The metabolism of environmental organic chemicals often relies on the catalytic action of specific enzymes at the nanoscale, which is critical for assessing their environmental impact, safety, and efficacy. Hydrolysis is one of the primary metabolic and degradation reaction pathways. Traditionally, hydrolysis product identification has relied on experimental methods that are both time-consuming and costly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBulk metallic glasses (i.e., BMGs) have attracted a lot of research and development interest due to their unique properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries implemented lockdowns and social distancing measures, which may delay the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aims to review the impact of the pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment outcomes of CRC. : Patients who underwent colonoscopy or surgery for CRC were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTesting of candidate monoclonal antibody therapeutics in preclinical models is an essential step in drug development. Identification of antibody therapeutic candidates that bind their human targets and cross-react to mouse orthologs is often challenging, especially for targets with low sequence homology. In such cases, surrogate antibodies that bind mouse orthologs must be used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study experimentally investigates the role of cavitation-induced shock waves in initiating and destabilizing capillary (surface) waves on a droplet surface, preceding atomization. Acoustic emissions and interfacial wave dynamics were simultaneously monitored in droplets of different liquids (water, isopropyl alcohol and glycerol), using a calibrated fiber-optic hydrophone and high-speed imaging. Spectral analysis of the hydrophone data revealed distinct subharmonic frequency peaks in the acoustic spectrum correlated with the wavelength of capillary waves, which were optically captured during the onset of atomization from the repetitive imploding bubbles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnnu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol
January 2025
Although human genetics has substantial potential to illuminate novel disease pathways and facilitate drug development, identifying causal variants and deciphering their mechanisms remain challenging. We believe these challenges can be addressed, in part, by creatively repurposing the results of molecular trait genome-wide association studies (GWASs). In this review, we introduce techniques related to molecular GWASs and unconventionally apply them to understanding , a human coronary artery disease risk locus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSignal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) gene mutations have broad clinical phenotypes, classified by the inheritance pattern and functional state. Individuals with autosomal dominant STAT1 deficiency are more susceptible to intracellular bacteria, the hallmark of which is Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMDs) that are associated with increased risks of invasive disease by weakly virulent mycobacteria. We report a novel heterozygous missense mutation in exon 23 of the STAT1 gene (NM_007315.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this study is to address the unanswered question whether sustained supersaturation generated from amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) formulated in insoluble hydrogel carriers will result in better bioavailability over that of spring-and-parachute type of dissolution profiles of ASDs formulated in water-soluble carriers. This was achieved by investigating the effects of supersaturation generation rates and doses on the extent of absorption (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Delayed responses are a common yet often overlooked aspect of participant compliance in ecological momentary assessment (EMA) research. This study investigated whether response delays introduce selection bias in the moments captured by EMA.
Methods: Participants ( = 339) self-reported their physical activity behaviors using EMA five times a day over 7 days while wearing a continuous physical activity monitor.
The growing availability of pre-trained polygenic risk score (PRS) models has enabled their integration into real-world applications, reducing the need for extensive data labeling, training, and calibration. However, selecting the most suitable PRS model for a specific target population remains challenging, due to issues such as limited transferability, data het-erogeneity, and the scarcity of observed phenotype in real-world settings. Ensemble learning offers a promising avenue to enhance the predictive accuracy of genetic risk assessments, but most existing methods often rely on observed phenotype data or additional genome-wide association studies (GWAS) from the target population to optimize ensemble weights, limiting their utility in real-time implementation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe regulation of PKC epsilon (PKCepsilon) and its downstream effects is still not fully understood, making it challenging to develop targeted therapies or interventions. A more precise tool that enables spatiotemporal control of PKCepsilon activity is thus required. Here, we describe a photo-activatable optogenetic PKCepsilon probe (Opto-PKCepsilon) consisting of an engineered PKCepsilon catalytic domain and a blue-light inducible dimerization domain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn 8-week regimen of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is recommended for treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). In alignment with the Taiwanese government's objective to eliminate hepatitis C by 2025, this study aimed to provide real-world evidence on the use of this regimen in treatment-naïve patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) by using data from the Taiwan Association for the Study of the Liver HCV Registry (TACR). CKD was defined by an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <60 mL/min/1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vaccination against HPV is an effective strategy for the prevention of HPV infection and cervical cancer. Nevertheless, the HPV vaccine uptake rate is low among ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. This study sought to assess the feasibility and acceptability of motivational interviewing among South Asian mother-daughter dyads and to preliminarily examine its effects on knowledge of HPV infection and vaccination, health beliefs, intention to have the daughters vaccinated, and initiation and completion of HPV vaccine series.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunoglobulin A (IgA), the most abundantly produced antibody at mucosal surfaces, is thought to play key roles in immune responses to respiratory and enteric pathogens and in the regulation of commensal colonization. Low IgA levels have been associated with recurrent infections and immune dysregulation, including inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmunity. Levels of IgA in maternal breast milk and infant stool are both inversely associated with the emergence of immune responses to food antigens in infants and, in naturally resolving food sensitivity and immunotherapy protocols, the induction of IgA antibodies to dietary antigens has been associated with the acquisition of food tolerance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRegeneration of the injured endometrium, particularly the functional layer, is crucial for the prevention of uterine infertility. At present, clinical treatment using sodium hyaluronate hydrogel injection is limited by its relatively low fluidity, short-term retention, and insufficient bioactive ingredients, so it is necessary to develop an advanced healing-promoting hydrogel. The modulation of the microenvironment by presents a bioactive component that can facilitate the regeneration of the functional layer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) is a chronic debilitating condition predominantly affecting young men. Laser hair depilation is an established adjunct to surgical treatment for PSD and can lead to reduced rates of recurrence, and post-surgical interventions.This study aimed to assess the outcome of laser hair depilation therapy on disease progression in pilonidal sinus disease patients at the Birmingham Skin Regional Laser Centre.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecular recognition events between proteins drive biological processes in living systems. However, higher levels of mechanistic regulation have emerged, in which protein-protein interactions are conditioned to small molecules. Despite recent advances, computational tools for the design of new chemically induced protein interactions have remained a challenging task for the field.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To assess the effectiveness of split-thickness amniotic membrane (SAM) grafts in achieving closure of refractory or large macular holes (MH).
Methods: This retrospective study reviewed data from patients who underwent surgical repair of MHs using SAM grafts between January 2019 and December 2023. Key parameters, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and MH size, were evaluated both preoperatively and postoperatively.
Background: Right ventricular restrictive physiology (RVRP) is a common occurrence in repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). The relationship of RVRP with biventricular blood flow components and kinetic energy (KE) from 4-dimensional (4D) flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is unclear.
Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of 4D flow CMR parameters with RVRP in rTOF patients.
J Microbiol Immunol Infect
January 2025
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common pathogen for young children hospitalized with bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Most infections occur below 1 year of age. RSV is also a significant viral pathogen for adults with respiratory tract infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe health benefits of oats, particularly their enhanced nutritional and bioactive properties when sprouted, are well-documented. However, changes in steroidal saponins during germination and false germination are lacking. This study explored the influence of various temperatures (20, 25, and 30 °C) and durations (1, 3, 5, and 7 days) on the steroidal saponin profiles in both germinated and false-germinated oats and assessed their anti-inflammatory activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground & Aims: Body composition is an objective assessment reflecting nutritional status and is highly gender different. Surgical resection, the standard treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is an energy-consuming major operation that would affect body composition. However, the impacts of body composition on the post-operative prognosis of HCC are still uncertain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhile hematochezia is common in Crohn's disease (CD), severe gastrointestinal hemorrhage causing hemodynamic instability is rare. Strictures, another frequent complication, usually cause obstructive symptoms. We report the first case of hemorrhagic shock from ulcerated ileal strictures as the initial presentation of CD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnterovirus A71 (EV-A71) has caused hand, foot, and mouth disease with an increased prevalence of neurological complications and acute mortality, threatening young children around the globe. By provoking mucosal immunity, intranasal vaccination has been suggested to prevent EV-A71 infection. However, antigens delivered via the nasal route usually fail to induce a protective memory response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Accumulating pediatric efficacy and safety data on drug use is inherently challenging yet essential. This study aimed to analyze the frequency and compute the odds of pediatric drug-associated liver injury across age groups (early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence) and therapeutic categories using adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reporting data spanning nearly two decades.
Methods: We analyzed the reports of suspected ADRs occurring in children and adolescents in the Taiwan National Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting System during the period from May 1998 until July 2017.