Propensities of Fatty Acid-Modified ASOs: Self-Assembly vs Albumin Binding.

We conducted a biophysical study to investigate the self-assembling and albumin-binding propensities of a series of fatty acid-modified locked nucleic acid (LNA) antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) gapmers specific to the MALAT1 gene. To this end, a series of biophysical techniques were applied using label-free ASOs that were covalently modified with saturated fatty acids (FAs) of varying length, branching, and 5'/3' attachment. Using analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), we demonstrate that ASOs conjugated with fatty acids longer than C16 exhibit an increasing tendency to form self-assembled vesicular structures.

Impact of non-ionizable lipids and phase mixing methods on structural properties of lipid nanoparticle formulations.

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been widely investigated for nucleic acid therapeutic delivery, and demonstrated their potential in enabling new mRNA vaccines. LNPs are usually formulated with multi-lipid components and the composition variables may impact their structural properties. Here, we investigated the impact of helper lipids on physicochemical properties of LNPs using a Design of Experiments (DoE) definitive screening design.

Evaluation of bovine milk extracellular vesicles for the delivery of locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides.

The natural capacity of extracellular vesicles (EVs) to transport their payload to recipient cells has raised big interest to repurpose EVs as delivery vehicles for xenobiotics. In the present study, bovine milk-derived EVs (BMEVs) were investigated for their potential to shuttle locked nucleic acid-modified antisense oligonucleotides (LNA ASOs) into the systemic circulation after oral administration. To this end, a broad array of analytical methods including proteomics and lipidomics were used to thoroughly characterize BMEVs.

Empirical evidence on factors influencing farmers' administrative burden: A structural equation modeling approach.

Direct payments represent a large share of Swiss farmers' total household income but compliance with related requirements often entails a high administrative burden. This causes individuals to experience policy implementation as onerous. Based on a framework for administrative burden in citizen-state interactions, we test whether farmers' individual knowledge, psychological costs and compliance costs help to explain their perception of administrative burden related to direct payments.

Selective uptake and sensing of nitrate in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).

Nitrogen (N) as a nutrient, in the form of nitrate (NO), is essential for plant growth. Chemical fertilizers are used to increase crop yields, but overuse can lead to forms of environmental pollution necessitating methods to detect and monitor the level of NO in-situ in agricultural soils. Herein we report for the first time the NO selectivity of the inherently conducting polymer poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT).

[The reception of Vesalius in Spain and England].

This paper discusses the depiction of engravings taken from Vesalius's, Valverde de Hamusco's and Casserio 's treatises in portraits during the 16th and the 17th centuries to understand better the reception of the Fabrica in Spain and England.

[The bodies of dwarfs in Italian art during the Renaissance].

Agnolo Bronzino's painting of Nano Morgante depicts for the first time the anatomy of a dwarf. This image testifies Cosimo's special interest for this dwarf. In Antonio Francesco Grazzini's poem written in Nano Morgante's honor, we underline some interesting aspects of his physical deformities and his small height, which are highly praised as we can see them on the painting.

Fish or n3-PUFA intake and body composition: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Obesity is a major public health issue and an important contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability. Studies indicate that fish and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3-PUFA) supplements may help prevent cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. However, the effect of fish oil on body composition is still uncertain, so we performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and the first meta-analysis on the association between fish or fish oil intake and body composition measures.

Soil warming alters microbial substrate use in alpine soils.

Will warming lead to an increased use of older soil organic carbon (SOC) by microbial communities, thereby inducing C losses from C-rich alpine soils? We studied soil microbial community composition, activity, and substrate use after 3 and 4 years of soil warming (+4 °C, 2007-2010) at the alpine treeline in Switzerland. The warming experiment was nested in a free air CO2 enrichment experiment using depleted (13)CO2 (δ(13)C = -30‰, 2001-2009). We traced this depleted (13)C label in phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) of the organic layer (0-5 cm soil depth) and in C mineralized from root-free soils to distinguish substrate ages used by soil microorganisms: fixed before 2001 ('old'), from 2001 to 2009 ('new') or in 2010 ('recent').

Effect of electrical stimulation on lipolysis of human white adipocytes.

The goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of 30 min of electrical stimulation on the activation of lipolysis in human white adipocytes. Two stimulation protocols (S1, S2) were conducted in vitro on isolated human white adipocytes. Subcutaneous adipose tissue was obtained from female subjects undergoing abdominal adipose tissue reduction.

Report of a case receiving full-arch rehabilitation in both jaws using immediate implant loading protocols: a 1-year resonance frequency analysis follow-up.

Background: Immediate occlusal implant loading has been documented as a viable treatment option for various indications. However, documentations related to full-arch rehabilitation are usually limited to treatment of one jaw at a time, thereby leaving the opposing dentition unchanged. Furthermore, clinical documentation using traditional, well-accepted measuring techniques may not be adequate when it comes to short-term evaluation of the success or failure of implants subjected to immediate occlusal loading.

Bulk interfaces in a Ni-rich Ni-Au alloy investigated by high-resolution Z-contrast imaging.

Interfaces between Au-rich precipitates and the Ni-rich matrix in a decomposed Ni-10 at.% Au alloy were investigated by low-magnification and high-resolution Z-contrast imaging. During aging at 923 K, the originally single crystalline sample decomposed and recrystallized resulting in a microstructure consisting of subgrains separated by small-angle grain boundaries.

[Invasive cholesteatoma of the old radical mastoidectomy].

Objective: The aim of this study is to show the importance of computed tomography scanning (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in ancient radical cavities and to determinate the risk factors of an invasive cholesteatoma recurrency.

Material And Method: We present 4 cases of medial invasion in the petrous bone of a cholesteatoma without specific symptomatology which appeared many years after undergoing radical mastoidectomy for an acquired cholesteatoma.

Conclusion: The analysis of this series allowed to put in evidence the factors of suspicion of an underlying cholesteatoma.

Immediate occlusal loading of Brånemark TiUnite implants placed predominantly in soft bone: 1-year results of a prospective clinical study.

Background: The original Brånemark protocol for dental implant treatment was based on submerged healing prior to loading. However, immediate loading has been reported possible with high success rates for various indications, provided that good bone quality and quantity are present. In many of these studies, machined-surface implants have been used.

[Congenital cholesteatoma of the ear in the child. Clinical, follow-up and therapeutic analysis of a series of 34 cases].

Long a subject of debate, congenital cholesteatomas of the middle ear appear to be a specific clinical entity different from the much more frequent classical acquired cholesteoma. Characteristic features of congenital cholesteatomas are young age at diagnosis, typical peroperative presentation, satisfactory mastoid air cells in almost all cases, and associated congenital malformations, which may involve the otology system or not. Diagnosis is a difficult task due to the long latency period with no clinical manifestations.

[Cholesteatoma of the middle ear in children. Clinical, developing and therapeutic study in a series of 215 consecutive cases].

A retrospective study of 215 cases of cholesteatoma in 199 children operated on from 1985 to 1996 was conducted. Mean age of the children was 9.6 years.