Here, recognizing that the immune response to cancer results in biomarkers that can be used to assess the immune status of cancer patients, the authors investigated the concentrations of key cytokines (TH1 and TH2 cytokines) in healthy controls and cancer patients. They identified significant changes in resting and activated cytokine profiles, suggesting that data of biomarkers such as these could serve as a starting point for further treatment with regard to a patient's specific immune profile.
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Toxicity of aminomethylphosphonic acid via the Wnt signaling pathway as a novel mechanism
The Wnt signaling pathway, known to coordinate important aspects of cellular homeostasis ranging from differentiation, proliferation, migration, and much more, is dysregulated in many human diseases. This study demonstrates that aminomethylphosphonic acid, which is the main metabolite found in the common herbicide Glyphosate, is toxic to planaria and capable of binding to canonical Wnt proteins.
Read More...An accessible experiment to assess the impact of shapes of buildings and roofs on wind resistance
In this study, the authors determine which house model is most resistant to high winds by building smaller prototypes that could be tested with a handheld source of wind.
Read More...Identification of a core set of model agnostic mRNA associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
In this study, the authors analyze gene expression datasets to determine if there is a core set of genes dysregulated during nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Read More...A Crossover Study Comparing the Effect of a Processed vs. Unprocessed Diet on the Spatial Learning Ability of Zebrafish
The authors compared the short-term effects of processed versus unprocessed food on spatial learning and survival in zebrafish, given the large public concern regarding processed foods. By randomly assigning zebrafish to a diet of brine shrimp flakes (processed) or live brine shrimp (unprocessed), the authors show while there is no immediate effect on a fish's decision process between the two diets, there are significant correlations between improved learning and stress response with the unprocessed diet.
Read More...A computational quantum chemical study of fluorinated Allopurinol
In this study, the impact of fluorination of heterocyclic drug Allopurinol on its stability and other chemical properties is investigated.
Read More...Investigation of unknown causes of uveal melanoma uncovers seven recurrent genetic mutations
Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare subtype of melanoma but the most frequent primary cancer of the eye in adults. The goal of this study was to research the genetic causes of UM through a comprehensive frequency analysis of base-pair mismatches in patient genomes. Results showed a total of 130 genetic mutations, including seven recurrent mutations, with most mutations occurring in chromosomes 3 and X. Recurrent mutations varied from 8.7% to 17.39% occurrence in the UM patient sample, with all mutations identified as missense. These findings suggest that UM is a recessive heterogeneous disease with selective homozygous mutations. Notably, this study has potential wider significance because the seven genes targeted by recurrent mutations are also involved in other cancers.
Read More...How visualization influences strength endurance
Recognizing a potential link between mental focus and physical endurance, here, the authors considered the effects of mental visualization on strength endurance. By comparing the number of repetitions completed in sets where the lifter was aware of the weight to be lifted against sets where the lifter was kept unaware, they found that the lifter was able to maintain strength endurance when unable to accurately visualize the weight they lifted in this exploratory study.
Read More...A novel filtration model for microplastics using natural oils and its application to the environment
Recognizing the need for a method to filter microplastics from polluted water the authors sought to use nonpolar solvents, palm oil and palm kernel oil, to filter microplastics out of model seawater. By relying on the separation of polar and nonpolar solvents followed by freezing the nonpolar solvent, they reported that microplastics could be extracted with percentages ranging from 96.2% to 94.2%. They also provided an estimation to use this method as part of container ships to clean the Pacific Ocean of microplastics.
Read More...Effect of different cooking methods on the levels of iron and ascorbic acid in green vegetables
This study compares different methods for cooking vegetables to determine which retain iron and ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, levels the most.
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