Intratumoral Escherichia Is Associated With Improved Survival to Single-Agent Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in Patients With Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: The impact of the intratumoral microbiome on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unknown. Preclinically, intratumoral Escherichia is associated with a proinflammatory tumor microenvironment and decreased metastases. We sought to determine whether intratumoral Escherichia is associated with outcome to ICI in patients with NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We examined the intratumoral microbiome in 958 patients with advanced NSCLC treated with ICI by querying unmapped next-generation sequencing reads against a bacterial genome database. Putative environmental contaminants were filtered using no-template controls (n = 2,378). The impact of intratumoral Escherichia detection on overall survival (OS) was assessed using univariable and multivariable analyses. The findings were further validated in an external independent cohort of 772 patients. Escherichia fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and transcriptomic profiling were performed. RESULTS: In the discovery cohort, read mapping to intratumoral Escherichia was associated with significantly longer OS (16 v 11 months; hazard ratio, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.59 to 0.92]; P = .0065) in patients treated with single-agent ICI, but not combination chemoimmunotherapy. The association with OS in the single-agent ICI cohort remained statistically significant in multivariable analysis adjusting for prognostic features including PD-L1 expression (P = .023). Analysis of an external validation cohort confirmed the association with improved OS in univariable and multivariable analyses of patients treated with single-agent ICI, and not in patients treated with chemoimmunotherapy. Escherichia localization within tumor cells was supported by coregistration of FISH staining and serial hematoxylin and eosin sections. Transcriptomic analysis correlated Escherichia-positive samples with expression signatures of immune cell infiltration. CONCLUSION: Read mapping to potential intratumoral Escherichia was associated with survival to single-agent ICI in two independent cohorts of patients with NSCLC.

Quantitative tests of albendazole resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans beta-tubulin mutants.

Benzimidazole (BZ) anthelmintics are among the most important treatments for parasitic nematode infections in the developing world. Widespread BZ resistance in veterinary parasites and emerging resistance in human parasites raise major concerns for the continued use of BZs. Knowledge of the mechanisms of resistance is necessary to make informed treatment decisions and circumvent resistance. Benzimidazole resistance has traditionally been associated with mutations and natural variants in the C. elegans beta-tubulin gene ben-1 and orthologs in parasitic species. However, variants in ben-1 alone do not explain the differences in BZ responses across parasite populations. Here, we examined the roles of five C. elegans beta-tubulin genes (tbb-1, mec-7, tbb-4, ben-1, and tbb-6) in the BZ response as well as to determine if another beta-tubulin acts redundantly with ben-1. We generated C. elegans strains with a loss of each beta-tubulin gene, as well as strains with a loss of tbb-1, mec-7, tbb-4, or tbb-6 in a genetic background that also lacks ben-1. We found that the loss of ben-1 conferred the maximum level of resistance following exposure to a single concentration of albendazole, and the loss of a second beta-tubulin gene did not alter the level of resistance. However, additional traits other than larval development could be affected by the loss of additional beta-tubulins, and the roles of other beta-tubulin genes might be revealed at different albendazole concentrations. Therefore, further work is needed to fully define the possible roles of other beta-tubulin genes in the BZ response.

Persistent organic pollutants and chlorpyrifos in tissues of a histotrophic viviparous species, the Southern Eagle Ray Myliobatis goodei.

Elasmobranchs are good indicators of marine pollution as they accumulate pollutants from water and food, and occupy different trophic levels. Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorpyrifos were quantified in muscle, liver, gonads, gills, and brain in both sexes and maturity stages of the Southern Eagle Ray, Myliobatis goodei, captured in Argentine coastal waters. Moreover, possible histological alterations in the liver and gonads were analyzed. Pollutant concentrations were pervasive across all tissues, with PCBs > OCPs > chlorpyrifos. Elevated pollutant levels were notably found in the liver and gills. We identified thirty-six PCB congeners in tissues, with low-chlorine congeners prevailing. Among OCPs, ∑DDT and ∑endosulfan were predominant. Females exhibited higher pollutant levels in most tissues compared to males, except in the gonads, and adults generally displayed elevated pollutant levels. Histological analysis revealed the presence of atretic follicles and melanomacrophages (MM). Continuous monitoring of pollutant levels, alongside their effects on physiological and ecological traits, is imperative for effective management and conservation efforts.

Gene duplication and evolutionary plasticity of lin-12/Notch gene function in Caenorhabditis.

Gene duplication is an important substrate for the evolution of new gene functions, but the impacts of gene duplicates on their own activities and on the developmental networks in which they act are poorly understood. Here, we use a natural experiment of lin-12/Notch gene duplication within the nematode genus Caenorhabditis, combined with characterization of loss- and gain-of-function mutations, to uncover functional distinctions between the duplicate genes in 1 species (Caenorhabditis briggsae) and their single-copy ortholog in Caenorhabditis elegans. First, using improved genomic sequence and gene model characterization, we confirm that the C. briggsae genome includes 2 complete lin-12 genes, whereas most other genes encoding proteins that participate in the LIN-12 signaling pathway retain a one-to-one orthology with C. elegans. We use CRISPR-mediated genome editing to introduce alleles predicted to cause gain-of-function (gf) or loss-of-function (lf) into each C. briggsae gene and find that the gf mutations uncover functional distinctions not apparent from the lf alleles. Specifically, Cbr-lin-12.1(gf), but not Cbr-lin-12.2(gf), causes developmental defects similar to those observed in Cel-lin-12(gf). In contrast to Cel-lin-12(gf), however, the Cbr-lin-12.1(gf) alleles do not cause dominant phenotypes as compared to the wild type, and the mutant phenotype is observed only when 2 gf alleles are present. Our results demonstrate that gene duplicates can exhibit differential capacities to compensate for each other and to interfere with normal development, and uncover coincident gene duplication and evolution of developmental sensitivity to LIN-12/Notch activity.

Quantifying the fitness effects of resistance alleles with and without anthelmintic selection pressure using Caenorhabditis elegans.

Albendazole (a benzimidazole) and ivermectin (a macrocyclic lactone) are the two most commonly co-administered anthelmintic drugs in mass-drug administration programs worldwide. Despite emerging resistance, we do not fully understand the mechanisms of resistance to these drugs nor the consequences of delivering them in combination. Albendazole resistance has primarily been attributed to variation in the drug target, a beta-tubulin gene. Ivermectin targets glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls), but it is unknown whether GluCl genes are involved in ivermectin resistance in nature. Using Caenorhabditis elegans, we defined the fitness costs associated with loss of the drug target genes singly or in combinations of the genes that encode GluCl subunits. We quantified the loss-of-function effects on three traits: (i) multi-generational competitive fitness, (ii) fecundity, and (iii) development. In competitive fitness and development assays, we found that a deletion of the beta-tubulin gene ben-1 conferred albendazole resistance, but ivermectin resistance required the loss of two GluCl genes (avr-14 and avr-15). The fecundity assays revealed that loss of ben-1 did not provide any fitness benefit in albendazole conditions and that no GluCl deletion mutants were resistant to ivermectin. Next, we searched for evidence of multi-drug resistance across the three traits. Loss of ben-1 did not confer resistance to ivermectin, nor did loss of any single GluCl subunit or combination confer resistance to albendazole. Finally, we assessed the development of 124 C. elegans wild strains across six benzimidazoles and seven macrocyclic lactones to identify evidence of multi-drug resistance between the two drug classes and found a strong phenotypic correlation within a drug class but not across drug classes. Because each gene affects various aspects of nematode physiology, these results suggest that it is necessary to assess multiple fitness traits to evaluate how each gene contributes to anthelmintic resistance.

Direct sub-atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry: Evaporation/sublimation-driven ionization is amazing, fundamentally, and practically.

This paper covers direct sub-atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry (MS). The discovery, applications, and mechanistic aspects of novel ionization processes for use in MS that are not based on the high-energy input from voltage, laser, and/or high temperature but on sublimation/evaporation within a region linking a higher to lower pressure and modulated by heat and collisions, are discussed, including how this new reality has guided a series of discoveries, instrument developments, and commercialization. A research focus, inter alia, is on how best to understand, improve, and use these novel ionization processes, which convert volatile and nonvolatile compounds from solids (sublimation) or liquids (evaporation) into gas-phase ions for analysis by MS providing reproducible, accurate, sensitive, and prompt results. Our perception on how these unprecedented versus traditional ionization processes/methods relate to each other, how they can be made to coexist on the same mass spectrometer, and an outlook on new and expanded applications (e.g., clinical, portable, fast, safe, and autonomous) is presented, and is based on ST's Opening lecture presentation at the Nordic Mass spectrometry Conference, Geilo, Norway, January 2023. Focus will be on matrix-assisted ionization (MAI) and solvent-assisted ionization (SAI) MS covering the period from 2010 to 2023; a potential paradigm shift in the making.

Classification of Free-Living Body Posture with ECG Patch Accelerometers: Application to the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study.

Purpose: As health studies increasingly monitor free-living heart performance via ECG patches with accelerometers, researchers will seek to investigate cardio-electrical responses to physical activity and sedentary behavior, increasing demand for fast, scalable methods to process accelerometer data. We extend a posture classification algorithm for accelerometers in ECG patches when researchers do not have ground-truth labels or other reference measurements (i.e., upright measurement). Methods: Men living with and without HIV in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort study wore the Zio XT® for up to two weeks (n = 1,250). Our novel extensions for posture classification include (1) estimation of an upright posture for each individual without a reference upright measurement; (2) correction of the upright estimate for device removal and re-positioning using novel spherical change-point detection; and (3) classification of upright and recumbent periods using a clustering and voting process rather than a simple inclination threshold used in other algorithms. As no posture labels exist in the free-living environment, we perform numerous sensitivity analyses and evaluate the algorithm against labelled data from the Towson Accelerometer Study, where participants wore accelerometers at the waist. Results: On average, 87.1% of participants were recumbent at 4am and 15.5% were recumbent at 1pm. Participants were recumbent 54 minutes longer on weekends compared to weekdays. Performance was good in comparison to labelled data in a separate, controlled setting (accuracy = 96.0%, sensitivity = 97.5%, specificity = 95.9%). Conclusions: Posture may be classified in the free-living environment from accelerometers in ECG patches even without measuring a standard upright position. Furthermore, algorithms that fail to account for individuals who rotate and re-attach the accelerometer may fail in the free-living environment.

Improved biodistribution and enhanced immune response of subunit vaccine using a nanostructure formed by self-assembly of ascorbyl palmitate.

New adjuvant strategies are needed to improve protein-based subunit vaccine immunogenicity. We examined the potential to use nanostructure of 6-O-ascorbyl palmitate to formulate ovalbumin (OVA) protein and an oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) (OCC). In mice immunized with a single dose, OCC elicited an OVA-specific immune response superior to OVA/CpG-ODN solution (OC). Rheological studies demonstrated OCC's self-assembling viscoelastic properties. Biodistribution studies indicated that OCC prolonged OVA and CpG-ODN retention at injection site and lymph nodes, reducing systemic spread. Flow-cytometry assays demonstrated that OCC promoted OVA and CpG-ODN co-uptake by Ly6ChiCD11bhiCD11c+ monocytes. OCC and OC induced early IFN-γ in lymph nodes, but OCC led to higher concentration. Conversely, mice immunized with OC showed higher serum IFN-γ concentration compared to those immunized with OCC. In mice immunized with OCC, NK1.1+ cells were the IFN-γ major producers, and IFN-γ was essential for OVA-specific IgG2c switching. These findings illustrate how this nanostructure improves vaccine's response.

A Case of Double Inlet Left Ventricle in a 63-Year-Old Female Patient.

This case report describes the medical history and presentation of an elderly patient who was born with single ventricle physiology, an anomaly that is both unique and complex. Patients with single ventricle cardiac anomalies may be susceptible to life-threatening complications. However, advances in medical treatment and understanding have allowed for clinicians to develop surgical and medical interventions to treat patients with univentricular cardiac defects. This case is unique in the sense that the patient has been able to demonstrate remarkable adaptability to this condition and have a sustained life with little intervention. This report serves to explore the pathophysiology of this condition as well as highlight the human body's astounding resilience to configure itself to abnormal conditions. The patient's presentation will be discussed as well as diagnostics and management utilized by the care providers. Despite its rare occurrence, understanding the manifestations of this complex cardiac abnormality can allow future providers to improve the prognosis and outcomes of patients born with a single ventricle.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Narrative Review on PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade Mechanism, Efficacy, and Safety Profile in Treating Malignancy.

Checkpoint inhibitors have been implicated in the treatment of several cancers due to their ability to exploit the immune system's regulatory pathways. This article serves to emphasize the importance of these immunotherapeutic agents and provide further insight into their mechanisms, efficacies, and safety profiles. The main agents in question include programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Several literature sources were found to assess the use of these inhibitors in cancers involving the lung, breast, and skin. Several peer-reviewed systematic reviews and the outcomes of clinical trials are combined within this article to support the use and further investigation of these agents in treating neoplasms. Further research into these forms of therapy underscores the revolutionary advancement of oncological interventions, which is important given the rising incidence of neoplasms within populations.

Validation of bedside manual versus automated measurements of brain arterial diameters from MR angiography.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Brain arterial luminal diameters are reliably measured with automated imaging software. Nonautomated imaging software alternatives such as a Picture Archiving Communication System are more common bedside tools used for manual measurement. This study is aimed at validating manual measurements against automated methods. METHODS: We randomly selected 600 participants from the Northern Manhattan Study (NOMAS) and 260 participants from the Atahualpa Project studied with 1.5 Tesla MR angiography. Using the Radiant measuring tool, three independent readers (general practitioner, neurology resident, and vascular neurologist) measured manually the diameter of arterial brain vessels. The same vessels were also measured by LKEB Automated Vessel Analysis (LAVA). We calculated the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of each rater's diameters versus those obtained with LAVA. RESULTS: The ICC between diameters obtained by the general practitioner or the neurology resident compared to LAVA was excellent for both internal carotid arteries (ICA) and Basilar Arteries (BA) (ICC > .80 in all comparisons) in NOMAS. In the Atahualpa Project, ICC between diameters obtained by a vascular neurologist and LAVA was good for both ICA and BA (ICC > .60 in all comparisons). The ICCs for the measurements of the remaining arteries were moderate to poor. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that manual measurements of ICA and BA diameters, but not MCA or ACA, are valid and could be used to identify dilated brain arteries at the bedside and for eventual selection of patients with dolichoectasia into clinical trials.

Directly-Fused Ni(II)Porphyrin Conjugated Polymers with Blocked meso-Positions: Impact on Electrocatalytic Properties.

The oxidative coupling reaction of two Ni(II) porphyrins meso-substituted with three and four phenyl groups, Ni(II) 5,10,15-(triphenyl)porphyrin (NiPh3P) and Ni(II) 5,10,15,20-(tetraphenyl)porphyrin (NiPh4P) respectively, was investigated in a oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) process. Irrespective of the number of meso-substituents, high-resolution mass spectrometry evidences the formation of oligomeric species containing up to five porphyrin units. UV-Vis-NIR and XPS analyses of the oCVD films highlighted a strong dependence of the intermolecular coupling reaction with the substrate temperature. Specifically, higher substrate temperatures yield lowering of valence band maxima and reduction of the band gap. The formation of conjugated polymeric assemblies results in increased conductivities as compared to their sublimed counterparts. Yet, electrocatalytic measurements exhibit water oxidation onset overpotentials (308 mV for pNiPh3P and 343 mV for pNiPh4P) comparatively higher than the onset overpotential measured for the oCVD film from Ni(II) 5,15-(diphenyl)porphyrin (pNiPh2P), i. e. 283 mV. Although DFT and comparative oCVD studies suggest the formation of directly fused porphyrins involving 'phenyl-mediated' and ß-ß linkages when reacting tetra-meso-substituted porphyrins, the present findings highlight that multiple direct fusion (ß-ß/meso-meso/ß-ß or meso-ß/ß-meso) is essential for Ni(II) porphyrin-based conjugated polymers to enable a dinuclear radical oxo-coupling operating mechanism for water oxidation at low overpotential and durable catalytic activity.

eDNA Adsorption onto Microplastics: Impacts of Water Chemistry and Polymer Physiochemical Properties.

Adsorption of biomacromolecules onto polymer surfaces, including microplastics (MPs), occurs in multiple environmental compartments, forming an ecocorona. Environmental DNA (eDNA), genetic material shed from organisms, can adsorb onto MPs which can potentially either (1) promote long-range transport of antibiotic resistant genes or (2) serve to gain insights into the transport pathways and origins of MPs by analyzing DNA sequences on MPs. However, little is known about the capacity of MPs to adsorb eDNA or the factors that influence sorption, such as polymer and water chemistries. Here we investigated the adsorption of extracellular linear DNA onto a variety of model MP fragments composed of three of the most environmentally prevalent polymers (polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polystyrene) in their pristine and photochemically weathered states. Batch adsorption experiments in a variety of water chemistries were complemented with nonlinear modeling to quantify the rate and extent of eDNA sorption. Ionic strength was shown to strongly impact DNA adsorption by reducing or inhibiting electrostatic repulsion. Polyethylene terephthalate exhibited the highest adsorption capacity when normalizing for MP specific surface area, likely due to the presence of ester groups. Kinetics experiments showed fast adsorption (majority adsorbed under 30 min) before eventually reaching equilibrium after 1-2 h. Overall, we demonstrated that DNA quickly binds to MPs, with pseudo-first- and -second-order models describing adsorption kinetics and the Freundlich model describing adsorption isotherms most accurately. These insights into DNA sorption onto MPs show that there is potential for MPs to act as vectors for genetic material of interest, especially considering that particle-bound DNA typically persists longer in the environment than dissolved DNA.

Integrated biomarker responses in wild populations of the intertidal sea anemone Bunodosoma zamponii living under different anthropogenic pressures.

Bunodosoma zamponii is the most abundant anemone in Mar del Plata (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Given that the presence of persistent organic pollutants (organochlorine pesticides and PCBs) and the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos has recently been reported in this species, two wild populations living under different anthropogenic pressures were studied and compared regarding basic aspects of their ecology and physiological response to oxidative stress. A population from an impacted site (Las Delicias, LD) and another from a reference site (Punta Cantera, PC) were monitored seasonally (spring, summer, autumn, and winter), for one year. Anemones from PC were larger and more abundant than those from LD for most sampling periods. During winter, glutathione-S-transferase and catalase activities were higher in LD. Moreover, protein content and antioxidant defenses were higher in anemones from PC during winter as well. Taking into account their ecology (size and abundance) and biomarker responses, the population from PC was comparatively healthier. Furthermore, such differences are in agreement with recent studies indicating a higher concentration of pollutants in anemones from LD (specially during the winter sampling). In this sense, considering that B. zamponii can bioaccumulate the aforementioned pollutants, its resilience to their presence, and the fact that biomarker response differed between sites, this species can be regarded as a proper sentinel species of environmental pollution. Overall, this anemone seems to be a good bioindicator to be considered in future biomonitoring and ecotoxicological studies.

Quantifying the fitness effects of resistance alleles with and without anthelmintic selection pressure using Caenorhabditis elegans.

Albendazole and ivermectin are the two most commonly co-administered anthelmintic drugs in mass-drug administration programs worldwide. Despite emerging resistance, we do not fully understand the mechanisms of resistance to these drugs nor the consequences of delivering them in combination. Albendazole resistance has primarily been attributed to variation in the drug target, a beta-tubulin gene. Ivermectin targets glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl) genes, but it is unknown whether these genes are involved in ivermectin resistance in nature. Using Caenorhabditis elegans, we defined the fitness costs associated with loss of the drug target genes singly or in combinations of the genes that encode GluCl subunits. We quantified the loss-of function effects on three traits: (i) multi-generational competitive fitness, (ii) fecundity, and (iii) development. In competitive fitness and development assays, we found that a deletion of the beta-tubulin gene ben-1 conferred albendazole resistance, but ivermectin resistance required loss of two GluCl genes (avr-14 and avr-15) or loss of three GluCl genes (avr-14, avr-15, and glc-1). The fecundity assays revealed that loss of ben-1 did not provide any fitness benefit in albendazole and that no GluCl deletion mutants were resistant to ivermectin. Next, we searched for evidence of multi-drug resistance across the three traits. Loss of ben-1 did not confer resistance to ivermectin, nor did loss of any single GluCl subunit or combination confer resistance to albendazole. Finally, we assessed the development of 124 C. elegans wild strains across six benzimidazoles and seven macrocyclic lactones to identify evidence of multi-drug resistance between the two drug classes and found a strong phenotypic correlation within a drug class but not across drug classes. Because each gene affects various aspects of nematode physiology, these results suggest that it is necessary to assess multiple fitness traits to evaluate how each gene contributes to anthelmintic resistance.

Comparison of skeletal muscle oxidative function in young, middle-aged, and older males and females with similar physical activity levels.

Optimal skeletal muscle oxidative function (microvascular reactivity and mitochondrial capacity) is an integral part of healthy aging and is related to physical function and quality of life. We aimed to extend upon the understanding of skeletal muscle oxidative function with healthy aging in males and females across the adult life span. Younger (N = 22; 11 males), middle-aged (N = 19; 10 males), and older (N = 21; 10 males) adults completed this study. Time spent in moderate and vigorous physical activity was self-reported and similar among groups. Near-infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate skeletal muscle microvascular reperfusion [oxyhemoglobin-myoglobin (O2Hb+Mb) half-time to peak hyperemia (T½)], mitochondrial capacity [muscle oxygen consumption (mV̇o2) recovery rate constant], and walking tissue oxygen saturation ([Formula: see text]) of the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle at seven incremental walking speeds. Mitochondrial capacity was not significantly different across groups (P = 0.07). Younger adults exhibited significantly slower T½ compared with older adults (P = 0.006) and middle-aged adults (P = 0.025). There were no observed sex differences for mitochondrial capacity (P = 0.442) or T½ (P = 0.402). Older adults exhibited significantly lower [Formula: see text] across all walking speeds compared with younger adults (P = 0.003). Mitochondrial capacity and microvascular reperfusion are maintained in middle and older age, with no sex differences in either outcome. However, in older adults whole body functional movement, such as walking, may place an additional demand on the TA as a compensatory response to lower functional reserve not evident in distinct measures of mitochondrial capacity and microvascular reperfusion.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Compared with younger adults, mitochondrial capacity and microvascular reperfusion of the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle are well maintained in similarly physically active middle-aged and older adults, with no sex differences observed in either outcome. However, greater tissue oxygen utilization in older adults during walking highlights how whole body functional movement may place an additional demand on the TA that reveals a potential compensatory response to lower functional reserve not evident in distinct measures of mitochondrial capacity and microvascular reperfusion.

Separating binding and retrieval of event files in older adults.

In the literature on human action control, it is assumed that features of stimuli (S) and responses (R) are integrated into internal representations (so-called event files) that are involved in the execution of an action. Experimentally, the impact of this integration on action control is typically analyzed via S-R binding effects. Recent theorizing in the BRAC framework (Frings et al., 2020) suggests to disentangle the processes of S-R binding proper from S-R retrieval as two independent components contributing to S-R binding effects. Since the literature on age effects on S-R binding effects is scarce and does not provide information on whether the existing findings about the two processes can be generalized to older age groups, this is the first study addressing the effects of older age separately on S-R binding proper vs. S-R retrieval. In two established variants of S-R binding tasks (cumulative n = 262), we contrasted binding (by using a saliency manipulation at the time of binding proper) versus retrieval processes (by manipulating the onset of the distractor at the time of retrieval), replicating previous results in younger (18-30 years) and also in older healthy controls (50-70 years). We therefore found no evidence for age effects on S-R binding proper or S-R retrieval. We thus conclude that the processes contributing to S-R binding effects are - at least in the age groups analyzed in this study - robust and age-independent. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In human action control, binding proper and retrieval of features in stimulus-response episodes typically lead to so-called S-R binding effects. Against the background of recent theorizing, binding proper and retrieval should be studied independently. In this article, we ran a younger and an older age group and analyzed possible age-related differences in integration or retrieval. Both groups showed the expected pattern for binding and retrieval as expected from the literature.

Sleep shapes the associative structure underlying pattern completion in multielement event memory.

Sleep supports the consolidation of episodic memory. It is, however, a matter of ongoing debate how this effect is established, because, so far, it has been demonstrated almost exclusively for simple associations, which lack the complex associative structure of real-life events, typically comprising multiple elements with different association strengths. Because of this associative structure interlinking the individual elements, a partial cue (e.g., a single element) can recover an entire multielement event. This process, referred to as pattern completion, is a fundamental property of episodic memory. Yet, it is currently unknown how sleep affects the associative structure within multielement events and subsequent processes of pattern completion. Here, we investigated the effects of post-encoding sleep, compared with a period of nocturnal wakefulness (followed by a recovery night), on multielement associative structures in healthy humans using a verbal associative learning task including strongly, weakly, and not directly encoded associations. We demonstrate that sleep selectively benefits memory for weakly associated elements as well as for associations that were not directly encoded but not for strongly associated elements within a multielement event structure. Crucially, these effects were accompanied by a beneficial effect of sleep on the ability to recall multiple elements of an event based on a single common cue. In addition, retrieval performance was predicted by sleep spindle activity during post-encoding sleep. Together, these results indicate that sleep plays a fundamental role in shaping associative structures, thereby supporting pattern completion in complex multielement events.

Sleep promotes T-cell migration towards CCL19 via growth hormone and prolactin signaling in humans.

Sleep strongly supports the formation of adaptive immunity, e.g., after vaccination. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely obscure. Here we show in healthy humans that sleep compared to nocturnal wakefulness specifically promotes the migration of various T-cell subsets towards the chemokine CCL19, which is essential for lymph-node homing and, thus, for the initiation and maintenance of adaptive immune responses. Migration towards the inflammatory chemokine CCL5 remained unaffected. Incubating the cells with plasma from sleeping participants likewise increased CCL19-directed migration, an effect that was dependent on growth hormone and prolactin signaling. These findings show that sleep selectively promotes the lymph node homing potential of T cells by increasing hormonal release, and thus reveal a causal mechanism underlying the supporting effect of sleep on adaptive immunity in humans.