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The Mystery of the Hidden Trace: Emerging Genetic Approaches to Improve Body Fluid Identification
No full textBody fluid identification at crime scenes is the first step in the forensic biology workflow, leading to the identification of the perpetrator and/or, in some cases, the victim. Current methods that are regularly used in forensic criminal evidence analysis utilize well-studied properties of each fluid as the foundation of the protocol. Among these approaches, alternative light sources, chemical reactions, lateral flow immunochromatographic tests, and microscopic detection stand out to identify the main body fluids encountered at crime scenes: blood, semen, and saliva. However, these often come with limits for specificity and sensitivity. There is also difficulty with fluid mixtures, environmental degradation, and destruction of the sample by the method used. Other fluids, like vaginal fluid and fecal matter, lack standardized protocols and require innovative ideas for accurate analysis without compromising the sample. Emerging technologies based on molecular methods have been the focus of body fluid research, with emphasis on topics such as mRNA, microRNA, epigenetics, and microbial analysis. Additional information alongside the determination of fluid origin could be an advantage from new molecular techniques, such as the identification of donors from SNP analysis, if regular STR analysis is not possible. Validation studies and the integration of such research have the potential to expand and enhance the laboratory practices of forensic science. This article will provide an overview of the current methods applied in the crime lab for body fluid identification before exploring active research in this field, pointing out the potential of these techniques for application in forensic cases to overcome present issues and expand the variety of body fluids identified
Solvothermal engineering of lignin-based fluorescent/phosphorescent carbon dots with tunable multicolor emission
No full texthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809 National Natural Science Foundation of Chinahttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100007129 Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Provincehttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canadahttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004543 China Scholarship Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100005156 Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftun
Finite integration time can shift optimal sensitivity away from criticality
No full textSensitivity to small changes in the environment is crucial for many real-world tasks, enabling living and artificial systems to make correct behavioral decisions. It has been shown that such sensitivity is maximized when a system operates near the critical point of a phase transition. However, proximity to criticality introduces large fluctuations and diverging timescales. Hence, to leverage the maximal sensitivity, it would require impractically long integration periods. Here, we analytically and computationally demonstrate how the optimal tuning of a recurrent neural network is determined given a finite integration time. Rather than maximizing the theoretically available sensitivity, we find networks attain different sensitivities depending on the available time. Consequently, the optimal dynamic regime can shift away from criticality when integration times are finite, highlighting the necessity of incorporating finite-time considerations into studies of information processing
Multi-frequency SAR and optical data integration for continental-scale digital mapping of soil chemical properties across Europe
No full texthttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008279 Ludong Universityhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100007129 Shandong Province Natural Science Foundatio
Psychotropic medications and their interactions with subcortical brain volume in bipolar disorder: An ENIGMA mega-analysis
No full textAbstract MRI studies in bipolar disorder (BD) have yielded inconsistent findings, partly due to the varied use of psychotropic medications. This study utilised a mega-analysis approach, accounting for concurrent medication status (syndrome-based and Neuroscience-based Nomenclature (NbN) classifications), in order to assess the association of medication status with subcortical brain volumes in BD. Data from 2,664 BD patients and 4,065 controls (CN) were pooled from 34 research groups as part of the ENIGMA Bipolar Disorder Working Group. Standardized ENIGMA protocols were used to measure subcortical brain volumes. Linear-mixed-effects regression evaluated the association between psychotropic medications and subcortical volumes, and moderation analyses explored interactions. Medication-free patients (n = 410) showed mild ventricular enlargement (d = 0.07) and increased putamen volume (d = 0.06) compared to CN. Patients taking psychotropic medications exhibited smaller subcortical volumes (d = -0.06 to -0.11) and larger ventricles (d = 0.11 to 0.19). Use of antiepileptic and antipsychotic medications was associated with smaller hippocampal and thalamic volumes (d = -0.07 to -0.14), while NbN classification indicated that the categories of ‘valproate’ and ‘dopamine and other monoamine receptor antagonists’ are key variables when considering volume differences between BD and CN. Concurrent lithium use weakened the negative association between antiepileptic use and hippocampal volume (β = 0.19, q = 0.038) in patients. Medication status is associated with altered subcortical brain volumes in BD. The NbN classification provides a useful framework for future studies, emphasizing the need for comprehensive longitudinal research to further unravel complex clinical-pharmacological-neurobiological interactions in BD
CDC42 ‐Effector Proteins Regulate Higher Order Structure of Septins Required for CNS Myelin Integrity
No full textABSTRACT The regular structure of CNS myelin requires specialized structural proteins, including septin filaments composed of subunits SEPTIN2, SEPTIN4, SEPTIN7, and SEPTIN8. These filaments scaffold the innermost non‐compacted myelin layer; their disruption causes pathological myelin outfoldings. However, the mechanisms that control myelin septin assembly are incompletely understood. We found that loss of CDC42 from oligodendrocytes of adult mice causes myelin pathology including outfoldings, coinciding with depletion of myelin septins and CDC42‐effector proteins (CDC42EP1 and CDC42EP2). We thus tested the functional relevance of the latter by deleting both the Cdc42ep1 and Cdc42ep2 ‐genes in oligodendrocytes. We observed myelin outfoldings as a very specific pathology, markedly reduced abundance of myelin septins, and disorganized septin filaments in myelin. Immunohistochemical analysis did not uncover astrocyte or microglial activation, implying that myelin outfoldings per se do not induce secondary neuropathology. Together, our data reveal a critical function for CDC42 and CDC42EP1/CDC42EP2 in regulating myelin septin filaments, which facilitate structural integrity of myelin sheaths.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft https://doi.org/10.13039/50110000165
Paradigmenwechsel in der Behandlung der chronischen Hyperkaliämie zur Optimierung der kardiorenalen Prognose
No full textZusammenfassung Die chronische Hyperkaliämie ist eine Elektrolytstörung, die vor allem bei zunehmender Einschränkung der Nierenfunktion beobachtet wird. Sie entwickelt sich meist über einen längeren Zeitraum, und die Symptome sind häufig gering. Da eine chronische Hyperkaliämie mit einer erhöhten Morbidität und Mortalität assoziiert ist, sollte eine chronische Hyperkaliämie behandelt werden. Die Behandlung beginnt mit der Überprüfung der Medikamente, die möglicherweise für die Hyperkaliämie verantwortlich sind, und einer sorgfältigen Therapie und Korrektur des Stoffwechsels. Die Evaluation der Ernährung fokussiert heute auf die Aufnahme von Kalium aus nicht pflanzlichen Kaliumquellen. Von einer Dosisreduktion und/oder dem Absetzen von Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosteron-Hemmern sollte abgesehen werden, da diese Medikamente die Prognose bei Patienten mit Herzinsuffizienz und proteinurischer Nierenerkrankung verbessern. Zusätzlich zu anderen konservativen Maßnahmen sollten moderne Kalium-bindende Substanzen eingesetzt werden
Tuning Proton-Electron Synergy for Electrooxidative Alkyne Annulation: Mechanistic Insights and Synthetic Application
No full textAbstract Electrooxidative catalysis surfaced as a resource-economic and increasingly viable platform toward sustainable organic synthesis. It challenges the paradigm of using stoichiometric chemical reagents with the aid of electricity to enable traceless electron and proton transfers. Thereby, molecular synthesis can be inherently connected to the hydrogen evolution reaction, while avoiding waste formation in the form of stoichiometric by-products. Alkynes represent a widely occurring structural motif of outstanding relevance in molecular synthesis. The direct exploitation of alkynes toward the activation of otherwise inert C─H bonds sets the stage for innovative dehydrogenative annulations, allowing for the rapid construction of structurally complex compounds. Specifically, the merger with earth-abundant metal catalysis constitutes a promising advancement in the light of green chemistry, bearing unique potential to redefine chemical processing