Factors Associated with Microalbuminuria among Children with Sickle Cell Disease in a Tertiary Centre in South-South Nigeria.

Background: Microalbuminuria, an early indicator of kidney damage in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients, is linked to a heightened risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adulthood. This study investigates the determinants of microalbuminuria in paediatric SCD patients in South-South Nigeria.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted over six months at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, involving 60 children with [HbSS genotype, SCD] in a steady state.

A novel efficient electrochemical sensor for detecting paracetamol contaminants in polluted water using an active electrode from tungsten oxide nanoplates.

Herein, electrochemical sensing of paracetamol in polluted water was achieved using facile-synthesized tungsten oxide nanoparticles. Ion exchange resin has been used as a sustainable preparation route, while the prepared nanoparticles have been characterized by XRD and SEM analyses. Orthorhombic WO·HO nano-plates have been synthesized a facile preparation method, where the crystal size has been calculated as 25-33 nm, and these results were used to create a 3D model of the prepared WO·HO nano-plates.

The Impact of Motivation on Sustained Attention in Very Preterm and Term-born Children: An ERP Study.

Objective: To compare the effect of motivational features on sustained attention in children born very preterm and at term.

Method: EEG was recorded while 34 8-to-11-year-old children born very preterm and 34 term-born peers completed two variants of a cued continuous performance task (CPT-AX); a standard CPT-AX with basic shape stimuli, and structurally similar variant, with a storyline, familiar characters, and feedback.

Results: Higher hit rates, quicker response times and larger event-related potential (ERP) amplitudes were observed during the motivating, compared with the standard, task.

Modeling Sporadic Progressive Supranuclear Palsy in 3D Midbrain Organoids: Recapitulating Disease Features for In Vitro Diagnosis and Drug Discovery.

Objective: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a severe neurodegenerative disease characterized by tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau protein and tufted astrocytes. Developing treatments for PSP is challenging due to the lack of disease models reproducing its key pathological features. This study aimed to model sporadic PSP-Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS) using multi-donor midbrain organoids (MOs).

Enhancing surveillance for dengue fever in Oyo State, Nigeria - a one health approach.

Background: Dengue fever (DF) poses a growing global threat, necessitating a comprehensive one-health approach to address its complex interplay between human, animal, and environmental factors. In Oyo State, Nigeria, the true burden of DF remains unknown due to underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis as malaria, exacerbated by poor health-seeking behavior, weak surveillance systems, and inadequate health infrastructure. Adopting a one-health approach is crucial to understanding the dynamics of DF transmission.

Micropeptide hSPAR regulates glutamine levels and suppresses mammary tumor growth via a TRIM21-P27KIP1-mTOR axis.

mTOR plays a pivotal role in cancer growth control upon amino acid response. Recently, CDK inhibitor P27KIP1 has been reported as a noncanonical inhibitor of mTOR signaling in MEFs, via unclear mechanisms. Here, we find that P27KIP1 degradation via E3 ligase TRIM21 is inhibited by human micropeptide hSPAR through its C-terminus (hSPAR-C), causing P27KIP1's cytoplasmic accumulation in breast cancer cells.

Screening of Oxidative Stress-related Biomarkers and Antioxidant Drugs for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Based on Bioinformatics and Molecular Docking.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting women of reproductive age. Oxidative stress (OS) is suggested to play a significant role in the development of PCOS. Using antioxidants to reduce OS and maintain a healthy balance in the body could be a novel treatment approach for PCOS.

Isolation of PCSK9-specific nanobodies from synthetic libraries using a combined protein selection strategy.

Nanobodies (Nbs) hold great potential to replace conventional antibodies in various biomedical applications. However, conventional methods for their discovery can be time-consuming and expensive. We have developed a reliable protein selection strategy that combines magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS)-based screening of yeast surface display (YSD) libraries and functional ligand-binding identification by Tat-based recognition of associating proteins (FLI-TRAP) to isolate antigen-specific Nbs from synthetic libraries.

The association between age at menarche (AAM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in the MASHAD cohort study.

Age at menarche may be associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in different ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to identify the association of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors with age at menarche (AAM) in Mashhad, the second biggest city in Iran. This was a cross- sectional study based on cohort data of 2353 women (35-65 years) from Mashhad, Iran for whom the age at menarche was reported.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly reveals how repeat elements shape non-coding RNA landscapes active during newt limb regeneration.

Newts have large genomes harboring many repeat elements. How these elements shape the genome and relate to newts' unique regeneration ability remains unknown. We present here the chromosome-scale assembly of the 20.

β2-Adrenergic Receptor Agonist Clenbuterol Protects Against Acute Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Arrhythmia by Regulation of Akt/eNOS/NO/Cx43 Signaling Pathway.

Ventricular arrhythmias induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury limits the therapeutic effect of early reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction. This study investigated the protective effects of the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) agonist clenbuterol against ischemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias and the underlying mechanism. Anesthetized rats were subjected to 10-min left coronary artery occlusion and 10-min reperfusion in vivo.

Enhanced ZBTB10 expression induced by betulinic acid inhibits gastric cancer progression by inactivating the ARRDC3/ITGB4/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with most patients diagnosed at advanced stages due to the absence of reliable early detection biomarkers.

Methods: RNA-sequencing was conducted to identify the differentially expressed genes between GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. CCK8, EdU, colony formation, transwell, flow cytometry and xenograft assays were adopted to explore the biological function of ZBTB10 and betulinic acid (BA) in GC progression.

Construction of a nomogram prediction model for early postoperative stoma complications of colorectal cancer.

Background: Postoperative enterostomy is increasing in patients with colorectal cancer, but there is a lack of a model that can predict the probability of early complications.

Aim: To explore the factors influencing early postoperative stoma complications in colorectal cancer patients and to construct a nomogram prediction model for predicting the probability of these complications.

Methods: A retrospective study of 462 patients who underwent postoperative ostomy for colorectal cancer in the Gastrointestinal Department of the Anhui Provincial Cancer Hospital.

The quest for environmental analytical microbiology: absolute quantitative microbiome using cellular internal standards.

Background: High-throughput sequencing has revolutionized environmental microbiome research, providing both quantitative and qualitative insights into nucleic acid targets in the environment. The resulting microbial composition (community structure) data are essential for environmental analytical microbiology, enabling characterization of community dynamics and assessing microbial pollutants for the development of intervention strategies. However, the relative abundances derived from sequencing impede comparisons across samples and studies.

Correlated spin-wave generation and domain-wall oscillation in a topologically textured magnetic film.

Spin waves, or magnons, are essential for next-generation energy-efficient spintronics and magnonics. Yet, visualizing spin-wave dynamics at nanoscale and microwave frequencies remains a formidable challenge due to the lack of spin-sensitive, time-resolved microscopy. Here we report a breakthrough in imaging dipole-exchange spin waves in a ferromagnetic film owing to the development of laser-free ultrafast Lorentz electron microscopy, which is equipped with a microwave-mediated electron pulser for high spatiotemporal resolution.

Automatic speech recognition predicts contemporaneous earthquake fault displacement.

Significant progress has been made in probing the state of an earthquake fault by applying machine learning to continuous seismic waveforms. The breakthroughs were originally obtained from laboratory shear experiments and numerical simulations of fault shear, then successfully extended to slow-slipping faults. Here we apply the Wav2Vec-2.

Interplay between Two Structure Types in the Incommensurately Modulated ATaSe Compounds (A = Rb, Cs).

Incommensurately modulated crystals are a rare class of materials that are notoriously difficult to characterize properly. We have synthesized two new incommensurately modulated compounds, RbTaSe and CsTaSe, based on the MQ (M = Nb, Ta; Q = S, Se) unit using high-temperature solid-state synthesis. Using superspace crystallography in combination with second harmonic generation measurements, we confirmed both materials to be noncentrosymmetric, falling into the superspace group 1(αβγ)0, while the basic cell suggests 2/.

A multifaceted analysis: Unveiling the complexities of wheat genotypes, fortification, and processing on iron and zinc bioavailability in whole wheat flour and chapati.

This study examines the complex interactions between wheat cultivar selection and fortification with NaFeEDTA and ascorbic acid (AA) on the bioavailability of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in whole wheat flour (WWF) and chapati. Nineteen hexaploid wheat cultivars were rigorously assessed for their intrinsic Fe and Zn profiles, including total content (TC), solubility (S), and bio-accessibility (B), utilizing an in-vitro gastrointestinal model. Significant variations (P < 0.

Fuzzy logic modelling of the pollution pattern of potentially toxic elements and naturally occurring radionuclide materials in quarry sites in Ogun State, Nigeria.

The accumulation pattern of some inorganic pollutants in quarry sites around Ogun State was modeled using a Fuzzy comprehensive assessment (FCA). Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) and naturally occurring radionuclides materials (NORMs) were assessed from soil samples collected from ten quarry sites in three districts (Odeda, Ajebo, and Ijebu Ode) in Ogun State. Three (3) NORMs ( K, U, Th) were assessed using gamma spectrometer with a NaI detector while ten (10) PTEs (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were determined by digestion method using Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer.

Proteomic Analysis Is Needed to Understand the Vulnerability of Sea Anemones to Climate Change.

Sea anemones play a crucial role in marine ecosystems. Recent studies have highlighted their physiological and ecological responses to thermal stress. Therefore, our objective was to perform a proteomic analysis of sea anemones in the Gulf of Mexico, subjected to thermal stress, to understand whether these organisms activate specific processes to resist increased temperature.

Methyl-dependent auto-regulation of the DNA N6-adenine methyltransferase AMT1 in the unicellular eukaryote Tetrahymena thermophila.

DNA N6-methyladenine (6mA) is a potential epigenetic mark involved in gene transcription in eukaryotes, yet the regulatory mechanism governing its methyltransferase (MTase) activity remains obscure. Here, we exploited the 6mA MTase AMT1 to elucidate its auto-regulation in the unicellular eukaryote Tetrahymena thermophila. The detailed endogenous localization of AMT1 in vegetative and sexual stages revealed a correlation between the 6mA reestablishment in the new MAC and the occurrence of zygotically expressed AMT1.

Ketogenic diet with oxyresveratrol and zinc inhibits glioblastoma and restores memory function and motor coordination.

Background: To date, there is no effective cure for the highly malignant brain tumor glioblastoma (GBM). GBM is the most common, aggressive central nervous system tumor (CNS). It commonly originates in glial cells such as microglia, oligodendroglia, astrocytes, or subpopulations of cancer stem cells (CSCs).

Evaluation of the merit of ethanolic extract of as an anti-cancer agent in human colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116).

Background: Colon cancer is the third most common cancer type worldwide. Novel alternative therapeutic anti-cancer drugs against colon cancer with less toxicity are to be explored . This study was aimed to explore the anti-proliferative and anti-migratory activity of various fractions of ethanolic leaf extract on human colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116) and to explore the potential molecular targets from the most potent plant extract fraction.

Extracellular and intracellular digestion in the bivalves studied by magnetic resonance imaging with a contrast reagent.

We investigated the extracellular and intracellular digestion of bivalves employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ruditapes philippinarum clams and Mytilus galloprovincialis mussels were incubated in seawater containing a contrast reagent (GdDTPA) at 20°C. The digestive systems, from the esophagus to the rectum, were visualized at a high signal intensity by the T1-weighted MRI.

Lipopolysaccharide Causes Acquired CFTR Dysfunction in Murine Nasal Airways.

Objective: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a clinical entity defined by aberrant chloride (Cl) ion transport causing downstream effects on mucociliary clearance (MCC) in sinonasal epithelia. Inducible deficiencies in transepithelial Cl transport via CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been theorized to be a driving process in recalcitrant chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in patients without CF. We have previously identified that brief exposures to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mammalian cells induces an acquired dysfunction of CFTR in vitro and in vivo.