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Abstract Estimates of the energy potential of the different energy sources are essential for modelling energy systems. However, the potential of biomass is debatable due to the numerous dimensions and assumptions embedded. It is thus important to investigate further the final potential to understand their implications. Therefore, this study analyses European studies assessing biomass potential and proposes a critical discussion on the different results to converge to a realistic range of potentials for 2030. Biomass is divided into four categories: forestry products, agricultural residues, energy crops and other waste, each with sub-categories. Belgium is used as a case study to highlight the convergences and divergences of the studies. Having a national case study allows for more precise analyses through in-depth comparisons with national data and reports. The potential estimates are compared with the current production for each category in order to have a better view of the gap to be bridged. From these national perspectives, the European potential can be better apprehended. The results show that the realistic potentials for 2030 for Belgium and Europe are somewhat in the lower range of the estimates of the different studies: from 30 to 41 TWh and from 2000 to 2500 TWh, respectively. The forestry biomass is already well exploited with a slight potential increase, while the agricultural residues present the most significant potential increase. The realistic potential for energy crops in Belgium turned out to be close to the minimum estimates. Indeed, the implications of those crops are considerable regarding the agricultural structure and logistics. This article emphasises that no energy potential is neutral, as it involves a specific system in terms of agriculture, forestry or waste management, with broader social, economic or environmental implications. Consequently, using one estimate rather than another is not a trivial matter; it has an impact on the system being modelled from the outset.

Peat soils store a large part of the global soil carbon stock, which can potentially be lost when they are drained and taken into cultivation, resulting in CO2 emission and land subsidence. Groundwater level (GWL) management has been proposed to mitigate peat oxidation, but may lead to increased emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4).The aim of this experiment was to study trade-offs between greenhouse gas emissions from peat soils as a function of GWL. We incubated 1 m deep, 24 cm diameter undisturbed bare soil cores, after removal of the grass layer, from three contrasting Dutch grassland peat sites for 370 days at 16 °C. The cores were subjected to drying-wetting cycles, with the GWL varying between near the soil surface to 160 cm below the surface. We measured gas fluxes of CO2, N2O and CH4 from the soil surface, extracted pore water for DOC and mineral nitrogen analysis, and measured soil hydraulic and shrinkage characteristics.Emissions of CO2 increased after lowering the GWL, but showed different GWL-response curves during rewetting of the soil. On average, highest CO2 emissions of 1.5 g C·m−2 day−1 were found at a GWL of 80 cm below the surface. However, the 0 cm GWL was the only treatment with significantly lower CO2 emissions than other GWLs. Cumulative CO2 emissions differed significantly between sampling sites. Emissions of N2O showed a different response, peaking at GWL heights above −20 cm, particularly after a recent GWL rise. Though not significantly different, the highest N2O emissions were measured at the 0 cm GWL treatment. We confirmed this pattern for N2O in un-replicated soil cores with grass sward, although emission values were lower in these cores due to the root uptake of mineral nitrogen. CH4 emissions or −uptake remained low under any GWL. We conclude that raising the GWL is a successful strategy to reduce CO2 emissions from peat oxidation. However, raising the GWL close to the soil surface could lead to N2O emissions that negate any gains in terms of global warming potential. Our results suggest that raising the GWL in peat grasslands to −20 cm creates such a risk. A constant GWL at the surface (0 cm) would be preferential for mitigating both CO2 and N2O emissions, although such conditions don’t allow for agricultural grass production (mowing or grazing).

To reduce climate impact, switching to carbon-free electrofuels is an interesting option to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation. The emission of other pollutants than CO2, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), however, remains a concern. This research focuses on investigating the impact of transient phases, such as start-up and load change, on the NOx emissions expected from the rich combustion of mixtures of hydrogen and ammonia in gas turbines. Stochastic processes account for the inherent variability and uncertainty on the transient trajectories. The trajectories are simulated using a one-dimensional premixed flame model built in Cantera to compute the levels of pollutant formations, among others. The results indicate significant variations in the equivalence ratio, leading to high NOx emission peaks. The study concludes that the impact of the uncertainties related to the transient trajectories on the NOx emissions is low compared to the overall variations of the equivalence ratio, although they can accentuate observed peaks.

Abstract We report the successful fabrication of a pharmaceutical cellular bank (PCB) containing magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), which belong to the Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR1 species. To produce such PCB, we amplified MTB in a minimal growth medium essentially devoid of other heavy metals than iron and of CMR (Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic) products. The PCB enabled to acclimate MTB to such minimal growth conditions and then to produce highly pure magnetosomes composed of more than 99.9% of iron. The qualification of the bank as a PCB relies first on a preserved identity of the MTB compared with the original strain, second on genetic bacterial stability observed over 100 generations or under cryo-preservation for 16 months, third on a high level of purity highlighted by an absence of contaminating microorganisms in the PCB. Furthermore, the PCB was prepared under high-cell load conditions (9.108 cells/mL), allowing large-scale bacterial amplification and magnetosome production. In the future, the PCB could therefore be considered for commercial as well as research orientated applications in nanomedicine. We describe for the first-time conditions for setting-up an effective pharmaceutical cellular bank preserving over time the ability of certain specific cells, i.e. Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense MSR1 MTB, to produce nano-minerals, i.e. magnetosomes, within a pharmaceutical setting.

Residential building heating stands as a significant energy consumer with substantial environmental implications. To facilitate a sustainable transition, it is essential to assess the emissions and costs associated with current heating practices. This study investigates the economical and environmental aspects of residential building heating in the Brussels-Capital Region (BCR), Belgium. Employing a bottom-up methodology that integrates Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) certificates with specific emissions and cost data, the analysis evaluates the emissions (including direct and indirect greenhouse gases (GHG), NOx, SO2 and PM2.5) and the levelized cost of heat (LCOH) of the existing array of heating appliances in the BCR. The analysis reveals notable variations in emissions intensity and LCOH across diverse heating technologies, highlighting the intricate interplay between environmental sustainability and economic viability. Wood and electric-powered appliances demonstrate relatively low GHG emissions compared to fossil fuel appliances. Nonetheless, individual wood-fueled appliances exhibit elevated NOx and PM2.5 emissions compared to the current weighted average emissions intensity of the BCR. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis underscores the substantial influence of fuel price scenario on the most cost-effective heating technology. This study provides a balanced framework for informed decision-making on residential building heating, offering benchmarks for transitioning to a more sustainable urban heating infrastructure.

Abstract The Energy Return On Investment (EROI) is a recognised indicator for assessing the relevance of an energy project in terms of net energy delivered to society. For woody biomass divergences remain on the right methodology to assess the EROI leading to large variations in the published estimates. This article presents an in‐depth discussion about the EROI of woody biomass in three different forms: woodchips, pellets and liquid fuels. The conceptualisation of EROI is further developed to reach a consistent definition for biomass post‐processed fuels. It considers, on top of the external energy investments, the grey energy associated with the energy used to enrich the fuel. With the proposed methodology, all woodchips have an EROI of the same order of magnitude, between 20 and 37, depending on forestry types, operations and machineries. For secondary residues, the first estimate is 170 if, as co‐products, no energy investment is allocated to the forestry operations and transport. On the basis of a mass allocation for forestry operations and transport, the EROI for secondary residues becomes of the same order of magnitude as that for wood chips. Woodchips can be further post‐processed into pellets or liquid fuels. Pellets have an EROI of 4–7 if the heat is externally supplied and 8–23 if internally supplied (self‐consumption of part of the raw material). Liquid fuels derived from primary wood and residues through gasification and Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis have an EROI between 4 and 16. Fuel enhancement with hydrogen (Power & Biomass to Liquids) impacts negatively the EROI due to the low EROI of hydrogen produced from renewable electricity. However, these fuels offer other advantages such as improved carbon efficiency. A correct estimate of EROI for forestry biomass, as proposed in this work, is a necessary dimension in assessing the suitability of a project.

Computational Fluid Dynamics has become a very powerful tool for developing engineering combustion devices, such as burners and furnaces. However, there are a wide variety of turbulence models, and some of them have proven to be more effective for some turbulent flow configurations than others. A reacting turbulent jet is a common flow configuration found in combustion engineering devices like burners. The present work assesses Reynolds-Average Navier-Stokes turbulence models, being tested on a CH4/H2/N2-Air reacting jet. Eight two-equation eddy-viscosity and three five-equation turbulence models were tested in the studied turbulent flow. Computational results were compared against experimental measurements in terms of flow field variables, mean mixture fraction, temperature, and species mass fraction. The findings suggest a strong influence of the turbulence model perforce on the mean mixture fraction as well as on the turbulence-chemistry interaction model. The modified version of the standard k-ε model proves to be the more reliable choice for this reactive flow configurations. Specially, where the flow patterns of the jet dictate the general flow physics. Near the fuel nozzle, both the Reynolds stress model with stress baseline k-ω (RSM-SBSL) and the standard k-ω model exhibit better agreement with experimental data than the conventional modified k-ε model. Moreover, findings from the standard modified k-ε model indicate a significant underestimation of spreading rates for radial samples in regions where jet spreading intensifies.

This study focuses on the reduced-order modeling and the operational optimization of the heating network of Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) to decrease its energy consumption and CO2 emissions. A reduced-order model of the network was developed, and alternatives to the current operation were investigated to minimize its operational cost. As a very first improvement, replacing the current fixed-speed pumps with optimally operated variable-speed pumps, the pumping energy can be reduced by up to 96 %. Further optimizing the network operating temperatures can lead to a reduction of the pumping energy, the heat losses and the CO2 emissions by 99 %, 19 %, and 7 %, respectively, compared to the current operation.

Abstract We analyzed 5 years (2016–2020) of nested Canadian data from the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART) to identify pathogen predominance and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of adult Gram-negative infections in Canadian health care and to complement other public surveillance programs and studies in Canada. A total of 6853 isolates were analyzed from medical (44%), surgical (18%), intensive care (22%) and emergency units (15%) and from respiratory tract (36%), intra-abdominal (25%), urinary tract (24%) and bloodstream (15%) infections. Overall, E. coli (36%), P. aeruginosa (18%) and K. pneumoniae (12%) were the most frequent isolates and P. aeruginosa was the most common respiratory pathogen. 18% of Enterobacterales species were ESBL positive. Collective susceptibility profiles showed that P. aeruginosa isolates were highly susceptible (> 95%) to ceftolozane/tazobactam and colistin, though markedly less susceptible (58–74%) to other antimicrobials tested. Multi-drug resistance (MDR) was present in 10% of P. aeruginosa isolates and was more frequent in those from respiratory infections and from ICU than non-ICU locations. Of P. aeruginosa isolates that were resistant to combinations of ceftazidime, piperacillin/tazobactam and meropenem, 73–96% were susceptible to ceftolozane/tazobactam over the period of the study. These national data can now be combined with clinical prediction rules and genomic data to enable expert antimicrobial stewardship applications and guide treatment policies to optimize adult patient care.

Pradofloxacin is the newest of the veterinary fluoroquinolones to be approved for use in animals—initially companion animals and most recently food animals. It has a broad spectrum of in vitro activity, working actively against Gram-positive/negative, atypical and some anaerobic microorganisms. It simultaneously targets DNA gyrase (topoisomerase type II) and topoisomerase type IV, suggesting a lower propensity to select for antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate and extent of bacterial killing by pradofloxacin against bovine strains of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida, in comparison with several other agents (ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, marbofloxacin, tildipirosin, tilmicosin and tulathromycin) using four clinically relevant drug concentrations: minimum inhibitory and mutant prevention drug concentration, maximum serum and maximum tissue drug concentrations. At the maximum serum and tissue drug concentrations, pradofloxacin killed 99.99% of M. haemolytica cells following 5 min of drug exposure (versus growth to 76% kill rate for the other agents) and 94.1–98.6% of P. multocida following 60–120 min of drug exposure (versus growth to 98.6% kill rate for the other agents). Statistically significant differences in kill rates were seen between the various drugs tested depending on drug concentration and time of sampling after drug exposure.

Pradofloxacin—a dual-targeting fluoroquinolone—is the most recent approved for use in food animals. Minimum inhibitory and mutant prevention concentration values were determined for pradofloxacin, ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, marbofloxacin, tildipirosin, tilmicosin, and tulathromycin. For M. haemolytica strains, MIC50/90/100 values were ≤0.016/≤0.016/≤0.016 and MPC50/90/100 values were 0.031/0.063/0.063; for P. multocida strains, the MIC50/90/100 values ≤0.016/≤0.016/0.031 and MPC50/90/100 ≤ 0.016/0.031/0.063 for pradofloxacin. The pradofloxacin Cmax/MIC90 and Cmax/MPC90 values for M. haemolytica and P. multocida strains, respectively, were 212.5 and 53.9 and 212.5 and 109.7. Similarly, AUC24/MIC90 and AUC24/MPC90 for M. haemolytica were 825 and 209.5, and for P. multocida, they were 825 and 425.8. Pradofloxacin would exceed the mutant selection window for >12–16 h. Pradofloxacin appears to have a low likelihood for resistance selection against key bovine respiratory disease bacterial pathogens based on low MIC and MPC values.

Abstract Background The benefit of exogenous melatonin is based on its bioavailability, which depends on the galenic form, the route of administration, the dosage, and the individual absorption and rate of hepatic metabolism. Objective The objective of this study is to investigate the bioavailability of melatonin after administration of an oral prolonged-release tablet (PR form) and an immediate-release sublingual spray (IR form). The main metabolite of melatonin, 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-SMT), was also measured, which has not been done in previous studies. Its determination is important as an index of the hepatic transformation of melatonin. Methods In this single-center, open-label, randomized, crossover study, 14 healthy male volunteers received one tablet of the PR form (1.9 mg melatonin) or two sprays of the IR form (1 mg melatonin) during two visits separated by a washout period. Blood samples were collected over 7 and 9 h for the IR and PR form, respectively, to determine the main pharmacokinetic parameters. Results The observed kinetics were consistent with those expected for immediate and prolonged-release forms. Pulverization of the spray resulted in an early, high plasma melatonin peak (C max: 2332 ± 950 pg/mL; T max: 23.3 ± 6.5 min), whereas tablet intake produced a lower peak (C max: 1151 ± 565 pg/mL; T max: 64.2 ± 44.2 min; p

This paper focuses on the experimental characterization of horizontal, spiral heat exchangers used for heat recovery from sewage pipes. Such non-intrusive heat exchanger configurations are appealing for this application, but they often exhibit reduced heat exchange performances compared to more compact designs. To compare the performance of this configuration with that of an ideal counter-flow heat exchanger, a representative test setup was constructed. As the sewer pipes are generally not completely filled, tests were conducted using three different fillings (100%, 50%, 33%) and a filling parameter z was introduced in the heat transfer equations. Correction factors to be applied in the Logarithmic Mean Temperature Difference (LMTD) design method for this specific spiral configuration were derived from the test results. It was found that the filling of the sewer pipe has minimal impact on the correction factor, which ranges between 0.78 and 0.83. The average value of 0.81 is recommended for design purposes.

BackgroundThe randomized, placebo-controlled COLCOT (Colchicine Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial) has shown the benefits of colchicine 0.5 mg daily to lower the rate of ischemic cardiovascular events in patients with a recent myocardial infarction. Here, we conducted a post hoc pharmacogenomic study of COLCOT with the aim to identify genetic predictors of the efficacy and safety of treatment with colchicine.MethodsThere were 1522 participants of European ancestry from the COLCOT trial available for the pharmacogenomic study of COLCOT trial. The pharmacogenomic study's primary cardiovascular end point was defined as for the main trial, as time to first occurrence of cardiovascular death, resuscitated cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, stroke, or urgent hospitalization for angina requiring coronary revascularization. The safety end point was time to the first report of gastrointestinal events. Patients' DNA was genotyped using the Illumina Global Screening array followed by imputation. We performed a genome-wide association study in colchicine-treated patients.ResultsNone of the genetic variants passed the genome-wide association study significance threshold for the primary cardiovascular end point conducted in 702 patients in the colchicine arm who were compliant to medication. The genome-wide association study for gastrointestinal events was conducted in all 767 patients in the colchicine arm and found 2 significant association signals, one with lead variant rs6916345 (hazard ratio, 1.89 [95% CI, 1.52-2.35], P=7.41×10-9) in a locus which colocalizes with Crohn disease, and one with lead variant rs74795203 (hazard ratio, 2.51 [95% CI, 1.82-3.47]; P=2.70×10-8), an intronic variant in gene SEPHS1. The interaction terms between the genetic variants and treatment with colchicine versus placebo were significant.ConclusionsWe found 2 genomic regions associated with gastrointestinal events in patients treated with colchicine. Those findings will benefit from replication to confirm that some patients may have genetic predispositions to lower tolerability of treatment with colchicine.

How can inaccessible cultural heritage be made available to immobile or distant audiences, to meet their cultural needs? Information and communication technologies offer instrumental responses to this new challenge. This type of resource promotes informational mobility as a substitute for real mobility.After introducing the concept of informational mobility and quickly reviewing existing solutions, the body of the article considers digital devices that do more than simply transpose a situation marked by physical inaccessibility. This is the case for the survival of certain heritages, notably immaterial, confronted with the impossibility of physical encounter due to the disappearance or death of their witnesses.The second part of the article addresses historical testimony, and illustrates it using the example of a holographic device implemented in the United States for witnesses to the Shoah. The same device was used to record and share the testimony of mine survivors in the framework of the ANR MémoMines, the subject of the third part of the article. This latter context allowed an experimental study with the public. Beyond providing a simple technical answer to the initial question, this exploratory study provides clues as to how the experience of temporal informational mobility is experienced/appreciated by the public.

Abstract Progress in sample preparation for scRNA-seq is reported based on RevGel-seq, a reversible-hydrogel technology optimized for samples of fresh cells. Complexes of one cell paired with one barcoded bead are stabilized by a chemical linker and dispersed in a hydrogel in the liquid state. Upon gelation on ice the complexes are immobilized and physically separated without requiring nanowells or droplets. Cell lysis is triggered by detergent diffusion, and RNA molecules are captured on the adjacent barcoded beads for further processing with reverse transcription and preparation for cDNA sequencing. As a proof of concept, analysis of PBMC using RevGel-seq achieves results similar to microfluidic-based technologies when using the same original sample and the same data analysis software. In addition, a clinically relevant application of RevGel-seq is presented for pancreatic islet cells. Furthermore, characterizations carried out on cardiomyocytes demonstrate that the hydrogel technology readily accommodates very large cells. Standard analyses are in the 10,000-input cell range with the current gelation device, in order to satisfy common requirements for single-cell research. A convenient stopping point after two hours has been established by freezing at the cell lysis step, with full preservation of gene expression profiles. Overall, our results show that RevGel-seq represents an accessible and efficient instrument-free alternative, enabling flexibility in terms of experimental design and timing of sample processing, while providing broad coverage of cell types.

Abstract Energy crops on marginal lands are seen as an interesting option to increase biomass contribution to the primary energy mix. However, in the literature there is currently a lack of integrated assessments of margin land availability, energy crop production potential and supply chain optimisation. Assessing the potential and the cost of these resources in a given region is therefore a difficult task. This work also emphasises the importance on a clear definition and discussion about marginal lands and the related ethical issues embedded in the concept to ensure positive societal impacts of the results. This study proposes a methodology to estimate and analyse, in terms of economic costs, the potential of miscanthus grown on marginal lands from the production to the final point of use. Different datasets are assembled and a supply chain optimisation model is developed to minimize the total cost of the system. Miscanthus is used as a representative energy crop for the Belgian and French case studies. High temperature heat demand is considered as final use. The miscanthus can be traded by truck either in the form of chips or pellets. The results show that the miscanthus on marginal lands could supply high temperature heat up to 38 TWh in France and 1.4 TWh in Belgium with an average cost of around 50 €/t. The different sensitivity analyses showed that the yield variation has the strongest influence on the final cost, together with the distances and the cost of production of miscanthus. The main pattern observed is the local consumption of miscanthus chips and export of the surplus (if any) to the neighbouring regions. Pellets are only of marginal interest for France and are never observed for Belgium. Distances and availability of sufficient feedstocks are the two main parameters impacting the production of pellets.

A critical review of the current state of knowledge of chemical emissions from indoor sources, partitioning among indoor compartments, and the ensuing indoor exposure leads to a proposal for a modular mechanistic framework for predicting human exposure to semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Mechanistically consistent source emission categories include solid, soft, frequent contact, applied, sprayed, and high temperature sources. Environmental compartments are the gas phase, airborne particles, settled dust, indoor surfaces, and clothing. Identified research needs are the development of dynamic emission models for several of the source emission categories and of estimation strategies for critical model parameters. The modular structure of the framework facilitates subsequent inclusion of new knowledge, other chemical classes of indoor pollutants, and additional mechanistic processes relevant to human exposure indoors. The framework may serve as the foundation for developing an open-source community model to better support collaborative research and improve access for application by stakeholders. Combining exposure estimates derived using this framework with toxicity data for different end points and toxicokinetic mechanisms will accelerate chemical risk prioritization, advance effective chemical management decisions, and protect public health.

Currently, no treatments available for Parkinson's disease (PD) can slow PD progression. At the early stage of the disease, only a subset of individuals with PD progress quickly, while the majority have a slowly progressive form of the disease. In developing treatments that aim to slow PD progression, clinical trials aim to include individuals who are likely to progress faster, such that a treatment effect, if one exists, can be identified easier and earlier. The aim of the present study was to identify baseline predictors of clinical progression in early PD. We analyzed 12-month data acquired from the PASADENA trial Part 1 (NCT03100149, n = 76 participants who were allocated to the placebo arm and did not start symptomatic therapy) and the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) study (n = 139 demographically and clinically matched participants). By using ridge regression models including clinical characteristics, imaging, and non-imaging biomarkers, we found that Hoehn and Yahr stage and dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography specific binding ratios (Dat-SPECT SBR) in putamen ipsilateral to the side of motor symptom onset predicted PD progression at the early stage of the disease. Further studies are needed to confirm the validity of these predictors to identify with high accuracy individuals with early PD with a faster progression phenotype.

Background: Currently available treatments for Parkinson's disease (PD) do not slow clinical progression nor target alpha-synuclein, a key protein associated with the disease. Objective: The study objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prasinezumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds aggregated alpha-synuclein, in individuals with early PD. Methods: The PASADENA study is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled treatment study. Individuals with early PD, recruited across the US and Europe, received monthly intravenous doses of prasinezumab (1,500 or 4,500 mg) or placebo for a 52-week period (Part 1), followed by a 52-week extension (Part 2) in which all participants received active treatment. Key inclusion criteria were: aged 40-80 years; Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) Stage I or II; time from diagnosis ≤2 years; having bradykinesia plus one other cardinal sign of PD (e.g., resting tremor, rigidity); DAT-SPECT imaging consistent with PD; and either treatment naïve or on a stable monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitor dose. Study design assumptions for sample size and study duration were built using a patient cohort from the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI). In this report, baseline characteristics are compared between the treatment-naïve and MAO-B inhibitor-treated PASADENA cohorts and between the PASADENA and PPMI populations. Results: Of the 443 patients screened, 316 were enrolled into the PASADENA study between June 2017 and November 2018, with an average age of 59.9 years and 67.4% being male. Mean time from diagnosis at baseline was 10.11 months, with 75.3% in H&Y Stage II. Baseline motor and non-motor symptoms (assessed using Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale [MDS-UPDRS]) were similar in severity between the MAO-B inhibitor-treated and treatment-naïve PASADENA cohorts (MDS-UPDRS sum of Parts I + II + III [standard deviation (SD)]; 30.21 [11.96], 32.10 [13.20], respectively). The overall PASADENA population (63.6% treatment naïve and 36.4% on MAO-B inhibitor) showed a similar severity in MDS-UPDRS scores (e.g., MDS-UPDRS sum of Parts I + II + III [SD]; 31.41 [12.78], 32.63 [13.04], respectively) to the PPMI cohort (all treatment naïve). Conclusions: The PASADENA study population is suitable to investigate the potential of prasinezumab to slow disease progression in individuals with early PD. Trial Registration: NCT03100149.

AimsThe COLchicine Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial (COLCOT) demonstrated the benefits of targeting inflammation after myocardial infarction (MI). We aimed to determine whether time-to-treatment initiation (TTI) influences the beneficial impact of colchicine.Methods and resultsIn COLCOT, patients were randomly assigned to receive colchicine or placebo within 30 days post-MI. Time-to-treatment initiation was defined as the length of time between the index MI and the initiation of study medication. The primary efficacy endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, resuscitated cardiac arrest, MI, stroke, or urgent hospitalization for angina requiring coronary revascularization. The relationship between endpoints and various TTI (8 days) was examined using multivariable Cox regression models. Amongst the 4661 patients included in this analysis, there were 1193, 720, and 2748 patients, respectively, in the three TTI strata. After a median follow-up of 22.7 months, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of the primary endpoint for patients in whom colchicine was initiated < Day 3 compared with placebo [hazard ratios (HR) = 0.52, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.32-0.84], in contrast to patients in whom colchicine was initiated between Days 4 and 7 (HR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.53-1.75) or > Day 8 (HR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.61-1.11). The beneficial effects of early initiation of colchicine were also demonstrated for urgent hospitalization for angina requiring revascularization (HR = 0.35), all coronary revascularization (HR = 0.63), and the composite of cardiovascular death, resuscitated cardiac arrest, MI, or stroke (HR = 0.55, all P

African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal infectious disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. This complex virus has already affected five continents and more than 70 countries and is considered to be the main threat to the global swine industry. The disease can potentially be transmitted directly through contact with infectious animals, or indirectly by means of contaminated feed or environments. Nevertheless, the knowledge regarding the transmission patterns of different ASF virus isolates at the wildlife-livestock interface is still limited. We have, therefore, assessed the potential transmission of an attenuated ASF virus isolate between infectious wild boar and directly exposed domestic pig. We registered 3,369 interspecific interactions between animals, which were brief and mostly initiated by wild boar. The major patterns observed during the study were head-to-head contact owing to sniffing, thus suggesting a high probability of pathogen transmission. However, only one of the five domestic pigs had a short period of viremia and became serologically positive for ASF virus antibodies. It was additionally discovered that the wild boar did not transmit the virulent virus isolate to the domestic pigs, which suggests that the presence of attenuated ASF virus isolates in affected areas may control the spreading of other more virulent isolates. These outcomes may help make decisions related to large-scale targeted management actions against ASF in field conditions.