Molecular biomarkers for vascular cognitive impairment and dementia.

As disease-specific interventions for dementia are being developed, the ability to identify the underlying pathology and dementia subtypes is increasingly important. Vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer disease, but progress in identifying molecular biomarkers for accurate diagnosis of VCID has been relatively limited. In this Review, we examine the roles of large and small vessel disease in VCID, considering the underlying pathophysiological processes that lead to vascular brain injury, including atherosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, ischaemic injury, haemorrhage, hypoperfusion, endothelial dysfunction, blood-brain barrier breakdown, inflammation, oxidative stress, hypoxia, and neuronal and glial degeneration.

Molecular dissection of the soluble photosynthetic antenna from the cryptophyte alga Hemiselmis andersenii.

Cryptophyte algae have a unique phycobiliprotein light-harvesting antenna that fills a spectral gap in chlorophyll absorption from photosystems. However, it is unclear how the antenna transfers energy efficiently to these photosystems. We show that the cryptophyte Hemiselmis andersenii expresses an energetically complex antenna comprising three distinct spectrotypes of phycobiliprotein, each composed of two αβ protomers but with different quaternary structures arising from a diverse α subunit family.

Resolving Atomic-Scale Structure and Chemical Coordination in High-Entropy Alloy Electrocatalysts for Structure-Function Relationship Elucidation.

The recent breakthrough in confining five or more atomic species in nanocatalysts, referred to as high-entropy alloy nanocatalysts (HEAs), has revealed the possibilities of multielemental interactions that can surpass the limitations of binary and ternary electrocatalysts. The wide range of potential surface configurations in HEAs, however, presents a significant challenge in resolving active structural motifs, preventing the establishment of structure-function relationships for rational catalyst design and optimization. We present a methodology for creating sub-5 nm HEAs using an aqueous-based peptide-directed route.

Ruthenium(II) Complexes of a Xanthene-Spanned Dicarbene Ligand.

Octahedral ruthenium(II) complexes of a xanthene-di(-heterocyclic carbene) ancillary ligand (XdC) have been prepared and structurally characterized. Examples catalyze the transfer hydrogenation of ketones {[Ru(CO)I(,,'-XdC)] () and [Ru(CO)(MeCN)(,,'-XdC)] ()} and the selective electrochemical reduction of CO to CO {[Ru(,'-bpy)(CO)(,,'-XdC)] () at 0.40 V overpotential in MeCN-HO (1 M)}.

Comparison Study of Small Extracellular Vesicle Isolation Methods for Profiling Protein Biomarkers in Breast Cancer Liquid Biopsies.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are an important intercellular communicator, participating in all stages of cancer metastasis, immunity, and therapeutic resistance. Therefore, protein cargoes within sEVs are considered as a superior source for breast cancer (BC) biomarker discovery. Our study aimed to optimise the approach for sEV isolation and sEV proteomic analysis to identify potential sEV protein biomarkers for BC diagnosis.

Dendritic Cell Density and Morphology Can Be Used to Differentiate Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis from Allergic Conjunctivitis.

The aim of the study was to compare the distribution of corneal and conjunctival epithelial dendritic cells (DCs) in vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), allergic conjunctivitis (AC), and non-allergic controls to examine if the allergy type causes differences in immune cell activation. The prospective study included 60 participants: 20 with VKC, 20 with AC, and 20 non-allergic controls. In vivo confocal microscopy was performed on the right eye.

Cortical tension drug screen links mitotic spindle integrity to Rho pathway.

Mechanical force generation plays an essential role in many cellular functions, including mitosis. Actomyosin contractile forces mediate changes in cell shape in mitosis and are implicated in mitotic spindle integrity via cortical tension. An unbiased screen of 150 small molecules that impact actin organization and 32 anti-mitotic drugs identified two molecular targets, Rho kinase (ROCK) and tropomyosin 3.

Hierarchical assembly of tryptophan zipper peptides into stress-relaxing bioactive hydrogels.

Soft materials in nature are formed through reversible supramolecular assembly of biological polymers into dynamic hierarchical networks. Rational design has led to self-assembling peptides with structural similarities to natural materials. However, recreating the dynamic functional properties inherent to natural systems remains challenging.

3D Bioprintable Hydrogel with Tunable Stiffness for Exploring Cells Encapsulated in Matrices of Differing Stiffnesses.

In vitro cell models have undergone a shift from 2D models on glass slides to 3D models that better reflect the native 3D microenvironment. 3D bioprinting promises to progress the field by allowing the high-throughput production of reproducible cell-laden structures with high fidelity. The current stiffness range of printable matrices surrounding the cells that mimic the extracellular matrix environment remains limited.

Patient factors and health outcomes associated with illness perceptions in people with gout.

Objective: Illness perceptions are views and beliefs formed in response to a health threat, and they may influence self-management behaviours and chronic disease outcomes. Despite effective medication, sub-optimal outcomes in gout are common. This study aimed to quantitatively investigate illness perceptions in gout to examine how illness perceptions relate to health outcomes.

Clinical utility of diagnosing limited prosocial emotions in young children using the Clinical Assessment of Prosocial Emotions (CAPE).

This study evaluated the interrater reliability, convergent and divergent validity, incremental validity, and clinical prognostic utility of the Clinical Assessment of Prosocial Emotions (CAPE; Frick, 2013) for assessing limited prosocial emotions (LPE). Participants were 232 young children ( = 3.94 years, = 1.

Integrating Omics Technologies for a Comprehensive Understanding of the Microbiome and Its Impact on Cattle Production.

Ruminant production holds a pivotal position within the global animal production and agricultural sectors. As population growth escalates, posing environmental challenges, a heightened emphasis is directed toward refining ruminant production systems. Recent investigations underscore the connection between the composition and functionality of the rumen microbiome and economically advantageous traits in cattle.

Evaluation of Dimercaptosuccinic Acid-Coated Iron Nanoparticles Immunotargeted to Amyloid Beta as MRI Contrast Agents for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease.

Nanoparticle-based magnetic contrast agents have opened the potential for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to be used for early non-invasive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accumulation of amyloid pathology in the brain has shown association with cognitive decline and tauopathy; hence, it is an effective biomarker for the early detection of AD. The aim of this study was to develop a biocompatible magnetic nanoparticle targeted to amyloid beta (A) plaques to increase the sensitivity of T2-weighted MRI for imaging of amyloid pathology in AD.

Customized Nanostructured Ceramics via Microphase Separation 3D Printing.

To date, the restricted capability to fabricate ceramics with independently tailored nano- and macroscopic features has hindered their implementation in a wide range of crucial technological areas, including aeronautics, defense, and microelectronics. In this study, a novel approach that combines self- and digital assembly to create polymer-derived ceramics with highly controlled structures spanning from the nano- to macroscale is introduced. Polymerization-induced microphase separation of a resin during digital light processing generates materials with nanoscale morphologies, with the distinct phases consisting of either a preceramic precursor or a sacrificial polymer.

Quantitative image mean squared displacement (iMSD) analysis of the dynamics of Aquaporin 2 within the membrane of live cells.

Nanodomains are a biological membrane phenomenon which have a large impact on various cellular processes. They are often analysed by looking at the lateral dynamics of membrane lipids or proteins. The localization of the plasma membrane protein aquaporin-2 in nanodomains has so far been unknown.

Emerging enteric infections: their association with inflammatory bowel disease and novel pathogenic mechanisms.

species are emerging human enteric pathogens. This study examines the isolation of and other enteric bacterial pathogens from patients with and without inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study also investigates the intestinal epithelial pathogenic mechanisms of .

Hopes, concerns, satisfaction and regret in a precision medicine trial for childhood cancer: a mixed-methods study of parent and patient perspectives.

Background: Paediatric precision oncology aims to match therapeutic agents to driver gene targets. We investigated whether parents and patients regret participation in precision medicine trials, particularly when their hopes are unfulfilled.

Methods: Parents and adolescent patients completed questionnaires at trial enrolment (T0) and after receiving results (T1).

A novel method to quantify perivascular space enlargement near the syrinx in a rodent model of post-traumatic syringomyelia.

Posttraumatic syringomyelia (PTS) is an enigmatic condition characterized by the development of fluid-filled cysts (syrinxes) within the spinal cord. Perivascular spaces (PVS) are a critical component of fluid transport within the central nervous system (CNS), with dilated PVSs variably implicated in the pathogenesis of syringomyelia. The extent and spatial distribution of dilated PVSs in syringomyelia, however, remains unclear.

Comparison of statistical methods for the early detection of disease outbreaks in small population settings.

Objectives: This study examines the performance of 6 aberration detection algorithms for the early detection of disease outbreaks in small population settings using syndrome-based early warning surveillance data collected by the Pacific Syndromic Surveillance System (PSSS). Although previous studies have proposed statistical methods for detecting aberrations in larger datasets, there is limited knowledge about how these perform in the presence of small numbers of background cases.

Methods: To address this gap a simulation model was developed to test and compare the performance of the 6 algorithms in detecting outbreaks of different magnitudes, durations, and case distributions.

Polymerization Induced Microphase Separation of ABC Triblock Copolymers for 3D Printing Nanostructured Materials.

Polymerization-induced microphase separation (PIMS) is a versatile technique for producing nanostructured materials. In previous PIMS studies, the predominant approach involved employing homopolymers as macromolecular chain transfer agents (macroCTAs) to mediate the formation of nanostructured materials. In this article, the use of AB diblock copolymers as macroCTAs to design PIMS systems for 3D printing of nanostructured materials is investigated.

Magnetic Nanofibrous Hydrogels for Dynamic Control of Stem Cell Differentiation.

The extracellular matrix in tissue consists of complex heterogeneous soft materials with hierarchical structure and dynamic mechanical properties dictating cell and tissue level function. In many natural matrices, there are nanofibrous structures that serve to guide cell activity and dictate the form and function of tissue. Synthetic hydrogels with integrated nanofibers can mimic the structural properties of native tissue; however, model systems with dynamic mechanical properties remain elusive.

Rotavirus Particle Disassembly and Assembly In Vivo and In Vitro.

Rotaviruses (RVs) are non-enveloped multilayered dsRNA viruses that are major etiologic agents of diarrheal disease in humans and in the young in a large number of animal species. The viral particle is composed of three different protein layers that enclose the segmented dsRNA genome and the transcriptional complexes. Each layer defines a unique subparticle that is associated with a different phase of the replication cycle.