Metabolomic and gene networks approaches reveal the role of mitochondrial membrane proteins in response of human melanoma cells to THz radiation.

Terahertz (THz) radiation has gained attention due to technological advancements, but its biological effects remain unclear. We investigated the impact of 2.3 THz radiation on SK-MEL-28 cells using metabolomic and gene network analysis.

Total proteome and calcium-binding proteins from human breast milk: Exploring the impact of tobacco smoke exposure and environmental factors.

This study integrates proteome analysis of human breast milk (HBM) from a homogeneous group of mothers who are of similar age and live in the same geographical area, along with an analysis of essential and potentially toxic elements in HBM in relation to lifestyle and environmental factors. This preliminary proteomic study, which examined 11 samples of HBM from lactating women, identified a total of 1619 proteins across all samples, revealing significant differences in proteomes influenced by lactation stages, parity, and exposure to tobacco smoke. The pilot study aimed to explore the feasibility of correlating certain proteins with several elements, considered as indicators of tobacco smoke and environmental influences on HBM.

Proton arc therapy plan optimization with energy layer pre-selection driven by organ at risk sparing and delivery time.

Objective: As proton arc therapy (PAT) approaches clinical implementation, optimizing treatment plans for this innovative delivery modality remains challenging, especially in addressing arc delivery time. Existing algorithms for minimizing delivery time are either optimal but computationally demanding or fast but at the expense of sacrificing many degrees of freedom. In this study, we introduce a flexible method for pre-selecting energy layers (EL) in PAT treatment planning before the actual robust spot weight optimization.

Evaluation of TOCSY mixing for sensitivity-enhancement in solid-state NMR and application of 4D experiments for side-chain assignments of the full-length 30 kDa membrane protein GlpG.

Chemical shift assignments of large membrane proteins by solid-state NMR experiments are challenging. Recent advancements in sensitivity-enhanced pulse sequences, have made it feasible to acquire H-detected 4D spectra of these challenging protein samples within reasonable timeframes. However, obtaining unambiguous assignments remains difficult without access to side-chain chemical shifts.

Unlocking a Decade of Research on Embryo-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Discoveries Made and Paths Ahead.

Over the past decade, research on embryo-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) has unveiled their critical roles in embryonic development and intercellular communication. EVs secreted by embryos are nanoscale lipid bilayer vesicles that carry bioactive cargo, including proteins, lipids, RNAs, and DNAs, reflecting the physiological state of the source cells. These vesicles facilitate paracrine and autocrine signaling, influencing key processes such as cell differentiation, embryo viability, and endometrial receptivity.

Metabolic shifts in glioblastoma: unraveling altered pathways and exploring novel therapeutic avenues.

Metabolic reprogramming stands out as a defining characteristic of cancer, including glioblastoma (GB), enabling tumor cells to overcome growth and survival challenges in adverse conditions. The dysregulation of metabolic processes in GB is crucial to its pathogenesis, influencing both tumorigenesis and the disease's invasive tendencies. This altered metabolism supplies essential energy substrates for uncontrolled cell proliferation and also creates an immunosuppressive microenvironment, complicating conventional therapies.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Breath Tests to Detect Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly contagious infection and one of the world's leading causes of death from a single infectious agent. Currently, TB diagnosis can be established via mycobacterial cultures, Acid Fast Bacilli smear and molecular studies. In the ever-evolving landscape of medical advancements, breath tests have shown considerable promise.

A systematic review to determine the effect of strategies to sustain chronic disease prevention interventions in clinical and community settings.

This review assessed the effect of strategies designed to sustain the delivery of evidenced based interventions (EBIs) which target behavioural risk factors linked to leading causes of chronic disease in clinical and community settings. Seven electronic databases were searched for randomised controlled studies published from earliest record to November 2022. Studies were included if they tested a strategy to sustain the delivery of an EBI within clinical or community settings.

From Pregnancy to Postpartum: The Dynamic Reorganization of the Maternal Brain.

The postpartum period is marked by radical changes in the maternal brain. Seeking to explore the mechanisms that underlie these changes, this article focuses on the relevant hormonal, inflammatory, and behavioral factors. Longitudinal imaging studies have shed valuable light on both short- and long-term alterations in postpartum brain structure and connectivity, particularly in the regions that play key roles in emotion regulation and stress response.

Electroresponsive Thiol-Yne Click-Hydrogels for Insulin Smart Delivery: Tackling Sustained Release and Leakage Control.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder caused by the body's inability to produce or use insulin. Considering the figures projected by the World Health Organization, research on insulin therapy is crucial. Hence, we present a soft biointerface based on a thiol-yne poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) click-hydrogel as an advanced treatment option to administrate insulin.

An Instrument for Evaluating the Self: The Self-Discrepancies Scale in Non-Clinical Participants.

Objective: The Self-Discrepancies Scale (S-DS) is a multiple-subscore instrument designed to assess discrepancies between mental representations of the self: the actual self on one hand, and the ideal and socially prescribed selves on the other. Its idiographic subscores rely on the endorsement of self-descriptive traits, while its abstract subscores form an overall judgement of felt self-discrepancies. The objectives of the present study were to (i) evaluate the S-DS in a new non-clinical population, (ii) expand the body of data on the S-DS's convergent validity, (iii) study the idiographic data for the S-DS, and (iv) establish a nomothetic list of traits with a better choice of unwanted traits.

Understanding recurrent groin pain following periacetabular osteotomy: assessment of psoas tendon mechanics using discrete element analysis.

Recurrent groin pain following periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is a challenging problem. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the position and dynamics of the psoas tendon as a potential cause for recurrent groin pain following PAO. A total of 386 PAO procedures, performed between January 2013 and January 2020, were identified from a single surgeon series.

Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment questionnaire specifically tailored for greater trochanteric pain syndrome for the Dutch population.

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a highly prevalent condition characterized by lateral hip and thigh pain. The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment (VISA) questionnaire specifically tailored for GTPS (VISA-G) questionnaire was developed for the purpose of assessing and quantifying the severity of symptoms related to gluteal tendinopathy or GTPS. It is commonly used in research and clinical settings to evaluate the impact of GTPS on patient function and quality of life.

Characterization of Amorphous Ibrutinib Thermal Stability.

The choice of method for drug amorphization depends on various factors, including the physicochemical properties of the active pharmaceutical ingredients, the desired formulation, and scalability requirements. It is often important to consider a combination of methods or the use of excipients to further enhance the stability and performance of the amorphous drug. This study presents a comparison of techniques including melt quench, hot melt extrusion, solvent evaporation, ball milling, and lyophilization used for the preparation of amorphous ibrutinib.

The freeze-thaw cycle effect on blood serum autofluorescence, Raman spectroscopy and SERS: implications for sample classification and disease diagnostics.

The issue of variability introduced into blood plasma and serum analysis by preanalytical procedures is the major obstacle to obtaining accurate and reproducible results. While the question of how to overcome this issue has been discussed in biochemical detection of analytes and omics technologies, its relevance to the field of optical spectroscopy remains mostly unexplored. In this work, we evaluated the freeze-thaw cycle (FTC)-induced alternations in blood serum optical properties by means of autofluorescence and Raman spectroscopy, including surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).

Non-ionic surfactant self-assembly in calcium nitrate tetrahydrate and related salts.

Self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules can take place in extremely concentrated salt solutions, such as inorganic molten salt hydrates or hydrous melts. The intermolecular interactions governing the organization of amphiphilic molecules under such extreme conditions are not yet fully understood. In this study, we investigated the specific effects of ions on the self-assembly of the non-ionic surfactant CH(OCHCH)OH (CE) under extreme salt concentrations, using calcium nitrate tetrahydrate as a reference.

Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammation Activity of Titanium Alloy by Efficient Copper Immobilization.

Titanium alloy plates are often used for fixation to bone. However, the plates often need to be removed due to infection and adverse inflammation. To avoid these problems, we immobilized copper, which has antibacterial effects and low cytotoxicity, on titanium plates by immersing the titanium in copper-tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane complex solutions.

Association between inflammatory indices and preoperative deep vein thrombosis in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty: a retrospective study.

Background: To investigate the association between inflammatory indices-systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and preoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA).

Methods: We created the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve using the ratios of SII, MLR, NLR, PLR to DVT before TJA, divided the enrolled patients into groups based on the cut-off value, and then analyzed risk factors for DVT before TJA in the multivariate binary logistic regression analysis.

Results: A total of 2125 patients were enrolled and preoperative DVT occurred in 110 cases (5.

Machine learning models for dementia screening to classify brain amyloid positivity on positron emission tomography using blood markers and demographic characteristics: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Intracerebral amyloid β (Aβ) accumulation is considered the initial observable event in the pathological process of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Efficient screening for amyloid pathology is critical for identifying patients for early treatment. This study developed machine learning models to classify positron emission tomography (PET) Aβ-positivity in participants with preclinical and prodromal AD using data accessible to primary care physicians.

A novel ready-to-use loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for detection of Burkholderia mallei and B. pseudomallei.

Background: Glanders and melioidosis are contagious zoonotic diseases caused by Burkholderia mallei and B. pseudomallei, respectively. Bacterial isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have been used to detect these bacteria in animals suspected of infection; however, both methods require skilled experimental techniques and expensive equipment.

PET Imaging of a Transgenic Tau Rat Model SHR24 with [F]AV1451.

Purpose: Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans with radioligands targeting tau neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) have accelerated our understanding of the role of misfolded tau in neurodegeneration. While intended for human research, applying these radioligands to small animals establishes a vital translational link. Transgenic animal models of dementia, such as the tau rat SHR24, play a crucial role in enhancing our understanding of these disorders.

The IL-17 level in gingival crevicular fluid as an indicator of orthodontically induced inflammatory root resorption.

Purpose: Interleukin (IL)-17 expression in the periodontal ligament is associated with orthodontically induced inflammatory root resorption (OIIRR). Seeking a convenient, rapid, and non-invasive IL-17 detection approach could help predict OIIRR. In this study, we assessed the potential of the IL-17 level in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) to be an indicator of OIIRR.

Pulse Irrigation Reduces Rate of Postoperative Hematoma Following Breast Reduction.

Purpose: Breast reduction (BR) involves a large surface area of manipulated tissue, increasing the risk of postoperative hematoma. Pulse irrigation (PI) uses a device to deliver intermittent pressurized irrigant intraoperatively. This study aims to evaluate whether the use of PI is associated with reduced incidence of postoperative hematoma after BR.

Oceanic evasion fuels Arctic summertime rebound of atmospheric mercury and drives transport to Arctic terrestrial ecosystems.

Mercury (Hg) contamination poses a persistent threat to the remote Arctic ecosystem, yet the mechanisms driving the pronounced summer rebound of atmospheric gaseous elemental Hg (Hg) and its subsequent fate remain unclear due to limitations in large-scale seasonal studies. Here, we use an integrated atmosphere-land-sea-ice-ocean model to simulate Hg cycling in the Arctic comprehensively. Our results indicate that oceanic evasion is the dominant source (~80%) of the summer Hg rebound, particularly driven by seawater Hg release facilitated by seasonal ice melt (~42%), with further contributions from anthropogenic deposition and terrestrial re-emissions.

Nudging Strategies to Promote Plant-Based and Sustainable Food Consumption in Canteens.

Transitioning towards a more plant-based diet can promote sustainable food consumption while simultaneously addressing environmental and health-related issues. Integrated nudging strategies are effective in promoting healthy eating behaviours. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of an integrated nudging intervention to promote plant-based meals and determine its effect on promoting sustainable food consumption behaviour.