Multitargeting Pt(IV) Derivatives of Cisplatin or Oxaliplatin Inhibit Tumor Growth in Mice without Inducing Neuropathic Pain.

Cisplatin and oxaliplatin are Pt(II) anticancer agents that are used to treat several cancers, usually in combination with other drugs. Their efficacy is diminished by dose-limiting peripheral neuropathy (PN) that affects ∼70% of patients. PN is caused by selective accumulation of the platinum drugs in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which overexpress transporters for cisplatin and oxaliplatin.

Coordination of Focal Adhesion Nanoarchitecture and Dynamics in Mechanosensing for Cardiomyoblast Differentiation.

Focal adhesions (FAs) are force-bearing multiprotein complexes, whose nanoscale organization and signaling are essential for cell growth and differentiation. However, the specific organization of FA components to exert spatiotemporal activation of FA proteins for force sensing and transduction remains unclear. In this study, we unveil the intricacies of FA protein nanoarchitecture and that its dynamics are coordinated by a molecular scaffold protein, BNIP-2, to initiate downstream signal transduction for cardiomyoblast differentiation.

Mortality of gastrointestinal cancers attributable to smoking, alcohol, and metabolic risk factors, and its association with socioeconomic development status 2000-2021: GI Cancer Mortality and Risk Factors.

Objective: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers account for one-third of global cancer mortality, with nearly half being preventable. This study updates the global burden of GI cancers attributed to major risk factors: smoking, alcohol, and metabolic disturbances.

Methods: We utilized data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 to examine trends in death and age-standardized death rates related to GI cancers caused by smoking, alcohol, high body mass index (BMI), and high fasting blood glucose (FBG) from 2000 to 2021.

Stroke Epidemiology in Asia.

Background Stroke is a major cause of death and disability globally, with different stroke burdens in different regions. This paper reviews the epidemiology of stroke in Asia. Summary There is a wide range in age and sex-standardised stroke incidence, highest in China, lowest in Bhutan.

Blood eosinophil count and treatment patterns of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in South Korea using real-world data.

Background/aims: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) management guidelines have increasingly emphasised the importance of exacerbation prevention, and the role of blood eosinophil count (BEC) as a biomarker for inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) response. This study aimed to describe the distribution and stability of BEC and understand real-world treatment patterns among COPD patients in South Korea.

Methods: This was a retrospective database analysis using data obtained from the KOrea COPD Subgroup Study (KOCOSS) registry between January 2012 and August 2018.

Date seeds polysaccharides as novel capping agents for selenium nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization, stability, biological activities, and gut microbiota modulation.

Date seed polysaccharides were utilized to synthesize selenium nanoparticles (MPS-NP) through a redox reaction involving sodium selenite and ascorbic acid. Characterization of MPS-NP showed a uniform, amorphous, spherical shape with a particle size of 89.2 nm, remaining stable for 42 days.

Cross-center Model Adaptive Tooth segmentation.

Automatic 3-dimensional tooth segmentation on intraoral scans (IOS) plays a pivotal role in computer-aided orthodontic treatments. In practice, deploying existing well-trained models to different medical centers suffers from two main problems: (1) the data distribution shifts between existing and new centers, which causes significant performance degradation. (2) The data in the existing center(s) is usually not permitted to be shared, and annotating additional data in the new center(s) is time-consuming and expensive, thus making re-training or fine-tuning unfeasible.

Leveraging Cross-Diversity Machine Learning to Unveil Metal-Organic Frameworks with Open Copper Sites for Biogas Upgrading.

Biogas, primarily composed of methane (CH) and carbon dioxide (CO), is considered an alternative renewable energy resource. Efficient CO/CH separation is essential for biogas upgrading to increase energy density, and in this context, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have demonstrated significant potential. Here, we integrate multiscale modeling with cross-diversity machine learning (ML) to unveil MOFs with open copper sites (OCS-MOFs) that exhibit exceptional CO/CH separation performance.

Cell-Active, Arginine-Targeting Irreversible Covalent Inhibitors for Non-Kinases and Kinases.

Targeted covalent inhibitors (TCIs) play an essential role in the fields of kinase research and drug discovery. TCI strategies to target more common amino acid side-chains have yet to be demonstrated. Targeting other amino acids would also expand the pharmaceutical industry's toolbox for targeting other tough-to-drug proteins.

Modulation of CRISPR-Cas9 cleavage with an oligo-ribonucleoprotein design.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) associated protein Cas9 system has been widely used for genome editing. However, the editing or cleavage specificity of CRISPR Cas9 remains a major concern due to the off-target effects. The existing approaches to control or modulate CRISPR Cas9 cleavage include engineering Cas9 protein and development of anti-CRISPR proteins.

Stretchable Polymer Hydrogels Based Flexible Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Bioelectronics.

The rapid development of flexible electronics has led to unprecedented social and economic improvements. But conventional power devices cannot adapt to the advances of flexible electronics. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have been used as robust power sources to transform ambient mechanical energy into electricity, thus meeting the power requirements of flexible electronics.

Overview of Peptides and Their Potential Roles in Skin Health and Beauty.

Peptides are molecules that consist of at least two amino acids linked by peptide bonds. The difference between peptides and proteins is primarily based on size and structure. Typically, oligopeptides consist of fewer than about 10-20 amino acids, and polypeptides consist of more than 20 amino acids, whereas proteins usually are made up more than 50 amino acids and often contain multiple peptide subunits as stated in the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry rules.

Body Composition in Adults Born at Very Low Birthweight-A Sibling Study.

Background: Individuals born preterm at very low birthweight (VLBW, < 1500 g) tend to attain a smaller adult body size compared with term-born peers but less is known regarding specific body composition characteristics.

Objectives: We aimed to assess whether adults born at VLBW have less beneficial body composition characteristics, potentially mediating the association between VLBW birth and cardiometabolic disease. Sibling controls were used to account for the potential influence of shared genetic and/or lifestyle factors.

Life beyond a jar: Effects of tank size and furnishings on the behaviour and welfare of Siamese fighting fish ().

Globally, Siamese fighting fish () continue to be sold and kept in small, barren jars or tanks, with little concern for their welfare. This study aimed to examine the impact of housing size and furnishings (i.e.

Comparative phenotypic and proteomic analysis of colistin-exposed .

Introduction: The emergence of colistin resistance threatens the treatment of infections.

Methods: In this study, in vitro development of colistin resistance was investigated using comparative phenotypic and proteomic analysis of ATCC 9027, its 14-day colistin sub-MIC exposed strain (Col-E1), and 10-day antibiotic-free cultured Col-E1 strain (Col-E2). Antibiotic susceptibility, morphology, virulence factors, and proteomic changes were assessed using disc-diffusion, agar-based, spectrophotometry, SEM, and iTRAQ-LC-MS/MS methods.

An overview of Hospital-at-home versus other models of care.

Despite being increasingly adopted in various regions, the model of Hospital-at-home can still appear to be confusing to many healthcare workers. The authors examined and summarized the existing concepts and implementations of Hospital-at-home. How Hospital-at-home contrasts to traditional inpatient models were outlined.

"If I could try it, I'd try it": Qualitative study of the illegal vaping culture in Singapore.

Aims And Background: Singapore has one the world's strictest e-cigarette (vaping) regulations, with bans on e-cigarette import, sale, purchase, use and possession. Nevertheless, Singapore is seeing a growing vaping trend. Beyond estimates of vaping prevalence, little is known about vaping in countries where it is banned or the features and drivers of such illegal vaping cultures.

Premature Calcification of Costochondral Cartilage: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

Premature costochondral calcification is a rare finding occurring in young patients and is associated with metabolic and endocrinological conditions. Significant heterogeneity exists with regard to its definition and assessment. This scoping review aimed to summarize the prevalence, risk factors, etiology, evaluation, and management of patients with premature costochondral calcification.

Lessons learned in delayed identification of a misplaced electrode array in the vestibule.

To report a case of cochlear implantation with a misplaced electrode array in the vestibule and the causes for the delay in identification. A 23-year-old male with left single-sided deafness underwent cochlear implantation. The intraoperative assessment did not reveal any major red flags of electrode array misplacement.

Lupus Nephritis and Chronic Kidney Disease: A Scoping Review.

Prevention of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is a major objective in the management of patients with lupus nephritis (LN). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) of variable severity is common in these patients, but recent literature has mostly focused on novel immunosuppressive treatments for acute LN, while the data on CKD is relatively limited. This scoping review aims to summarise available data on the prevalence and risk factors for CKD in patients with LN.

Packing Engineering of Zirconium Metal-Organic Cages in Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO/CH Separation.

Metal-organic cages (MOCs) have been considered as emerging zero-dimensional (0D) porous fillers to generate molecularly homogeneous MOC-based membrane materials. However, the discontinuous pore connectivity and low filler concentrations limit the improvement of membrane separation performance. Herein, we propose the dimension augmentation of MOCs in membranes using three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular MOC networks as filler materials in mixed matrix membranes (MMMs).

Identification and monitoring of cell heterogeneity from plasmid recombination during limonene production.

Detecting alterations in plasmid structures is often performed using conventional molecular biology. However, these methods are laborious and time-consuming for studying the conditions inducing these mutations, which prevent real-time access to cell heterogeneity during bioproduction. In this work, we propose combining both flow cytometry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, integrated with mechanistic modelling to study conditions that lead to plasmid recombination using a limonene-producing microbial system as a case study.

Aqueous Proteomic and Metabolomic Profiles in Low-Energy vs High-Energy Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery.

Purpose: To investigate the aqueous proteomics and metabolomics in low-energy and high-energy femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS).

Methods: In this prospective observational study, 72 patients were randomized to 3 groups: low-energy FLACS, high-energy FLACS, and conventional phacoemulsification (controls). Aqueous was collected after femtosecond laser treatment or at the beginning of surgery (controls).

Integrating microfluidic and bioprinting technologies: advanced strategies for tissue vascularization.

Tissue engineering offers immense potential for addressing the unmet needs in repairing tissue damage and organ failure. Vascularization, the development of intricate blood vessel networks, is crucial for the survival and functions of engineered tissues. Nevertheless, the persistent challenge of ensuring an ample nutrient supply within implanted tissues remains, primarily due to the inadequate formation of blood vessels.

The exploration of attitudes and perspectives of mental health workers on peer support in Singapore.

Background: Using the lived experience as their expertise, peer support specialists (PSS) focus on the empowerment of individuals with mental health conditions. Despite its value, peer support services in Singapore are relatively uncommon. Perspectives from mental health workers may provide insights on targeted strategies to address the organisational changes needed for the continued growth of the lived experience workforce.