Military conflicts constitute an increasingly important yet still insufficiently quantified source of environmental contamination in agricultural ecosystems. This study investigated soils affected by missile strikes during the Russian aggression in Ukraine, with particular emphasis on heavy metal accumulation, radionuclide occurrence, and associated phytotoxic effects on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Geochemical analyses using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy revealed pronounced enrichment of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Mn in crater soils, frequently exceeding local geochemical background levels and environmental guideline thresholds. Elevated activity concentrations of ^137Cs were additionally detected, indicating contamination associated with explosive materials and projectile components. Despite locally increased radionuclide levels, the calculated radiological indices demonstrated that the investigated soils do not currently pose a significant radiological hazard to human health. The contamination was accompanied by soil acidification, compaction, and degradation of physical structure, suggesting long-term disturbance of soil functioning in affected agricultural areas. Among the detected contaminants, Pb was consistently enriched in crater soils and was therefore selected as a representative model toxicant to investigate the biological mechanisms linking field-observed contamination to crop responses under controlled conditions. Hydroponic experiments demonstrated that Pb exposure induced a clear, dose-dependent inhibition of plant growth, biomass accumulation, and stress tolerance indices, whereas low Pb concentrations produced a slight hormetic response. Anatomical analyses of wheat roots revealed substantial structural reorganisation, including reduced stele and xylem development, enhanced cortical porosity, increased endodermal suberisation and lignification, and reduced vessel diameter, potentially limiting water and nutrient transport. Strong correlations between Pb concentration, anatomical modifications, and morphophysiological responses indicate that root structural disruption represents a major mechanism of toxicity. The results demonstrate that missile-derived contamination may significantly affect soil quality and crop performance even outside active combat zones. Furthermore, the study highlights the usefulness of root anatomical traits as sensitive biomarkers for early detection of military-induced soil stress and provides new insight into the combined, radiological and mechanistic biological approaches for assessing post-conflict agricultural environments.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, which accounts for more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases, remains one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide, with a poor 5-year survival rate of approximately 10-13% despite advances in diagnosis and treatment. Its poor prognosis is attributed to aggressive biological behavior, extensive desmoplastic stroma, profound metabolic reprogramming, and resistance to conventional therapeutic interventions. Among the hallmark metabolic alterations in PDAC, the Warburg effect enables tumor cells to sustain rapid proliferation under hypoxic and nutrient-deprived conditions. Excessive lactate accumulation within the tumor microenvironment promotes extracellular acidification, suppresses cytotoxic T-cell activity, enhances regulatory T-cell expansion, and stimulates cancer-associated fibroblast signaling, thereby facilitating immune evasion and tumour progression. Key mediators of this metabolic rewiring include glucose transporters, lactate dehydrogenase A, and monocarboxylate transporters. Consequently, integrating immunometabolic insights into therapeutic strategies has emerged as a promising approach for PDAC management. Natural compounds such as quercetin, resveratrol, curcumin, anthraquinones, and camphene have shown potential to modulate glycolytic enzymes, inhibit lactate transport, and attenuate TME-associated immunosuppression. These bioactive molecules, therefore, represent promising candidates for combination-based therapeutic interventions in PDAC. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying glucose metabolic rewiring, lactate-mediated immune evasion, and the translational potential of natural compounds as immunometabolic modulators. By highlighting the intricate interplay among glucose metabolism, lactate-driven immunosuppression, and tumor microenvironment remodeling, this review provides a mechanistic framework for the development of natural compound-based therapeutic strategies. It identifies promising directions for future preclinical and clinical investigations in PDAC.

Background: Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is frequently associated with psychiatric comorbidity, including psychotic symptoms, impulsivity and neurodevelopmental traits. The influence of age and duration of substance use on these clinical characteristics and on treatment retention remains insufficiently understood. Objectives: To examine the influence between age, duration of substance use, clinical presentation, patterns of violence, and treatment retention in individuals with SUD. Methods: A prospective 6-month cohort study was conducted at the Alcoholism Treatment Unit of the CAUSA Hospital Complex in Salamanca, Spain. A total of 264 patients with SUD were classified into two groups: prolonged substance use (≥55 years of age or ≥25 years of substance use; n = 127) and shorter substance use trajectories (<55 years and <25 years of substance use; n = 137). Participants completed structured clinical interviews and validated measures of quality of life, impulsivity, autistic traits, addiction severity, psychotic symptoms and violence. Non-parametric analyses were applied (α = 0.05; 95% CI). Results: Younger participants showed a significantly higher prevalence of auditory and visual hallucinations and persecutory delusions at baseline. During follow-up, both groups exhibited a reduction in physical aggression while driving and an increase in insults and verbal threats. No significant differences were observed in recent uncontrolled violence. Positive screening results for ADHD, autistic traits and impulsivity were not associated with treatment retention. Lower baseline physical functioning was associated with reduced completion of the 6-month follow-up assessment. Conclusions: Age and duration of substance use were associated with differences in the clinical presentation of SUD. Younger individuals exhibited a greater burden of psychotic symptoms and violence-related behaviours, whereas poorer physical functioning was associated with lower follow-up retention among individuals with prolonged substance use histories. These findings support the importance of age-sensitive assessment and management strategies in patients with SUD.

Nanoemulsions are promising nanotechnology-based delivery systems that may improve the stability, bioavailability, and cellular uptake of therapeutic agents. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been reported to exhibit high antibacterial and anticancer activities via several mechanisms, such as the generation of oxidative stress and disruption of cellular membrane integrity. Breast cancer (MCF-7) and ovarian cancer (SK-OV-3) represent two highly aggressive malignancies that pose major global health challenges. Brown algae oil is a natural marine-derived product with a number of bioactive compounds, including fatty acids, sterols, and antioxidants, responsible for its numerous biological activities. Oil extracted from the brown alga Turbinaria turbinata, using hexane as an organic solvent, was formulated with silver nitrate (AgNO3) using a surfactant-stabilized spontaneous emulsification method to prepare a silver-loaded T. turbinata oil nanoemulsion (Ag-TTO-NE). The biological performance of the system was evaluated against human cancer cell lines, including MCF-7 (breast cancer) and SK-OV-3 (ovarian cancer), in addition to pathogenic bacterial strains, and for antioxidant activity. The results demonstrated that the silver-loaded oil nanoemulsion (Ag-TTO-NE) exhibited anticancer activities against MCF-7 (breast cancer) and SK-OV-3, with IC50 values of 105.86 and 72.45 µg/mL and a Selectivity Index of 2.34 and 3.41, respectively. The silver-loaded oil nanoemulsion (Ag-TTO-NE) possessed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities against Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC90274) and Salmonella typhi (ATCC 6539). These results indicate that T. turbinata-based silver nanoemulsions deserve further exploration as multifunctional marine-derived nanoformulations. In silico ADMET analysis projected moderate to high oral absorption for most of the discovered compounds and suggested favorable pharmacokinetic properties of the individual ingredients. ADMET analysis suggested that the major compounds discovered by GC-MS have good medication-like characteristics. These computational predictions are supplemental information and are not to be taken as the pharmacokinetic behavior of the nanoemulsion itself. Overall, the present results are based on in vitro biological assays together with exploratory computational studies and constitute preliminary evidence for the subsequent exploration of this marine-derived nanoformulation.

Fire ants are known for their aggressive behavior, omnivorous diet, and construction of mounds on the soil surface. Their dispersal is facilitated by trade and habitat fragmentation, which have led to negative impacts on biodiversity, public health, and agriculture in many countries. In Brazil, information about their impacts is scarce and mostly limited to reports from the North Region. In the Atlantic Forest, a biome where most of Brazil's population resides, there are no records of impacts associated with fire ants. This study examined farmers' perceptions of the impacts of fire ants in the Atlantic Forest. A questionnaire was administered to collect information on respondents' profiles, property characteristics, perceived impacts of fire ants, management practices, and health-related issues. Most respondents reported the regular presence of fire ants on their properties, although the perceived impacts on agricultural productivity were generally low to moderate, and control costs were typically less than $17. Widespread use of pesticides for fire ant control is reported by most farmers. Regarding stings, 85.1% of farmers reported having been stung, but only 0.6% required hospitalization. The most common reaction was itching. This pioneering study revealed that, although fire ants are present on many properties within the Atlantic Forest, the reported economic and health impacts are lower than expected, with most farmers experiencing minimal losses. Overall, the results for our sample suggest that the presence of fire ants does not result in significant economic losses for farmers. Nevertheless, fire ants are not overlooked, as non-conservationist control methods are employed. Such practices may lead to colony fragmentation, increasing their abundance and potentially negatively affecting local biodiversity.

Background and Objectives: In-office bleaching is one of the most requested aesthetic procedures, but its biomechanical aftermath on enamel-particularly the recovery trajectory of microhardness, surface roughness, and erosive vulnerability-remains incompletely characterised. The present study quantified the 28-day mechanical recovery profile of enamel after three commonly used chairside bleaching protocols and examined inter-relationships between mechanical, topographic and erosive endpoints. Methods: Forty-two human molars and premolars (27 molars, 15 premolars) extracted for clinical reasons and previously catalogued in the institutional biobank were sectioned along the cervical-occlusal axis to obtain matched control and experimental halves. The experimental halves were assigned (n = 14 per group) to Opalescence Quick (45% carbamide peroxide, no light), Opalescence Boost (40% hydrogen peroxide, chemically activated), or BlancOne Ultra+ (35% hydrogen peroxide with light activation). Vickers microhardness (VHN), profilometric roughness (Ra), and erosive wear after a standardised citric-acid challenge were measured at baseline, immediately post-bleaching, and at 24 h, 7 d, 14 d, and 28 d in artificial saliva. Wilcoxon signed-rank, Kruskal-Wallis with Dunn-Bonferroni post hoc, linear mixed-effects models, multiple linear regression, ROC analysis, and Spearman correlations were used (α = 0.05). Results: Immediate VHN drops were -13.2 ± 3.9%, -22.6 ± 3.6%, and -29.6 ± 4.7% for Opalescence Quick, Opalescence Boost, and BlancOne Ultra+, respectively. By 28 days, recovery reached 97.4 ± 2.2%, 96.0 ± 2.9%, and 91.6 ± 2.3% of baseline (p < 0.001). Exponential rate constants were 0.137, 0.075, and 0.092 d-1. Erosive wear after acid challenge was 2.1×, 2.8×, and 3.8× control values. ROC analysis identified Δ-immediate Ra as the strongest predictor of incomplete recovery (AUC = 0.859). Conclusions: Higher-aggression protocols delayed mechanical recovery and amplified erosive susceptibility, with light-activated systems carrying the greatest residual risk. These in vitro findings provide an evidence base for the design of future clinical studies on post-bleaching enamel recovery and remineralisation.

Sarcomas with Murine Double Minute 2 (MDM2) amplification are considered potential candidates for MDM2-targeted therapy. However, the limited efficacy of MDM2 inhibitor monotherapy suggests that additional biological factors may influence tumor behavior and prognosis. This study investigated the relationship between MDM2 expression and the Complexity Index in SARComas (CINSARC) transcriptomic signature, a gene expression signature that reflects cell division and chromosomal instability in soft tissue sarcomas. In the public GSE21050 dataset comprising 310 soft tissue sarcomas, the MDM2-low/CINSARC-low subgroup showed the most favorable metastasis-free survival, whereas the MDM2-high/CINSARC-low subgroup had an unfavorable metastasis-free survival comparable to that of the MDM2-high/CINSARC-high group. Among the representative genes in the 12q13-15 region, fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2 (FRS2) showed a strong positive correlation with MDM2 expression, but no significant correlation with CINSARC, suggesting an association independent of proliferative capacity. These findings suggest that proliferation-based risk assessment alone may underestimate the metastatic risk of a subset of MDM2-high sarcomas, and FRS2 may present a biologically relevant marker of aggressive behavior independent of tumor proliferation.

Peer conflict in early adolescence ranges from everyday disagreements to repeated aggression and bullying-related experiences. Bullying should not be reduced to physical violence: it may involve relational exclusion, psychological harassment, or verbal aggression without direct physical harm, whereas isolated aggressive acts do not necessarily constitute bullying. This study evaluated Reformulando, a school-based program that trains communication-based socio-emotional skills through pragmatic reformulation and respectful language. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a non-equivalent control group, we assessed changes in conflict management strategies, peer aggression, and bullying-related experiences among students aged 10-13 years. Initial analyses suggested reductions in verbal peer aggression in the experimental group relative to the control group, although these effects were attenuated in age-adjusted and classroom-clustered sensitivity analyses. Collaborative conflict management increased over time, although this change did not differ significantly between groups. Bullying-related experiences decreased during the study period, but these reductions were not specific to the experimental group. This pattern emerged in the primary analyses but was attenuated in age-adjusted and cluster-adjusted sensitivity analyses. Findings suggest the potential value of brief communication-based training for addressing verbal peer conflict, while highlighting the need for cautious interpretation due to baseline group differences, grade-level imbalance, classroom clustering, and the quasi-experimental design.

Relative to other adolescents, African American adolescents disproportionately experience community violence. Community violence exposure (CVE) is linked to negative outcomes, including aggression. While evidence suggests that the CVE-aggression link may be bidirectional, few studies have examined this bidirectional association and gender differences for older African American adolescents. This study examined reciprocal associations between CVE and aggression, as well as gender differences, among African American 14- to 16-year-old high school students. Study participants were African American adolescents (n = 327) living in low-resourced, urban neighborhoods in a large, midwestern city. Participants attending public high schools were recruited to participate in a preventive intervention randomized controlled efficacy trial. Data were collected at four timepoints (i.e., beginning and end of ninth grade, beginning and end of 10th grade). Random intercepts cross-lagged panel models were used to evaluate the reciprocal associations between CVE and aggression, controlling for intervention condition and age. In the model with males and females, consistent positive cross-lagged associations between CVE and aggression were found. However, for males and females separately, results differed. For males, CVE positively predicted later aggression at two of the four cross-lags, but aggression did not significantly predict later violence exposure. For females, CVE predicted later aggression at each cross-lag, but aggression did not significantly predict later CVE. Results suggest a reciprocal CVE-aggression link in African American youth, with differing associations for males and females. Findings support that both CVE and aggression are important targets for prevention programming, in addition to gender considerations.

The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) has been rising globally in recent years, with an especially rapid increase in disease burden in China. Compared with late-onset colorectal cancer, EOCRC is more often diagnosed following symptomatic presentation, with greater diagnostic delay and more aggressive biological behavior. Patients are typically at critical life stages regarding career development and family building, and have urgent needs for fertility and sexual function preservation, and long-term quality of life. However, current domestic and international guidelines mostly target the general colorectal cancer population, and a systematic management framework tailored to the specific characteristics of early-onset patients is lacking. Therefore, the Hereditary Cancer Committee of the China Anti-Cancer Association organized a multidisciplinary expert panel-including specialists in colorectal surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pathology, genetic medicine, reproductive medicine, psycho-oncology, and specialized nursing-to develop the Chinese Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Whole-Course Management of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer (2026 version), based on evidence-based medicine and Chinese clinical practice. This consensus covers clinical issues such as the definition, epidemiological characteristics, screening and diagnosis, comprehensive treatment strategies, fertility and sexual function preservation, psychosocial support, and long-term follow-up of EOCRC, and presents 18 relevant recommendations. It aims to establish a multidisciplinary team-based whole-course management model that emphasizes both tumor control and long-term quality of life, providing a reference for the standardized diagnosis and treatment of EOCRC.

BackgroundChildren with severe conduct problems often experience disruptions in parent-child relationships, yet validated observational tools suitable for early and middle childhood remain limited. This study investigated associations between mother-child emotional availability (EA) and conduct problem severity in a clinic-referred sample.MethodParticipants were 92 mother-child dyads with children aged 3 to 9 years diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) or Conduct Disorder. Mothers completed standardised questionnaires and a diagnostic interview. Dyads participated in a 30-min semi-structured interaction coded with the EA Scales (4th edition), from which maternal and child EA composite scores and EA Zone classifications were derived.ResultsLower maternal EA was associated with higher clinician-rated ODD severity, although effects were modest. Child EA demonstrated only a marginal association with ODD severity, and neither maternal nor child EA predicted mother-reported conduct problems. Most dyads were classified within the "complicated" EA Zone, reflecting insecure-ambivalent relational patterns characterised by inconsistent emotional responsiveness and engagement. This finding is notable as conduct problems are more commonly linked with insecure-avoidant or disorganised attachment.ConclusionsFindings highlight the clinical relevance of maternal emotional availability and suggest that inconsistent emotional responsiveness may be an important intervention target for children with conduct problems.

The preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA) has been long known for its involvement in brain functions that are critical for the survival of the individual and the species. The POA regulates essentially all homeostatic functions: sleep, temperature, stress responses, fluid and nutrient balance. Additionally, it plays a prominent role in reproduction and in social behaviors including sexual behavior, parenting, affiliative behaviors, and aggression. These functions are fundamental for the fitness of animal species, are heavily controlled by the POA and are regulated in a sex-specific and hormone-dependent manner. In the past decade, the use of modern genetic approaches, biosensors, and circuit mapping, has identified subpopulations of neurons in the POA based on molecular profile and connectivity. Uncovering the functional roles of these diverse neuronal populations is key to elucidating how the POA controls key homeostatic functions and social behaviors. Here, we review new and past studies to offer an updated description of POA neuronal sub-divisions and their functional relevance. By synthesizing this knowledge, we discuss how the circuit anatomy and molecular heterogeneity of the POA inform its function, particularly how these features shape this region as an integrator of sensory cues and internal state, and as a key filter for behavioral selection.

Birds can assess risk posed by predators in their environment and adjust their anti-predation strategies accordingly. However, the impact of nest site characteristics on nest defense behaviors has not been thoroughly studied. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between nest defense behaviors and nest site characteristics in Asian tits (Parus cinereus) when confronted with Common chipmunks (Tamias sibiricus, ground predator) and Eurasian sparrowhawks (Accipiter nisus, aerial predator). Generalized linear mixed-model analyses revealed that predator type significantly influenced both aggressive and vigilance behaviors, with Asian tits less likely to exhibit these two behaviors toward Eurasian sparrowhawks than toward Common chipmunks. Nest-site shrub height negatively predicted the probability of vigilance behavior, whereas no measured nest-site characteristics influenced aggressive behavior. Neither predator type nor nest-site features significantly affected stationary observation or threatening behaviors. These findings demonstrate that Asian tits adopt predator-specific defensive strategies: they adjust vigilance behavior s according to local shrub height while maintaining stationary observation and threatening behaviors relatively invariant, supporting their capacity for dynamic risk assessment in heterogeneous predation environments.