The α-synuclein seed amplification assay: Interpreting a test of Parkinson's pathology.

The α-synuclein seed amplification assay (αSyn-SAA) sensitively detects Lewy pathology, the amyloid state of α-synuclein, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). The αSyn-SAA harnesses the physics of seeding, whereby a superconcentrated solution of recombinant α-synuclein lowers the thermodynamic threshold (nucleation barrier) for aggregated α-synuclein to act as a nucleation catalyst ("seed") to trigger the precipitation (nucleation) of monomeric α-synuclein into pathology. This laboratory setup increases the signal for identifying a catalyst if one is present in the tissue examined.

Theoretical Study on the Internal Conversion Decay Pathways of Bithiophene-Fused Isoquinolines.

In this study, the radiative and nonradiative decay pathways from the first singlet excited states (denoted as S) of three bithiophene-fused isoquinolines were investigated by using the mixed-reference spin-flip time-dependent density functional theory approach. These isoquinolines, which are prepared via [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions between three types of bithiophene-linked diynes and nitriles, exhibit different fluorescence quantum yields in response to the positions of their sulfur atoms. The decay processes, including the fluorescence emission and internal conversion, were considered.

The expression of BHLHE22 in endometrial carcinoma: Associations with mismatch repair protein expression status, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, programmed death-ligand 1 and clinical outcomes.

Objective: Endometrial cancer (EC) shows substantial heterogeneity in their immune microenvironment. BHLHE22 is consistently hypermethylated in EC and high expression of BHLHE22 is likely to be immunosuppressive in the tumor microenvironment. Herein, we evaluated expression of BHLHE22, programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), CD8, CD68 and mismatch repair proteins in EC.

A critical analysis of the potential of iron heterobimetallic complexes in anticancer research.

Due to their diverse chemical properties and high ability to interact with biological molecules and cellular processes, transition metal-based compounds have emerged as promising candidates for cancer therapy. Iron complexes are among them, however, there is a gap in the comprehensive analysis of heterometallic iron complexes in the anticancer field. This review aims to fill this gap by summarizing recent progress in the study of Fe(II) and Fe(III) heterobimetallic complexes for anticancer applications and to gather important insights and future perspectives, with special emphasis on their theranostic capabilities.

LTX-315 is a novel broad-spectrum antimicrobial peptide against clinical multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Introduction: Infections stemming from multidrug-resistant bacteria present a substantial threat to public health today. Discovering or synthesizing novel compounds is crucial to alleviate this pressing situation.

Objective: The main purpose of this study is to verify the antibacterial activity of LTX-315 and explore its primary action mode.

Coconut oil reduces steroidogenic enzymes and imbalances estrogen receptors in the adrenal cortex of Mongolian gerbils.

This study aims to verify the effects of prolonged ingestion of coconut oil on the adrenal glands of Mongolian gerbils. Mongolian gerbils were used as an experimental model due to the morphological similarity of the adrenal glands to those of primates. Male Mongolian gerbils, 3 months of age, were divided into three experimental groups (n=12): an intact control group, which received no treatment, a gavage control group, which received 0.

Mutations in histones dysregulate copper homeostasis leading to defect in Sec61 dependent protein translocation mechanism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The translocation of proteins from the cytoplasm to the endoplasmic reticulum occurs via a conserved Sec61 protein channel. Previously, we reported that mutations in histones cause downregulation of a CUP1 copper metallothionein and copper exposure inhibits the activity of Sec61. However, the role of epigenetic dysregulation on the activity of channel is not clear.

Causal Inference and Annotation of Phosphoproteomics Data in Multi-omics Cancer Studies.

Protein phosphorylation plays a crucial role in regulating diverse biological processes. Perturbations in protein phosphorylation are closely associated with downstream pathway dysfunctions, while alterations in protein expression could serve as sensitive indicators of pathological status. However, there are currently few methods that can accurately identify the regulatory links between protein phosphorylation and expression, given issues like reverse causation and confounders.

The influence of phosphoinositide lipids in the molecular biology of membrane proteins: recent insights from simulations.

The phosphoinositide family of membrane lipids play diverse and critical roles in eukaryotic molecular biology. Much of this biological activity derives from interactions of phosphoinositide lipids with integral and peripheral membrane proteins, leading to modulation of protein structure, function, and cellular distribution. Since the discovery of phosphoinositides in the 1940s, combined molecular biology, biophysical, and structural approaches have made enormous progress in untangling this vast and diverse cellular network of interactions.

Variations in extracellular vesicle shedding of Cystoisospora suis stages (Apicomplexa: Coccidia).

Cystoisospora suis, a porcine enteral parasite of the order Coccidia, is characterized by a complex life cycle, with asexual and sexual development in the epithelium of the host gut and an environmental phase as an oocyst. All developmental stages vary greatly in their morphology and function, and therefore excrete different bioactive molecules for intercellular communication. Due to their complex development, we hypothesized that the extracellular vesicles (EVs) cargo is highly dependent on the life cycle stages from which they are released.

Alcohol dehydrogenase 1 acts as a scaffold protein in mitophagy essential for fungal pathogen adaptation to hypoxic niches within hosts.

Fungi have evolved diverse physiological adaptations to hypoxic environments. However, the mechanisms mediating such adaptations remain obscure for many filamentous pathogenic fungi. Here, we show that autophagy mediated mitophagy occurs in the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana under hypoxic conditions induced by host cellular immune responses.

Enzyme loading in the support and medium composition during immobilization alter activity, specificity and stability of octyl agarose-immobilized Eversa Transform.

Eversa Transform (ETL) was immobilized on octyl agarose beads at two different enzymes loadings (1 mg/g and 15 mg/g) under 18 different conditions, including different pH values, buffers, additives (different solvents, Ca, NaCl). Their activity was analyzed at pH 5 and 7 with p-nitrophenyl butyrate and at pH 5 with triacetin, determining also its stability at pH 5 and 7 (in different media). Ca stabilized ETL biocatalysts while phosphate destabilized them.

Electrospun nanofibers of collagen and chitosan for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications: A review.

Tissue engineering plays a vital role in the medical field that addresses the repair, regeneration, and replacement of damaged tissues or organs. The development of drug-eluting electrospun nanofiber composed of biological macromolecules plays a key role in providing localized drug delivery and structural support. This review examines the recent development and impact of electrospun nanofibers in the field of tissue engineering and explores their potential applications.

A novel panel of peptides with diagnostic potential for serological identification of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii and B. afzelii in human sera.

A novel panel of peptide for serological identification of Borrelia burgdoferi sensu stricto, Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii was developed and assessed in this study. The diagnostic algorithm of the novel test was initially trained testing 10 US human sera including 3 early-stage and 3 late-stage Lyme disease positive sera, 2 sera positive for Babesia and 2 sera positive for Syphilis, all purchased from a private biorepository. Findings were then corroborated testing (a) 33 additional EU follow-up positive sera from seroconverted patients bitten by ticks that tested positive for B.

Fish waste biorefinery: A novel approach to promote industrial sustainability.

In pursuit of sustainability and resource efficiency, concept of the circular economy has emerged as a promising framework for industries worldwide. The global fish processing industry generates a significant amount of waste, posing environmental challenges and economic inefficiencies. The substantial volume of fish waste generated globally along with its environmental impact highlights the urgent need to adopt sustainable practices.

Dobutamine-induced alterations in internal carotid artery blood flow and cerebral blood flow in healthy adults.

Purpose: Dobutamine, a sympathomimetic agent, is widely used clinically, influencing cardiac output, heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP), which may impact cerebral blood flow (CBF), critical for brain metabolism. However, the effects of dobutamine on CBF and internal carotid artery (ICA) blood flow remain unclear, with contradictory reported in both clinical and animal studies. It is necessary to investigate the effects of dobutamine on cervical and cerebral hemodynamics.

Respiratory and hematological physiology of day 15 chicken embryos (Gallus gallus domesticus) during water submergence and air recovery: Implications for bird embryos experiencing nest inundation.

Bird nests of coastal or inland breeding birds can temporarily flood during high tides or storms. However, respiratory physiological disruption of such water submersion and implications for post-submergence survival are poorly understood. We hypothesized that respiratory physiological disturbances caused by submersion would be rapidly corrected following return to normal gas exchange across the eggshell, thus explaining survival of nest inundation in the field.

Continuous theta-burst stimulation demonstrates language-network-specific causal effects on syntactic processing.

Hierarchical syntactic structure processing is proposed to be at the core of the human language faculty. Syntactic processing is supported by the left fronto-temporal language network, including a core area in the inferior frontal gyrus as well as its interaction with the posterior temporal lobe (i.e.

Protective effects of Lavandula stoechas and Thymus numidicus essential oils against deltamethrin-induced hematological and biochemical toxicity in female rabbits.

Recent studies have shown that essential oils (EOs) extracted from medicinal and aromatic plants have herbicidal and/or insecticidal properties, helping to mitigate the toxicity experienced by living organisms exposed to pesticides. Moreover, the primary compounds isolated from these EOs also have the potential to reduce pesticide-induced damage. The present work aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Thymus numidicus (TNEO) and Lavandula stoechas (LSEO) against Deltamethrin-induced toxicity in female rabbits.

Capture primed pluripotency in guinea pig.

Guinea pigs are valuable models for human disease research, yet the lack of established pluripotent stem cell lines has limited their utility. In this study, we isolate and characterize guinea pig epiblast stem cells (gpEpiSCs) from post-implantation embryos. These cells differentiate into the three germ layers, maintain normal karyotypes, and rely on FGF2 and ACTIVIN A signaling for self-renewal and pluripotency.

Balancing limited resources in actin network competition.

In cells, multiple actin networks coexist in a dynamic manner. These networks compete for a common pool of actin monomers and actin-binding proteins. Interestingly, all of these networks manage to coexist despite the strong competition for resources.

Functional optimality underpins the repeated evolution of the extreme "saber-tooth" morphology.

"Saber teeth"-elongate, blade-like canines-are a classic example of convergence, having evolved repeatedly throughout mammalian history. Within canine teeth, there is a trade-off between the aspects of shape that improve food fracture and those that increase tooth strength. Optimal morphologies strike a balance between these antagonistic functional criteria.

Multiple plastid losses within photosynthetic stramenopiles revealed by comprehensive phylogenomics.

Ochrophyta is a vast and morphologically diverse group of algae with complex plastids, including familiar taxa with fundamental ecological importance (diatoms or kelp) and a wealth of lesser-known and obscure organisms. The sheer diversity of ochrophytes poses a challenge for reconstructing their phylogeny, with major gaps in sampling and an unsettled placement of particular taxa yet to be tackled. We sequenced transcriptomes from 25 strategically selected representatives and used these data to build the most taxonomically comprehensive ochrophyte-centered phylogenomic supermatrix to date.

Drivers of forest productivity in two regions of the United States: Relative impacts of management and environmental variables.

Climate, environmental conditions, and management strategies are key factors affecting forest net ecosystem production (NEP). However, little is known about the relationship between management approaches and regional to continental-scale forest productivity. In this study, we utilized forests of the U.