Supramolecular Hydrolase Mimics in Equilibrium and Kinetically Trapped States.

The folding of proteins into intricate three-dimensional structures to achieve biological functions, such as catalysis, is governed by both kinetic and thermodynamic controls. The quest to design artificial enzymes using minimalist peptides seeks to emulate supramolecular structures existing in a catalytically active state. Drawing inspiration from the nuanced process of protein folding, our study explores the enzyme-like activity of amphiphilic peptide nanosystems in both equilibrium and non-equilibrium states, featuring the formation of supramolecular nanofibrils and nanosheets.

Functional brain changes after alternative pharmacological interventions in posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review of clinical trials.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex and heterogeneous mental health condition that can develop after exposure to a traumatic event. Clinical trials have used alternative pharmacological agents to treat PTSD, but their associated neural correlates remain unclear. The present systematic review aims to summarize the changes in brain function associated with the use of these alternative pharmacological agents in PTSD.

Robust Switchable Polarization and Coupled Electronic Characteristics of Magnesium-Doped Zinc Oxide.

Ferroelectrics possess a spontaneous polarization that is switchable by an electric field and is critical for the development of low-energy nanoelectronics and neuromorphic applications. However, apart from a few recent developments, the realization of switchable polarization in metal oxides with simpler structures has been a major challenge. Here, we demonstrate the presence of robust switchable polarization at the level of a single nanocrystallite in magnesium-doped zinc oxide thin films with polar wurtzite crystal structures.

An inflammation-responsive double-layer microneedle patch for recurrent atopic dermatitis therapy.

Seeking a potent therapeutic strategy for alleviating atopic dermatitis (AD) attack and preventing its recurrence is highly desired but remains challenging in clinical practice. Here, we propose an inflammation-responsive double-layer microneedle (IDMN) patch in situ delivering VD for recurrent AD therapy. IDMN comprises the backing layer part and the double-layer microneedle part, in which the inner layer is gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) loaded with VD while the outer layer is composed of hyaluronic acid (HA).

synthesis of Cu(II) dicarboxylate metal organic frameworks (MOFs) and their application as battery materials.

New materials for battery electrodes are paramount to ensuring future battery supply can meet the ever-increasing demand for energy storage. Furthermore, detailed investigation on the various physical and chemical aspects of these materials is required to allow the same level of nuanced microstructural and electrochemical tuning that is available for conventional electrode materials. Here a comprehensive investigation is undertaken on the poorly understood reaction between dicarboxylic acids and the copper current collector that occurs during electrode formulation, using a series of simple dicarboxylic acids.

Swarm Intelligence in Internet of Medical Things: A Review.

Continuous advancements of technologies such as machine-to-machine interactions and big data analysis have led to the internet of things (IoT) making information sharing and smart decision-making possible using everyday devices. On the other hand, swarm intelligence (SI) algorithms seek to establish constructive interaction among agents regardless of their intelligence level. In SI algorithms, multiple individuals run simultaneously and possibly in a cooperative manner to address complex nonlinear problems.

Uncovering the CO Capture Mechanism of NaNO-Promoted MgO by O Isotope Labeling.

MgO-based CO sorbents promoted with molten alkali metal nitrates (e.g., NaNO) have emerged as promising materials for CO capture and storage technologies due to their low cost and high theoretical CO uptake capacities.

Auditory clicks elicit equivalent temporal frequency perception to tactile pulses: A cross-modal psychophysical study.

Both hearing and touch are sensitive to the frequency of mechanical oscillations-sound waves and tactile vibrations, respectively. The mounting evidence of parallels in temporal frequency processing between the two sensory systems led us to directly address the question of perceptual frequency equivalence between touch and hearing using stimuli of simple and more complex temporal features. In a cross-modal psychophysical paradigm, subjects compared the perceived frequency of pulsatile mechanical vibrations to that elicited by pulsatile acoustic (click) trains, and vice versa.

20-MHz phased array ultrasound transducer for in vivo ultrasound imaging of small animals.

In vivo ultrasound imaging with phased array transducers is of great importance for both clinical application and biomedical research. In this work, relaxor ferroelectric PMN-0.28PT single crystal with very high piezoelectric constant d ≥ 2000 pC/N and electromechanical coupling coefficient k ∼ 0.

Predictors of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Mood Disturbance After Acute Infection.

Prospective cohort studies following individuals from acute infections have documented a prevalent post-infective fatigue state meeting diagnostic criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) - that is, a post-infective fatigue syndrome (PIFS). The Dubbo Infection Outcomes Study (DIOS) was a prospective cohort following individuals from acute infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Ross River virus (RRV), or Q fever through to assessment of caseness for CFS designated by physician and psychiatrist assessments at 6 months. Previous studies in DIOS have revealed that functional genetic polymorphisms in both immunological (pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines) and neurological (the purinergic receptor, P2X7) genes are associated with both the severity of the acute infection and subsequent prolonged illness.

Pan-cancer integrative analysis of whole-genome De novo somatic point mutations reveals 17 cancer types.

Background: The advent of high throughput sequencing has enabled researchers to systematically evaluate the genetic variations in cancer, identifying many cancer-associated genes. Although cancers in the same tissue are widely categorized in the same group, they demonstrate many differences concerning their mutational profiles. Hence, there is no definitive treatment for most cancer types.

Polymeric Amines Induce Nitric Oxide Release from S-Nitrosothiols.

Catalytic generation of nitric oxide (NO) from NO donors by nanomaterials has enabled prolonged NO delivery for various biomedical applications, but this approach requires laborious synthesis routes. In this study, a new class of materials, that is, polymeric amines including polyethyleneimine (PEI), poly-L-lysine, and poly(allylamine hydrochloride), is discovered to induce NO generation from S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs) at physiological conditions. Controlled NO generation can be readily achieved by tuning the concentration of the NO donors (RSNOs) and polymers, and the type and molecular weight of the polymers.

Somatic point mutations are enriched in non-coding RNAs with possible regulatory function in breast cancer.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) form a large portion of the mammalian genome. However, their biological functions are poorly characterized in cancers. In this study, using a newly developed tool, SomaGene, we analyze de novo somatic point mutations from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) whole-genome sequencing data of 1,855 breast cancer samples.

Preferences for HIV Testing Services and HIV Self-Testing Distribution Among Migrant Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in Australia.

Background: In Australia, undiagnosed HIV rates are much higher among migrant gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) than Australian-born GBMSM. HIV self-testing is a promising tool to overcome barriers to HIV testing and improve HIV testing uptake among migrant GBMSM. We compared the preferences for HIV testing services, including HIV self-testing, among migrant and Australian-born GBMSM.

Four-layer ConvNet to facial emotion recognition with minimal epochs and the significance of data diversity.

Emotion recognition is defined as identifying human emotion and is directly related to different fields such as human-computer interfaces, human emotional processing, irrational analysis, medical diagnostics, data-driven animation, human-robot communication, and many more. This paper proposes a new facial emotional recognition model using a convolutional neural network. Our proposed model, "ConvNet", detects seven specific emotions from image data including anger, disgust, fear, happiness, neutrality, sadness, and surprise.

A phase II multicenter randomized study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining thermotherapy and a short course of miltefosine for the treatment of uncomplicated cutaneous leishmaniasis in the New World.

Background: Systemic pentavalent antimonials, mainly meglumine antimoniate, continue to be the first-choice drugs for treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) despite their toxicity, difficulty of administration and high cost. In the search for therapeutic alternatives, combining two treatment interventions has emerged as a potential alternative to either reduce the use of antimonials with the associated toxicities, or to increase efficacy. Here, we report the results of a recently completed trial assessing the efficacy and safety of a combination of thermotherapy (TT) plus a short course of miltefosine (MLT) for the treatment of uncomplicated CL in Colombia and Peru.

Evaluating the extent of change in near point of convergence in traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes significant impact on visual system. This study reports the impact of TBI on the near point of convergence (NPC) measure in individuals with mild TBI.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted for studies that quantified NPC changes in mild TBI.

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for Benefit-Risk Analysis by National Regulatory Authorities.

The approval process for pharmaceuticals has always included a consideration of the trade-offs between benefits and risks. Until recently, these trade-offs have been made in panel discussions without using a decision model to explicitly consider what these trade-offs might be. Recently, the EMA and the FDA have embraced Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) as a methodology for making approval decisions.

Leishmania RNA virus-1 is similarly detected among metastatic and non-metastatic phenotypes in a prospective cohort of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis.

American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL) is an endemic and neglected disease of South America. Here, mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) disproportionately affects up to 20% of subjects with current or previous localised cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL). Preclinical and clinical reports have implicated the Leishmania RNA virus-1 (LRV1) as a possible determinant of progression to ML and other severe manifestations such as extensive cutaneous and mucosal disease and treatment failure and relapse.

Ceria Nanoparticles as an Unexpected Catalyst to Generate Nitric Oxide from S-Nitrosoglutathione.

Ceria nanoparticles (NPs) are widely reported to scavenge nitric oxide (NO) radicals. This study reveals evidence that an opposite effect of ceria NPs exists, that is, to induce NO generation. Herein, S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), one of the most biologically abundant NO donors, is catalytically decomposed by ceria NPs to produce NO.

Sensitivity and Selectivity Analysis of Fluorescent Probes for Hydrogen Sulfide Detection.

Hydrogen sulfide (H S) is a gasotransmitter known to regulate physiological and pathological processes. Abnormal H S levels have been associated with a range of conditions, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, cardiovascular and renal diseases, bacterial and viral infections, as well as cancer. Therefore, fast and sensitive H S detection is of significant clinical importance.

Genetic and transcriptomic analyses support a switch to lytic phase in Epstein Barr virus infection as an important driver in developing Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

To investigate the molecular mechanisms through which Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may contribute to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis, we interrogated SLE genetic risk loci for signatures of EBV infection. We first compared the gene expression profile of SLE risk genes across 459 different cell/tissue types. EBV-infected B cells (LCLs) had the strongest representation of highly expressed SLE risk genes.