Photosensitive Nanoprobes for Rapid Isolation and Size-Specific Enrichment of Synthetic and Extracellular Vesicle Subpopulations.

The biggest challenge in current isolation methods for lipid bilayer-encapsulated vesicles, such as exosomes, secretory, and synthetic vesicles, lies in the absence of a unified approach that seamlessly delivers high purity, yield, and scalability for large-scale applications. To address this gap, we have developed an innovative method that utilizes photosensitive lipid nanoprobes specifically designed for efficient isolation of vesicles and sorting them into subpopulations based on size. The photosensitive component in the probe undergoes cleavage upon exposure to light, facilitating the release of vesicles in their near-native form.

Social Determinants of Health in Urban Transgender Patients: A Case Report.

The social determinants of health (SDOH) are a complex web of factors that influence the health of individuals throughout their lifetime. There are many drivers of health inequities within the SDOH, such as socioeconomic status, education, employment, gender, and race/ethnicity. It is possible that mental illness may develop when these factors negatively affect health.

A Case of Post-Traumatic Retrograde and Anterograde Loss of Autobiographical Memory in the Absence of Medial Temporal Lobe Lesion.

We present an unusual case of a middle-aged patient with a near-total loss of autobiographical memory; the memory of one's own personal history and personal identity following a motor vehicle accident. The nature of his autobiographical memory loss was anterograde and retrograde amnesia, with the preservation of procedural learning, including an extensive set of medical skills, which he attributed to his career as a psychiatrist. Of significance was the absence of any traumatic changes in the medial temporal lobe structures, hippocampal formation, amygdala, and entorhinal cortex on brain imaging.

Patterns of Vitamin D Deficiency in a Community Outpatient Psychiatric Practice: a Real-World Evaluation of Treatment Gaps.

Vitamin D is traditionally recognized for its role in bone mineralization but recent observations suggest additional pertinent functions in neuronal biology. The present study examines the rate and pattern of Vitamin D deficiency in the outpatient mental health clinic of a community teaching hospital as well as the vitamin D supplementation practices of outpatient psychiatrists. Participants include 148 consecutive psychiatric outpatients.

Recognition and protection of glycosphingolipids by synthetic nanoparticle receptors.

Nanoparticle receptors were synthesized through micellar imprinting to bind glycosphingolipids with 20-140 μM binding affinities, meanwhile distinguishing glycan composition, the number of acyl chains, and hydroxylation of acyl chains in the lipids. The strong binding enabled the receptors to protect their target glycolipids dispersed in lipid membranes from enzymatic degradation.

Intrinsic Hydrophobicity versus Intraguest Interactions in Hydrophobically Driven Molecular Recognition in Water.

Molecular recognition of water-soluble molecules is challenging but can be achieved if the receptor possesses a hydrophobic binding interface complementary to the guest. When the guest molecule contains more than one hydrophobic group, intrahost interactions between the hydrophobes could strongly influence the binding of the guest by its host. In a series of ornithine derivatives functionalized with aromatic hydrophobes, the most electron-rich compound displayed the strongest binding, despite its lowest intrinsic hydrophobicity.

Sequence-Selective Binding of Oligopeptides in Water through Hydrophobic Coding.

A general method for sequence-specific binding of peptides remains elusive despite decades of research. By creating an array of "hydrophobically coded dimples" on the surface of surface-core doubly cross-linked micelles, we synthesized water-soluble nanoparticle receptors to recognize peptides by the location, number, and nature of their hydrophobic side chains. Minute differences in the side chains could be distinguished, and affinities up to 20 nM were obtained for biologically active oligopeptides in water.

A General Method for Selective Recognition of Monosaccharides and Oligosaccharides in Water.

Molecular recognition of carbohydrates plays vital roles in biology but has been difficult to achieve with synthetic receptors. Through covalent imprinting of carbohydrates in boroxole-functionalized cross-linked micelles, we prepared nanoparticle receptors for a wide variety of mono- and oligosaccharides. The boroxole functional monomer bound the sugar templates through cis-1,2-diol, cis-3,4-diol, and trans-4,6-diol.

Selective Recognition of d-Aldohexoses in Water by Boronic Acid-Functionalized, Molecularly Imprinted Cross-Linked Micelles.

Molecular imprinting within cross-linked micelles using 4-vinylphenylboronate derivatives of carbohydrates provided water-soluble nanoparticle receptors selective for the carbohydrate templates. Complete differentiation of d-aldohexoses could be achieved by these receptors if a single inversion of hydroxyl occurred at C2 or C4 of the sugar or if two or more inversions took place. Glycosides with a hydrophobic aglycan displayed stronger binding due to increased hydrophobic interactions.

Enhancing binding affinity and selectivity through preorganization and cooperative enhancement of the receptor.

When direct host-guest binding interactions are weakened by unfavorable solvent competition, guest-triggered intrareceptor interactions could be used to augment the binding. This strategy of cooperative enhancement, when combined with the principle of preorganization, yielded a strong and selective receptor for binding citrate in water.

The Effect of Erythropoietin-Stimulating Agents on Health-Related Quality of Life in Anemia of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: The efficacy of erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) for improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in anemia of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unclear.

Purpose: To determine the effect of ESAs on HRQOL at different hemoglobin targets in adults with CKD who were receiving or not receiving dialysis.

Data Sources: Searches of PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.

Evaluation of teaching and learning in family medicine by students: a sri lankan experience.

Background: Family Medicine occupies a prominent place in the undergraduate curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. The one month clinical attachment during the fourth year utilizes a variety of teaching methods. This study evaluates teaching learning methods and learning environment of this attachment.

Conformationally switchable water-soluble fluorescent bischolate foldamers as membrane-curvature sensors.

Membrane curvature is an important parameter in biological processes such as cellular movement, division, and vesicle fusion and budding. Traditionally, only proteins and protein-derived peptides have been used as sensors for membrane curvature. Three water-soluble bischolate foldamers were synthesized, all labeled with an environmentally sensitive fluorophore to report their binding with lipid membranes.

The cost effectiveness of erythropoietin-stimulating agents for treating anemia in patients on dialysis: a systematic review.

Background: Anemia is a common complication associated with kidney failure and is marked by poor health and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. There are ongoing concerns with the use of Erythropoietin Stimulating Agents (ESAs) to treat anemia in patients with kidney failure on dialysis. Questions as to their benefits, harms and overall effect on quality of life are still relevant today.

Rationally designed cooperatively enhanced receptors to magnify host-guest binding in water.

When disengaged interactions within a receptor are turned on by its guest, these intrahost interactions will contribute to the overall binding energy. Although such receptors are common in biology, their synthetic mimics are rare and difficult to design. By engineering conflictory requirements between intrareceptor electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, we enabled complementary guests to eliminate the "electrostatic frustration" within the host and turn on the intrahost interactions.

Light and transmission electron microscopy of Vibrio campbellii infection in gnotobiotic Artemia franciscana and protection offered by a yeast mutant with elevated cell wall glucan.

Luminescent vibrios are amongst the most important pathogens in aquaculture, affecting almost all types of cultured organisms. Vibrio campbellii is one of these most important pathogens. In this study, the effects of feeding mnn9 yeast cell wall mutant and wild type yeast strain were investigated in the digestive tract of brine shrimp nauplii, Artemia franciscana, after experimental infection with V.

Bacterial host interaction of GFP-labelled Vibrio anguillarum HI-610 with gnotobiotic sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (L.), larvae.

The location and cell damage caused by Vibrio anguillarum, the causative agent of classical vibriosis, within the developing gut of the newly hatched sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (L.), is unknown. A gnotobiotic sea bass model was used to investigate the early interactions of V.

Stereology and computer assisted three-dimensional reconstruction as tools to study probiotic effects of Aeromonas hydrophila on the digestive tract of germ-free Artemia franciscana nauplii.

Aims: Validation of stereology and three-dimensional reconstruction for monitoring the probiotic effect of Aeromonas hydrophila on the gut development of germ-free Artemia franciscana nauplii.

Methods And Results: Germ-free Artemia nauplii were cultured using Baker's yeast and dead Aer. hydrophila.

The hph-1 mouse: a model for dominantly inherited GTP-cyclohydrolase deficiency.

Dominantly inherited guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-cyclohydrolase deficiency, otherwise known as Segawa's disease or dopa-responsive dystonia, has a wide spectrum of phenotypic expression ranging from asymptomatic to very severe. Penetrance is more frequent in women as compared with men, and there is a variable occurrence of diurnal variation in symptom intensity. Biochemical characterization of the disease has demonstrated lower cerebrospinal fluid levels of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), neopterin, and homovanillic acid and low levels of tyrosine hydroxylase protein in the striatum.