Potential of Bacillus thuringiensis isolates to manage Gonipterus platensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae populations.

The growing expansion of eucalyptus plantations in Brazil and the impact of exotic pests, such as Gonipterus platensis, demand effective, and sustainable biological control strategies. The aim of this study was to assess the pathogenicity of 10 Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) isolates to neonate Gonipterus platensis larvae, commonly known as the eucalyptus weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) with the specific focus of evaluating their potential to manage this pest while preserving its egg parasitoid, Anaphes nitens. To achieve this, the genomic DNA of the 10 Bt isolates was extracted using the thermal lysis method for molecular characterization of their Cry and Vip proteins.

The inflammatory microenvironment of the lung at the time of infection governs innate control of SARS-CoV-2 replication.

Severity of COVID-19 is affected by multiple factors; however, it is not understood how the inflammatory milieu of the lung at the time of SARS-CoV-2 exposure affects the control of viral replication. Here, we demonstrate that immune events in the mouse lung closely preceding SARS-CoV-2 infection affect viral control and identify innate immune pathways that limit viral replication. Pulmonary inflammatory stimuli including resolved, antecedent respiratory infections with or influenza, ongoing pulmonary infection, ovalbumin/alum-induced asthma, or airway administration of TLR ligands and recombinant cytokines all establish an antiviral state in the lung that restricts SARS-CoV-2 replication.

Acid-functionalized PVA composite membranes for pervaporation-assisted esterification.

Composite flat-sheet membranes functionalized with imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) grafted to poly(vinyl alcohol)/glutaraldehyde as a catalytic layer were developed to enhance the esterification between -butanol and acetic acid. The functionalized membranes were produced dip-coating commercial pervaporation membranes, and two distinct Brønsted-acidic ILs with an imidazolium-based cation and different (hydrogen sulfate [HSO] or bromide [Br]) anions were compared. Compact, 12 μm-thick, defect-free catalytic layers were observed on top of the pervaporation membrane supports, and the determined penetration depth of the ILs confirmed their presence in the upper part of the coating.

Targeting IL-1/IRAK1/4 signaling in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells Following Treatment and Relapse.

Therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) face formidable challenges due to relapse, often driven by leukemia stem cells (LSCs). Strategies targeting LSCs hold promise for enhancing outcomes, yet paired comparisons of functionally defined LSCs at diagnosis and relapse remain underexplored. We present transcriptome analyses of functionally defined LSC populations at diagnosis and relapse, revealing significant alterations in IL-1 signaling.

Predicting modular functions and neural coding of behavior from a synaptic wiring diagram.

A long-standing goal in neuroscience is to understand how a circuit's form influences its function. Here, we reconstruct and analyze a synaptic wiring diagram of the larval zebrafish brainstem to predict key functional properties and validate them through comparison with physiological data. We identify modules of strongly connected neurons that turn out to be specialized for different behavioral functions, the control of eye and body movements.

Nile Red Fluorescence: Where's the Twist?

Nile Red is a fluorescent dye used extensively in bioimaging due to its strong solvatochromism. The photophysics underpinning Nile Red's fluorescence has been disputed for decades, with some studies claiming that the dye fluoresces from two excited states and/or that the main emissive state is twisted and intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) in character as opposed to planar ICT (PICT). To resolve these long-standing questions, a combined experimental and theoretical study was used to unravel the mechanism of Nile Red's fluorescence.

H3.3K122A results in a neomorphic phenotype in mouse embryonic stem cells.

Canonical histone H3 and histone variant H3.3 are posttranslationally modified with the genomic distribution of these marks denoting different features and these modifications may influence transcription. While the majority of posttranslational modifications occur on histone tails, there are defined modifications within the globular domain, such as acetylation of H3K122/H3.

Probing photochemical dynamics using electronic vs vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy: The case of the hydrated electron at the water/air interface.

Photo-dynamics can proceed differently at the water/air interface compared to in the respective bulk phases. Second-order non-linear spectroscopy is capable of selectively probing the dynamics of species in such an environment. However, certain conclusions drawn from vibrational and electronic sum-frequency generation spectroscopies do not agree as is the case for the formation and structure of hydrated electrons at the interface.

Understanding MDS stem cells: Advances and limitations.

In work spanning several decades, extensive studies have focused on the properties of malignant stem cells that drive the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, relatively little attention has been devoted to several serious myeloid malignancies that occur prior to the onset of frank leukemia, including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Like leukemia, MDS is hypothesized to arise from a pool of immature malignant stem and progenitor cells (MDS-SCs) that serve as a reservoir for disease evolution and progression.

Multiomic profiling identifies predictors of survival in African American patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Genomic profiles and prognostic biomarkers in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) from ancestry-diverse populations are underexplored. We analyzed the exomes and transcriptomes of 100 patients with AML with genomically confirmed African ancestry (Black; Alliance) and compared their somatic mutation frequencies with those of 323 self-reported white patients with AML, 55% of whom had genomically confirmed European ancestry (white; BeatAML). Here we find that 73% of 162 gene mutations recurrent in Black patients, including a hitherto unreported PHIP alteration detected in 7% of patients, were found in one white patient or not detected.

Occupational support following arthroplasty of the lower limb (OPAL): trial protocol for a UK-wide phase III randomised controlled trial.

Background: In the UK, one in four patients are in work at the time of their hip or knee replacement surgery. These patients receive little support about their return to work (RTW). There is a need for an occupational support intervention that encourages safe and sustained RTW which can be integrated into National Health Service practice.

H3.3K122A results in a neomorphic phenotype in mouse embryonic stem cells.

The histone variant H3.3 acts in coordination with histone posttranslational modifications and other chromatin features to facilitate appropriate transcription. Canonical histone H3 and histone variant H3.

Design, development, and implementation of IsoBank: A centralized repository for isotopic data.

Stable isotope data have made pivotal contributions to nearly every discipline of the physical and natural sciences. As the generation and application of stable isotope data continues to grow exponentially, so does the need for a unifying data repository to improve accessibility and promote collaborative engagement. This paper provides an overview of the design, development, and implementation of IsoBank (www.

Probing the Origin of Affinity in the GM1-Cholera Toxin Complex through Site-Selective Editing with Fluorine.

Carbohydrates regulate an inimitable spectrum of biological functions, yet successfully leveraging this therapeutic avenue continues to be frustrated by low affinities with glycan-specific proteins. A conspicuous exception is the interaction of monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) with the carbohydrate-recognition domain of cholera toxin from : this is one of the strongest protein-carbohydrate interactions known. To establish the importance of a long-discussed key hydrogen bond between C2 of the terminal galactose of GM1 and the B subunit pentamer of cholera toxin (CTB), the total synthesis of a selectively fluorinated GM1 epitope was conducted in 19 steps.

Communications, engagement, and dissemination strategies for the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study.

The HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study, a multi-site prospective longitudinal cohort study, will examine human brain, cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional development beginning prenatally and planned through early childhood. Study success depends on the engagement and inclusion of diverse populations of pregnant participants and their children across the United States, including those at high and low risk for prenatal substance use. The Communications, Engagement, and Dissemination (CED) Committee is responsible for the development and implementation of a strategy to promote awareness about the study, encourage participation, and engage HBCD families, community partners, and collaborators.

FDA-approved cannabidiol [Epidiolex] alleviates Gulf War Illness-linked cognitive and mood dysfunction, hyperalgesia, neuroinflammatory signaling, and declined neurogenesis.

Background: Chronic Gulf War Illness (GWI) is characterized by cognitive and mood impairments, as well as persistent neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of Epidiolex, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved cannabidiol (CBD), in improving brain function in a rat model of chronic GWI.

Methods: Six months after exposure to low doses of GWI-related chemicals [pyridostigmine bromide, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET), and permethrin (PER)] along with moderate stress, rats with chronic GWI were administered either vehicle (VEH) or CBD (20 mg/kg, oral) for 16 weeks.

Predictive Models for Long Term Survival of AML Patients Treated with Venetoclax and Azacitidine or 7+3 Based on Post Treatment Events and Responses: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in older or unfit patients typically involves a regimen of venetoclax plus azacitidine (ven/aza). Toxicity and treatment responses are highly variable following treatment initiation and clinical decision-making continually evolves in response to these as treatment progresses. To improve clinical decision support (CDS) following treatment initiation, predictive models based on evolving and dynamic toxicities, disease responses, and other features should be developed.

Murine kidney transplant outcome is best measured by transdermal glomerular filtration rate.

Mouse kidney transplantation provides a powerful preclinical model for the study of kidney transplant alloimmunity. However, accurate measurement of graft function is difficult because of the inaccuracy of traditional surrogate markers serum creatinine and urea. We report the use of transdermal glomerular filtration rate measurement under the experimental conditions of unilateral nephrectomy and allogeneic kidney transplantation.

The HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study (HBCD): NIH collaboration to understand the impacts of prenatal and early life experiences on brain development.

The human brain undergoes rapid development during the first years of life. Beginning in utero, a wide array of biological, social, and environmental factors can have lasting impacts on brain structure and function. To understand how prenatal and early life experiences alter neurodevelopmental trajectories and shape health outcomes, several NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices collaborated to support and launch the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study.

Lysosomal acid lipase A modulates leukemia stem cell response to venetoclax/tyrosine kinase inhibitor combination therapy in blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia.

The treatment of blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia (bpCML) remains a challenge due, at least in part, to drug resistance of leukemia stem cells (LSC). Recent clinical evidence suggests that the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax in combination with ABL-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitors can eradicate bpCML LSC. In this study, we employed preclinical models of bpCML to investigate the efficacy and underlying mechanism of LSC-targeting with combinations of venetoclax/tyrosine kinase inhibitors.