Secreted factors of Aspergillus fumigatus cause lung epithelial barrier disruption: A study using an air-liquid interface cell culture model.

The effects of Aspergillus fumigatus-conditioned medium (AFCM) on the integrity of the Calu-3 cell lung epithelial barrier were investigated. AFCM led to a decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance and the disruption of the occludin network in the epithelial barrier. Preincubation with protease inhibitors reduced the effect of AFCM by ~ 90%, demonstrating the role of fungal proteases in epithelial barrier disruption.

A mixed methods descriptive study of a diverse cohort of African American/Black and Latine young and emerging adults living with HIV: Sociodemographic, background, and contextual factors.

Background: American/Black and Latine (AABL) young/emerging adults living with HIV in the United States (US) have consistently failed to meet targets for HIV care/medication engagement. Among this population, those with non-suppressed HIV viral load are understudied, along with immigrants and those with serious socioeconomic deprivation. Guided by social action theory, we took a mixed methods approach (sequential explanatory design) to describe sociodemographic, background, and contextual factors, and their relationships to HIV management, among a diverse cohort.

A new approach to a first order irreversible homogeneous chemical reaction followed by an electrochemical process (CE mechanism): theory, simulation and application.

Chronoamperometric profiles were derived for systems in which an irreversible, homogeneous chemical reaction generates an electroactive species that readily reacts at the surface of a planar electrode. From the resulting current (i) equations, a semi-operation (convolution voltammetry and semi-differentiation) approach was proposed to extract the rate constant of the chemical reaction through non-linear fitting. These equations were validated using digital simulations, and the semi-derivative approach successfully recovered the simulated parameters.

Mathematical Model of CAR T-Cell Therapy for a B-Cell Lymphoma Lymph Node.

CAR T-cell therapies have demonstrated significant success in treating B-cell leukemia in children and young adults. However, their effectiveness in treating B-cell lymphomas has been limited in comparison to leukemia. In this paper we present a mathematical model that elucidates the dynamics of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and CAR T-cells in a lymph node.

Interaction and cleavage of cell and plasma proteins by the platelet-aggregating serine protease PA-BJ of Bothrops jararaca venom.

PA-BJ is a serine protease present in Bothrops jararaca venom that triggers platelet aggregation and granule secretion by activating the protease-activated receptors PAR-1 and PAR-4, without clotting fibrinogen. These receptors also have a relevant role in endothelial cells, however, the interaction of PA-BJ with other membrane-bound or soluble targets is not known. Here we explored the activity of PA-BJ on endothelial cell receptor, cytoskeleton, and coagulation proteins in vitro, and show the degradation of fibrinogen and protein C, and the limited proteolysis of actin, EPCR, PAR-1, and thrombomodulin.