Evaluation of a newer (1, 3)-β-D-glucan chemiluminescent immunoassay for invasive candidiasis: A study from a tertiary care center.

Background And Purpose: Invasive candidiasis (IC) in the hospitalized population is one of the leading causes of invasive fungal infections (IFIs). Microbiological diagnosis of IC suffers due to poor sensitivity of blood culture and relative inaccessibility to more sensitive modalities. (1, 3)-β-D-glucan (BDG) is a cell wall polysaccharide found in a range of fungi.

Cigarette smoking is associated with reduced neuroinflammation and better cognitive control in people living with HIV.

People living with HIV (HIV+) are roughly twice as likely to smoke cigarettes (Smok+) as the general population. With the advent of effective antiretroviral therapies, it is increasingly important to understand the effects of chronic HIV infection and cigarette smoking on brain function and cognition since HIV+ individuals have heightened neuroinflammation and cognitive deficits even with such therapies. Based on prior studies demonstrating that smoking reduces a marker for neuroinflammation in HIV- individuals, we hypothesized that HIV+/Smok+ individuals would have less neuroinflammation and better cognitive control than HIV+/Smok- individuals.

A mechanistic, functional, and clinical perspective on targeting CD70 in cancer.

The oncoimmunology research has witnessed notable advancements in recent years. Reshaping the tumor microenvironment (TME) approach is an effective method to improve antitumor immune response. The T cell-mediated antitumor response is crucial for favorable therapeutic outcomes in several cancers.

Oral Microbiome Signatures as Potential Biomarkers for Gastric Cancer Risk Assessment.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. The oral microbiota was investigated for distinguishable characteristics between GC, premalignant gastric conditions (Pre-GC), and control participants.

Methods: Mouthwash samples from GC, Pre-GC, and control participants at a tertiary care center were prospectively collected.

Optical excitation and detection of high-frequency Sezawa modes in Si/SiO system decorated with NiFe nanodot arrays.

Surface acoustic waves have emerged as one of the potential candidates for the development of next-generation wave-based information and computing technologies. For practical devices, it is essential to develop the excitation techniques for different types of surface acoustic waves, especially at higher microwave frequencies, and to tailor their frequency versus wave vector characteristics. We show that this can be done by using ultrashort laser pulses incident on the surface of a multilayer decorated with a periodic array of metallic nanodots.

Advancements in 3D Transoesophageal Echocardiography (TOE) and Computed Tomography (CT) for Stroke Prevention in Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Interventions.

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has emerged as a highly effective alternative to oral anticoagulation for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Precise pre-procedural planning and meticulous post-procedural follow-up are essential for achieving successful LAAO outcomes. This review explores the latest advancements in three-dimensional (3D) transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) and computed tomography (CT) imaging modalities, which have considerably improved the planning, intra-procedural guidance, and follow-up processes for LAAO interventions.

The facilitated osteogenic differentiation by extracellular proline treatment in in vitro cell cultivation using MC3T3E1 and hPDLF.

Proline is a major substrate in collagen biosynthesis and is required for collagen molecule formations. However, detailed explanations of the molecular basis through which proline functions in collagen biosynthesis have yet to be provided. Thus, genome-wide screening was employed to elucidate these in the pre-osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 and human periodontal ligament fibroblast (hPDLF) cell lines.

Racial/ethnic differences in risk factors for non-cardia gastric cancer: an analysis of the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) Study.

Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC) incidence rates show notable differences by racial/ethnic groups in the US. We sought to determine whether stratification by race/ethnicity would reveal unique risk factors for development of non-cardia gastric cancer (NCGC) for US population.

Methods: Analysis included 1,112 incident cases of NCGC and 190,883 controls from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a prospective US cohort study that recruited individuals living in Hawaii and California, aged 45-75 years from 5 races/ethnicities.

Fusarium spp. causing invasive disease in humans: A case series from north India.

Owing to their inherent resistance to different classes of antifungals, early identification of Fusarium spp. is crucial. In this study, 10 clinical isolates were included from patients with invasive fusariosis involving lungs, sinuses, or both.

Cladosporium cladosporioides brain abscess: an enigmatic case.

A fifteen-year-old boy was brought to emergency department with complaints of altered sensorium, aphasia and right sided hemiparesis following severe dengue one month back. On physical examination, tone was flaccid and power was diminished in right upper and lower limbs. Reflexes were diminished in all four limbs.

Sitting Interruption Modalities during Prolonged Sitting Acutely Improve Postprandial Metabolome in a Crossover Pilot Trial among Postmenopausal Women.

Older adults sit during most hours of the day; more than 30% are considered physically inactive. The accumulation of prolonged sitting time is an exercise-independent risk factor for aging-related conditions such as cardiometabolic disease and cancer. Archival plasma samples from a randomized controlled, four-condition crossover study conducted in 10 postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity were analyzed.

Protease activated receptor-1 regulates mixed lineage kinase-3 to drive triple-negative breast cancer tumorigenesis.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is difficult to treat breast cancer subtype due to lack or insignificant expressions of targetable estrogen receptor (ER) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Therefore, finding a targetable protein or signaling pathway in TNBC would impact patient care. Here, we report that a member of the Mixed Lineage Kinase (MLK) family, MLK3, is an effector of G-protein-coupled protease-activated receptors 1 (PAR1) and targeting MLK3 by a small-molecule inhibitor prevented PAR1-mediated TNBC tumorigenesis.

Effect of the underlayer on the elastic parameters of the CoFeB/MgO heterostructures.

We investigated the thermally induced surface acoustic waves in CoFeB/MgO heterostructures with different underlayer materials. Our results show a direct correlation between the density and elastic parameters of the underlayer materials and the surface phonon dispersion. Using finite element method-based simulations, we calculate the effective elastic parameters (such as elastic tensor, Young's modulus, and Poisson's ratio) for multilayers with different underlayer materials.

Patient Preferences and Priorities for the Design of an Acute Kidney Injury Prevention Trial: Findings from a Consensus Workshop.

Key Points: For AKI prevention trial recruitment, patients prioritized technology enabled prescreening and involvement of family members in the consent process. For trial intervention delivery, participants prioritized measures to facilitate ease of trial intervention administration and return visits. For AKI prevention trial outcomes, patient participants identified effects on kidney-related and other clinical outcomes as top priorities.

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pharmacogenomics.

The field of pharmacogenetics, the investigation of the influence of one or more sequence variants on drug response phenotypes, is a special case of pharmacogenomics, a discipline that takes a genome-wide approach. Massively parallel, next generation sequencing (NGS), has allowed pharmacogenetics to be subsumed by pharmacogenomics with respect to the identification of variants associated with responders and non-responders, optimal drug response, and adverse drug reactions. A plethora of rare and common naturally-occurring GPCR variants must be considered in the context of signals from across the genome.

Molecular insights into the role of mixed lineage kinase 3 in cancer hallmarks.

Mixed-lineage kinase 3 (MLK3) is a serine/threonine kinase of the MAPK Kinase kinase (MAP3K) family that plays critical roles in various biological processes, including cancer. Upon activation, MLK3 differentially activates downstream MAPKs, such as JNK, p38, and ERK. In addition, it regulates various non-canonical signaling pathways, such as β-catenin, AMPK, Pin1, and PAK1, to regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis.

Association between Socioeconomic Status and Vaccination Hesitancy, Reluctancy and Confidence among Asian-Americans Living in the State of New Jersey.

Backgroud: Socioeconomic status (SES) plays a vital role in determining vaccination uptake and attitudes. Vaccine hesitancy varies among different communities, yet knowledge of vaccine attitudes among Asian-Americans is limited.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationship between SES and vaccine attitudes among Asian-Americans in the State of New Jersey (NJ).

Magnetization dynamics in quasiperiodic magnonic crystals.

Quasiperiodic magnonic crystals, in contrast to their periodic counterparts, lack strict periodicity which gives rise to complex and localised spin wave spectra characterized by numerous band gaps and fractal features. Despite their intrinsic structural complexity, quasiperiodic nature of these magnonic crystals enables better tunability of spin wave spectra over their periodic counterparts and therefore holds promise for the applications in reprogrammable magnonic devices. In this article, we provide an overview of magnetization reversal and precessional magnetization dynamics studied so far in various quasiperiodic magnonic crystals, illustrating how their quasiperiodic nature gives rise to tailored band structure, enabling unparalleled control over spin waves.

Prediction of photodynamics of 200 nm excited cyclobutanone with linear response electronic structure and ab initio multiple spawning.

Simulations of photochemical reaction dynamics have been a challenge to the theoretical chemistry community for some time. In an effort to determine the predictive character of current approaches, we predict the results of an upcoming ultrafast diffraction experiment on the photodynamics of cyclobutanone after excitation to the lowest lying Rydberg state (S2). A picosecond of nonadiabatic dynamics is described with ab initio multiple spawning.

MLK3 promotes prooncogenic signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma via TGFβ pathway.

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal disease, with limited therapeutic options. Mixed Lineage Kinase 3 (MLK3) is a key regulator of liver diseases, although its role in HCC remains unclear. Analysis of TCGA databases suggested elevated MAP3K11 (MLK3 gene) expression, and TMA studies showed higher MLK3 activation in human HCCs.

Metal-Organic Framework-Supported Mono Bipyridyl-Iron Hydroxyl Catalyst for Selective Benzene Hydroxylation into Phenol.

Direct hydroxylation of benzene to phenol is more appealing in the industry for the economic and environmentally friendly phenol synthesis than the conventional cumene process. We have developed a UiO-metal-organic framework (MOF)-supported mono bipyridyl-Iron(II) hydroxyl catalyst [bpy-UiO-Fe(OH)] for the selective benzene hydroxylation into phenol using HO as the oxidant. The heterogeneous bpy-UiO-Fe(OH) catalyst showed high activity and remarkable phenol selectivity of 99%, giving the phenol mass-specific activity up to 1261 mmolg h at 60 °C.