Assessing horizontal gene transfer in the rhizosphere of using fabricated ecosystems (EcoFABs).

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major process by which genes are transferred between microbes in the rhizosphere. However, examining HGT remains challenging due to the complexity of mimicking conditions within the rhizosphere. Fabricated ecosystems (EcoFABs) have been used to investigate several complex processes in plant-associated environments.

DUSP22 inhibits lung tumorigenesis by suppression of EGFR/c-Met signaling.

DUSP22, an atypical dual-specificity phosphatase enzyme, plays a significant role in regulating multiple kinase signaling pathways by dephosphorylation. Our study demonstrated that decreased DUSP22 expression is associated with shorter disease-free survival, advanced TNM (tumor, lymph nodes, and metastasis), cancer stage, and higher tumor grade in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients. Exogenous DUSP22 expression reduces the colony-forming capacity of lung cancer cells and inhibits xenograft tumor growth primarily by targeting EGFR and suppressing its activity through dephosphorylation.

Targeting cathepsin S promotes activation of OLF1-BDNF/TrkB axis to enhance cognitive function.

Background: Cathepsin S (CTSS) is a cysteine protease that played diverse roles in immunity, tumor metastasis, aging and other pathological alterations. At the cellular level, increased CTSS levels have been associated with the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and disrupted the homeostasis of Ca flux. Once CTSS was suppressed, elevated levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines and changes of Ca influx were observed.

Examining Human-Smartphone Interaction as a Proxy for Circadian Rhythm in Patients With Insomnia: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The sleep and circadian rhythm patterns associated with smartphone use, which are influenced by mental activities, might be closely linked to sleep quality and depressive symptoms, similar to the conventional actigraphy-based assessments of physical activity.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to develop app-defined circadian rhythm and sleep indicators and compare them with actigraphy-derived measures. Additionally, we aimed to explore the clinical correlations of these indicators in individuals with insomnia and healthy controls.

Immunogenicity of a spike protein subunit-based COVID-19 vaccine with broad protection against various SARS-CoV-2 variants in animal studies.

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has profound impacts on human life and global economy since the outbreak in 2019. With the new variants continue to emerge with greater immune escaping capability, the protectivity of the available vaccines is compromised. Therefore, development a vaccine that is capable of inducing immunity against variants including omicron strains is in urgent need.

A tale of two lineages: how the strains of the earliest divergent symbiotic Frankia clade spread over the world.

It is currently assumed that around 100 million years ago, the common ancestor to the Fabales, Fagales, Rosales and Cucurbitales in Gondwana, developed a root nodule symbiosis with a nitrogen-fixing bacterium. The symbiotic trait evolved first in Frankia cluster-2; thus, strains belonging to this cluster are the best extant representatives of this original symbiont. Most cluster-2 strains could not be cultured to date, except for Frankia coriariae, and therefore many aspects of the symbiosis are still elusive.

A High-throughput Interbacterial Competition Platform.

Contact-dependent interbacterial competition is a common strategy used by bacteria to fight for their ecological niches. Interbacterial competition is monitored by a competition assay involving co-culturing the attacker and the recipient bacterial cells on agar, followed by recovery of the surviving recipient cells. Conventional interbacterial competition assays rely on serial dilution, plate spreading, and colony counting experiments for the readout.

Role of Recipient Susceptibility Factors During Contact-Dependent Interbacterial Competition.

Bacteria evolved multiple strategies to survive and develop optimal fitness in their ecological niche. They deployed protein secretion systems for robust and efficient delivery of antibacterial toxins into their target cells, therefore inhibiting their growth or killing them. To maximize antagonism, recipient factors on target cells can be recognized or hijacked to enhance the entry or toxicity of these toxins.

A quantitative luciferase-based cell-cell fusion assay to measure four-serotype dengue virus E protein-triggered membrane fusion.

The class II membrane fusion induced by flavivirus E proteins is a unique pH-dependent membrane fusion process differently from the class I or III membrane fusion by other enveloped virus proteins. The fusion peptide on the DII of the flavivirus E proteins can insert into the cell membrane as a cell entry process besides the receptor bindings. A traditional assay using C6/36 mosquito cells infected by dengue viruses has been previously reported but did not provide efficient quantitation to measure the virus-triggered membrane fusion.

A novel method for assessing oral mixing ability based on the spatial clusters quantified by variogram.

Background: The two-colour chewing test (TCCT) has been widely used for assessing oral mixing ability, a critical component of masticatory performance. Most studies focused on quantifying the evenness of colour distribution. It remained unknown if the variation of colour clustering was a valid index of oral mixing ability.

Association between regional brain volume and masticatory performance differed in cognitively impaired and non-impaired older people.

Older patients with cognitive impairment exhibit worse masticatory performance (MP), which may be attributed to poorer abilities of control, learning, and adaptation of oral sensorimotor functions. This study tested the hypothesis that the association between the structural signature of the right premotor cortex (which relates to sensorimotor integration) and masticatory performance would differ between cognitively impaired (CI) and healthy older people. Thirty-one CI and 31 non-CI older participants (aged 60-84 years; male: female = 28: 34) were recruited and between-group matched for the average age and sex ratio.

Association between tooth loss and gray matter volume in cognitive impairment.

Previous studies have reported an association between tooth loss and gray matter volume (GMV) in healthy adults. The study aims to elucidate the link between tooth loss, brain volume differences, and cognitive impairment by investigating the total and regional differences in GMV associated with tooth loss in older people with and without cognitive impairment. Forty older participants with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease [the cognitive impairment (CI) group] and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy participants [the control (CON) group] received T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans and assessments of oral functions, including masticatory performance (MP) and the number of missing teeth (NMT).

A High-Throughput Interbacterial Competition Screen Identifies ClpAP in Enhancing Recipient Susceptibility to Type VI Secretion System-Mediated Attack by .

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is an effector delivery system used by Gram-negative bacteria to kill other bacteria or eukaryotic hosts to gain fitness. The plant pathogen utilizes its T6SS to kill other bacteria, such as . We observed that the T6SS-dependent killing outcome differs when using different T6SS-lacking, K-12 strains as a recipient cell.

Dengue and Zika Virus Domain III-Flagellin Fusion and Glycan-Masking E Antigen for Prime-Boost Immunization.

The viral E proteins of dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are the major viral proteins involved in receptor binding and fusion, and for the induction of protective antibodies against viral infections. DIII of the E proteins is an independent domain and stretches out on the virion surface that can elicit type-specific neutralizing antibodies. For recombinant DIII vaccine development, prime-boost immunizations can provide an advantage of eliciting more type-specific neutralizing antibodies by recalling DIII antigens after DIII booster to improve protection.

Lysosomal cysteine protease cathepsin S is involved in cancer cell motility by regulating store-operated Ca entry.

Cathepsin S (CTSS), a lysosomal cysteine protease, has been reported to be associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, thus promoting cell migration and invasion, but whether CTSS regulates other intracellular mechanisms during metastasis remains unknown. The expression of CTSS was knocked down using siRNA transfection, and enzymatic activity was inhibited by the highly-selective CTSS inhibitor RJW-58. The results of in vitro functional assays, western blot analysis, and an in vivo colonization model demonstrated that CTSS was positively related to cellular adhesive ability.

Temporal Stability of Smartphone Use Data: Determining Fundamental Time Unit and Independent Cycle.

Background: Assessing human behaviors via smartphone for monitoring the pattern of daily behaviors has become a crucial issue in this century. Thus, a more accurate and structured methodology is needed for smartphone use research.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the duration of data collection needed to establish a reliable pattern of use, how long a smartphone use cycle could perpetuate by assessing maximum time intervals between 2 smartphone periods, and to validate smartphone use and use/nonuse reciprocity parameters.

Brain signatures associated with swallowing efficiency in older people.

Swallowing is a complex movement consisting of the sequential and orderly activation of the swallowing muscles. Neuroimaging evidence has revealed a complex cortical and subcortical representation of voluntary swallowing. The repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST) is a convenient and simple method for assessing swallowing performance in older people.

Brain activations associated with fearful experience show common and distinct patterns between younger and older adults in the hippocampus and the amygdala.

Revisiting threat-related scenes elicits fear and activates a brain network related to cognitive-affective processing. Prior experience may contribute to the present fearful experience. We aimed to investigate (a) patterns of brain activation associated with individual differences in past fearful experiences (pFear) and the present fear elicited by watching videos (eFear) and (b) age-related differences in the activation patterns.

Functional Exploration of the Bacterial Type VI Secretion System in Mutualism: Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571-Sesbania rostrata as a Research Model.

The bacterial type VI secretion system (T6SS) has been considered the armed force of bacteria because it can deliver toxin effectors to prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells for survival and fitness. Although many legume symbiotic rhizobacteria encode T6SS in their genome, the biological function of T6SS in these bacteria is still unclear. To elucidate this issue, we used Azorhizobium caulinodans ORS571 and its symbiotic host Sesbania rostrata as our research model.

Zika virus structural biology and progress in vaccine development.

The growing number of zika virus (ZIKV) infections plus a 20-fold increase in neonatal microcephaly in newborns in Brazil have raised alarms in many countries regarding the threat to pregnant women. Instances of microcephaly and central nervous system malformations continue to increase in ZIKV outbreak regions. ZIKV is a small enveloped positive-strand RNA virus belonging to the Flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family.

Age- and sex-related differences in masseter size and its role in oral functions.

Background: The masseter muscle plays a key structural and functional role in the stomatognathic system. Researchers' cumulative evidence has suggested that the variation in the size of a person's masseter muscle may be a critical factor related to individual differences in oral functions. However, researchers have not yet investigated systematically the effect of a person's age and sex on masseter muscle size and the association of masseter muscle size with other clinical metrics, including masticatory performance (MP) and salivary flow rate (SFR).

Age-Related Difference in Functional Brain Connectivity of Mastication.

The age-related decline in motor function is associated with changes in intrinsic brain signatures. Here, we investigated the functional connectivity (FC) associated with masticatory performance, a clinical index evaluating general masticatory function. Twenty-six older adults (OA) and 26 younger (YA) healthy adults were recruited and assessed using the masticatory performance index (MPI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).

Functional and Structural Signatures of the Anterior Insula are associated with Risk-taking Tendency of Analgesic Decision-making.

In a medical context, decision-making is associated with complicated assessment of gains, losses and uncertainty of outcomes. We here provide novel evidence about the brain mechanisms underlying decision-making of analgesic treatment. Thirty-six healthy participants were recruited and completed the Analgesic Decision-making Task (ADT), which quantified individual tendency of risk-taking (RPI), as the frequency of choosing a riskier option to relieve pain.