model, into a dataset annotation pipeline. Furthermore, we encapsulate this pipeline into a software tool for manual calibration of mislabeled, missing, and duplicated annotations made by the models. Additionally, we propose preprocessing and postprocessing methods to improve the detection accuracy of the model and reduce the cost of subsequent manual correction. This solution is not only applicable to rapid screening for quarantine weeds, seeds, and insects at customs but can also be extended to other fields where instance segmentation is required. Full article

The European Commission’s “Farm to Folk” (F2F) strategy recommends reducing fertilizers by at least 20% by 2030. In this aspect, the main goal of our study was to verify whether a 20 and even 40% reduction in nitrogen (N) fertilization rate would be sufficient to maintain soil fertility (expressed as dehydrogenase activity—DHA, humic acid substances—HA substances, E4/E6 ratio), and yields of wheat and rapeseed cultivated in strip-till technology. Two fields (10 ha each) were established for wheat and rapeseed cultivation, and soils (0–20 cm) were sampled before sowing and after harvesting. It was found that a 20% fertilization reduction does not adversely affect the biological activity expressed by DHA. Nevertheless, the reduction in nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates led to a slight decrease in the E4/E6 ratio, which could serve as a potential indicator of fertilization reduction. DHA, E4/E6 ratio and content of HA substances were also dependent on the crop. Following harvesting, both rapeseed and wheat exhibited a positive correlation between the E4/E6 ratio and the degree of fertilization rate (FR), as well as yield. Full article

Climate change threatens human survival and development. Cities, as the main gathering places for human production and life, serve as the focal points for the implementation of the policies related to energy efficiency, energy transition, and environmental protection. This study constructs an index system for the evaluation of carbon-neutral cities from the perspectives of carbon sources and carbon sinks. The system includes thirteen indicators under six dimensions. It combines objective and subjective data (i.e., statistical data and expert evaluations) by integrating two approaches: the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy AHP) and vise kriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno resenje with hesitant fuzzy sets (HFS-VIKOR). We verify the efficacy of the proposed approach through a case study of thirteen low-carbon pilot cities in China. The results indicate that among these cities, Shenzhen performs the best, followed by Guangzhou and Hangzhou, while Kunming, Baoding, and Tianjin show poor performance in terms of carbon neutrality. Kunming and Baoding exhibit shortcomings mainly in carbon sources, while Tianjin faces deficiencies in both carbon sources and carbon sinks. Sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis show the availability and effectiveness of the proposed method. The proposed radar chart further highlights the improvement directions for each city to achieve carbon neutrality. Full article

Cultivated land plays a crucial role as the basis of grain production, and it is essential to effectively manage the unregulated expansion of non-grain production (NGP) on cultivated land in order to safeguard food security. The study of NGP has garnered significant attention from scholars, but the prediction of NGP trends is relatively uncommon. Therefore, we focused on Jiangsu Province, a significant grain production region in China, as the study area. We extracted data on cultivated land for non-grain production (NGPCL) in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2019, and calculated the ratio of non-grain production (NGPR) for each county unit in the province. On this basis, Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and spatial autocorrelation analysis tools were utilized to uncover the spatio-temporal evolution of NGP in Jiangsu Province. Finally, the Patch-Generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model was utilized to predict the trend of NGP in Jiangsu Province in 2038 under the three development scenarios of natural development (NDS), cultivated land protection (CPS), and food security (FSS). After analyzing the results, we came to the following conclusions:(1) During the period of 2000–2019, the NGPCL area and NGPR in Jiangsu Province exhibited a general decreasing trend. (2) The level of NGP displayed a spatial distribution pattern of being “higher in the south and central and lower in the north”. (3) The results of multi-scenario simulation show that under the NDS, the area of NGPCL and cultivated land for grain production (GPCL) decreases significantly; under the CPS, the decrease in NGPCL and GPCL is smaller than that of the NDS. Under the FSS, NGPCL decreases, while GPCL increases. These results can provide reference for the implementation of land use planning, the delineation of the cultivated land protection bottom line, and the implementation of thee cultivated land use control system in the study area. Full article

Kriechbaumerella dendrolimi (Hymenoptera, Chalcididae) is a dominant pupal parasitoid species of various significant pine caterpillars, including Dendrolimus houi Lajonquiere (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae), with great potential for utilization. So far, the mass rearing of K. dendrolimi has been successfully established using Antheraea pernyi (Lepidoptera, Saturniidae) pupae as alternative hosts and released in the forest to suppress D. houi populations. However, the outcome is still expected to be improved due to lower parasitism rates, which might be related to the autonomous immune function of A. pernyi pupae. In our study, we investigated the effects of K. dendrolimi parasitization on the immune responses of A. pernyi pupae by measuring the expression of key immune factors: superoxide dismutase (SOD), polyphenol oxidases (PPOs), Attacin, Lysozymes (LYSs), and serine proteases (PRSSs). Our results show that parasitization significantly upregulated these immune factors, with distinct temporal patterns observable between 4 and 48 h post-parasitization. This upregulation highlights a robust immune response, adapting over time to the parasitic challenge. These findings suggest that specific immune mechanisms in A. pernyi pupae are activated in response to K. dendrolimi, shedding light on potential targets for enhancing host resistance. Metabolomic analyses complemented these findings by illustrating the broader metabolic shifts associated with the immune response. Specifically, Attacin was significantly upregulated twice, hypothesizing that the parasitoid’s venom contains at least two parasitic factors. Metabolomics analysis revealed a significant metabolite difference within parasitized A. pernyi pupae. The highest number of differential expression metabolites (DEMs) was observed at 16 h post-parasitism (1184 metabolites), with fewer DEMs at 8 h (568 metabolites) and 32 h (693 metabolites), suggesting a close relationship between parasitism duration and the number of DEMs. These fluctuations reflected the fundamental process of immune interaction. KEGG enrichment results showed that the DEMs were mainly enriched in energy metabolism and immune-related pathways, indicating that parasitism is a process of continuous consumption and immune interaction in the host. These DEMs could also become future targets for regulating the immune functions of A. pernyi pupae and could provide reference data for optimizing mass-rearing techniques. Full article

This paper describes an integrated monitoring system designed for individualized environmental risk assessment and management in the workplace. The system incorporates monitoring devices that measure dust, noise, ultraviolet radiation, illuminance, temperature, humidity, and flammable gases. Comprising monitoring devices, a server-based web application for employers, and a mobile application for workers, the system integrates the registration of workers’ health histories, such as common diseases and symptoms related to the monitored agents, and a web-based recommendation system. The recommendation system application uses classifiers to decide the risk/no risk per sensor and crosses this information with fixed rules to define recommendations. The system generates actionable alerts for companies to improve decision-making regarding professional activities and long-term safety planning by analyzing health information through fixed rules and exposure data through machine learning algorithms. As the system must handle sensitive data, data privacy is addressed in communication and data storage. The study provides test results that evaluate the performance of different machine learning models in building an effective recommendation system. Since it was not possible to find public datasets with all the sensor data needed to train artificial intelligence models, it was necessary to build a data generator for this work. By proposing an approach that focuses on individualized environmental risk assessment and management, considering workers’ health histories, this work is expected to contribute to enhancing occupational safety through computational technologies in the Industry 5.0 approach. Full article

Current conceptualizations of dental caries etiology center primarily on the local role of sugar, starch, or other fermentable carbohydrates on tooth enamel demineralization—a well-established and empirically supported mechanism. However, in addition to this mechanism, studies dating back to the early 1900s point to an important systemic role of diet and nutrition, particularly from pasture-raised animal-source foods (ASF), in dental caries etiology and arrest. Findings from animal and human studies suggest that adherence to a diet high in calcium, phosphorus, fat-soluble vitamins A and D, and antioxidant vitamin C, as well as low in phytates, may contribute to arrest and reversal of dental caries, particularly among children. Furthermore, findings from observational and experimental studies of humans across the life-course suggest that fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 may interact to protect against dental caries progression, even within a diet that regularly contains sugar. While these historic studies have not been revisited in decades, we emphasize the need for them to be reinvestigated and contextualized in the 21st century. Specifically, methodologically rigorous studies are needed to reinvestigate whether historical knowledge of systemic impacts of nutrition on dental health can help to inform current conceptualizations of dental caries etiology, prevention, and arrest. Full article

Preterm infants have increased body adiposity at term-equivalent age and risk of adverse metabolic outcomes. The aim of the study was to define how nutrient intake may impact body composition (BC) of very low-birth weight infants fed with early progressive enteral feeding and standard fortification. Eighty-six infants with <1500 g birth weight were included in the BC study and stratified into extremely preterm (EP) and very preterm (VP) groups. Nutrient intake was calculated during the first 28 days and BC assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry at discharge and by skinfold thickness at 12 months of corrected age (CA). Total nutrient intake did not differ between the groups. EP infants had a higher fat mass percentage at discharge than VP infants (24.8% vs. 19.4%, p < 0.001); lean mass did not differ. None of the nutrients had any impact on BC of EP infants. Protein intake did not result in a higher lean mass in either group; fat intake was a significant predictor of increased fat mass percentage in VP infants at discharge (p = 0.007) and body adiposity at 12 months of CA (p = 0.021). Nutritional needs may depend on gestational age and routine fortification should be used with caution in more mature infants. Full article

This cross-sectional study evaluated the validity of three alternative methods compared to the gold standard 24-h urine collection for estimating dietary sodium intake, a modifiable risk factor for hypertension, among middle-aged and older adults with elevated blood pressure. These included spot urine collection (using Kawasaki, Tanaka, and INTERSALT equations), 24-h dietary recall, and food frequency questionnaire responses, compared to 24-h urine collection in a subset of 65 participants (aged 50–75 years, 58.5% women, 61.6% hypertensive) from the DePEC-Nutrition trial. The validity of the methods was assessed using bias, the Spearman correlation coefficient (SCC), the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland–Altman analysis. Among the alternative methods, spot urine collection using the Kawasaki equation showed the strongest correlation (SCC 0.238; ICC 0.119, 95% CI −0.079 to 0.323), but it exhibited a significant bias (1414 mg/day, p-value < 0.001) relative to 24-h urine collection. Conversely, dietary surveys had a smaller bias but wider limits of agreement. These findings underscore the complexities of accurately estimating dietary sodium intake using spot urine collection or dietary surveys in this specific population, suggesting that a combination or the refinement of existing methodologies might improve accuracy. Further research with larger samples is necessary to develop more reliable methods for assessing sodium intake in this high-risk group. Full article

The strain Gordonia polyisoprenivorans 135 is able to utilize a wide range of aromatic compounds. The aim of this work was to study the features of genetic organization and biotechnological potential of the strain G. polyisoprenivorans 135 as a degrader of aromatic compounds. The study of the genome of the strain 135 and the pangenome of the G. polyisoprenivorans species revealed that some genes, presumably involved in PAH catabolism, are atypical for Gordonia and belong to the pangenome of Actinobacteria. Analyzing the intergenic regions of strain 135 alongside the “panIGRome” of G. polyisoprenivorans showed that some intergenic regions in strain 135 also differ from those located between the same pairs of genes in related strains. The strain G. polyisoprenivorans 135 in our work utilized naphthalene (degradation degree 39.43%) and grew actively on salicylate. At present, this is the only known strain of G. polyisoprenivorans with experimentally confirmed ability to utilize these compounds. Full article

Railway signals’ fault text data contain a substantial amount of expert maintenance experience. Extracting valuable information from these fault text data can enhance the efficiency of fault diagnosis for signal equipment, thereby contributing to the advancement of intelligent railway operations and maintenance technology. Considering that the characteristics of different signal equipment in actual operation can easily lead to a lack of fault data, a fault diagnosis method for railway signal equipment based on data augmentation and an improved attention mechanism (DEIAM) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the original fault dataset is preprocessed based on data augmentation technology and retained noun and verb operations. Then, the neural network is constructed by integrating a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) model with an attention mechanism and a convolutional neural network (CNN) model enhanced with a channel attention mechanism. The DEIAM method can more effectively capture the important text features and sequence features in fault text data, thereby facilitating the diagnosis and classification of such data. Consequently, it enhances onsite fault maintenance experience by providing more precise insights. An empirical study was conducted on a 10-year fault dataset of signal equipment produced by a railway bureau. The experimental results demonstrate that in comparison with the benchmark model, the DEIAM model exhibits enhanced performance in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1. Full article

The present study investigates the degree of visual regularity perceived by viewers in architectural compositions, specifically concerning the type of pattern used. The research is grounded in psychological and neuropsychological universal determinants of visual perception, particularly the perception of visual regularity. The study is based on an empirical survey that involved 48 participants who rated various compositions on a Likert scale. The stimuli presented consisted of a typology of compositional patterns of facades of Polish multifamily buildings developed by Malewczyk, Taraszkiewicz, and Czyż in 2022. The survey results were subjected to statistical analyses, which revealed a clear relationship between the type of composition and its perceived regularity. This implies that architects can predict the perceived regularity of a composition based on its type, which is crucial since visual regularity is closely linked to the sense of spatial order and aesthetic value. Both of these aspects are vital for perceiving architecture as a built environment. The study highlights the significance of visual perception in architectural design, particularly how the public perceives composition types. Full article

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the primary cause of mortality worldwide, resulting in a growing number of annual fatalities. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the basic types of CVDs, and early diagnosis of CAD is crucial for convenient treatment and decreasing mortality rates. In the literature, several studies use many features for CAD diagnosis. However, due to the large number of features used in these studies, the possibility of early diagnosis is reduced. Methods: For this reason, in this study, a new method that uses only five features—age, hypertension, typical chest pain, t-wave inversion, and region with regional wall motion abnormality—and is a combination of eight different search techniques, principal component analysis (PCA), and the AdaBoostM1 algorithm has been proposed for early and accurate CAD diagnosis. Results: The proposed method is devised and tested on a benchmark dataset called Z-Alizadeh Sani. The performance of the proposed method is tested with a variety of metrics and compared with basic machine-learning techniques and the existing studies in the literature. The experimental results have shown that the proposed method is efficient and achieves the best classification performance, with an accuracy of 91.8%, ever reported on the Z-Alizadeh Sani dataset with so few features. Conclusions: As a result, medical practitioners can utilize the proposed approach for diagnosing CAD early and accurately. Full article

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved lysosome-dependent degradation of cytoplasmic constituents. The system operates as a critical cellular pro-survival mechanism in response to nutrient deprivation and a variety of stress conditions. On top of that, autophagy is involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis through selective elimination of worn-out or damaged proteins and organelles. The autophagic pathway is largely responsible for the delivery of cytosolic glycogen to the lysosome where it is degraded to glucose via acid α-glucosidase. Although the physiological role of lysosomal glycogenolysis is not fully understood, its significance is highlighted by the manifestations of Pompe disease, which is caused by a deficiency of this lysosomal enzyme. Pompe disease is a severe lysosomal glycogen storage disorder that affects skeletal and cardiac muscles most. In this review, we discuss the basics of autophagy and describe its involvement in the pathogenesis of muscle damage in Pompe disease. Finally, we outline how autophagic pathology in the diseased muscles can be used as a tool to fast track the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Full article

Human evolution is characterized by rapid brain enlargement and the emergence of unique cognitive abilities. Besides its distinctive cytoarchitectural organization and extensive inter-neuronal connectivity, the human brain is also defined by high rates of synaptic, mainly glutamatergic, transmission, and energy utilization. While these adaptations’ origins remain elusive, evolutionary changes occurred in synaptic glutamate metabolism in the common ancestor of humans and apes via the emergence of GLUD2, a gene encoding the human glutamate dehydrogenase 2 (hGDH2) isoenzyme. Driven by positive selection, hGDH2 became adapted to function upon intense excitatory firing, a process central to the long-term strengthening of synaptic connections. It also gained expression in brain astrocytes and cortical pyramidal neurons, including the CA1-CA3 hippocampal cells, neurons crucial to cognition. In mice transgenic for GLUD2, theta-burst-evoked long-term potentiation (LTP) is markedly enhanced in hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses, with patch-clamp recordings from CA1 pyramidal neurons revealing increased sNMDA receptor currents. D-lactate blocked LTP enhancement, implying that glutamate metabolism via hGDH2 potentiates L-lactate-dependent glia–neuron interaction, a process essential to memory consolidation. The transgenic (Tg) mice exhibited increased dendritic spine density/synaptogenesis in the hippocampus and improved complex cognitive functions. Hence, enhancement of neuron–glia communication, via GLUD2 evolution, likely contributed to human cognitive advancement by potentiating synaptic plasticity and inter-neuronal connectivity. Full article

Diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making in pregnancy with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE) is challenging. European and other international professional societies have proposed various recommendations that are ambiguous, probably due to the unavailability of randomized controlled trials. In the following sections, we discuss the supporting diagnostic steps and treatments. We suggest a standardized diagnostic work-up in pregnant patients presenting with symptoms of PE to make evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. We strongly recommend that clinical decisions on treatment in pregnant patients with intermediate- or high-risk pulmonary embolism should include a multidisciplinary team approach involving emergency physicians, pulmonologists, angiologist, cardiologists, thoracic and/or cardiovascular surgeons, radiologists, and obstetricians to choose a tailored management option including an interventional treatment. It is important to be aware of the differences among guidelines and to assess each case individually, considering the specific views of the different specialties. This review summarizes key concepts of the diagnostics and acute management of pregnant women with suspected PE that are supportive for the clinician on duty. Full article