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Abstract Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are found in drylands, cover ∼12% of the Earth's surface in arid and semi-arid lands and their destruction is considered an important promoter of desertification. These crusts are formed by the adhesion of soil particles to polysaccharides excreted mostly by filamentous cyanobacteria, which are the pioneers and main primary producers in BSCs. Desert BSCs survive in one of the harshest environments on Earth, and are exposed to daily fluctuations of extreme conditions. The cyanobacteria inhabiting these habitats must precisely read the changing conditions and predict, for example, the forthcoming desiccation. Moreover, they evolved a comprehensive regulation of multiple adaptation strategies to enhance their stress tolerance. Here, we focus on what distinguishes cyanobacteria able to revive after dehydration from those that cannot. While important progress has been made in our understanding of physiological, biochemical and omics aspects, clarification of the sensing, signal transduction and responses enabling desiccation tolerance are just emerging. We plot the trajectory of current research and open questions ranging from general strategies and regulatory adaptations in the hydration/desiccation cycle, to recent advances in our understanding of photosynthetic adaptation. The acquired knowledge provides new insights to mitigate desertification and improve plant productivity under drought conditions. Cyanobacteria inhabiting desert biological soil crusts, one of the harshest environments on Earth, have evolved mechanisms for predicting, sensing, signal transduction and cellular responses enabling their vegetative cells to cope with daily hydration/desiccation cycles and extreme conditions.

Soil-borne pathogens cause severe diseases in many crops around the world. Due to the harmful nature of the chemical pesticides used against such pathogens, extensive research has focused on developing sustainable solutions such as biocontrol agents. Nevertheless, the complex interaction of such agents with their biotic and abiotic environment is challenging. Filamentous cyanobacteria, the pioneers and main primary producers in biological soil crusts (BSC), show considerable tolerance to extreme environmental conditions within the crust. Soil inoculation with cyanobacteria is a promising practice for sustainable agriculture in drylands where high tolerant organisms is required. Nevertheless, its plant protection potential has been less explored. Cyanobacteria such as Leptolyngbya ohadii, a dominant species in the BSC of the northwest Negev desert, Israel, are known to produce a large array of secondary metabolites. Application of L.ohadii spent media severely inhibits the growth of various prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Its resilience and the observed antimicrobial activity thus make L.ohadii a promising candidate for the development of a biocontrol agent. However, little is known about the effect of environmental conditions on its antimicrobial activity. Here we examined the antifungal activity of L.ohadii on a range of soil-borne fungal pathogens. We assessed the effect of the daily hydration/dehydration cycle of its natural habitat on the expression of gene clusters for secondary metabolites production using a novel custom-made environmental conditions simulation chamber. Our data advance the understanding of the complex interaction of L.ohadii with its biotic and abiotic environment for application as a dryland biocontrol agent.

•There are significant disparities in reporting practices among different contributors to the MAUDE database.•Manufacturers reported a 29.2% rate of product problems. The Device Problem Codes (DPCs) were primarily device-related (36.3%), followed by unknown issues (32%) and clinical concerns (19.3%).•Distributors reported the lowest rate of product problems (2.7%); primarily citing clinical issues codes (85.7%).•User facilities had the highest rate of product problem indications (56.7%), primarily attributed to device issues codes (54.3%), with additional reports citing user codes (30.8%) and unknown codes (11.4%). Increasing medical device usage raises concerns regarding unexpected, potentially life-threatening events that pose public health risks. Such events are reported to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and cataloged in the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database, a vital tool for post market surveillance that requires information of high quality and integrity, particularly concerning reporting sources. To analyze reporting behavior among different reporters, including manufacturers, distributors, and user facilities, by examining differences in reported factors, namely: (1) device types, (2) product problem attribution, and (3) selection of Device Problem Codes (DPCs) associated with the root causes of events. Data spanning from 2005 to 2022 was retrieved from the MAUDE database using Python. Reports were grouped by reporter type and divided according to device type, and the reporter's indication of association with a product problem. Furthermore, events were classified by their respective DPCs, which were manually grouped into four categories: device issues, user issues, clinical issues, or unknown. The analysis revealed significant variations among reporters across all examined aspects (P < 0.00001 in all comparisons according to the proportion test). Manufacturers predominantly focused on infusion pumps (10.1%) and Implant, Endosseous, Root-Form (IER) devices (7.6%), with a product problem indication rate of 29.2% in their reports. Device issues codes were the most frequently observed category in their reports, comprising 36.3%, followed by unknown codes (32%) and clinical codes (19.3%). Distributors, on the other hand, primarily reported on IER devices (89%) and exhibited the lowest product problem indication rate at 2.7%. Clinical issues codes predominated in their reports, constituting 85.7%, followed by unknown codes (6.7%). User facilities concentrated on intravascular sets (4.7%), Electrosurgical, Cutting & Coagulation & Accessories (4.2%), and Ventricular (Assist) Bypass (4.1%). Remarkably, their product problem indication rate was the highest at 56.7%. They predominantly reported device issues codes (54.3%), followed by use codes (30.8%), and unknown codes (11.4%) The notable variation among different reporters underscores the importance of incorporating diverse sources when analyzing the database, particularly in cases where majority of reports originate from manufacturers. Decision-makers must approach database information comprehensively, considering data sources and diverse perspectives to inform regulatory decisions effectively. Developing strategies that encourage various reporters to contribute their unique and complementary viewpoints is advisable.

On 7 October 2023, Israel faced an unexpected attack by Hamas, causing over 1,200 deaths and injuring more than 9,000 individuals. This report delves into the rapid medical response spearheaded by Israel’s civilian Emergency Medical Service, Magen David Adom (MDA), during this crisis. Utilizing data from MDA’s electronic database, 4,097 dispatch records from the day were analyzed. Of these, 39.3% were directly related to the attack. EMS teams faced multiple challenges, including handling an overwhelming number of casualties and navigating active combat zones, which impeded safe access to victims, posed significant risks to teams’ safety, and constrained patient evacuation strategies. This incident underscores the importance of reinforcing healthcare resilience, particularly emphasizing the need for centralizing various aspects of response efforts. These include streamlined communication, national coordination of pre-hospital resources, and systemic management of patient evacuations. Moreover, providing substantial support for EMS personnel, who operated in highly challenging conditions, is imperative.

Adverse event reporting for medical devices is critical for risk mitigation. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database serves as a key tool for post-market surveillance, receiving reports from various sources. Ensuring information integrity, especially across diverse reporting sources, is paramount. Periodic regulatory updates aim to enhance reporting. Objective Analyze reporting patterns, assess the potential contribution of 2015 and 2018 regulatory updates on reporting rates for varies reporters. Additionally, evaluating reporting schedule compliance by comparing average reporting times to regulatory requirements for these reporters. Methods Data from 1991–2022 was retrieved from the MAUDE database. Annual report counts were filtered by reporter and event type. Average reporting time was calculated as the difference between received and awareness dates. Results The 2018 Voluntary Malfunction Summary Reporting (VMSR) program correlated with an increase in manufacturers’ event reporting, peaking at 3,135,501 events in 2022. Distributors’ reports surged post-2018, while voluntary reports steadily increased since 1997, spiking notably in 2015 with the Electronic Medical Device Reporting (eMDR) submission update. Reporting times for deaths averaged 80 days for manufacturers, far exceeding regulatory requirements, compared to 40 days for distributors and 46 days for user facilities. Malfunction events had longer average reporting times for manufacturers (89 days) compared to distributors (44 days). Conclusions Changes in reporting trends around 2015 and 2018 may be linked to regulatory updates. Tailoring regulatory changes for each reporter type, like user-friendly electronic forms, new reporting programs, and exemptions cancelations, can improve reporting. Balancing the volume of reports among different reporters is crucial for enhancing database integrity, transparency, and overall health outcomes.

In a recent study [...]

Tuberculosis (TB) is a devastating and rapidly spreading disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) . Therapy requires prolonged treatment with a combination of multiple agents and interruptions in the treatment regimen result in emergence and spread of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Mtb strains. MDR Mtb poses a significant global health problem, calling for urgent development of novel drugs to combat TB. Here, we report the 3.3 Å resolution structure of the ~2 MDa type-I fatty acid synthase (FAS-I) from Mtb , determined by single particle cryo-EM. Mtb FAS-I is an essential enzymatic complex that contributes to the virulence of Mtb , and thus a prime target for anti-TB drugs. The structural information for Mtb FAS-I we have obtained enables computer-based drug discovery approaches, and the resolution achieved by cryo-EM is sufficient for elucidating inhibition mechanisms by putative small molecular weight inhibitors. The type-I fatty acid synthase (FAS-I) complex is essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( Mtb ) and mediates the production of C 26 fatty acids that are precursors for the synthesis of mycolic acids. Here the authors present the 3.3 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of Mtb FAS-I, which is of interest for tuberculosis drug development.

Social distancing is an effective population-level mitigation strategy to prevent COVID19 propagation but it does not reduce the number of susceptible individuals and bears severe social consequences—a dire situation that can be overcome with the recently developed vaccines. Although a combination of these interventions should provide greater benefits than their isolated deployment, a mechanistic understanding of the interplay between them is missing. To tackle this challenge we developed an age-structured deterministic model in which vaccines are deployed during the pandemic to individuals who do not show symptoms. The model allows for flexible and dynamic prioritization strategies with shifts between target groups. We find a strong interaction between social distancing and vaccination in their effect on the proportion of hospitalizations. In particular, prioritizing vaccines to elderly (60+) before adults (20-59) is more effective when social distancing is applied to adults or uniformly. In addition, the temporal reproductive number R t is only affected by vaccines when deployed at sufficiently high rates and in tandem with social distancing. Finally, the same reduction in hospitalization can be achieved via different combination of strategies, giving decision makers flexibility in choosing public health policies. Our study provides insights into the factors that affect vaccination success and provides methodology to test different intervention strategies in a way that will align with ethical guidelines.

Coral reefs are experiencing severe decline due to anthropogenic stressors and natural disturbances, necessitating innovative restoration strategies. Micro-fragmentation is a method used for accelerating coral growth and enhancing reef rehabilitation. This study investigates the use of micro-fragments to cover an artificial three-dimensional bottomless cube structure designed to increase space efficiency, structural complexity, and scalability for coral restoration. We examined four Hexacorallia species, Cyphastrea microphthalma, Galaxea fascicularis, Pocillopora favosa and Stylophora pistillata to evaluate species-specific and source colony-specific survival and growth rates. Over 204 days, micro-fragments demonstrated both tissue growth and fusion, at varying degrees, with G. fascicularis exhibiting the highest survival and growth rates. Corals grew and fused over the surfaces of the test structures and fused across corners. Our results demonstrate variation in fragment survival and fusion potential among species and colonies, highlighting the importance of source colony and species selection in restoration efforts. Notably, we found that coral fragments could successfully fuse after six months of separation. This approach has broad applications in reef restoration and the ornamental coral trade, offering a scalable solution to lessen the impact of coral harvesting on natural ecosystems. Our findings highlight the potential of designed 3D structures to support efficient coral restoration in degraded reef environments.