Optical diffraction tomography using a self-reference module.

Optical diffraction tomography enables label-free, 3D refractive index (RI) imaging of biological samples. We present a novel, cost-effective approach to ODT that employs a modular design incorporating a self-reference holographic capture module. This two-part system consists of an illumination module and a capture module that can be seamlessly integrated with any life-science microscope using an automated alignment protocol.

Camera-on-tip endoscope for cardiovascular diagnostics and surgical guidance.

Cardiovascular imaging with camera-on-tip endoscopes has the potential to provide physiologically relevant data on the tissue state and device placement that can improve clinical outcomes. In this work, we review the unmet clinical need for image-based cardiovascular diagnostics and guidance for minimally invasive procedures. We present a 7 Fr camera-on-tip endoscope with fibre-coupled multispectral illumination that includes methods for imaging in a blood-filled field of view (FOV).

Multi-culture label-free quantitative cell migration sensing with single-cell precision.

A fair comparison of multiple live cell cultures requires examining them under identical environmental conditions, which can only be done accurately if all cells are prepared simultaneously and studied at the same time and place. This contribution introduces a multiplexed lensless digital holographic microscopy system (MLS), enabling synchronous, label-free, quantitative observation of multiple live cell cultures with single-cell precision. The innovation of this setup lies in its ability to robustly compare the behaviour, i.

A Novel Approach to the Isolation of Disease Markers: Quantitative Analysis of Amino Acids in Exhaled Breath Condensates from Sleep Apnea Patients with Enhanced Sampling and LC-ESI-MS.

Interest in obstructive sleep apnea is rising due to its neurocognitive and cardiovascular impacts, including systemic hypertension, myocardial infarction, and cerebrovascular events. Obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis can be suggested through symptoms like snoring, daytime sleepiness, and physical signs like increased neck circumference; however, overnight polysomnography is recommended to confirm. Exhaled breath condensate has emerged as a novel, noninvasive technique for biomarker sample collection.

Efficacy of Rose Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes (RSCEs) in Skin Treatment: From Healing to Hyperpigmentation Management: Case Series and Review.

Objective: To present and analyze eight clinical cases illustrating the use of rose stem cell-derived exosomes (RSCEs) in treating various dermatological conditions and to review current literature on plant-derived exosomes in medicine and dermatology.

Background: RSCEs possess low cytotoxicity, high biocompatibility, and effective cellular uptake, making them promising agents for dermatological therapies. A literature review included in the introduction and discussion covers the broader role of plant-derived exosomes, highlighting their therapeutic potential in skin treatment.

The endonuclease activity of MCPIP1 controls the neoplastic transformation of epithelial cells via the c-Met/CD44 axis.

The RNase activity of MCPIP1 is essential for regulating cellular homeostasis, proliferation, and tumorigenesis. Our study elucidates the effects of downregulation of MCPIP1 expression and an RNase-inactivating mutation (D141N) on normal epithelial kidney cells, indicating that MCPIP1 expression is a key factor that suppresses neoplastic transformation. We observed that either expression downregulation or mutation of MCPIP1 significantly increased its clonogenicity and altered the expression of cancer stem cell (CSC) markers and factors involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Immune responses of cattle vaccinated by various routes with Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG).

Background: Mycobacterium bovis BCG is the human tuberculosis vaccine and is the oldest vaccine still in use today with over 4 billion people vaccinated since 1921. The BCG vaccine has also been investigated experimentally in cattle and wildlife by various routes including oral and parenteral. Thus far, oral vaccination studies of cattle have involved liquid BCG or liquid BCG incorporated into a lipid matrix.

Prognostic impact of expression of CD2, CD25, and/or CD30 in/on mast cells in systemic mastocytosis: a registry study of the European Competence Network on Mastocytosis.

Expression of CD2, CD25 and/or CD30 in extracutaneous mast cells (MC) is a minor diagnostic criterion for systemic mastocytosis (SM) in the classification of the World Health Organization and International Consensus Classification. So far, it remains unknown whether expression of these antigens on MC is of prognostic significance in SM. We performed a retrospective multi-center study of patients with SM using the data set of the registry of the European Competence Network on Mastocytosis, including 5034 patients with various MC disorders.

Fuzzy logic applied to tunning mutation size in evolutionary algorithms.

Tuning of parameters is a very important but complex issue in the Evolutionary Algorithms' design. The paper discusses the new, based on the Fuzzy Logic concept of tuning mutation size in these algorithms. Data on evolution collected in prior generations are used to tune the size of mutations.

Reproductive and persistence strategy of the liverwort Arnellia fennica after the last glaciation in the area of disjunction in Central Europe (Polish Tatra Mountains, carpathians).

The liverwort Arnellia fennica has a circumarctic distribution with disjunct and scarce localities in the Alps, Carpathians, and Pyrenees. Within the Carpathians, it is only known from the Tatra Mountains (in Poland), where so far only four occurrences have been documented in the forest belt of the limestone part of the Western Tatras. The species is considered a tertiary relict, which owes its survival during the last glaciation period to low-lying locations in areas not covered by ice.

Deciphering the safeguarding role of cysteine residues in p53 against HO-induced oxidation using high-resolution native mass spectrometry.

The transcription factor p53 is exquisitely sensitive and selective to a broad variety of cellular environments. Several studies have reported that oxidative stress weakens the p53-DNA binding affinity for certain promoters depending on the oxidation mechanism. Despite this body of work, the precise mechanisms by which the physiologically relevant DNA-p53 tetramer complex senses cellular stresses caused by HO are still unknown.

Deep eutectic solvent enhances antibacterial activity of a modular lytic enzyme against Acinetobacter baumannii.

In this study, we evaluated the combined effect between MLE-15, a modular lytic enzyme composed of four building blocks, and reline, a natural deep eutectic solvent. The bioinformatic analysis allowed us to determine the spatial architecture of MLE-15, whose components were bactericidal peptide cecropin A connected via a flexible linker to the cell wall binding domain (CBD) of mesophilic 201ϕ2 - 1 endolysin and catalytic domain (EAD) of highly thermostable Ph2119 endolysin. The modular enzyme showed high thermostability with the melting temperature of 93.

Chromosome-scale telomere to telomere genome assembly of common crystalwort (Riccia sorocarpa Bisch.).

Riccia sorocarpa Bisch., commonly known as common crystalwort, is a plant belonging to the Marchantiales order with a cosmopolitan distribution among a wide range of habitats: fields, gardens, waste ground, on paths, cliff tops, and thin soil over rocks or by water bodies. However, research into the genetic aspects of this species is limited.

Cyclodehydrogenation of molecular nanographene precursors catalyzed by atomic hydrogen.

Atomically precise synthesis of graphene nanostructures on semiconductors and insulators has been a formidable challenge. In particular, the metallic substrates needed to catalyze cyclodehydrogenative planarization reactions limit subsequent applications that exploit the electronic and/or magnetic structure of graphene derivatives. Here, we introduce a protocol in which an on-surface reaction is initiated and carried out regardless of the substrate type.

Structural basis of Spliced Leader RNA recognition by the Trypanosoma brucei cap-binding complex.

Kinetoplastids are a clade of eukaryotic protozoans that include human parasitic pathogens like trypanosomes and Leishmania species. In these organisms, protein-coding genes are transcribed as polycistronic pre-mRNAs, which need to be processed by the coupled action of trans-splicing and polyadenylation to yield monogenic mature mRNAs. During trans-splicing, a universal RNA sequence, the spliced leader RNA (SL RNA) mini-exon, is added to the 5'-end of each mRNA.

Re-reading Pistorius. How Do Hegemonic Masculinity, Celebrity Status, and Affective Atmosphere Help Us Understand Pistorius's Crime?

Oscar Pistorius's parole in January 2024 offers a new perspective on the South African runner. This article examines Pistorius within the context of social factors that influenced his behavior and the murder of Reeva Steenkamp. Drawing on Connell's gender order theory, Messner's triad of violence, and affective atmosphere, it reveals how Pistorius, despite his disability, embraced hegemonic masculinity and became a sports star.

NMDA-induced lesions of the nucleus accumbens core increase the innately rewarding saccharin solution intake and methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference but not conditioned taste aversion in rats.

The role of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core in determining the valence of innately rewarding saccharin solution intake, methamphetamine (MAMPH)-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA), and conditioned place preference (CPP) reward remains unclear. The present study utilized the "pre- and post-association" experimental paradigm (2010) to test whether the rewarding and aversive properties of MAMPH can be modulated by an N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) lesion in the NAc core. Moreover, it tested how an NAc core NMDA lesion affected the innate reward of saccharin solution intake.

Understanding cataract development in axial myopia: The contribution of oxidative stress and related pathways.

Myopia is an evolving global health challenge, with estimates suggesting that by 2050 it will affect half of the world's population, becoming the leading cause of irreversible vision loss. Moreover, myopia can lead to various complications, including the earlier onset of cataracts. Given the progressive aging of the population and the increase in life expectancy, this will contribute to a rising demand for cataract surgery, posing an additional challenge for healthcare systems.

High performance ozone nanobubbles based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for degradation of organic pollutants under high pollutant loading.

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) have proven to be an effective solution for chemical wastewater treatment, particularly for degradation of organic pollutants, especially dyes. Ozonation is recognized as one of the most prevalent AOPs. Nevertheless, some cases show a lowered efficiency of O utilization which is attributed to its inadequate distribution in the treated water causing low residence time, low mass transfer coefficient as well as shorter half-life.

Diosmetin alleviates TNFα-induced liver inflammation by improving liver sinusoidal endothelial cell dysfunction.

Sterile inflammation contributes to the development of many liver diseases including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is a key cytokine driving liver inflammation primarily through pro-inflammatory activation of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC). The knowledge of whether modulating LSEC activation can alleviate liver inflammation is scarce.

Laser Flash Photolysis of Carbazole in Solution: Cation Radical as a Source of Carbazolyl Radical.

In the course of 266 nm nanosecond laser flash photolysis of carbazole (CBL) in acetonitrile, we discovered a new transient absorption band centered at 360 nm that has been heretofore unreported despite numerous reports on similar topics. To put some limits on possible transients responsible for this absorption band and thus to solve the mechanism of CBL photolysis, we employed the strategy of selectively blocking the CBL active sites by various modifications in the structure. This strategy was supported by the use of the solvent effect and triplet quenching by molecular oxygen.

Changes in enzymatic activity and oxidative stress in honeybees kept in the apiary and laboratory conditions during the course of nosemosis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the level of oxidative stress and lysozyme-like and phenoloxidase (PO) activity under the influence of nosemosis. Honeybees were kept in natural (apiary) and artificial (laboratory) conditions. In this study, it was shown for the first time that honeybees kept in apiaries have higher levels and activity of the studied parameters than honeybees kept in the laboratory.

MESS to live with schizophrenic parental history: A systematic review of developmental checkpoints.

Parental history of schizophrenia, a complex and multifaceted psychological disorder, is recognized as a well-established risk factor in the development of the disorder among offspring. However, the developmental patterns of such children and adolescents before the onset of the problem have not yet been systematically documented. We present a comprehensive account of developmental checkpoints essential for preventing it from occurring.

Effectiveness and Safety of Adalimumab in Patients With Very Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Retrospective Study on Behalf of the Porto Inflammatory Bowel Disease Working Group of European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition.

Background And Aims: Patients with very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD), with an age of onset < 6 years, can present with severe manifestations and may require biologic therapy. Infliximab and adalimumab are approved for induction and maintenance in pediatric IBD patients but are licensed only above the age of 6 years. Effectiveness and safety data on adalimumab in this patient population are lacking.