Single-cell analysis of genetically minimized Salmonella reveals effector gene cooperation in vivo.

Bacterial pathogens such as Salmonella Typhimurium (S.Tm) can deliver large repertoires of effector proteins directly into host cells. Due to the genetic and functional redundancies found in these systems, it has been difficult to determine how individual effector proteins cooperate with one another to elicit pathogenic phenotypes in vivo.

Using DNA origami to study nanoscale organization of plasma membranes.

Unlabelled: Plasma membrane (PM) lipids and proteins are organized into nanoscale regions called nanodomains, which regulate essential cellular processes by controlling local membrane organization. Despite advances in super-resolution microscopy and single particle tracking, the small size and temporal instability of nanodomains make them difficult to study in living cells. To overcome these challenges, we built fluorescent DNA origami probes that insert into the PM via lipid anchors displayed on the cell.

Efficiently quantifying dependence in massive scientific datasets using InterDependence Scores.

Large-scale scientific datasets today contain tens of thousands of random variables across millions of samples (for example, the RNA expression levels of 20,000 protein-coding genes across 30 million single cells). Being able to quantify dependencies between these variables would help us discover novel relationships between variables of interest. Simple measures of dependence, such as Pearson correlation, are fast to compute, but limited in that they are designed to detect linear relationships between variables.

Navigation and clinician payment investments enhance colorectal cancer screening benefits.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US, with nearly 40% of eligible individuals not current on lifesaving CRC screening. Although stool-based screening tests offer accessible initial options, the CRC screening process is incomplete without a follow-up colonoscopy after a positive result. Unfortunately, low follow-up rates-particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups-undermine the potential health benefits.

Barriers and Facilitators of Help-Seeking for LGBTQ+ Survivors of Sexual Violence: A Systematic Review.

People who identify as LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, plus) are known to experience similar or higher levels of sexual violence compared to their heterosexual cisgender counterparts. However, sexual violence research has largely focused on heterosexual female survivors of male perpetrated crime. Thus, the unique support needs and help-seeking patterns of LGBTQ+ survivors are poorly understood.

Correction: Laws for health and care worker protection and rights: A study of 182 countries.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.

Lyme Carditis and Inflammation-Driven Plaque Erosion Presenting as Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Lyme carditis represents a rare cardiac complication of infection, often causing conduction disturbances but rarely causing malignant arrhythmias. Inflammatory acute coronary syndrome, driven by immune-mediated plaque erosion rather than rupture, represents a nontraditional ischemic mechanism. This case highlights their overlap.

Daily Supplementation of High Doses of Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction From Palm Oil Produced No Toxic Effects in Healthy Mice.

The vitamin E derived from palm oil, known as the tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), has been reported to possess potent anticancer and immunomodulatory effects in numerous cell-based and animal models of breast cancer (BC). However, only a low dose of TRF (50 mg/kg, equivalent to 1 mg/day) has been tested, which resulted in incomplete effects in a mouse model of BC. In addition, there are no scientific data on the toxic effects of TRF on the internal organs.

Two successive oligomeric Munc13 assemblies scaffold vesicle docking and SNARE assembly to support neurotransmitter release.

The critical protein Munc13 serves numerous roles in the docking and priming of synaptic vesicles. On the presynaptic plasma membrane, Munc13 is organized into nanoclusters corresponding to release sites where synaptic vesicles dock and fuse. However, it is currently not known whether there is any organization of Munc13 monomers within the nanoclusters.

Search for Quasiparticle Scattering in the Quark-Gluon Plasma with Jet Splittings in pp and Pb-Pb Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV.

The ALICE Collaboration reports measurements of the large relative transverse momentum (k_{T}) component of jet substructure in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV. Enhancement in the yield of such large-k_{T} emissions in head-on Pb-Pb collisions is predicted to arise from partonic scattering with quasiparticles of the quark-gluon plasma.

Lumazine Synthase Nanoparticles as a Versatile Platform for Multivalent Antigen Presentation and Cross-Protective Coronavirus Vaccines.

Lumazine synthase (LS), a bacterial protein that self-assembles into 60-mer icosahedral virus-like nanoparticles, has emerged as a promising platform for nanoparticle-based drug delivery and vaccine design. However, detailed biophysical characterization of the LS nanoparticle vaccine has not been well-studied. In this study, we generated LS nanoparticles fused with domain B of protein A (pA-LS), enabling their binding to the hFc-tagged S1 domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein harboring two critical mutations (E484K and D614G) associated with increased infectivity and antibody escape.

Does 'event viewing' alter psychological status in functional/dissociative seizures? A pilot randomised controlled trial".

Objectives: Functional/dissociative seizures (FDS) represent a common disorder that mimics epilepsy or movement disorder, yet there are currently no established treatment guidelines. This study aimed to investigate the impact of viewing one's event as a novel treatment strategy for FDS.

Methods: This was a single-centre, double-blinded, randomised (1:1) controlled trial.

Correction: Laws for health and care worker protection and rights: A study of 182 countries.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.

Comparison of Vernier Acuity Measured with Three Different Water-induced Blur Simulation Methods.

Purpose: Human vision is subnormal in an aquatic environment, and studies have used different methods to measure visual functions with water-induced blur (WIB). In this study, we compared vernier acuity measured using three different WIB simulation methods.

Methods: Sixty young adults (20 in each group) with best-corrected visual acuity of 6/6 participated in the study.

Circulating miR-542-3p as a Prognostic Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, particularly in Asia. Despite therapeutic advancements, the prognosis of HCC remains poor. MicroRNAs have emerged as potential biomarkers for HCC prognosis and therapeutic response.

Single-cell image-based screens identify host regulators of Ebola virus infection dynamics.

Filoviruses such as Ebola virus (EBOV) give rise to frequent epidemics with high case fatality rates while therapeutic options remain limited. Earlier genetic screens aimed to identify potential drug targets for EBOV relied on systems that may not fully recapitulate the virus life cycle. Here we applied an image-based genome-wide CRISPR screen to identify 998 host regulators of EBOV infection in 39,085,093 cells.

Epigenetic modulations and nutrient interactions in Alzheimer's disease: unveiling potential therapeutic pathways.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prominent neurodegenerative disease in the world, with complex and multifaceted pathologies. Current symptomatic medications merely attenuate symptoms of the disease with substantial side effects, neither slowing down nor preventing the disease's progression. Despite the increasing number of studies drawing a prominent role of epigenetic modulations in this disease, however, little is known about the role of nutrients in affecting epigenetics in AD.

Arthroscopic Ankle Fusion in the Post-Polio Paralytic Foot.

Post-polio residual paralysis can lead to severe musculoskeletal issues, including foot deformities and ankle instability, which can progress to end-stage arthritis. These complications cause significant pain and disability, dramatically impacting quality of life. Arthroscopic ankle fusion is a promising treatment option for addressing ankle joint dysfunction in post-polio patients.

Liquid/liquid interface assisted polymerisation of aniline on TiCT MXene for electrochemical detection of dopamine.

The liquid/liquid (L/L) interface-assisted polymerisation technique, unlike bulk or single-phase polymerisation, has the potential to offer effective control of the self-assembly and diffusion of reactive intermediates and versatile tuning of the morphology at the interface to allow tailored properties within the functional nanostructures. This study adopts an L/L interface-assisted polymerisation approach to generate TiCT MXene/PANI with enhanced electrochemical characteristics. The aniline released at the L/L interface in a controlled manner interacts with the inherent negative charge of MXene, initiating an polymerisation of PANI over the surface and interlayers of MXene to yield hydrophilic MXene/PANI nanostructures.

A review on mesenchymal stem cells and their secretome in hepatocellular carcinogenesis and its related signaling pathways: recent update.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant global health challenge, being one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality. This review focuses on the intricate interactions within the tumor microenvironment and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and it's secretome in HCC and possible therapeutic responses. MSCs, characterized by their multipotent differentiation and self-renewal capabilities, can influence tumor behavior maybe through its secreted factors, including cytokines, growth factors and extracellular vesicles.

Comparison of visual functions among early and late onset myopia.

Early-onset myopia (EOM) progresses more rapidly and sets a higher risk of developing high myopia, whereas late-onset myopia (LOM) is typically associated with lower refractive error. However, differences in visual function between these groups remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study compared high-contrast visual acuity, low-contrast visual acuity, contrast sensitivity function (CSF), blur perception, and depth of focus in individuals with EOM and LOM.

Dental Health in People Living with Epilepsy.

Background: With major attention paid to the most evidently manifested illness like a seizure, few of the silent and deep-boring illnesses like dental issues are often neglected. This study has aimed to analyze the dental illness in people living with epilepsy (PWE).

Methods: This was a prospective, single-center, case-control study conducted among PWE and their family members from March to May 2022.

Reduction of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis by tocotrienol-rich fraction supplementation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Purpose: Tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF), an antioxidant, can treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) which is an autoimmune inflammatory illness that causes severe joint pain. Preclinical studies on rats reveal that TRF reduces RA. The clinical study on RA patients has not been extensively investigated.

Osmolyte effects on water diffusion: Urea induces changes in the entropic barrier, TMAO in the energetic barrier.

Osmolytes have attracted significant interest for their effects on protein structures. Prototypical examples are urea and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which destabilize and stabilize folded proteins, respectively. Whether the origin of these effects lies in direct osmolyte-protein interactions or indirect perturbations of the water solvent is still not fully clear.

Single-cell tracking of genetically minimized reveals mechanisms of effector gene cooperation.

Bacterial pathogens encode secretory systems that deliver large repertoires of effector proteins directly into host cells. While many effector proteins have been characterized biochemically, it is unclear where and when they function within complex cellular systems of host tissues. This problem exists because of the extensive genetic and functional redundancies found in large effector protein repertoires.