PEPITEM and its tripeptide pharmacophores: Mechanisms of bone regulation and therapeutic potential in health and disease.

Current osteoporosis therapies are limited by their inability to fully restore bone homeostasis and significant side effects through long-term use. PEPITEM is an endogenous 14 amino acid osteogenic peptide capable of stimulating osteoblast-induced bone formation, whilst simultaneously inhibiting osteoclast-induced bone resorption. Here, we have identified the presence of smaller functional pharmacophores ranging from 3 (SVT, ac-QGA) to 7 (SVTEQGA, LSNEER) amino acids in length that mimic some of the actions of native PEPITEM.

The Efficacy of Ultraviolet Radiation in Decontaminating Dropped Bone Fragments in Orthopedic Surgery.

Introduction:  The dropping of bone after harvesting for grafting compromises sterility. Often, washing the bone with an antiseptic solution, harvesting a new autograft, or using an allograft is the only options. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in restoring the sterility of contaminated bone fragments and compare it to other commonly used methods for decontamination.

Comparative Transcriptome and Hormonal Analysis Reveals the Mechanisms of Salt Tolerance in Rice.

Salt stress is a major constraint to seed germination and early seedling growth in rice, affecting crop establishment and productivity. To understand the mechanisms underlying salt tolerance, we investigated two rice varieties with contrasting responses as follows: salt-tolerant sea rice 86 (SR86) and salt-sensitive P559. Germination assays under increasing NaCl concentrations (50-300 mM) revealed that 100 mM NaCl induced clear phenotypic divergence.

Binocular vision parameters in keratoconic eyes wearing scleral lenses.

Clinical Relevance: Binocular vision anomalies are common in individuals with keratoconus (KC) corneas and can significantly impact visual function, comfort, and quality of life. Understanding how ocular conditions influence accommodative and vergence parameters is essential for accurate assessment and effective management, especially in patients requiring speciality contact lenses such as scleral lenses (SL) for visual rehabilitation.

Background: The aim of this work is to evaluate the changes in binocular vision parameters in eyes with KC wearing SLs.

The Challenges and Value of Using Video-Assisted Education Tools and Digital Information Systems for Post-discharge Care in Elderly Patients: A Scoping Review.

Continuity of care plays a vital role in ensuring the well-being of elderly patients as they transition from hospital to home. In recent years, video-assisted and digital information systems have emerged as potential tools to support this critical phase. While these technologies hold promise, there has been limited examination of their actual impact on patient outcomes and the experiences of patients and caregivers.

Acousto-Electric Conversion by the Piezoelectric Nanogenerator of a Molecular Copper(II) Complex.

The conversion of sound waves into electrical energy holds immense potential in various real-life applications, particularly biomedical devices, smart security sensors, and noise pollution detectors. Yet, the field is largely underexplored, due to the limited availability of materials that operate efficiently at low frequencies of sound waves. Piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs), which generate electric charges through deformations caused by sound-induced pressure variations, emerge as promising candidates for acoustoelectric conversion.

Phosphorus Supplementation Enhances Growth and Antioxidant Defense Against Cadmium Stress in Cotton.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils is increasing due to anthropogenic activities, posing a significant threat to plant growth and productivity. Phosphorus (P) has been suggested as a potential mitigator of Cd toxicity, yet the role of cotton genotypes with contrasting low-P tolerance in contaminated soils remains largely unexplored. A hydroponic experiment was conducted to assess the effects of Cd stress (5 μM) on Jimian169 (strong-low-P tolerant) and DES926 (weak-low-P tolerant) cotton genotypes under low-P (0.

Primary cutaneous leiomyosarcoma: demographics and survival benefit of surgical management in a US population.

Background: Leiomyosarcoma of the skin is a rare malignant mesenchymal neoplasm categorized as cutaneous or subcutaneous. This study identified demographic and pathological factors affecting the prognosis and treatment of leiomyosarcoma of the skin.

Methods: Data of patients with skin leiomyosarcoma was extracted from 2000 to 2020 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database.

IL-17A in psoriatic arthritis: mechanistic insights, clinical implications, and advances in therapeutic strategies.

Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an immune-inflammatory disease involving skin and synovial-entheseal compartments. The understanding of IL-17 biological function has revolutionized the understanding of PsA pathogenesis and, consequently, its therapeutic approach.

Areas Covered: In this review article, we have outlined the primary evidence regarding the biological functions of IL-17A in PsA, and summarized data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on PsA and psoriasis approved secukinumab, ixekizumab, bimekizumab, brodalumab, and emerging IL-17 inhibitors.

Pyridine Homopolymers Axial Ligation on Cobaloxime for Efficient Hydrogen Production.

Photocatalytic hydrogen (H) production by mimicking natural light-harvesting complexes offers a sustainable route to solar fuel generation. Here, a pyridine-based homopolymer-chelated cobalt complex is reported as an efficient and stable catalyst for H production via water splitting. This study introduces a series of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)synthesized homopolymers with pyridine moieties that axially coordinate to a cobaloxime core.

Exploring the dual role of Mangifera indica L. in regulating immune response and pain persistence in inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, is characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation and immune dysregulation, driven mainly by Th1 and Th17 cells and sustained by pro-inflammatory cyto-chemokines. This inflammatory milieu is associated with visceral pain, a key symptom affecting patient quality of life. Addressing both gut inflammation/immunity and visceral pain is crucial for improving IBD therapy.

Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinoma: Demographics, Treatment, and Survival Outcomes, A Retrospective Population-Based Study.

Purpose: Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma accounts for 1-2% of pancreatic tumors, with increasing frequency in recent years, and still represents a poor prognosis. This study aims to expand and update existing literature by analyzing national data gathered over almost two decades.

Methods: Data from 488 patients diagnosed with PACC in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database were analyzed.

Harnessing Bio-Inspired Axial Coordination to Boost Synergistic Effects for Enhanced Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysis.

Strategic alteration of the chelating atoms around the metal center can modify the electronic band structure of the electrocatalyst, improving its performance in oxygen evolution and reduction reactions (OER/ORR). Advancements in the development of catalysts with heteroatoms and axial modifications in the coordination sphere are mostly limited to single-molecule electrocatalysts or elevated temperature-mediated pyrolysis approaches for oxygen electrocatalysis. Inspired by biological catalytic systems with axial coordination, a pyrolysis-free strategic methodology is adopted for the synthesis of an iron-metaled covalent organic polymer matrix axially laminated over cobalt-based metal-organic framework through an imidazole moiety.

Differential expression of endothelial derived galectins in response to shear stress.

Background: Endothelial cells function as mechanosensors, dynamically altering their functional response based on varying shear stress/flow patterns to maintain vascular homeostasis. Disturbed flow leads to endothelium dysfunction, promoting conditions such as atherosclerosis. Understanding the molecular impact of flow is crucial for the development of new therapeutic targets for vascular diseases.

Regional variations in corneal oedema during open-eye fenestrated scleral lens wear.

Purpose: To compare the magnitude of central, mid-peripheral and peripheral stromal corneal oedema induced during short-term fenestrated and non-fenestrated scleral lens wear.

Methods: Nine healthy participants wore a non-fenestrated and a fenestrated (0.3-mm diameter limbal fenestration) scleral lens (KATT™, Capricornia Contact Lenses), hexafocon B material (Dk 141 × 10 cm O(cm)/[(s) (cm) (mmHg)]) in one eye under open-eye conditions for 90 min on two separate days.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: interplay of predictive factors, treatment challenges, and survival insights.

Objective: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare and aggressive thyroid neoplasm. This study is the largest to date and aims to provide the most up-to-date analysis of demographics and clinicopathological factors of ATC.

Methods: Data for this study were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Agreement between extrapolated corneoscleral topographical data obtained during natural and retracted eyelid positions.

Purpose: To examine the influence of aperture size (corneoscleral data coverage) on extrapolated scleral sagittal height data generated by the Pentacam HR derived from the Corneo Scleral Profile (CSP) software, by comparing measurements obtained during natural and retracted eyelid positions.

Methods: Corneoscleral topography of the left eye of 20 young (age: 22 [3] years) healthy adults with normal corneas was measured using the Pentacam HR CSP with the eyelids in their natural primary gaze resting position and during eyelid retraction with a wire speculum. The measured and extrapolated sagittal height data were exported from the instrument and analysed over a range of chord diameters (10.

Dual responsive phase behavior of nonionic cellulose-based polymer brushes by visible-light-driven organocatalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization.

Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) is a nonionic, thermo-responsive polymer with temperature-dependent phase behavior. This behavior can be modified by grafting molecular units and polymer brushes onto the cellulose backbone. However, the thermo-response of such modified celluloses under biological and environmental conditions, such as pH, has been scarcely reported.

Dichotomous effects of Galectin-9 in disease modulation in murine models of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a multifaceted disease characterised by compromised integrity of the epithelial barrier, the gut microbiome, and mucosal inflammation. While leukocyte recruitment and infiltration into intestinal tissue are well-studied and targeted in clinical practice, the role of galectins in modulating mucosal immunity remains underexplored. Galectins, a family of lectin-binding proteins, mediate critical interactions between immune cells and the intestinal epithelium.

Hospital-Based Surveillance of Respiratory Viruses Among Children Under Five Years of Age with ARI and SARI in Eastern UP, India.

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a leading cause of death in children under five globally. The seasonal trends and profiles of respiratory viruses vary by region and season. Due to limited information and the population's vulnerability, we conducted the hospital-based surveillance of respiratory viruses in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

PEPITEM, its tripeptide pharmacophores and their peptidomimetic analogues regulate the inflammatory response through parenteral and topical dosing in models of peritonitis and psoriasis.

PEPITEM is an immune-modulatory peptide that effectively regulates inflammation and mitigates immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Here, we identify two independently active tripeptide pharmacophores within PEPITEM and engineered peptidomimetics with enhanced pharmacodynamic properties. These peptidomimetics regulate T-cell trafficking in vitro and reduce T-cell, neutrophil and macrophage numbers in the inflamed peritoneal cavity in vivo.

Quantifying tear exchange during rigid contact lens wear using corneoscleral profilometry: A proof of concept study.

Introduction: Tear exchange during contact lens wear is essential for ocular surface integrity, facilitating debris removal, and maintaining corneal metabolism. Fluorophotometry and fluorogram methods are typically used to measure tear exchange, which require hardware modifications to a slit lamp biomicroscope. This manuscript introduces an alternative method using a corneoscleral profilometer, the Eye Surface Profiler (ESP), to quantify tear exchange during corneal and scleral rigid lens wear by assessing fluorescence intensity changes over time.

Effect of Proanthocyanidins from Grape Seed Extract on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Background/objectives: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting the urinary tract that occurs mainly in men over 40 years of age. Among the natural therapies, proanthocyanidins (PACs), which can treat a wide range of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), have been shown to play an important role in the treatment of pathologies concerning prostate health. In this regard, the present study aimed to evaluate the different bioactivities of a grape seed extract (GSE), rich in polymeric PACs, and its version processed under alkaline conditions (ATGSE), characterized by a higher content of oligomeric PACs, in an animal model of BPH induced by subcutaneous injection of testosterone (1 mg/mouse).

Scleral lens wear and fluid reservoir turbidity in eyes with ocular surface disorders.

Purpose: To investigate changes in fluid reservoir turbidity parameters over time and its influence on visual performance in eyes with ocular surface disorders (OSD) wearing scleral contact lenses (SL).

Methods: Thirteen eyes with OSD were assessed for corrected distance visual acuity, contrast sensitivity (CS) and fluid reservoir turbidity using anterior segment optical coherence tomography at baseline, after 5 min and 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h of SL wear on day 1 and after 1 month.