Development of Novel Oral Delivery Systems Using Additive Manufacturing Technologies to Overcome Biopharmaceutical Challenges for Future Targeted Drug Delivery.

The development of targeted drug delivery systems for active pharmaceutical ingredients with narrow absorption windows is crucial for improving their bioavailability. This study proposes a novel 3D-printed expandable drug delivery system designed to precisely administer drugs to the upper small intestine, where absorption is most efficient. The aim was to design, prototype, and evaluate the system's functionality for organ retention and targeted drug release.

T14diLys/DOPE Liposomes: An Innovative Option for siRNA-Based Gene Knockdown?

Background/objectives: Bringing small interfering RNA (siRNA) into the cell cytosol to achieve specific gene silencing is an attractive but also very challenging option for improved therapies. The first step for successful siRNA delivery is the complexation with a permanent cationic or ionizable compound. This protects the negatively charged siRNA and enables transfection through the cell membrane.

Phenolic Compounds and Pharmacological Potential of Extracts for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

The search for neuroprotective compounds in lavender is driven by its traditional use for brain health, with antioxidant activity serving as a key mechanism in reducing oxidative stress and supporting cognitive function. Lavender's potential to protect neurons is based on its calming, anti-stress properties, which increase the brain's resistance to neurodegeneration. Although lavender is not a traditional medicinal plant in Ukraine, it is increasingly recognised for its medicinal properties and is widely cultivated in the country.

Cross-National Survey About Nutrition and Nutrition Communication Among Older Adults Aged 60 Years and Above.

The global population is undergoing a significant demographic shift characterised by an increasing proportion of older individuals. Healthy aging has become a priority for personal well-being and sustainable healthcare systems, with nutrition playing a pivotal role. However, the rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), malnutrition, and a shift in eating behaviour underscore the need for tailored, effective nutrition communication strategies.

Impact of the Healthy Lifestyle Community Program (HLCP-3) on Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO) and Risk Profile Parameters Related to Lifestyle Diseases During the Six Months Following an Intervention Study.

Rationale: The dietary components choline, betaine, and L-carnitine are converted by intestinal microbiota into the molecule trimethylamine (TMA). In the human liver, hepatic flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 oxidizes TMA to trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is considered a candidate marker for the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Profiles of 71 Human Milk Oligosaccharides and Novel Sub-Clusters of Type I Milk: Results from the Ulm SPATZ Health Study.

Background/objectives: Although approximately 160 human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) have been identified, current studies on HMO quantitation are limited to the 10-19 most abundant HMOs. We assessed the variations in the relative concentrations of 71 HMO structures over lactation in human milk samples by an advanced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry approach.

Methods: Samples were collected from 64 mothers at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months of lactation in the Ulm SPATZ Health Study, a German birth cohort.

Effects of Short-Term Low Energy Availability on Metabolism and Performance-Related Parameters in Physically Active Adults.

Background/objectives: Low energy availability (LEA) can cause impaired reproductive function, bone health issues, and suppressed immune function, and may result in decreased performance and overall health status. The purpose of this study was to investigate adaptions of body composition, blood status, resting metabolic rate, and endurance performance to gain more comprehensive insights into the symptoms of LEA and the adaptive effects in the athlete population (active women (n = 11) and men (n = 11)).

Methods: Three treatments were defined as 45 (EA45, control), 30 (EA30), and 10 (EA10) kcal/kg FFM/day and randomly assigned.

Effect of a Novel Food Rich in Miraculin on the Intestinal Microbiome of Malnourished Patients with Cancer and Dysgeusia.

Background/objectives: Dysgeusia contributes to malnutrition and worsens the quality of life of patients with cancer. Despite the different strategies, there is no effective treatment for patients suffering from taste disorders provided by the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, we developed a novel strategy for reducing side effects in cancer patients by providing a novel food supplement with the taste-modifying glycoprotein miraculin, which is approved by the European Union, as an adjuvant to medical-nutritional therapy.

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport-Multidisciplinary Treatment in Clinical Practice.

Background/objectives: The primary aim of this study was to characterize athletes approaching an outpatient interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary consultation structure for athletes with a suspected relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) cross-sectionally and longitudinally to prove treatment efficacy.

Methods: Data of 58 athletes suspected of REDs were collected at the onset (t) and completion (t) of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary REDs treatment (clinical practice) between January 2019 and December 2022. The data included extracted information from medical records, anthropometric characteristics, physical performance diagnostics, laboratory values, dietary records, and partially gynecological and psychosomatic diagnostics.

Effects of Additional Flexible and Rigid Structure on BDT-BDD Terpolymer and the Performance of Organic Solar Cells.

In organic solar cells, the aggregation and crystallization of polymers are significant for bulk heterojunction. Blending with acceptor materials, polymer donor materials can adjust their aggregation by the movement of the chain segments. In this paper, the unfused structures based on thiophene and carbazole are respectively designed and introduced into the donor-acceptor copolymer donor materials to investigate the influence of flexible and rigid structures on polymer-aggregation leading photoelectric performance.

Electrochemical Switching of Laser-Induced Graphene/Polymer Composites for Tunable Electronics.

Laser reduction of graphene oxide (GO) is a promising approach for achieving flexible, robust, and electrically conductive graphene/polymer composites. Resulting composite materials show significant technological potential for energy storage, sensing, and bioelectronics. However, in the case of insulating polymers, the properties of electrodes show severely limited performance.

The Role of Light Irradiation and Dendrimer Generation in Directing Electrostatic Self-Assembly.

pH-responsive polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers are used as well-defined building blocks to design light-switchable nano-assemblies in solution. The complex interplay between the photoresponsive di-anionic azo dye Acid Yellow 38 (AY38) and the cationic PAMAM dendrimers of different generations is presented in this study. Electrostatic self-assembly involving secondary dipole-dipole interactions provides well-defined assemblies within a broad size range (10 nm-1 μm) with various shapes.

Shifting Focus to Quality: An Innovative Modeling Approach Includes Processing History for Rubber Part Quality Simulation.

An innovative modeling approach for the simulative description of the part quality of rubber materials, including the processing history, is presented in this paper. This modeling approach, the so-called average curing speed (ACS) model, is based on the degree of cure and the average curing speed instead of the conventionally considered temperature approach. Such approach neglects the processing history by calculating only the degree of cure.

Development of an Analytical Model for Predicting the Shear Viscosity of Polypropylene Compounds.

The need for an efficient adaptation of existing polypropylene (PP) formulations or the creation of new formulations has become increasingly important in various industries. Variations in viscosity resulting from changes in raw materials, fillers, and additives can have a significant impact on the processing and quality of PP products. This study presents the development of an analytical model designed to predict the shear viscosity of complex PP blends.

Fully Automated Production of ((()-1-Carboxy-5-(6-([F]fluoro)-2-methoxynicotinamido)pentyl)carbamoyl)-l-glutamic Acid ([F]JK-PSMA-7).

The radiotracer [F]JK-PSMA-7, a prostate cancer imaging agent for positron emission tomography (PET), was previously synthesized by indirect radiofluorination using an F-labeled active ester as a prosthetic group, which had to be isolated and purified before it could be linked to the pharmacologically active Lys-urea-Glu motif. Although this procedure could be automated on two-reactor modules like the GE TRACERLab FX2N (FXN) to afford the tracer in modest radiochemical yields (RCY) of 18-25%, it is unsuitable for cassette-based systems with a single reactor. To simplify implementation on an automated synthesis module, the radiosynthesis of [F]JK-PSMA-7 was devised as a one-pot, two-step reaction.

Cytotoxic Activity of Bisphosphonic Derivatives Obtained by the Michaelis-Arbuzov or the Pudovik Reaction.

Methylenebisphosphonic derivatives including hydroxy-methylenebisphosphonic species may be of potential biological activity, and a part of them is used in the treatment of bone diseases. Methylenebisphosphonates may be obtained by the Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction of suitably α-substituted methylphosphonates and trialkyl phosphites or phosphinous esters, while the hydroxy-methylene variations are prepared by the Pudovik reaction of α-oxophosphonates and different >P(O)H reagents, such as diethyl phosphite and diarylphosphine oxides. After converting α-hydroxy-benzylphosphonates and -phosphine oxides to the α-halogeno- and α-sulfonyloxy derivatives, they were utilized in the Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction with trialkyl phosphites and ethyl diphenylphosphinite to afford the corresponding bisphosphonate, bis(phosphine oxide) and phosphonate-phosphine oxide derivatives.

Leveraging Single-Cell Multi-Omics to Decode Tumor Microenvironment Diversity and Therapeutic Resistance.

Recent developments in single-cell multi-omics technologies have provided the ability to identify diverse cell types and decipher key components of the tumor microenvironment (TME), leading to important advancements toward a much deeper understanding of how tumor microenvironment heterogeneity contributes to cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. These technologies are able to integrate data from molecular genomic, transcriptomic, proteomics, and metabolomics studies of cells at a single-cell resolution scale that give rise to the full cellular and molecular complexity in the TME. Understanding the complex and sometimes reciprocal relationships among cancer cells, CAFs, immune cells, and ECs has led to novel insights into their immense heterogeneity in functions, which can have important consequences on tumor behavior.

From Infection to Tumor: Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Ciprofloxacin Derivatives as Anticancer Agents.

Ciprofloxacin, a widely used second-generation fluoroquinolone for treating bacterial infections, has recently shown notable anticancer properties. This review explores progress in developing ciprofloxacin derivatives with anticancer properties, emphasizing key structural changes that improve their therapeutic effectiveness by modifying the basic group at position 7, the carboxylic acid group at position 3, or both. It further investigates the mechanisms by which these derivatives fight cancer, such as inducing apoptosis, arresting the cell cycle, inhibiting topoisomerase I and II, preventing tubulin polymerization, suppressing interleukin 6, blocking thymidine phosphorylase, inhibiting multidrug resistance proteins, and hindering angiogenesis.

Identification of a New Pentafluorosulfanyl-Substituted Chalcone with Activity Against Hepatoma and Human Parasites.

Background/objectives: New drugs are required for the treatment of liver cancers and protozoal parasite infections. Analogs of the known anticancer active and antileishmanial 2',4',6'-trimethoxychalcone SU086 were prepared and investigated.

Methods: The chalcones were prepared according to the Claisen-Schmidt condensation protocol and analyzed.

Pharmaceutical Humanities and Narrative Pharmacy: An Emerging New Concept in Pharmacy.

The complexity of our life experiences and the rapid progress in science and technology clearly necessitate reflections from the humanities. The ever-growing intersection between science and society fosters the emergence of novel interdisciplinary fields of research. During the past decade, Medical Humanities arose to meet the need to unravel hidden information beyond technology-driven and fact-based medicine.

Comparison of ZnS(Ag) Scintillator and Proportional Counter Tube for Alpha Detection in Thin-Layer Chromatography.

(1) : Targeted alpha therapy is an emerging field in nuclear medicine driven by two advantages: overcoming resistance in cancer-suffering patients to beta therapies and the practical application of lower activities of Pb- and Ac-labelled peptides to achieve the same doses compared to beta therapy due to the highly cytotoxic nature of alpha particles. However, quality control of the Pb/Ac-radiopharmaceuticals remains a challenge due to the low activity levels used for therapy (100 kBq/kg) and the formation of several free daughter nuclides immediately after the formulation of patient doses; (2) : The routine alpha detection on thin-layer chromatograms (TLC) of Pb- and Ac-labelled peptides using a MiniScanPRO+ scanner combined with an alpha detector head was compared with detection using an AR-2000 scanner equipped with an open proportional counter tube. Measurement time, resolution and validity were compared for both scanners; (3) : For Ac, the quality control values of the radiochemical purity (RCP) were within the acceptance criteria 2 h after TLC development, regardless of when the TLC probe was taken.

Molecular Epidemiology, Drug-Resistant Variants, and Therapeutic Implications of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis D Virus Prevalence in Nigeria: A National Study.

Information on circulating HBV (sub-)genotype, variants, and hepatitis D virus (HDV) coinfection, which vary by geographical area, is crucial for the efficient control and management of HBV. We investigated the genomic characteristics of HBV (with a prevalence of 8.1%) and the prevalence of HDV in Nigeria.

Archival and Newly Isolated Historical Strains Populate the Deeper Phylogeny of the A.Br.075(Sterne) Clade.

The anthrax pathogen can remain dormant as spores in soil for many years. This applies to both natural foci and to sites of anthropogenic activity such as tanneries, abattoirs, or wool factories. The A.

Tiny Machine Learning Implementation for Guided Wave-Based Damage Localization.

This work leverages ultrasonic guided waves (UGWs) to detect and localize damage in structures using lightweight Artificial Intelligence (AI) models. It investigates the use of machine learning (ML) to train the effects of the damage on UGWs to the model. To reduce the number of trainable parameters, a physical signal processing approach is applied to the raw data before passing the data to the model.

Is the EnodePro a Valid Tool to Determine the Bar Velocity in the Bench Press and Barbell Back Squat? A Comparative Analysis.

Unlabelled: In recent years, the EnodePro device has been one of the most frequently used velocity sensors to track the bar velocity in resistance training, with the aim of providing load-velocity profiles. However, recent articles highlight a lack of reliability and validity in the estimated maximal strength, which can cause a serious health risk due to the overestimation of the bar velocity. With this study, we aimed to investigate whether imprecision in the measurement could explain the variance in this measurement error.