Analysis of the spatial distribution of metabolites in Aloe vera leaves by mass spectrometry imaging and UHPLC-UHRMS.

This study presents an investigation of the chemical composition of Aloe vera leaf tissue with a focus on the spatial distribution of compounds. The composition was studied using two mass spectrometry imaging techniques: silver-109 nanoparticles assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (AgNPs-LDI-MSI) and laser ablation-remote atmospheric pressure photoionization/chemical ionization mass spectrometry imaging (LARAPPI/CI-MSI) and the identification was aided by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-UHRMS) analysis. The results showed an abundance of phenolic compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a beneficial food additive and food packaging material.

Short-term airborne ultrasound induced cell death in tobacco cells and changed their wall components.

The effects of low-intensity ultrasound on plants such as piezoelectric and ultrasonic water baths, on plants have been extensively studied. However, the specific effect of airborne ultrasound on plant cells has yet to be reported. The present study was conducted to elucidate the physiological responses of plant cells to airborne US.

Rapid structural analysis of bacterial ribosomes in situ.

Rapid structural analysis of purified proteins and their complexes has become increasingly common thanks to key methodological advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and associated data processing software packages. In contrast, analogous structural analysis in cells via cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) remains challenging due to critical technical bottlenecks, including low-throughput sample preparation and imaging, and laborious data processing methods. Here, we describe a rapid in situ cryo-ET sample preparation and data analysis workflow that results in the routine determination of sub-nm resolution ribosomal structures.

Molecular epidemiology of chicken and turkey parvovirus in Turkiye: high risk, genetic recombination signals, and first complete genome analysis.

The aim of this study was to detect chicken parvovirus (ChPV) and turkey parvovirus (TuPV) on Turkish poultry farms and examine the molecular epidemiology of these viruses. In 2023, a total of 1,060 fecal samples were collected from 76 broiler farms and 30 turkey farms across various regions of Turkiye. The overall positivity rate was 72.

Merging metabolic modeling and imaging for screening therapeutic targets in colorectal cancer.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a key role in metabolic reprogramming and are well-established contributors to drug resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). To exploit this metabolic crosstalk, we integrated a systems biology approach that identified key metabolic targets in a data-driven method and validated them experimentally. This process involved a novel machine learning-based method to computationally screen, in a high-throughput manner, the effects of enzyme perturbations predicted by a computational model of CRC metabolism.

Greater residential greenness is associated with reduced epigenetic aging in adults.

Potential pathways linking urban green spaces to improved health include relaxation, stress alleviation, and improved immune system functioning. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is a composite biomarker of biological aging based on DNA methylation measurements; it is predictive of morbidity and mortality. This cross-sectional study of 116 adult residents of a metropolitan area in central North Carolina investigated associations between exposure to residential green spaces and EAA using four previously developed epigenetic age formulas.

Water-mediated ion transport in an anion exchange membrane.

Water is a critical component in polyelectrolyte anion exchange membranes (AEMs). It plays a central role in ion transport in electrochemical systems. Gaining a better understanding of molecular transport and conductivity in AEMs has been challenged by the lack of a general methodology capable of capturing and connecting water dynamics, water structure, and ionic transport over time and length scales ranging from those associated with individual bond vibrations and molecular reorientations to those pertaining to macroscopic AEM performance.

Molecular Insights into α-Synuclein Fibrillation: A Raman Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Approach.

The aggregation of α-synuclein is crucial to the development of Lewy body diseases, including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. The aggregation pathway of α-synuclein typically involves a defined sequence of nucleation, elongation, and secondary nucleation, exhibiting prion-like spreading. This study employed Raman spectroscopy and machine learning analysis, alongside complementary techniques, to characterize the biomolecular changes during the fibrillation of purified recombinant wild-type α-synuclein protein.

Z-DNA at the crossroads: untangling its role in genome dynamics.

DNA can fold into noncanonical left-handed Z-DNA conformation beyond the right-handed B-DNA. While its crystal structure was discovered nearly four decades ago, it was predominantly considered a structural curiosity. Recent evidence suggests that Z-DNA formation occurs in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), with significant biological implications.

Interleukin-17: A pleiotropic cytokine implicated in inflammatory, infectious, and malignant disorders.

IL-17A, referred to as IL-17, is the founding member of a family of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-17B, IL-17C, IL-17D, IL-17E (or IL-25), and IL-17F, which act via receptors IL-17RA to IL-17RE, and elicit potent cellular responses that impact diverse diseases. IL-17's interactions with various cytokines include forming a heterodimer with IL-17F and being stimulated by IL-23's activation of Th17 cells, which can lead to inflammation and autoimmunity. IL-17 is implicated in infectious diseases and inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis, promoting neutrophil recruitment and anti-bacterial immunity, but potentially exacerbating fungal and viral infections, revealing its dual role as protective and pathologic.

The prevalence of PD-L1 expression in patients with advanced oesophageal cancer: the EXCEED observational study.

Aims: There are limited data on programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in oesophageal cancer (OC) from multicentre studies conducted across China. We aimed to determine the prevalence of high PD-L1 expression in patients with advanced OC.

Methods: The EXCEED study was a multicentre, retrospective analysis of data from six tertiary hospitals that evaluated PD-L1 expression in adults with advanced OC or advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Comprehensive management and oral rehabilitation of amelogenesis imperfecta: a multidisciplinary treatment approach.

Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is a genetic disorder that affects both primary and permanent teeth. It primarily manifests as developmental disorders of enamel. The condition occurs independently of other systemic disorders and is caused by mutations in genes responsible for enamel formation, inherited in autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive or X-linked patterns.

Presence of Raccoon Roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) in Habitat Associated with Allegheny Woodrats (Neotoma magister) in Western Virginia, USA, 2022-24.

Baylisascaris procyonis is a roundworm that does not affect its definitive host, raccoons (Procyon lotor), but may have a devastating effect when ingested by paratenic hosts such as Allegheny woodrats (Neotoma magister). Despite being considered a major factor in woodrat population extirpation and decline in states northward, there have been no large-scale surveys for raccoon roundworm in Virginia, US. From 2022 to 2024, we visited 60 karst or nonkarst rocky habitats known (current or historical) or suspected to be Allegheny woodrat locations in western Virginia.

Targeting of retrovirus-derived / causes late-onset obesity, reduced social response and increased apathy-like behaviour.

Retrotransposon Gag-like (RTL) 8A, 8B and 8C are eutherian-specific genes derived from a certain retrovirus. They cluster as a triplet of genes on the X chromosome, but their function remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that and play important roles in the brain: their double knockout (DKO) mice not only exhibit reduced social responses and increased apathy-like behaviour, but also become obese from young adulthood, similar to patients with late Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a neurodevelopmental genomic imprinting disorder.

Quantifying the configurational complexity of biological systems in multivariate 'complexity space'.

An increasing number of evolutionary studies seek to quantify the morphological complexity of organisms, particularly those comprising serially homologous elements at different hierarchical levels of organization. Numerous operational frameworks have been proposed for doing this, but most focus on one or multiple conflated aspects of what is really a multidimensional concept. Here, we advocate the use of 'complexity spaces': multidimensional spaces defined by different vectors of complexity.

Impulse Control in Parkinson's Disease: Distinct Effects between Action and Choice.

Aside from typical motor symptoms, impulse control issues related to engaging in actions or decision-making can manifest in Parkinson's disease (PD). The lack of direct comparisons between impulsive action and impulsive choice domains hinders a comprehensive understanding of impaired impulse control in this population. Therefore, the current review integrates findings across behavioural measures of impulsive action and choice in PD samples, both on and off dopaminergic medication.

Unravelling phylogenetic relationships within the genus Lispe (Diptera: Muscidae) through genome-assisted and de novo analyses of RAD-seq data.

Lispe represents a species-rich genus within the family Muscidae. The current subdivision of Lispe species into species groups is based mainly on adult morphology and ecology, with the only available phylogenetic study based on three molecular markers. Nonetheless, certain species groups remain unclear and the relationships and composition of these groups are still unresolved.

Metallofullerenol Gd@C(OH) preserves human erythrocyte plasma membrane integrity from AAPH-induced oxidative stress: molecular mechanisms and antioxidant activity.

Metallofullerenols and fullerenols have attracted attention due to their remarkable ability to interact with various biologically relevant molecules, paving the way for biomedical applications, ranging from medical imaging techniques to drug carriers, acting with increased efficiency and reduced side effects. In this work, we investigated the effects of two fullerene derivatives, Gd@C(OH) and C(OH), on erythrocyte membrane components under oxidative stress conditions induced by 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) as a source of peroxyl radicals. The results demonstrated that gadolinium encapsulation within the fullerene cage enhanced the electron affinity of Gd@C(OH), resulting in stronger antioxidant activity.

A short review on polysaccharide-based nanocomposite adsorbents for separation and biomedical applications.

Polysaccharides such as chitosan, alginate, cellulose, and carrageenan have emerged as promising adsorbents due to their biodegradability, abundant availability, and diverse chemical functionality. These biopolymers exhibit promising performance for adsorption of a wide range of pollutants including heavy metals (e.g.

IN SILICO AND IN VITRO ASSESSMENT OF ANTI-Leishmania infantum ACTIVITY OF A NOVEL CYCLOHEXYL-1,2,4-OXADIAZOLE DERIVATIVE.

Globally, an estimated 1 billion people reside in endemic areas, and over 12 million individuals are infected with leishmaniasis. Despite its prevalence, leishmaniasis continues to be a neglected disease, mainly affecting underdeveloped countries. In Brazil, the available treatments are pentavalent antimonials and Amphotericin B, which are outdated, toxic, require prolonged parenteral administration and have limited efficacy.

Sexual identity, sexual behavior, and drug use behaviors among people who use drugs in the rural U.S.

Introduction: People who use drugs (PWUD) are at risk of HIV infection, but the frequency and distribution of transmission-associated behaviors within rural communities is not well understood. Further, while interventions designed to more explicitly affirm individuals' sexual orientation and behaviors may be more effective, descriptions of behavior variability by orientation are lacking. We sought to describe how disease transmission behaviors and overdose risk vary by sexual orientation and activity among rural PWUD.

Regulatory networks of bZIPs in drought, salt and cold stress response and signaling.

Abiotic stresses adversely impact plants survival and growth, which in turn affect plants especially crop yields worldwide. To cope with these stresses, plant responses depend on the activation of molecular networks cascades, including stress perception, signal transduction, and the expression of specific stress-related genes. Plant bZIP (basic leucine zipper) transcription factors are important regulators that respond to diverse abiotic stresses.

Computational identification and experimental validation of novel microRNAs along with their targets through RT-PCR approach.

Various metabolic and cell signaling processes impact the functions of sugarcane plant cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play critical regulatory roles in enhancing yield and providing protection against various stressors. This study seeks to identify and partially characterize several novel miRNAs in sugarcane using tools, while also offering a preliminary assessment of their functions.