Pleozymes: Pleiotropic Oxidized Carbon Nanozymes Enhance Cellular Metabolic Flexibility.

Our group has synthesized a pleiotropic synthetic nanozyme redox mediator we term a "pleozyme" that displays multiple enzymatic characteristics, including acting as a superoxide dismutase mimetic, oxidizing NADH to NAD, and oxidizing HS to polysulfides and thiosulfate. Benefits have been seen in acute and chronic neurological disease models. The molecule is sourced from coconut-derived activated charcoal that has undergone harsh oxidization with fuming nitric acid, which alters the structure and chemical characteristics, yielding 3-8 nm discs with broad redox potential.

Harshly Oxidized Activated Charcoal Enhances Protein Persulfidation with Implications for Neurodegeneration as Exemplified by Friedreich's Ataxia.

Harsh acid oxidation of activated charcoal transforms an insoluble carbon-rich source into water-soluble, disc structures of graphene decorated with multiple oxygen-containing functionalities. We term these pleiotropic nano-enzymes as "pleozymes". A broad redox potential spans many crucial redox reactions including the oxidation of hydrogen sulfide (HS) to polysulfides and thiosulfate, dismutation of the superoxide radical (O*), and oxidation of NADH to NAD.

SOD1 Is an Integral Yet Insufficient Oxidizer of Hydrogen Sulfide in Trisomy 21 B Lymphocytes and Can Be Augmented by a Pleiotropic Carbon Nanozyme.

Down syndrome (DS) is a multisystemic disorder that includes accelerated aging caused by trisomy 21. In particular, overexpression of cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS) is linked to excess intracellular hydrogen sulfide (HS), a mitochondrial toxin at higher concentrations, which impairs cellular viability. Concurrent overexpression of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) may increase oxidative stress by generating excess hydrogen peroxide (HO) while also mitigating the toxic HS burden via a non-canonical sulfide-oxidizing mechanism.

Permanent draft genome sequences of cadmium-resistant isolates of from soils within the Tar Creek Superfund site.

Soil samples taken near the abandoned town of Picher, OK, USA, were used to enrich and isolate bacteria in the presence of cadmium. Isolates reported belong to the genus . Here, we report their permanent draft sequences with an emphasis on genes conferring resistance to cadmium.

Application of validated size-exclusion chromatography method for physicochemical characterization of topical gel formulation of deferoxamine conjugated with PEGylated carbon nanoparticles.

The focus of current research work was to develop and validate size-exclusion chromatography method and develop and evaluate gel formulation of deferoxamine conjugated with PEGylated carbon nanoparticles (DEF-PEG-CNP) for topical delivery. Size-exclusion chromatography-based method was validated as per ICH guidelines. Effect of Carbopol® 974P and Transcutol® on the nanoparticles' permeation was studied by 3-level full factorial design of experiment.

Minority Women Undergo Surgical Treatment of Pelvic Organ Prolapse at Similar Rates to Non-minorities in a Hispanic Minority-majority Population: An Analysis of Nearly 1000 Women.

Objective: To assess how race, ethnicity, primary language, clinical and other sociodemographic factors predict surgical treatment for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in a minority-majority Hispanic population.

Methods: We identified patients with POP ICD-10 codes from Oct 2019 to Dec 2022 at our Urogynecology academic practice. Data were collected by chart review.

Nondestructive flash cathode recycling.

Effective recycling of end-of-life Li-ion batteries (LIBs) is essential due to continuous accumulation of battery waste and gradual depletion of battery metal resources. The present closed-loop solutions include destructive conversion to metal compounds, by destroying the entire three-dimensional morphology of the cathode through continuous thermal treatment or harsh wet extraction methods, and direct regeneration by lithium replenishment. Here, we report a solvent- and water-free flash Joule heating (FJH) method combined with magnetic separation to restore fresh cathodes from waste cathodes, followed by solid-state relithiation.

Pulmonary, inflammatory, and oxidative effects of indoor nitrogen dioxide in patients with COPD.

Introduction: Indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO) sources include gas heating, cooking, and infiltration from outdoors. Associations with pulmonary function, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are uncertain.

Methods: We recruited 144 COPD patients at the VA Boston Healthcare System between 2012 and 2017.

Nonsense-mediated decay machinery in is inefficient and non-essential.

Nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) is a conserved mRNA quality control process that eliminates transcripts bearing a premature termination codon. In addition to its role in removing erroneous transcripts, NMD is involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression via programmed intron retention in metazoans. The apicomplexan parasite shows relatively high levels of intron retention, but it is unclear whether these variant transcripts are functional targets of NMD.

Oxidation of Hydrogen Sulfide to Polysulfide and Thiosulfate by a Carbon Nanozyme: Therapeutic Implications with an Emphasis on Down Syndrome.

Hydrogen sulfide (H S) is a noxious, potentially poisonous, but necessary gas produced from sulfur metabolism in humans. In Down Syndrome (DS), the production of H S is elevated and associated with degraded mitochondrial function. Therefore, removing H S from the body as a stable oxide could be an approach to reducing the deleterious effects of H S in DS.

Oxidized Activated Charcoal Nanozymes: Synthesis, and Optimization for In Vitro and In Vivo Bioactivity for Traumatic Brain Injury.

Carbon-based superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic nanozymes have recently been employed as promising antioxidant nanotherapeutics due to their distinct properties. The structural features responsible for the efficacy of these nanomaterials as antioxidants are, however, poorly understood. Here, the process-structure-property-performance properties of coconut-derived oxidized activated charcoal (cOAC) nano-SOD mimetics are studied by analyzing how modifications to the nanomaterial's synthesis impact the size, as well as the elemental and electrochemical properties of the particles.

General practitioners' wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Novel methods with social media data.

Background: It is difficult to engage busy healthcare professionals in research. Yet during the COVID-19 pandemic, gaining their perspectives has never been more important.

Objective: To explore social media data for insights into the wellbeing of UK General Practitioners (GPs) during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chronic exposure to carbon black ultrafine particles reprograms macrophage metabolism and accelerates lung cancer.

Chronic exposure to airborne carbon black ultrafine (nCB) particles generated from incomplete combustion of organic matter drives IL-17A-dependent emphysema. However, whether and how they alter the immune responses to lung cancer remains unknown. Here, we show that exposure to nCB particles increased PD-L1 PD-L2 CD206 antigen-presenting cells (APCs), exhausted T cells, and T cells.

Design, Synthesis, and Physicochemical Studies of Configurationally Stable β-Carboline Atropisomers.

Axially chiral atropisomers have energetic barriers to rotation, Δ, that prevent racemization of the respective enantiomers. We used computational modeling to develop a suite of 10 bio-inspired 1-aryl-β-carbolines with varying Δ, from which a strong structure-activity relationship was observed for 2-substituted-1-naphthyl substituents. We then synthesized two of these atropisomers, and , by a four-step racemic synthesis and resolved the enantiomers via chiral chromatography.

Turbostratic Boron-Carbon-Nitrogen and Boron Nitride by Flash Joule Heating.

Turbostratic layers in 2D materials have an interlayer misalignment. The lack of alignment expands the intrinsic interlayer distances and weakens the optical and electronic interactions between adjacent layers. This introduces properties distinct from those structures with well-aligned lattices and strong coupling interactions.

Advances in Plasmodium research, an update: Highlights from the Malaria in Melbourne 2021 conference.

The Malaria in Melbourne 2021 conference was held online in October. This conference aims to provide a platform for students and early career researchers to share their research and develop new collaborative networks. The program covered a broad range of topics including antimalarial drug development, epidemiology, immunology, molecular and cellular biology, and other emerging technologies.

GP wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.

Background: Doctors' organisations in the UK have reported worrying levels of work-related stress and burnout in the GP workforce for some time, and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented clear new challenges.

Aim: To synthesise international evidence exploring the impact of COVID-19 on primary care doctors' mental health and wellbeing, and identify risk factors associated with their psychological wellbeing during this time.

Design And Setting: Mixed-methods systematic review.

Engineering and characterization of dehalogenase enzymes from in bioremediation of perfluorinated compounds.

Per- and Polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a broad class of synthetic compounds that have fluorine substituted for hydrogen in several or all locations and are globally categorized as PFCs (perfluorochemicals; commonly called fluorinated chemicals). These compounds have unique chemical and physical properties that enable their use in non-stick surfaces, fire-fighting efforts, and as slick coatings. However, recent concerns over the health effects of such compounds, specifically perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOA, PFOS; PFOA/S), have led to increased attention and research by the global community into degradation methods.

Machine Learning Guided Synthesis of Flash Graphene.

Advances in nanoscience have enabled the synthesis of nanomaterials, such as graphene, from low-value or waste materials through flash Joule heating. Though this capability is promising, the complex and entangled variables that govern nanocrystal formation in the Joule heating process remain poorly understood. In this work, machine learning (ML) models are constructed to explore the factors that drive the transformation of amorphous carbon into graphene nanocrystals during flash Joule heating.

C3d Elicits Neutrophil Degranulation and Decreases Endothelial Cell Migration, with Implications for Patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency (AATD) is characterized by increased risk for emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), vasculitis, and wound-healing impairment. Neutrophils play a central role in the pathogenesis of AATD. Dysregulated complement activation in AATD results in increased plasma levels of C3d.

Urban mining by flash Joule heating.

Precious metal recovery from electronic waste, termed urban mining, is important for a circular economy. Present methods for urban mining, mainly smelting and leaching, suffer from lengthy purification processes and negative environmental impacts. Here, a solvent-free and sustainable process by flash Joule heating is disclosed to recover precious metals and remove hazardous heavy metals in electronic waste within one second.