The biophysical basis of bacterial colony growth.

Bacteria often attach to surfaces and grow densely-packed communities called biofilms. As biofilms grow, they expand across the surface, increasing their surface area and access to nutrients. Thus, the overall growth rate of a biofilm is directly dependent on its "range expansion" rate.

Comparative Outcomes and Toxicity in Patients With Esophageal Cancer After Trimodality Therapy With Step-and-Shoot Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Versus Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy: The MD Anderson Experience.

Aims: To evaluate outcomes and toxicity after intensity-modulated radiation therapy given as step-and-shoot (SS) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer treated with trimodality therapy (i.e. neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiation therapy followed by surgery).

Valorization of the Isocyanate-Derived Fraction from Polyurethane Glycolysis by Synthesizing Polyureas and Polyamides.

The isocyanate-derived fraction resulting as the bottom phase from the split-phase glycolysis of conventional polyurethane flexible foams has been given a new life based on the formation of amine-based polymers (polyureas and polyamides). For that purpose, the bottom phase was first hydrolyzed, producing toluenediamine and diethylene glycol, and further subjected to controlled vacuum distillation in order to recover both products separately. The hydrolysis reaction and the separation process conditions were determined and optimized, obtaining products with a purity comparable to that of commercial ones.

Integral Solvent-Induced Protein Precipitation for Target-Engagement Studies in .

The limited understanding of the mechanism of action (MoA) of several antimalarials and the rise of drug resistance toward existing malaria therapies emphasizes the need for new strategies to uncover the molecular target of compounds in . Integral solvent-induced protein precipitation (iSPP) is a quantitative mass spectrometry-based (LC-MS/MS) proteomics technique. The iSPP leverages the change in solvent-induced denaturation of the drug-bound protein relative to its unbound state, allowing identification of the direct drug-protein target without the need to modify the drug.

Impact of gut microbiota and its metabolites on immunometabolism in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is highly prevalent, accounting for approximately one-tenth of cancer cases and deaths globally. It stands as the second most deadly and third most common cancer type. Although the gut microbiota has been implicated in CRC carcinogenesis for the last several decades, it remains one of the least understood risk factors for CRC development, as the gut microbiota is highly diverse and variable.

Assessing the effect of repeat positron emission tomography imaging on treatment response and cardiovascular outcomes among a homogenously treated cohort of patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis.

Background: Serial positron emission tomography (PET) imaging is routinely used to monitor treatment response in patients with suspected cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). Corticosteroids remain the mainstay of therapy in CS. However, there are no data available on the cardiovascular outcomes and optimal timing interval to obtain repeat PET while factoring in the influence of corticosteroid taper in relation to surveillance imaging.

Studying Target-Engagement of Anti-Infectives by Solvent-Induced Protein Precipitation and Quantitative Mass Spectrometry.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a serious threat to global health. The rapid emergence of resistance contrasts with the slow pace of antimicrobial development, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative drug discovery approaches. This study addresses a critical bottleneck in early drug development by introducing integral solvent-induced protein precipitation (iSPP) to rapidly assess the target-engagement of lead compounds in extracts of pathogenic microorganisms under close-to-physiological conditions.

Targeting the IspE Enzyme.

The enzyme IspE in is considered an attractive drug target, as it is essential for parasite survival and is absent in the human proteome. Yet it still has not been addressed by a small-molecule inhibitor. In this study, we conducted a high-throughput screening campaign against the IspE enzyme.

Targeting IspD in the Methyl-d-erythritol Phosphate Pathway: Urea-Based Compounds with Nanomolar Potency on Target and Low-Micromolar Whole-Cell Activity.

The methyl-d-erythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway has emerged as an interesting target in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. The pathway is essential in many human pathogens, including (), but is absent in human cells. In the present study, we report on the discovery of a new chemical class targeting IspD, the third enzyme in the pathway.

[Perceptions and experiences of users who received outpatient COVID-19 care in Santiago, Chile].

Aim: To explore the perceptions and experiences of COVID-19 patients who received outpatient treatment in public health services in the Metropolitan Region of Chile.

Methods: An exploratory rapid qualitative study was conducted. Individual, telephonic and semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients who received a COVID-19 diagnosis confirmed by a PCR test and who had outpatient treatment for the disease.

Relationship of Ketosis With Myocardial Glucose Uptake Among Patients Undergoing FDG PET/CT for Evaluation of Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Background: Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) with positron emission tomography (PET) is the standard for detecting myocardial inflammation in cardiac sarcoidosis, requiring preparation with the ketogenic diet (KD) to achieve myocardial glucose suppression. Despite this, incomplete myocardial glucose suppression remains a significant issue, and strategies to reduce myocardial glucose uptake (MGU) and identify incomplete myocardial glucose suppression are required. This study sought to understand the relationship between point-of-care beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and different patterns of MGU and between KD and fasting duration with MGU in patients undergoing evaluation for cardiac sarcoidosis.

Environmental Sustainability and Physicochemical Property Screening of Chitin and Chitin-Glucan from 22 Fungal Species.

Thanks to its biobased character with embedded biogenic carbon, chitin can aid in the transition to a sustainable circular economy by replacing fossil carbon from the geosphere. However, meeting current demands for material availability and environmental sustainability requires alternative methods limiting conventional chemical and energy-consuming chitin extraction from crustaceans. To assist future chitinous bioproduct development, this work analyzes the physicochemical properties and potential environmental sustainability of fungal chitin-glucan complexes.

Beyond the Granuloma: New Insights into Cardiac Sarcoidosis Using Spatial Proteomics.

Cardiac sarcoidosis is poorly understood, challenging to diagnose, and portends a poor prognosis. A lack of animal models necessitates the use of residual human samples to study sarcoidosis, which in turn necessitates the use of analytical tools compatible with archival, fixed tissue. We employed high-plex spatial protein analysis within a large cohort of archival human cardiac sarcoidosis and control tissue samples, studying the immunologic, fibrotic, and metabolic landscape of sarcoidosis at different stages of disease, in different cardiac tissue compartments, and in tissue regions with and without overt inflammation.

Esophageal Cancer Outcomes After Definitive Chemotherapy With Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy.

Purpose: The effectiveness of intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for esophageal cancer treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiation therapy remains inadequately explored. We investigated long-term outcomes and toxicity experienced by patients who received IMPT as part of definitive esophageal cancer treatment.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively identified and analyzed 34 patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer who received IMPT with concurrent chemotherapy as a definitive treatment regimen at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 2011 to 2021.

Microbial Metabolite Trimethylamine N-Oxide Promotes Infection by Escalating Intestinal Inflammation, Epithelial Damage, and Barrier Disruption.

The interactions between , a critical foodborne cause of gastroenteritis, and the intestinal microbiota during infection are not completely understood. The crosstalk between and its host is impacted by the gut microbiota through mechanisms of competitive exclusion, microbial metabolites, or immune response. To investigate the role of gut microbiota on pathogenesis, we examined campylobacteriosis in the IL10KO mouse model, which was characterized by an increase in the relative abundance of intestinal proteobacteria, , and inflammatory cytokines during infection.

Diagnosis and Management of Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Cardiac sarcoidosis is an infiltrative cardiomyopathy that results from granulomatous inflammation of the myocardium and may present with high-grade conduction disease, ventricular arrhythmias, and right or left ventricular dysfunction. Over the past several decades, the prevalence of cardiac sarcoidosis has increased. Definitive histological confirmation is often not possible, so clinicians frequently face uncertainty about the accuracy of diagnosis.

Emergence and maintenance of stable coexistence during a long-term multicellular evolution experiment.

The evolution of multicellular life spurred evolutionary radiations, fundamentally changing many of Earth's ecosystems. Yet little is known about how early steps in the evolution of multicellularity affect eco-evolutionary dynamics. Through long-term experimental evolution, we observed niche partitioning and the adaptive divergence of two specialized lineages from a single multicellular ancestor.