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Fluorescent emission profiles reveal interspecific differences in three Danube River Basin sturgeon species

Abstract Biofluorescence is widespread among marine teleosts but has not been reported in sturgeons (Acipenseridae). This exploratory study investigates interspecific differences in fluorescent emission profiles among three Danube River Basin sturgeon species using hyperspectral imaging. We examined 50 juvenile fish from 3 species: the Russian sturgeon ( Acipenser gueldenstaedtii; n  = 20), sterlet ( Acipenser ruthenus ; n  = 20), and stellate sturgeon ( Acipenser stellatus; n  = 10). All species displayed green (~ 550 nm) and secondary red fluorescence (~ 615–730 nm) with a minor peak at ~ 650 nm under blue excitation light. Principal component analysis of standardized spectra revealed interspecific species-specific clustering, with PC1 (86.9% of variance) primarily reflecting differences in excitation light reflectance and differentiating stellate sturgeon, and PC2 (3.77% of variance) reflecting variations in green fluorescence intensity and distinguishing A . gueldenstaedtii from A. ruthenus . A. ruthenus exhibited higher fluorescence with lower excitation reflectance, while A. stellatus showed the reverse pattern, and A . gueldenstaedtii displayed consistently stronger emissions across shorter wavelengths (500–530 nm). These findings provide the first evidence of species-specific fluorescent spectral patterns in sturgeons. Such signatures may reflect differences in integument structure and pigment biochemistry, and they hold promise as non-invasive tools for species identification, aquaculture monitoring, and conservation management.

A DNA-Programmed Potassium Ion Magnetic Resonance Sensor

Comparative evaluation of irrigation techniques on dentin nanohardness, flexural strength, and chemical composition: an in vitro study

Expanding the Genetic Code with Lysine Aminoacylation

YOLO11-BSCS: an enhanced attention-optimized framework for real-time indoor flame and smoke detection in elderly care mobile robots

Atomistic Model for Water Adsorption in Mg-MOF-74: Quantum Chemical Prediction of Structures and Isotherms

Adherence to Barrett’s esophagus surveillance guidelines and its impact on progression: a multicenter prospective study

Systematic Discovery of Bacterial Diterpene Synthases and Structure-Guided Functional Interconversion of ShHS and CbCS

N2-(1-carboxyethyl)-2′-deoxyguanosine as a genotoxic glycation marker associated with chromatin architectural alterations in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Study on key strata and surface deformation prediction for overburden separation grouting mining in adjacent panel based on foundation beam theory

Polymerization Chaperone for the Controlled, Homogeneous Synthesis of Proline-Based Homo- and Copolypeptides

Exploring the energy landscape of bacterial chromosome segregation

Faithful chromosome segregation during bacterial replication requires global reorganization of the nucleoid, where Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes play a crucial role. Here, we develop an energy landscape framework that integrates data-driven pairwise interactions with coarse-grained polymer physics to infer the 3D architectural ensembles of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis chromosomes throughout replication. We show that SMC-mediated long-range lengthwise compaction reshapes the nucleoid to induce a robust mid-replication transition in which the terminus relocates toward the nucleoid center and duplicated origins segregate toward opposite cell halves. SMC-deficient mutants lack this transition and instead exhibit emergent nematic-like alignment of sister chromosomes that impedes segregation. A distinctive intersister Hi-C signature accompanies the emergence of the nematic alignment. By systematically tuning nonspecific intersister adhesion, we reveal that SMC activity expands the physical regime permitting faithful segregation. This buffering protects segregation against adhesive forces intrinsic to the crowded bacterial nucleoid. Our framework provides mechanistic insight into SMC-dependent coreplication segregation across bacterial species, yielding experimentally testable predictions for imaging and sister-chromosome-resolved Hi-C.

Antibiotic prescribing and antimicrobial resistance: An evaluation of clinical teachers’ knowledge, attitude and practices at a South African dental school

Introduction Indiscriminate antibiotic prescribing in healthcare continues to make a significant contribution to increasing global antimicrobial resistance rates. This public health threat has the potential to cause 10 million deaths per year, if no action is taken to address this phenomenon. In light of escalating AMR rates, the World Health Organization recommended a Global Action Plan against AMR in 2015, which highlighted global attention to AMR. One of the objectives of the Global Action Plan is to improve knowledge of antimicrobial resistance through effective education and training. Studies have suggested gaps in the knowledge and practice of antibiotic prescribing among healthcare professionals and undergraduate students, including medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacology and veterinary science. The dental profession has been identified as being a major contributor of excessive antibiotic prescribing, accounting for approximately 10% of systemic antibiotic prescriptions globally. Clinical knowledge, skills and practice gained during undergraduate dental programs can influence the clinical practice and competency of future prescribers. Clinical teachers thus play a critical role in shaping undergraduate dental students’ prescribing behaviours. This translates to effective undergraduate healthcare programs which offer adequate education on antimicrobial resistance and rational antibiotic prescribing practices to ensure that students are well prepared prior to entering clinical practice. Aim To determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to antimicrobial prescribing and AMR awareness among clinical teachers at a dental faculty in South Africa. Methodology A quantitative, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among clinical teachers at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of the Western Cape in South Africa during the period of 28 September 2024 till 24 March 2025. A non-probability convenience sampling method was used. Responses were captured on a Google spreadsheet and exported to IBM SPSS Version 30 for descriptive and chi-square analyses. Results Sixty-one clinical teachers participated in the study (75% female and 25% male), with an 87.1% response rate. Participants’ work experience ranged from less than 5 years (2%), 5–10 years (11%), 11–15 years (18%), to more than 15 years (69%). The most commonly prescribed antibiotic regimen was a combination of amoxicillin and metronidazole. Majority of respondents (90%) prescribed a 5-day course of antibiotics, suggesting consistency with recommended short-course therapy. In cases of penicillin allergy, clindamycin (62%) was the most favoured alternative, which is concerning, as clindamycin is associated with numerous adverse effects. The understanding of AMR among clinical teachers was positive, with 92% correctly identifying AMR as bacteria resisting the effects of antibiotic therapy. Ninety-five percent of respondents viewed antibiotic resistance as a growing concern. The results demonstrate strong awareness and adherence to antibiotic prophylaxis guidelines among respondents, with 100% reporting both awareness of and compliance with such guidelines. Conclusion The results reveal a range of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to antibiotic prescribing and AMR awareness among clinical teachers, and indicate acceptable levels of knowledge and practice in various clinical scenarios, however certain identified prescribing practices may require targeted educational intervention. By strengthening antibiotic stewardship principles among clinical teachers, undergraduate prescribing practices can be further enhanced.

Abstract WE476: Distribution of Heart Failure Phenotypes by Age and Risk Factors

Background: Heart failure (HF) consists of two subtypes: heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) with heterogeneous age of onset and risk factor profiles. Characterizing the distribution of age of onset and baseline risk factors for each HF subtype in contemporary samples may provide insight into early disease presentation and guide preventive strategies. Methods: We assembled a contemporary cohort of adults aged 30 years and older with a diagnosis of HF in 2024 using electronic health record (EHR) data from an integrated U.S health system that includes eleven hospitals. HF diagnoses were defined as ≥1 inpatient or ≥2 outpatient standardized ICD diagnosis codes. We excluded patients without an echocardiogram within three years of diagnosis. Two subgroups were defined by ejection fraction as the HFpEF strata (EF ≥50%) and the HFrEF strata (EF <50%). We examined age (30-49, 50-64, ≥65 years) and burden of risk factors (obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease) across subgroups. Results: Our EHR-based cohort included 6980 in the HFpEF cohort and 3347 in the HFrEF cohort. The distribution of age differed for HFpEF and HFrEF. Among HFpEF, 4.3% were aged 30-49 years, 16.9% 50-64 years, and 78.8% ≥65 years. For HFrEF, 10.6% were aged 30-49 years, 26.8% 50-64 years, and 62.6% ≥65 years. Risk factor burden was high in both HF subtypes (Table) with hypertension being nearly universal, especially above age 50. Conclusions: We characterized a contemporary real-world HFpEF and HFrEF cohort. Risk factor burden is substantial across all age groups, even with early-onset HF; this emphasizes the need for targeted prevention and management strategies beginning in young adulthood.

Abstract WE413: Predictive Performance of High-Sensitive C-Reactive Protein for Congestive Heart Failure: Post-Pandemic Analysis from NHANES 2021-2023

Introduction: High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) has been widely used as a biomarker for cardiovascular risk stratification, including congestive heart failure (CHF). However, its predictive value in the context of post-pandemic, as characterized by heightened population-level baseline inflammation, remains unexplored. Hence, we aim to assess the predictive value of hsCRP to CHF among United States (US) populations in 2021-2023. Methods: A total of 5571 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2021-2023 were assessed. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between hsCRP and CHF, adjusting for age, sex, race, and education. Non-linear association was explored using restricted cubic spline. Model performance was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Results: High hsCRP level (>3 mg/L) was independently associated with significantly higher odds of CHF (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.45-2.91, p-value < 0.01). The predictive model demonstrated strong discriminatory performance with an AUC of 0.782 after adjusting for covariates. Adjustment for age and sex alone yielded an AUC of 0.761. Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a non-linear relationship between hsCRP and CHF odds, with an inflection in risk observed at hsCRP levels exceeding 1.82 mg/L. Discussion: Despite elevated baseline inflammation following the pandemic, hsCRP remains a clinically valuable biomarker for CHF prediction in the US population. hsCRP promotes CHF event by playing a critical role in atherogenesis, complement activation, and monocyte infiltration to the vascular wall. Conclusion: The hs-CRP level is significantly positively correlated with CHF among American adults. Preventive strategies to maintain the hsCRP levels should be employed to reduce CHF burden in the US. Findings highlight the potential clinical benefit of incorporating routine monitoring and targeted-hsCRP lowering strategies to improve clinical decision-making.

Abstract TU163: Self-Measured Blood Pressure Monitoring Programs: Who are they good for?

Background: Self-Measured Blood Pressure (SMBP) Monitoring programs, which focus on teaching participants how to lower their BP through medication adherence and lifestyle changes, are an integral part of the Million Hearts initiative co-led by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Here, we used data from SMBP programs to cluster individuals with similar BP trajectories and compared participant characteristics across trajectory groups to determine whether certain subgroups were more likely to benefit from SMBP participation. Methods: We analyzed data from 101 participants with > 3 SMBP encounters at Family Health Centers in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to standard SMBP activities, participants at the included locations were screened for unmet social needs and, with consent, were connected to community-based organizations to help resolve these needs. In analyses, we used group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) to identify joint SBP and DBP trajectory groups. Iterative models were fit to arrive at a model which was the best fit to our data based on Bayesian Information Criteria. We assigned individuals to the trajectory group for which they had the highest posterior probability of group membership and compared participant characteristics across trajectory groups. Factors which appeared to differ by trajectory groups were added to the GBTM to formally test their association with trajectory group membership. Results: We identified 4 joint SBP and DBP trajectories ( Figure ). Three out of 4 groups (74.5%) had decreasing BP during the SMBP program while one group (Group 3; 25.5%) had stable elevated BP throughout. Qualitative comparisons of participant characteristics across groups indicated potential differences in several characteristics ( Table ). Upon adding these factors to the GBTM, housing insecurity, obesity, and tobacco use were significantly associated with trajectory group membership such that, compared to Group 1, individuals in Groups 2 and 4 were more likely to experience housing insecurity (p 2v1 =0.0888; p 4v1 =0.0067) and use tobacco (p 2v1 =0.0899; p 4v1 =0.0124); Group 2 participants were also less likely to have obesity (p=0.0230). Conclusions: SMBP programs can help many individuals with hypertension lower their BP. There was no defining characteristic of “non-responders,” although participants tended to be slightly older and possess greater ASCVD risk scores than those whose BP decreased over time.

Phosphorylation and DNA damage resolution coordinate SOX2-mediated reprogramming in vivo

The stem cell factor SOX2 can reprogram resident glial cells into neurons in the adult mammalian central nervous system, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. Here, we show that both SOX2 phosphorylation and the PRKDC-dependent nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway are essential for SOX2-mediated in vivo glia-to-neuron reprogramming. A phospho-mimetic SOX2 mutant significantly enhances reprogramming output without altering neuronal fate. Conversely, loss of PRKDC or knockdown of core NHEJ components KU80 and LIG4 abolishes reprogramming. Notably, p53 knockdown restores reprogramming in PRKDC-deficient mice, likely by overcoming DNA damage-induced cell-cycle arrest. These findings demonstrate that SOX2-driven glial reprogramming requires both precise posttranslational regulation and effective DNA damage repair and suggest that targeting these pathways could enhance regenerative strategies in the CNS.

Automatic pairing of real-world stimuli in younger and older adults: An event-related potential study

Contextual information can influence object perception, even when it is irrelevant to the task. When two unrelated stimuli frequently occur in close temporal succession, they may become associated. This process might be stronger in older adults due to age-related decline in inhibitory control, leading to deeper processing of irrelevant context. Automatic associations and their violations can be studied using visual mismatch negativity (vMMN), an event-related potential component reflecting the detection of violations of regularity in unattended stimuli. In our study, younger ( n  = 18, M  = 21.2 ± 2.1 yrs) and older ( n  = 17, M  = 69.8 ± 2.8 yrs) adults viewed pairs of images presented in succession: a scene (forest or street) followed by an emotional face (happy or angry). One scene–emotional face combination occurred frequently, the other rarely, forming a contextual oddball sequence. All individual stimuli appeared equally often. Participants performed an unrelated colour-change detection task, ensuring that the scene–emotional face pairs were unattended. We expected a vMMN to the emotional face in rare pairings, especially in older adults if they formed stronger associations. A control oddball condition with only emotional faces verified automatic emotion discrimination. In the control condition, vMMN emerged for both deviant emotions (in various ranges within the 94–276 ms post-stimulus time window). However, no vMMN was observed in the scene-emotional face pair condition. Instead, younger adults showed an early posterior positivity (90–161 ms) to rare pairings, while older adults exhibited a later negativity (356–384 ms). These results suggest that task-irrelevant, thematically unrelated visual events can become associated through temporal proximity. However, violations of these associations evoke neural responses distinct from vMMN and vary across age groups, with older adults relying on later, potentially semantic-related mechanisms rather than early visual processes to detect the regularity.

Abstract TU143: Indoor Radon Concentrations Are Associated With Incident Heart Failure Among Postmenopausal Women in the United States

Introduction: Emerging evidence links radon to prevalent risk factors for heart failure (HF), but little is known about the radon-HF association, itself. Hypothesis: Indoor radon is associated with incident HF. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in the Women’s Health Initiative among black, Hispanic/Latina or clinical trial participants without HF at baseline (1993-1998), but with HF follow-up through 2/17/24. We used U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data to estimate and categorize radon concentrations at geocoded participant addresses as <2, 2–4 and ≥4 pCi/L. We ascertained incident hospitalization for acute, decompensated HF via physician-review of medical records, classification and adjudication. We estimated hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (HR, 95%CI) using multi-variable adjusted Cox proportional hazards models on an attained age time scale. We examined sensitivity of the fully adjusted associations and expressed them in terms of equivalent increases in systolic blood pressure and body mass index to facilitate interpretation. We used Levin’s formula and a nonparametric bootstrap to estimate population-attributable fractions (PAF) at concentrations ≥2 pCi/L. Results: Among 43,188 women (mean age 63 years; 59% white; 15% Hispanic/Latina; 75% in the clinical trial), approximately 36%, 41% and 23% had a radon concentration <2, 2–4 and ≥4 pCi/L. Over a mean of 16.2 years, we ascertained 3,446 incident HF events among them ( Figure ): 50%, 33%, 16% and <1% with preserved, reduced, unknown and recovered ejection fraction (EF). The unadjusted HRs (95%CIs) were 1.07 (0.99–1.16) and 1.17 (1.08–1.28) times higher at 2–4 and ≥4 than <2 pCi/L, changing little with cumulative adjustment for covariates. Associations were robust in most sensitivity analyses, but lower for HF with preserved EF: 1.06 (0.94–1.20) and 1.10 (0.94–1.28), higher for HF with reduced EF: 1.14 (0.98–1.34) and 1.29 (1.07–1.55), and highest for HF mortality: 1.18 (0.99–1.42) and 1.37 (1.10–1.70). The HR at ≥4 pCi/L approximated that of 15 mmHg and 5 kg/m 2 increases in systolic blood pressure and body mass index. The PAF (95%CI) for radon ≥2 pCi/L was 7.0% (1.7%–12.1%). Conclusions: Radon may be a modifiable environmental determinant of incident HF among postmenopausal women in the U.S.

Abstract WE549: Elemental Determinants of Cardiovascular Health: A Comprehensive Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses of Observational Studies

Introduction: The biological balance of essential and harmful elements may represent a unifying pathway connecting environmental exposures, nutritional status, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, evidence across different elements remains fragmented. Yet, no comprehensive synthesis has evaluated how these elements collectively influence CVD risk across global populations. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that systematic evidence synthesis would clarify which elements are consistently associated with higher or lower CVD risk. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort and case-control studies reporting associations between exposure to 26 elements and incident CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), or stroke. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched through December 2024. Fix-effects models pooled relative risks (RRs) comparing the highest versus lowest exposure categories. Subgroup analyses were performed by biological specimen and sex. Results: Of 20 elements been mapped among 2,443,638 participants across 144 studies included, we observed statistically and clinically significant associations between exposure to several elements and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The pooled relative risk (RR) estimates showed that higher exposure to potentially harmful elements was associated with greater cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk: lead (Pb) 1.23 (95% CI, 1.10–1.37), arsenic (As) 1.15 (1.01–1.30), cadmium (Cd) 1.13 (1.06–1.21), and copper (Cu) 1.39 (1.30–1.49). In contrast, higher levels of beneficial essential elements were linked to lower CVD risk: magnesium (Mg) 0.91 (0.88–0.93), selenium (Se) 0.90 (0.85–0.96), and zinc (Zn) 0.99 (0.94–1.04), suggesting a modest protective effect. Conclusion: In conclusion, this comprehensive synthesis demonstrates a consistent pattern of associations across the elemental spectrum, identifying metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and copper as linked to higher cardiovascular risk, and essential elements such as magnesium and selenium as associated with lower risk. These findings integrate fragmented evidence into a coherent framework, positioning elemental balance as a fundamental determinant of cardiovascular health.