Advancing Open Science

Pyrifenox is a pyridine fungicide belonging to the pyridine subgroup of demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides (FRAC group 3), and the resistance risk of the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) to this fungicide remains poorly understood. In this study, 122 FGSC isolates were collected from five provinces across China during 2024–2025. The baseline sensitivity was characterized using a mycelial growth assay, yielding a mean EC₅₀ value of 3.300 ± 0.227 mg/L. Four phenotypically resistant variants were generated via fungicide adaptation combined with UV mutagenesis, with resistance factors ranging from 5.53 to 450.26, covering low, moderate, and high resistance phenotypes. After ten serial transfers on fungicide-free medium, the resistance of these variants decreased significantly. These variants also exhibited reduced sporulation and pathogenicity compared with their parental isolates. However, because these assays were performed on tenth-generation variants that had already lost most of their resistance, these changes cannot be directly attributed to resistance. Cross-resistance assays revealed positive cross-resistance only with tebuconazole, whereas no cross-resistance was found with prothioconazole, pyraclostrobin, and three other fungicides. Target gene sequencing identified no mutations in CYP51A, CYP51B, or CYP51C, implying non-target-site resistance. Overall, the FGSC presents a low resistance risk to pyrifenox. However, species identity within the FGSC was not resolved in this study, and this conclusion should be interpreted with caution. This study established, to our knowledge, the first sensitivity baseline for pyrifenox against the FGSC in China, providing fundamental data for rational field application to control Fusarium head blight.

Background/Objectives: Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are established in the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but evidence in CKD caused by glomerular disease is limited, and patients on intensified immunosuppression have been excluded from the randomised trials. We examined the effect of dapagliflozin on proteinuria and kidney function over two years in such a population. Methods: In this single-centre retrospective cohort study, we compared 147 patients treated with dapagliflozin 10 mg daily between 2021 and 2025 with 170 historical controls followed between 2014 and 2021; most had biopsy-proven glomerular diseases. Proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were assessed at months 0, 12 and 24, and comparisons used analysis of covariance adjusted for baseline. Subgroups on intensified immunosuppression at entry were prespecified. Results: Proteinuria fell by 51.9% under dapagliflozin and by 22.2% in the historical cohort; the adjusted geometric mean ratio (GMR) was 0.684 (95% CI 0.534–0.878; p = 0.003). During the second year, eGFR declined more slowly with dapagliflozin (a difference of 4.61 mL/min/1.73 m² per year; 95% CI 1.82–7.41; p = 0.001), although eGFR at month 24 did not differ significantly after adjustment for baseline (p = 0.15). An eGFR below 15 mL/min/1.73 m² was reached by 0.7% of treated patients and by 11.8% of controls. Among patients on intensified immunosuppression, proteinuria fell by 67.5% when dapagliflozin was added, compared with 4.6% on the same treatment alone (adjusted GMR 0.371; 95% CI 0.234–0.586; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Dapagliflozin was associated with a progressive antiproteinuric effect, most marked in patients on intensified immunosuppression, and with a slower decline in kidney function during the second year. Because this study was observational, the true effects are likely to be smaller than those observed.

Africa is experiencing erosion of mourning traditions across the continent, and this is a metaphysical and ethnographical phenomenon worth documenting. This study investigated the traditional mourning and funeral practices among three different tribes, namely the Nyakyusa of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania and the Jita and Kerewe of the Mara Region and Ukerewe Islands, to document them and discuss the implications of the erosion. All three ethnic groups belong to the Bantu group of African tribes and therefore bear some similarities in cultural values. Among all three ethnic groups, death, burial and mourning for dead relatives occupied an important place, which included observing certain customs and rituals. These included observance of several days of mourning, cessation of work and reflections on the meaning of life and death, including the fate of the deceased in the afterlife and the responsibilities of the bereaved. This study employed grounded theory because the researchers could not establish the existence of sufficient written sources to support the inquiry and act as a basis for investigation. The researchers used grounded theory, which meant no predetermined hypotheses or theories were employed. Instead, this study investigated the lived experiences of the persons being studied and analysed the data gathered in that manner. This study established that mourning and funeral rituals, which provided both a moment for reflection and mutual support in the groups studied, have been eroded over the years and extensively influenced by economic pressures and declining empathy. This study concludes that this situation highlights the need to recover the traditional positive values in mourning in the communities.

The physical and mechanical performance of mortars incorporating waste marble powder (WMP) depends on powder characteristics and mixture design, whereas conditioning energy influences environmental impact. This study examined 0, 5, 10, and 15% cement replacement with Ecuadorian WMP at a water-to-binder ratio of 0.50 and a binder-to-fine-aggregate ratio of 1:2.1. WMP was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, image analysis, X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray diffraction. Mortar properties were evaluated at 28 days alongside a partial cradle-to-gate assessment. Number-based D₅₀ and D₉₀ were 3.145 and 8.097 µm. In the tested batches, 15% WMP reduced mean water absorption by immersion and open porosity by 33.6% and 30.1%, respectively. Mean compressive strength ranged from 3.66 to 6.38 MPa, but high within-batch variability at 5% and 10% replacement and one batch per formulation prevented establishment of a reproducible strength effect. Laboratory-scale conditioning increased global warming potential by 4.08–12.25% relative to the control. The 15% formulation warrants further investigation for non-structural rendering and plastering, subject to independent batches and additional performance and durability testing.

Higher education in health professions often faces a pedagogical disconnect between theoretical basic science instruction and the development of clinical empathy, social responsibility, and interprofessional competencies. To address this gap, this study evaluated a campus-based living laboratory model integrating service-learning and therapeutic horticulture into preclinical health curricula to foster active knowledge construction and inclusive community engagement. A single-cohort, post-intervention pilot evaluation within a qualitative-driven, convergent mixed-methods action-research pilot study was implemented with pharmacy students (N = 19) collaborating alongside physiotherapy peers and local organizations supporting individuals with cerebral palsy and psychological functional diversity (ASPACE and Inclusión Activa). Academic evaluation data showed that 89.5% of participating pharmacy students (n = 17/19) achieved high-performance marks (≥7.0/10.0) in Pharmacognosy assessment components addressing plant identification and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. Qualitative triangulation identified six core themes: applied learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, teamwork, social engagement, instructor impact, and overcoming fear. Interprofessional activities were co-designed with physiotherapy peers, while pharmacy students reported enhanced adaptive communication and clinical translation abilities. Embedding inclusive living laboratories within health curricula may offer a scalable approach that warrants further multi-cohort and multi-institutional evaluation to connect abstract scientific theory with human-centered healthcare practice.

The gut microbiome may contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) pathophysiology, but its relationship with disease phenotype and progression remains unclear. To characterize taxonomic and functional gut microbiome differences between relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and their associations with neurological disability and circulating biomarkers. This cross-sectional study included 89 participants (30 healthy controls, 29 RRMS, and 30 SPMS). Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was used to assess microbial diversity, taxonomic profiles, and predefined short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-related pathways, integrated with disability measures and serum GFAP, NfL, and S100B. SPMS participants were substantially older than those with RRMS (median 49.0 vs. 31.0 years), prompting age-adjusted analyses and an age-overlap sensitivity analysis. Alpha diversity and overall microbial community composition were similar across groups. SPMS showed greater interindividual microbial community dispersion than RRMS in the full cohort, with a similar direction and magnitude but attenuated statistical significance in the age-overlap sensitivity analysis. Exploratory taxonomic signals were not confirmed by FDR-controlled analyses. No robust phenotype-specific differences in predicted SCFA-related pathways or associations of taxonomic or functional features with disability or circulating biomarkers were identified. Greater microbial community dispersion in SPMS was observed in the full cohort, but this finding was attenuated in the age-overlap sensitivity analysis and should be considered preliminary. Overall, these findings do not support a distinct SPMS-associated gut microbiome signature, although potential phenotype-related differences cannot be excluded.

Background/Objectives: Squamous cell carcinoma antigen 2 (SCCA2; SERPINB4) is an IL-4/IL-13-inducible epithelial serpin that can inhibit human mast-cell chymase, providing a potential link to mast-cell-mediated inflammation. To our knowledge, SCCA2 has not previously been studied in chronic urticaria; we hypothesized that circulating SCCA2 would differ among chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU), and healthy controls. Methods: This prospective, single-center observational study included 36 patients with CSU, 35 with provocation-confirmed CIndU, and 45 healthy controls; atopic or allergic diseases were excluded in all groups. Baseline blood sampling was performed before treatment initiation. Serum SCCA2 was measured by ELISA. Because quantification below the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ, 0.16 ng/mL) was not validated, primary interpretation used assay-defined categories based on the limit of detection (LOD, 0.09 ng/mL) and LLOQ; continuous analyses were exploratory. Results: SCCA2 detectability was 22.2% in CSU, 62.9% in CIndU, and 68.9% in controls. Detectability was lower in CSU than in CIndU and controls (Holm-adjusted p = 0.0015 and p < 0.001), whereas CIndU and controls did not differ (p = 0.637). Among patients, below-LOD SCCA2 was associated with CSU (OR 5.92, 95% CI 2.09–16.81) and remained associated after adjustment for total IgE, eosinophil count, and CRP (aOR 4.73, 95% CI 1.59–14.08; p = 0.005). Conclusions: Serum SCCA2 showed a CSU-associated low-detectability pattern, whereas CIndU and controls did not differ significantly. Because most estimates were below the LLOQ, findings represent differences in assay-defined detectability rather than validated concentrations. Independent validation is required.

Thermo-oxidative degradation during high-temperature processing remains a major challenge limiting the performance of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs). This study evaluated vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde), a bio-based phenolic compound, as a primary thermo-oxidative stabilizer acting as a free-radical scavenger. Bio-based TPU (bio-TPU) was synthesized via a two-step method using a commercial bio-based polyol, a bio-based chain extender, and a mixture of diisocyanates. During processing in an internal mixer, vanillin was incorporated into both bio-TPU and a commercial TPU at concentrations of 0.03, 0.165, and 0.3 wt%. Changes in chemical structure were assessed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal properties were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), including oxidation onset temperature (OOT) measurements, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Mechanical properties were assessed by tensile test and hardness. FTIR analysis revealed no significant structural changes after vanillin addition. However, changes in thermal properties were observed, including an increase in the OOT for materials containing the highest vanillin content. TGA results also showed a generally improved thermal stability at higher vanillin concentrations, approaching reference-material values at the highest concentration in the commercial TPU. A slight decrease in mechanical properties was observed. These findings demonstrate a pronounced stabilizing effect of 0.3 wt% vanillin on both bio-TPU and commercial TPU, providing new insights into the potential reuse and further recycling of TPU materials stabilized with bio-based additives.