Changes In Composition Research Articles

Changes in Gut Microbial Composition and DNA Methylation in Obese Patients with NAFLD After Bariatric Surgery.

This study investigates the effects of bariatric surgery on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by examining the interplay between gut microbiota, epigenetics, and metabolic health. A cohort of 22 patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (SG) was analyzed for changes in gut microbial composition and DNA methylation profiles before and six months after surgery. Correlations between gut microbial abundance and clinical markers at baseline revealed that certain genera were associated with worse metabolic health and liver markers. Following SG, significant improvements were observed in the clinical, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters of the NAFLD patients. Although alpha-diversity indices (i.e., Chao1, Simpson, Shannon) did not show significant changes, beta-diversity analysis revealed a slight shift in microbial composition (PERMANOVA, p = 0.036). Differential abundance analysis identified significant changes in specific bacterial taxa, including an increase in beneficial Lactobacillus species such as Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus iners and a decrease in harmful taxa like Erysipelotrichia. Additionally, DNA methylation analysis revealed 609 significant differentially methylated CpG sites between the baseline values and six months post-surgery, with notable enrichment in genes related to the autophagy pathway, such as IRS4 and ATG4B. The results highlight the individualized responses to bariatric surgery and underscore the potential for personalized treatment strategies. In conclusion, integrating gut microbiota and epigenetic factors into NAFLD management could enhance treatment outcomes, suggesting that future research should explore microbiome-targeted therapies and long-term follow-ups on liver health post-surgery.

Lactation-related dynamics of bacterial and fungal microbiomes in feces of sows and gut colonization in suckling and newly weaned piglets.

Changes in the gut microbial composition of the sow during lactation may influence the gut microbial colonization in their offspring, for which less information was available in the literature. This study aimed to assess: 1) the changes that occur in the bacterial and fungal communities in sow feces during the 28-day lactation period as well as in gastric and cecal digesta of piglets until one week after weaning, and 2) bacterial and fungal taxa in cecal digesta of the piglets postweaning that associate with fecal consistency. Aside from sow milk, piglets had access to creep feed from day of life (DoL) 3. Fecal samples from sows for microbial analysis were collected (n=20) on days postpartum (DPP) 1, 6, 13, 20 and 27, as well as from weaned piglets for fecal scoring on DoL 30 and 34. Gastric and cecal digesta of piglets was collected on DoL3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 31 and 35 (n=5/sex/DoL). Progressing lactation affected bacterial and fungal communities in sow feces, including 10.3- and 3.0-fold increases in the relative abundances of Lactobacillus from DPP1 to 6 and Kazachstania from DPP1 to 13, respectively (P < 0.001). Although time- and gut site-related differences existed, bacterial and fungal taxa found in sow feces were also present in gastric and cecal digesta of piglets, which supports their role for gut colonization in neonatal piglets. In piglets, bacterial and fungal alpha-diversities showed certain fluctuations during the suckling period, whereby weaning affected more the fungal than bacterial diversity at both gut sites (P < 0.05). At both gut sites, Lactobacillus largely increased from DoL3 to 7 and remained a dominating taxon until DoL35 (P < 0.05). Postweaning, plant-glycan fermenters (e.g., Prevotella-9) seemed to replace milk-glycan fermenting Fusobacterium and Bacteroides (P < 0.05). In gastric and cecal digesta, Kazachstania, Tausonia, Candida and Blumeria were dominating fungi from DoL3 to 35, with Kazachstania becoming even more dominant postweaning (P < 0.001). Fecal consistency was softer on DoL34 than 30 (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis identified that softer feces were linked to the relative abundances of plant-glycan and proteolytic bacterial taxa including pathobionts (e.g., Clostridium sensu stricto) in the cecum on DoL34. However, the potential association between cecal mold and plant-pathogenic fungi Talaromyces, Mrakia, and Blumeria and softer feces are worth to investigate in the future in relation to (gut) health of piglets.

Spatial Variation in Upper Limits of Coral Cover on the Great Barrier Reef

ABSTRACTAimIdentifying the maximum coral cover that a coral community can sustain (i.e., its ‘upper limit’) is important for predicting community dynamics and improving management strategies. Here, we quantify the relationship between estimated upper limits and key environmental factors on coral reefs: hard substrate availability, temperature and water clarity.LocationGreat Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia (over 1400 km).Time Period1990 to 2022.Major Taxa StudiedScleractinian corals.MethodsWe used 32 years of data on coral cover around reef perimeters. Each reef was divided into four wave‐exposure habitats depending on prevailing wind conditions. For each site, we determined if hard coral cover had reached a plateau or upper limit. Next, we extracted existing estimates of hard substrate availability, modelled water temperature and Secchi depth. Then, we quantified the relationship between these environmental variables and the upper limits.ResultsWe found varying upper limits across the GBR, with a median of 33% coral cover and only 17% of the estimated upper limits exceeded 50% coral cover. Upper limits increased towards the southern reefs. Our results show that upper limits increased with increasing hard substrate availability and decreased with temperature and, to a lesser extent, with water clarity.Main ConclusionsThe upper limits estimated in this study are much lower than what is commonly assumed when modelling ecological dynamics, most likely resulting in predicted recovery rates being inappropriately high. Although hard substrate ultimately restricted upper limits, there are mechanisms constraining the proportion of hard substrate that is covered by hard corals. The negative relationship between temperature and upper limits cannot be explained by changes in macroalgal abundance but may be related to changes in species composition. The quantitative relationships between the upper limits of coral cover and environmental variables will provide critical information to prioritise sites for management interventions.

Plasma and breast milk adipokines in women across the first year postpartum and their association with maternal depressive symptoms and infant neurodevelopment: Protocol for the APPLE prospective cohort study.

Adiponectin and leptin play important roles in the central nervous system. During the postpartum period, there is a need for a better understanding of the relationship between these cytokines and the neurological development of the infant, as well as their influence on preventing maternal depressive symptoms. To assess the correlation between adiponectin and leptin in maternal plasma and breast milk and their association with: infant neurodevelopment at 6 and 12 months of age; and maternal mental health over the first year postpartum. Prospective cohort study with four follow-up. Mothers and their newborns are recruited within the first 15 days postpartum (baseline). Follow-up visits occur at 2, 6, and 12 months postpartum. Visits include blood and breast milk collection, application of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Beck Depression Inventory to assess maternal mental health, application of the Bayley-III scale for infant developmental assessment, maternal and infant anthropometry and body composition, evaluation of reproductive history, mother-infant bonding, breastfeeding, consumption of ultra-processed foods, sleep quality, and socio-economic and demographic data. The research received funds in August 2022, and participant recruitment began in September 2022. The sample size will consist of 95 mother-child pairs. As of September 2023, 68 participants have been recruited. The project will provide insights into the association between adiponectin and leptin with postpartum depression and infant neurodevelopment, ultimately promoting improved care and quality of life for these groups. Additionally, it will provide data on the type of delivery, infant physical growth, maternal and infant body composition changes, sleep quality, consumption of ultra-processed foods, and maternal metabolic health, including vitamin D metabolites, oxidized polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolites, phospholipid species and triacylglycerols, which are of significant relevance to public health and, when interconnected, may yield important results and contribute to the existing literature. Name of the registry: Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBec). Registration number: RBR-9hcby8c.

Gastrointestinal germinal center B cell depletion and reduction in IgA+ plasma cells in HIV-1 infection.

Gastrointestinal (GI) B cells and plasma cells (PCs) are critical to mucosal homeostasis and the host response to HIV-1 infection. Here, high-resolution mapping of human B cells and PCs sampled from the colon and ileum during both viremic and suppressed HIV-1 infection identified a reduction in germinal center (GC) B cells and follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) during HIV-1 viremia. Immunoglobulin A-positive (IgA+) PCs are the major cellular output of intestinal GCs and were significantly reduced during viremic HIV-1 infection. PC-associated transcriptional perturbations, including type I interferon signaling, persisted in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated individuals, suggesting ongoing disruption of the intestinal immune milieu during ART. GI humoral immune perturbations were associated with changes in the intestinal microbiome composition and systemic inflammation. These findings highlight a key immune defect in the GI mucosa due to HIV-1 viremia.

Does an agroecological approach impact the nematode biological and functional diversity in intensive protected production systems?

ABSTRACT Food production systems in protected conditions are probably the most intensive agricultural systems causing biodiversity loss. Experimental sites in different European areas were established to investigate whether an agroecological approach to organic greenhouse production allows preserving or increasing biodiversity. Soil nematode communities were characterized by DNA-metabarcoding, and some biodiversity indices were calculated. A general increase in absolute number of genera indicates that the innovative treatments potentially positively influence biodiversity. A multidimensional analysis revealed that the change in nematode community compositions is caused more by country and sampling year than by the farming system. However, regionally, some shifts in biodiversity are obvious and the impact by a farming practice likely. This study is the first indication that the implementation of some agroecological measures in European protected cropping systems is feasible as at least they did not worsen (nor improve) soil biodiversity.

Multifactorial effects of warming, low irradiance, and low salinity on Arctic kelps

Abstract. The Arctic is projected to warm by 2 to 5 °C by the end of the century. Warming causes melting of glaciers, shrinking of the areas covered by sea ice, and increased terrestrial runoff from snowfields and permafrost thawing. Warming, decreasing coastal underwater irradiance, and lower salinity are potentially threatening polar marine organisms, including kelps, that are key species of hard-bottom shallow communities. The present study investigates the physiological responses of four kelp species (Alaria esculenta, Laminaria digitata, Saccharina latissima, and Hedophyllum nigripes) to these environmental changes through a perturbation experiment in ex situ mesocosms. Kelps were exposed for 6 weeks to four experimental treatments: an unmanipulated control; a warming condition under the CO2 emission scenario SSP5-8.5; and two multifactorial conditions combining warming, low salinity, and low irradiance reproducing the future coastal Arctic exposed to terrestrial runoff under two CO2 emission scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). The physiological effects on A. esculenta, L. digitata, and S. latissima were investigated, and gene expression patterns of S. latissima and H. nigripes were analyzed. Across all species and experimental treatments, growth rates were similar, underlying the acclimation potential of these species to future Arctic conditions. Specimens of A. esculenta increased their chlorophyll a content when exposed to low irradiance conditions, suggesting that they may be resilient to an increase in glacier and river runoff with the potential to become more dominant at greater depths. S. latissima showed a lower carbon : nitrogen (C : N) ratio under the SSP5-8.5 multifactorial conditions' treatment, suggesting tolerance to coastal erosion and permafrost thawing. In contrast, L. digitata showed no response to the conditions tested on any of the investigated physiological parameters. The down-regulation of genes coding for heat-shock proteins in H. nigripes and S. latissima underscores their ability to acclimate to heat stress, which portrays temperature as a key influencing factor. Based on these results, it is expected that kelp communities will undergo changes in species composition that will vary at local scale as a function of the changes in environmental drivers.

Оценка нутритивного статуса и рисков его нарушения у детей с болезнью Крона: одномоментное исследование

Children with Crohn's disease (CD) are at high risk for developing nutritional deficiencies. According to studies in adult patients with CD, loss of lean and skeletal muscle mass and decreased bone mineral density (BMD) are unfavorable prognostic factors for the course of the disease; among children, the prevalence of these changes has not been sufficiently studied as yet. The purpose of this research was to study the frequency and correlation between disorders of body composition and decreased bone mineral density in children with CD. Materials and methods used: medical records of 163 aged 5 to 17 y/o with a confirmed CD diagnosis were assessed for the risk of nutritional deficiency using STRONGkids screening tool, anthropometric parameters, body composition with bioimpedance measurements as well as the disease activity index with PCDAI and endoscopic activity with SES-CD. BMD was assessed in 145 using densitometry. Results: depending on the degree of risk of malnutrition, children were divided into 2 groups as follows: G1 with high and G2 with moderate risks for malnutrition. G1 patients had significantly lower values of both anthropometric indices (Z-scores BMI/age, mid-upper arm circumference/age) and lean and skeletal muscle mass (p&lt;0.001) along with more severe course of CD according to PCDAI (p&lt;0.001). According to bioimpedansometry data, a significant increase in catabolic processes was found in G1 children as a decrease in Z-scores for both the phase angle (p&lt;0.001) and the active cell mass (p&lt;0.001). A decrease in BMD was detected in 9 (37%) of G1 and 26 (21.4%) of G2. A correlation was found between Z-scores lean body mass/age and BMD/age (p&lt;0.001, Rs=0.612). Among children with reduced BMD values, the indicators for BMI, lean, skeletal muscle and active cell mass according to bioimpedance measurements were significantly lower (p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: the data obtained during the study proposes high incidence of decreased bone mineral density along with pathological changes in body composition in children with CD. The use of STRONGkids tool to identify children at high risk of developing malnutrition, especially in the absence of the technical ability to conduct a detailed assessment of nutritional status with determination of body composition and BMD indicators, makes it possible to timely identify patients requiring individual nutritional support aiming to optimizing diets and, if necessary, prescribing addition of specialized food supplements.

Association Between Early-Life and Premorbid Measurements of Body Composition and Risk of Motor Neuron Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study in the UK Biobank.

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between developmental and premorbid body composition measurements and the risk of motor neuron disease (MND). We performed a cohort study in the UK Biobank to assess the association of developmental body metrics and premorbid body composition measures (using 28 measurements and 7 patterns of body composition) with the risk of MND. Among participants with longitudinal measures, we compared the changes in body composition over time between individuals who later developed MND and those who remained free of MND. Among the 412,691 individuals included in this study, 549 people received an MND diagnosis during the follow-up visit. Higher birth weight was associated with an increased risk of MND among individuals born over 4 kg (hazard ratio [HR] per kg increase = 2.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.38-3.55), and taller adult height was associated with an increased risk of MND (HR per 5 cm increase = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.03-1.17). We observed that measures of elevated fat mass were associated with a lower risk of MND more than 5 years before diagnosis. A higher "leg-dominant fat distribution" pattern was associated with an increased risk whereas higher "muscle strength" was associated with a reduced risk of MND 5 years before diagnosis. Longitudinal analyses indicated a faster decline in measures of fat mass and muscle strength, as well as a shift in fat distribution from arm to leg dominant, among individuals who later developed MND, compared with others. Body composition at early and middle age may be indicative of the risk of MND development. ANN NEUROL 2024.

Experimental and numerical investigations on phase change thermal storage foam concrete based on CaCl2∙6H2O/silica aerogel composite phase change material

A new type of phase change thermal storage foam concrete was developed by effectively incorporating a composite phase change material (CPCM) into foam concrete. The CPCM was obtained by using 75 wt% CaCl2∙6H2O as PCM and 25 wt% silica aerogel as carrier, with a phase change temperature of 27.0 °C and an enthalpy value of 110.9 J/g. The mechanical and thermal properties of the obtained phase change thermal storage foam concrete blocks were investigated experimentally, along with a numerical analysis of their heat transfer characteristics. The experimental results demonstrated that after adding CPCM, the thermal performances of foam concrete blocks significantly increased, under the condition of their dry densities and compressive strengths met the specification requirements. Adding 20 wt% CPCM, the enthalpy value, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity and thermal inertia of foam concrete block respectively reached 37.0 J/g, 1782.0 J/(kg∙K), 0.131 W/(m·K) and 770.9, with appropriate phase change temperature (27.2 °C). Numerical analysis for the heat transfer characteristics of the phase change thermal storage foam concrete wall revealed that optimal thermal insulation and thermal storage performances were achieved when the wall contained 20 wt% CPCM and thickness of 80 mm. In this case, the model exhibited a temperature wave attenuation factor of 6.66, the temperature amplitude of 5.84 K and a decline of 9.87 K for the highest temperature of the wall as well as delay time of 198,000 s, effectively regulating indoor temperature and saving energy. Therefore, the as-prepared phase change thermal storage foam concrete had great potential for application in building energy conservation.

Zooming in on the temporal dimensions of plant–soil feedback: Plant sensitivity and microbial dynamics

Abstract The magnitude of plant–soil feedback (PSF) can depend on the time of conditioning as well as the length of feedback. Understanding the temporal variation in PSF requires insight in the response of both soil characteristics and the plant. We examined how conspecific PSF varies with the length of conditioning and the size of the response plant using Jacobaea vulgaris, a species known to experience negative conspecific PSF. Together with reanalysis of an existing microbial sequence dataset, we tested whether the temporal variation in PSF is due to size‐dependent plant sensitivity to conditioned soil or due to compositional changes in microbial communities of conditioned soil. Further, by reanalysing another existing dataset, we examined temporal dynamics of the relative growth rates (RGR) of J. vulgaris during the feedback phase. Testing varying conditioning lengths, uncovered that J. vulgaris exhibited the strongest negative PSF at 5 weeks of conditioning, after which PSF gradually attenuated. Plant sensitivity to conditioned soil decreased with increasing plant age/size of the response plant. In the feedback phase, the RGR of J. vulgaris was first higher, then lower and at the end similar in ‘away’ soil compared to ‘home’ soil. The dissimilarity in bacterial and fungal communities in ‘home’ and ‘away’ soil significantly decreased during the feedback phase. When J. vulgaris grew in ‘away’ soil, the relative abundance of 10 (out of 80) bacterial OTUs that positively correlated with plant growth decreased over time, while 5 (out of 86) OTUs that negatively correlated with plant growth the relative abundance increased over time. Additionally, only one (out of 10) fungal OTU that negatively associated with plant growth increased over time in ‘away’ soil. Synthesis. Our findings illustrate that PSF varies with the duration of soil conditioning and of the feedback phase. During the feedback phase, changes in PSF can be attributed to both the size‐dependent plant sensitivity to conditioned soil and temporal changes in the microbial community of conditioned soil. This highlights the importance of considering the reconditioning of soil microbial communities by the test plants during the feedback phase for understanding temporal variation in PSF.

Examining the Influence of Season Phase, Age, and Anthropometrics on Body Composition Trends in National Basketball Association Athletes.

Russell, JL, Baker, BS, Mercer, RA, and McLean, BD. Examining the influence of season phase, age, and anthropometrics on body composition trends in NBA athletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-This study aimed to describe seasonal body composition changes in NBA athletes using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and to explore the relationship between these changes and factors such as age and anthropometrics. A retrospective analysis was conducted using 402 DXA scans from 62 professional male basketball players, obtained from one NBA team between 2012 and 2023. Seasonal phases were defined as preseason, pre all-star, post all-star, and offseason. A custom region of interest (ROI) method was used to ensure consistent scan areas for taller athletes who exceeded the DXA bed length. Linear mixed models analyzed the influence of seasonal phases, age, and height on lean mass (LM), fat mass (FM), and bone mineral content (BMC). In-season phases (pre all-star and post all-star) showed small increases in LM and decreases in FM compared with the preseason, with no significant BMC changes. Chronological age was associated with increases in LM but not FM. Taller athletes exhibited increases in LM, FM, and BMC. Significant random variance across players and seasons indicated that additional unmeasured factors might influence body composition. NBA athletes generally gain LM and lose FM during the season, with older players showing increased LM gain. The study's novel ROI method provide reliable data for athletes exceeding standard DXA limits, highlighting the importance of tailored body composition assessments in professional basketball. These findings can inform strength and conditioning, nutrition, and player development strategies across different seasonal phases and ages.

Uptake of Magnetite Nanoparticles on Polydopamine Films Deposited on Gold Surfaces: A Study by AFM and XPS.

Polydopamine has the capacity to adhere to a large variety of materials and this property offers the possibility to bind nanoparticles to solid surfaces. In this work, magnetite nanoparticles were deposited on gold substrates coated with polydopamine films. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of the composition and morphology of the PDA layers on the sticking of magnetite nanoparticles. The polydopamine coating of gold surfaces was achieved by the oxidation of alkaline solutions of dopamine with various reaction times. The length of the reaction time to form PDA was expected to influence the composition and surface roughness of the PDA films. Magnetite nanoparticles were deposited on these polydopamine films by immersing the samples in aqueous dispersions of nanoparticles. The morphology at the nanometric scale and the composition of the surfaces before and after the deposition of magnetite nanoparticles were investigated by means of AFM and XPS. We found that the amount of magnetite nanoparticles on the surface did not vary monotonically with the reaction time of PDA formation, but it was at the minimum after 20 min of reaction. This behavior may be attributed to changes in the chemical composition of the coating layer with reaction time.

Impacts of Light Exposure and Soil Covering on Sweet Potato Storage Roots in a Novel Soilless Culture System

Soilless culture systems, which promote plant growth and enable the precise control of the root-zone environment, have yet to be fully established for sweet potatoes. In this study, we developed a soilless culture system and examined the effects of soil covering and light exposure on the storage roots of sweet potatoes. Sweet potato seedlings with induced storage roots were transplanted into five systems: a previously developed pot-based hydroponics system (Pot), an improved version with storage roots enclosed in a plastic box and covered with a soil sheet (SS), the SS system without the soil sheet (SD), the SD system with light exposure to storage roots after 54 days (SL), and a deep flow technique (DFT) hydroponics system. Our study enabled the time-course observation of storage root enlargement in the SS, SD, and SL systems. In the SL system, light exposure suppressed the storage root enlargement and reduced epidermal redness. No storage root enlargement was observed in the DFT system, even at 151 days after transplantation. Light exposure in the SL system increased the chlorophyll and total phenolic contents in the cortex beneath the epidermis, while the starch content was the lowest in this system. These findings indicate that the developed system can induce normal storage root enlargement without soil. Additionally, the observed changes in growth and composition due to light exposure suggest that this system is effective for controlling the root-zone environment of sweet potatoes.

Imaging mass cytometry-based characterisation of fibroblast subsets and their cellular niches in systemic sclerosis

ObjectivesTranscriptomic data demonstrated that fibroblasts are heterogeneous with functionally diverse subpopulations. Although fibroblasts are key effector cells of fibrotic diseases such as systemic sclerosis (SSc), they have not yet been...

Strong nestedness and turnover effects on stand productivity in a long-term forest biodiversity experiment.

Multispecies planting is an important approach to deliver ecosystem functions in afforestation projects. However, the importance of species richness vs specific species composition in this context remains unresolved. To estimate species or functional group richness and compositional change between two communities, we calculated nestedness, where one community contains a subset of the species of another, and turnover, where two communities differ in species composition but not in species richness. We evaluated the effects of species/functional group nestedness and turnover on stand productivity using 315 mixed plots from a pool of 40 tree species in a large forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China. We found that the greater the differences in species or functional group nestedness and turnover, the greater the differences in stand productivity between plots. Additionally, the strong effects of both nestedness and turnover on stand productivity developed over the 11-yr observation period. Our results indicate that selection of specific tree species is as important as planting a large number of species to support the productivity function of forests. Furthermore, the selection of specific tree species should be based on functionality, because beneficial effects of functional group composition were stronger than those of species composition.

Tailoring Interlayer Microenvironment of 2D Layered Double Hydroxides for CO2 Reduction with Enhanced C2+ Production.

Both the physicochemical properties of catalytic material and the structure of loaded catalyst layer (CL) on gas diffusion electrode (GDE) are of crucial importance in determining the conversion efficiency and product selectivity of carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR). However, the highly reducing reaction condition of CO2RR will lead to the uncontrollable structural and compositional changes of catalysts, making it difficult to tailor surface properties and microstructure of the real active species for favored products. Herein, the interlayer microenvironment of copper-based layered double hydroxides (LDHs) is rationally tuned by a facile ink solvent engineering, which affects both the surface characters and microstructure of CL on GDE, leading to distinct catalytic activity and product selectivity. According to series of in situ and ex situ techniques, the appropriate surface wettability and thickness of porous CL are found to play critical roles in controlling the local CO2 concentration and water dissociation steps that are key for hydrogenation during CO2RR, leading to a high Faradaic efficiency of 75.3% for C2+ products and a partial current density of 275mAcm-2 at -0.8V versus RHE. This work provides insights into rational design of efficient electrocatalysts toward CO2RR for multi-carbon generation.

Metagenomic time series reveals a Western English Channel viral community dominated by members with strong seasonal signals.

Marine viruses are key players of ocean biogeochemistry, profoundly influencing microbial community ecology and evolution. Despite their importance, few studies have explored continuous inter-seasonal viral metagenomic time series in marine environments. Viral dynamics are complex, influenced by multiple factors such as host population dynamics and environmental conditions. To disentangle the complexity of viral communities, we developed an unsupervised machine learning framework to classify viral contigs into "chronotypes" based on temporal abundance patterns. Analysing an inter-seasonal monthly time series of surface viral metagenomes from the Western English Channel, we identified chronotypes and compared their functional and evolutionary profiles. Results revealed a consistent annual cycle with steep compositional changes from winter to summer and steadier transitions from summer to winter. Seasonal chronotypes were enriched in potential auxiliary metabolic genes of the ferrochelatases and 2OG-Fe(II) oxygenase orthologous groups compared to non-seasonal types. Chronotypes clustered into four groups based on their correlation profiles with environmental parameters, primarily driven by temperature and nutrients. Viral contigs exhibited a rapid turnover of polymorphisms, akin to Red Queen dynamics. However, within seasonal chronotypes, some sequences exhibited annual polymorphism recurrence, suggesting that a fraction of the seasonal viral populations evolve more slowly. Classification into chronotypes revealed viral genomic signatures linked to temporal patterns, likely reflecting metabolic adaptations to environmental fluctuations and host dynamics. This novel framework enables the identification of long-term trends in viral composition, environmental influences on genomic structure, and potential viral interactions.

Cosmic-Ray Radiation Effects on Ibuprofen Tablet Formulation Inside and Outside of the International Space Station.

In extreme environments people will have different needs for medicine(s), making it crucial to understand how such environments affect drug efficacy. Ibuprofen, commonly used in tablet formulation on Earth, could fail in space despite standard pharmaceutical packaging. We introduce the concept of 'space medicines', where solid-dosage forms protect the pharmaceutical from accelerated degradation in spaceflight. We simulate dose(s) in International Space Station (ISS) through radionuclide and photon experiments, and establish the impact of alpha, beta and gamma rays. We demonstrate that tablet formulation protects from impact of alpha and beta rays; however, gamma rays decompose ibuprofen even when 'masked'. We systematically analyse 19 tablet compositions inside and outside the ISS to determine the effect of compositional changes in the tablet matrix. We confirm that the iron oxide-shielded tablets show minimal degradation (〈10%) inside the ISS, compared to moderate reductions (〉10%) for other formulations, with one exception. The tablets exhibited significantly greater ibuprofen degradation (〉 30-50%) outside ISS, due to harsh conditions. Significantly, we found that flavour have shielding potential by scavenging free radicals. We conclude that ibuprofen efficacy is adversely affected in space, and these effects are expected to worsen on missions to deeper space destinations.

The Potential of Silver Diamine Fluoride in Non-Operative Management of Dental Caries in Primary Teeth: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: Dental caries has seen an increase in untreated cases, leading to significant health and quality-of-life impacts, necessitating innovative approaches like the promising non-operative management with silver diamine fluoride. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanisms of action of silver diamine fluoride on arresting dental caries in primary teeth. Materials and Methods: A systematic search was conducted across MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, and Wiley Online Library, including both in vivo and in vitro studies published from 1 January 2017 to 16 October 2022. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool assessed bias in in vivo studies, while the Quality Assessment Tool for In Vitro Studies evaluated the methodological quality of in vitro studies. Results: Nineteen publications met the inclusion criteria. Two studies indicated that silver diamine fluoride application significantly alters oral microflora, contributing to caries arrest. Additionally, two studies reported increased mineral density and mineral content in demineralised primary teeth, emphasising silver diamine fluoride’s role in promoting remineralisation. Three studies demonstrated significant improvements in surface microhardness, enhancing tooth resistance. However, no significant qualitative changes in bacterial species composition were noted. Modified silver diamine fluoride application techniques, including light curing or laser irradiation, enhanced efficacy, with light curing notably increasing surface microhardness. Based on a limited number of studies, no statistically significant differences in clinical effectiveness were observed with higher silver diamine fluoride concentrations or extended application durations. Conclusions: Silver diamine fluoride effectively induces quantitative changes in oral microflora and enhances the microhardness and mineral density of enamel and dentine in primary teeth, with modified application methods showing potential for improved outcomes.