Generating a Peptide Library Using the Repeats of Amino Acid Scaffolds Created by Sliding the Framework of a 7-mer Human Chemerin Segment and Discovery of Potent Antibacterial and Antimycobacterial Peptides.

The quest for new approaches for generating novel bioactive designer proteins/peptides has continued with their success in various biomedical applications. Previously, we designed a 14-mer α-helical peptide with antimicrobial and antimycobacterial activities by employing a tandem repeat of the 7-mer, "KVLGRLV" human chemerin segment. Herein, we devised a new method of "sliding framework" with this segment to create amino acid scaffolds of varying sizes and sequences and explored the design of a peptide library with antibacterial and antimycobacterial activities.

Current Landscape of Compression Products for Treatment of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension.

: Patients with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) or neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH) experience vertigo, confusion, and syncope. Compression garments help reduce venous pooling in these patients, thereby increasing cardiac output. We aimed to determine end-user opinions of compression products intended to alleviate symptoms for POTS and nOH.

Toward Dose Prediction at Point of Design.

Human dose prediction (HDP) is a useful tool for compound optimization in preclinical drug discovery. We describe here our exclusively in silico HDP strategy to triage compound designs for synthesis and experimental profiling. Our goal is a model that provides a preliminary estimate of the dose for a given exposure target based on chemical structure.

Integration of Neural Networks and First-Principles Model for Optimizing l-Lactide Branched Polymerization.

Addressing the growing demand for sustainable materials, this research paves the way for the efficient consumption and sustainable production of branched polylactide (PLA). A novel hybrid modeling approach combines first-principles (FP) model with artificial neural network (ANN) for ring-opening polymerization (ROP). The hybrid ANN, trained with FP model data, demonstrated optimal performance with a hidden layer of 20 neurons, achieving a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.

Travelling Waves in a PDE-ODE Coupled Model of Cellulolytic Biofilms with Nonlinear Diffusion.

We analyze travelling wave (TW) solutions for nonlinear systems consisting of an ODE coupled to a degenerate PDE with a diffusion coefficient that vanishes as the solution tends to zero and blows up as it approaches its maximum value. Stable TW solutions for such systems have previously been observed numerically as well as in biological experiments on the growth of cellulolytic biofilms. In this work, we provide an analytical justification for these observations and prove existence and stability results for TW solutions of such models.

Bioavailability enhancement of formononetin by incorporation of natural bioenhancer in phospholipid complex.

Formononetin (FNT) has limited application due to poor water solubility and substantial phase II metabolism. In the present study, we used phospholipid complex (PC) containing FNT and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT1A1) inhibitor piperine (PIP) to overcome FNT limitations. We characterized and compared both FNT-PC and FNT-PIP-PC complexes.

Liver cancer in 2021: Global burden of disease study.

Background & Aims: The epidemiology of adult primary liver cancer continues to evolve, owing to the increasing prevalence of metabolic disease, rising alcohol consumption, advances in vaccination for HBV, and antiviral therapy for HCV. Disparities in care and the burden of liver cancer between populations persist. We assess trends in the burden of liver cancer and contributions by various etiologies across 204 countries and territories from 2010 to 2021.

An SLC12A9-dependent ion transport mechanism maintains lysosomal osmolarity.

Ammonia is a ubiquitous, toxic by-product of cell metabolism. Its high membrane permeability and proton affinity cause ammonia to accumulate inside acidic lysosomes in its poorly membrane-permeant form: ammonium (NH). Ammonium buildup compromises lysosomal function, suggesting the existence of mechanisms that protect cells from ammonium toxicity.

Comparative Analysis of Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Characterization Among Different Parts of : In Vitro and In Silico Investigation.

The study investigates the antioxidant properties of , focusing on identifying its antioxidant compounds and chemical constituents. We compare antioxidant activities across its root, stem, flower, and leaf and examine the inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating enzymes by the plant's phytocompounds. We conducted a comprehensive analysis that included proximate analysis, mineral content assessment, and in vitro antioxidant characterization of various plant parts-root, stem, flower, and leaf.

Laser Sintering by Spot and Linear Optics for Inkjet-Printed Thin-Film Conductive Silver Patterns with the Focus on Ink-Sets and Process Parameters.

The implementation of the laser sintering for inkjet-printed nanoparticles and metal organic decomposition (MOD) inks on a flexible polymeric film has been analyzed in detail. A novel approach by implementing, next to a commonly 3.2 mm diameter spot laser optic, a line laser optic with a laser beam area of 2 mm × 80 mm, demonstrates the high potential of selective laser sintering to proceed towards a fast and efficient sintering methodology in printed electronics.

ATM1, an essential conserved transporter in Apicomplexa, bridges mitochondrial and cytosolic [Fe-S] biogenesis.

The Apicomplexa phylum encompasses numerous obligate intracellular parasites, some associated with severe implications for human health, including Plasmodium, Cryptosporidium, and Toxoplasma gondii. The iron-sulfur cluster [Fe-S] biogenesis ISC pathway, localized within the mitochondrion or mitosome of these parasites, is vital for parasite survival and development. Previous work on T.

Antenatal Diagnosis of Complete Annular Pancreas With Postnatal Surgical Follow-Up: A Case Report.

Annular pancreas is a rare congenital disorder, which is characterized by partial or complete pancreatic tissue surrounding the second part of the duodenum. It can be diagnosed antenatally on ultrasound. We are reporting a case where a double bubble sign on an antenatal scan was seen, which was followed up after the delivery of the baby, and radiography also confirmed the findings.

Unveiling efficient S-scheme charge carrier transfer in hierarchical BiOBr/TiO heterojunction photocatalysts.

The construction of a potential heterojunction catalyst with proper interface alignment has become a hot topic in the scientific community to effectively utilize solar energy. In this work, a one-dimensional TiO nanofiber/BiOBr S-scheme heterojunction was synthesized, and charge carrier dynamics within the interface channel were explored. In addition, we incorporated mixed phase TiO with point defects and oxygen vacancies, which greatly promoted the initial band edge shift from the UV region.

A network pharmacology-based approach to understand the mechanism of action of anti-mycobacterial activity of Acacia nilotica: a modelling and experimental study.

The rapid rise in drug-resistant tuberculosis poses a serious threat to public health and demands the discovery of new anti-mycobacterial agents. Medicinal plants are a proven potential source of bioactive compounds; however, identifying those responsible for the putative anti-mycobacterial action still remains a challenging task. In this study, we undertook a systematic network pharmacology approach to identify and evaluate anti-mycobacterial compounds from a traditional plant, Acacia nilotica, as a model system.

Younger age correlates with increased gutter impingement rates after total ankle arthroplasty.

Background: While total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has evolved over the years with improved designs and enhanced bony fixation methods, it remains a technically demanding procedure with a risk of early postoperative complications. One of the most common complications associated with TAA is medial and lateral gutter ankle impingement, which can lead to issues such as increased pain and decreased range of motion (ROM). However, there is a paucity of information in the literature discussing the impact of certain risk factors on gutter impingement complications.

Corannulene Amino Acid-Derived Water-Soluble Amphiphilic Buckybowls as Broad-Spectrum Membrane Targeting Antibacterial Agents.

To date, the use of corannulene has been restricted in the area of material science, but its application in biomedical research has yet to be established due to its nonsolubility in an aqueous environment and synthetic infeasibility. Herein, we detail the development of a new family of highly curved π-conjugated corannulene-containing unnatural α-amino acid (CAA) derivatives to overcome this challenge. These CAAs have been extended as novel constituents for the synthesis of corannulene-containing water-soluble cationic peptides (CCPs), which display inhibitory activity against broad-spectrum pathogenic bacteria along with drug-resistant bacteria via a membrane-damaging mechanism.

Nonviral Platform for Expression of Recombinant Protein in Insect Cells.

Nonviral transfection has been used to express various recombinant proteins, therapeutics, and virus-like particles (VLP) in mammalian and insect cells. Virus-free methods for protein expression require fewer steps for obtaining protein expression by eliminating virus amplification and measuring the infectivity of the virus. The nonviral method uses a nonlytic plasmid to transfect the gene of interest into the insect cells instead of using baculovirus, a lytic system.

Multicentric Assessment of a Multimorbidity-Adjusted Disability Score to Stratify Depression-Related Risks Using Temporal Disease Maps: Instrument Validation Study.

Background: Comprehensive management of multimorbidity can significantly benefit from advanced health risk assessment tools that facilitate value-based interventions, allowing for the assessment and prediction of disease progression. Our study proposes a novel methodology, the Multimorbidity-Adjusted Disability Score (MADS), which integrates disease trajectory methodologies with advanced techniques for assessing interdependencies among concurrent diseases. This approach is designed to better assess the clinical burden of clusters of interrelated diseases and enhance our ability to anticipate disease progression, thereby potentially informing targeted preventive care interventions.

SPEM1 Gene Mutation in a Case with Sperm Morphological Defects Leading to Male Infertility.

The present study aimed at identifying the genetic mutation responsible for teratozoospermic infertility in a case with coiled sperm tails. A 33-year-old infertile male was diagnosed with teratozoospermic infertility, with sperm head in coiled (HIC) tail as the most common deformity. We employed whole exome sequencing to identify the genetic cause in this case.

Small Extracellular Vesicle Signaling and Mitochondrial Transfer Reprograms T Helper Cell Function in Human Asthma.

Rationale: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that involves crosstalk between myeloid-derived regulatory cells (MDRCs) and CD4+ T cells. Although small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are known to mediate cell-cell communication, the role of sEV signaling via mitochondria in perpetuating asthmatic airway inflammation is unknown.

Objectives: We investigated the effects of MDRC-derived exosomes on dysregulated T cell responses in asthmatics.

Buparvaquone Induces Ultrastructural and Physiological Alterations Leading to Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Caspase-Independent Apoptotic Cell Death in Leishmania donovani.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease (endemic in 99 countries) caused by parasitic protozoa of the genus Leishmania. As treatment options are limited, there is an unmet need for new drugs. The hydroxynaphthoquinone class of compounds demonstrates broad-spectrum activity against protozoan parasites.