Nerve-independent formation of membrane infoldings at topologically complex postsynaptic apparatus by caveolin-3.

Junctional folds are unique membrane specializations developed progressively during the postnatal maturation of vertebrate neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), but how they are formed remains elusive. Previous studies suggested that topologically complex acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clusters in muscle cultures undergo a series of transformations, resembling the postnatal maturation of NMJs in vivo. We first demonstrated the presence of membrane infoldings at AChR clusters in cultured muscles.

ABPbI (A = BA, PEA; B = MA; = 1, 2): Engineering Quantum-Well Crystals for High Mass Density and Fast Scintillators.

Quantum-well (QW) hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite (HOIP) crystals, e.g., APbX (A = BA, PEA; X = Br, I), demonstrated significant potentials as scintillating materials for wide energy radiation detection compared to their individual three-dimensional (3D) counterparts, e.

Lattice Expansion in Rb-Doped Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Perovskite Crystals Resulting in Smaller Band-Gap and Higher Light-Yield Scintillators.

Two-dimensional hybrid-organic-inorganic perovskite (2D-HOIP) lead bromide perovskite crystals have demonstrated great potential as scintillators with high light yields and fast decay times while also being low cost with solution-processable materials for wide energy radiation detection. Ion doping has been also shown to be a very promising avenue for improvements of the scintillation properties of 2D-HOIP crystals. In this paper, we discuss the effect of rubidium (Rb) doping on two previously reported 2D-HOIP single crystals, BAPbBr and PEAPbBr.

Chitosan-Based Smart Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Progress and Perspectives.

Over the past decade, smart and functional biomaterials have escalated as one of the most rapidly emerging fields in the life sciences because the performance of biomaterials could be improved by careful consideration of their interaction and response with the living systems. Thus, chitosan could play a crucial role in this frontier field because it possesses many beneficial properties, especially in the biomedical field such as excellent biodegradability, hemostatic properties, antibacterial activity, antioxidant properties, biocompatibility, and low toxicity. Furthermore, chitosan is a smart and versatile biopolymer due to its polycationic nature with reactive functional groups that allow the polymer to form many interesting structures or to be modified in various ways to suit the targeted applications.

Detection and Level Evaluation of Antibodies Specific to Environmental Bacteriophage I11mO19 and Related Coliphages in Non-Immunized Human Sera.

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses infecting bacteria. They are widely present in the environment, food, and normal microflora. The human microbiome is a mutually interdependent network of bacteria, bacteriophages, and human cells.

Pellino3 ligase negatively regulates influenza B dependent RIG-I signalling through downregulation of TRAF3-mediated induction of the transcription factor IRF3 and IFNβ production.

Viral infection activates the innate immune system, which recognizes viral components by a variety of pattern recognition receptors and initiates signalling cascades leading to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. To date, signalling cascades triggered after virus recognition are not fully characterized and are investigated by many research groups. The critical role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Pellino3 in antibacterial and antiviral response is now widely accepted, but the precise mechanism remains elusive.

The Dynamic Linkage between Provirus Integration Sites and the Host Functional Genome Property Alongside HIV-1 Infections Associated with Antiretroviral Therapy.

(1) Background: The HIV-1 latent reservoir harboring replication-competent proviruses is the major barrier in the quest for an HIV-1 infection cure. HIV-1 infection at all stages of disease progression is associated with immune activation and dysfunctional production of proinflammatory soluble factors (cytokines and chemokines), and it is expected that during HIV-1 infection, different immune components and immune cells, in turn, participate in immune responses, subsequently activating downstream biological pathways. However, the functional interaction between HIV-1 integration and the activation of host biological pathways is presently not fully understood.

CircAMOTL1 RNA and AMOTL1 Protein: Complex Functions of Gene Products.

The complexity of the cellular proteome facilitates the control of a wide range of cellular processes. Non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, greatly contribute to the repertoire of tools used by cells to orchestrate various functions. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) constitute a specific class of non-coding RNAs that have recently emerged as a widely generated class of molecules produced from many eukaryotic genes that play essential roles in regulating cellular processes in health and disease.

Identification and classification of distinct surface markers of T regulatory cells.

Background: Regulatory T (Treg) cells have emerged as key players in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. Although significant progress has been made in recent years to define the Treg surface markers involved with or identifying their suppressive function, there remains much to be elucidated, and many questions persist. This study determined the expression of surface markers on human peripheral Treg cells and conventional T (Tconv) cells in a steady state and after activation to gain insight into their mechanism of action and more precisely characterize this regulatory population in humans.

Mechanism of Molecular Activity of Yolkin-a Polypeptide Complex Derived from Hen Egg Yolk-in PC12 Cells and Immortalized Hippocampal Precursor Cells H19-7.

Food-derived bioactive peptides able to regulate neuronal function have been intensively searched and studied for their potential therapeutic application. Our previous study showed that a polypeptide complex yolkin, isolated from hen egg yolk as a fraction accompanying immunoglobulin Y (IgY), improved memory and cognitive functions in rats. However, the mechanism activated by the yolkin is not explained.

Age-Related Changes in Female Murine Reproductive Mucosa with respect to T Cell Presence.

Many studies have demonstrated a general decline and dysregulation in immune functions with age. It is not clear, however, how the aging affects the immune surveillance of the female reproductive tract (FRT) by T cells, a unique population of T lymphocytes that was shown to regulate homeostasis of epithelial barriers. First, we analyzed T cell presence in FRT in young (2 months) and old (18 months) wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice.

Cfap91-Dependent Stability of the RS2 and RS3 Base Proteins and Adjacent Inner Dynein Arms in Cilia.

Motile cilia and eukaryotic flagella are specific cell protrusions that are conserved from protists to humans. They are supported by a skeleton composed of uniquely organized microtubules-nine peripheral doublets and two central singlets (9 × 2 + 2). Microtubules also serve as docking sites for periodically distributed multiprotein ciliary complexes.

IFNβ-Induced Chemokine Expression Is Regulated by Pellino3 Ligase in Monocytes and Macrophages.

IFN-I is the key regulatory component activating and modulating the response of innate and adaptive immune system to bacterial as well as viral pathogens. IFN-I promotes the expression of IFN-induced genes (ISG) and, consequently, the production of chemokines, e.g.

Activity of Novel Ultrashort Cyclic Lipopeptides against Biofilm of Isolated from VVC in the Ex Vivo Animal Vaginal Model and BioFlux Biofilm Model-A Pilot Study.

In recent years, clinicians and doctors have become increasingly interested in fungal infections, including those affecting the mucous membranes. Vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) is no exception. The etiology of this infection remains unexplained to this day, as well as the role and significance of asymptomatic vaginal colonization.

Functionalized Noble Metal Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Herpesvirus Infection.

Neuroinfections caused by herpesviruses, mainly by HHV-1, represent a significant problem for modern medicine due to the small number of therapeutic substances available in the pharmaceutical sector. Furthermore, HHV-1 infection has been linked to neurodegenerative processes such as Alzheimer's disease, which justifies the search for new effective therapies. The development of nanotechnology opens up new possibilities for the treatment of neuroinflammation.

Sol-Gel Derived Silica-Titania Waveguide Films for Applications in Evanescent Wave Sensors-Comprehensive Study.

Composite silica-titania waveguide films of refractive index ca. 1.8 are fabricated on glass substrates using a sol-gel method and dip-coating technique.

The Assessment of Activity of Antiseptic Agents against Biofilm of Measured with the Use of Processed Microscopic Images.

Staphylococcal biofilms are major causative factors of non-healing wound infections. Their treatment algorithms recommend the use of locally applied antiseptic agents to counteract the spread of infection. The efficacy of antiseptics against biofilm is assessed in vitro by a set of standard quantitative and semi-quantitative methods.

Crack-Templated Wire-Like Semitransparent Electrodes with Unique Irregular Patterns.

The development of novel methods of producing transparent electrodes is important because of their ever-evolving applications and thus the additional parameters they must meet. In this work, we present a method of manufacturing semitransparent silver electrodes. This technique involves cracking the polyvinylpyrrolidone layer in the presence of a colloidal nanodispersion of zinc oxide.

Fortification of milk-based yogurt with protein hydrolysates from brewers' spent grain: Evaluation on microstructural properties, lactic acid bacteria profile, lactic acid forming capability and its physical behavior.

Current study aimed to evaluate the utilization of protein from brewers' spent grain (BSGP) on microstructural formation as well as rheological behavior, acidity and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) profile during the refrigerated storage. Three different BSGPs were provided including BSGP-C (extracted without enzymatic hydrolysis), BSGP-P (with protease), and BSGP-PF (with protease co-incubated with flavourzyme). The results demonstrated that BSGPs improved lactic acid forming capability in yogurt production to a higher level than milk-protein based enrichment.

Study on Tissue Homogenization Buffer Composition for Brain Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics aims to study the proteome both qualitatively and quantitatively. A key step in proteomic analysis is sample preparation, which is crucial for reliable results. We investigated the effect of the composition of the homogenization buffer used to extract proteins from brain tissue on the yield of protein extraction and the number and type of extracted proteins.

The Complex Composition of Trans-resveratrol, Quercetin, Vitamin E and Selenium Inhibits the Growth of Colorectal Carcinoma.

Background/aim: Numerous studies have demonstrated an anti-cancer action of plant-derived polyphenols. Their action is mainly related to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and inhibitory properties. It is expected that proper composition of nutrition factors with anti-cancer activity may prevent from cancer incidence or inhibit cancer progression.

Temperature dependent scintillation properties and mechanisms of (PEA)PbBr single crystals.

In this work the scintillation properties of PEAPbBr are studied as function of temperature, accessing the potential use of these materials for low temperature applications. The scintillation properties and mechanism have been studied using a combination of temperature dependent photoluminescence emission and excitation, X-ray excited emission and decay measurements. At room temperature the X-ray excited emission is dominated by the 442 nm emission with a lifetime of 35.

The roles of brewers' spent grain derivatives in coconut-based yogurt-alternatives: Microstructural characteristic and the evaluation of physico-chemical properties during the storage.

Water soluble coconut extract (WSCE) was reported as a suitable matrix for probiotic delivery as yogurt alternatives. The study aimed to evaluate the roles of brewers' spent grain (BSG) derivatives in enhancing the properties of WSCE-based yogurt alternatives. BSG flour (BSGF) and 3 different protein extracts (BSGPs) including protein control (BSGP-C), protamex treatment (BSGP-P), and protamex combined with flavourzyme treatment (BSGP-PF) were incorporated in WSCE-based yogurt alternatives.

Concentration-Dependent Emission of Annealed Sol-Gel Layers Incorporated with Rhodamine 19 and 6G as the Route to Tunable High-Temperature Luminescent Materials.

The sol-gel technology allows for the development of materials for nonlinear optics and photonics through the synthesis of multifunctional ceramic materials. Although the nature of the amorphous matrix allows the material to be doped with a large amount of the active components without quenching, it may affect the spectroscopic characteristics of the dye (e.g.