High-Speed Imaging of Giant Unilamellar Vesicle Formation in cDICE.

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are widely used as in vitro model membranes in biophysics and as cell-sized containers in synthetic biology. Despite their ubiquitous use, there is no one-size-fits-all method for their production. Numerous methods have been developed to meet the demanding requirements of reproducibility, reliability, and high yield while simultaneously achieving robust encapsulation.

Key developmental milestones helped to identify children with special educational needs and disabilities at an early stage.

Aim: Responding to developmental delay promptly is important, as it helps children to reach their full potential. This study investigated how developmental milestones predicted primary school children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at an early stage.

Methods: We obtained data about 36 milestones between 12 and 45 months using the Dutch Development Instrument.

Exploring Giant Unilamellar Vesicle Production for Artificial Cells - Current Challenges and Future Directions.

Creating an artificial cell from the bottom up is a long-standing challenge and, while significant progress has been made, the full realization of this goal remains elusive. Arguably, one of the biggest hurdles that researchers are facing now is the assembly of different modules of cell function inside a single container. Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) have emerged as a suitable container with many methods available for their production.

Effect of infrared drying on chemical and microbial properties of Cold-Hardy grape pomace (Edelweiss and Marquette).

This study aims to add value to a common wine industry waste by preserving bioactive compounds in cold-hardy grape pomace (GP) and preventing any microbial growth under the proper drying conditions. Effects of infrared (IR) and hot air (HA) drying on the microbial and physicochemical properties such as color, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity of white (Edelweiss) and red (Marquette) GP were studied. The IR heating rapidly reduced the moisture content of GP from 55% wet basis (w.

High-throughput mechanophenotyping of multicellular spheroids using a microfluidic micropipette aspiration chip.

Cell spheroids are multicellular model systems that mimic the crowded micro-environment of biological tissues. Their mechanical characterization can provide valuable insights in how single-cell mechanics and cell-cell interactions control tissue mechanics and self-organization. However, most measurement techniques are limited to probing one spheroid at a time, require specialized equipment and are difficult to handle.

DisGUVery: A Versatile Open-Source Software for High-Throughput Image Analysis of Giant Unilamellar Vesicles.

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are cell-sized aqueous compartments enclosed by a phospholipid bilayer. Due to their cell-mimicking properties, GUVs have become a widespread experimental tool in synthetic biology to study membrane properties and cellular processes. In stark contrast to the experimental progress, quantitative analysis of GUV microscopy images has received much less attention.

Actomyosin-Driven Division of a Synthetic Cell.

One of the major challenges of bottom-up synthetic biology is rebuilding a minimal cell division machinery. From a reconstitution perspective, the animal cell division apparatus is mechanically the simplest and therefore attractive to rebuild. An actin-based ring produces contractile force to constrict the membrane.

Molecular Structure and Surface Accumulation Dynamics of Hyaluronan at the Water-Air Interface.

Hyaluronan is a biopolymer that is essential for many biological processes in the human body, like the regulation of tissue lubrication and inflammatory responses. Here, we study the behavior of hyaluronan at aqueous surfaces using heterodyne-detected vibrational sum-frequency generation spectroscopy (HD-VSFG). Low-molecular-weight hyaluronan (∼150 kDa) gradually covers the water-air interface within hours, leading to a negatively charged surface and a reorientation of interfacial water molecules.

Optimized cDICE for Efficient Reconstitution of Biological Systems in Giant Unilamellar Vesicles.

Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) are often used to mimic biological membranes in reconstitution experiments. They are also widely used in research on synthetic cells, as they provide a mechanically responsive reaction compartment that allows for controlled exchange of reactants with the environment. However, while many methods exist to encapsulate functional biomolecules in GUVs, there is no one-size-fits-all solution and reliable GUV fabrication still remains a major experimental hurdle in the field.

Active particles induce large shape deformations in giant lipid vesicles.

Biological cells generate intricate structures by sculpting their membrane from within to actively sense and respond to external stimuli or to explore their environment. Several pathogenic bacteria also provide examples of how localized forces strongly deform cell membranes from inside, leading to the invasion of neighbouring healthy mammalian cells. Giant unilamellar vesicles have been successfully used as a minimal model system with which to mimic biological cells, but the realization of a minimal system with localized active internal forces that can strongly deform lipid membranes from within and lead to dramatic shape changes remains challenging.

Hepatocyte KLF6 expression affects FXR signalling and the clinical course of primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Background & Aims: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is characterized by chronic cholestasis and inflammation, which promotes cirrhosis and an increased risk of cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCA). The transcription factor Krueppel-like-factor-6 (KLF6) is a mediator of liver regeneration, steatosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but no data are yet available on its potential role in cholestasis. Here, we aimed to identify the impact of hepatic KLF6 expression on cholestatic liver injury and PSC and identify potential effects on farnesoid-X-receptor (FXR) signalling.

Readability of Printed Online Education Materials on Pituitary Tumors: Untangling a Web of Complexity.

Background: Patients are increasingly turning to the internet for health education. Due to the complex pathophysiology, clinic-diagnostic profile, and management spectrum of pituitary tumors, an evaluation of the readability of printed online education materials (POEMs) regarding this entity is warranted.

Objective: (1) To apply established readability assessment tools to internet search results on the topic of pituitary tumors.

Low Misrepresentation Rates of Scholarly Work in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Residency Applications.

Objectives To evaluate research trends, including rates of misrepresentation of scholarly work, in otolaryngology residency applications received by a single institution during the 2018-2019 residency application cycle. Methods After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, all residency applications to the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN for the 2018-2019 cycle were de-identified and analyzed. Demographic and research information including the number of listed peer-reviewed articles/abstracts, types of research projects, and misrepresentations were retrospectively evaluated.

Charge-dependent interactions of monomeric and filamentous actin with lipid bilayers.

The cytoskeletal protein actin polymerizes into filaments that are essential for the mechanical stability of mammalian cells. In vitro experiments showed that direct interactions between actin filaments and lipid bilayers are possible and that the net charge of the bilayer as well as the presence of divalent ions in the buffer play an important role. In vivo, colocalization of actin filaments and divalent ions are suppressed, and cells rely on linker proteins to connect the plasma membrane to the actin network.

Student Involvement in Global Veterinary Education and Curricula: 7 Years of Progress (2013-2019).

As central members of the veterinary education community, students are well placed to highlight current problems in veterinary education. Motivated by the lack of current formal student involvement, the largest global veterinary student association, the International Veterinary Students' Association (IVSA), realized the necessity for students to express their opinions within the veterinary education field. Thus, two standing committees related to veterinary education were created: the Standing Committee on One Health in 2013 and the Standing Committee on Veterinary Education in 2014.

Nutritional Quality of Dry Vegetable Soups.

Dry soups with vegetables are often perceived as having low nutritional quality, but there are only limited data on the nutritional value of dry soups. Therefore, we measured the nutritional composition of dry vegetable powders used in dry soups and compared the results with published data on fresh and cooked vegetables. We also analyzed the nutritional composition of dry vegetable soups and compared these with published data on home-made and other soups.

Audiologic Improvement Following MCF Approach for Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks.

Objective: To determine the audiologic improvement after middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach to repair spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (sCSF) leaks.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary referral center.

Health status in Europe: comparison of 24 urban areas to the corresponding 10 countries (EURO-URHIS 2).

: In Europe, over 70% of the population live in urban areas (UAs). Most international comparative health research is done using national level data, as reliable and comparable urban data are often unavailable or difficult to access. This study aims to investigate whether population health is different in UAs compared with their corresponding countries.

Dietary Impact of Adding Potassium Chloride to Foods as a Sodium Reduction Technique.

Potassium chloride is a leading reformulation technology for reducing sodium in food products. As, globally, sodium intake exceeds guidelines, this technology is beneficial; however, its potential impact on potassium intake is unknown. Therefore, a modeling study was conducted using Dutch National Food Survey data to examine the dietary impact of reformulation (n = 2106).

Differences in adults' health and health behaviour between 16 European urban areas and the associations with socio-economic status and physical and social environment.

With a growing proportion of the European population living in urban areas (UAs), exploring health in urban areas becomes increasingly important. The objective of this study is to assess the magnitude of differences in health and health behaviour between adults living in urban areas (UAs) across Europe. We also explored whether and to what extent such differences can be explained by socio-economic status (SES) and physical or social environment.

Snooker structure-based pharmacophore model explains differences in agonist and blocker binding to bitter receptor hTAS2R39.

The human bitter taste receptor hTAS2R39 can be activated by many dietary (iso)flavonoids. Furthermore, hTAS2R39 activity can be blocked by 6-methoxyflavanones, 4'-fluoro-6-methoxyflavanone in particular. A structure-based pharmacophore model of the hTAS2R39 binding pocket was built using Snooker software, which has been used successfully before for drug design of GPCRs of the rhodopsin subfamily.

6-methoxyflavanones as bitter taste receptor blockers for hTAS2R39.

Many (dietary) bitter compounds, e.g. flavonoids, activate bitter receptor hTAS2R39 in cell-based assays.

Visitation by physicians did not improve triage in trauma patients.

Introduction: A formalized trauma response team is designed to optimize the quality and progress of patient care for severely injured patients in order to reduce mortality and morbidity. The goal of this study was to determine over- and undertriage and to evaluate if a physician-manned pre-hospital response (MD-EMS) would reduce overtriage. Overtriage was defined as the process of over-estimating the level of injury sustained by an individual.

Bitter taste receptor activation by flavonoids and isoflavonoids: modeled structural requirements for activation of hTAS2R14 and hTAS2R39.

Many flavonoids and isoflavonoids have an undesirable bitter taste, which hampers their use as food bioactives. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a large set of structurally similar (iso)flavonoids on the activation of bitter receptors hTAS2R14 and hTAS2R39 and to predict their structural requirements to activate these receptors. In total, 68 compounds activated hTAS2R14 and 70 compounds activated hTAS2R39, among which 58 ligands were overlapping.