A High-Throughput Screening Platform for Engineering Poly(ethylene Terephthalate) Hydrolases.

The ability of enzymes to hydrolyze the ubiquitous polyester, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), has enabled the potential for bioindustrial recycling of this waste plastic. To date, many of these PET hydrolases have been engineered for improved catalytic activity and stability, but current screening methods have limitations in screening large libraries, including under high-temperature conditions. Here, we developed a platform that can simultaneously interrogate PET hydrolase libraries of 10-10 variants (per round) for protein solubility, thermostability, and activity via paired, plate-based split green fluorescent protein and model substrate screens.

Biosensors for the detection of chorismate and cis,cis-muconic acid in Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Unlabelled: Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 is a promising microbial chassis for industrial production of valuable compounds, including aromatic amino acids derived from the shikimate pathway. In this work, we developed two whole-cell, transcription factor based fluorescent biosensors to track cis,cis-muconic acid (ccMA) and chorismate in C. glutamicum.

Injectable hydrogels: An emerging therapeutic strategy for cartilage regeneration.

The impairment of articular cartilage due to traumatic incidents or osteoarthritis has posed significant challenges for healthcare practitioners, researchers, and individuals suffering from these conditions. Due to the absence of an approved treatment strategy for the complete restoration of cartilage defects to their native state, the tissue condition often deteriorates over time, leading to osteoarthritic (OA). However, recent advancements in the field of regenerative medicine have unveiled promising prospects through the utilization of injectable hydrogels.

Endotenon-Derived Type II Tendon Stem Cells Have Enhanced Proliferative and Tenogenic Potential.

Tendon injuries caused by overuse or age-related deterioration are frequent. Incomplete knowledge of somatic tendon cell biology and their progenitors has hindered interventions for the effective repair of injured tendons. Here, we sought to compare and contrast distinct tendon-derived cell populations: type I and II tendon stem cells (TSCs) and tenocytes (TNCs).

Targeted mutagenesis and high-throughput screening of diversified gene and promoter libraries for isolating gain-of-function mutations.

Targeted mutagenesis of a promoter or gene is essential for attaining new functions in microbial and protein engineering efforts. In the burgeoning field of synthetic biology, heterologous genes are expressed in new host organisms. Similarly, natural or designed proteins are mutagenized at targeted positions and screened for gain-of-function mutations.

General Practitioners' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Dietary Advice for Weight Control in Their Overweight Patients: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of general practitioners (GPs) regarding dietary advice for weight management. A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and MEDLINE was conducted for any qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies published in the past five years that informed GPs' dietary advice for weight control. Thirteen studies were included in the analysis after screening 881 papers.

Chronic uterine inversion presenting with severe anemia 7 years after a home delivery and the subsequent successful pregnancy: a case report.

Background: Uterine inversion is a clinical condition characterized by the folding of the uterine fundus into the uterine cavity or beyond the cervix. Chronic uterine inversions that manifest seven years after delivery are extremely rare, despite the fact that both acute and chronic uterine inversions are infrequent. Unlike uterine inversion during parturition, which can be promptly managed, chronic uterine inversion poses a diagnostic and management challenge.

Hypoxic conditions promote a proliferative, poorly differentiated phenotype in COPD lung tissue progenitor cells in vitro.

Purpose: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients experience hypoxemia and lung tissue hypoxia, causing vasoconstriction, and at its most severe Cor pulmonale. However, minimal attention has been given to the effects of hypoxia at the cellular level. We hypothesize that a persistent progenitor cell population undergoes an aberrant differentiation process, influenced by changes in oxygen.

Tackling the Catch-22 Situation of Optimizing a Sensor and a Transporter System in a Whole-Cell Microbial Biosensor Design for an Anthropogenic Small Molecule.

Whole-cell biosensors provide a convenient detection tool for the high-throughput screening of genetically engineered biocatalytic activity. But establishing a biosensor for an anthropogenic molecule requires both a custom transporter and a transcription factor. This results in an unavoidable "Catch-22" situation in which transporter activity cannot be easily confirmed without a biosensor and a biosensor cannot be established without a functional transporter in a host organism.

3D cultures of human bone marrow and Wharton's jelly derived mesenchymal stromal cells show high chondrogenic potential.

In this study, chondrogenic potentials of 3D high-density cultures of Bone Marrow (BM) and Wharton's Jelly (WJ)-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) was investigated by chondrogenesis- and cytokine-related gene expression over a 16-day culture period supplemented with human transforming growth factor (hTGF)-β1 at 10 ng/ml. In BM-MSC 3D models, a marked upregulation of chondrogenesis-related genes, such as , , and (all < 0.05) and formation of spherical pellets with structured type II collagen fibers were observed.

Precise Genomic Riboregulator Control of Metabolic Flux in Microbial Systems.

Engineered microbes can be used for producing value-added chemicals from renewable feedstocks, relieving the dependency on nonrenewable resources such as petroleum. These microbes often are composed of synthetic metabolic pathways; however, one major problem in establishing a synthetic pathway is the challenge of precisely controlling competing metabolic routes, some of which could be crucial for fitness and survival. While traditional gene deletion and/or coarse overexpression approaches do not provide precise regulation, -repressors (CRs) are RNA-based regulatory elements that can control the production levels of a particular protein in a tunable manner.

A scoping review protocol on in vivo human plastic exposure and health impacts.

Background: Global plastic production has increased exponentially since the 1960s, with more than 6300 million metric tons of plastic waste generated to date. Studies have found a range of human health outcomes associated with exposure to plastic chemicals. However, only a fraction of plastic chemicals used have been studied in vivo, and then often in animals, for acute toxicological effects.

High-Quality Genome Assembly of Nannochloris desiccata 2437 and Its Associated Bacterial Community.

High-quality genome sequences were generated for the nonaxenic marine microalga Nannochloris desiccata UTEX 2437 and eight of its associated environmental bacterial species. UTEX 2437 is diploid, and its 20.738-Mbp nuclear genome sequence is assembled in 29 contigs.

Phylogenetic analyses and reclassification of the oleaginous marine species Nannochloris sp. "desiccata" (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta), formerly Chlorella desiccata, supported by a high-quality genome assembly.

Microalgae are diverse, with many gaps remaining in phylogenetic and physiological understanding. Thus, studying new microalgae species increases our broader comprehension of biological diversity, and evaluation of new candidates as algal production platforms can lead to improved productivity under a variety of cultivation conditions. Chlorella is a genus of fast-growing species often isolated from freshwater habitats and cultivated as a source of nutritional supplements.

Modeling colorectal cancer: A bio-resource of 50 patient-derived organoid lines.

Background And Aim: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. To improve outcomes for these patients, we need to develop new treatment strategies. Personalized cancer medicine, where patients are treated based on the characteristics of their own tumor, has gained significant interest for its promise to improve outcomes and reduce unnecessary side effects.

Outcomes in Patients With 4 to 10 Brain Metastases Treated With Dose-Adapted Single-Isocenter Multitarget Stereotactic Radiosurgery: A Prospective Study.

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness and safety of single-isocenter multitarget stereotactic radiosurgery using a volume-adapted dosing strategy in patients with 4 to 10 brain metastases.

Methods And Materials: Adult patients with 4 to 10 brain metastases were eligible for this prospective trial. The primary endpoint was overall survival.

3D Biomimetic Scaffold for Growth Factor Controlled Delivery: An In-Vitro Study of Tenogenic Events on Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

The present work described a bio-functionalized 3D fibrous construct, as an interactive teno-inductive graft model to study tenogenic potential events of human mesenchymal stem cells collected from Wharton's Jelly (hWJ-MSCs). The 3D-biomimetic and bioresorbable scaffold was functionalized with nanocarriers for the local controlled delivery of a teno-inductive factor, i.e.

LIVECell-A large-scale dataset for label-free live cell segmentation.

Light microscopy combined with well-established protocols of two-dimensional cell culture facilitates high-throughput quantitative imaging to study biological phenomena. Accurate segmentation of individual cells in images enables exploration of complex biological questions, but can require sophisticated imaging processing pipelines in cases of low contrast and high object density. Deep learning-based methods are considered state-of-the-art for image segmentation but typically require vast amounts of annotated data, for which there is no suitable resource available in the field of label-free cellular imaging.

Dietary Quality of Pregnant Women Participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

Few studies have examined the dietary intake of low-income pregnant women participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The aim of this study was to assess the dietary quality of WIC-enrolled pregnant women and examine associations with maternal characteristics, nutrition knowledge, and key health indicators. Fifty-one WIC-enrolled pregnant women completed two sets of 3-day food records.

The perceived effects of cannabis products in the management of seizures in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder.

Introduction: CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD) is a severe treatment-resistant form of early-onset epilepsy. Current treatment options are often ineffective and associated with adverse effects, forcing families to seek alternative therapies for their children including products derived from cannabis. Reportsof miraculous cures and a public preferencefor 'natural' therapies have resulted in considerable public interest, and so this study aimed to characterize the use of cannabis in these individuals, as well as compare caregiver perceptions of efficacy and safety to objective evidence of seizure control and number of antiepileptic drugs used.

Increasing physical activity in Cancer Survivors through a Text-messaging Exercise motivation Program (ICanSTEP).

Purpose: Cancer survivors are often sedentary. Self-monitoring may promote physical activity through self-activation. We conducted a pilot trial to evaluate whether wearable activity tracker with personalized text message feedback would increase physical activity.

Chondrogenic Commitment of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Perfused Collagen Hydrogel Functionalized with hTGF-β1-Releasing PLGA Microcarrier.

Tissue engineering strategies can be relevant for cartilage repair and regeneration. A collagen matrix was functionalized with the addition of poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid microcarriers (PLGA-MCs) carrying a human Transforming Growth Factor β1 (hTFG-β1) payload, to provide a 3D biomimetic environment with the capacity to direct stem cell commitment towards a chondrogenic phenotype. PLGA-MCs (mean size 3 ± 0.

Identifying subpopulations in multicellular systems by quantitative chemical imaging using label-free hyperspectral CARS microscopy.

Quantitative hyperspectral coherent Raman scattering microscopy merges imaging with spectroscopy and utilises quantitative data analysis algorithms to extract physically meaningful chemical components, spectrally and spatially-resolved, with sub-cellular resolution. This label-free non-invasive method has the potential to significantly advance our understanding of the complexity of living multicellular systems. Here, we have applied an in-house developed hyperspectral coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscope, combined with a quantitative data analysis pipeline, to imaging living mouse liver organoids as well as fixed mouse brain tissue sections xenografted with glioblastoma cells.

Racial and Age Disparities in Licensing Rates among a Sample of Urban MSW Graduates.

Forty-five U.S. states require social workers to pass an examination for entry-level MSW licensure, with all 50 states requiring it for clinical practice.