Application of the composite nanoparticles of selenium and chitosan for ameliorating arsenic stress in rice seedlings.

Selenium nanoparticles are well known for their antioxidant and stress-mitigating properties. In our study, composite nanoformulations of selenium and chitosan have been synthesized. The synthesized composite nanoformulations were 50 nm in diameter, spherical in shape, and had higher antioxidant activities and stability than the selenium and chitosan nanoparticles.

A stress paradox: the dual role of the unfolded protein response in the placenta.

The placenta is a temporary organ that forms during pregnancy and is essential for fetal development and maternal health. As an endocrine organ, proper placental function requires continual production, folding, and transport of proteins and lipids. Central to these processes is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a dynamic organelle responsible for maintaining cellular protein and lipid synthesis and processing.

Unlocking an additive-free and catalyst-free dual approach for reduction of amides to amines.

We report a two-fold strategy to convert amides to amines in the presence of dimethylamine-borane as the hydrogen source. In the absence of any additive, the formation of the amines resulted from reduction of the amides. On the other hand, in the presence of TMEDA and dimethylamine-borane, tertiary amines were obtained from primary amides in a one-pot fashion.

"When in Rome…": structural determinants impacting healthcare access, health outcomes, and well-being of South Asian older adults in Ontario using a multilingual qualitative approach.

With the increase in international migration, the need for an equitable healthcare system in Canada is increasing. The current biomedical model of healthcare is constructed largely in the Eurocentric tradition of medicine, which often disregards the diverse health perspectives of Canada's racialized immigrant older adults. As a result, current healthcare approaches (adopted in the US and Canada) fall short in addressing the health needs of a considerable segment of the population, impeding their ability to access healthcare services.

Recent Advances and Future Directions in Sonodynamic Therapy for Cancer Treatment.

Deep-tissue solid cancer treatment has a poor prognosis, resulting in a very low 5-year patient survival rate. The primary challenges facing solid tumor therapies are accessibility, incomplete surgical removal of tumor tissue, the resistance of the hypoxic and heterogeneous tumor microenvironment to chemotherapy and radiation, and suffering caused by off-target toxicities. Here, sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is an evolving therapeutic approach that uses low-intensity ultrasound to target deep-tissue solid tumors.