Response to Central Boost Radiation Therapy in Unresectable Retroperitoneal Sarcoma: A Case Series.

Purpose: Optimal treatment of retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) remains undefined. Here, we report the feasibility of using high-dose boost radiation (3-4 Gy) to the central part of the tumor in patients with unresectable RPS.

Methods And Materials: Five patients with unresectable RPS were treated with radiation therapy using a central boost technique with intensity modulated radiation therapy.

Effect of plasma levels of factor VIII according to procoagulant phospholipids on the risk of future venous thromboembolism.

Background: A high level of plasma coagulation factor (F)VIII is an established and likely causal risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Procoagulant phospholipids (PPLs) facilitate FVIII activity in coagulation.

Objectives: To assess the association between plasma levels of FVIII and risk of future VTE according to PPL clotting time (PPL), an inverse surrogate measure of plasma PPL activity.

An Integrative Brain and Behavior CURE (Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience) Using Immunohistochemistry in the Fighting Fish .

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide a variety of benefits to student learning outcomes. Here we describe an upper-level semester-long CURE that was implemented in Spring 2024 at Amherst College, a small liberal arts college, as part of the NEUR 313: Social Neuroendocrinology course. In the CURE students conducted behavioral and immunohistochemical assays in the fighting fish .

A scoping review of the reporting quality of reviews of commercially and publicly available mobile health apps.

Objectives: There is no guidance to support the reporting of systematic reviews of mobile health (mhealth) apps (app reviews), so authors attempt to use/modify the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). There is a need for reporting guidance, building on PRISMA where appropriate, tailored to app reviews. The objectives were to describe the reporting quality of published mHealth app reviews, identify the need for, and develop potential candidate items for a reporting guideline.

Isolation and Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria From "" Having the Ability to Produce α-Glucosidase Inhibitors.

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are one of the therapies used for treating type 2 diabetes by inhibiting the absorption of carbohydrates in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to antimicrobial activity, some probiotic species show -glucosidase inhibitor activity, making them potential alternative therapies for type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to characterize probiotics from "," a traditional food from North Sumatra, Indonesia, that exhibit -glucosidase inhibition, potentially useful for type 2 diabetes treatment.

Membrana preformativa: Unveiling the unexplored facets of dental development.

Aim: Odontogenesis is a complex and highly regulated biological process that involves a range of molecular mechanisms. Among these, Ki67 and Cyclin D1 are crucial cell cycle regulators that play pivotal roles in controlling cell proliferation during tooth development. This study aims to provide detailed insights into the expression patterns and functional significance of Ki67 and Cyclin D1 in tooth development.

Comprehensive characterization of tobacco-induced changes in enamel surface topography.

Introduction: Enamel translucency, essential for the aesthetic appeal of teeth, is primarily determined by its thickness, quality, and refractive index. Several factors, including age, genetics, diet, oral hygiene practices, fluoride exposure, and acidic challenges, can influence enamel translucency. Tobacco use, in particular, leads to significant alterations in enamel appearance by penetrating its micropores, causing yellowing and browning.

Neonatal Encephalopathy: Novel Phenotypes and Genotypes Identified by Genome Sequencing.

Background And Objectives: Neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is characterized by an abnormal level of consciousness with or without seizures in the neonatal period. It affects 1-6/1,000 live term newborns. We applied genome sequencing (GS) in term newborns with NE to investigate the underlying genetic causes.

Mixed nontuberculous mycobacteria in an immunocompromised patient with probable progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

Objectives: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are increasingly recognized opportunistic pathogens found ubiquitously in the environment. The presence of multiple NTM species at the site of disease complicates diagnosis and treatment.

Case And Management: A 40-year-old patient who tested positive for HIV, with an absolute clusters of differentiation 4+ T-cell count of 3 cells/µl and cryptococcaemia, presented with hemoptysis, productive cough, and weight loss.

High Aspect Ratio Polymer Nanocarriers for Gene Delivery and Expression in Plants.

Plant genetic engineering methods are critical for food security and biofuel production and to enable molecular farming. Here, we elucidated how polymeric high aspect ratio nanocarriers can enable DNA delivery to plants and transient expression. We demonstrated that a nanocarrier with 20 nm width, 80 nm length, and a polymer-to-DNA ratio of N/P = 3.

Radiofrequency Induced Time-Dependent Alterations in Gene Expression and Apoptosis in Glioblastoma Cell Line.

The widespread use of wireless communication technologies has increased human exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs). Considering the brain's close proximity to mobile phones and its entirely electrical transmission network, it emerges as the organ most profoundly impacted by the RF field. This study aims to investigate the potential effects of RF radiation on cell viability, apoptosis, and gene expressions in glioblastoma cells (U118-MG) at different exposure times (1, 24, and 48 h).

Domestication During Restoration: Unintentional Selection During Eight Generations of Wild Seed Propagation Reduces Herkogamy, Dichogamy and Heterozygosity in Clarkia pulchella.

Seed production on native seed farms has increased to meet the rising demand for plant material for restoration. Although these propagation efforts are necessary for restoration, cultivating wild populations may also result in unintentional selection and elicit evolutionary changes that mimic crop domestication, essentially turning these efforts into artificial domestication experiments. Here, we investigated whether phenotypic and genomic changes associated with domestication occurred in the wildflower Clarkia pulchella Pursh (Onagraceae) by comparing the wild source populations to the farmed population after eight generations of cultivation.

Quantitative approaches for studying G protein-coupled receptor signalling and pharmacology.

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling pathways underlie numerous physiological processes, are implicated in many diseases and are major targets for therapeutics. There are more than 800 GPCRs, which together transduce a vast array of extracellular stimuli into a variety of intracellular signals via heterotrimeric G protein activation and multiple downstream effectors. A key challenge in cell biology research and the pharmaceutical industry is developing tools that enable the quantitative investigation of GPCR signalling pathways to gain mechanistic insights into the varied cellular functions and pharmacology of GPCRs.

Robust analysis of diel activity patterns.

Research Highlight: Iannarilli, F., Gerber, B. D.

Assessing candidate DLX-regulated genes in the first pharyngeal arch of chick embryos.

Background: Insights into the development and evolution of asymmetrical jaws will require an understanding of the gene regulatory networks that underpin the differential morphogenesis of the maxillary and mandibular domains of the first pharyngeal arch in a variety of gnathostomes. While a robust relationship has been demonstrated between jaw patterning and the Endothelin-Dlx gene axis, much less is known of the next level of genes in the jaw patterning hierarchy.

Results: Several genes, whose expression depends on Dlx5 and/or Dlx6, have been identified in mice.

Cell size has pervasive effects on the functional composition and morphology of leaves: a case study in Rhododendron (Ericaceae).

The leaf economics spectrum (LES) characterizes a tradeoff between building a leaf for durability versus for energy capture and gas exchange, with allocation to leaf dry mass per projected surface area (LMA) being a key trait underlying this tradeoff. However, regardless of the biomass supporting the leaf, high rates of gas exchange are typically accomplished by small, densely packed stomata on the leaf surface, which is enabled by smaller genome sizes. Here, we investigate how variation in genome size-cell size allometry interacts with variation in biomass allocation (i.

Synergistic effects of temperature and light on photoprotection in the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

Diatoms dominate phytoplankton communities in turbulent waters, where light fluctuations can be frequent and intense. Due to this complex environment, these heterokont microalgae display remarkable photoprotection strategies, including a fast Non-Photochemical Quenching (NPQ). However, in nature, several abiotic parameters (such as temperature) can influence the response of photosynthetic organisms to light stress in a synergistic or antagonistic manner.

Transcription Factor Fingerprint Provides Clues for Brain Tumor Cell of Origin.

Mouse models that faithfully represent the biology of human brain tumors are critical tools for unraveling the underlying tumor biology and screening for potential precision therapies. This is especially true of rare tumor types, many of which have correspondingly few xenograft or cell lines available. Although our understanding of the specific biological pathways driving cancer has improved significantly, identifying the appropriate progenitor populations to drive oncogenic processes represents a significant barrier to efficient mouse model production.

Small molecules in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: a systematic review and a multicenter case series about Janus kinase inhibitors and apremilast.

Objective: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are rare autoimmune diseases that primarily affect striated muscles; skin, joints, and lungs may be involved with different degrees of severity. Traditional treatment relies on high-dose glucocorticoids and conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Methods: A growing amount of evidence is demonstrating the potential role of novel treatments in the management of IIM.

Synergistic Anti-tumorigenic Effects of Cabazitaxel and Usnic Acid Combination on Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells.

Background: Prostate cancer (PC) affects millions of men, causing high mortality rates. Despite the treatment approaches, the options for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), a lethal form of advanced PC, are still limited. Cabazitaxel (Cbx) is the last taxane-derived chemotherapeutic approved for Docetaxel- resistant mCRPC patients.

Schisanhenol Inhibits the Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Targeting Programmed Cell Death-ligand 1 via the STAT3 Pathways.

Background: Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is overexpressed in tumor cells, which promotes tumor cell survival and cell proliferation and causes tumor cells to escape T-cell killing. Schisanhenol, a biphenyl cyclooctene lignin-like compound, was extracted and isolated from the plant named Schisandra rubriflora (Franch.).

ZjMAPKK4 Interacted With ZjNAC78 Regulates Cold Tolerance Response in Jujube.

Jujube (Ziziphus ujuba Mill.) holds great importance as a fruit tree in China, with strong tolerance to drought and saline stress, but its growth is limited by vulnerability to cold stress. Consequently, the role of MAPK cascades in mediating jujube cold stress response remains unclear, with the specific function of ZjMAPKK4 in this context yet to be fully elucidated.

Single-cell multi-omics deciphers hepatocyte dedifferentiation and illuminates maintenance strategies.

Due to the similarity to human hepatocytes, porcine hepatocytes play an important role in hepatic research and drug evaluation. However, once hepatocytes were cultured in vitro, it was often prone to dedifferentiate, resulting in the loss of their characteristic features and normal functions, which impede their application in liver transplantation and hepatotoxic drugs evaluation. Up to now, this process has yet to be thoroughly investigated from the single-cell resolution and multi-omics perspective.

Thermal Desorption Hyphenated to Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for Trace Analysis in Raw Renewable Gases-Application to Hydrothermal Gasification.

In the context of the energy transition, European countries pursue the common goal of increasing the share of renewable gases (from anaerobic digestion, pyrogasification, and hydrothermal gasification for instance) in the gas mix. Although produced gases are mainly composed of methane after upgrading, impurities of various natures and quantities may also be present in the produced raw gases and still after upgrading, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at trace levels that may have an impact on different stages of the gas chain even at low concentrations. These new renewable and/or low-carbon gases imply the need to develop new analytical tools to deeply characterize them, and thus fully manage their integration into the gas value chain.