Storage-Induced Collapse of Lignin Macromolecular Structure and Its Impacts on the Biorefinery.

Lignin plays a vital role in the economics of biorefineries, serving as a source of process energy and a feedstock for sustainable fuels and chemical production. While understanding lignin's chemical composition is crucial, emerging evidence suggests that a more comprehensive understanding of its macromolecular structure is critical to explaining its complex behavior in the biorefinery. This study investigated the collapse of the lignin network in corn stover feedstock after harvest and storage as a result of the microbial digestion of hemicellulose.

On-target toxicity limits the efficacy of CDK11 inhibition against cancers with 1p36 deletions.

The cyclin-dependent kinase CDK11 is an understudied kinase that has been the subject of conflicting reports regarding its function in cancer. Here, we combine genetic and pharmacological approaches to demonstrate that CDK11 is a critical regulator of cancer cell survival that is required for RNA splicing and the expression of homologous recombination genes. Inhibition of CDK11 disrupts genome stability, promotes the retention of intronic sequences in mature mRNAs, and induces synthetic lethality with PARP inhibitors.

Optimizing embryo transfer timing based on serum progesterone levels from a known implantation cohort: A retrospective observational study.

Background: True natural thawed embryo transfer (tNC-FET) is increasingly popular due to favorable obstetric and perinatal outcomes. Accurate ovulation timing is essential for synchronizing the embryo with the endometrium and determining the optimal ET timing. While serum LH surge and ultrasound-detected follicle collapse are common methods, they often require frequent monitoring, causing inconvenience and higher cancellation rates.

Clinical impact of pharmacogenetic risk variants in a large chinese cohort.

Incorporating pharmacogenetics into clinical practice promises to improve therapeutic outcomes by optimizing drug selection and dosage based on genetic factors affecting drug response. A key advantage of PGx-guided therapy is to decrease the likelihood of adverse events. To evaluate the clinical impact of PGx risk variants, we performed a retrospective study using genetic and clinical data from the largest Han Chinese cohort, comprising 486,956 individuals, assembled by the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative.

Controlling the Product Selectivity of Peracetic Acid-Mediated Oxidative Lignin Depolymerization via a Deep Eutectic Solvent.

Developing a selective lignin depolymerization process remains a daunting challenge due to lignin's inherent structural heterogeneity and chemical complexity. This study used a novel deep eutectic solvent (DES) extraction to produce oligomeric lignin with controlled structural characteristics (narrow size distribution, lower molecular weight) and further subjected it to oxidative depolymerization using peracetic acid as an oxidant. Oxidation of lignin resulting from lactic acid/pyrazole and choline chloride/lactic acid extraction produces phenolic acids (Ph-COOH) and dicarboxylic acid (DCA) as significant products.

Mis-splicing-derived neoantigens and cognate TCRs in splicing factor mutant leukemias.

Mutations in RNA splicing factors are prevalent across cancers and generate recurrently mis-spliced mRNA isoforms. Here, we identified a series of bona fide neoantigens translated from highly stereotyped splicing alterations promoted by neomorphic, leukemia-associated somatic splicing machinery mutations. We utilized feature-barcoded peptide-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) dextramers to isolate neoantigen-reactive T cell receptors (TCRs) from healthy donors, patients with active myeloid malignancy, and following curative allogeneic stem cell transplant.

Impacts of night market on indoor air quality and lung function of children in nearby households.

Background: Night markets-a unique element of Asian culture-involve various cooking methods and combustion, generating air pollutants with adverse health effects. However, there is no scientific literature on whether air pollutants from night markets affect indoor air quality and the lung function of children in nearby households.

Objective: We evaluated the impacts of night market, specifically market opening days and household distance from the market, on indoor air quality and the lung function of children in nearby households.

Does the Craniolateral Approach Provide Better Exposure to the Radius than the Craniomedial Approach for Internal Fracture Fixation in Dogs?

To compare the exposure of the craniolateral approach (CLA) with craniomedial approach (CMA) of the radius in dogs. To make general observations of each approach that may affect the ease of fracture repair.Six canine cadavers were used in the study to compare the exposed surface area, length, and width of radius with CLA and CMA ( = 12).

Preventing rare contralateral ureteral injury during robotic-assisted nephroureterectomy: lessons from a surgical complication.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (RALN) is a common approach for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), offering advantages such as reduced morbidity and improved recovery. However, contralateral ureteral injury during bladder cuff excision is extremely rare and can be challenging to manage. We present the case of a 56-year-old male with low-grade urothelial carcinoma of the right renal pelvis who underwent RALN.

PKM splice-switching ASOs induce upregulation of dual-specificity phosphatases and dephosphorylation of ERK1/2 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Pyruvate kinase muscle isoform 2 (PKM2) is preferentially expressed in nearly all cancers. It primarily functions as the last enzyme in glycolysis but has other reported noncanonical functions, including recruiting transcription factors to oncogenes and phosphorylating proteins. We previously described antisense oligonucleotides that disrupt alternative splicing of PKM pre-mRNA (PKM-ASOs), resulting in a PKM2-to-PKM1 isoform switch in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which reduces HCC growth in vitro and in vivo.

Estimating the public economic gains in Taiwan from in vitro fertilization (IVF) subsidy changes implemented in 2021.

Study Question: What is the governmental fiscal impact of a new assisted reproduction subsidy scheme based on projected lifetime net taxes attributed to resulting live births in Taiwan?

Summary Answer: We estimate that the new fertility reimbursement scheme has generated favorable lifetime fiscal gains for the Taiwanese government, resulting in a return on investment (ROI) of NT$5.6 for every NT$1.0 spent based on those families receiving public subsidies for fertility care under the new scheme.

A whole-cell platform for discovering synthetic cell adhesion molecules in bacteria.

Developing programmable bacterial cell-cell adhesion is of significant interest due to its versatile applications. Current methods that rely on presenting cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) on bacterial surfaces are limited by the lack of a generalizable strategy to identify such molecules targeting bacterial membrane proteins in their natural states. Here, we introduce a whole-cell screening platform designed to discover CAMs targeting bacterial membrane proteins within a synthetic bacteria-displayed nanobody library.

A Mechanistic Spectrum of O-H Bond Cleavage Observed for Reactions of Phenols with a Manganese Superoxo Complex.

Reaction of a rare and well-characterized Mn-superoxo species, Mn(BDPP)(O⋅) (1, HBDPP=2,6-bis((2-(S)-di(4-bromo)phenylhydroxylmethyl-1-pyrrolidinyl)methyl)pyridine), with 4-dimethylaminophenol at -80 °C proceeds via concerted proton electron transfer (CPET) to produce a Mn-hydroperoxo complex, Mn(BDPP)(OOH) (2), alongside 4-dimethylaminophenoxy radical; whereas, upon treatment with 4-nitrophenol, complex 1 undergoes a proton transfer process to afford a Mn-hydroperoxo complex, [Mn(BDPP)(OOH)] (3). Intriguingly, the reactions of 1 with 4-chlorophenol and 4-methoxyphenol follow two routes of CPET and sequential proton and electron transfer to furnish complex 2 in the end. UV-vis and EPR spectroscopic studies coupled with DFT calculations provided support for this wide mechanistic spectrum of activating various phenol O-H bonds by a single Mn-superoxo complex, 1.

Quantitative Analyses for Early Tempo-spatial Patterning of Differentiated Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells on Micropatterns using Time-lapse Bright-field Microscopy Images.

Three germ layer formation on micropatterns are extremely useful for quantitative analysis of hiPSC (human induced pluripotent stem cells) pluripotency. Spatial patterns of stem cells differentiated on the micropatterns will be formed from about 24 hours after differentiation induction and usually quantitated near 48 hours. To delineate the germ layer formation process, temporal changes in spatial patterning of germ layers should be analyzed by noninvasive microscopy.

SRSF2 plays an unexpected role as reader of mC on mRNA, linking epitranscriptomics to cancer.

A common mRNA modification is 5-methylcytosine (mC), whose role in gene-transcript processing and cancer remains unclear. Here, we identify serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 2 (SRSF2) as a reader of mC and impaired SRSF2 mC binding as a potential contributor to leukemogenesis. Structurally, we identify residues involved in mC recognition and the impact of the prevalent leukemia-associated mutation SRSF2.

Thermal near-field scattering characteristics for dielectric materials.

In this study, we passively analyzed the near-field characteristics of thermally excited evanescent waves, which are radiation waves generated by the local dynamics of materials, including electron motions and lattice vibrations. The thermally excited evanescent waves on aluminium nitride (AlN) and gallium nitride (GaN) were measured using passive spectroscopic scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) in the wavelength ranges of 10.5-12.

The value of LH maximum level in predicting optimal oocyte yield following GnRH agonist trigger.

Background: Risk factors associated with a suboptimal response to Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists include a high or low body mass index (BMI), prolonged use of oral contraceptive pills, and low luteinizing hormone (LH) levels on either the start or trigger days of controlled ovarian stimulation (COS). However, this approach may increase the need for a dual trigger and may also result in a higher incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in hyper-responders. We aimed to investigate whether the maximum LH level during stimulation can serve as a predictive factor for achieving an optimal oocyte yield using the GnRH agonist trigger alone.

Lignin with controlled structural properties by N-heterocycle-based deep eutectic solvent extraction.

The complex and heterogeneous nature of the lignin macromolecule has presented a lasting barrier to its utilization. To achieve high lignin yield, the technical lignin extraction process usually severely modifies and condenses the native structure of lignin, which is a critical drawback for its utilization in conversion processes. In addition, there is no method capable of separating lignin from plant biomass with controlled structural properties.

Splicing Factor SRSF1 Promotes Pancreatitis and KRASG12D-Mediated Pancreatic Cancer.

Unlabelled: Inflammation is strongly associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a highly lethal malignancy. Dysregulated RNA splicing factors have been widely reported in tumorigenesis, but their involvement in pancreatitis and PDAC is not well understood. Here, we report that the splicing factor SRSF1 is highly expressed in pancreatitis, PDAC precursor lesions, and tumors.

Rapid identification of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae based on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and an artificial neural network model.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a clinically critical pathogen that causes severe infection. Due to improper antibiotic administration, the prevalence of CRKP infection has been increasing considerably. In recent years, the utilization of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has enabled the identification of bacterial isolates at the families and species level.

RBFOX2 modulates a metastatic signature of alternative splicing in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is characterized by aggressive local invasion and metastatic spread, leading to high lethality. Although driver gene mutations during PDA progression are conserved, no specific mutation is correlated with the dissemination of metastases. Here we analysed RNA splicing data of a large cohort of primary and metastatic PDA tumours to identify differentially spliced events that correlate with PDA progression.

The emergent neurosurgical outcome of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage in patients with chronic liver disease.

Objectives: The influence of chronic liver disease (CLD) on emergent neurosurgical outcomes in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remains unclear. CLD is usually associated with coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia, which contribute to a high rebleeding rate and poor prognosis after surgery. This study aimed to confirm the outcomes of spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage in patients with CLD after emergent neurosurgery.

Development of a cryogenic passive-scattering-type near-field optical microscopy system.

Passive scattering-type, scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) has been employed to study localized, long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) surface waves without external illumination. Here, we develop a cryogenic passive s-SNOM instrument in a vacuum chamber with 4 K liquid-helium cooling. Notably, the extremely low-temperature environment inside the chamber enables the realization of passive near-field detection with low background thermal noise.

Spatial and seasonal variations in the carbon and lead isotopes of PM in air of residential buildings and their applications for source identification.

To understand isotope distributions of PM in residential buildings and apply them for source identification, carbon (δC) and lead (Pb) isotope ratios in indoor and outdoor air of residential buildings were analyzed. Moreover, factor analysis (FA) was employed to investigate sources, which were compared through isotopic analyses. The average δC values of indoor air are -26.