The therapeutic effect of DX2 inhibition in nicotine-induced lung cancer progression.

Alternative splicing products of AIMP2 and AIMP2-DX2 (DX2) have been reported to be associated with human lung cancer. In fact, DX2 expression is elevated in human lung cancers, and DX2 transgenic mice also develop lung cancer, in particular small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, the mechanism by which DX2 is induced during cancer progression has not been clearly elucidated.

Transient Expression of Silicon-Induced Histidine-Rich Defensins in Limits Necrotic Lesion Development Caused by Phytopathogenic Fungi.

Silicon (Si) supplementation permits plants to better deter infection. Supplementing hydroponically propagated with 1 mM potassium silicate (KSiO) reduced necrotic lesion development on detached leaves by both and . Previously, a family of Si-induced genes was identified in .

Pentagonal Symmetry in Aperiodic Cyclic Multiply Twinned Nano- and Mesodiamonds.

This Review provides the first comprehensive overview of the structure and properties of exotic -crystalline aperiodic cyclic multiply twinned nano- (10-100 ) and meso- (up to 1 ) diamond particles (MTPs) exhibiting pentagonal symmetry. It spans their independent experimental discoveries (1963, 1964, 1972, and 1983) and theoretical structural insights (1993) to recent advancements. The Review focuses on high-symmetry MTPs formed by the fusion of multiple cubic diamond fragments through [111] facets.

Spin-dependent Seebeck effect in zigzag-edge antimonene nanoribbons.

In spin caloritronics, the spin-dependent Seebeck effect provides a method for significantly reducing Joule heating and achieving ultra-high integration density. Here, we investigate the electronic transport and spin thermoelectric properties of zigzag-edge antimonene nanoribbons (ZANRs) with different widths using first-principles calculations. The results show that the ZANRs exhibit an excellent spin-dependent Seebeck effect.

Physcion Mitigates LPS-Induced Neuroinflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Memory Impairments via TLR-4/NF-кB Signaling in Adult Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most predominant cause of dementia, considered a progressive decline in cognitive function that ultimately leads to death. AD has posed a substantial challenge in the records of medical science over the past century, representing a predominant etiology of dementia with a high prevalence rate. Neuroinflammation is a common characteristic of various central nervous system (CNS) pathologies like AD, primarily mediated by specialized brain immune and inflammatory cells, such as astrocytes and microglia.

Biodiversity in nutrients and biological activities of 14 highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivars.

The present study aimed to identify nutrients (UPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS, HPLC-RI method) and biological activities (antioxidant activity to reduce Fe and ABTS, pancreatic lipase inhibitory effect, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase, anti-bacterial) of 14 highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cultivars (Northern type) as well as a principal component analysis (PCA) to assess the variation of these properties in the context of biodiversity. Most of the cultivars in this research have been first presented in this paper.

Trophic niche overlap in coralline algae- and coral-dominated rocky-bottom subtidal communities.

We investigated trophic structures in rocky subtidal ecosystems transitioning from canopy-forming to barren states across coastlines with varying oceanographic conditions. We examined stable isotopes and functional traits of common invertebrate and fish taxa to understand the food-web consequences. We hypothesized that resource exploitation patterns of functional guilds would result in distinct isotopic niches, defining trophic diversity and niche.

Dendrimer nanoclusters loaded with gold nanoparticles for enhanced tumor CT imaging and chemotherapy an amplified EPR effect.

The design of efficient multifunctional nanomedicines to overcome adverse side effects within biological systems and to achieve desirable computed tomography (CT) imaging and therapeutics of tumors remains challenging. Herein, we report the design of multifunctional nanoclusters (NCs) based on generation 3 (G3) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers. In brief, G3 dendrimers were crosslinked with 4,4'-dithiodibutryic acid (DA) to generate disulfide-bond-containing dendrimer nanoclusters (DNCs), functionalized with 1,3-propane sultone (1,3-PS) to be zwitterionic, loaded with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), and finally encapsulated with the drug doxorubicin (DOX).

Engineered IRES-mediated promoter-free insulin-producing cells reverse hyperglycemia.

Background: Endogenous insulin supplementation is essential for individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, current treatments, including pancreas transplantation, insulin injections, and oral medications, have significant limitations. The development of engineered cells that can secrete endogenous insulin offers a promising new therapeutic strategy for type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Enhanced Activation in Phosphorous-Doped Silicon via Dual-Beam Laser Annealing.

In this study, we conduct a comparative analysis of single-beam laser annealing (SBLA) and dual-beam laser annealing (DBLA) techniques for semiconductor manufacturing. In the DBLA approach, two laser beams were precisely aligned to simultaneously heat a phosphorus-doped silicon (Si) wafer. The main objective was to investigate the impact of the two annealing techniques on the electrical properties, crystalline structure, and diffusion profile of the treated phosphorus-doped Si at equivalent laser powers.

Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating safety, bioavailability, and gut microbiome with a combination of curcumin and ursolic acid in lipid enhanced capsules.

As screening strategies employ better biomarkers and genetics to identify individuals at an increased risk of prostate cancer, there are currently no chemotherapeutic prevention strategies. With any chemoprevention strategy, the population will be younger and healthier; therefore, they will be less tolerant of side effects. This study translated findings from screening a natural product library and pre-clinical evaluation of curcumin (CURC) in combination with ursolic acid (UA) in prostate cancer models.

Male cuticular pheromones stimulate removal of the mating plug and promote re-mating through pC1 neurons in females.

In birds and insects, the female uptakes sperm for a specific duration post-copulation known as the ejaculate holding period (EHP) before expelling unused sperm and the mating plug through sperm ejection. In this study, we found that females shortens the EHP when incubated with males or mated females shortly after the first mating. This phenomenon, which we termed ale-nduced HP hortening (MIES), requires Or47b+ olfactory and ppk23+ gustatory neurons, activated by 2-methyltetracosane and 7-tricosene, respectively.

Evaluation of the impacts of turbidity on Gilgel-Gibe I reservoir storage, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia.

Quantity and quality of the water held in the reservoir fluctuates due to turbidity alterations. The influence of turbidity on the amount of the water held in a reservoir was described explicitly in this research. This study aimed to evaluate turbidity's impact on the Gilgel-Gibe I reservoir water.

Monitoring of Nanodrug Accumulation in Murine Breast Cancer Metastases.

Metastatic breast cancer is a devastating disease with very limited therapeutic options, calling for new therapeutic strategies. Oncogenic miRNAs have been shown to be associated with the metastatic potential of breast cancer and are implicated in tumor cell migration, invasion, and viability. However, it can be difficult to deliver an inhibitory RNA molecule to the tissue of interest.

An inducible sphingosine kinase 1 in hepatic stellate cells potentiates liver fibrosis.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a role in hepatic fibrosis and sphingosine kinase (SphK) is involved in biological processes. As studies on the regulatory mechanisms and functions of SphK in HSCs during liver fibrosis are currently limited, this study aimed to elucidate the regulatory mechanism and connected pathways of SphK upon HSC activation. The expression of SphK1 was higher in HSCs than in hepatocytes, and upregulated in activated primary HSCs.

Molecular modification of chlorogenic acid via radiolysis with inhibitory effects on NO production.

The molecular modification of chlorogenic acid (1) through γ-irradiation resulted in the formation of five new products: chlorogenosins A (2), B (3), C (4), D (5), and E (6) along with known compounds rosmarinosin B (7), protocatechuic acid (8), and protocatechuic aldehyde (9). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic methods, including one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The potential anti-inflammatory activities of all the isolated compounds were determined by evaluating their inhibitory effects on the nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.

N121T and N121S substitutions on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein impact on serum neutralization.

The N121 site on the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is associated with heme and its metabolite, biliverdin, which can affect antibody binding. Both N121T and N121S substitutions have been observed in natural conditions and in a hamster model of dual infection with SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A virus. Serum pseudotype neutralization assays against HIV-1 particles carrying wild-type, N121T, and N121S spikes with immune mouse and human sera revealed that N121T and N121S mutations had a greater impact on serum neutralization than biliverdin treatment.

Association of Hand Grip Strength and Physical Fitness Parameters in Middle-Aged and Older Korean Men.

The purpose of this study was to assess whether hand grip strength (HGS) could be an effective indicator to estimate other physical fitness parameters in middle-aged and older men using large population data. Data for this study were obtained from the National Fitness Center operated by the Korea Institute of Sport Science (n = 429 572). The following were excluded from this study: women aged 44 years or younger (n = 238 257), repeated measurement data (n = 130 466), and errors or missing data (n = 6 497).

Editorial: Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Transmission Dynamics 2.0.

This Special Issue includes six original articles and one review article, all reflecting the unified scientific research endeavors and professional expertise for a shared objective, which were published between July 2023 and November 2023 [...