Phytochemical-based nanosystems: recent advances and emerging application in antiviral photodynamic therapy.

Phytochemicals are typically natural bioactive compounds or metabolites produced by plants. Phytochemical-loaded nanocarrier systems, designed to overcome bioavailability limitations and enhance therapeutic effects, have garnered significant attention in recent years. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has intensified interest in the therapeutic application of phytochemicals to combat viral infections.

Validation of the advance care planning engagement survey in Singapore.

Background: Singapore has an ageing population. End-of-life care and advance care planning are becoming increasingly important. To assess advance care planning engagement, valid tools are required.

Temporal patterns in Malaysian rainforest soundscapes demonstrated using acoustic indices and deep embeddings trained on time-of-day estimationa).

Rapid urban development impacts the integrity of tropical ecosystems on broad spatiotemporal scales. However, sustained long-term monitoring poses significant challenges, particularly in tropical regions. In this context, ecoacoustics emerges as a promising approach to address this gap.

Type I IFN induces long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 to generate a phosphatidic acid reservoir for lipotoxic saturated fatty acids.

Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1) catalyzes the conversion of long-chain fatty acids to acyl-CoAs. ACSL1 is required for β-oxidation in tissues that rely on fatty acids as fuel, but no consensus exists on why ACSL1 is induced by inflammatory mediators in immune cells. We used a comprehensive and unbiased approach to investigate the role of ACSL1 induction by interferon type I (IFN-I) in myeloid cells in vitro and in a mouse model of IFN-I overproduction.

Use of the Consumer Health Literacy Quotient to Quantify and Explore Self-Care Readiness Among Consumers in Four Asia-Pacific Countries.

Background/objectives: Self-care has great potential to benefit consumers and health systems, but its mainstream adoption is hindered by a systemic lack of consumer health literacy (HL). Published data on consumer awareness of self-care and HL are limited for regions in Asia, and are needed to develop interventions to enhance HL and self-care for diverse populations in this region. The aim of this research was to describe and analyze patterns of HL and awareness of self-care among consumers in Asia.

Preparation for practice: What are students learning for?

Background: Junior doctors often feel inadequately prepared for clinical practice. Current approaches to optimising the pre-clinical to clinical transition generally overlook intrinsic factors, yet motivation and emotional engagement are likely to be important in building clinical competence. To address this gap, we explored the attitudes of medical undergraduates and clinicians towards learning and how these attitudes seemed to affect learning motivation.

Hypertension Severity as Quantified by Hypertension Daily Dose and Blood Pressure With Risk of Stroke in REGARDS.

Background: It is unknown how blood pressure (BP) relates to stroke risk across levels of hypertension daily dose (HDD)-quantified antihypertensive medication intensity.

Methods And Results: The REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study enrolled 30 239 participants from the 48 contiguous US states in 2003 to 2007 with in-person follow-up in 2013 to 2016 (Visit 2). We included those without prior stroke at Visit 2, treating this visit as T.

A General Approach to Activate Second-Scale Room Temperature Photoluminescence in Organic Small Molecules.

Organic small molecules that exhibit second-scale phosphorescence at room temperature are of interest for potential applications in sensing, anticounterfeiting, and bioimaging. However, such materials systems are uncommon-requiring millisecond to second-scale triplet lifetimes, efficient intersystem crossing, and slow rates of nonradiative recombination. Here, a simple and scalable approach is demonstrated to activate long-lived phosphorescence in a wide variety of molecules by suspending them in rigid polymer hosts and annealing them above the polymer's glass transition temperature.

Vocal convergence and social proximity shape the calls of the most basal Passeriformes, New Zealand Wrens.

Despite extensive research on avian vocal learning, we still lack a general understanding of how and when this ability evolved in birds. As the closest living relatives of the earliest Passeriformes, the New Zealand wrens (Acanthisitti) hold a key phylogenetic position for furthering our understanding of the evolution of vocal learning because they share a common ancestor with two vocal learners: oscines and parrots. However, the vocal learning abilities of New Zealand wrens remain unexplored.

Quality and production enhancement of fish mint, Thunb., cultivated in a hydroponic planting system with designed plant growth-promoting additives.

Fish mint, Thunb. (HCT) is an edible vegetable that has also been used in traditional folk medicines. As both a medicinal herb and a dietary source, HCT has been clinically proven to be a pivotal ingredient in formulas administered to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms.

Targeting of lysosomal-bound protein mEAK-7 for cancer therapy.

mEAK-7 (mammalian EAK-7 or MTOR-associated protein, eak-7 homolog), is an evolutionarily conserved lysosomal membrane protein that is highly expressed in several cancer cells. Multiple recent studies have identified mEAK-7 as a positive activator of mTOR (mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin) signaling via an alternative mTOR complex, implying that mEAK-7 plays an important role in the promotion of cancer proliferation and migration. In addition, structural analyses investigating interactions between mEAK-7 and V-ATPase, a protein complex responsible for regulating pH homeostasis in cellular compartments, have suggested that mEAK-7 may contribute to V-ATPase-mediated mTORC1 activation.

Antibody targeting of conserved sites of vulnerability on the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain.

Given the continuous emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VoCs), immunotherapeutics that target conserved epitopes on the spike (S) glycoprotein have therapeutic advantages. Here, we report the crystal structure of the SARS-CoV-2 S receptor-binding domain (RBD) at 1.95 Å and describe flexibility and distinct conformations of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-binding site.

Rodent genetically modified models of glaucoma.

Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide, is a complex and heterogenous disease. While environmental factors are important, it is well-recognized that the disease has a strong heritable component. With the advent of large-cohort genome wide association studies, a myriad of genetic risk loci has been linked to different forms of glaucoma.

Evaluating the association of COVID-19 restrictions on discharge planning and post-discharge outcomes in the community hospital and Singapore regional health system.

Objectives: The COVID-19 is a global health issue with widespread impact around the world, and many countries initiated lockdowns as part of their preventive measures. We aim to quantify the duration of delay in discharge to community from Community Hospitals, as well as quantify adverse patient outcomes post discharge pre and during lockdown period.

Design And Methods: We conducted a before-after study comparing the length of stay in Community Hospitals, unscheduled readmissions or Emergency Department attendance, patients' quality of life using EQ5D-5l, number and severity of falls, in patients admitted and discharged before and during lockdown period.

Electrospray alginate microgels co-encapsulating degraded Konjac glucomannan and quercetin modulate human gut microbiota in vitro.

Alginate microgels co-encapsulating degraded Konjac glucomannan (KGM60) underwent in vitro fecal fermentation and their effects on human microbiota and metabolites were investigated. KGM60 delayed quercetin release and enhanced phenolic metabolites production. Microgels co-encapsulating KGM60 and quercetin increased linear short chain fatty acid but decreased branched chain fatty acid production.

Medicinal benefits, biological, and nanoencapsulation functions of riboflavin with its toxicity profile: A narrative review.

Riboflavin is a precursor of the essential coenzymes flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide. Both possess antioxidant properties and are involved in oxidation-reduction reactions, which have a significant impact on energy metabolism. Also, the coenzymes participate in metabolism of pyridoxine, niacin, folate, and iron.

Coencapsulation of Gemcitabine and Thymoquinone in Citrem-Phosphatidylcholine Hexosome Nanocarriers Improves In Vitro Cellular Uptake in Breast Cancer Cells.

Lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoassemblies (LLCNs) are internally self-assembled (ISA)-somes formed by amphiphilic molecules in a mixture comprising a lipid, stabilizer, and/or surfactant and aqueous media/dispersant. LLCNs are unique nanoassemblies with versatile applications in a wide range of biomedical functions. However, they comprise a nanosystem that is yet to be fully explored for targeted systemic treatment of breast cancer.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with psoriatic arthritis among patients with psoriasis.

Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic, autoimmune inflammatory arthritis that occurs with psoriasis and has profound impact on patients' physical and psychological well-being. This study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with psoriatic arthritis among patients with psoriasis.

Methods: A single-center, cross-sectional study was conducted over a 12-month period at the Dermatology Clinic, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia involving all consecutive psoriasis patients.

Thin-Film Organic Heteroepitaxy.

Incorporating crystalline organic semiconductors into electronic devices requires understanding of heteroepitaxy given the ubiquity of heterojunctions in these devices. However, while rules for commensurate epitaxy of covalent or ionic inorganic material systems are known to be dictated by lattice matching constraints, rules for heteroepitaxy of molecular systems are still being written. Here, it is found that lattice matching alone is insufficient to achieve heteroepitaxy in molecular systems, owing to weak intermolecular forces that describe molecular crystals.

Recent Advances in the Development of Liquid Crystalline Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Systems.

Due to their distinctive structural features, lyotropic nonlamellar liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNPs), such as cubosomes and hexosomes, are considered effective drug delivery systems. Cubosomes have a lipid bilayer that makes a membrane lattice with two water channels that are intertwined. Hexosomes are inverse hexagonal phases made of an infinite number of hexagonal lattices that are tightly connected with water channels.