Transcriptional analysis of C. elegans fmos at different life stages and their roles in ageing.

Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) are present in most organisms including plants, fungi, bacteria, invertebrates and vertebrates, where they catalyse the oxidative metabolism of a range of xenobiotics and endogenous metabolites. FMOs have been associated with ageing and longevity in the mouse and in C. elegans.

Matrix stiffness regulates the protein profile of extracellular vesicles of pancreatic cancer cell lines.

The fibrotic stroma characterizing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) derives from a progressive tissue rigidification, which induces epithelial mesenchymal transition and metastatic dissemination. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of matrix stiffness on PDAC progression by analyzing the proteome of PDAC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). PDAC cell lines (mPDAC and KPC) were grown on synthetic supports with a stiffness close to non-tumor (NT) or tumor tissue (T), and the protein expression levels in cell-derived EVs were analyzed by a quantitative MS label-free mass spectrometry approach.

Establishment of a Transplantation Model of PDAC-Derived Liver Metastases.

Background: The highly metastatic nature of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and the difficulty to achieve favorable patient outcomes emphasize the need for novel therapeutic solutions. For preclinical evaluations, genetically engineered mouse models are often used to mimic human PDAC but frequently fail to replicate synchronous development and metastatic spread. This study aimed to develop a transplantation model to achieve synchronous and homogenous PDAC growth with controlled metastatic patterns in the liver.

Job Satisfaction and Perceived Structural Support in Remote Working Conditions-The Role of a Sense of Community at Work.

Changes in work assets due to the COVID-19 pandemic posed several challenges to employees' well-being, especially in the light of the changes in the work organization, such as remote working and the massive use of IT. According to the literature on the role of technologies at work, the organization's ability to support remote working is a valuable protective factor. At the same time, social distancing due to the pandemic forced employees to use a new relational asset.

Positioning Technostress in the JD-R Model Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review.

This paper aims to describe the effects of Technostress on employees' well-being and productivity. We adopted the Job Demands Resources Model as a theoretical framework to analyze the "Technostress" phenomenon in order to clarify whether and how technology can be considered a job demand, a job resource, or part of the effects of personal resources in the workplace. The sources search and selection process was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and regarded papers published from 2010 to 2022.

A stapled chromogranin A-derived peptide homes in on tumors that express αvβ6 or αvβ8 integrins.

: The αvβ6- and αvβ8-integrins, two cell-adhesion receptors upregulated in many tumors and involved in the activation of the latency associated peptide (LAP)/TGFβ complex, represent potential targets for tumor imaging and therapy. We investigated the tumor-homing properties of a chromogranin A-derived peptide containing an RGDL motif followed by a chemically stapled alpha-helix (called "), which selectively recognizes the LAP/TGFβ complex-binding site of αvβ6 and αvβ8. Peptide was labeled with IRDye 800CW (a near-infrared fluorescent dye) or with F-NOTA (a label for positron emission tomography (PET)); the integrin-binding properties of free peptide and conjugates were then investigated using purified αvβ6/αvβ8 integrins and various αvβ6/αvβ8 single - or double-positive cancer cells; tumor-homing, biodistribution and imaging properties of the conjugates were investigated in subcutaneous and orthotopic αvβ6-positive carcinomas of the pancreas, and in mice bearing subcutaneous αvβ8-positive prostate tumors.

Investigating the Role of Remote Working on Employees' Performance and Well-Being: An Evidence-Based Systematic Review.

Remote working refers to a working model in which employees can pursue work tasks outside the organization due to the use of technology. Several research papers showed that different assumptions are linked to remote work because of the flexibility and autonomy granted to employees when working remotely or from home. This review consistently aims to describe remote work's role in employees' well-being and performance.

A Comprehensive Characterization of Stemness in Cell Lines and Primary Cells of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive characterization of stemness in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines. Seventeen cell lines were evaluated for the expression of cancer stem cell (CSC) markers. The two putative pancreatic CSC phenotypes were expressed heterogeneously ranging from 0 to 99.

Consequences of COVID-19 on Employees in Remote Working: Challenges, Risks and Opportunities An Evidence-Based Literature Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced organizations across all sectors and sizes to undertake crucial changes in order to remain productive during the emergency. Among these, the shift towards remote working arrangements is still present in our workplaces, impacting employees' well-being and productivity. This systematic review aims to describe the pandemic's consequences on work organization by analyzing whether and how the shift towards remote or home-working impacted employees' productivity, performance, and well-being.

Factors Associated With Fertility Preservation in a Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Population.

Objective: To determine the patient characteristics associated with pursuing fertility preservation (FP) before gonadotoxic therapy in a pediatric, adolescent and young adult patient population.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patient data at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Demographics, clinical diagnoses, and treatment characteristics were compared between participants that selected FP versus those that declined.

Religiosity and religious and spiritual struggle and their association to depression and anxiety among adolescents admitted to inpatient psychiatric units.

This study examines the relationship between religious and spiritual (R/S) struggle and religiosity with depression and anxiety in adolescents admitted to inpatient psychiatric units of a pediatric hospital in the Midwest of the United States. We administered four self-reported scales to 71 adolescents (ages 13-17) to assess religiosity, R/S struggle, depression, and anxiety. The prevalence of R/S struggle among this population was high (88.

Production, Titration, Neutralisation, Storage and Lyophilisation of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Lentiviral Pseudotypes.

This protocol details a rapid and reliable method for the production and titration of high-titre viral pseudotype particles with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (and D614G or other variants of concern, VOC) on a lentiviral vector core, and use for neutralisation assays in target cells expressing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2). It additionally provides detailed instructions on substituting in new spike variants via gene cloning, lyophilisation and storage/shipping considerations for wide deployment potential. Results obtained with this protocol show that SARS-CoV-2 pseudotypes can be produced at equivalent titres to SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pseudotypes, neutralised by human convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies, and stored at a range of laboratory temperatures and lyophilised for distribution and subsequent application.

The Extracellular Matrix in Pancreatic Cancer: Description of a Complex Network and Promising Therapeutic Options.

The stroma is a relevant player in driving and supporting the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and a large body of evidence highlights its role in hindering the efficacy of current therapies. In fact, the dense extracellular matrix (ECM) characterizing this tumor acts as a natural physical barrier, impairing drug penetration. Consequently, all of the approaches combining stroma-targeting and anticancer therapy constitute an appealing option for improving drug penetration.

Cell surface nucleolin as active bait for nanomedicine in cancer therapy: a promising option.

Conventional chemotherapy used against cancer is mostly limited due to their non-targeted nature, affecting normal tissue and causing undesirable toxic effects to the affected tissue. With the aim of improving these treatments both therapeutically and in terms of their safety, numerous studies are currently being carried out using nanoparticles (NPs) as a vector combining tumor targeting and carrying therapeutic tools. In this context, it appears that nucleolin, a molecule over-expressed on the surface of tumor cells, is an interesting therapeutic target.

Continuous infusion versus intermittent administration of meropenem in critically ill patients (MERCY): A multicenter randomized double-blind trial. Rationale and design.

Objective: Meropenem is a β-lactam, carbapenem antibacterial agent with antimicrobial activity against gram-negative, gram-positive and anaerobic micro-organisms and is important in the empirical treatment of serious infections in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. Multi-drug resistant gram-negative organisms, coupled with scarcity of new antibiotic classes, forced healthcare community to optimize the therapeutic potential of available antibiotics. Our aim is to investigate the effect of continuous infusion of meropenem against bolus administration, as indicated by a composite outcome of reducing death and emergence of extensive or pan drug-resistant pathogens in a population of ICU patients.

Fabrication of large pore mesoporous silica microspheres by salt-assisted spray-drying method for enhanced antibacterial activity and pancreatic cancer treatment.

Large-pore mesoporous silica (LPMS) microspheres with tunable pore size have received intensive interest in the field of drug delivery due to their high storage capacity and fast delivery rate of drugs. In this work, a facile salt-assisted spray-drying method has been developed to fabricate LPMS microspheres using continuous spray-drying of simple inorganic salts as pore templates and colloidal SiO nanoparticles as building blocks, followed by washing with water to remove the templates. More importantly, the porosity of the LPMS microspheres can be finely tuned by adjusting the furnace temperature and relative concentration of the salt to SiO, which could lead to optimal pharmaceutical outcomes.

Data driven decision making to characterize clinical personas of parents of children with cystic fibrosis: a mixed methods study.

Background: Beginning at a young age, children with cystic fibrosis (CF) embark on demanding care regimens that pose challenges to parents. We examined the extent to which clinical, demographic and psychosocial features inform patterns of adherence to pulmonary therapies and how these patterns can be used to develop clinical personas, defined as aspects of adherence barriers that are presented by parents and/or perceived by clinicians, in order to enhance personalized CF care delivery.

Methods: We undertook an explanatory sequential mixed-methods study consisting of i) multivariate clustering to create clusters corresponding to parental adherence patterns (quantitative phase); ii) parental participant interviews to create clinical personas interpreted from clustering (qualitative phase).

Immunotherapy of experimental melanoma with ICOS-Fc loaded in biocompatible and biodegradable nanoparticles.

Inducible T-cell costimulator (ICOS) upon binding to its ligand (ICOSL) mediates adaptive immunity and antitumor response. Thus, antitumor therapies targeting the ICOS/ICOSL pathway hold great promise for cancer treatment. In this regard, ICOSL triggering by a soluble recombinant form of ICOS (ICOS-Fc) hampered adhesiveness and migration of dendritic, endothelial, and tumor cells in vitro.

Improvement in the Anti-Tumor Efficacy of Doxorubicin Nanosponges in In Vitro and in Mice Bearing Breast Tumor Models.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline widely used in cancer therapy and in particular in breast cancer treatment. The treatment with DOX appears successful, but it is limited by a severe cardiotoxicity. This work evaluated the in vitro and in vivo anticancer effect of a new formulation of β-cyclodextrin nanosponges containing DOX (BNS-DOX).

Parental Use of Religion and Spirituality in Medical Decision-Making.

New medical technology has extended children's lives, creating challenges for parental decision-making. Many parents utilize religion or spirituality (R/S). This study examined the semi-structured interviews of 24 parents who made significant medical decisions.

A day in the life of mitochondria reveals shifting workloads.

Mitochondria provide energy for cellular function. We examine daily changing patterns of mitochondrial function and metabolism in Drosophila in vivo in terms of their complex (I-IV) activity, ATP production, glycolysis, and whole fly respiration in the morning, afternoon and night. Complex activity and respiration showed significant and unexpected variation, peaking in the afternoon.

Paclitaxel-Loaded Nanosponges Inhibit Growth and Angiogenesis in Melanoma Cell Models.

This study investigated the effects of free paclitaxel (PTX) and PTX-loaded in pyromellitic nanosponges (PTX-PNS) in reducing and melanoma cell growth and invasivity, and in inhibiting angiogenesis. To test the response of cells to the two PTX formulations, the cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay in seven continuous cell lines, in primary melanoma cells, both in 2D and 3D cultures, and in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) after exposure to different concentrations of PTX or PTX-PNS. Cell motility was assessed by a scratch assay or Boyden chamber assay, evaluating cell migration in presence or absence of diverse concentrations of PTX or PTX-PNS.

A method for visualizing fluorescence of flavonoid therapeutics in vivo in the model eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum.

Naturstoff reagent A (diphenylboric acid 2-aminoethyl ester [DPBA]) has been used historically in plant science to observe polyphenolic pigments, such as flavonoids, whose fluorescence requires enhancement to be visible by microscopy. Flavonoids are common dietary constituents and are the focus of considerable attention because of their potential as novel therapies for numerous diseases. The molecular basis of therapeutic activity is only gradually being established, and one strand of such research is making use of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum.

Development of Solid Lipid Nanoparticles by Cold Dilution of Microemulsions: Curcumin Loading, Preliminary In Vitro Studies, and Biodistribution.

: Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are attractive drug delivery systems for lipophilic molecules like curcumin (CURC) with low chemical stability. : A simple, innovative, and cold-operating method, named "cold dilution of microemulsion" is developed by the authors to produce SLNs. An oil-in-water microemulsion (µE), whose disperse phase consisted of a solution of trilaurin in a partially water-miscible solvent, was prepared after mutually saturating solvent and water.