The Role of Structural Flexibility in Hydrocarbon-Stapled Peptides Designed to Block Viral Infection via Human ACE2 Mimicry.

The COVID-19 pandemic drove a uniquely fervent pursuit to explore the potential of peptide, antibody, protein, and small-molecule based antiviral agents against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The interaction between the SARS-CoV2 spike protein with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor that mediates viral cell entry was a particularly interesting target given its well described protein-protein interaction (PPI). This PPI is mediated by an α-helical portion of ACE2 binding to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein and thought to be susceptible to blockade through molecular mimicry.

Immortalization of epidural fat-derived mesenchymal stem cells: characterization and adipocyte differentiation potential.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for regenerative therapy due to their self-renewal capability, multilineage differentiation potential, and immunomodulatory effects. The molecular characteristics of MSCs are influenced by their location. Recently, epidural fat (EF) and EF-derived MSCs (EF-MSCs) have garnered attention due to their potential benefits to the spinal microenvironment and their high expression of neural SC markers.

Characterization of the GH72 family of Laminarin/Lichenin transferases and their roles in cell wall biogenesis.

In vegetative hyphae, chitin, β-1,3-glucan (laminarin), and a mixed β-1,3-/β-1,4-glucan (lichenin) are the major cell wall polysaccharides. GH72 enzymes have been shown to function as β-1,3-glucanases and glucanosyltransferases and can function in crosslinking β-1,3-glucans together. To characterize the enzymatic activities of the enzymes, we expressed GEL-1 with a HIS6 tag in A chimeric maltose binding protein:GEL-2 was produced in .

Quantitative assessment of the generalizability of a brain tumor Raman spectroscopy machine learning model to various tumor types including astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma.

Significance: Maximal safe resection of brain tumors can be performed by neurosurgeons through the use of accurate and practical guidance tools that provide real-time information during surgery. Current established adjuvant intraoperative technologies include neuronavigation guidance, intraoperative imaging (MRI and ultrasound), and 5-ALA for fluorescence-guided surgery.

Aim: We have developed intraoperative Raman spectroscopy as a real-time decision support system for neurosurgical guidance in brain tumors.

Broadband internet access as a social determinant of health in the early COVID-19 pandemic in U.S. counties.

Recent work suggests that internet access was key in delivering life-saving health information about the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper expands on these findings by focusing on the early pandemic in the United States to examine the role of internet access on masking and COVID-19 incidence and mortality. Using county-level data from the American Community Survey, The New York Times, and other sources, weighted OLS regression models with state fixed-effects were used to predict the association of internet access on self-reported masking in July 2020 and COVID-19 incidence and mortality during multiple periods from July-October 2020.

Synthetic studies of the mutant proinsulin syndrome demonstrate correlation between folding efficiency and age of diabetes onset.

Purpose: Heterozygous mutations in the insulin gene can give rise to a monogenic diabetes syndrome due to toxic misfolding of the variant proinsulin in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of pancreatic β-cells. Clinical mutations are widely distributed in the sequence (86 amino acids). Misfolding induces chronic ER stress and interferes in with wildtype biosynthesis and secretion.

Global research hotspots and trends in oxidative stress-related diabetic nephropathy: a bibliometric study.

Background: Oxidative stress is widely acknowledged as a key pathogenic mechanism in diabetic nephropathy (DN). In recent years, the role of oxidative stress in DN has garnered increasing attention. However, no bibliometric analysis has yet been conducted on the relationship between oxidative stress and DN.

Can Artificial Intelligence Create an Accurate Colonoscopy Bowel Preparation Prompt?

Background And Aims: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, with colonoscopy being the preferred screening method. Up to 25% of colonoscopies are associated with poor preparation which leads to prolonged procedure time, repeat colonoscopies, and decreased adenoma detection. Artificial intelligence (AI) is being increasingly used in medicine, assessing medical school exam questions, and writing medical reports.

Cost-Effectiveness of Serum Pepsinogen as a Gastric Cancer Targeted Screening Strategy in the United States.

Background And Aims: Current gastric cancer (GC) screening modalities are invasive and expensive. Noninvasive screening for GC precursors with serum pepsinogen (PG) may improve early detection and prevention. Test characteristics of PG based on US prospective data was recently reported and used to study the cost-effectiveness of PG screening vs no screening in the US.

Enhancing the Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance Signal of Organic Molecular Qubits.

In quantum information science and sensing, electron spins are often purified into a specific polarization through an optical-spin interface, a process known as optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). Diamond-NV centers and transition metals are both excellent platforms for these so-called color centers, while metal-free molecular analogues are also gaining popularity for their extended polarization lifetimes, milder environmental impacts, and reduced costs. In our earlier attempt at designing such organic high-spin π-diradicals, we proposed to spin-polarize by shelving triplet = ±1 populations as singlets.

NSF NeXUS: A New Model for Accessing the Frontiers of Ultrafast Science.

NSF NeXUS is an open-access user facility that enables observation of electron motion with sub-femtosecond time resolution, angstrom spatial resolution, and element-specific spectral resolution.

Recycling of Post-Consumer Waste Polystyrene Using Commercial Plastic Additives.

Photothermal conversion can promote plastic depolymerization (chemical recycling to a monomer) through light-to-heat conversion. The highly localized temperature gradient near the photothermal agent surface allows selective heating with spatial control not observed with bulk pyrolysis. However, identifying and incorporating practical photothermal agents into plastics for end-of-life depolymerization have not been realized.

When Photoelectrons Meet Gas Molecules: Determining the Role of Inelastic Scattering in Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

Inelastic photoelectron scattering (IPES) by gas molecules, a critical phenomenon observed in ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS), complicates spectral interpretation due to kinetic energy loss in the primary spectrum and the appearance of additional features at higher binding energies. In this study, we systematically investigate IPES in various gas environments using APXPS, providing detailed insights into interactions between photoelectrons emitted from solid surfaces and surrounding gas molecules. Core-level XPS spectra of Au, Ag, Zn, and Cu metals were recorded over a wide kinetic energy range in the presence of CO, N, Ar, and H gases, demonstrating the universal nature of IPES across different systems.

Identifying Opportunity Targets in Gram-Negative Pathogens for Infectious Disease Mitigation.

Antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR) is a pressing global human health challenge. Humans face one of their grandest challenges as climate change expands the habitat of vectors that bear human pathogens, incidences of nosocomial infections rise, and new antibiotics discovery lags. AMR is a multifaceted problem that requires a multidisciplinary and an "all-hands-on-deck" approach.

Temperature-Dependent Water Oxidation Kinetics: Implications and Insights.

As a vital process for solar fuel synthesis, water oxidation remains a challenging reaction to perform using durable and cost-effective systems. Despite decades of intense research, our understanding of the detailed processes involved is still limited, particularly under photochemical conditions. Recent research has shown that the overall kinetics of water oxidation by a molecular dyad depends on the coordination between photocharge generation and the subsequent chemical steps.

Selection of Early Life Codons by Ultraviolet Light.

How life developed in its earliest stages is a central but notoriously difficult question in science. The earliest lifeforms likely used a reduced set of codon sequences that were progressively completed over time, driven by chemical, physical, and combinatorial constraints. However, despite its importance for prebiotic chemistry, UV radiation has not been considered a selection pressure for the evolution of early codon sequences.

Understanding the bidirectional association between obesity and risk of psychological distress and depression in young adults in the US: available evidence, knowledge gaps, and future directions.

While the physical health effects of obesity are well-characterized, an emerging branch of research has shown that obesity additionally plays a critical role in one's mental health. Young adults, in a pivotal transition phase in their lives, may be particularly prone to the concurrent effects of obesity and adverse mental health outcomes. The purpose of this review is to comprehensively examine existing data regarding the connection between obesity and two widely validated measures of mental health: psychological distress and depression.

Association of a Liver Allocation Policy Change With Domestic Travel for Liver Transplantation.

Background: In 2020, liver allocation policy in the United States was changed to allow for broader organ sharing, which was hypothesized to reduce patient incentives to travel for transplant. Our objective was to describe patterns of travel for domestic liver transplant pre- and post-acuity circle (AC) implementation.

Methods: Incident adult liver transplant listings between August 16, 2016, and February 3, 2020 (pre-AC) or June 13, 2020, and December 3, 2023 (post-AC) were obtained from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

Meta-omics reveals role of photosynthesis in microbially induced carbonate precipitation at a CO-rich geyser.

Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is a natural process with potential biotechnological applications to address both carbon sequestration and sustainable construction needs. However, our understanding of the microbial processes involved in MICP is limited to a few well-researched pathways such as ureolytic hydrolysis. To expand our knowledge of MICP, we conducted an omics-based study on sedimentary communities from travertine around the CO-driven Crystal Geyser near Green River, Utah.

Multilocular thymic cysts- a diagnostic challenge on computed tomography.

A recent case report provided a patient scenario, wherein, a 39-year-old male patient presented with occasional palpitations, headache, and fever. Evaluation of tumor markers did not show any abnormal results. Subsequently, a computed tomography (CT) scan was undertaken, and its findings were affirmative of thymic cancer.

Microplastic and nanoplastic exposure and risk of diabetes mellitus.

The issue of plastic pollutants has become a growing concern. Both microplastics (MPs) (particle size < 5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs) (particle size < 1 µm) can cause DNA damage, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress in various organisms. The primary known impacts of microplastic/nanoplastic are observed in the liver and respiratory system, leading to hepatotoxicity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Real-Time Monitoring of Electrode Surface Changes in Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry Using Fourier Transform Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy.

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is a widely used electrochemical technique to measure the phasic response of neurotransmitters in the brain. It has the advantage of reducing tissue damage to the brain due to the use of carbon fiber microelectrodes as well as having a high temporal resolution (10 Hz) sufficient to monitor neurotransmitter release in vivo. During the FSCV experiment, the surface of the carbon fiber microelectrode is inevitably changed by the fouling effect.

Evolving Landscape of Parkinson's Disease Research: Challenges and Perspectives.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects movement. It occurs due to a gradual deficit of dopamine-producing brain cells, particularly in the substantia nigra. The precise etiology of PD is not fully understood, but it likely involves a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

SNaP-C: Development of a Silver Nanoparticle Antioxidant Assay for the Selective Quantitative Analysis of Vitamin C in Beverages.

The development of a sensitive and selective silver nanoparticle assay for the quantitation of vitamin C (SNaP-C), as ascorbic acid (AA) and total ascorbic acid (TAA = AA + dehydroascorbic acid, DHAA), is described. Three assay parameters were investigated and optimized: (1) synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to produce a reliable enhanced localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the presence of specific added antioxidants; (2) ensuring long-term stability of AA and DHAA in aqueous solutions; and (3) SNaP-C assay conditions to allow for rapid analysis of samples (beverages) by monitoring the enhanced LSPR. The synthesis of AgNPs using soluble starch as a capping agent and d-arabinose as a reducing agent was optimized in a CEM Discover SP laboratory microwave.