Role of the International Society of Liquid Biopsy (ISLB) in establishing quality control frameworks for clinical integration.

Liquid biopsy (LB) has revolutionized molecular pathology, offering non-invasive insights into tumor biology. However, widespread adoption is hindered by a lack of standardized protocols, requiring robust quality control and harmonized workflows. Large-scale studies are needed to establish effective standard operating procedures (SOPs), particularly for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assays tailored to different disease stages.

Preclinical models of soft tissue sarcomas - generation and applications to enhance translational research.

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a large group of rare and ultra-rare tumors distinguished by unique morphological, molecular and clinical features. Patients with such rare cancers are generally underrepresented in clinical trials which has limited the introduction of new treatment options and subsequent improvement of patient outcomes. Preclinical models of STS that recapitulate the human disease can aid progress in identifying new effective treatments.

Fixation for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus Leads to Successful Clinical Outcomes in 9 out of 10 Patients: a Systematic Review.

Importance: Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) with an osteochondral fragment are amendable for fixation. Fixation aims to stabilize the osteochondral fragment while retaining the native cartilage. Though fixation for OLT is a promising treatment, no systematic overview of the literature on its efficacy and safety exists.

Association between ESR1 and COL1A1 gene polymorphisms and skeletal fluorosis in Tibetan, Kazakh, Mongolian and Russian populations, China.

Background: Skeletal fluorosis is a chronic metabolic bone disease caused by excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones. Previous studies have found that when the intake of tea fluoride is similar, the prevalence of skeletal fluorosis varies greatly among different ethnic groups, which may be related to different genetic backgrounds. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and collagen type 1 α1 (COL1A1) were strongly associated with bone metabolism as well as bone growth and development, but their association with the risk of skeletal fluorosis has not been reported.

Thumb-sized 3D-Printed cymbal microneedle array (CyMA) for enhanced transdermal drug delivery.

Transdermal drug delivery presents a compelling alternative to both needle injection and oral ingestion of medication, as it enhances patient adherence and convenience through its non-invasive and painless administration method. The use of microneedles penetrates the barrier of the stratum corneum, facilitating the sustained delivery of drugs across the skin. However, their efficacy has been limited by the slow diffusion of molecules and often requires external triggers.

Defective boron nitride aerogels by salt template synthesis: A green adsorbent for tetracycline removal.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) exhibits unique application potential in water purification due to its large specific surface area, high porosity, and chemical inertness. Designing adsorbents with highly active adsorption sites is one effective method to improve their adsorption capacities. In this study, porous h-BN aerogels containing multiple defect types (DP-BN) were synthesized by using salt templates.

Efficient adsorption behavior of Fe-based ternary magnetic LDHs for naphthalene acetic acid: Role of Fe element.

Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) is an auxin plant growth regulator (PGR) and widely used to regulate the growth process of plants. As excessive NAA enter the environment, it damages the ecological environment and endangers human life and health. Layered bimetallic hydroxides (LDHs) are widely used for the adsorption of pollutants due to their large surface area and excellent structural properties.

Ameliorating Effects of Antibiotic Alternatives on the Performance and Pathological Parameters of Salmonella Typhimurium Infected Broiler Chickens.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of thyme oil (TO), chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NPs), and TO-loaded-CS-NPs on controlling Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) infection in broiler chickens when compared to ciprofloxacin (Cip) antibiotic treatment. The CS-NPs and TO-loaded-CS-NPs were initially characterized using a transmission electron microscope.

Liver lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation in glutamine-supplemented ob/ob mice.

Glutamine availability may be reduced in chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-induced by obesity. Herein, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipid metabolism effects of chronic oral glutamine supplementation in its free and dipeptide form were assessed in ob/ob mice. Adult male C57BL/6J ob/ob mice were supplemented with L-alanyl-L-glutamine (DIP) or free L-glutamine (GLN) in the drinking water for 40 days, whilst C57BL/6J Wild-type lean (WT) and control ob/ob mice (CTRL) received fresh water only.

Representative Training Data Sets Are Critical for Accurate Machine-Learning Classification of Microscopy Images of Particles Formed by Lipase-catalyzed Polysorbate Hydrolysis.

Polysorbate 20 (PS20) is commonly used as an excipient in therapeutic protein formulations. However, over the course of a therapeutic protein product's shelf life, minute amounts of co-purified host-cell lipases may cause slow hydrolysis of PS20, releasing fatty acids (FAs). These FAs may precipitate to form subvisible particles that can be detected and imaged by various techniques, e.

Spawn-based pellets of Pleurotus ostreatus as an applied approach for the production of laccase in different types of water.

In recent years, oxidoreductase enzymes such as laccases have received considerable attention for their ability to degrade and eliminate organic micropollutants from contaminated water in a process known as enzyme-based wastewater treatment. Thus, methods to produce high laccase activity in water are a point of focus, with white-rot fungi being highlighted as a tool in this context. This study, therefore, explored the applied approach of direct addition of mushroom spawn of the white-rot fungi Pleurotus ostreatus into water and its potential for laccase production under different conditions.

A biodegradable polymer plug for liver tract embolization after percutaneous or surgical placement of transhepatic biliary drainage tubes: a feasibility study.

To evaluate the feasibility of liver tract embolization after transhepatic biliary drainage using a biodegradable polymer plug (IMPEDE-FX, Shape Memorial Medical, Santa Clara, CA, USA).In a retrospective observational study, 15 plug embolizations were performed in 13 patients at risk for tract-related adverse events (AEs). Risk factors included coagulopathy, cirrhosis, central bile duct puncture, previous drain-related bleeding, malignant obstruction, large tract diameter, or multilevel strictures.

Video-based Informed Consent in Radiology - Acceptance, Satisfaction, and Effectiveness.

Before any medical procedure, including computed tomography (CT), it is crucial to ensure patients are fully informed about the risks and alternative options. Video-based informed consent offers an increased transfer of information in less time.In a monocentric, prospective, questionnaire-based study, video-based informed consent, which included a digital medical history form, was compared to the traditional paper-based consent form.

Immunogenicity and safety of a monovalent omicron XBB.1.5 SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike protein vaccine as a heterologous booster dose in US adults: interim analysis of a single-arm phase 2/3 study.

Background: Authorities globally recommended a monovalent omicron XBB.1.5-based COVID-19 vaccine for the 2023-24 season.

Characterizing substructure via mixture modeling in large-scale genetic summary statistics.

Genetic summary data are broadly accessible and highly useful, including for risk prediction, causal inference, fine mapping, and incorporation of external controls. However, collapsing individual-level data into summary data, such as allele frequencies, masks intra- and inter-sample heterogeneity, leading to confounding, reduced power, and bias. Ultimately, unaccounted-for substructure limits summary data usability, especially for understudied or admixed populations.

Commensal-derived tryptophan metabolites fortify the skin barrier: Insights from a 50-species gnotobiotic model of human skin microbiome.

The epidermal barrier defends the body against dehydration and harmful substances. The commensal microbiota is essential for proper differentiation and repair of the epidermal barrier, an effect mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). However, the microbial mechanisms of AHR activation in skin are less understood.

Exploring mimosamycin as a Janus kinase 2 inhibitor: A combined computational and experimental investigation.

Janus kinases (JAKs) are a family of intracellular tyrosine kinases that play a crucial role in signal transduction pathways. JAK2 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of leukemia, making it a promising target for research aimed at reducing the risk of this disease. This study examined the potential of mimosamycin as a JAK2 inhibitor using both in vitro and in silico approaches.

Ligand-based cheminformatics and free energy-inspired molecular simulations for prioritizing and optimizing G-protein coupled receptor kinase-6 (GRK6) inhibitors in multiple myeloma treatment.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most frequently diagnosed hematological malignancy, presenting limited treatment options with no curative potential and significant drug resistance. Recent studies involving genetic knockdown established the crucial role of GRK6 in upholding the viability of MM cells, emphasizing the need to identify potential inhibitors. Computational exploration of GRK6 inhibitors has not been attempted previously.

Forest restoration improves habitat and water quality in tropical streams: A multiscale landscape assessment.

Forest restoration has been a common practice to safeguard water quality and stream health but it is unclear to which extent and pace forest restoration recovers stream ecosystem structure and functions. Also, stream health might be affected by the forest restoration type and the quality of the interventions. Here, we sought to evaluate the recovery of stream habitat and water quality through forest restoration in catchments dominated by pasturelands, and explored the relationship between landscape structure and stream ecosystem recovery.

Optimization of environmental and energy performance of egg production using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA).

Intensive farming systems can present different environmental concerns. Among the many animal products, eggs are consumed globally as a cheap, valuable source of protein. Iran is among the top 10 egg producing countries in the world.

Advances in polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from renewable waste materials using halophilic microorganisms: A comprehensive review.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable and biocompatible polymers that can replace conventional plastics in different sectors. However, PHA commercialization is hampered due to their high production cost resulting from the use of high purity substrates, their low conversion into PHAs by using conventional microbial chassis and the high downstream processing cost. Taking these challenges into account, researchers are focusing on the use of waste by-products as alternative low-cost feedstocks for fast-growing and contamination-resistant halophilic microorganisms (Bacteria, Archaea…).

Viral auxiliary roles in hydrolytic and biosynthetic metabolism regulate prokaryotic microbial interactions in anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) viruses have gained recognition as significant regulators of microbial interactions within AD communities, yet their ecological roles remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the ecological roles of AD viruses in regulating microbial interactions among syntrophic hosts. We recovered 3921 diverse viral sequences from four full-scale anaerobic digesters and confirmed their widespread presence across 127 global metagenomic sampling sites (with >95 % sequence similarity), underscoring the ubiquity of prokaryotic viruses in AD-related systems.

Towards circular desalination: A new methodology for measuring and assessing resource flows and circular actions.

There is a lack of methodologies that quantitatively measure the intrinsic circularity of desalination systems, particularly focusing on resource flow traceability and circular actions. This study proposes a novel framework for assessing the circular economy performance of desalination systems. By integrating a systemic indicator selection and calculation approach, this methodology enables a comprehensive evaluation of intrinsic circularity in desalination processes.

Unveiling next-generation organic photovoltaics: Quantum mechanical insights into non-fullerene donor-acceptor compounds.

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have improved greatly in recent years in pursuit for efficient and sustainable energy conversion methods. Specifically, utilizing quantum chemistry approaches such as density functional theory (DFT), the electronic structures, energy levels, and charge transport characteristics of donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) systems based on non-fullerene donor and acceptor molecules have been examined and synthesized. Non-fullerene acceptors offer several advantages over traditional fullerene-based materials, such as enhanced light absorption, modifiable energy levels, and reduced recombination losses.