Single-Stranded Variable Fragment Gene Libraries Built for Phage Display: An Updated Review of Design, Selection and Application.

The development of the phage display technique has brought practicality and speed when selecting high-affinity molecules. It is used to obtain single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) and has revolutionized several branches of research and industry. These are developed from gene libraries that differ in their construction strategies, which causes a diversity of sequences, specificity and binding strength of the projected molecule to its antigen.

Phenotyping Adherence Through Technology-Enabled Reports and Navigation (the PATTERN Study): Qualitative Study for Intervention Adaptation Using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment Framework.

Background: Older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) and polypharmacy often face challenges with medication adherence. Nonadherence can lead to suboptimal treatment outcomes, adverse drug events, and poor quality of life.

Objective: To facilitate medication adherence among older adults with MCC and polypharmacy in primary care, we are adapting a technology-enabled intervention previously implemented in a specialty clinic.

Effects of a pro-resolving drug in COVID-19: preclinical studies to a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase Ib/IIa trial in hospitalized patients.

Introduction: Pro-resolving molecules may curb disease caused by viruses without altering the capacity of the host to deal with infection. AP1189 is a melanocortin receptor-biased agonist endowed with pro-resolving and anti-inflammatory activity. We evaluated the preclinical and early clinical effects of treatment with AP1189 in the context of COVID-19.

In vitro and in vivo studies of the therapeutic potential of Tinospora crispa extracts in osteoarthritis: Targeting oxidation, inflammation, and chondroprotection.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The increasing incidence of osteoarthritis (OA), especially among the elderly population, highlights the need for more efficacious treatments that go beyond mere symptomatic relief. Tinospora crispa (L.) Hook.

Patient and clinician preferences for diabetes management among older adults with co-morbid HIV: A qualitative exploration.

Background: Older adults with HIV are at increased risk of developing certain chronic health conditions including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). As the number and complexity of conditions increases, so do treatment and health care needs. We explored patient and clinician preferences for HIV+T2DM care and perceived solutions to improving care.

Cannabidiol-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Ameliorate the Inhibition of Proinflammatory Cytokines and Free Radicals in an In Vitro Inflammation-Induced Cell Model.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound derived from . It has demonstrated promising effects in combating inflammation and holds potential as a treatment for the progression of chronic inflammation. However, the clinical application of CBD is limited due to its poor solubility and bioavailability.

A promising strategy of surface-modified nanoparticles targeting CXCR4 for precision cancer therapy.

Nanoparticle (NP) functionalization with specific ligands enhances targeted cancer therapy and imaging by promoting receptor recognition and improving cellular uptake. This review focuses on recent research exploring the interaction between cancer cell-expressed chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and ligand-conjugated NPs, utilising small molecules, peptides, and antibodies. Active NP targeting has shown improved tumour targeting and reduced toxicity, enabling precision therapy and diagnosis.

Enhancing Physicochemical Properties and Biocompatibility of Hollow Porous Iron Oxide Nanoparticles through Polymer-Based Surface Modifications.

In this study, we synthesized hollow porous iron oxide nanoparticles (HPIONPs) with surface modifications using polymers, specifically chitosan (Chi), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and alginate (Alg), to improve colloidal stability and biocompatibility. For colloidal stability, Alg-coated HPIONPs maintained size stability up to 24 h, with only an 18% increase, while Chi, PEG, and uncoated HPIONPs showed larger size increases ranging from 64 to 140%. The biocompatibility of polymer-coated HPIONPs was evaluated by assessing their cell viability, genotoxicity, and hemocompatibility.

A Qualitative Exploration of Perceived Medication Adherence Determinants Conducted Among Older Adults with HIV and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background: People living with HIV (PLWH) are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Both chronic conditions require individuals to adhere to medication regimens, yet few studies have sought to explore medication-taking behaviors among individuals with comorbid HIV and T2DM (HIV+T2DM).

Objective: This qualitative study sought to: 1) identify and compare perceived determinants of medication adherence for HIV and, separately, for T2DM, and 2) explore how participants prioritize conditions.

Sociopolitical solidarity in STEM education: youth-centered relationships that resist learning as just achievement data.

In this paper, we-a participatory action group-use the tenants of critical pedagogy to articulate how youths developed relationships for and with STEM disciplinary practices through participation in spaces outside of the official scripts of their high school STEM classrooms in the United States. Spaces included their robotics team, a hybrid digital collaborative space, and in an extra project with a teacher. Each of these cases surfaces youth's ongoing orientation to the fact that STEM learning is relational, and political, exemplifying pockets of resistance against the structures of schooling that foreground learning as an act of individuals.

Genomic monitoring unveils a high prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron variant in vaccine breakthrough cases in Bahia, Brazil.

Objective: Genome sequencing has been proved to be an excellent tool to monitor the molecular epidemiology of the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, i.e., coronavirus disease 2019.

Folic Acid-Grafted Chitosan-Alginate Nanocapsules as Effective Targeted Nanocarriers for Delivery of Turmeric Oil for Breast Cancer Therapy.

Folate receptors (FRs) highly expressed in breast cancers can be used as a recognized marker for preventing off-target delivery of chemotherapeutics. In this study, folic acid (FA)-grafted chitosan-alginate nanocapsules (CS-Alg-NCs) loaded with turmeric oil (TO) were developed for breast cancer targeting. CS was successfully conjugated with FA via an amide bond with a degree of substitution at 12.

Enhanced Nasal Deposition and Anti-Coronavirus Effect of Favipiravir-Loaded Mucoadhesive Chitosan-Alginate Nanoparticles.

Favipiravir (FVR) is a repurposed antiviral drug for treating mild to moderate cases of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, its poor solubility and permeability limit its clinical efficacy. To overcome its physicochemical and pharmacokinetic limitations, we statistically designed a mucoadhesive chitosan-alginate nanoparticles (MCS-ALG-NPs) as a new carrier for FVR using response surface methodology, which provided suitable characteristics for transmucosal delivery.

Development of Turmeric Oil-Loaded Chitosan/Alginate Nanocapsules for Cytotoxicity Enhancement against Breast Cancer.

Turmeric oil (TO) exhibits various biological activities with limited therapeutic applications due to its instability, volatility, and poor water solubility. Here, we encapsulated TO in chitosan/alginate nanocapsules (CS/Alg-NCs) using o/w emulsification to enhance its physicochemical characteristics, using poloxamer 407 as a non-ionic surfactant. TO-loaded CS/Alg-NCs (TO-CS/Alg-NCs) were prepared with satisfactory features, encapsulation efficiency, release characteristics, and cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells.

Chitosan-coated nanostructured lipid carriers for transdermal delivery of tetrahydrocurcumin for breast cancer therapy.

Chitosan (Ch)-coated nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have great potential for transdermal delivery with high localization of chemotherapeutics in breast cancer. This study used tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), a primary metabolite of curcumin with enhanced antioxidant and anticancer properties, as a model compound to prepare NLCs. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize THC-loaded Ch-coated NLCs (THC-Ch-NLCs) fabricated by high-shear homogenization.

How I do it: Aquablation in very large prostates (> 150 mL).

Aquablation has been well-studied in prostates sizes up to 150 mL. Recently, American Urological Association guidelines distinguish surgical interventions for men with large prostates (80 mL-150 mL) and now very large prostates (> 150 mL). Readers will gain an understanding of how to use Aquablation in the very large prostate size category.

The Novel Phosphatase Domain Mutations Q171R and Y65S Switch PTEN from Tumor Suppressor to Oncogene.

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10, or PTEN, is a well-characterized tumor suppressor with both lipid and protein phosphatase activities. PTEN is often downregulated by epigenetic mechanisms such as hypermethylation, which leads to constitutive activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway. Large datasets from next-generation sequencing, however, revealed that mutations in PTEN may not only hamper protein function but may also affect interactions with downstream effectors, leading to variable oncogenic readouts.

Men with lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to BPH undergoing Aquablation with very large prostates (> 150 mL).

Introduction: The AUA guidelines for benign prostatic hyperplasia distinguish treatments based upon prostate volume (PV), particularly for very large prostates (> 150 mL). While the clinical outcomes and benefits of Aquablation have been studied for men with average and large prostates, it is unknown whether this technology can be used for very large prostates.

Materials And Methods: Men with PV > 150 mL undergoing Aquablation were identified retrospectively from four North American hospitals.

Aquablation for BPH.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION To characterize procedure variables and outcome data from men undergoing the Aquablation Therapy of the prostate procedure for lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). We evaluated the safety and efficacy of robotically guided waterjet-based prostate resection in the first study of all-comers in a single-center, commercial setting in the United States.

Materials And Methods: The analysis was a retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Identification and validation of mRNA 3'untranslated regions of DNMT3B and TET3 as novel competing endogenous RNAs of the tumor suppressor PTEN.

PTEN inactivation is a frequent event in oncogenesis. Multiple regulatory mechanisms such as promoter hypermethylation, antisense regulation, histone modifications, targeting by microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) and regulation by transcription factors have all been shown to affect the tumor suppressor functions of PTEN. More recently, the functional involvement of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) in miRNA‑dependent and coding‑independent regulation of genes shed light on the highly nuanced control of PTEN expression.

Non-Redundant and Overlapping Oncogenic Readouts of Non-Canonical and Novel Colorectal Cancer KRAS and NRAS Mutants.

RAS oncogene family members are molecular switches of signaling pathways that control cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and survival. In colorectal cancer, Kirsten-RAS (KRAS) and neuroblastoma-RAS (NRAS) are the commonly mutated isoforms. Activating mutations in RAS result in cellular transformation independent of upregulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-initiated signaling.

Development, characterization and pharmacokinetics of mupirocin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for intravascular administration.

Mupirocin is a promising broad-spectrum antibiotic that is effective in treating MRSA infections. However, due to its rapid elimination and hydrolysis following injection and high protein binding, current therapeutic use is limited to topical administration. Nanotechnology-driven innovations provide hope for patients and practitioners in overcoming the problem of drug degradation by encapsulation.

Prevalence and trends in transfusion-transmissible infections among blood donors in Brazil from 2010 to 2016.

Background: Assessing trends in the rate of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) in blood donors is critical to the monitoring of the blood supply safety and the donor screening effectiveness. The objective of this study was to conduct a trend analysis of TTIs and associated demographic factors of donors at a public blood bank in the central Brazil.

Methods: A retrospective analysis (2010-2016) of blood donation data was performed to determine the prevalence of markers for TTIs.

The influence of MTHFR C677T polymorphism in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Some factors have been associated with the etiology of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), among them the Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of MTHFR C677T polymorphism in CLL. A case-control study was conducted with 219 individuals from Brazilian central population.