Evaluation of utilization of amplified blastocoel fluid DNA gel electrophoresis band intensity as an additional minimally invasive approach in embryo selection: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Embryo selection for transfer is critical in assisted reproduction. The presence of DNA in the blastocoel cavity of human blastocysts is assumed to be a consequence of common preimplantation chromosomal abnormalities.

Objective: This study examined the relationship between the amount of blastocoel fluid (BF) DNA and the band intensity of amplified BF-DNA in gel electrophoresis, considering the influence of ploidy status.

Vimentin as a contributing factor in SARS-CoV-2-induced orchitis on postmortem testicular autopsy of COVID-19 cases: A case-control study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was identified in China in late December 2019 and led to a pandemic that resulted in millions of confirmed cases and deaths. The causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), uses distinct receptors and co-receptors to enter host cells. Vimentin has emerged as a potential co-receptor for SARS-CoV-2 due to the high level of vimentin expression in testis tissue.

Evolutionary patterns of the SSU rRNA (V4 region) secondary structure in genus (Ciliophora, Spirotrichea): insights into cryptic species and primitive traits.

The genus , a group of ciliated protists, has attracted attention as a model organism due to its widespread distribution and ease of cultivation. This study examines the evolutionary patterns of the SSU rRNA secondary structure within this genus, aiming to elucidate its role in supporting evolutionary relationships and uncovering cryptic species. By predicting the secondary structure of SSU rRNA and applying the CBC (Compensatory Base Change) concept analysis, we examined 69 species of the genus , with 57 SSU rRNA gene sequences retrieved from GenBank and 12 newly sequenced specimens from South Korea.

Three-dimensional analysis of facial morphology in nine-year-old children with different unilateral orofacial clefts compared to normative data.

Aim: To compare three-dimensional (3D) facial morphology of various unilateral cleft subphenotypes at 9-years of age to normative data using a general face template and automatic landmarking. The secondary objective is to compare facial morphology of 9-year-old children with unilateral fusion to differentiation defects.

Methods: 3D facial stereophotogrammetric images of 9-year-old unilateral cleft patients were imported into 3DMedX® for processing.

A nociceptor-specific RNAi screen in larvae identifies RNA-binding proteins that regulate thermal nociception.

Nociception is the process by which sensory neurons detect and encode potentially harmful environmental stimuli to generate behavioral responses. Nociceptor neurons exhibit plasticity in which their sensitivity to noxious stimuli and subsequent ability to drive behavior may be altered by environmental conditions, injury, infection, and inflammation. In some cases, nociceptor sensitization requires regulated changes in gene expression, and recent studies have indicated roles for post-transcriptional mechanisms in regulating these changes as an aspect of nociceptor plasticity.

Evidence of a 4.33 billion year age for the Moon's South Pole-Aitken basin.

The Moon's farside South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin is the largest and oldest visible impact basin in the inner Solar System. Determining the timing of this catastrophic event is key to understanding the onset of the lunar basin-forming epoch, with implications for understanding the impact bombardment history of the inner Solar System. Despite this, the formation age of the SPA basin remains poorly constrained.

3D scaffold of hydroxyapatite/β tricalcium phosphate from mussel shells: Synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity.

Unlabelled: Bone tissue substitutes are increasing in importance. Hydroxyapatite (HA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) act as a cell matrix and improve its mechanical properties. One of their raw materials is marine-origin by-products.

Molecular characterization and genome sequencing of selected highly resistant clinical isolates of and its association with the clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeat/Cas system.

The presence of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas system in the superbug presents a unique opportunity to precisely target and edit bacterial genomes to modify their drug resistance. The objective was to detect the prevalence of CRISPR in extensively and pan-drug-resistant and to determine the utility of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for the analysis of the entire genome for such strains. The antimicrobial susceptibilities of one hundred isolates were assessed using the antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) card of the VITEK system.

Evaluation of bone development and organs in rat fetuses exposed to tartrazine.

Tartrazine finds widespread application in the realms of alimentation, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic formulations, and textile manufacturing. Tartrazine has a negative effect on human health such as hyperactivity, allergies and asthma in children. Substances such as tartrazine might effect the embryo in a kind of aspects, containing physical or mental disorders, and a decrease in the child's intellectual memory.

Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies of inhibitor candidates against 3-hydroxykynurenine transaminase and implications on vector control.

Isoxazole and oxadiazole derivatives inhibiting 3-hydroxykynurenine transaminase (3HKT) are potential larvicidal candidates. This study aims to identify more suited potential inhibitors of 3HKT (3HKT) through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. A total of 958 compounds were docked against 3HKT (PDB ID: 2CH2) using Autodock vina and Autodock4.

Computational epitope-based vaccine design with bioinformatics approach; a review.

The significance of vaccine development has gained heightened importance in light of the pandemic. In such critical circumstances, global citizens anticipate researchers in this field to swiftly identify a vaccine candidate to combat the pandemic's root cause. It is widely recognized that the vaccine design process is traditionally both time-consuming and costly.

Meta-analysis and systematic review for the genetic basis of cleft lip and palate.

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) are a usually inherited anomaly described as a gap in the oral cavity's upper lip and/or roof. The etiology of CLP involves both genetic and environmental factors. The current study aimed to examine the genetic basis of nonsyndromic (NS) CLP (NSCL/P) and its association with specific genetic polymorphisms.

Evaluation of a surrogate virus neutralization assay for detecting neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in an African population.

The global resurgence of coronaviruses and the move to incorporate COVID-19 vaccines into the expanded program for immunization have warranted for a high-throughput and low-cost assay to measure and quantify mounted neutralizing antibodies as an indicator for protection against SARS-CoV-2. Hence, we evaluated the surrogate-virus-neutralization-assay (sVNT) as an alternative assay to the pseudo-virus neutralization assay (pVNT). The sVNT was used to measure neutralizing antibodies among 119 infected and/or vaccinated blood samples, against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 (WT) and the Omicron-variant with reference to the pVNT.

Hyperspectral analysis to assess gametocytogenesis stage progression in malaria-infected human erythrocytes.

Significance: Developments of anti-gametocyte drugs have been delayed due to insufficient understanding of gametocyte biology. We report a systematic workflow of data processing algorithms to quantify changes in the absorption spectrum and cell morphology of single malaria-infected erythrocytes. These changes may serve as biomarkers instrumental for the future development of antimalarial strategies, especially for anti-gametocyte drug design and testing.

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) for Major Depressive Disorder.

The 21st century has brought forth major advancements in device-based treatments for psychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD). One of the most exciting technologies on the rise in this field is transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). The small but rapidly growing body of knowledge on tACS suggests that this wearable, low-cost, noninvasive neuromodulation method could provide a safe and effective alternative, or augmentation, to pharmacological interventions for MDD.

Developing affordable and efficient heating devices for enhanced live cell imaging in confocal microscopy.

Temperature control is crucial for live cell imaging, particularly in studies involving plant responses to high ambient temperatures and thermal stress. This study presents the design, development, and testing of two cost-effective heating devices tailored for confocal microscopy applications: an aluminum heat plate and a wireless mini-heater. The aluminum heat plate, engineered to integrate seamlessly with the standard 160 mm × 110 mm microscope stage, supports temperatures up to 36°C, suitable for studies in the range of non-stressful warm temperatures (e.

circ-1584 selectively promotes the antitumor activity of the oncolytic virus M1 on pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is among the most challenging tumors to treat, and due to its immune tolerance characteristics, existing immunotherapy methods are not effective in alleviating the disease. Oncolytic virus therapy, a potential new strategy for treating pancreatic cancer, also faces the limitation of being ineffective when used alone. Elucidating the key host endogenous circular RNAs (circRNAs) involved in M1 virus-mediated killing of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells may help overcome this limitation.

Circ-PAN3 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma growth via sponging miR-153 and upregulating cyclin D1.

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a pivotal role in the development and advancement of various cancer types. However, the involvement of circ-PAN3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not well understood. To shed light on this, we conducted a comprehensive study through biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics techniques to investigate the role of circ-PAN3 and its associated pathway in the progression of HCC.

Ketogenic diet with oxyresveratrol and zinc inhibits glioblastoma and restores memory function and motor coordination.

Background: To date, there is no effective cure for the highly malignant brain tumor glioblastoma (GBM). GBM is the most common, aggressive central nervous system tumor (CNS). It commonly originates in glial cells such as microglia, oligodendroglia, astrocytes, or subpopulations of cancer stem cells (CSCs).

FOXR2 in cancer development: emerging player and therapeutic opportunities.

Cancer, a leading cause of global mortality, remains a significant challenge to increasing life expectancy worldwide. Forkhead Box R2 (FOXR2), identified as an oncogene within the FOX gene family, plays a crucial role in developing various endoderm-derived organs. Recent studies have elucidated FOXR2-related pathways and their involvement in both tumor and non-tumor diseases.

Melanoma-derived extracellular vesicles transfer proangiogenic factors.

Angiogenesis, the expansion of pre-existing vascular networks, is crucial for normal organ growth and tissue repair, but is also involved in various pathologies, including inflammation, ischemia, diabetes, and cancer. In solid tumors, angiogenesis supports growth, nutrient delivery, waste removal, and metastasis. Tumors can induce angiogenesis through proangiogenic factors including VEGF, FGF-2, PDGF, angiopoietins, HGF, TNF, IL-6, SCF, tryptase, and chymase.

Insights on Bmi-1 therapeutic targeting in head and neck cancers.

The B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog (Bmi-1) protein of the polycomb complex is an essential mediator of the epigenetic transcriptional silencing by the chromatin structure. It has been reported to be crucial for homeostasis of the stem cells and tumorigenesis. Though years of investigation have clarified Bmi-1's transcriptional regulation, post-translational modifications, and functions in controlling cellular bioenergetics, pathologies, and DNA damage response, the full potential of this protein with so many diverse roles are still unfulfilled.

Once a day administration of R(+) propranolol is sufficient to block vasculogenesis in a xenograft model of infantile hemangioma.

Objectives: Infantile hemangioma (IH) is a benign vascular tumor that occurs in 5% of infants, predominantly in female and preterm neonates. Propranolol is the mainstay of treatment for IH. Given the short half-life of propranolol regarding β-adrenergic receptor inhibition as well as its side effects, propranolol is administered to infants 2-3 times daily with 1 mg/kg/dose.

Development and validation of a species-specific environmental DNA (eDNA) primer for endangered Asian arowana, (Teleostei: Osteoglossidae) for law enforcement and wild population monitoring.

The Asian Arowana, (Müller and Schlegel, 1844) is a large majestic freshwater teleost, crowned as the king of aquariums with its bright charismatic appearance and magnificent swimming performance. The most expensive Asian arowana is the Golden Blue-based Malayan Arowana which is endemic to the Bukit Merah Lake and Kerian River Basin, Perak, Malaysia. has been listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), regulated under Appendix 1 of the Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES) for commercial trade.

CompLex: Legal systems through the lens of complexity science.

While "complexity science" has achieved significant successes in several interdisciplinary fields such as economics and biology, it is only a very recent observation that legal systems -from the way legal texts are drafted and connected to the rest of the corpus, up to the level of how judges and courts reach decisions under a variety of conflicting inputs- share several features with standard Complex Adaptive Systems. This review is meant as a gentle introduction to the use of quantitative tools and techniques of complexity science to describe, analyse, and tame the complex web of human interactions that the Law is supposed to regulate. We offer an overview of the main directions of research undertaken so far as well as an outlook for future research, and we argue that statistical physicists and complexity scientists should not ignore the opportunities offered by the cross-fertilisation between legal scholarship and complex-systems modelling.