Constructing TheKeep.Ca With Thrivers of Cancer in Manitoba, Canada, in Support of Enhancing Patient Engagement: Protocol for a Pragmatic Multimethods Study.

Background: TheKeep.Ca was built to facilitate engagement with those experiencing cancer in Manitoba, Canada. Constructed between 2020 and 2024 with a group of patient advisors, the website includes information on engagement activities including research participation, the patient advisor role, and how those experiencing cancer can access these Manitoba activities.

Oral Regimens for Rifampin-Resistant, Fluoroquinolone-Susceptible Tuberculosis.

Background: For decades, poor treatment options and low-quality evidence plagued care for patients with rifampin-resistant tuberculosis. The advent of new drugs to treat tuberculosis and enhanced funding now permit randomized, controlled trials of shortened-duration, all-oral treatments for rifampin-resistant tuberculosis.

Methods: We conducted a phase 3, multinational, open-label, randomized, controlled noninferiority trial to compare standard therapy for treatment of fluoroquinolone-susceptible, rifampin-resistant tuberculosis with five 9-month oral regimens that included various combinations of bedaquiline (B), delamanid (D), linezolid (L), levofloxacin (Lfx) or moxifloxacin (M), clofazimine (C), and pyrazinamide (Z).

Helping authors produce FAIR taxonomic data: evaluation of an author-driven phenotype data production prototype.

It is well-known that the use of vocabulary in phenotype treatments is often inconsistent. An earlier survey of biologists who create or use phenotypic characters revealed that this lack of standardization leads to ambiguities, frustrating both the consumers and producers of phenotypic data. Such ambiguities are challenging for biologists, and more so for Artificial Intelligence, to resolve.

Cellulose Nanofiber-Reinforced γ-AlOOH Aerogels for Enhanced Removal of Environmental Pollutants.

In this study, we report the modification of a monolithic γ-aluminum oxy-hydroxide (γ-AlOOH) aerogel with cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) using the sol-gel method via supercritical drying. The optimized 2% CNF (w/w) results in a monolithic CNF-γ-AlOOH that is amorphous in nature, along with C-C and C-O-C functional groups. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of the as-synthesized CNF-γ-AlOOH showed CNF embedded in the γ-AlOOH aerogel.

Driver lines for studying associative learning in .

The mushroom body (MB) is the center for associative learning in insects. In , intersectional split-GAL4 drivers and electron microscopy (EM) connectomes have laid the foundation for precise interrogation of the MB neural circuits. However, investigation of many cell types upstream and downstream of the MB has been hindered due to lack of specific driver lines.

Antibiotic-derived approaches in cancer therapy: effectiveness of ikarugamycin in hexokinase-2 inhibition, tissue factor modulation, and metabolic regulation in breast cancer.

We aimed to explore the role of ikarugamycin (IKA) in breast cancer, its connection with hexokinase-2 (HK-2) repression, and tissue factor (TF). This study sought to extend the role of HK-2 as a TF activator in a comprehensive analysis of these interactions from the enzyme, gene, and protein levels. The investigation was performed with MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer lines.

Spiking Flip-Flop Memory in Resonant Tunneling Diode Neurons.

We report a spiking flip-flop memory mechanism that allows controllably switching between neural-like excitable spike-firing and quiescent dynamics in a resonant tunneling diode (RTD) neuron under low-amplitude (<150  mV pulses) and high-speed (ns rate) inputs pulses. We also show that the timing of the set-reset input pulses is critical to elicit switching responses between spiking and quiescent regimes in the system. The demonstrated flip-flop spiking memory, in which spiking regimes can be controllably excited, stored, and inhibited in RTD neurons via specific low-amplitude, high-speed signals (delivered at proper time instants) offers high promise for RTD-based spiking neural networks, with the potential to be extended further to optoelectronic implementations where RTD neurons and RTD memory elements are deployed alongside for fast and efficient photonic-electronic neuromorphic computing and artificial intelligence hardware.

Effects of multienzyme supplementation on energy and nutrient digestibility in various feed ingredients for pregnant gilts.

The utilization of exogenous fiber-degrading enzymes in commercial swine diets is a strategy to increase the nutrient and energy density of poorly digestible ingredients. In a prior set of studies, dietary multienzyme blend (MEblend) supplementation increased the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, non-starch polysaccharides, and energy in complete high-fibrous gestation diets by 6% when fed to gestating sows. The current study aimed to determine the effects of MEblend (containing xylanase, β-glucanase, cellulase, amylase, protease, pectinase, and invertase activities) supplementation on ATTD of energy and nutrients of individual feedstuffs commonly used in gestating sow diets across major pork-producing regions worldwide, which differ in their fibrous components.

Herbal Munziq Ameliorates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Inhibiting Inflammation.

The objective of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effects of Munziq on abnormal body fluid myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) and its underlying mechanism.Normal rats and rats with abnormal body fluid (ABF) were pre-treated with Munziq for 21 days. Following this, MIRI models were established.

Adaptive Immunity Determines the Cancer Treatment Outcome of Oncolytic Virus and Anti-PD-1.

The immune checkpoint inhibitor, anti-programmed death protein-1 (anti-PD-1), enhances adaptive immunity to kill tumor cells, and the oncolytic virus (OV) triggers innate immunity to clear the infected tumor cells. We create a mathematical model to investigate how the interaction between adaptive and innate immunities under OV and anti-PD-1 affects tumor reduction. For different immunity strength, we create the corresponding virtual baseline patients and cohort patients to decipher the major factors determining the treatment outcome.

Preclinical evaluation of zirconium-89 labeled anti-Trop2 antibody-drug conjugate (Trodelvy) for imaging in gastric cancer and triple-negative breast cancer.

Purpose: Trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (Trop2) is overexpressed in various solid tumors and contributes to tumor progression, while its expression remains low in normal tissues. Trop2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (Trodelvy), has shown efficacy in targeting this antigen. Leveraging the enhanced specificity of ADCs, we conducted the first immunoPET imaging study of Trop2 expression in gastric cancer (GC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) models using Zr-labeled Trodelvy ([Zr]Zr-DFO-Trodelvy).

Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly and Comparative Genomic Analysis of Planiliza haematocheilus: Insights into Environmental Adaptation and Hypoxia Tolerance Mechanisms.

Planiliza haematocheilus, a teleostan species noted for its ecological adaptability and economic significance, thrives in both freshwater and marine environments. This study presents a novel chromosome-level genome assembly through Hi-C, PacBio CCS, and Illumina sequencing methods. The assembled genome has a final size of 651.

A quality-by-design approach to develop abemaciclib solid lipid nanoparticles for targeting breast cancer cell lines.

Aim: Abemaciclib (ABE) is an anticancer drug that suffers from low bioavailability and multidrug resistance. This study aims to develop ABE-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (ABE-SLNs), which will enhance drug solubility and lead to increased cellular uptake and enhanced cytotoxicity when delivering tumor cells.

Methods: Melt emulsification followed by ultrasonication was used as a method of preparation and Quality-by-Design (QbD) was utilized to optimize ABE-SLNs.

PEBP1 amplifies mitochondrial dysfunction-induced integrated stress response.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in numerous diseases and the aging process. The integrated stress response (ISR) serves as a critical adaptation mechanism to a variety of stresses, including those originating from mitochondria. By utilizing mass spectrometry-based cellular thermal shift assay (MS-CETSA), we uncovered that phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 (PEBP1), also known as Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP), is thermally stabilized by stresses which induce mitochondrial ISR.

Evaluation of the Effect of Virgin Rice Bran Oil (VRBO) on DoxorubicinInduced Cardiotoxicity in Wistar Rats.

Objective: The usage of doxorubicin (DOX), an antineoplastic drug that is frequently used for the cure of cancer, is restricted to maximal doses due to its cardiac toxicity. Reactive oxygen species produced by DOX result in lipid peroxidation and organ failure, ultimately resulting in cardiomyopathy. Due to its high polyphenol content, virgin rice bran oil (VRBO) is a diet nutritional supplement with a strong antioxidant.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Pontederia cordata L. provides insights into its rapid adaptation and variation of flower colors.

Pontederia cordata L. is an aquatic ornamental plant native to the Americas, but has been widely distributed in South Asia, Australia, and Europe. The genetic mechanisms behind its rapid adaptation and spread have not yet been well understood.

A chromosome-level, haplotype-resolved genome assembly and annotation for the Eurasian minnow (Leuciscidae: Phoxinus phoxinus) provide evidence of haplotype diversity.

Background: In this study, we present an in-depth analysis of the Eurasian minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) genome, highlighting its genetic diversity, structural variations, and evolutionary adaptations. We generated an annotated haplotype-phased, chromosome-level genome assembly (2n = 50) by integrating high-fidelity (HiFi) long reads and chromosome conformation capture data (Hi-C).

Results: We achieved a haploid size of 940 megabase pairs (Mbp) for haplome 1 and 929 Mbp for haplome 2 with high scaffold N50 values of 36.

Enhancing organic SCs efficiency with CSi quantum dots in A-π-D architectures.

This study explores the optoelectronic and photovoltaic potential of acceptor-π-donor (A-π-D) architectures utilizing CSi quantum dots (CSiQDs) through a combination of density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT). We examined two key structural configurations: C-C and Si-C conformers. In these systems, CSiQDs serve as the acceptor, CHSF as the π-bridge, and 3 × (CHO) as the donor.

Noncoding variants and sulcal patterns in congenital heart disease: Machine learning to predict functional impact.

Neurodevelopmental impairments associated with congenital heart disease (CHD) may arise from perturbations in brain developmental pathways, including the formation of sulcal patterns. While genetic factors contribute to sulcal features, the association of noncoding variants (ncDNVs) with sulcal patterns in people with CHD remains poorly understood. Leveraging deep learning models, we examined the predicted impact of ncDNVs on gene regulatory signals.

Epidemiology of Epstein-Barr Virus Chronic High Viral Load in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) chronic high viral load (CHVL) may be defined by >16 000 copies/mL whole blood or >200 copies/10 peripheral blood mononuclear cells in >50% samples exceeding 6 mo. EBV CHVL has only been characterized in a few small pediatric studies, with heterogeneous results and unclear clinical significance.

Methods: This single-center observational study evaluated adult and pediatric kidney transplant recipients transplanted between 2010 and 2021 on tacrolimus/mycophenolate-based/prednisone immunosuppression.

Echinacoside alleviates Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis by enhancing the SIRT1/IL-11 pathway.

Objectives: Echinacoside (ECH) is an anti-fibrotic phenylethanoid glycoside derived from the plant that protects against cardiac dysfunction by mitigating apoptosis, oxidative stress, and fibrosis. Nevertheless, ECH's precise function and mechanisms in addressing cardiac fibrosis are still not fully understood.

Materials And Methods: In our current investigation, we induced cardiac fibrosis in mice by administering Angiotensin II (Ang II) and subsequently assessed the effects of ECH treatment four weeks post-fibrosis induction.

Effects of combo therapy with coenzyme Q10 and mitochondrial transplantation on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in aged rats.

Objectives: Ischemia/reperfusion (IR)-induced ventricular arrhythmia, which mainly occurs after the opening of coronary artery occlusion, poses a clinical problem. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of pretreatment with coenzyme Q (CoQ) in combination with mitochondrial transplantation on IR-induced ventricular arrhythmias in aged rats.

Materials And Methods: Myocardial IR induction was performed by left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion for 30 min, followed by re-opening for 24 hr.

The Evaluation of Change in Psychosocial Risk With Caregivers of Children With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Short-term Longitudinal Mixed-Methods Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying safeguards intensified many of the ongoing daily challenges faced by caregivers of young people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) both pre-transplant and post-transplant, and also created a variety of new and pressing concerns. Little is known about how these families managed this unexpected adversity in their lives.

Objective: To evaluate change in psychosocial risk for families of young people with CKD during the COVID-19 pandemic health emergency from the perspective of caregivers.