The landscape of nicotine use in the United States (US) has continued to evolve, with electronic cigarette use (hereafter e-cigarette) becoming more evident in recent years. Patterns of dual nicotine use, or using combustible nicotine in conjunction with e-cigarettes, may increase dependence on nicotine, continued exposure to toxins, and corresponding health risks. One of the most prevalent health problems related to nicotine use is the experience of chronic pain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSARS-CoV-2 3CL protease (Main protease) and human cathepsin L are proteases that play unique roles in the infection of human cells by SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19. Both proteases recognize leucine and other hydrophobic amino acids at the P position of a peptidomimetic inhibitor. At the P position, cathepsin L accepts many amino acid side chains, with a partial preference for phenylalanine, while 3CL-PR protease has a stringent specificity for glutamine or glutamine analogues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCellular responses to biotic stress frequently involve signaling pathways that are conserved across eukaryotes. These pathways include the cytoskeleton, a proteinaceous network that senses external cues at the cell surface and signals to interior cellular components. During biotic stress, dynamic cytoskeletal rearrangements serve as a platform from which early immune-associated processes are organized and activated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPressure injuries, particularly among patients with spinal cord injuries and the elderly, significantly contribute to morbidity, mortality, and financial sequelae. Surgical interventions, including debridement and flaps, may improve outcomes, especially for stage 3 and 4 pressure injuries. This survey assesses Canadian plastic surgeons' perspectives and practices regarding the surgical management of these injuries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccounting for the cost of repairing the degradation of Earth's biosphere is critical to guide conservation and sustainable development decisions. Yet the costs of repairing nature through the recovery of a continental suite of threatened species across their range have never been calculated. We estimated the cost of in situ recovery of nationally listed terrestrial and freshwater threatened species (n = 1,657) across the megadiverse continent of Australia by combining the spatially explicit costs of all strategies required to address species-specific threats.
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