Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: Signaling & Molecular Perspectives, and the Road Ahead.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a lethal congenital heart disease (CHD) affecting 8-25 per 100,000 neonates globally. Clinical interventions, primarily surgical, have improved the life expectancy of the affected subjects substantially over the years. However, the etiological basis of HLHS remains fundamentally unclear to this day.

Targeting the MYCN-MDM2 pathways for cancer therapy: Are they druggable?

Targeting oncogenes and their interactive partners is an effective approach to developing novel targeted therapies for cancer and other chronic diseases. We and others have long suggested the MDM2 oncogene being an excellent target for cancer therapy, based on its p53-dependent and -independent oncogenic activities in a variety of cancers. The MYC family proteins are transcription factors that also regulate diverse biological functions.

Regression analysis of a future state entry time distribution conditional on a past state occupation in a progressive multistate model.

We present a nonparametric method for estimating the conditional future state entry probabilities and distributions of state entry time conditional on a past state visit when data are subject to dependent censorings in a progressive multistate model where Markovianity of the system is not assumed. These estimators are constructed using the competing risk techniques with risk sets consisting of fractional observations and inverse probability of censoring weights. The fractional observations correspond to estimates of the number of persons who ultimately enter a state from which the future state in question can be reached in one step.

Tough and Recyclable Phase-Separated Supramolecular Gels via a Dehydration-Hydration Cycle.

Hydrogels are compelling materials for emerging applications including soft robotics and autonomous sensing. Mechanical stability over an extensive range of environmental conditions and considerations of sustainability, both environmentally benign processing and end-of-life use, are enduring challenges. To make progress on these challenges, we designed a dehydration-hydration approach to transform soft and weak hydrogels into tough and recyclable supramolecular phase-separated gels (PSGs) using water as the only solvent.

Recent Advances in Organic Molecular-to-Supramolecular Self-Assembled Room-Temperature Phosphorescent Materials for Biomedical Applications.

This minireview focuses on recent advancements in organic molecular-to-supramolecular self-assembled room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials and their prospective biomedical applications. RTP materials, having their unique capacity to emit long-lasting phosphorescence at ambient temperature, have piqued researchers' interest in various biological applications, including biosensing, bioimaging, drug delivery, and photodynamic therapy (PDT). These materials have several benefits, including high sensitivity, remarkable photostability, and low cytotoxicity.

A perspective on neuroscience data standardization with Neurodata Without Borders.

Neuroscience research has evolved to generate increasingly large and complex experimental data sets, and advanced data science tools are taking on central roles in neuroscience research. Neurodata Without Borders (NWB), a standard language for neurophysiology data, has recently emerged as a powerful solution for data management, analysis, and sharing. We here discuss our labs' efforts to implement NWB data science pipelines.

Blood Utilization Trends in Obstetrics and Gynecology: A Seven-Year Retrospective Study in a Teaching Hospital in Sikkim, India.

Introduction: Unutilized cross-matched blood due to excess cross-match requisitions results in unnecessary wastage of inventory, time, labor, and financial resources. This retrospective cross-sectional study aims to assess the blood utilization practices in obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) over a period of seven years with respect to "blood utilization indices" and standard recommendations.

Material And Methods: Cross-match requisitions from the OB/GYN Department over a period of seven years (2012-2018) were selected and included in the study using a suitable sampling technique.

Outcomes of the Use of Fresh-Frozen Costal Cartilage in Rhinoplasty.

Background: Rhinoplasty is made more challenging when there is insufficient septal cartilage for use as graft material. Several autologous and homologous graft options have been used in the past, although each comes with its own set of challenges. Fresh-frozen costal cartilage (FFCC) is an increasingly popular alternative that yields the benefits of homologous tissue while having a lower theoretical risk profile.

Hepatoprotective effects of natural drugs: Current trends, scope, relevance and future perspectives.

Background: The liver is a well-known player in the metabolism and removal of drugs. Drug metabolizing enzymes in the liver detoxify drugs and xenobiotics, ultimately leading to the acquisition of homeostasis. However, liver toxicity and cell damage are not only related to the nature and dosage of a particular drug but are also influenced by other factors such as aging, immune status, environmental contaminants, microbial metabolites, gender, obesity, and expression of individual genes Furthermore, factors such as drugs, alcohol, and environmental contaminants could induce oxidative stress, thereby impairing the regenerative potential of the liver and causing several diseases.

Metabotropic signaling within somatostatin interneurons controls transient thalamocortical inputs during development.

During brain development, neural circuits undergo major activity-dependent restructuring. Circuit wiring mainly occurs through synaptic strengthening following the Hebbian "fire together, wire together" precept. However, select connections, essential for circuit development, are transient.

Pattern formation by bacteria-phage interactions.

The interactions between bacteria and phages-viruses that infect bacteria-play critical roles in agriculture, ecology, and medicine; however, how these interactions influence the spatial organization of both bacteria and phages remain largely unexplored. Here, we address this gap in knowledge by developing a theoretical model of motile, proliferating bacteria that aggregate via motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) and encounter phage that infect and lyse the cells. We find that the non-reciprocal predator-prey interactions between phage and bacteria strongly alter spatial organization, in some cases giving rise to a rich array of finite-scale stationary and dynamic patterns in which bacteria and phage coexist.

Subphenotypes of SARS-CoV-2-Associated ARDS Overlap Each Other: A Retrospective Analysis.

 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus-associated pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were often associated with hyperinflammation and elevation of several serum inflammatory markers but usually less than what is observed in non-coronavirus disease (COVID) ARDS. Elevated inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-6, etc., are associated with severe infection.

Impact of Life Cycle Costing in Procurement of Robotic Track-Based Central Laboratory at Apex Medical Institute in India.

 Life cycle costing is an important management tool that takes into account the implications of planning, acquiring, operating, maintaining, and disposing of an asset during its complete life cycle. A major hindrance to the procurement of expensive equipment in developing countries is the lack of a reliable framework combining and integrating all the equipment life cycle aspects into procurement process.  The study was conducted from the data collected from the bids that were received for procurement of two robotic track-based central laboratories which were installed at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

Rare blood group registry in India-current challenges and future perspectives.

Patients who require blood from rare blood group donors present great challenges even to the most advanced healthcare delivery system. It is most challenging to supply blood for a patient with an antibody to an antigen of high prevalence. The blood donor lacking the corresponding antigen would have an occurrence rate of less than one in 1,000.

A Low-Cost Programmable Reversing Flow Column Apparatus for Investigating Mixing Zones.

This note describes the development and testing of a novel, programmable reversing flow 1D (R1D) experimental column apparatus designed to investigate reaction, sorption, and transport of solutes in aquifers within dynamic reversing flow zones where waters with different chemistries mix. The motivation for constructing this apparatus was to understand the roles of mixing and reaction on arsenic discharging through a tidally fluctuating riverbank. The apparatus can simulate complex transient flux schedules similar to natural flow regimes The apparatus uses an Arduino microcontroller to control flux magnitude through two peristaltic pumps.

Chemotactic Motility-Induced Phase Separation.

Collectives of actively moving particles can spontaneously separate into dilute and dense phases-a fascinating phenomenon known as motility-induced phase separation (MIPS). MIPS is well-studied for randomly moving particles with no directional bias. However, many forms of active matter exhibit collective chemotaxis, directed motion along a chemical gradient that the constituent particles can generate themselves.

Informatics guided FE design of bioactive titanium alloy/composite multi-layered dental implants.

A dental implant with three distinct layers, of titanium alloy at core, porous titanium alloy at the intermediate layer and titanium alloy hydroxyapatite composite at the outer layer, is designed to achieve low elastic modulus and adequate strength with bioactive surface. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) along with Rule of Mixture (ROM) is used to generate the objective functions for the Genetic Algorithm (GA) based multi-objective optimization for achieving the optimal designs, which are validated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulations. The composition and processing parameters are correlated with the yield strength and elastic modulus of titanium alloy using ANN.

Liquid-liquid phase separation within fibrillar networks.

Complex fibrillar networks mediate liquid-liquid phase separation of biomolecular condensates within the cell. Mechanical interactions between these condensates and the surrounding networks are increasingly implicated in the physiology of the condensates and yet, the physical principles underlying phase separation within intracellular media remain poorly understood. Here, we elucidate the dynamics and mechanics of liquid-liquid phase separation within fibrillar networks by condensing oil droplets within biopolymer gels.

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis for hospitalized adult patients: a survey of US health care providers on attitudes and practices.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of preventable mortality among hospitalized patients, but appropriate risk assessment and thromboprophylaxis remain underutilized or misapplied.

Objectives: We conducted an electronic survey of US health care providers to explore attitudes, practices, and barriers related to thromboprophylaxis in adult hospitalized patients and at discharge.

Results: A total of 607 US respondents completed the survey: 63.

A controlled evaluation of filter paper use during staining of sputum smears for tuberculosis microscopy.

: Some sputum smear microscopy protocols recommend placing filter paper over sputum smears during staining for (TB) We found no published evidence assessing whether this is beneficial. We aimed to evaluate the effect of filter paper on sputum smear microscopy results. Sputum samples were collected from 30 patients with confirmed pulmonary TB and 4 healthy control participants.

Comparison of the Whole-Genome Sequence of the African Swine Fever Virus from a Mongolian Wild Boar with Genotype II Viruses from Asia and Europe.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and severe viral hemorrhagic disease in domestic and wild pigs. ASF seriously affects the global swine industry as the mortality rate can reach 100% with highly virulent strains. In 2007, ASF was introduced into the Caucasus and spread to Russia and later into other European and Asian countries.

Elucidating the Ionic Liquid-Induced Mixed Inhibition of GH1 β-Glucosidase H0HC94.

Deciphering the ionic liquid (IL) tolerance of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) to improve their hydrolysis efficiency for fermentable sugar synthesis in the "one-pot" process has long been a hurdle for researchers. In this work, we employed experimental and theoretical approaches to investigate the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([CCim][MeCO])-induced inhibition of GH1 β-glucosidase (H0HC94) from 5A. At 10-15% [CCim][MeCO] concentration, H0HC94 experiences competitive inhibition ( = 0.