Microtubule acetylation and PERK activation facilitate eribulin-induced mitochondrial calcium accumulation and cell death.

Over the past few decades, microtubules have been targeted by various anticancer drugs, including paclitaxel and eribulin. Despite their promising effects, the development of drug resistance remains a challenge. We aimed to define a novel cell death mechanism that targets microtubules using eribulin and to assess its potential in overcoming eribulin resistance.

The guanine nucleotide exchange factor DOCK5 negatively regulates osteoblast differentiation and BMP2-induced bone regeneration via the MKK3/6 and p38 signaling pathways.

DOCK5 (dedicator of cytokinesis 5), a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rac1, has been implicated in BMP2-mediated osteoblast differentiation, but its specific role in osteogenesis and bone regeneration remained unclear. This study investigated the effect of DOCK5 on bone regeneration using C21, a DOCK5 chemical inhibitor, and Dock5-deficient mice. Osteoblast differentiation and bone regeneration were analyzed using bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and various animal models.

MT-100, a human Tie2-agonistic antibody, improves penile neurovasculature in diabetic mice via the novel target Srpx2.

Diabetes is an incurable, chronic disease that can lead to many complications, including angiopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction (ED). The angiopoietin-Tie2 signaling pathway plays a critical role in blood vessel development, formation, remodeling, and peripheral nerve regeneration. Therefore, strategies for activating the Tie2 signaling pathway have been developed as potential therapies for neurovascular diseases.

Trogocytosis-mediated immune evasion in the tumor microenvironment.

Trogocytosis is a dynamic cellular process characterized by the exchange of the plasma membrane and associated cytosol during cell-to-cell interactions. Unlike phagocytosis, this transfer maintains the surface localization of transferred membrane molecules. For example, CD4 T cells engaging with antigen-presenting cells undergo trogocytosis, which facilitates the transfer of antigen-loaded major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules from antigen-presenting cells to CD4 T cells.

Cooperative Brønsted Acid-Single Atom Photocatalysis in Metal-Organic Framework.

Enzymes, composed of earth-abundant elements, outperform conventional heterogeneous photocatalysts in hydrogen production due to the dual-site cooperation between adjacent active metal sites and proton-transferring ligands. However, the realization of such dual-site cooperation in heterogeneous catalytic systems is hindered by the challenges in the precise construction of cooperative active sites. In this study, we present the design of a structurally tuned metal-organic framework (MOF) photocatalyst that incorporates cooperative Brønsted acid-single atom catalytic sites.

Kisspeptin Retards Tumor Growth of Lewis Lung Carcinoma Cells Through p38 MAPK-mediated Senescence.

Background/aim: Kisspeptin has multifaceted roles in both normal and pathological conditions. Although lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer worldwide, the role of kisspeptin in lung cancer remains poorly understood. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of kisspeptin on lung cancer.

Improving functional correlation of quantification of interstitial lung disease by reducing the vendor difference of CT using generative adversarial network (GAN) style conversion.

Objective: To assess whether CT style conversion between different CT vendors using a routable generative adversarial network (RouteGAN) could minimize variation in ILD quantification, resulting in improved functional correlation of quantitative CT (QCT) measures.

Methods: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who underwent unenhanced chest CTs with vendor A and a pulmonary function test (PFT) were retrospectively evaluated. As deep-learning based ILD quantification software was mainly developed using vendor B CT, style-converted images from vendor A to B style were generated using RouteGAN.

Awareness, knowledge, and attitude toward cervical cancer screening and prevention in Uganda.

Objectives: Cervical cancer is the most prevalent cancer in Uganda, posing a significant burden with high mortality rates. Early detection through screening is crucial to reduce cervical cancer mortality. This study aimed to investigate the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes toward cervical cancer and its screening among residents in the central and western regions of Uganda.

Soybean mitogen-activated protein kinase GmMPK6 enhances drought tolerance.

Soybeans are a critical crop that provides both protein and oil. In response to environmental stresses, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MPKs) play a key role in transmitting stress signals to the nucleus to initiate stress-responsive actions. Drought stress reduces plant development and productivity but the specific MPK responsible for drought stress responses has not been previously identified.

A novel mouse model of image-guided radiation-induced acute kidney injury using SARRP.

Radiation therapy is crucial for cancer treatment, but it often causes tissue damage. The kidney, which is sensitive to radiation, is under-researched in this context. This study aimed to develop a mouse model for radiation-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) using a small animal radiation research platform (SARRP) to mimic clinical radiation conditions.

Mechanistic insights into the competitive inhibition of enzyme-mimetic activity of gold nanoparticles for dual mode colorimetric and fluorescence detection of biothiols.

In this work, the interaction behaviour of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with o-phenylenediamine (OPD) was studied to ascertain the nanozyme-substrate interaction. The UV-Vis absorption, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and zeta potential analysis revealed that the electron-rich nitrogen atoms in OPD showed a stronger affinity toward electron-deficient surface, indicating a stronger interaction between nanozyme and substrate molecules. Subsequently, under optimum conditions, AuNPs are used as nanozyme to catalyze the oxidation of OPD in the presence of HO.

Illudin S inhibits p53-Mdm2 interaction for anticancer efficacy in colorectal cancer.

The impairment of the p53 pathway was once regarded as inadequately druggable due to the specificity of the p53 structure, its flat surface lacking an ideal drug-binding site, and the difficulty in reinstating p53 function. However, renewed interest in p53-based therapies has emerged, with promising approaches targeting p53 and ongoing clinical trials investigating p53-based treatments across various cancers. Despite significant progress in p53-targeted therapies, challenges persist in identifying effective therapeutic targets within the p53 pathway.

Microplastics as adsorbent for Pb and Cd: A comparative study of polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, high-density polyethylene, and low-density polyethylene.

Microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments adsorb heavy metals, thereby posing potential environmental risks. However, further research is needed to elucidate the adsorption behavior of different types of MPs for various heavy metals. The aim of this study was to characterize four types of MPs: polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

Tailoring formulation for enhanced phage therapy in canine otitis externa: a cocktail approach targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.

Canine otitis externa, characterized by the involvement of diverse bacterial species, notably Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, necessitates antibiotic administration as the primary therapeutic approach; however, prolonged treatment often precipitates antibiotic resistance. Therefore, the application of bacteriophages as antimicrobial agents has been of interest recently. However, phage therapy has limitations; its efficacy depends on the lytic capacity of the phage and the emergence of phage resistance, which can be overcome by using phage cocktails.

Sensitivity Analysis for Effects of Multiple Exposures in the Presence of Unmeasured Confounding.

Epidemiological research aims to investigate how multiple exposures affect health outcomes of interest, but observational studies often suffer from biases caused by unmeasured confounders. In this study, we develop a novel sensitivity model to investigate the effect of correlated multiple exposures on the continuous health outcomes of interest. The proposed sensitivity analysis is model-agnostic and can be applied to any machine learning algorithm.

Enhanced heart sound classification using Mel frequency cepstral coefficients and comparative analysis of single vs. ensemble classifier strategies.

This paper seeks to enhance the performance of Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCCs) for detecting abnormal heart sounds. Heart sounds are first pre-processed to remove noise and then segmented into S1, systole, S2, and diastole intervals, with thirteen MFCCs estimated from each segment, yielding 52 MFCCs per beat. Finally, MFCCs are used for heart sound classification.

NATE: Non-pArameTric approach for Explainable credit scoring on imbalanced class.

Credit scoring models play a crucial role for financial institutions in evaluating borrower risk and sustaining profitability. Logistic regression is widely used in credit scoring due to its robustness, interpretability, and computational efficiency; however, its predictive power decreases when applied to complex or non-linear datasets, resulting in reduced accuracy. In contrast, tree-based machine learning models often provide enhanced predictive performance but struggle with interpretability.

Comparison of ocular biometry and refractive outcomes using two swept-source optical coherence tomography-based biometers.

Background: To evaluate the ocular biometry agreement and prediction of postoperative refractive outcomes obtained using two swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) biometers: Anterion (Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) and Argos (Alcon, Fort Worth, TX, USA).

Methods: Ambispective analysis was conducted on 105 eyes at the Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea, between June 2021 and March 2022. Biometric values were assessed using both devices before cataract surgery.

Structure-guided design and synthesis of C22- and C32-modified FK520 analogs with enhanced activity against human pathogenic fungi.

Invasive fungal infections are a leading cause of death worldwide. Translating molecular insights into clinical benefits is challenging because fungal pathogens and their hosts share similar eukaryotic physiology. Consequently, current antifungal treatments have limited efficacy, may be poorly fungicidal in the host, can exhibit toxicity, and are increasingly compromised by emerging resistance.

Effects of Graphene Quantum Dots on Renal Fibrosis Through Alleviating Oxidative Stress and Restoring Mitochondrial Membrane Potential.

Podocyte injury and proteinuria in glomerular disease are critical indicators of acute kidney injury progression to chronic kidney disease. Renal mitochondrial dysfunction, mediated by intracellular calcium levels and oxidative stress, is a major contributor to podocyte complications. Despite various strategies targeting mitochondria to improve kidney function, effective treatments remain lacking.

Fluorescence-Based Simple and Practical Assay Method for DNA Damage Analysis in DNA-Encoded Library Synthesis.

The dsDNA-selective fluorescent-dye-based DNA damage assay was developed for DNA-encoded library (DEL) synthesis. For the various DEL synthesis conditions, the assay was validated through cross-checking with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, and the fact was confirmed that the usage of a specific ratio of organic solvent can critically induce DNA damage. Also, the applicability of the assay was confirmed through the screening of the DNA-damaging condition of the on-DNA amide coupling reaction and Pd-catalyzed on-DNA -arylation reaction.

The association between acute transverse myelitis and COVID-19 vaccination in Korea: Self-controlled case series study.

Background: Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) has been reported as a potential association between COVID-19 vaccination. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the COVID-19 vaccination and ATM.

Methods: A self-controlled case series study was performed using a large database that combine the COVID-19 vaccine registry and the national claims database.

Portulaca oleracea Extract Ameliorates Testosterone Propionate-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a distressing health problem that can cause serious complications in aging men. Androgens are implicated in the causation of BPH. Portulaca oleracea (PO) is a natural product with diverse pharmacological effects.

A cross-language speech model for detection of Parkinson's disease.

Speech change is a biometric marker for Parkinson's disease (PD). However, evaluating speech variability across diverse languages is challenging. We aimed to develop a cross-language algorithm differentiating between PD patients and healthy controls using a Taiwanese and Korean speech data set.