Monitoring molecular markers associated with antimalarial drug resistance in south-east Senegal from 2021 to 2023.

Background: Since 2006, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have been introduced in Senegal in response to chloroquine resistance (CQ-R) and have shown high efficacy against Plasmodium falciparum. However, the detection of the PfKelch13R515K mutation in Kaolack, which confers artemisinin resistance in vitro, highlights the urgency of strengthening antimalarial drug surveillance to achieve malaria elimination by 2030.

Objective: To assess the proportion of P.

Lower Extremity Stretch-Shortening Cycle Performance in the Vertical and Horizontal Direction as Key Determinants of Success in Collegiate Male Taekwondo.

Background/objectives: The underlying mechanisms of taekwondo-specific jumping ability among different competition levels are still unknown. This study aimed to compare vertical and horizontal stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) performance between athletes of different competitive levels and examine the relationships of force and power production abilities between those two directions in Taiwanese collegiate-level male taekwondo athletes.

Methods: Seventeen male collegiate taekwondo athletes were divided into two groups: medalists (MG, n = 8) and non-medalists (NMG, n = 9); both groups performed countermovement jumps (CMJ) on a force platform and single-leg lateral hops (SLLHs) via an optoelectronic measurement system.

Unveiling a Tunable Moiré Bandgap in Bilayer Graphene/hBN Device by Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy.

Over the years, great efforts have been devoted in introducing a sizable and tunable band gap in graphene for its potential application in next-generation electronic devices. The primary challenge in modulating this gap has been the absence of a direct method for observing changes of the band gap in momentum space. In this study, advanced spatial- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy technique is employed to directly visualize the gap formation in bilayer graphene, modulated by both displacement fields and moiré potentials.

Multiple Imputation for Longitudinal Data: A Tutorial.

Longitudinal studies are frequently used in medical research and involve collecting repeated measures on individuals over time. Observations from the same individual are invariably correlated and thus an analytic approach that accounts for this clustering by individual is required. While almost all research suffers from missing data, this can be particularly problematic in longitudinal studies as participation often becomes harder to maintain over time.

Nano-Metal-Organic Frameworks Isolated in Mesoporous Structures.

As an alternative to bulk counterparts, metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles isolated within conductive mesoporous carbon matrices are of increasing interest for electrochemical applications. Although promising, a "clean" carbon surface is generally associated with poor compatibility and weak interactions with metal/ligand precursors, which leads to the growth of MOFs with inhomogeneous particle sizes on outer pore walls. Here, a general methodology for in situ synthesis of eight nanoMOF composites within mesochannels with high dispersity and stability are reported.

Stabilizing Layered Oxide Cathodes Based on Universal Surface Residual Alkali Conversion Chemistry for Rechargeable Secondary Batteries.

Layered transition metal oxides (LTMOs) are attractive cathode candidates for rechargeable secondary batteries because of their high theoretical capacity. Unfortunately, LTMOs suffer from severe capacity attenuation, voltage decay, and sluggish kinetics, resulting from irreversible lattice oxygen evolution and unstable cathode-electrolyte interface. Besides, LTMOs accumulate surface residual alkali species, like hydroxides and carbonates, during synthesis, limiting their practical application.

Directional Freeze-Casting Cryogel Loaded with Quaternized Chitosan Modified Gallium Metal-Organic Frameworks to Capture and Eradicate the Resistant Bacteria for Guided Regeneration in Infected Bone Defects.

Antimicrobial resistance and impaired bone regeneration are the great challenges in treating infected bone defects. Its recurrent and resistant nature, high incidence rate, long-term hospitalization, and high medical costs have driven the efforts of the scientific community to develop new therapies to improve the situation. Considering the complex microenvironment and persistent mechanisms mediated by resistant bacteria, it is crucial to develop an implant with enhanced osseointegration and sustained and effective infection clearance effects.

Bifunctional Group Modulation Strategy Enables MR-TADF Electroluminescence Toward BT.2020 Green Light Standard.

Herein, a parallel "bifunctional group" modulation method is proposed to achieve controlled modulation of the emission wavelength and full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) values. As a result, three proof-of-concept emitters, namely DBNDS-TPh, DBNDS-DFPh, and DBNDS-CNPh, are designed and synthesized, with the first functional dibenzo[b,d]thiophene unit concurrently reducing the bandgap and elevate their triplet state energy. A second functional group 1,1':3',1″-triphenyl, and electron acceptors 1,3-difluorobenzene and benzonitrile, respectively, to deepen the HOMO and LUMO levels.

Endogenous Protein-Modified Gold Nanorods as Immune-Inert Biomodulators for Tumor-Specific Imaging and Therapy.

Engineered modifications of nanomaterials inspired by nature hold great promise for disease-specific imaging and therapies. However, conventional polyethylene glycol modification is limited by immune system rejection. The manipulation of gold nanorods (Au NRs) modified by endogenous proteins (eP@Au) is reported as an engineered biomodulator for enhanced breast tumor therapy.

Activating the cGAS-STING Pathway by Manganese-Based Nanoparticles Combined with Platinum-Based Nanoparticles for Enhanced Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy.

Recent research has demonstrated that activating the cGAS-STING pathway can enhance interferon production and the activation of T cells. A manganese complex, called TPA-Mn, was developed in this context. The reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive nanoparticles (NPMn) loaded with TPA-Mn are developed.

Structural and Functional Characterization of the Aorta in Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Changes in the phenotype and genotype in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are thought to involve the myocardium as well as extracardiac tissues. Here, we describe the structural and functional changes in the ascending aorta of obstructive patients with HCM.

Methods: Changes in the aortic wall were studied in a cohort of 101 consecutive patients with HCM undergoing myectomy and 9 normal controls.

Vascular HIF2 Signaling Prevents Cardiomegaly, Alveolar Congestion, and Capillary Remodeling During Chronic Hypoxia.

Background: Hypoxia is associated with the onset of cardiovascular diseases including cardiac hypertrophy and pulmonary hypertension. HIF2 (hypoxia-inducible factor 2) signaling in the endothelium mediates pulmonary arterial remodeling and subsequent elevation of the right ventricular systolic pressure during chronic hypoxia. Thus, novel therapeutic opportunities for pulmonary hypertension based on specific HIF2 inhibitors have been proposed.

Tregs levels and phenotype modifications during Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis course.

Introduction: T regulatory cells (Tregs) inversely correlate with disease progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and fast-progressing ALS patients have been reported to exhibit dysfunctional, as well as reduced, levels of Tregs. This study aimed to evaluate the longitudinal changes in Tregs among ALS patients, considering potential clinical and biological modifiers of their percentages and concentrations. Additionally, we explored whether measures of ALS progression, such as the decline over time in the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-r) or forced vital capacity (FVC) correlated Treg levels and whether Treg phenotype varied during the course of ALS.

The metabolic pathway of Deg-AZM and investigations into the contribution of drug metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters in the drug interactions of Deg-AZM, a clinical-stage new transgelin agonist.

Introduction: Deglycosylated azithromycin (Deg-AZM), a new transgelin agonist with positive therapeutic effects on slow transit constipation, has been approved for clinical trials in 2024. This work investigated the drug metabolism and transport of Deg-AZM to provide research data for further development of Deg-AZM.

Methods: A combination of UPLC-QTOF-MS was used to obtain metabolite spectra of Deg-AZM in plasma, urine, feces and bile.

Identify biological Alzheimer's disease using a novel nucleic acid-linked protein immunoassay.

Blood-based biomarkers have been revolutionizing the detection, diagnosis and screening of Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, phosphorylated-tau variants (p-tau, p-tau and p-tau) are promising biomarkers for identifying Alzheimer's disease pathology. Antibody-based assays such as single molecule arrays immunoassays are powerful tools to investigate pathological changes indicated by blood-based biomarkers and have been studied extensively in the Alzheimer's disease research field.

Amyloid-β and tau deposition in traumatic brain injury: a study of Vietnam War veterans.

Traumatic brain injury is widely viewed as a risk factor for dementia, but the biological mechanisms underlying this association are still unclear. In previous studies, traumatic brain injury has been associated with the hallmark pathologies of Alzheimer's disease, i.e.

Bioinformatic approach to explain how Mg from seawater may be incorporated into coral skeletons.

Corals have been used as geochemical proxies since the 1970s, playing a prominent role in paleoceanography. However, it has not been well elucidated how aqueous ions sourced from seawater are transported and precipitated in coral skeletons. There are limited foundational methods to differentiate and quantify biogenic and abiogenic effects during skeletal formation.

Stokes flows in a two-dimensional bifurcation.

The flow network model is an established approach to approximate pressure-flow relationships in a bifurcating network, and has been widely used in many contexts. Existing models typically assume unidirectional flow and exploit Poiseuille's law, and thus neglect the impact of bifurcation geometry and finite-sized objects on the flow. We determine the impact of bifurcation geometry and objects by computing Stokes flows in a two-dimensional (2D) bifurcation using the Lightning-AAA Rational Stokes algorithm, a novel mesh-free algorithm for solving 2D Stokes flow problems utilizing an applied complex analysis approach based on rational approximation of the Goursat functions.

Reflections of a paediatric pulmonologist: strategies for optimising lung function tests in preschool children.

In recent years, our clinical practice as paediatric pulmonologists has focused on refining strategies to optimise pulmonary function tests (PFTs) for preschool children, particularly those aged as young as 2 years and 5 months. This viewpoint reflects on our experience conducting over 7000 spirometry and impulse oscillometry (IOS) tests, sharing practical insights into achieving high success rates with young children. We emphasise the importance of creating a child-friendly, minimally stimulating environment, tailored communication using familiar and engaging language, and leveraging gamification and positive reinforcement.

Glucocorticoid receptors: The key of the response to steroid therapy in autoimmune hepatitis.

Aim Of The Study: This study was performed to investigate the hepatic expression of glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) in pediatric autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) patients and its relation to the steroid response.

Material And Methods: This study included 100 patients diagnosed with AIH on immunosuppressive therapy with different responses to treatment. The patients were subjected to full history taking and thorough clinical examination, laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasound and liver biopsy for histopathological evaluation and assessment of the hepatic expression of GR and 11β-HSD1.

Phosphoric acid based geopolymer foam-activated carbon composite for methylene blue adsorption: isotherm, kinetics, thermodynamics, and machine learning studies.

In this study, a binary composite adsorbent based on activated carbon and phosphoric acid geopolymer foam (ACP) was prepared by combining phosphoric acid geopolymer (PAGP) with activated carbon (AC) and applied for the removal of methylene blue (MB). Activated carbon was thoroughly mixed with a mixture of fly ash and metakaolin in varying ratios, followed by phosphoric acid activation and thermal curing. The ACP adsorbent was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), surface area analyser (SAP), and thermogravimetric analyser (TGA).

Nuances in the Treatment of Ewing Sarcoma of the Head and Neck in a Low-Middle-Income Country Setting: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach.

Background: Ewing sarcoma of the head and neck (ES-HN) is a rare subsite of ES, where therapeutic outcomes need to be explored further.

Methods: This retrospective study includes ES-HN patients registered at our center between 2003 and 2019. Demographic details and treatment outcomes were recorded from the hospital database.

Partial Avulsion Patterns in the Pediatric Humeral Medial Epicondyle.

Background: The anterior oblique bundle of the medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) inserts on the anteroinferior aspect of the humeral medial epicondyle, while the flexor pronator mass (FPM) originates superficial and proximal to the UCL. With valgus stress, these distinct footprints may produce injury patterns that affect only focal areas of the medial epicondyle.

Hypothesis: The proximal UCL can act on the medial epicondyle either in isolation or in conjunction with the FPM to form partial avulsion fracture patterns within the pediatric medial epicondyle, and the predominant pattern involves only the proximal UCL footprint.

No difference in ACL revision rates between hamstring and patellar tendon autograft in patients with ACL-R and a concurrent meniscal injury irrespective of meniscal treatment.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to compare (1) the rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) revision and (2) subjective knee function using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) between isolated ACL reconstruction (ACL-R) and ACL-R and concurrent meniscal injury, based on graft selection and meniscal treatment.

Methods: Data from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry were extracted in November 2022 for patients who underwent primary ACL-R. Patients were divided into two main groups based on graft choice: hamstring tendon (HT) or patellar tendon (PT) autograft, with four meniscal sub-groups: no injury, resection, repair or left in situ.

A lanmodulin-based fluorescent assay for the rapid and sensitive detection of rare earth elements.

Sensitive and rapid detection methods for rare earth elements (REEs), including lanthanides (Lns), will facilitate the mining and recovery of these elements. Here, we innovated a rapid, highly selective and sensitive fluorescence detection method for Lns, based on Hans-Lanmodulin, a newly discovered protein with high selectivity and binding affinity for rare earth elements. By labelling the fluorescein moiety FITC onto Hans-Lanmodulin, named as FITC-Hans-LanM.