The Prototypical Oligopeptide Transporter YdgR From E. coli Exhibits a Strict Preference for β-Ala-Lys(AMCA).

Fluorescent probes are widely used in cellular imaging and disease diagnosis. Acting as substitute carriers, fluorescent probes can also be used to help transport drugs within cells. In this study, commonly used fluorophores, TAMRA (5-carboxytetramethylrhodamine), PBA (1-pyrenebutyric acid), NBD (nitrobenzoxadiazole), OG (Oregon Green), and CF (5-carboxyfluorescein) were conjugated with the dipeptide β-Ala-Lys, the peptide moiety of the well-established peptide transporter substrate β-Ala-Lys(AMCA) (AMCA: 7-amino-4-methyl-coumarin-3-acetic acid) by modifying it with respect to side-chain length and functional end groups.

Likes and Hashtags: Exploring the Potential Relationship Between Social Media use and the Emotional Wellbeing of Oncology Professionals.

Purpose: To explore the potential relationship between social media (SoMe) and burnout or overall wellbeing within the field of oncology.

Design: A cross-sectional study of adult and pediatric oncology professionals conducted using an anonymous electronic survey. The survey was disseminated through the Children's Oncology Group (COG) and the SWOG Cancer Research Network (SWOG) member listservs.

Clinical significance of retrograde inferior parathyroid protection technique based on thymus preservation in thyroid surgery.

Background: The importance of parathyroid gland preservation in thyroid surgery has been well recognized; however, the rapid identification of the parathyroid gland, particularly the inferior parathyroid gland (IPG), remains challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of retrograde inferior parathyroid protection technique (RIPPT) based on thymus preservation.

Methods: A total of 236 patients were enrolled in this study between August 2019 and December 2020.

MC-LR induces and exacerbates Colitis in mice through the JAK1/STAT3 pathway.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex gastrointestinal disorder attributed to genetic and environmental factors. Microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR) is an environmental toxin that accumulates in the gut and produces intestinal damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to MC-LR on development and progression of IBD as well examine the underlying mechanisms of microcystin-initiated tissue damage.

The protection of UCK2 protein stability by GART maintains pyrimidine salvage synthesis for HCC growth under glucose limitation.

Overexpression of uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2), a key enzyme in the pyrimidine salvage pathway, is implicated in human cancer development, while its regulation under nutrient stress remains to be investigated. Here, we show that under glucose limitation, AMPK phosphorylates glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GART) at Ser440, and this modification facilitates its interaction with UCK2. Through its binding to UCK2, GART generates tetrahydrofolate (THF) and thus inhibits the activity of integrin-linked kinase associated phosphatase (ILKAP) for removing AKT1-mediated UCK2-Ser254 phosphorylation under glucose limitation, in which dephosphorylation of UCK2-Ser254 tends to cause Trim21-mediated UCK2 polyubiquitination and degradation.

GenAI synthesis of histopathological images from Raman imaging for intraoperative tongue squamous cell carcinoma assessment.

The presence of a positive deep surgical margin in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) significantly elevates the risk of local recurrence. Therefore, a prompt and precise intraoperative assessment of margin status is imperative to ensure thorough tumor resection. In this study, we integrate Raman imaging technology with an artificial intelligence (AI) generative model, proposing an innovative approach for intraoperative margin status diagnosis.

A low-cost printed circuit board-based centrifugal microfluidic platform for dielectrophoresis.

In recent decades, electrokinetic handling of microparticles and biological cells found many applications ranging from biomedical diagnostics to microscale assembly. The integration of electrokinetic handling such as dielectrophoresis (DEP) greatly benefits microfluidic point-of-care systems as many modern assays require cell handling. Compared to traditional pump-driven microfluidics, typically used for DEP applications, centrifugal CD microfluidics provides the ability to consolidate various liquid handling tasks in self-contained discs under the control of a single motor.

[Development and evaluation of a simplified Chinese version of the visually induced motion sickness susceptibility questionnaire].

To simplify the Chinese version of the Visually Induced Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire (VIMSSQ), develop the simplified Chinese version of VIMSSQ, and evaluate its performance. A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and July 2023. The Chinese version of the VIMSSQ was distributed to 783 university students at North China University of Science and Technology.

Moxifloxacin plus Cordyceps polysaccharide ameliorate intestinal barrier damage due to abdominal infection via anti-inflammation and immune regulation under simulated microgravity.

Background: Currently, there is limited research on the impact of abdominal infection on intestinal damage under microgravity conditions. Cordyceps polysaccharide (CPS), the main active ingredient of Cordyceps, has demonstrated various pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. Moxifloxacin (MXF) is a fourth-generation quinolone antibiotic that is believed to have a dual regulatory effect on immune system activation and suppression.

Space biological and human survival: Investigations into plants, animals, microorganisms and their components and bioregenerative life support systems.

Space life science has been a frontier discipline in the life sciences, aiming to study the life phenomena of earth organisms and their activity patterns under the special environment of space. This review summarizes studies in various key topics in space life science, namely, how microbiome changes in humans and plants, the development of space agriculture and the use of animal, plant and cell models to study the effect of space environments on physiology. We highlight the new possibilities of using high-quality protein crystals uniquely available when grown under space conditions to aid drug development on earth, and the state-of-the-art Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) to achieve long term human survival in space.

Development of a Clinically Applicable Deep Learning System Based on Sparse Training Data to Accurately Detect Acute Intracranial Hemorrhage from Non-enhanced Head Computed Tomography.

Non-enhanced head computed tomography is widely used for patients presenting with head trauma or stroke, given acute intracranial hemorrhage significantly influences clinical decision-making. This study aimed to develop a deep learning algorithm, referred to as DeepCT, to detect acute intracranial hemorrhage on non-enhanced head computed tomography images and evaluate its clinical applicability. We retrospectively collected 1,815 computed tomography image sets from a single center for model training.

Bacteriophage M13KE as a Nanoparticle Platform to Display and Deliver a Pathogenic Epitope: Development of an Effective Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea Virus Vaccine.

Porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) is a porcine enteric coronavirus, outbreaks and epidemics of which have caused huge economic losses to the livestock industry. The disadvantage of existing PEDV vaccines is that the unstable efficacy and high cost limit their widespread use. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a recombinant transgenic vaccine candidate for PEDV.

A novel ENTH domain-containing protein TgTEPSIN is essential for structural maintenance of the plant-like vacuolar compartment and bradyzoite differentiation in toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular and parasitic protozoon that harbors specialized cellular structures and molecular mechanisms, including the Plant-like Vacuolar Compartment (PLVAC). The PLVAC performs multifaceted roles in the parasite, contributing to ion homeostasis, proteolysis, pH regulation, and autophagy. Despite significant efforts over the past decade to characterize the PLVAC, the proteins localized to this organelle remain largely unidentified.

Investigating the factors contributing to the maintenance of high levels of warm season nocturnal ozone in a basin city.

In recent years, ozone (O) pollution in many Chinese cities has worsened. Several cities have also experienced incidents where nocturnal O concentrations did not decrease as expected, and instead remained at high levels (above 50 ppb). However, there have been few detailed studies on the causes of these events.

Phases partitioning and occurrence forms of arsenic, chromium, and vanadium in a tidal reach of the Pearl River estuary, South China.

Migration characteristics and occurrence forms of redox-sensitive metal(loid)s such as arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), and vanadium (V) remained unclear in dynamic estuarine waters. In this work, size fractionation and chemical speciation of As, Cr, and V in the Jiaomen Waterway (JMW), a tidal river of the Pearl River estuary, were explored based on (ultra)filtration, the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) techniques and a thermodynamic chemical equilibrium model. The results showed that As was present mainly in soluble forms in the river water, and the suspended particulate matter (SPM) was identified the major carrier for Cr.

Iron oleate containing lipid nanoparticles prepared by gradient solvent diffusion method for oxidative stress dependent antibacterial therapy.

This study was designed to assess the efficacy of iron oleate lipid nanoparticles (IO-LNPs) in inducing Fenton reaction as a therapeutic approach for bacterial infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), both of which are common pathogens in skin wound infections.

Monitoring phycocyanin in global inland waters by remote sensing: Progress and future developments.

Cyanobacterial blooms are increasingly becoming major threats to global inland aquatic ecosystems. Phycocyanin (PC), a pigment unique to cyanobacteria, can provide important reference for the study of cyanobacterial blooms warning. New satellite technology and cloud computing platforms have greatly improved research on PC, with the average number of studies examining it having increased from 5 per year before 2018 to 17 per year thereafter.

Greenhouse gas emission dynamics and trajectories in urban water supply and wastewater systems.

Urban water utilities are significant energy users and also key actors in decarbonisation. However, the integrated perspective of urban water supply and wastewater system emissions, the relevant driving forces, and the boundaries of inclusions or exclusions, are rarely discussed. This is due to widely disaggregated data, and complex issues regarding the boundary of the system being investigated.

Mercury levels in freshwater aquatic products across China: Spatial distribution, species differences, and health risk assessment.

Freshwater product consumption is a major source of mercury (Hg) exposure in China. This study analyzed Hg concentrations in 12,560 samples from 29 provinces across China (2010-2021) and conducted probabilistic health risk assessments across various life stages. The average Hg concentration in China's freshwater products was 40.

Multi-view learning with enhanced multi-weight vector projection support vector machine.

Multi-view learning aims on learning from the data represented by multiple distinct feature sets. Various multi-view support vector machine methods have been successfully applied to classification tasks. However, the existed methods often face the problems of long processing time or weak generalization on some complex datasets.

Higher potential leaching of inorganic and organic additives from biodegradable compared to conventional agricultural plastic mulch film.

Plastic mulch films support global food security, however, their composition and the potential release rates of organic, metal and metalloid co-contaminants remains relatively unknown. This study evaluates the low molecular weight organic additives, metal and metalloid content and leaching from low density polyethylene (LDPE) and biodegradable plastic mulch films. We identified 59 organic additives, and non-intentionally added substances in the new LDPE films (39.

Revealing the enhanced role of hydroxylamine and bimetals in the CuFeO/PMS/HA system towards effective degradation of organic contaminants.

In this study, a hydroxylamine (HA)-enhanced magnetic spinel catalyst CuFeO-activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) system (CuFeO/PMS/HA) was constructed to degrade Sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Results from experiments and theoretical calculations indicated that active species generation mechanism involved the direct activation of PMS by HA, the redox cycles acceleration on the surface of CuFeO by HA, and the synergistic action of the low valence Fe and Cu species in CuFeO for PMS activation. The efficacy of other organic pollutants removal was further validated in bio-treated landfill leachate through removal performance and toxicity assessment.

Moderating effects of screen time on the relationship between family functioning and negative emotions in Chinese children with cancer.

Purpose: To explore whether screen time moderates the relationship between family functioning and negative emotions in Chinese children with cancer.

Methods: Between November 2023 and May 2024, 206 children with cancer were recruited from a pediatric oncology ward at a tertiary hospital. Negative emotions, family functioning, and screen time were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales, Second Edition, Chinese Version, and Screen Time Questionnaire, respectively.

A panel of cancer testis antigens in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, head and neck, and esophagus: implication for biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

This study aims to investigate the expression of seven cancer testis antigens (MAGE-A1, MAGE-A4, MAGE-A10, MAGE-A11, PRAME, NY-ESO-1 and KK-LC-1) in pan squamous cell carcinoma and their prognostic value, thus assessing the potential of these CTAs as immunotherapeutic targets. The protein expression of these CTAs was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 60 lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), 62 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCA) and 62 head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). The relationship between CTAs expression and progression-free survival (PFS) was assessed.

Association of dietary and plasma fatty acids with periodontitis: Results from the 2009-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and Mendelian randomization study.

Background: The authors aimed to explore the association of fatty acids with periodontitis and its severity and to assess causality using Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses.

Methods: Data for participants with complete data were extracted from the 2009-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Weighted logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between dietary fatty acids and periodontitis and its severity.