Baseline gene expression in BALB/c and C57BL/6 peritoneal macrophages influences but does not dictate their functional phenotypes.

Macrophages are effector cells of the immune system and essential modulators of immune responses. Different functional phenotypes of macrophages with specific roles in the response to stimuli have been described. The C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse strains tend to selectively display distinct macrophage activation states in response to pathogens, namely, the M1 and M2 phenotypes, respectively.

Exploring Gluconamide-Modified Silica Nanoparticles of Different Sizes as Effective Carriers for Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a consequence of the ability of microorganisms, especially bacteria, to develop resistance against conventional antibiotics, hampering the treatment of common infections, is recognized as one of the most imperative health threats of this century. Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has emerged as a promising alternative strategy, utilizing photosensitizers activated by light to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that kill pathogens without inducing resistance. In this work, we synthesized silica nanoparticles (NPs) of different sizes (20 nm, 80 nm, and 250 nm) functionalized with the photosensitizer Rose Bengal (RB) and a gluconamide ligand, which targets Gram-negative bacteria, to assess their potential in aPDT.

Machine-Learning-Based Spectral Modeling: A Biomimetic Guide for Enhancing Esthetics.

Objective: To provide guidelines and means for optimal coverage and distribution of computer models with 1-10 clusters, designed based on an in vivo extensive dental colorimetric database and compare the findings with some reputable shade guides.

Materials And Methods: The Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) algorithm was used to optimize the tab position in the CIELAB color space, while MATLAB Fuzzy Logic was used to implement the codes. A minimization process was performed to fine-tune the cluster centers, minimizing Coverage Error (CE) and Maximum Error (ME).

Modified Landauer Principle According to Tsallis Entropy.

The Landauer principle establishes a lower bound in the amount of energy that should be dissipated in the erasure of one bit of information. The specific value of this dissipated energy is tightly related to the definition of entropy. In this article, we present a generalization of the Landauer principle based on the Tsallis entropy.

Bovine brucellosis in dual-purpose cattle herds and its potential economic impact in the Colombian Caribbean region.

Bovine brucellosis (BB) is a cosmopolitan zoonotic disease caused by certain bacteria of the genus Brucella. It has negative health implications for the cattle, economic implications for the owners and is present in numerous cattle and wildlife populations worldwide. To determine the seroprevalence of BB in dual-purpose herds and assess its impact in the southern part of the Department of Atlántico, northern Colombia.

GPCRdb in 2025: adding odorant receptors, data mapper, structure similarity search and models of physiological ligand complexes.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are membrane-spanning transducers mediating the actions of numerous physiological ligands and drugs. The GPCR database GPCRdb supports a large global research community with reference data, analysis, visualization, experiment design and dissemination. Here, we describe our sixth major GPCRdb release starting with an overview of all resources for receptors and ligands.

Color Ranges and Distribution of Human Teeth: A Prospective Clinical Study.

Introduction: This study investigated the in vivo color range of human teeth using a research-grade noncontact spectroradiometer, analyzing the effects of gender, age, ethnicity, and lifestyle factors, including diet, smoking, and oral hygiene.

Materials And Methods: A total of 1004 participants were recruited at two research sites and stratified by gender, age, and ethnicity, and data on their dietary and oral habits were collected. Noninvasive color measurements of an upper central incisor were performed using a spectroradiometer and a fiber-coupled Xe-Arc light source.

H3K9me3 demethylation by JMJD2B is regulated by pirfenidone resulting in improved NASH.

NASH is characterized by hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation; and JMJD2B-a histone demethylase-upregulation has been linked to its progression. Pirfenidone (PFD) is an antifibrotic agent with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects recognized to decrease NASH symptoms. Herein, our aim was to investigate PFD-induced epigenetics mechanisms involving JMJD2B and histone modifications in experimental NASH.

Purification and characterization of α-fucosidase from Dichostereum sordulentum 1488.

Biological glycans mediate several physiological processes, thus altered glycosylation patterns can lead to different diseases such as autoimmune, infectious, chronic anti-inflammatory diseases, or even cancer. In fact, alterations in fucosylation in either N- or O-glycans are among the most frequent changes in glycosylation patterns associated with cancer. Therefore, elucidation of the role of glycoconjugate glycans is essential for understanding the development of pathologies where they are involved.

Physics-informed neural networks for biopharmaceutical cultivation processes: Consideration of varying process parameter settings.

We present a new modeling approach for the study and prediction of important process outcomes of biotechnological cultivation processes under the influence of process parameter variations. Our model is based on physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) in combination with kinetic growth equations. Using Taylor series, multivariate external process parameter variations for important variables such as temperature, seeding cell density and feeding rates can be integrated into the corresponding kinetic rates and the governing growth equations.

Electrosynthesis of dimeric butenolides by C-C-homocoupling in the oxidation of 2,4-diarylfurans under aqueous conditions.

Fast and efficient galvanostatic conversion of 2,4-diarylfurans into dimeric furan-2(5)-ones is now possible in one pot and good yields at room temperature in sustainable aqueous organic solvent. Recent applications of these highly desired structures demand our attention since they are a versatile alternative to acrylates in polymerization to achieve green materials. The reaction mechanism proposal, supported by density functional theory (DFT) theoretical calculations, involves furanoxy radicals, detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), as the last intermediate before a homocoupling step that affords butenolides.

Exploring the CIEDE2000 thresholds for lightness, chroma, and hue differences in dentistry.

Objective: To evaluate the perceptibility and acceptability CIEDE2000 (K:K:K) thresholds for lightness, chroma and hue differences in dentistry.

Method: A Python-based program was developed to conduct a psychophysical experiment based on visual assessments of computer-simulated images of human teeth. The experiment was performed on a calibrated display.

Genomic landscape of early-stage prostate adenocarcinoma in Mexican patients: an exploratory study.

Background: Health disparities have been highlighted among patient with prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) due to ethnicity. Mexican men present a more aggressive disease than other patients resulting in less favorable treatment outcome. We aimed to identify the mutational landscape which could help to reduce the health disparities among minority groups and generate the first genomics exploratory study of PRAD in Mexican patients.

Trypanosoma spp. infection in urban and wild ecotopes of the caribbean region in Colombia.

Motivation for the study. The role of bats as hosts of Trypanosoma spp. in the Atlantic department in Colombia, as well as its taxonomic diversity has been poorly studied.

Adherence to low tidal volume in the transition to spontaneous ventilation in patients with acute respiratory failure in intensive care units in Latin America (SPIRAL): a study protocol.

Objective: Patients with acute respiratory failure often require mechanical ventilation to reduce the work of breathing and improve gas exchange; however, this may exacerbate lung injury. Protective ventilation strategies, characterized by low tidal volumes (≤ 8mL/kg of predicted body weight) and limited plateau pressure below 30cmH2O, have shown improved outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, in the transition to spontaneous ventilation, it can be challenging to maintain tidal volume within protective levels, and it is unclear whether low tidal volumes during spontaneous ventilation impact patient outcomes.

The Expression Profiles of lncRNAs Are Associated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Resistance in Locally Advanced, Luminal B-Type Breast Cancer.

lncRNAs are noncoding transcripts with tissue and cancer specificity. Particularly, in breast cancer, lncRNAs exhibit subtype-specific expression; they are particularly upregulated in luminal tumors. However, no gene signature-based laboratory tests have been developed for luminal breast cancer identification or the differential diagnosis of luminal tumors, since no luminal A- or B-specific genes have been identified.

Comparative analysis of optical and numerical models for reflectance and color prediction of monolithic dental resin composites with varying thicknesses.

Objective: To assess the prediction accuracy of recent optical and numerical models for the spectral reflectance and color of monolithic samples of dental materials with different thicknesses.

Methods: Samples of dental resin composites of Aura Easy Flow (Ae1, Ae3 and Ae4 shades) and Estelite Universal Flow Super Low (A1, A2, A3, A3.5, A4 and A5 shades) with thicknesses between 0.

Phlebotomine (Diptera: Psychodidae) species and their blood meal sources in a new leishmaniasis focus in Los Montes de María, Bolívar, in northern Colombia.

Introduction. El Alférez, a village in Los Montes de María (Bolívar, Colombia) and a macro-focus of leishmaniasis, recorded its first case in 2018, evidencing changes in the distribution and eco-epidemiology of the disease, although interactions between vectors and local fauna remain unknown. Objective.

Risk factors for COVID-19 and their association with mortality in Ecuadorian patients admitted to the ICU: A retrospective cohort multicentric study.

Several risk factors were associated with mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in intensive care units (ICU). We assessed the effect of risk factors related to the characteristics and clinical history of the population, laboratory test results, drug management, and type of ventilation on the probability of survival/discharge from the ICU. A retrospective cohort multicentric study of adults with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU between March 2020 and December 2021.

Exploring Synthesis Strategies and Interactions between MOFs and Drugs for Controlled Drug Loading and Release, Characterizing Interactions through Advanced Techniques.

This study explores various aspects of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), focusing on synthesis techniques to adjust pore size and key ligands and metals for crafting carrier MOFs. It investigates MOF-drug interactions, including hydrogen bonding, van der Waals, and electrostatic interactions, along with kinetic studies. The multifaceted applications of MOFs in drug delivery systems are elucidated.

Parasitic Contamination of Soil in the Southern United States.

Parasites are generally associated with lower income countries in tropical and subtropical areas. Still, they are also prevalent in low-income communities in the southern United States. Studies characterizing the epidemiology of parasites in the United States are limited, resulting in little comprehensive understanding of the problem.

Radio-miRs: a comprehensive view of radioresistance-related microRNAs.

Radiotherapy is a key treatment option for a wide variety of human tumors, employed either alone or alongside with other therapeutic interventions. Radiotherapy uses high-energy particles to destroy tumor cells, blocking their ability to divide and proliferate. The effectiveness of radiotherapy is due to genetic and epigenetic factors that determine how tumor cells respond to ionizing radiation.