Discovery of NP3-253, a Potent Brain Penetrant Inhibitor of the NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in response to danger signals is a key innate immune mechanism and results in the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) as well as pyroptotic cell death. Aberrant NLRP3 activation has been linked to many acute and chronic conditions ranging from atherosclerosis to Alzheimer's disease and cancer, and based on the clinical success of IL-1-targeting therapies, NLRP3 has emerged as an attractive therapeutic target. Herein we describe our discovery, characterization, and structure-based optimization of a pyridazine-based series of NLRP3 inhibitors initiating from an high-throughput screening campaign.

First-In-Human Rapid Removal of Circulating Tumor Cells in Solid Metastatic Neoplasia by Microbind Affinity Blood Filter.

Introduction: We conducted a first-in-human trial evaluating safety and the potential for combined pathogen and circulating tumor cell (CTC) removal in patients with solid metastatic cancers.

Methods: The Seraph procedure was performed at a hemodialysis clinic on 10 consecutive patients with metastatic cancer whose liquid biopsy was positive for the epithelial cell adhesion molecule. All the patients exerted positive bacterial or fungal isolates.

Trends in Melanoma Mortality in Serbia: A 22-Year Population-Based Study.

Background: We aimed to investigating the sex-specific and age-specific melanoma mortality trends observed on the territory of Serbia between 2000 and 2021.

Methods: This population-based study used data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia database during the period 2000-2021. The calculation of the gender and age-standardized rates (ASR) was performed.

The impact of sociodemographic and health aspects on cognitive performance in the older adult population in the republic of Serbia.

The aim of this study was to investigate how sociodemographic and health factors contribute cognitive abilities in the older population of the Republic of Serbia, using data from the 2019 national health survey. The study included 3,743 participants, of whom 2,061 (55.1%) were women and 1,682 (44.

Rodent Gut Bacteria Coexisting with an Insect Gut Virus in Tapeworm Parasitic Cysts: Metagenomic Evidence of Microbial Selection in Extra-Intestinal Clinical Niches.

In medicine, parasitic cysts (e.g., brain cysticerci) are believed to be sterile, and are primarily treated with antiparasitic medications, not antibiotics, which could prevent abscess formation and localized inflammation.

Effectiveness of Chemical Sanitizers against Typhimurium in Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Hydroponic Systems: Implications for Food Safety, Crop Quality, and Nutrient Content in Leafy Greens.

Hydroponic farming systems play an increasingly important role in the sustainable production of nutrient-rich foods. The contamination of surfaces in hydroponic fresh produce production poses risks to the food safety of crops, potentially endangering public health and causing economic losses in the industry. While sanitizers are widely used in commercial hydroponic farms, their effectiveness against human pathogens on surfaces and their impact on plant health and quality are not known.

Women's trust in the healthcare system in Serbia: Validation of the Women's Trust and Confidence in Healthcare System scale.

Background: Women's role as patients is associated with power relationships embedded in society. Although trust in the health care system is a general prerequisite for positive health outcomes, practices regarding women's agency in healthcare systems in Southeastern Europe reinforce women's passivity. Most of the current psychological measures of trust have been constructed and validated in "WEIRD" (samples that are drawn from populations that are White, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) countries, thus having a limited application in other social contexts.

Design Principles and Routes for Calcium Alkoxyaluminate Electrolytes.

Multivalent-ion battery technologies are increasingly attractive options for meeting diverse energy storage needs. Calcium ion batteries (CIB) are particularly appealing candidates for their earthly abundance, high theoretical volumetric energy density, and relative safety advantages. At present, only a few Ca-ion electrolyte systems are reported to reversibly plate at room temperature: for example, aluminates and borates, including Ca[TPFA], where [TPFA] = [Al(OC(CF))] and Ca[B(hfip)], [B(hfip)] = [B(OCH(CF))].

Effect of special types of bread with select herbal components on postprandial glucose levels in diabetic patients.

Background: Nutrition recommendations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are to consume rye or integral bread instead of white bread. A positive effect on glucoregulation has been achieved by enriching food with various biologically active substances of herbal origin, so we formulated an herbal mixture that can be used as a supplement for a special type of bread (STB) to achieve better effects on postprandial glucose and insulin levels in patients with T2DM.

Aim: To compare organoleptic characteristics and effects of two types of bread on postprandial glucose and insulin levels in T2DM patients.

Rodent Gut Bacteria Coexisting with an Insect Gut Virus in Parasitic Cysts: Metagenomic Evidence of Microbial Translocation and Co-adaptation in Spatially-Confined Niches.

In medicine, parasitic cysts or cysticerci (fluid-filled cysts, larval stage of tapeworms) are believed to be sterile (no bacteria), and therein, the treatment of cysticerci infestations of deep extra-intestinal tissues (, brain) relies almost exclusively on the use of antiparasitic medications, and rarely antibiotics. To date, however, it is unclear why common post-treatment complications include abscessation. This study quantified the microbial composition of parasitic cyst contents in a higher-order rodent host, using multi-kingdom shotgun metagenomics, to improve our understanding of gut microbial translocation and adaptation strategies in wild environments.

Secondary vs. primary pituitary xanthogranulomas: which yellow is more mellow?

Pituitary xanthogranulomatomas (XG) are a rare pathological entity caused by accumulation of lipid laden macrophages and reactive granuloma formation usually triggered by cystic fluid leakage or hemorrhage. Our aim was to compare clinical characteristics and presenting features of patients with secondary etiology of XG and those with no identifiable founding lesion (primary -"pure" XG) in order to gain new insights into this rare pituitary pathology. In a retrospective review of 714 patients operated for sellar masses, at tertiary center, we identified 16 (2.

Effect of Antisolvent Additives in Aqueous Zinc Sulfate Electrolytes for Zinc Metal Anodes: The Case of Acetonitrile.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) employing zinc metal anodes are gaining traction as batteries for moderate to long duration energy storage at scale. However, corrosion of the zinc metal anode through reaction with water limits battery efficiency. Much research in the past few years has focused on additives that decrease hydrogen evolution, but the precise mechanisms by which this takes place are often understudied and remain unclear.

Discovery of Potent, Orally Bioavailable, Tricyclic NLRP3 Inhibitors.

NLRP3 is a molecular sensor recognizing a wide range of danger signals. Its activation leads to the assembly of an inflammasome that allows for activation of caspase-1 and subsequent maturation of IL-1β and IL-18, as well as cleavage of Gasdermin-d and pyroptotic cell death. The NLRP3 inflammasome has been implicated in a plethora of diseases including gout, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer.

RIGA: Rotation-Invariant and Globally-Aware Descriptors for Point Cloud Registration.

Successful point cloud registration relies on accurate correspondences established upon powerful descriptors. However, existing neural descriptors either leverage a rotation-variant backbone whose performance declines under large rotations, or encode local geometry that is less distinctive. To address this issue, we introduce RIGA to learn descriptors that are Rotation-Invariant by design and Globally-Aware.

Mixed-Anion Contact Ion-Pair Formation Enabling Improved Performance of Halide-Free Mg-Ion Electrolytes.

Discovery of stable and efficient electrolytes that are compatible with magnesium metal anodes and high-voltage cathodes is crucial to enabling energy storage technologies that can move beyond existing Li-ion systems. Many promising electrolytes for magnesium anodes have been proposed with chloride-based systems at the forefront; however, Cl-containing electrolytes lack the oxidative stability required by high-voltage cathodes. In this work, we report magnesium trifluoromethanesulfonate (triflate) as a viable coanion for Cl-free, mixed-anion magnesium electrolytes.

Psychological Factors of Vaccination Intent among Healthcare Providers, Parents, and Laypeople.

The interrelatedness of social-structural aspects and psychological features with vaccination intention provides the context to explore personal psychological features related to vaccination. Specifically, we focused on general decision making and vaccine-related dispositions, and their contribution to the intention to vaccinate, within post-pandemic circumstances, after the imposed possibility of choosing a vaccine brand. Our study aimed to map the function (promotive, protective, risk, vulnerability) of a set of personal psychological aspects in the intention to vaccinate among people holding different social roles regarding the vaccination.

Dietetics Student Perceptions of Food Safety Communication to Vulnerable Populations: An International Study.

Registered dietitians can play an important role in delivering food safety information to vulnerable population groups. Although dietetic students are reported to perceive food safety to be important for vulnerable population groups, little is known regarding their attitudes toward their role in the delivery of food safety information. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine and evaluate the perceptions of dietetic students regarding their role in food safety communication to vulnerable populations from three international institutions.

Cultivating Food Safety Together: Insights About the Future of Produce Safety in the U.S. Controlled Environment Agriculture Sector.

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is a rapidly growing sector that presents unique challenges and opportunities in ensuring food safety. This manuscript highlights critical gaps and needs to promote food safety in CEA systems as identified by stakeholders (n=47) at the Strategizing to Advance Future Extension andResearch (S.A.

Digital Staining of White Blood Cells With Confidence Estimation.

Chemical staining of the blood smears is one of the crucial components of blood analysis. It is an expensive, lengthy and sensitive process, often prone to produce slight variations in colour and seen structures due to a lack of unified protocols across laboratories. Even though the current developments in deep generative modeling offer an opportunity to replace the chemical process with a digital one, there are specific safety-ensuring requirements due to the severe consequences of mistakes in a medical setting.

Ubiquitous Superconducting Diode Effect in Superconductor Thin Films.

The macroscopic coherence in superconductors supports dissipationless supercurrents that could play a central role in emerging quantum technologies. Accomplishing unequal supercurrents in the forward and backward directions would enable unprecedented functionalities. This nonreciprocity of critical supercurrents is called the superconducting (SC) diode effect.

Porous Mullite Ceramic Modification with Nano-WO.

Mullite and mullite-alumina ceramics materials with dominance of the mullite phase are used in different areas of technology and materials science. Porous mullite ceramics materials can be used simultaneously as refractory heat insulators and also as materials for constructional elements. The purpose of this work was to investigate the WO nanoparticle influence on the evolution of the aluminum tungstate and zircon crystalline phases in mullite ceramics due to stabilization effects caused by different microsize ZrO and WO.

Motives and attitudes of parents toward HPV vaccination: Results from the initial period of HPV vaccine rollout in Serbia.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the most common viral infections in sexually active population worldwide, and is the main cause of cervical cancer, which is the fourth most common cancer among women. Serbia ranks third in incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer in Europe. We conducted a cross-sectional study considering parents' motivation for the HPV vaccination of their children.

Photoelectrochemical water oxidation by a MOF/semiconductor composite.

Artificial photosynthesis is one of the most promising forms of renewable fuel production, due to the abundance of water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight. However, the water oxidation reaction remains a significant bottleneck due to the high thermodynamic and kinetic requirements of the four-electron process. While significant work has been done on the development of catalysts for water splitting, many of the catalysts reported to date operate at high overpotentials or with the use of sacrificial oxidants to drive the reaction.

GeoTransformer: Fast and Robust Point Cloud Registration With Geometric Transformer.

We study the problem of extracting accurate correspondences for point cloud registration. Recent keypoint-free methods have shown great potential through bypassing the detection of repeatable keypoints which is difficult to do especially in low-overlap scenarios. They seek correspondences over downsampled superpoints, which are then propagated to dense points.

Robotic automation and unsupervised cluster assisted modeling for solving the forward and reverse design problem of paper airplanes.

Although often regarded a childhood toy, the design of paper airplanes is subtly complex. The design space and mapping from geometry to distance flown is highly nonlinear and probabilistic where a single airplane design exhibits a multitude of trajectory forms and flight distances. This makes optimization and understanding of their behavior challenging for humans.