ATMP-induced three-dimensional conductive polymer hydrogel scaffold for a novel enhanced solid-state electrochemiluminescence biosensor.

Reliable and sensitive detection of xanthine has important medical and biological significance. In this work, a novel three-dimensional (3D) conductive polymer hydrogel of polyaniline (PAni) was feasibly prepared using aniline (Ani), amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) and ammonium persulfate ((NH)SO) as monomer, gelatinizing agent and oxidizing agent, respectively. Protonation of aniline can be achieved by ATMP, inducing good conductivity of the obtained hydrogel.

Transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulation (tES and TMS) for addiction medicine: A consensus paper on the present state of the science and the road ahead.

There is growing interest in non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) as a novel treatment option for substance-use disorders (SUDs). Recent momentum stems from a foundation of preclinical neuroscience demonstrating links between neural circuits and drug consuming behavior, as well as recent FDA-approval of NIBS treatments for mental health disorders that share overlapping pathology with SUDs. As with any emerging field, enthusiasm must be tempered by reason; lessons learned from the past should be prudently applied to future therapies.

DEGS1 variant causes neurological disorder.

Sphingolipidoses are monogenic lipid storage diseases caused by variants in enzymes of lipid synthesis and metabolism. We describe an autosomal recessive complex neurological disorder affecting consanguineous kindred. All four affected individuals, born at term following normal pregnancies, had mild to severe intellectual disability, spastic quadriplegia, scoliosis and epilepsy in most, with no dysmorphic features.

Marine Mammals' NMDA Receptor Structure: Possible Adaptation to High Pressure Environment.

Divers that are exposed to high pressure (HP) above 1.1 MPa suffer from High Pressure Neurological Syndrome (HPNS), which is implicated with central nervous system (CNS) malfunction. Marine mammals performing extended and deep breath-hold dives are exposed to almost 20 MPa without apparent HPNS symptoms.

Dimethyl fumarate and vitamin D derivatives cooperatively enhance VDR and Nrf2 signaling in differentiating AML cells in vitro and inhibit leukemia progression in a xenograft mouse model.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the deadliest hematological malignancies without effective treatment for most patients. Vitamin D derivatives (VDDs) - active metabolites 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D2) and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25D3) and their analogs - are differentiation-inducing agents which have potential for the therapy of AML. However, calcemic toxicity of VDDs limits their clinical use at doses effective against cancer cells in vivo.

Nupharidine enhances Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans clearance by priming neutrophils and augmenting their effector functions.

Objectives: Nupharidine (6,6'-Dihydroxythiobinupharidine), purified from the aquatic plant Nuphar lutea leaves (Water lily) prompts antimicrobial activity of immune cells. The aim of the study was to test the effect of Nupharidine on neutrophil function against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, JP2 clone (Aa-JP2).

Methods: Neutrophils derived from the human cell line HL60 and human peripheral blood derived from aggressive periodontitis and periodontally healthy subjects were incubated with Nupharidine or vehicle and inoculated with JP2.

PF74 Reinforces the HIV-1 Capsid To Impair Reverse Transcription-Induced Uncoating.

The RNA genome of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is enclosed in a cone-shaped capsid shell that disassembles following cell entry via a process known as uncoating. During HIV-1 infection, the capsid is important for reverse transcription and entry of the virus into the target cell nucleus. The small molecule PF74 inhibits HIV-1 infection at early stages by binding to the capsid and perturbing uncoating.

Practical aspects in size and morphology characterization of drug-loaded nano-liposomes.

Size and morphology distributions are critical to the performance of nano-drug systems, as they determine drug pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. Therefore, comprehensive and reliable analyses of these properties are required by both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA). In this study, we compare two most commonly used approaches for assessing the size distribution and morphology of liposomal nano-drug systems, namely, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and cryogenic-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM); an automated quantitative analysis method was developed for the latter method.

Antifouling Properties of a Self-Assembling Glutamic Acid-Lysine Zwitterionic Polymer Surface Coating.

There is a need for the development of antifouling materials to resist adsorption of biomacromolecules. Here we describe the preparation of a novel zwitterionic block copolymer with the potential to prevent or delay the formation of microbial biofilms. The block copolymer comprised a zwitterionic (hydrophilic) section of alternating glutamic acid (negatively charged) and lysine (positively charged) units and a hydrophobic polystyrene section.

Technical Pitfall in 68Ga-Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen Imaging: Altered Biodistribution Caused by Free 68Ga-Citrate Due to Radiolysis Showing Increased Vascular Activity.

As with any new molecular imaging modality, accurate characterization of abnormalities on Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging can be accomplished only if one is aware of the normal distribution pattern, physiological variants, and potential sources of false imaging findings. Altered biodistribution can have a significant impact on scan interpretation. Presented here is a rare case in which radiopharmaceutical radiolysis occurred causing excessive free Ga-citrate showing as an increased vascular activity.

The impact of vitamin D status and parameters of calcium metabolism in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Background: There is ample evidence associating vitamin D deficiency in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) patients with more severe disease manifestations and increased risk of postoperative hypocalcemia. Yet, there is limited data regarding the safety of vitamin D repletion in these patients.

Aim: To assess the safety of vitamin D repletion in PHP patients in a real-world setting.

History of Childhood Kidney Disease and Risk of Adult End-Stage Renal Disease.

Background: The long-term risk associated with childhood kidney disease that had not progressed to chronic kidney disease in childhood is unclear. We aimed to estimate the risk of future end-stage renal disease (ESRD) among adolescents who had normal renal function and a history of childhood kidney disease.

Methods: We conducted a nationwide, population-based, historical cohort study of 1,521,501 Israeli adolescents who were examined before compulsory military service in 1967 through 1997; data were linked to the Israeli ESRD registry.

Incidental Detection of Metastatic Malignant Melanoma on 68Ga-Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT Imaging: Correlative Imaging With FDG PET/CT and Review of the Literature.

An 80-year-old man with suspected recurrent prostate carcinoma underwent Ga-PSMA PET/CT, which showed enlarged axillary lymph nodes with intensely increased Ga-PSMA uptake, an atypical site for prostate cancer metastasis. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy revealed metastatic malignant melanoma. FDG PET/CT revealed congruent intense FDG uptake.

Negatively charged polypeptide-peptide nanoparticles showing efficient drug delivery to the mitochondria.

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) represent an effective platform for drug delivery systems, albeit with various limitations including low drug loading capacity, cytotoxicity and specificity. NPs composed of the negatively charged Polypeptide, poly gamma glutamic acid (γ-PGA) and a designed amphiphilic and cationic β-sheet Peptide (denoted PoP-NPs) loaded with the drug lonidamine (LND), denoted LND-PoP-NPs were previously used in our lab to successfully target the mitochondria when coated with the peptide (LND-mPoP-NPs). In this study, we improved the drug capacity of the LND-mPoP-NPs in addition to lowering non-specific toxicity associated with the drug deficient mPoP-NPs.

Self-assembling dipeptide antibacterial nanostructures with membrane disrupting activity.

Peptide-based supramolecular assemblies are a promising class of nanomaterials with important biomedical applications, specifically in drug delivery and tissue regeneration. However, the intrinsic antibacterial capabilities of these assemblies have been largely overlooked. The recent identification of common characteristics shared by antibacterial and self-assembling peptides provides a paradigm shift towards development of antibacterial agents.

Dissecting disease entities out of the broad spectrum of bipolar-disorders.

The etiopathology of bipolar disorders is yet unraveled and new avenues should be pursued. One such avenue may be based on the assumption that the bipolar broad spectrum includes, among others, an array of rare medical disease entities. Towards this aim we propose a dissecting approach based on a search for rare medical diseases with known etiopathology which also exhibit bipolar disorders symptomatology.

Preparation, characterization and application of long-acting FSH analogs for assisted reproduction.

Assisted reproduction technologies are widely used in humans and domestic animals and often include follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in the protocol. One limitation with most of the available FSH preparations is the relative short half-life in the circulation that dictates multiple daily injections for the desired follicle development and superovulation. The development of bioactive long-acting structurally modified FSH analogs is desirable for human and veterinary use.

The Critical Care Crisis of Opioid Overdoses in the United States.

Rationale: Opioid abuse is increasing, but its impact on critical care resources in the United States is unknown.

Objectives: We hypothesized that there would be a rising need for critical care among opioid-associated overdoses in the United States.

Methods: We analyzed all adult admissions, using a retrospective cohort study from 162 hospitals in 44 states, discharged between January 1, 2009, and September 31, 2015 to describe the incidence of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for opioid overdose during this time.

Mood-stabilizing effects of rapamycin and its analog temsirolimus: relevance to autophagy.

Accumulated data support a relationship between mood disorders and cellular plasticity and resilience, some suggesting relevance to autophagy. Our previous data show that pharmacological enhancement of autophagy results in antidepressant-like effects in mice. The current study was designed to further examine the effects of autophagy enhancement on mood by testing the effects of subchronic treatment with the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors and autophagy enhancers rapamycin and temsirolimus in a model for mania and in a model for antidepressant action, respectively.

International multi-site survey on the use of online support groups in bipolar disorder.

Background: Peer support is an established component of recovery from bipolar disorder, and online support groups may offer opportunities to expand the use of peer support at the patient's convenience. Prior research in bipolar disorder has reported value from online support groups.

Aims: To understand the use of online support groups by patients with bipolar disorder as part of a larger project about information seeking.

Adipose tissue conditioned media support macrophage lipid-droplet biogenesis by interfering with autophagic flux.

Obesity promotes the biogenesis of adipose tissue (AT) foam cells (FC), which contribute to AT insulin resistance. Autophagy, an evolutionarily-conserved house-keeping process, was implicated in cellular lipid handling by either feeding and/or degrading lipid-droplets (LDs). We hypothesized that beyond phagocytosis of dead adipocytes, AT-FC biogenesis is supported by the AT microenvironment by regulating autophagy.

Effect of TPA and HTLV-1 Tax on BRCA1 and ERE controlled genes expression.

Interference with the expression and/or functions of the multifunctional tumor suppressor BRCA1 leads to a high risk of breast and ovarian cancers. BRCA1 expression is usually activated by the estrogen (E2) liganded ERα receptor. Activated ERα is considered as a potent transcription factor which activates various genes expression by 2 pathways.