Endonuclease G promotes hepatic mitochondrial respiration by selectively increasing mitochondrial tRNA production.

Mitochondrial endonuclease G (EndoG) contributes to chromosomal degradation when it is released from mitochondria during apoptosis. It is presumed to also have a mitochondrial function because EndoG deficiency causes mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the mechanism by which EndoG regulates mitochondrial function is not known.

Deriving a genetic regulatory network from an optimization principle.

Many biological systems operate near the physical limits to their performance, suggesting that aspects of their behavior and underlying mechanisms could be derived from optimization principles. However, such principles have often been applied only in simplified models. Here, we explore a detailed mechanistic model of the gap gene network in the embryo, optimizing its 50+ parameters to maximize the information that gene expression levels provide about nuclear positions.

Magnitude of telemedicine utilization and associated factors among health professionals working at selected public hospitals in Southern Ethiopia.

Background: Despite the immense potential of telemedicine, its implementation in Ethiopia and other developing nations has faced formidable challenges, leading to disappointingly low utilization rates. Therefore, this study sought to assess the magnitude and factors associated with telemedicine service practice among healthcare professionals in the pilot public hospitals of Sidama and Southern Nations Nationalities Peoples Regions.

Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted from June 1-30, 2021 among randomly selected 407 health professionals working at Pilot Hospitals in Southern Ethiopia.

Organic carbon dry deposition outpaces atmospheric processing with unaccounted implications for air quality and freshwater ecosystems.

Dry deposition is an important yet poorly constrained process that removes reactive organic carbon from the atmosphere, making it unavailable for airborne chemical reactions and transferring it to other environmental systems. Using an aircraft-based measurement method, we provide large-scale estimates of total gas-phase organic carbon deposition rates and fluxes. Observed deposition rates downwind of large-scale unconventional oil operations reached up to 100 tC hour, with fluxes exceeding 0.

Large-area radiation-modulated thermoelectric fabrics for high-performance thermal management and electricity generation.

Flexible thermoelectric systems capable of converting human body heat or solar heat into sustainable electricity are crucial for the development of self-powered wearable electronics. However, challenges persist in maintaining a stable temperature gradient and enabling scalable fabrication for their commercialization. Herein, we present a facile approach involving the screen printing of large-scale carbon nanotube (CNT)-based thermoelectric arrays on conventional textile.

The importance of shear on the collective charge transport in CDWs revealed by an XFEL source.

Charge transport in materials has an impact on a wide range of devices based on semiconductor, battery, or superconductor technology. Charge transport in sliding charge density waves (CDW) differs from all others in that the atomic lattice is directly involved in the transport process. To obtain an overall picture of the structural changes associated to the collective transport, the large coherent x-ray beam generated by an x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) source was used.

A rare dominant allele determines seed coat color and improves seed oil content in .

Yellow seed coat color (SCC) is a valuable trait in , which is significantly correlated to high seed oil content (SOC) and low seed lignocellulose content (SLC). However, no dominant yellow SCC genes were identified in . In this study, a dominant yellow SCC N53-2 was verified, and then 58,981 eQTLs and 25 trans-eQTL hotspots were identified in a double haploid population derived from N53-2 and black SCC material Ken-C8.

Imaging interlayer exciton superfluidity in a 2D semiconductor heterostructure.

Excitons, which are Coulomb bound electron-hole pairs, are composite bosons and thus at low temperature can form a superfluid state with a single well-defined amplitude and phase. We directly image this macroscopic exciton superfluid state in an hBN-separated MoSe-WSe heterostructure. At high density, we identify quasi-long-range order over the entire active area of our sample, through spatially resolved coherence measurements.

Treating myocardial infarction via a nano-ultrasonic contrast agent-mediated high-efficiency drug delivery system targeting macrophages.

Following myocardial infarction (MI), the accumulation of CD86-positive macrophages in the ischemic injury zone leads to secondary myocardial damage. Precise pharmacological intervention targeting this process remains challenging. This study engineered a nanotherapeutic delivery system with CD86-positive macrophage-specific targeting and ultrasound-responsive release capabilities.

Klp2-mediated Rsp1-Mto1 colocalization inhibits microtubule-dependent microtubule assembly in fission yeast.

Microtubule assembly takes place at the centrosome and noncentrosomal microtubule-organizing centers (MTOCs). However, the mechanisms controlling the activity of noncentrosomal MTOCs are poorly understood. Here, using the fission yeast as a model organism, we demonstrate that the kinesin-14 motor Klp2 interacts with the J-domain Hsp70/Ssa1 cochaperone Rsp1, an inhibitory factor of microtubule assembly, and that Klp2 is required for the proper localization of Rsp1 to microtubules.

Effects of maximum dose on local control after stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligometastatic tumors of colorectal cancer.

This study aimed to identify radiotherapy dosimetric parameters related to local failure (LF)-free survival (LFFS) in patients with lung and liver oligometastases from colorectal cancer treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). We analyzed 75 oligometastatic lesions in 55 patients treated with SBRT between January 2014 and December 2021. There was no constraint or intentional increase in maximum dose.

Investigation of alpha-glucosidase inhibition activity of Artabotrys sumatranus leaf extract using metabolomics, machine learning and molecular docking analysis.

One way to treat diabetes mellitus type II is by using α-glucosidase inhibitor, that will slow down the postprandial glucose intake. Metabolomics analysis of Artabotrys sumatranus leaf extract was used in this research to predict the active compounds as α-glucosidase inhibitors from this extract. Both multivariate statistical analysis and machine learning approaches were used to improve the confidence of the predictions.

Evaluating socioeconomic inequalities in self-rated oral health and its contributing factors in Brazilian older adults.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate socioeconomic inequalities in self-reported oral health among community-dwelling Brazilian older adults and evaluate the oral health factors contributing to the inequalities.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with data from the Brazilian National Health Survey conducted in 2019. The dependent variable is the self-report of oral health categorized as good or poor.

Whole genome sequences of nine Taylorella equigenitalis strains isolated in the Czech Republic between 1982-2021: Molecular dating suggests a common ancestor at the time of Roman Empire.

Taylorella equigenitalis is the causative agent of sexually transmitted contagious equine metritis. Infections manifest as cervicitis, vaginitis and endometritis and cause temporary infertility and miscarriages of mares. While previous studies have analyzed this organism for various parameters, the evolutionary dynamics of this pathogen, including the emergence of antibiotic resistance, remains unresolved.

Noether and partial Noether approach for the nonlinear (3+1)-dimensional elastic wave equations.

The Lie group method is a powerful technique for obtaining analytical solutions for various nonlinear differential equations. This study aimed to explore the behavior of nonlinear elastic wave equations and their underlying physical properties using Lie group invariants. We derived eight-dimensional symmetry algebra for the (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear elastic wave equation, which was used to obtain the optimal system.

Point prevalence survey of antibiotic use in Mexican secondary care hospitals.

Introduction: Tackling the inertia of growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires changes in how antibiotics are prescribed and utilized. The monitoring of antimicrobial prescribing in hospitals is a critical component in optimizing antibiotic use. Point prevalence surveys (PPSs) enable the surveillance of antibiotic prescribing at the patient level in small hospitals that lack the resources to establish antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP).

Uncovering NK cell sabotage in gut diseases via single cell transcriptomics.

The identification of immune environments and cellular interactions in the colon microenvironment is essential for understanding the mechanisms of chronic inflammatory disease. Despite occurring in the same organ, there is a significant gap in understanding the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis (UC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Our study aims to address the distinct immunopathological response of UC and CRC.

Effectiveness of robot-assisted task-oriented training intervention for upper limb and daily living skills in stroke patients: A meta-analysis.

Purpose: Stroke is one of the leading causes of acquired disability in adults in high-income countries. This study aims to determine the intervention effects of robot-assisted task-oriented training on enhancing the upper limb function and daily living skills of stroke patients.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus databases through March 1, 2024.

Antiviral activity of an ACE2-Fc fusion protein against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.

SARS-CoV-2 has continued spreading around the world in recent years since the initial outbreak in 2019, frequently developing into new variants with greater human infectious capacity. SARS-CoV-2 and its mutants use the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a cellular entry receptor, which has triggered several therapeutic strategies against COVID-19 relying on the use of ACE2 recombinant proteins as decoy receptors. In this work, we propose an ACE2 silent Fc fusion protein (ACE2-hFcLALA) as a candidate therapy against COVID-19.

Disparities in time to treatment initiation of invasive lung cancer among Black and White patients in Tennessee.

Background: Early initiation of treatment for lung cancer has been shown to improve patient survival. The present study investigates disparities in time to treatment initiation of invasive lung cancer within and between Black and White patients in Tennessee.

Methods: A population-based registry data of 42,970 individuals (Black = 4,480 and White = 38,490) diagnosed with invasive lung cancer obtained from the Tennessee Cancer Registry, 2005-2015, was analyzed.

Mental health in Germany before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on nationally representative panel data (N person-years = 40,020; N persons = 18,704; Panel Labour Market and Social Security; PASS) from 2018 to 2022, we investigate how mental health changed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. We employ time-distributed fixed effects regressions to show that mental health (Mental Health Component Summary Score of the SF-12) decreased from the first COVID-19 wave in 2020 onward, leading to the most pronounced mental health decreases during the Delta wave, which began in August 2021. In the summer of 2022, mental health had not returned to baseline levels.

Automated CAD system for early detection and classification of pancreatic cancer using deep learning model.

Accurate diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using CT scan images is critical for early detection and treatment, potentially saving numerous lives globally. Manual identification of pancreatic tumors by radiologists is challenging and time-consuming due to the complex nature of CT scan images and variations in tumor shape, size, and location of the pancreatic tumor also make it challenging to detect and classify different types of tumors. Thus, to address this challenge we proposed a four-stage framework of computer-aided diagnosis systems.

Genetic diversity and population structure studies of West African sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] collection using DArTseq.

Background: Sweetpotato is a vegetatively propagated crop cultivated worldwide, predominantly in developing countries, valued for its adaptability, short growth cycle, and high productivity per unit land area. In most sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, it is widely grown by smallholder farmers. Niger, Nigeria, and Benin have a huge diversity of sweetpotato accessions whose potential has not fully been explored to date.

Cell recruitment and the origins of Anterior-Posterior asymmetries in the Drosophila wing.

The mechanisms underlying the establishment of asymmetric structures during development remain elusive. The wing of Drosophila is asymmetric along the Anterior-Posterior (AP) axis, but the developmental origins of this asymmetry is unknown. Here, we investigate the contribution of cell recruitment, a process that drives cell fate differentiation in the Drosophila wing disc, to the asymmetric shape and pattern of the adult wing.

Quantitative expression of estrogen, progesterone and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 and their correlation with immunohistochemistry in breast cancer at Uganda Cancer Institute.

The detection of Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), and Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) is important for the stratification of breast cancer and the selection of therapeutic modalities. This study aimed to determine the quantitative expression of ER, PR and HER-2 using Immunohistochemistry and their correlation with quantitative baseline Ct values measured using Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). This study also assessed the use of fresh breast tissue biopsies preserved in RNAlater solution in the quantitative detection of these receptors using PCR technique.