Improving the thermal stability and catalytic activity of ulvan lyase by the combination of FoldX and KnowVolution campaign.

Thermal stability is one of the most important properties of ulvan lyases for their application in algae biomass degradation. The Knowledge gaining directed eVolution (KnowVolution) protein engineering strategy could be employed to improve thermostability of ulvan lyase with less screening effort. Herein, the unfolding free energies (ΔΔG) of the loop region were calculated using FoldX and four sites (D103, G104, T113, Q229) were selected for saturation mutagenesis, resulting in the identification of a favorable single-site mutant Q229M.

Zoledronate Extends Health Span and Survival via the Mevalonate Pathway in a FOXO-dependent Manner.

Over recent decades, increased longevity has not been paralleled by extended health span, resulting in more years spent with multiple diseases in older age. As such, interventions to improve health span are urgently required. Zoledronate (Zol) is a nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate, which inhibits the farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase enzyme, central to the mevalonate pathway.

Clinical Manifestations of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Associations With the Vaginal Microbiome: A Cross-Sectional Based Exploratory Study.

Background: Previous studies suggest that the vaginal microbiome is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, the clinical manifestations of PCOS are heterogeneous. Whether the vaginal microbiome is related with different clinical symptoms was unknown.

High-performance multiplex microvalves fabrication and using for tumor cells staining on a microfluidic chip.

As we all know, microvalve holds great importance for microfluidic manipulation in chip. Herein, a simple method of high-performance multiplex microvalves chip fabrication was reported. In this method, a sandwich structure is established by inserting a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane into two glasses, which is cheap and simple without any complex silicon-based device or soft lithography.

Evaluation of Quality of Life Using EORTC QLQ-BM22 in Patients with Bone Metastases after Treatment with Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound.

Objective: To reveal the alterations in quality of life (QOL) in bone metastases patients after magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS).

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 26 patients diagnosed with bone metastases. Patients had various primary malignant tumors and tumor lesions in different locations.

Wild-Type P53 Induces Sodium/Iodide Symporter Expression Allowing Radioiodide Therapy in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer.

Aims: Anaplastic thyroid cancer(ATC) is one of the most aggressive solid tumors. Mutations in the p53 gene are common in anaplastic thyroid cancer, but the effects of p53 mutations are yet to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the role of p53 in ATC.

Palliative treatment of pelvic bone tumors using radioiodine (I) brachytherapy.

Background: Complete resection of pelvic bone tumors, especially recurrent and metastatic ones, is often impossible to achieve using conventional surgery. This study aimed to assess the benefits and adverse effects of computed tomography (CT)-guided radioiodine (I) brachytherapy for inoperable recurrent and metastatic bone tumors of the pelvis.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 22 patients with confirmed pelvic bone tumors (10 females and 12 males; 15-84 years; 21 with primary pelvic tumor and one with pelvic metastasis).

Gender difference in mobile phone use and the impact of digital device exposure on neck posture.

This cross-sectional study aimed to identify gender differences in the cervical postures when young adults were using mobile phones, as well as the correlations between the postures and the digital devices use (computer and mobile phone). Questionnaires regarding the habits of computer and mobile phone use were administrated to 429 subjects aged from 17 to 33 years old (19.75 ± 2.

Worldwide Research Productivity in the Field of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery: A 20-year Survey of Publication Activities.

Unlabelled: MINI: The time trend for the number of minimally invasive spine surgery articles showed a significant increase over time with an average of 93.23 articles per year. Among all related journals, Spine published the largest number of articles in minimally invasive spine surgery research and was the most popular one in the top five countries.

Simple, effective protein extraction method and proteomics analysis from polyunsaturated fatty acids-producing micro-organisms.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are valuable ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical products due to their beneficial influence on human health. Most studies paid attention on the production of PUFAs from oleaginous micro-organisms but seldom on the comparative proteomics of cells. In the study, three methods (i.

A preliminary study of the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation with percutaneous kyphoplasty for thoracolumbar vertebral metastatic tumor treatment.

Background: Thoracolumbar vertebral metastasis (TVM) affects a large number of cancer patients. However, safe and effective palliative care remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive image-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for TVM treatment.