Structural insights into polyisoprenyl-binding glycosyltransferases.

Glycosyltransferases (GTs) catalyze the addition of sugars to diverse substrates facilitating complex glycoconjugate biosynthesis across all domains of life. When embedded in or associated with the membrane, these enzymes often depend on polyisoprenyl-phosphate or -pyrophosphate (PP) lipid carriers, including undecaprenyl phosphate in bacteria and dolichol phosphate in eukaryotes, to transfer glycan moieties. GTs that bind PP substrates (PP-GTs) are functionally diverse but share some common structural features within their family or subfamily, particularly with respect to how they interact with their cognate PP ligands.

Structure of a zoonotic H5N1 hemagglutinin reveals a receptor-binding site occupied by an auto-glycan.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has spilled into many mammals, most notably cows and poultry, with several dozen human breakthrough infections. Zoonotic crossovers, with hemagglutinins mutated to enhance viral ability to use human α2-6-linked sialic acid receptors versus avian α2-3-linked ones, highlight the pandemic risk. To gain insight into these crossovers, we determined the cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the hemagglutinin from the zoonotic H5N1 A/Texas/37/2024 strain (clade 2.

International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2024: Insulin and Adjunctive Treatments in Children and Adolescents with Diabetes.

The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) guidelines represent a rich repository that serves as the only comprehensive set of clinical recommendations for children, adolescents, and young adults living with diabetes worldwide. This chapter builds on the 2022 ISPAD guidelines, and updates recommendations on the principles of intensive insulin regimens, including more intensive forms of multiple daily injections with new-generation faster-acting and ultra-long-acting insulins; a summary of adjunctive medications used alongside insulin treatment that includes details on pramlintide, metformin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) and sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitors; and key considerations with regard to access to insulin and affordability to ensure that all persons with diabetes who need insulin can obtain it without financial hardship.

International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2024 Diabetes Technologies: Glucose Monitoring.

The International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) guidelines represent a rich repository that serves as the only comprehensive set of clinical recommendations for children, adolescents, and young adults living with diabetes worldwide. This chapter builds on the 2022 ISPAD guidelines, and summarizes recent advances in the technology behind glucose monitoring, and its role in glucose-responsive integrated technology that is feasible with the use of automated insulin delivery (AID) systems in children and adolescents.

Thiol-modified hyaluronic acid and hydroxyl radical-induced oxidation synergistically enhance the gelling capacity of ginkgo seed proteins.

The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of synthetic thiol-modified hyaluronic acid (HASH) on the gelation properties of ginkgo seed protein isolate (GSPI) under non-oxidizing (NOX) or oxidizing (OX) conditions. Under NOX conditions, HASH mediated the disruption of disulfide bonds, leading to a dose-dependent dissociation of GSPI. Conversely, in OX conditions, hydroxyl radical-induced oxidation facilitated the formation of interprotein disulfide bonds.

Pervious concrete for treatment of acid mine drainage: Neutralization of pH and removal of dissolved iron, aluminum, manganese, and copper.

Pervious concrete has shown potential in neutralizing wastewater and stormwater, and this study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of pervious concrete at removing heavy metals and neutralizing acid from an AMD source. The removal of aluminum, manganese, iron, and copper from natural and synthetic AMD sources by pervious concrete cubes at beaker scale was tracked. Pervious concrete cylinders were also used to model length requirements for a permeable reactive barrier to treat field-scale AMD.

Health risk assessment of potential heavy metals bioaccumulation in specialty crops grown in farm soils amended with dredged material.

This research examined the potential human health risk associated with heavy metal bioaccumulation in specialty crops (lettuce, tomato, carrot) grown in soils amended with dredged material (DM) from the Toledo Harbor in Ohio, USA. The specialty crops were chosen to expand the scope of the study of dredged material, especially in Northwest Ohio. Previous studies have been focused on corn and soybeans, which are the major crops planted in the area.

Risk of increasing soil nitrous oxide emissions by chemical oxidation modification on biochar.

Biochar is widely recognized as a soil amendment capable of mitigating soil nitrous oxide (NO) emissions. However, the effects of biochar modification, particularly through chemical oxidation, remain relatively unexplored. This study modified wood and corn straw biochars using HO and acid (HSO/HNO).

Rhythmic EEG patterns: The oldest idea in the EEG world, but without an obvious definition.

The word "rhythmic" was quickly introduced in the vocabulary of the electroencephalographers with the discovery of the alpha rhythm and typical discharges of spike-and-waves at 3 Hz in childhood absence epilepsy, but without any definition until recently. In its last revision (2017), the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology proposed a specific definition. The word "rhythmic" is "applied to regular waves occurring at a constant period and of relatively uniform morphology.

Generation of two induced pluripotent stem cell lines from Loeys-Dietz syndrome patients carrying heterologous mutation of TGFBR1.

Loeys-Dietz Syndrome (LDS) is a rare autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder characterized by vascular aneurysms, arterial dissections, and distinct craniofacial and skeletal anomalies. This study focuses on generating and characterizing two induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines derived from LDS patients with distinct mutations in the TGFBR1 gene. These two iPSC lines were found to display characteristic iPSC morphology, strong expression of pluripotency markers, typical karyotypes, and the capacity for differentiation into the three germ layers.

Effects of spinal stimulation and short-burst treadmill training on gait biomechanics in children with cerebral palsy.

Background: Children with cerebral palsy (CP) have an injury to the central nervous system around the time of birth that affects the development of the brain and spinal cord. This injury leads to changes in gait neuromechanics, including muscle activity and joint kinematics. Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) is a novel neuromodulation technique that may improve movement and coordination in children with CP when paired with targeted physical therapy.

Can we rely on machine learning algorithms as a trustworthy predictor for recurrence in high-grade glioma? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Early prediction of recurrence in high-grade glioma (HGG) is critical due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. Distinguishing true recurrence from treatment-related changes, such as radionecrosis, is a major diagnostic challenge. Machine learning (ML) offers a novel approach, leveraging advanced algorithms to analyze complex imaging data with high precision.

Sustainable removal of gaseous Hg using sulfur functionalized biochar: Adsorption experiment and life cycle assessment.

Maximizing the sorption capacity of gaseous Hg by sulfur-functionalized biochar can lead to increased energy consumption and the production of secondary environmental pollutants such as greenhouse gases. This study evaluates the environmental impact of producing sulfurized biochar through a life cycle assessment (LCA), weighing these impacts against the benefits of enhanced Hg removal efficiencies. The biochar's Hg adsorption capacity, which ranges between 3 and 22 μg-Hg/g-biochar, is influenced by several factors: it increases with higher sulfur loading (0-15 %), higher O levels (0-21 %), and longer pyrolysis times (1-5 h).

McDonald criteria application by German neurologists suggests a need for further training.

Background: McDonald criteria (MC) are a globally accepted standard for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Misdiagnosis of MS is a common problem that has significant clinical consequences for patients. Misapplication of MC is a potential source of MS misdiagnosis.

Nanozymes meet hydrogels: Fabrication, progressive applications, and perspectives.

Nanozyme, a class of emerging enzyme mimics, is the nanomaterials with enzyme-mimicking activity, which has obtained significant and widespread applications in various fields. However, they still face many challenges in practical applications (e.g.

Actinomycetes: Treasure trove for discovering novel antibiotic candidates.

Actinomycetes are an important source of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics and other active natural products. Many well-known antibiotics, such as streptomycin, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline, are produced by actinomycetes. Different types of antibiotics have distinct mechanisms of action against microorganisms: inhibit protein synthesis, inhibit nucleic acid synthesis, or inhibit cell wall synthesis.

The relationship between trajectories of intrinsic capacity and differences in the risk of functional ability decline in community-dwelling older adults: A socio-ecological approach.

Background: Functional ability (FA), a key determinant of healthy aging, is determined by intrinsic capacity (IC), environmental factors, and their interactions. IC is a composite of physical and mental capacities that undergo constant change. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence IC requires a multi-level analysis of individuals to optimize its trajectory.

Combating sepsis-induced acute lung injury: PARP1 inhibition mediates oxidative stress mitigation and miR-135a-5p/SMAD5/Nanog axis drives regeneration.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) inhibition combined with microRNA miR-135a-5p overexpression in sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). Specifically, we aimed to elucidate combinatorial therapeutic potential of PARP1 inhibition in mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation across different models, simultaneously miR-135a-5p overexpression promoting regeneration through the SMAD5/Nanog axis.

Method: We used C57BL/6 mice to create Cecal Ligation Puncture (CLP) model of Sepsis-induced Acute Lung Injury.

Trends and challenges in bispecific antibody production.

Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) represent a rapidly growing field of therapeutic agents. More bsAbs are being approved worldwide and are in various stages of clinical trials. However, the discovery and production of novel bsAbs presents significant challenges due to their complex structure.

A solvent-free thermal desorption-gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method (TD-GC-MS/MS) for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in gas phase airborne samples.

A solvent-free, thermal extraction method for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in gas phase airborne samples was developed. A fully automated thermal desorber (TD) coupled with highly selective and sensitive gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was used to determine the concentration of trace level PAHs. Air sampling was conducted to tune the sampling and analytical conditions.

Anticipation augments distal leg muscle neuromechanics before, during, and after treadmill-induced perturbations applied during walking.

We investigated the effect of anticipation on the proactive and reactive neuromechanical responses of the distal leg muscles in 20 young adults to anticipated and unanticipated rapid anterior or posterior treadmill-induced balance perturbations applied during walking. We quantified local medial gastrocnemius (MG) and tibialis anterior (TA) neuromechanics using cine B-mode ultrasound and surface electromyography before, during, and after the perturbation. Our findings partially supported the hypothesis that anticipated perturbations would elicit greater proactive agonist muscle adjustments than unanticipated perturbations.

Prospective trial of the Oncobox platform RNA sequencing bioinformatic analysis for personalized prescription of targeted drugs.

Interrogating gene expression in tumor can identify up- and downregulated molecular targets of cancer drugs. Here we report the results of prospective clinical investigation of using RNA sequencing analysis for personalized cancer therapy. Transcriptomic profiles were analyzed using Oncobox platform that identifies altered expression of drug target genes and molecular pathways and builds a personalized rating of targeted therapeutics.

Effect of postpartum oral furosemide use on postpartum readmissions and blood pressure trends.

Background: Oral furosemide postpartum improves the time to hypertension resolution in randomized control trials. Further investigation is needed to determine the impact of furosemide in routine clinical practice.

Objective: Real world study to assess impact of furosemide on rates of postpartum hypertension and readmissions for patients with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Urban soils immobilize harmful microbes and antibiotic resistance genes.

Exposure to harmful microbiomes and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) can negatively affect human health. However, the contribution of vegetation and soils to the airborne microbiota transferred indoors (AMTI) remains unclear. We used our newly-developed airborne microbial sampler (VenTube) to collect AMTI samples from 72 neighborhoods in Shanghai.