Fecal microbiota transplantation to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease: pre-planned interim analysis of donor effect.

Gut microbiota disruptions after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) are associated with increased risk of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). We designed a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial to test whether healthy-donor fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) early after alloHCT reduces the incidence of severe aGVHD. Here, we report the results from the single-arm run-in phase which identified the best of 3 stool donors for the randomized phase.

Polyethylene nanoplastics affected morphological, physiological, and molecular indices in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

This study explored morphological, physiological, molecular, and epigenetic responses of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) to soil contamination with polyethylene nanoplastics (PENP; 0.01, 0.1, and 1 gkg soil).

ERK1/2 gene expression and hypomethylation of Alu and LINE1 elements in patients with type 2 diabetes with and without cataract: Impact of hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress.

Aims: This study aimed to delineate the effect of hyperglycemia on the Alu/LINE-1 hypomethylation and in ERK1/2 genes expression in type 2 diabetes with and without cataract.

Methods: This study included 58 diabetic patients without cataracts, 50 diabetic patients with cataracts, and 36 healthy controls. After DNA extraction and bisulfite treatment, LINE-1 and Alu methylation levels were assessed using Real-time MSP.

Novel Cystic Fibrosis Ferret Model Enables Visualization of CFTR Expression Cells and Genetic CFTR Reactivation.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the (). While gene therapy holds promise as a cure, the cell-type-specific heterogeneity of expression in the lung presents significant challenges. Current CF ferret models closely replicate the human disease phenotype but have limitations in studying functional complementation through cell-type-specific CFTR restoration.

Optimizing saffron cormlet production through substrate composition nutrient concentration and irrigation management in soilless cultivation.

A two-year study has been conducted to optimize saffron cormlet production in a soilless cultivation system. Variations in the concentration of phosphate, boron, and irrigation events were assessed in the first year. Subsequently, after optimizing the substrate composition, the effects of nutrient solution volume and the concentration of nitrate, iron, and boron were investigated on the yield and weight of cormlets and leaves, photosynthetic activities, and productivity of nutrient solutions in the second year.

Artificial intelligence-guided design of lipid nanoparticles for pulmonary gene therapy.

Ionizable lipids are a key component of lipid nanoparticles, the leading nonviral messenger RNA delivery technology. Here, to advance the identification of ionizable lipids beyond current methods, which rely on experimental screening and/or rational design, we introduce lipid optimization using neural networks, a deep-learning strategy for ionizable lipid design. We created a dataset of >9,000 lipid nanoparticle activity measurements and used it to train a directed message-passing neural network for prediction of nucleic acid delivery with diverse lipid structures.

Phytochemical composition, hypnotic activity, and antinociceptive properties of cumin essential oil collected from various geographical regions.

The quantity and quality of the active components of plants are strongly influenced by environmental factors. In this regard, dried cumin seeds were collected from four different locations (SaadatShahr (P1) and Sarvestan (P2) from Fars Province and Kashmar (P3) and Sabzevar (P4) from Khorasan), and their essential oils were isolated by Clevenger apparatus and evaluated using GC and GC-MS. In addition, the hypnotic and antinociceptive activities of the cumin EO sample, which had the highest yield and quality, respectively, were assessed via the pentobarbital-induced loss of righting test and acetic acid-induced writhing test.

A sex-dependent salivary bacterium influences oral mucositis severity after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

The success of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) in curing hematologic disorders is limited by its short- and long-term toxicities. One such toxicity is oral mucositis (OM), causing pain, speech/swallowing difficulty, and prolonged hospitalization. Although conditioning chemoradiotherapy is the direct cause of OM, potential host-intrinsic mediators of mucosal injury remain elusive.

Investigation of the Apoptotic and Antimetastatic Effects of Nano-Niosomes Containing the Plant Extract Anabasis setifera on HeLa: In Vitro Cervical Cancer Study.

The present study focuses on the preparation of niosomes containing an extract of Anabasis setifera and evaluates their efficacy in inhibiting the growth and proliferation of HeLa cells. Thin-layer hydration technique was used to prepare niosomes/extract nanoparticles (NPs). The physicochemical properties of the synthesized NPs were confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential analysis, and FTIR.

Mucormycosis and COVID-19: Unraveling the Interplay of Fungal Infection in a Global Health Crisis: An Overview.

The healthcare system has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, result-ing in an increase in secondary and co-infections among patients. Factors like pulmonary dam-age and weakened immune systems make patients more susceptible to fungal infections. Mu-cormycosis, an opportunistic fungal infection, prospers in environments with limited oxygen, and elevated glucose levels due to conditions such as diabetes and steroid use, as well as in acidic environments from metabolic acidosis and diabetic ketoacidosis, where it demonstrates heightened germination ability.

Modeling Epithelial Homeostasis and Perturbation in Three-Dimensional Human Esophageal Organoids.

Esophageal organoids from a variety of pathologies including cancer are grown in Advanced Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium-Nutrient Mixture F12 (hereafter ADF). However, the currently available ADF-based formulations are suboptimal for normal human esophageal organoids, limiting the ability to compare normal esophageal organoids with those representing a given disease state. We have utilized immortalized normal human esophageal epithelial cell (keratinocyte) lines EPC1 and EPC2 and endoscopic normal esophageal biopsies to generate three-dimensional (3D) organoids.

A comparative study between curcumin and curcumin nanoparticles on reproductive performance and antioxidant system of aged roosters.

Increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant status can result in reduced reproductive activity and fertility in aged male broiler breeders. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of curcumin supplements (natural or nanoparticles) on the sperm characteristics, antioxidant system, fertility, and hatchability of aged roosters (54-64 wk), and to estimate the relative bioavailability value (RBV) of nano-curcumin on the measured parameters including the hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST), motility, viability, sperm count, volume, the concentration of testosterone, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), diameter of the spermatogenic tube (DST), epithelium thickness (Epi), spermatogonia count (SP), fertility, hatchability, and relative weight of testis (RW-testis). A total of 30 roosters were individually caged and randomly assigned to 5 treatments comprising control (without curcumin as the basal diet), basal diet + 15 mg/kg curcumin (CUR15), basal diet + 30 mg/kg curcumin (CUR30), basal diet + 15 mg/kg nano-curcumin (Nano15), and basal diet + 30 mg/kg nano-curcumin (Nano30) for 10 wk.

Proton Pencil Beam Scanning Facilitates the Safe Treatment of Extended Radiation Targets for Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Report from the Proton Collaborative Group Registry.

Because proton beam therapy (PBT) can lower the dose of radiation to the heart, lungs, and breast, it is an established radiation modality for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Pencil beam scanning (PBS) PBT facilitates the treatment of more extensive targets. This may be especially of value for lymphoma patients who require RT to both mediastinal and axillary targets, defined here as extended target RT (ETRT), given the target distribution and need to minimize the lung, heart, and breast dose.

An emerging network for COVID-19 CT-scan classification using an ensemble deep transfer learning model.

Over the past few years, the widespread outbreak of COVID-19 has caused the death of millions of people worldwide. Early diagnosis of the virus is essential to control its spread and provide timely treatment. Artificial intelligence methods are often used as powerful tools to reach a COVID-19 diagnosis via computed tomography (CT) samples.

Surface Topography Steer Soft Tissue Response and Antibacterial Function at the Transmucosal Region of Titanium Implant.

Metallic dental implants have been extensively used in clinical practice due to their superior mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and aesthetic outcomes. However, their integration with the surrounding soft tissue at the mucosal region remains challenging and can cause implant failure due to the peri-implant immune microenvironment. The soft tissue integration of dental implants can be ameliorated through different surface modifications.

Modeling epithelial homeostasis and perturbation in three-dimensional human esophageal organoids.

Background: Esophageal organoids from a variety of pathologies including cancer are grown in Advanced Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium-Nutrient Mixture F12 (hereafter ADF). However, the currently available ADF-based formulations are suboptimal for normal human esophageal organoids, limiting the ability to compare normal esophageal organoids with those representing a given disease state.

Methods: We have utilized immortalized normal human esophageal epithelial cell (keratinocyte) lines EPC1 and EPC2 and endoscopic normal esophageal biopsies to generate three-dimensional (3D) organoids.

Prognostic scores for ursodeoxycholic acid-treated patients predict graft loss and mortality in recurrent primary biliary cholangitis after liver transplantation.

Background & Aims: Recurrent primary biliary cholangitis (rPBC) develops in approximately 30% of patients and negatively impacts graft and overall patient survival after liver transplantation (LT). There is a lack of data regarding the response rate to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in rPBC. We evaluated a large, international, multi-center cohort to assess the performance of PBC scores in predicting the risk of graft and overall survival after LT in patients with rPBC.

Multi-omics Analysis of a Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Trial Identifies Novel Aspects of Acute GVHD Pathogenesis.

Unlabelled: Acute GVHD (aGVHD) is a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) associated with gut microbiota disruptions. However, whether therapeutic microbiota modulation prevents aGVHD is unknown. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of third-party fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) administered at the peak of microbiota injury in 100 patients with acute myeloid leukemia receiving induction chemotherapy and alloHCT recipients.

Targeted delivery of 5-fluorouracil and shikonin by blended and coated chitosan/pectin nanoparticles for treatment of colon cancer.

Herein, 5-fluorouracil and shikonin (extracted from Fusarium tricinctum) were loaded in chitosan/pectin nanoparticle (CS/PEC-NPs), prepared by blending (B-CS/PEC-NPs) and coating (C-CS/PEC-NPs) methods. The nanoparticles characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Differential Light Scattering (DLS). Then, some properties of the nanoparticles such as drug release rate and the nanoparticles cytotoxicity were studied.

Mining Tamarix ramosissima roots for endophytic growth promoting fungi to improve wheat root growth.

Endophytic fungi are commonly found in the root endosphere and can enhance plant growth through various mechanisms. The aim of this study was to isolate cultivable endophytic fungi associated with the roots of and to evaluate their plant growth promoting properties. About 35 isolated fungal endophytes belonging to the Ascomycota from four different genera were isolated from the endosphere of and .

Association of inflammatory biomarkers with overall survival in burn patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: The inflammatory response to burn injuries can lead to organ dysfunction that ultimately results in increased mortality and morbidity. This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the efficacy of inflammatory biomarkers, including the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) as predictive tools of mortality among burn patients.

Material And Methods: The biomarker levels of survivors and non-survivors were consolidated according to guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).