Next-generation vaccines for substance use disorders

Substance use disorders(SUDs)impact an estimated 300 million people worldwide,significantly impairing both health and social functioning.These disorders are marked by an inability to regulate substance use,despite the harmful consequences.Addiction affects various neurotransmitter systems,including dopamine,serotonin,γ-aminobutyric acid(GABA),and glutamate,each of which plays a role in the reward,stress,and self-control pathways of the brain(Koob&Volkow,2016).While significant advances have been made in neuroscience,our understanding of how these neurotransmitter systems interact and contribute to addiction is still evolving.This knowledge gap represents a significant challenge in the formulation of effective treatments for SUDs.At present,the US Food and Drug Administration(FDA)has approved pharmacological treatments for alcohol,nicotine,and opioid use disorders(Vasiliu,2022);however,no such treatments have been authorized for SUDs in general,or specifically for stimulant use disorders,such as cocaine and methamphetamine addiction.Notably,the FDA has not approved any new drugs for SUD treatment in the past 40 years.

Sustainable Mining in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

The mining sector historically drove the global economy but at the expense of severe environmental and health repercussions,posing sustainability challenges[1]-[3].Recent advancements on artificial intelligence(AI)are revolutionizing mining through robotic and data-driven innovations[4]-[7].While AI offers mining industry advantages,it is crucial to acknowledge the potential risks associated with its widespread use.Over-reliance on AI may lead to a loss of human control over mining operations in the future,resulting in unpredictable consequences.

Biochemical consequences of glucocerebrosidase 1 mutations in Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease(PD,OMIM#168600)is a common neurodegenerative disorder with a global prevalence of approximately 8.5 million.PD is characterized by four cardinal motor symptoms:bradykinesia,rigidity,resting tremor,and subsequently by postural instability.It usually involves non-motor symptoms such as rapid eye movement sleep disorder,dementia,anosmia,and autonomic dysfunction.The gene glucocerebrosidase 1(GBA1),which encodes the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase(GCase)(IUBMB:EC 3.2.1.45),shows strong linkage with PD;variants of GBA1 are the commonest genetic association with PD(Sidransky et al.,2009).Several mechanisms may underlie the relationship between GBA1 mutations/variants and the molecular pathology of PD(Figure 1A and B).

Harnessing the power of pericytes and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 to modulate stroke outcome

The human brain has exceedingly high metabolic demands.The cerebral vasculature has the critical task of providing sufficient blood supply to meet this demand.The sudden interruption of blood flow to the brain,as observed during ischemic stroke,results in acute neurological injury with devastating consequences-a high rate of adult disability and death.Ischemic stroke is thus a vascular disorder with a dramatic neurological impact.There is an urgent need for more effective disease management to combat stroke as current treatment paradigms,focusing on vascular recanalization and neuroprotection,have only limited clinical success.Since accumulating data suggests successful long-term neuroprotection is unlikely to be achievable without a functional microvascular network,strategies that reduce endothelial dysfunction could be indispensable.Encouragingly,very recent evidence highlighted herein suggests protecting the humble pericyte may be a new approach to reaching this goal.

Instructions for Authors of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities

The journal Chemical Research in Chinese Universities is a comprehensive academic journal in the field of chemistry,published bimonthly since 1984.The journal publishes research articles,letters/communications and reviews written by faculty members,researchers and postgraduates in universities,colleges and research institutes all over China and overseas.It reports the latest and the most creative results of important fundamental research in all aspects of chemistry and of developments with significant consequences across sub-disciplines.This journal is sponsored by Jilin University and mandated by the Ministry of Education of P.R.China.

Neurological consequences of human calmodulin mutations

When calcium ions enter the cytosol,it is a stimulatory signal for cellular events.The calcium sensor calmodulin picks up the change in calcium concentration and relays this information to its more than 300 downstream interaction partners.In this way,calmodulin affects cellular processes such as fertilization,muscle contraction,neuronal firing,and apoptosis.That is,calmodulin is involved in(nearly)everything!The significance of calmodulin is emphasized by the fact that we all carry three different genes(CALM1,2,3)on different chromosomes that encode the exact same calmodulin protein,and these are all expressed in all cell types.Moreover,throughout vertebrate evolution,the protein sequence has remained completely unchanged.

Tau's function and dysfunction in the brain:when small changes have big consequences

With the increase of life expectancy and population growth,neurodegenerative diseases have risen too and are projected to be a major health public concern by 2050.Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive decline of cognitive function leading to the subsequent loss of autonomy.Although the underlying causes of neurodegeneration are not well understood,aging is the main risk factor.

Perspectives in human brain plasticity sparked by glioma invasion:from intraoperative(re)mappings to neural reconfigurations

Exploring the aptitude of the human brain to compensate functional consequences of a lesion damaging its structural architecture is a key challenge to improve patient care in various neurological diseases,to optimize neuroscientifically-informed strategies of postlesional rehabilitation,and ultimately to develop innovative neuro-regenerative therapies.The term‘plasticity’,initially referring to the intrinsic propensity of neurons to modulate their synaptic transmission in a learning situation,was progressively transposed to brain injury research and clinical neurosciences.Indeed,in the event of brain damage,adaptive mechanisms of compensation allow a partial reshaping of the structure and activities of the central nervous system,thus permitting to some extent the maintenance of brain functions.

Instructions for Authors of Chemical Research in Chinese Universities

The journal Chemical Research in Chinese Universities is a comprehensive academic journal in the field of chemistry,published bimonthly since 1984.The journal publishes research articles,letters/communications and reviews written by faculty members,researchers and postgraduates in universities,colleges and research institutes all over China and overseas.It reports the latest and the most creative results of important fundamental research in all aspects of chemistry and of developments with significant consequences across sub-disciplines.This journal is sponsored by Jilin University and mandated by the Ministry of Education of P.R.China.

Structural changes in the obese brain

Obesity represents a major global health concern,with widespread growing prevalence and severe consequences for the quality of life and life expectancy of affected individuals and for the economic burden of healthcare systems(Prospective Studies Collaboration,2009).Obesity is a well-established risk factor for a variety of conditions including metabolic,vascula r,and heart diseases,and seve ral types of cancer(Prospective Studies Collaboration,2009).

Joint Effects of Multipollutant Mixtures on Mortality in Chengdu,China

Significant epidemiological research has revealed that exposure to air pollution is substantially associated with numerous detrimental health consequences^([1-3]).The negative health effects of individual air pollutants(e.g.,fine particulate matter:PM_(2.5);nitrogen dioxide:NO_(2);carbon monoxide,CO;or ozone:O_(3))have been widely explored^([4]).However,humans are constantly exposed to multipollutant mixtures in real life,and biological responses to inhaled pollutants are likely to depend on the interplay of pollutant mixtures.Therefore,it is critical and imperative to explore the joint effects of multipollutant mixtures on human beings.

Insights from an academic endeavor into central nervous system drug discovery

Historically,"big pharma"did most central nervous system drug discovery R&D in-house.Yet,in modern times their"management reductionism"resulted in disappointing pipelines and pharma resided to(late)development,regulatory approval,and marketing(Thong,2015).This had significant consequences for financing and executing research,resulting in a larger role for funding by governments and patient-organizations and a shift of research to academia(Mazzucato,2013).

Lactate is a potentially harmful substitute for brain glucose fuel:consequences for metabolic restoration of neurotransmission

The metabolite lactate (L-lactate) can be generated and released by diverse brain cells,including neurons,astrocytes,and oligodendrocytes (Kann,2023;Rae et al.,2024).Lactate production usually requires the degradation of glucose (D-glucose)-and glycogen in astrocytes-to pyruvate by glycolysis and subsequent conversion of pyruvate to lactate by the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase(Figure 1A;Dienel,2019;Rae et al.,2024).

Delayed diagnosis in inflammatory bowel disease:Time to consider solutions

In this editorial,we discuss a recently published manuscript by Blüthner et al in the World Journal of Gastroenterology,with a specific focus on the delayed diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).IBD,which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis,is a chronic intestinal disorder.A time lag may exist between the onset of inflammation and the appearance of signs and symptoms,potentially leading to an incorrect or delayed diagnosis,a situation referred to as the delayed diagnosis of IBD.Early diagnosis is crucial for effective patient treatment and prognosis,yet delayed diagnosis remains common.The reasons for delayed diagnosis of IBD are numerous and not yet fully understood.One key factor is the nonspecific nature of IBD symptoms,which can easily be mistaken for other conditions.Additionally,the lack of specific diagnostic methods for IBD contributes to these delays.Delayed diagnosis of IBD can result in numerous adverse consequences,including increased intestinal damage,fibrosis,a higher risk of colorectal cancer,and a decrease in the quality of life of the patient.Therefore,it is essential to diagnose IBD promptly by raising physician awareness,enhancing patient education,and developing new diagnostic methods.

Editorial Commentary:Copper Homeostasis in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Copper,as an essential trace nutrient,plays a crucial role in biological processes such as mitochondrial respiration,antioxidant stress response,and the synthesis of biomolecules.Typically,cellular copper concentrations are maintained at very low levels,a pattern also observed in cancer cells to prevent adverse consequences of copper overload,such as cuproptosis.This involves copper dependency,accumulation of lipidated proteins,and a reduction in Fe-S cluster proteins[1].Various neurodegenerative diseases are associated with imbalances in copper homeostasis.

Therapeutic approach to emotional reactions accompanied with thermal skin injury–from basic to epidemiological research

In this editorial,we discuss the status of a therapeutic approach to emotional reactions accompanying thermal skin injuries.Burns are considered a major health problem,as well as an economic and social problem,with potentially devastating and life-changing consequences.They affect a wide range of patients with different damage mechanisms,varied depths,and localizations of the burns.The most common are thermal burns,with more than 11 million occurrences annually according to the World Health Organization data.Thermal skin injuries are among the most tragic and catastrophic injuries,almost unsurpassed in terms of severity,morbidity,and mortality,as well as functional,aesthetic,social,economic,and psychological consequences.Burn survivors face stress,anxiety,depression,low self-esteem,body deformity,social isolation,unemployment,financial burden,and family problems.The advances in acute burn care have allowed researchers and physicians to pay more attention to other effects of burns,focusing on psychological consequences in particular.Apart from the significant improvements in routine protocols,it seems useful to take care of psychological disturbances that occur simultaneously but may emerge as the most lasting outcome of those injuries.In that sense,various standards and additional approaches may be involved to achieve overall recovery.

Associated Factors and Consequences of Uterine Fibroids in Hospitals in the Borgou Department of Benin in 2022

Introduction: Uterine fibroids are the most common gynecological tumors in women of childbearing age and have multiple clinical manifestations. Objective: To determine factors associated with uterine fibroids in the Borgou department of Benin in 2022. Method: Descriptive, analytical cross-sectional study from August 22 to September 22, 2022. The sample consisted of women consulting for gynecological problems in 6 hospitals in the Borgou department in the North of Benin. Results: Of the 744 women surveyed, 10.1% were diagnosed with uterine fibroids. Women with uterine fibroids were often married, paucigesture, and nulliparous. Their main reasons for consultation were the desire for motherhood (50.7%), pelvic pain (46.7%), and genital hemorrhage (14.7%). Age, history of miscarriage, high blood pressure, and diabetes were significantly associated with the presence of uterine fibroids (Conclusion: Uterine fibroids are common in hospitals in northern Benin. There were factors associated with them that should be taken into account in management strategies.

Dual ecological and socio-cultural fragmentation induced by hydropower dams: Case studies from the Greater Himalayan region of India

Climate change and biodiversity loss are pressing global challenges(Pörtner et al.,2021).However,as global energy demand continues to increase(IEA,2021),nations face significant challenges to decarbonization and reaching“net zero”due to trade-offs between the often-competing needs of renewable energy generation and biodiversity conservation.For example,hydropower generates renewable energy(Gibson et al.,2017),yet there are well-documented and severe consequences of dam development for biodiversity(e.g.,Zarfl et al.,2019)and people(e.g.,Bisht,2009)due to reservoir creation and disruption of river flows.Despite such potentially damaging ecological and social trade-offs,hydropower currently contributes 70%of global renewable energy and there are at least 3700 large dams planned or under construction globally(Zhang&Gu,2023).

Resisting Economic Coercion

PROFESSOR Alena Douhan is a Special Rapporteur for the United Nations and a human rights lawyer.She visited China in May as part of her mandate to investigate the humanitarian consequences of the unilateral coercive measures imposed on China.“Unilateral coercive measures”are what other people tend to call sanctions-or trade embargoes or punitive tariffs.During her visit,Professor Douhan met government officials,representatives of the legislative and judicial branches,members of the diplomatic community and academia,and stakeholders from business and non-governmental organisations.

Analysis of Standards and Effects of Police Indirect Court of Human Rights——Taking“Akbay and Others v.Germany”as an Example

The European Court of Human Rights(ECtHR)has ruled that illegal indirect entrapment must meet three criteria simultaneously.This mixed standard requires that the previous direct entrapment violates the“essentially passive,”subsequent indirect entrapment satisfies the“reasonable foreseeability,”and police entrapment of secondary defendants to commit crimes is considered“decisive.”The legal consequences of indirect entrapment are distinguished between general indirect entrapment and illegal indirect entrapment.The basic position of the ECtHR on the consequences of illegal indirect entrapment has shifted from supporting mitigating penalties to recognizing procedural dismissal,and general indirect entrapment is considered a mitigating factor in sentencing.Against the backdrop of increasing internationalization of criminal justice standards,the above criteria and positions have strong implications for the improvement of relevant rules in China.