Patent landscape of small molecule inhibitors of METTL3 (2020-present).

Introduction: Methyltransferase-like protein 3 (METTL3), in complex with METTL14, is the key 'writer' protein for RNA mA methylation, accounting for almost all mRNA mA modifications. Recent studies reveal that METTL3 is implicated in the development and progression of various types of cancers. Targeting METTL3 with small molecule inhibitors represents a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer.

Developing and validating an intervention-specific knowledge assessment for person-centered communication in nursing home continuing education.

Purpose: The assessment of knowledge gain from educational interventions is a common practice in dementia care research. This study aimed to refine and validate the Changing Talk Scale (CHATS), a tool for assessing knowledge of effective and person-centered communication in nursing home staff. CHATS was integrated into the Changing Talk: Online (CHATO) education program to measure the knowledge gains resulting from it.

Cell-type-specific auditory responses in the striatum are shaped by feedforward inhibition.

The posterior "tail" region of the striatum receives dense innervation from sensory brain regions and is important for behaviors that require sensorimotor integration. The output neurons of the striatum, D1 and D2 striatal projection neurons (SPNs), which make up the direct and indirect pathways, are thought to play distinct functional roles, although it remains unclear if these neurons show cell-type-specific differences in their response to sensory stimuli. Here, we examine the strength of synaptic inputs onto D1 and D2 SPNs following the stimulation of upstream auditory pathways.

High-Performance Boiling Surfaces Enabled by an Electrode-Transpose All-Electrochemical Strategy.

High-performance boiling surfaces are in great demand for efficient cooling of high-heat-flux devices. Although various micro-/nano-structured surfaces have been engineered toward higher surface wettability and wickability for enhanced boiling, the design and fabrication of surface structures for realizing both high critical heat flux (CHF) and high heat transfer coefficient (HTC) remain a key challenge. Here, a novel "electrode-transpose" all-electrochemical strategy is proposed to create superhydrophilic microporous surfaces with higher dendrites and larger pores by simply adding an electrochemical etching step prior to the multiple electrochemical deposition steps.

Hyper-Thick Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries Enabled by Micro-Electric-Field Process.

Increasing electrode thickness is a key strategy to boost energy density in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which is essential for electric vehicles and energy storage applications. However, thick electrodes face significant challenges, including poor ion transport, long diffusion paths, and mechanical instability, all of which degrade battery performance. To overcome these barriers, a novel micro-electric-field (μ-EF) process is introduced that enhances particle alignment during fabrication with reduced distance between anode and cathode.

US Army Accession and Retention Standards: Impact on Obesity and Medical Readiness.

Introduction: Military body fat standards were implemented in the 1980s to prevent obesity and associated poor military readiness. In the past 2 decades, enforcement of existing Army body composition standards has been eroded by the steady increase in national obesity rates, the demand for new recruits especially during the 2007 surge in Iraq, and the COVID epidemic in 2020. The diminishing qualified recruit pool puts a new focus on accession standards.

CCL2/CCR2 Signalling in Mesenchymal Stem/Progenitor Cell Recruitment and Fracture Healing in Mice.

Macrophage efferocytosis (clearance of apoptotic cells) is crucial for tissue homeostasis and wound repair, where macrophages secrete factors that promote resolution of inflammation and regenerative signalling. This study examined the role of efferocytic macrophage-associated CCL2 secretion, its influence on mesenchymal stem/progenitor cell (MSPC) chemotaxis, and in vivo cell recruitment using Ccr2 (KO) mice with disrupted CCL2 receptor signalling in two regenerative models: ossicle implants and ulnar stress fractures. Single cell RNA sequencing and PCR validation indicated that efferocytosis of various apoptotic cells at bone injury sites (osteoblasts, pre-osteoblasts, MSPC) upregulated CCL2.

Evolution of NAC transcription factors from early land plants to domesticated crops.

NAC [NO APICAL MERISTEM (NAM), ARABIDOPSIS TRANSCRIPTION ACTIVATOR FACTOR 1/2 (ATAF1/2), and CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON (CUC2)] transcription factors are key regulators of plant growth, development, and stress responses but were also crucial players during land plant adaptation and crop domestication. Using representative members of green algae, bryophytes, lycophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms, we expanded the evolutionary history of NAC transcription factors to unveil the relationships among members of this gene family. We found a massive increase in the number of NAC transcription factors from green algae to lycophytes and an even larger increase in flowering plants.

Microplastics inhibit the decomposition of soil organic matter by adult darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

Microplastics (MPs) are a growing problem worldwide. Soils are long-term storage sinks of MPs because of the many pathways they enter the soil and their long degradation period. Knowing how MPs influence soil organisms, the effects of organisms on the fate of MPs, and what this means for soil additions, losses, transformations, and translocations is paramount.

Estimating optimal temperature conditions for growth, development, and reproduction of Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L., is one of the most important industrialized insects worldwide. As a poikilotherm, T.

Host plant selection and performance of ambrosia beetles in flood-stressed versus ethanol-injected trees provide implications for management strategies.

Ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae and Platypodinae) are fungus-farming woodborers that can cause damage to the trees they colonize. Some of these beetles target stressed plants that emit ethanol, and management strategies have proposed using ethanol-injected trees as trap trees to monitor or divert dispersing adult females away from valuable crops. In this study, we used container-grown trees from 8 species to compare the effect of ethanol injection versus flooding on ambrosia beetle host selection and colonization success.

Climate matching models for Ceratapion basicorne (Coleoptera: Apionidae), a biocontrol agent of yellow starthistle.

Ceratapion basicorne (Illiger) (Coleoptera: Apionidae), a weevil native to Europe and western Asia, shows promise for enhancing the control of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L.), an invasive annual forb in the western United States. However, a paucity of data on this biocontrol agent's environmental constraints has made it difficult to assess the suitability of potential release locations.

Anticipated Responses to Genetic Testing for Alzheimer's Disease Susceptibility among Latinos in Northern Manhattan.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative illness that has become a growing concern for older adults. As such, apolipoprotein E (APOE) genetic testing has become more commonly used to identify individuals' susceptibility to AD. An underrepresented population in AD research, Latinos will be disproportionately affected by AD in the coming decades.

Effects of Retinol, Natural Pea Peptide and Antioxidant Blend in a Topical Formulation: In Vitro and Clinical Evidence.

Introduction: Retinol has a long history of treating skin conditions, including photoaging. However, skin irritation with repeated use of retinol is well documented. The present study assessed the effectiveness of a novel topical formulation, referred to as retinol topical formulation (RTF), to improve the quality of skin health.

Substance Use Among Adults with Chronic Orofacial Pain.

Chronic orofacial pain (COFP; i.e., musculoskeletal, neurovascular, or neuropathic pain in the face, mouth, or jaw that lasts for at least 3 months) is prevalent and debilitating.

Dual-layer dual-energy CT characterization of thrombus composition in acute pulmonary embolism and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

To evaluate dual-layer dual-energy computed tomography (dlDECT)-based characterization of thrombus composition for differentiation of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). This retrospective single center cohort study included 49 patients with acute PE and 33 patients with CTEPH who underwent CT pulmonary angiography on a dlDECT from 06/2016 to 06/2022. Conventional images), material specific images (virtual non-contrast [VNC], iodine density overlay [IDO], electron density [ED]), and virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) were analyzed.

Intraepithelial ILC1-Like NK Cells Increase Lymphocyte Infiltration into the Tumor Microenvironment via the CXCL10 Axis.

Intraepithelial type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ieILC1s) are tissue-resident lymphocytes in the microenvironment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Here, we evaluate how these cells influence T-cell trafficking to tumors. We generated cytotoxic ieILC1-like cells from natural killer (NK) cells in vitro.

Using community organizing to build a system of care: A mixed methods evaluation.

The purpose of this study was to utilize mixed methods to evaluate the initial implementation of a system of care (SOC) developed and implemented from a community organizing framework. Surveys were conducted with partners (navigators, community partners, parents) to examine changes pre- and post-implementation of the SOC. Surveys assessed care coordination, effectiveness of communication across organizations, quality of services and relationships, barriers, health-related stressors, and distrust.

Antiracist activism for immigrant rights and healthy coping: Initial evidence for a community-based framework.

Racist and xenophobic policies in the United States (e.g., family separations and lack of access to protected immigration statuses for undocumented immigrants) have historically excluded immigrants of color from accessing full civil rights, thus contributing to widening racial inequities in the US.

Navigating immigrant paths: A case study of unaccompanied youth in foster care.

Understanding the experiences of unaccompanied youths in refugee foster care is important to tailor such systems to support the complex needs and desires of these youth. This instrumental case study sought to understand how a cohort of unaccompanied refugee youth experience refugee foster care as they navigate the "in-betweenness" of adolescence. Eight youth (ages 17-21) from Guatemala and Honduras, nine foster parents, and two staff were interviewed.

Closing the loops: chromatin loop dynamics after DNA damage.

Chromatin is a dynamic polymer in constant motion. These motions are heterogeneous between cells and within individual cell nuclei and are profoundly altered in response to DNA damage. The shifts in chromatin motions following genomic insults depend on the temporal and physical scales considered.

Developing novel indoles as antitubercular agents and simulated annealing-based analysis of their binding with MmpL3.

Aim: This research aimed to develop novel indole-2-carboxamides as potential antitubercular agents using rational drug design. It also focused on identifying the critical interactions required for these compounds to exhibit effective antitubercular activity.

Materials And Methods: Novel indole-2-carboxamides targeting MmpL3 were designed based on SAR, synthesized, and tested for their antitubercular and induction properties.

Pre-HIV α4β7hi CD4+ T cells and HIV risk among heterosexual individuals in Africa.

Background: CD4+ T cells expressing α4β7 are optimal targets for HIV infections, with higher pre-HIV α4β7hi expression linked to increased HIV acquisition and progression in South African women. However, similar associations were not observed in men who have sex with men (MSM) or people who inject drugs (PWID) in the Americas, indicating need for further research.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study enrolled heterosexual men and women from South Africa (HIV Vaccine Trials Network; HVTN 503) and East Africa (Partners Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis/Couples' Observational Study; PP/COS), quantifying α4β7 expression on CD4+ T cells as a predictor of subsequent HIV risk using flow cytometry analyses.