Discovering genetic modulators of the protein homeostasis system through multilevel analysis.

Every protein progresses through a natural lifecycle from birth to maturation to death; this process is coordinated by the protein homeostasis system. Environmental or physiological conditions trigger pathways that maintain the homeostasis of the proteome. An open question is how these pathways are modulated to respond to the many stresses that an organism encounters during its lifetime.

Tribbles pseudokinase 3 drives cancer stemness in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by supporting the expression levels of SOX2 and EGFR.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a type of head and neck cancer (HNC) with a high recurrence rate, which has been reported to be associated with the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Tribbles pseudokinase 3 (TRIB3) is involved in intracellular signaling and the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of TRIB3 in the maintenance of CSCs. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas database samples demonstrated a positive correlation between TRIB3 expression levels and shorter overall survival rates in patients with HNC.

The Biomechanics of Nickel Titanium Instrument Fracture in Root Canal Therapy: A Narrative Review.

The use of motorized nickel titanium instruments is an essential component in contemporaneous clinical endodontics. The mechanical properties of nickel titanium are optimal for the cleaning and shaping of root canal systems. However, instrumentation carries risks, particularly instrument fracture, which may become an obstacle to achieving adequate disinfection of the canal system.

Evaluating the efficacy of intra-articular polydioxanone (PDO) injections as a novel viscosupplement in osteoarthritis treatment.

Aims: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disorder marked by cartilage breakdown, bone alterations, and inflammation, leading to significant pain and disability. Current therapeutic strategies, ranging from lifestyle interventions to pharmacological and surgical treatments, offer limited efficacy and are often accompanied by side effects. This study investigates the potential of Polydioxanone (PDO), a biocompatible synthetic polymer, as a novel intra-articular (IA) viscosupplement in OA.

Superionic conducting vacancy-rich β-LiN electrolyte for stable cycling of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

The advancement of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries requires breakthroughs in solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) for the suppression of lithium dendrite growth at high current densities and high capacities (>3 mAh cm) and innovation of SSEs in terms of crystal structure, ionic conductivity and rigidness. Here we report a superionic conducting, highly lithium-compatible and air-stable vacancy-rich β-LiN SSE. This vacancy-rich β-LiN SSE shows a high ionic conductivity of 2.

A cross-sectional study of physiologic volar melanotic macules: Demographic, historical, clinical, and dermatoscopic features of a common yet neglected pigmentary variant in individuals with skin of color.

Background: Physiologic volar melanotic macules (P-VMM) are understudied. Trauma has been suggested as a predisposing factor. Little has been published over the last several decades.

Allosteric modulation of the Lon protease via ssDNA binding and local charge changes.

The ATPase Associated with diverse cellular Activities (AAA+) family of proteases play crucial roles in cellular proteolysis and stress responses. Like other AAA + proteases, the Lon protease is known to be allosterically regulated by nucleotide and substrate binding. Although it was originally classified as a DNA binding protein, the impact of DNA binding on Lon activity is unclear.

An exceptional water stable terbium-based metal-organic framework for selective detection of pesticides.

A terbium-based metal-organic framework (MOF) with exceptional water stability for highly selective detection of pesticide thiamethoxam (TMX) in aqueous solution is reported. To date, most reported lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) still exhibit poor water stability, which may limit their practical applications in bio-sensing and detecting pollutants in environmental water samples. In this work, a Tb-MOF [Tb(BDC)(DEF)·0.

Development and psychometric testing of the Perception of Childbirth Environment Scale in Taiwan.

Background: Previous research has shown that women's perceptions of their childbirth environment are critical in ensuring that they feel supported and in facilitating physiological childbirth.

Aim: To develop and validate the Perception of Childbirth Environment Scale (PCES) for expectant mothers.

Methods: The PCES was developed based on findings from a scoping review and a qualitative study on childbirth environments conducted by the authors.

Examining the causal association between moderate alcohol consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in the Taiwan Biobank: a Mendelian randomization analysis.

Background: The Mendelian randomization approach uses genetic variants as instrumental variables to study the causal association between the risk factors and health outcomes of interest. We aimed to examine the relation between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular risk factors using two genetic variants as instrumental variables: alcohol dehydrogenase 1B () rs1229984 and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 () rs671.

Methods: Using data collected in the Taiwan Biobank-an ongoing, prospective, population-based cohort study-our analysis included 129,032 individuals (46,547 men and 82,485 women) with complete data on rs1229984 and rs671 genotypes and alcohol drinking status.

Developmental Competence of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Embryos and Interspecies ICSI Zygotes From Bovine Small Antral Follicles.

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) play a crucial role in conserving threatened wildlife species such as Bos gaurus. ART requires a large number of mature oocytes, and small antral follicles (SAFs) in the ovary are often used to obtain abundant sources of bovine oocytes. However, oocytes from SAFs often experience difficulty completing maturation and obtaining high quality and quantity of blastocyst formation compared to fully grown oocytes.

Tuning collective anion motion enables superionic conductivity in solid-state halide electrolytes.

Halides of the family LiMX (M = Y, In, Sc and so on, X = halogen) are emerging solid electrolyte materials for all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. They show greater chemical stability and wider electrochemical stability windows than existing sulfide solid electrolytes, but have lower room-temperature ionic conductivities. Here we report the discovery that the superionic transition in LiYCl is triggered by the collective motion of anions, as evidenced by synchrotron X-ray and neutron scattering characterizations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.

Allosteric modulation of the Lon protease by effector binding and local charges.

The ATPase Associated with diverse cellular Activities (AAA+) family of proteases play crucial roles in cellular proteolysis and stress responses. Like other AAA+ proteases, the Lon protease is known to be allosterically regulated by nucleotide and substrate binding. Although it was originally classified as a DNA binding protein, the impact of DNA binding on Lon activity is unclear.

Hydrogen sulfide coordinates glucose metabolism switch through destabilizing tetrameric pyruvate kinase M2.

Most cancer cells reprogram their glucose metabolic pathway from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis for energy production. By reducing enzyme activity of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), cancer cells attain a greater fraction of glycolytic metabolites for macromolecule synthesis needed for rapid proliferation. Here we demonstrate that hydrogen sulfide (HS) destabilizes the PKM2 tetramer into monomer/dimer through sulfhydration at cysteines, notably at C326, leading to reduced PKM2 enzyme activity and increased PKM2-mediated transcriptional activation.

The dorsal raphe-to-ventral hippocampal projection modulates reactive aggression through 5-HT receptors.

Maladaptive reactive aggression is a core symptom of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. While uncontrolled aggression dampens societal safety, there is a limited understanding of the neural regulation involved in reactive aggression and its treatment. High levels of aggression have been linked to low serotonin (5-HT) levels.

Enhancing visible-light-driven photocatalysis: unveiling the remarkable potential of HO-assisted MOF/COF hybrid material for organic pollutant degradation.

In this study, we synthesized MOF/COF hybrid material (NH-MOF-5/MCOF) by integrating NH-MOF-5 (Zn) with a melamine-based COF (MCOF) to target the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. Characterization using SEM, XRD, XPS, FT-IR, and UV-DRS confirmed the synthesized MOF/COF hybrid's exceptional photocatalytic performance under visible light. The addition of HO significantly enhanced the photocatalytic degradation, achieving removal rates of 90%, 92%, and 57% for 11.

Evaluation test and analysis of a microneedle and iontophoresis based medical device "CELLADEEP Patch" in skin improvement on ex vivo human-derived skin tissue models.

Background: Microneedles are tiny needles, typically ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers in length, used in various medical procedures and treatments. The tested medical device named "CELLADEEP Patch" a dissolvable microneedle therapy system (MTS), made of hyaluronic acid and collagen. And the iontophoresis technique is also applied in the system.

Prevalence and help-seeking for infertility in a population with a low fertility rate.

Background: In Taiwan there has been limited research of epidemiological surveys on prevalence of infertility. This study aimed to provide the updated prevalence of primary infertility and of help-seeking among residents in Taiwan.

Methods: Between February and March 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional population-based telephone survey of 1,297 men and women aged 20-49 years who were residing in Taiwan.