The stoichiometry of the α4β2 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors determines the pharmacological properties of the neonicotinoids, and recently introduced butenolide and sulfoximine.

Although neonicotinoids were considered safe for mammals for many decades, recent research has proven that these insecticides can alter cholinergic functions by interacting with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nAChRs). One such receptor is the heteromeric α4β2 nAChR, which exists under two different stoichiometries: high sensitivity and low sensitivity α4β2 nAChRs. To replace these insecticides, new classes of insecticides have been developed, such as, sulfoximine, sulfoxaflor, and the butenolide, flupyradifurone.

Decoupling Individual Host Response and Immune Cell Engager Cytotoxic Potency.

Immune cell engagers are molecular agents, usually antibody-based constructs, engineered to recruit immune cells against cancer cells and kill them. They are versatile and powerful tools for cancer immunotherapy. Despite the multiplication of engagers tested and accepted in the clinic, how molecular and cellular parameters influence their actions is poorly understood.

Leaching of pollutant metals (Pb, Zn) from abandoned mine tailings: A multicomponent reactive transport model of a pilot-scale experiment.

Mine tailing deposits pose a global problem, as they may contain metal contaminants in various geochemical forms and are likely to be leached from the surface into the underlying groundwater, which can result in health and/or environmental risks. Unfortunately, little is currently known regarding the water flow and mass balance related to leaching in the vadose zone as these factors are still difficult to measure at the field scale. A pilot-scale experiment was run in a 1 m instrumented column for 6 months to address this issue.

Nanoparticles based image-guided thermal therapy and temperature feedback.

Nanoparticles have emerged as versatile tools in the realm of thermal therapy, offering precise control and feedback mechanisms for targeted treatments. This review explores the intersection of nanotechnology and thermal therapy, focusing on the utilization of nanoparticles for image-guided interventions and temperature monitoring. Starting with an exploration of local temperature dynamics compared to whole-body responses, we delve into the landscape of nanomaterials and their pivotal role in nanomedicine.

Correlation between serum and saliva sex hormones in young female athletes.

Background: Saliva sampling provides a practical noninvasive way for biological monitoring of steroid hormones but few studies have focused on saliva sex hormones in female athletes, and it is still unknown whether salivary concentrations are an accurate reflection of blood concentrations in this population. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the correlation between serum and saliva estradiol (E2) and progesterone (PG) in 10 young female athletes with normal menstrual cycle.

Methods: Thirty blood and saliva samples were taken at rest in a fasting state in order to analyze E2 and PG concentrations, during 3 different hormonal periods: Status 1: low E2 and low PG (end luteal/early follicular); Status 2: high E2 and low PG (end follicular/peri-ovulatory); Status 3: high PG (mid-luteal).

Redox Gradient Shapes the Chemical Composition of Peatland Microbial Communities.

The response of soil carbon to climate change and anthropogenic forcing depends on the relationship between the physicochemical variables of the environment and microbial communities. In anoxic soils that store large amounts of organic carbon, it can be hypothesized that the low amount of catabolic energy available leads microbial organisms to minimize the energy costs of biosynthesis, which may shape the composition of microbial communities. To test this hypothesis, thermodynamic modeling was used to assess the link between redox gradients in the ombrotrophic peatland of the Marcell Experimental Forest (Minnesota, USA) and the chemical and taxonomic composition of microbial communities.

Fractional calculus integration for improved ECG modeling: A McSharry model expansion.

This study introduces a new method for modeling electrocardiogram (ECG) waveforms using Fractional Differential Equations (FDEs). By incorporating fractional calculus into the well-established McSharry model, the proposed approach achieves improved representation and high precision for a wide range of ECG waveforms. The research focuses on the impact of integrating fractional derivatives into Integer Differential Equation (IDE) models, enhancing the fidelity of ECG signal modeling.

Pharmacology and molecular modeling studies of sulfoxaflor, flupyradifurone and neonicotinoids on the human neuronal α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

We conducted electrophysiological and molecular docking studies using a heterologous expression system (Xenopus oocytes) to compare the effects of four neonicotinoids (acetamiprid, imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam), one sulfoximine, (sulfoxaflor), and one butenolide (flupyradifurone), on human α7 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). All neonicotinoids (except thiamethoxam), as well as the recently introduced nAChR competitive modulators, flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor, appear to be weaker agonists than acetylcholine. Two mutations in loop C (E211N and E211P) and one mutation in loop D (Q79K), known to be involved in the binding properties of neonicotinoids were introduced to the α7 wild type.

Lyotropic liquid crystal emulsions of LAVR-289: Influence of internal mesophase structure on cytotoxicity and in-vitro antiviral activity.

Emerging and reemerging viruses pose significant public health threats, underscoring the urgent need for new antiviral drugs. Recently, a novel family of antiviral acyclic nucleoside phosphonates (ANP) composed of a 4-(2,4-diaminopyrimidin-6-yl)oxy-but-2-enyl phosphonic acid skeleton (O-DAPy nucleobase) has shown promise. Among these, LAVR-289 stands out for its potent inhibitory effects against various DNA viruses.

Advantages of online supercritical fluid extraction and chromatography hyphenated to mass spectrometry to analyse plastic additives in laboratory gloves.

Plastic additives are introduced in plastic material formulations, along with organic polymers, to offer different properties such as stability, plasticity or color. However, plastic additives may migrate from the plastic material to the content (in case of plastic containers) or to the material in contact with the plastic, like human skin. In the case of plastic medical devices, this migration is of particular interest, as plastic additives may be deleterious to health.

Organic extracts from sustainable hybrid poplar hairy root cultures as potential natural antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents.

In order to meet growing consumer demands in terms of naturalness, the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries are looking for active molecules of plant origin. In this context, hairy roots are considered a promising biotechnological system for the sustainable production of compounds of interest. Poplars (genus Populus, family Salicaceae) are trees of ecological interest in temperate alluvial forests and are also cultivated for their industrial timber.

Predicting transient dynamics in a model of reed musical instrument with slowly time-varying control parameter.

When playing a self-sustained reed instrument (such as the clarinet), initial acoustical transients (at the beginning of a note) are known to be of crucial importance. Nevertheless, they have been mostly overlooked in the literature on musical instruments. We investigate here the dynamic behavior of a simple model of reed instrument with a time-varying blowing pressure accounting for attack transients performed by the musician.

Demonstration for cold atmospheric pressure plasma jet operation and antibacterial action in microgravity.

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (ionized gas) is an innovative medical tool for the treatment of infected wounds thanks to its potential to inactivate drug-resistant microorganisms and promote tissue regeneration and vascularization. The low power consumption, compactness, and versatility of Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (CAPP) devices make them an ideal tool for risk mitigation associated with human spaceflights. This work presents results in microgravity on the operability of CAPP and its antimicrobial effect.

Investigation of Ln complexation by a DOTA derivative substituted by an imidazothiadiazole: synthesis, solution structure, luminescence and relaxation properties.

We investigated the coordination properties of original macrocyclic Ln complexes comprising an imidazothiadiazole heterocycle. The thermodynamic stability of the Gd complex was determined by a combination of potentiometric and photophysical measurements. The kinetic inertness was assessed in highly acidic media.

Tetrahydropyridine LIMK inhibitors: Structure activity studies and biological characterization.

LIM Kinases, LIMK1 and LIMK2, have become promising targets for the development of inhibitors with potential application for the treatment of several major diseases. LIMKs play crucial roles in cytoskeleton remodeling as downstream effectors of small G proteins of the Rho-GTPase family, and as major regulators of cofilin, an actin depolymerizing factor. In this article we describe the conception, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel tetrahydropyridine pyrrolopyrimidine LIMK inhibitors.

A semi-supervised multiview-MRI network for the detection of Knee Osteoarthritis.

Knee OsteoArthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic condition, affecting a significant proportion of the global population. Detecting knee OA is crucial as the degeneration of the knee joint is irreversible. In this paper, we introduce a semi-supervised multi-view framework and a 3D CNN model for detecting knee OA using 3D Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.

Finite element investigation of the influence of a new transpedicular vertebral implant positioning on biomechanical responses of the spine segment.

The optimal positioning of an implant into a living organ such as femurs and vertebra is still an open problem. In particular, vertebral implant position has a significant impact on the results on spine behaviour after treatment in terms of stiffness, range of motion (ROM), wear, loosening and failure. In the current work, a 3D finite element analysis was conducted to investigate the positioning parameters of a novel transpedicular implant (V-STRUT©, Hyprevention, France) in terms of placement of the implant in the treated vertebra.

Degradation and transformation of carbamazepine in aqueous medium under non-thermal plasma oxidation process.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a pharmaceutical compound detected in various water resources. With a view to removing this contaminant, the applicability of non-thermal plasma (NTP) oxidation process has been widely tested in recent years. This study utilized NTP from a dielectric barrier discharge reactor in the treatment of CBZ.

"Mix and match" auto-assembly of glycosyltransferase domains delivers biocatalysts with improved substrate promiscuity.

Glycosyltransferases (GT) catalyze the glycosylation of bioactive natural products, including peptides and proteins, flavonoids, and sterols, and have been extensively used as biocatalysts to generate glycosides. However, the often narrow substrate specificity of wild-type GTs requires engineering strategies to expand it. The GT-B structural family is constituted by GTs that share a highly conserved tertiary structure in which the sugar donor and acceptor substrates bind in dedicated domains.

An overview on waste rubber recycling by microwave devulcanization.

This review deals with waste rubber recycling by devulcanization treatment using microwave method. In fact, vulcanized rubbers have been extensively used in various fields due to their superior performances. Subsequently, the massive use of such materials, especially in the automotive industry, has generated a substantial amount of wastes which are not easily to be degraded due to the three-dimensional network formed by the vulcanization process.

Synthesis of the aminocyclopentenediol fragment of queuosine by way of the stereoselective addition of an organometallic reagent to a -butanesulfinyl glycosylamine.

An innovative, concise synthesis of the aminocyclopentenediol fragment of queuosine is reported. The synthesis is based on the stereocontrolled addition of a vinylGrignard·LiCl reagent to a -butanesulfinyl L-ribofuranosylamine, followed by dehydrodeoxygenation to generate a second vinyl group and ring-closing metathesis to form the five-membered ring scaffold of the natural product. This approach has the potential for the development of a larger scale synthesis.