We demonstrate that terahertz (THz) spectroscopy can be used to differentiate soft protein microstructures. Differentiation of soft microstructures in gels has to date been performed using optical imaging techniques (e.g. electron microscope), but a non-destructive differentiation tool is lacking. Particulate and fine-stranded (fibrillar) soft protein microstructures are of interest, particularly to medical researchers, because they form from naturally occurring proteins that are thought to be involved in several human diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. In this study, globular beta-lactoglobulin structures with diameters of 2 microm, and fibrillar structures with diameters less than 0.03 microm are observed between 0.8 and 1.5 THz. Results show that the globular structures have a decline in THz transmission when compared to the fibrillar ones. The cause of this decline is possibly due to Rayleigh scattering from the globular microstructures.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/oe.17.013102 | DOI Listing |
Polymers (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
Spinal cord trauma leads to the destruction of the highly organized cytoarchitecture that carries information along the axis of the spinal column. Currently, there are no clinically accepted strategies that can help regenerate severed axons after spinal cord injury (SCI). Hydrogels are soft biomaterials with high water content that are widely used as scaffolds to interface with the central nervous system (CNS).
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November 2024
UPIZ Educational and Research Laboratory of Biology-MF-NBU, New Bulgarian University, 1618 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal primarily found as a by-product of zinc production. Cd was a proven carcinogen, and exposure to this metal has been linked to various adverse health effects, which were first reported in the mid-19th century and thoroughly investigated by the 20th century. The toxicokinetics and dynamics of Cd reveal its propensity for long biological retention and predominant storage in soft tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPharmaceuticals (Basel)
November 2024
Laboratorio de Investigación en Agentes Antibacterianos (LIAA), Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción 4070409, Chile.
Background/objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat, which is exacerbated by the lack of new antibiotics and the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) superbugs. Comprehensive efforts and alternative strategies to combat AMR are urgently needed to prevent social, medical, and economic consequences. is a pathogen responsible for a wide range of infections, from soft tissue infections to life-threatening conditions such as bacteremia and pneumonia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
December 2024
School of Medicine and Dentistry, Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK.
Cancer is among the leading causes of mortality in developed countries due to limited available therapeutic modalities and high rate of morbidity. Although malignancies might show individual genetic landscapes, recurring aberrations in the neoplastic genome have been identified in the wide range of transformed cells. These include translocations of frequently affected loci of the human genetic material like the Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 () of chromosome 22 that results in malignancies with mesodermal origin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
December 2024
Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, 345 E 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA.
The notochord is an axial structure required for the development of all chordate embryos, from sea squirts to humans. Over the course of more than half a billion years of chordate evolution, in addition to its structural function, the notochord has acquired increasingly relevant patterning roles for its surrounding tissues. This process has involved the co-option of signaling pathways and the acquisition of novel molecular mechanisms responsible for the precise timing and modalities of their deployment.
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