Medusa's gaze: Cell traces and fibrils but no collagen in permineralized Jurassic ichthyosaur bone.

Bone is formed by specialized cells whose activity allows bone to grow, change shape, and repair itself. Its composite structure of collagen fibrils and bioapatite nanocrystals gives bone exceptional mechanical strength. Using scanning electron microscopy, we show in fossil ichthyosaurs, 150 to 200 million years old, from the Jurassic of France and the UK, abundant and direct evidence of cellular activity on the fossilized forming, resting, and resorbing surfaces of bone trabeculae, as well as bone fibrils, Sharpey fibers, and cartilage fibers.

Correlation between cathepsins and the likelihood of renal cancer: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous studies have established a relationship between cathepsins and renal cancer. Nonetheless, the specific causal connection between the two factors continues to be ambiguous. The aim of this study is to evaluate the causal relationship between cathepsins and renal cancer via employing Mendelian randomization (MR).

The meaning of trust along the treatment pathway of women with breast cancer: a mixed-methods study among cancer survivors.

Purpose: Women with breast cancer face a high degree of uncertainty. Trust between health providers and patients has been shown to improve patient quality of life and may enhance clinical outcomes. This study aimed to explore the meaning of trust along the treatment pathway.

Antimicrobial potential of the leaves of Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck collected from Iraq: Bioassay-guided isolation of sinensetin as the anti-MRSA compound.

Infections caused by antibiotic-drug-resistant microorganisms are a major global health concern, and they result in millions of deaths every year. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of such drug-resistant microbial strains, and new and effective antimicrobial agents are desperately needed to combat infections caused by MRSA. In the search for effective anti-MRSA agents, the leaves of Citrus grandis (Rutaceae), also known as C.

Can We Ever Develop an Ideal RNA Force Field? Lessons Learned from Simulations of the UUCG RNA Tetraloop and Other Systems.

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are an important and well-established tool for investigating RNA structural dynamics, but their accuracy relies heavily on the quality of the employed force field (). In this work, we present a comprehensive evaluation of widely used pair-additive and polarizable RNA s using the challenging UUCG tetraloop (TL) benchmark system. Extensive standard MD simulations, initiated from the NMR structure of the 14-mer UUCG TL, revealed that most s did not maintain the native state, instead favoring alternative loop conformations.

Quality of Life in Adults with Atopic Dermatitis in Relation to Disease Severity: Nationwide Data in Japan.

Introduction: The impact of atopic dermatitis (AD) on daily life and different levels of quality of life (QOL) according to AD severity has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to assess QOL in relation to the AD severity in Japan.

Methods: This observational study used anonymized data of health insurance association members and their families registered to a mobile health app.

Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging outcome after proximal hamstring tendon repair at mean 3 years follow-up.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess clinical and radiological outcome in patients after proximal hamstring tendon repair. We hypothesized that there is a significant correlation among subjective clinical outcome and interlimb asymmetries in muscle strength, fatty infiltration, and hamstring volume.

Methods: This retrospective monocentric case series included patients with surgical repair after proximal hamstring tendon rupture.

Expanding the Chemical Space of Reverse Fosmidomycin Analogs.

Multidrug-resistant pathogens pose a major threat to human health, necessitating the identification of new drug targets and lead compounds that are not susceptible to cross-resistance. This study demonstrates that novel reverse thia analogs of the phosphonohydroxamic acid antibiotic fosmidomycin inhibit 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR), an essential enzyme for , , and that is absent in humans. Some novel analogs with large α-phenyl substituents exhibited strong inhibition across these three DXR orthologues, surpassing the inhibitory activity of fosmidomycin.

A versatile entry to unnatural, disulfide-linked amino acids and peptides through the disulfuration of azlactones.

Despite the evident demand and promising potential of disulfide-functionalized amino acids and peptides in linker chemistry and peptide drug discovery, those disulfurated specifically at the α-position constitute a unique yet rather highly underexplored chemical space. In this study, we have developed a method for preparing -linked amino acid/peptide derivatives through a base-catalyzed disulfuration reaction of azlactones, followed by the ring-opening functionalization. The disulfuration reaction proceeds under mild conditions, yielding disulfurated azlactones in excellent yields across a variety of -dithiophthalimides and diverse azlactones derived from various amino acids and peptides.

CD9/SOX2-positive cells in the intermediate lobe of the rat pituitary gland exhibit mesenchymal stem cell characteristics.

Adult tissue stem cells of the anterior pituitary gland, CD9/SOX2-positive cells, are believed to exist in the marginal cell layer (MCL) bordering the residual lumen of the Rathke's pouch. These cells migrate from the intermediate lobe side of the MCL (IL-MCL) to the anterior lobe side of the MCL and may be involved in supplying hormone-producing cells. Previous studies reported that some SOX2-positive cells of the anterior lobe differentiate into skeletal muscle cells.

Predictive modelling of acute Promyelocytic leukaemia resistance to retinoic acid therapy.

Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APL) arises from an aberrant chromosomal translocation involving the Retinoic Acid Receptor Alpha (RARA) gene, predominantly with the Promyelocytic Leukaemia (PML) or Promyelocytic Leukaemia Zinc Finger (PLZF) genes. The resulting oncoproteins block the haematopoietic differentiation program promoting aberrant proliferative promyelocytes. Retinoic Acid (RA) therapy is successful in most of the PML::RARA patients, while PLZF::RARA patients frequently become resistant and relapse.

Predictive Factors and the Predictive Scoring System for Falls in Acute Care Inpatients: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Falls in hospitalized patients are a serious problem, resulting in physical injury, secondary complications, impaired activities of daily living, prolonged hospital stays, and increased medical costs. Establishing a fall prediction scoring system to identify patients most likely to fall can help prevent falls among hospitalized patients.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify predictive factors of falls in acute care hospital patients, develop a scoring system, and evaluate its validity.

Access to pharmacy supplied emergency hormonal contraception vs the conscience clause of pharmacist.

Introduction: In light of the current state of the law, it is not possible to invoke the conscience clause when providing pharmaceutical services, which includes the procedure for dispensing emergency contraception to a patient. Introduction of emergency contraception available withut prescription is associated with a necessity of creating safe procedures both for patients and pharmacists.

Aim Of The Study: The purpose of the study was to analyze the Polish and international legal regulation of the conscience clause issue and how to optimize the process of making emergency contraception available without a prescription.

Strained Dehydro-[2,2]-paracyclophane Enabled Planar Chirality Construction and [2.2]Paracyclophane Functionalization.

Planar chirality found tremendous use in many fields, such as chemistry, optics, and materials science. In particular, planar chiral [2.2]paracyclophanes (PCPs) are a type of structurally interesting and practically useful chiral compounds bearing unique electronic and photophysical properties and thus have been widely used in π-stacking polymers, organic luminescent materials, and as a valuable toolbox for developing chiral ligands or organocatalysts.

Probing Biomolecular Interactions with Paramagnetic Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Recent advances in computational methods like AlphaFold have transformed structural biology, enabling accurate modeling of protein complexes and driving applications in drug discovery and protein engineering. However, predicting the structure of systems involving weak, transient, or dynamic interactions, or of complexes with disordered regions, remains challenging. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy offers atomic-level insights into biomolecular complexes, even in weakly interacting and dynamic systems.

Circadian rhythms of microbial communities and their role in regulating nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in the rhizosphere of tea plants.

The circadian clock mediates metabolic functions of plants and rhythmically shapes structure and function of microbial communities in the rhizosphere. However, it is unclear how the circadian rhythm of plant hosts regulates changes in rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities and nutrient cycles. In the present study, we measured diel changes in the rhizosphere of bacterial and fungal communities, and in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycling in 20-year-old tea plantations.

Enhancement of photoinduced reactive oxygen species generation in open-cage fullerenes.

Photodynamic therapy is an important tool in modern medicine due to its effectiveness, safety, and the ability to provide targeted treatment for a range of diseases. Photodynamic therapy utilizes photosensitizers to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Fullerenes can be used as photosensitizers to produce ROS in high quantum yields.

A Native LH1-RC-HiPIP Supercomplex from an Extremophilic Phototroph.

Halorhodospira (Hlr.) halophila strain BN9622 is an extremely halophilic and alkaliphilic purple phototrophic bacterium and has been widely used as a model for exploring the osmoadaptive and photosynthetic strategies employed by phototrophic extreme halophiles that enable them to thrive in hypersaline environments. Here we present the cryo-EM structures of (1) a unique native Hlr.

Cognitive changes in post-stroke depression patients undergoing treatment with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): an exploratory, ancillary analysis of a randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial.

Objective: Post-stroke depression (PSD) affects approximately 40% of stroke survivors, with cognitive deficits being frequently observed. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has shown promise in improving cognitive performance in stroke patients. We explored the effects of tDCS on cognitive performance in PSD.

Association of Mucin-Degrading Gut Microbiota and Dietary Patterns with Colonic Transit Time in Constipation: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: The relationship between gut microbiota composition, lifestyles, and colonic transit time (CTT) remains poorly understood. This study investigated associations among gut microbiota profiles, diet, lifestyles, and CTT in individuals with subjective constipation.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from our randomized clinical trial, examining gut microbiota composition, CTT, and dietary intake in baseline and final assessments of 94 participants with subjective constipation.