Tuberculous Pleural Effusion-Derived Exosomal miR-130b-3p and miR-423-5p Promote the Proliferation of Lung Cancer Cells via Cyclin D1.

Epidemiologic studies have shown an association between tuberculosis and lung cancer. The altered tumor microenvironment after tuberculosis infection appears to contribute to cancer progression. Pleural effusions are enriched in exosomes, which act as mediators of intercellular communication.

Capturing RAS oligomerization on a membrane.

RAS GTPases associate with the biological membrane where they function as molecular switches to regulate cell growth. Recent studies indicate that RAS proteins oligomerize on membranes, and disrupting these assemblies represents an alternative therapeutic strategy. However, conflicting reports on RAS assemblies, ranging in size from dimers to nanoclusters, have brought to the fore key questions regarding the stoichiometry and parameters that influence oligomerization.

Water Plays Key Roles in Stabilities of Wild Type and Mutant Transthyretin Complexes.

Transthyretin (TTR), a 56 kDa homotetramer that is involved in the transport of thyroxine and retinol, has been linked to amyloidosis through disassembly of tetramers to form monomers, dimers, and trimers that then reassemble into higher order oligomers and/or fibrils. Hybrid TTR (hTTR) tetramers are found in heterozygous individuals that express both wild type TTR (wt-TTR) and mutant TTR (mTTR) forms of the protein, and these states display increased rates of amyloidosis. Here we monitor subunit exchange (SUE) reactions involving homomeric and mixed tetramers using high resolution native mass spectrometry (nMS).

Native mass spectrometry and structural studies reveal modulation of MsbA-nucleotide interactions by lipids.

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, MsbA, plays a pivotal role in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biogenesis by facilitating the transport of the LPS precursor lipooligosaccharide (LOS) from the cytoplasmic to the periplasmic leaflet of the inner membrane. Despite multiple studies shedding light on MsbA, the role of lipids in modulating MsbA-nucleotide interactions remains poorly understood. Here we use native mass spectrometry (MS) to investigate and resolve nucleotide and lipid binding to MsbA, demonstrating that the transporter has a higher affinity for adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP).

Biophysical Characterization of RAS-SOS Complexes by Native Mass Spectrometry.

RAS is regulated by specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors, such as Son of Sevenless (SOS), that activates RAS by facilitating the exchange of inactive, GDP-bound RAS with GTP. The catalytic activity of SOS is known to be allosterically modulated by an active, GTP-bound RAS. However, it remains poorly understood how oncogenic RAS mutants interact with SOS and modulate its activity.

Native mass spectrometry of proteoliposomes containing integral and peripheral membrane proteins.

Cellular membranes are critical to the function of membrane proteins, whether they are associated (peripheral) or embedded (integral) within the bilayer. While detergents have contributed to our understanding of membrane protein structure and function, there remains challenges in characterizing protein-lipid interactions within the context of an intact membrane. Here, we developed a method to prepare proteoliposomes for native mass spectrometry (MS) studies.

2'-Deoxy Guanosine Nucleotides Alter the Biochemical Properties of Ras.

Ras proteins in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway represent one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes in cancer. Ras binds guanosine nucleotides and cycles between active (GTP) and inactive (GDP) conformations to regulate the MAPK signaling pathway. Guanosine and other nucleotides exist in cells as either 2'-hydroxy or 2'-deoxy forms, and imbalances in the deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate pool have been associated with different diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer.

GNSS land subsidence observations along the northern coastline of Java, Indonesia.

Land subsidence in cities along the northern coastline of Java has been at a worrying level. Monitoring efforts using geodetic data reveal that Jakarta, Pekalongan, Semarang, and Demak subside at least ~9x faster than the present-day rate of global sea level rise, which affects the cities' future urban viability. In this study, we publish a time series of the precise 3D displacements observed by twenty continuous Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations between 2010 and 2021.

Rapid flood and damage mapping using synthetic aperture radar in response to Typhoon Hagibis, Japan.

During the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, we made flood and damage proxy maps, rapidly derived from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data using change detection approaches. The maps have large spatial coverage over the Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Iwate, and Nagano prefectures of Japan. The maps are also largely in agreement with various validation sources including aerial imagery, optical imagery and news sources.

Hierarchical interlocked orthogonal faulting in the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence.

A nearly 20-year hiatus in major seismic activity in southern California ended on 4 July 2019 with a sequence of intersecting earthquakes near the city of Ridgecrest, California. This sequence included a foreshock with a moment magnitude ( ) of 6.4 followed by a 7.

Retrieving Precise Three-Dimensional Deformation on the 2014 M6.0 South Napa Earthquake by Joint Inversion of Multi-Sensor SAR.

We reconstructed the three-dimensional (3D) surface displacement field of the 24 August 2014 M6.0 South Napa earthquake using SAR data from the Italian Space Agency's COSMO-SkyMed and the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1A satellites. Along-track and cross-track displacements produced with conventional SAR interferometry (InSAR) and multiple-aperture SAR interferometry (MAI) techniques were integrated to retrieve the east, north, and up components of surface deformation.

Changes in Eyebrow Position and Movement with Aging.

Background: This study evaluated dynamic changes in eyebrow position related to aging.

Methods: Female participants were recruited and separated into two groups aged 20-30 years (the younger group, n=20; mean age, 24.8 years) and 50-70 years (the older group, n=20; mean age, 55.

An efficient mosaic algorithm considering seasonal variation: application to KOMPSAT-2 satellite images.

As the aerospace industry grows, images obtained from Earth observation satellites have been successfully used in various fields. Specifically, the demand for a high-resolution (HR) optical images is gradually increasing, and hence the generation of a high-quality mosaic image is being magnified as an interesting issue. In this paper, we have proposed an efficient mosaic algorithm for HR optical images that are significantly different due to seasonal change.

Changes of eyebrow muscle activity with aging: functional analysis revealed by electromyography.

Background: This study evaluated the activity of the frontalis muscle, the corrugator supercilii muscle, and the orbicularis oculi muscle according to eyebrow movement and aging.

Methods: Two random cohorts of women aged 20 to 30 years (young group, n = 20; mean age, 24.8 years) and 50 to 70 years (old group, n = 20; mean age, 55.

Large auricular chondrocutaneous composite graft for nasal alar and columellar reconstruction.

Background: Among the various methods for correcting nasal deformity, the composite graft is suitable for the inner and outer reconstruction of the nose in a single stage. In this article, we present our technique for reconstructing the ala and columella using the auricular chondrocutaneous composite graft.

Methods: From 2004 to 2011, 15 cases of alar and 2 cases of columellar reconstruction employing the chondrocutaneous composite graft were studied, all followed up for 3 to 24 months (average, 13.

Stress control of deep rift intrusion at Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii.

Mauna Loa volcano, Hawaii, deforms by a combination of shallow dike intrusions in the rift zones and earthquakes along the base of the volcano, but it is not known how the spreading is accommodated in the lower part of the volcanic edifice. We present evidence from interferometric synthetic aperture radar data for secular inflation of a dike-like magma body at intermediate depth in the southwest rift zone during 2002 to 2005. Magma accumulation occurred in a section of the rift zone that was unclamped by previous dikes and earthquakes, suggesting that stress transfer plays an important role in controlling subsurface magma accumulation.