Improving Nanoparticle Size Estimation from Scanning Transmission Electron Micrographs with a Multislice Surrogate Model.

The computational cost of simulating scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images limits the curation of large enough data sets to train accurate and robust machine learning networks for deep feature extraction from atomically resolved STEM images. For nanoparticle size estimation in particular, a diverse data set is essential due to the large variations in size, shape, crystallinity, orientation, and dynamical diffraction effects in experimental data. To address this, we train a 3D convolutional neural network to predict STEM images from voxelized atomic models, achieving a 100x speed-up compared to traditional multislice simulations while maintaining high image quality.

Performance of Extracellular Vesicles From () for Serological Diagnosis of Human and Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonotic disease in which dogs are the main reservoirs. Until now, the serological tests do not present satisfactory sensitivity for diagnosis of these hosts. One of the functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is related to immunological host response.

Hypothyroidism Alters Uterine Kisspeptin System and Activity Modulators in Cyclic Rats.

Hypothyroidism causes ovarian dysfunction and infertility in women and animals and impairs the hypothalamic expression of kisspeptin (Kp). However, kisspeptin is also expressed in the genital system, and the lack of the Kp receptor (Kiss1r) in the uterus is linked to reduced implantation rates. This study investigated the impact of hypothyroidism on the uterine expression of Kp and Kiss1r in female rats throughout the estrous cycle and the associated changes in uterine activity modulators.

Influence Mechanism of Vermicompost with Different Maturity on Atrazine Catabolism and Bacterial Community.

Atrazine causes serious contamination of agricultural soils and groundwater. This study investigated the influence mechanism of sterilized soil (CKs), unsterilized soil (CKn), sterilized soil amended with 45 (SsV1), 60 (SsV2), 75 (SsV3) days of vermicompost (the maturity days of vermicompost), and unsterilized soil amended with 45 (SnV1), 60 (SnV2), 75 (SnV3) days of vermicompost on atrazine catabolism. The atrazine degradation experiment lasted for 40 days.

Extract Loaded in Alginate Hydrogel Beads for Chronic Wound Healing.

Chronic wounds are a major health problem, affecting millions of people worldwide. Resistance to treatment is frequently observed, requiring an extension of the wound healing time, and improper care can lead to more problems in patients. Smart wound dressings that provide a controlled drug release can significantly improve the healing process.

Natrium Alginate and Graphene Nanoplatelets-Based Efficient Material for Resveratrol Delivery.

In this study, alginate-based composite beads were developed for the delivery of resveratrol, a compound with therapeutic potential. Two formulations were prepared: one with sodium alginate and resveratrol (AR) and another incorporating graphene nanoplatelets (AGR) to improve drug release control. The beads were formed by exploiting alginate's ability to gel via ionic cross-linking.

Ni Single Atoms/FeN Nanoparticles Supported by N-Doped Carbon Hollow Nanododecahedras with Nanotubes on the Surface for Efficient Electro-Reduction of CO to CO.

The transition metal single atoms (SAs)-based catalysts with M-N coordination environment have shown excellent performance in electrocatalytic reduction of CO, and they have received extensive attention in recent years. However, the presence of SAs makes it very difficult to efficiently improve the coordination environment. In this paper, a method of direct high-temperature pyrolysis carbonization of ZIF-8 adsorbed with Ni and Fe ions is reported for the synthesis of Ni SAs and FeN nanoparticles (NPs) supported by the N-doped carbon (NC) hollow nanododecahedras (HNDs) with nanotubes (NTs) on the surface (Ni SAs/FeN NPs@NC-HNDs-NTs).

High-entropy engineered BaTiO-based ceramic capacitors with greatly enhanced high-temperature energy storage performance.

Ceramic capacitors with ultrahigh power density are crucial in modern electrical applications, especially under high-temperature conditions. However, the relatively low energy density limits their application scope and hinders device miniaturization and integration. In this work, we present a high-entropy BaTiO-based relaxor ceramic with outstanding energy storage properties, achieving a substantial recoverable energy density of 10.

Targeting JAK/STAT3 in glioblastoma cells using an alginate-PNIPAm molecularly imprinted hydrogel for the sustained release of ruxolitinib.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a notoriously aggressive primary brain tumor characterized by elevated recurrence rates and poor overall survival despite multimodal treatment. Local treatment strategies for GBM are safer and more effective alternatives to systemic chemotherapy, directly tackling residual cancer cells in the resection cavity by circumventing the blood-brain barrier. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are promising drug delivery systems due to their high-affinity binding cavities that enable tailored release kinetics.

Metal-Modified Zr-MOFs with AIE Ligands for Boosting CO Adsorption and Photoreduction.

The design and synthesis of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with outstanding light-harvesting and photoexcitation for artificial photocatalytic CO reduction is an attractive but challenging task. In this work, a novel aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active ligand, tetraphenylpyrazine (PTTBPC) is proposed and utilized for the first time to construct a Zr-MOF photocatalyst via coordination with stable Zr-oxo clusters. Zr-MOF is featured by a scu topology with a two-fold interpenetrated framework, wherein the PTTBPC ligands enable strong light-harvesting and photoexcitation, while the Zr-oxo clusters facilitate CO adsorption and activation, as well as offer potential sites for further metal modification.

Presenilins as hub proteins controlling the endocytic and autophagic pathways and small extracellular vesicle secretion.

Emerging evidence indicates that autophagy is tightly connected to the endocytic pathway. Here, we questioned the role of presenilins (PSENs 1 and 2), previously shown to be involved in autophagy regulation, in the secretion of small endocytic-originating extracellular vesicles known as exosomes. Indeed, while wild-type cells responded to stimuli promoting both multivesicular endosome (MVE) formation and secretion of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) enriched in canonical exosomal proteins, PSEN-deficient cells were almost unaffected to these stimuli.

Dynamic PRC1-CBX8 stabilizes a porous structure of chromatin condensates.

The compaction of chromatin is a prevalent paradigm in gene repression. Chromatin compaction is commonly thought to repress transcription by restricting chromatin accessibility. However, the spatial organization and dynamics of chromatin compacted by gene-repressing factors are unknown.

Defect-Mediated Crystallization of the Particulate TiO Photocatalyst Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Nanopowders or films of pure and mixed oxides in nanoparticulate form have gained specific interest due to their applicability in functionalizing high-surface-area substrates. Among various other applications, our presented work primarily focuses on the behavior of TiO as a photocatalyst deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on a quartz particle. The photocatalytic activity of TiO on quartz particles grown by ALD was studied in terms of ALD growth temperature and post-treatment heating rate.

Characterization and modulation of human insulin degrading enzyme conformational dynamics to control enzyme activity.

Insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) is a dimeric 110 kDa M16A zinc metalloprotease that degrades amyloidogenic peptides diverse in shape and sequence, including insulin, amylin, and amyloid-β, to prevent toxic amyloid fibril formation. IDE has a hollow catalytic chamber formed by four homologous subdomains organized into two ~55 kDa N- and C- domains (IDE-N and IDE-C, respectively), in which peptides bind, unfold, and are repositioned for proteolysis. IDE is known to transition between a closed state, poised for catalysis, and an open state, able to release cleavage products and bind new substrate.

Structural basis of Epstein-Barr virus gp350 receptor recognition and neutralization.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic virus associated with multiple lymphoid malignancies and autoimmune diseases. During infection in B cells, EBV uses its major glycoprotein gp350 to recognize the host receptor CR2, initiating viral attachment, a process that has lacked direct structural evidence for decades. In this study, we resolved the structure of the gp350-CR2 complex, elucidated their key interactions, and determined the site-specific N-glycosylation map of gp350.

Magneto-Photochemically Responsive Liquid Crystal Elastomer for Underwater Actuation.

The quest for small-scale, remotely controlled soft robots has led to the exploration of magnetic and optical fields for inducing shape morphing in soft materials. Magnetic stimulus excels when navigation in confined or optically opaque environments is required. Optical stimulus, in turn, boasts superior spatial precision and individual control over multiple objects.

Senescence-like Phenotype After Chronic Exposure to Isoproterenol in Primary Quiescent Immune Cells.

Chronic stress is associated with a higher risk for carcinogenesis as well as age-related diseases and immune dysfunction. There is evidence showing that psychological stress can contribute to premature immunosenescence. Therefore, the question arose whether chronic exposure to catecholamine could drive immune cells into senescence.

Accurate and fast segmentation of filaments and membranes in micrographs and tomograms with TARDIS.

It is now possible to generate large volumes of high-quality images of biomolecules at near-atomic resolution and in near-native states using cryogenic electron microscopy/electron tomography (Cryo-EM/ET). However, the precise annotation of structures like filaments and membranes remains a major barrier towards applying these methods in high-throughput. To address this, we present TARDIS (ransformer-bsed apid imensionless nstance egmentation), a machine-learning framework for fast and accurate annotation of micrographs and tomograms.

Targeting protein kinase C-α prolongs survival and restores liver function in sepsis: Evidence from preclinical models.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ failure resulting from a poorly regulated infection response. Organ dysfunction includes hepatic involvement, weakening the immune system due to excretory liver failure, and metabolic dysfunction, increasing the death risk. Although experimental studies correlated excretory liver functionality with immune performance and survival rates in sepsis, the proteins and pathways involved remain unclear.

Shared chemoresistance genes in ESCC and cervical Cancer: Insights from pharmacogenomics and Mendelian randomization.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, particularly the use of platinum-based compounds and taxanes, is pivotal in the treatment of epithelial-derived tumors, such as cervical cancer and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); however, resistance remains a significant challenge. Utilizing Mendelian randomization (MR) with pharmacogenomics offers a novel approach to understanding the genetic underpinnings of drug responses, thereby aiding in personalized treatment.

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis revealed a shared cellular subpopulation of CD8 + T effector memory (CD8 + TEM) cells that are pivotal in mediating chemotherapy resistance in ESCC and cervical cancer.

Electronic Polarizability Tunes the Function of the Human Bestrophin 1 Cl Channel.

Mechanisms of anion permeation within ion channels and nanopores remain poorly understood. Recent cryo-electron microscopy structures of the human bestrophin 1 Cl channel (hBest1) provide an opportunity to evaluate ion interactions predicted by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations against experimental observations. Here, we implement the fully polarizable force field AMOEBA in MD simulations on different conformations of hBest1.

Comparative 3D ultrastructure of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes.

Despite the enormous significance of malaria parasites for global health, some basic features of their ultrastructure remain obscure. Here, we apply high-resolution volumetric electron microscopy to examine and compare the ultrastructure of the transmissible male and female sexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum as well as the more intensively studied asexual blood stages revisiting previously described phenomena in 3D. In doing so, we challenge the widely accepted notion of a single mitochondrion by demonstrating the presence of multiple mitochondria in gametocytes.

Fast STEM image simulation in low-energy transmission electron microscopy by the accurate Chen-van-Dyck multislice method.

The Chen-van-Dyck (CVD) formulation as a rigorous numerical solution to the Schrödinger equation has been demonstrated being the only accurate multislice method for calculating diffraction and imaging in low-energy transmission electron microscopy. The CVD formulation not only considers the forward scattering effects but also includes the backscattering effects. However, since its numerical computation has to be performed in real-space, the CVD method may suffer from divergence and inefficiency in computing time, especially when used for low-energy scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) image simulation.