In this study, the authors looked at a proto-oncogene, KRAS, and searched for molecules that are predicted to be able to bind to the inactive form of KRAS. They found that a modified version of Irbesartan, a derivative of benzimidazole, showed the best binding to inactive KRAS.
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Evaluating the feasibility of SMILES-based autoencoders for drug discovery
The authors investigate the ability of machine learning models to developing new drug-like molecules by learning desired chemical properties versus simply generating molecules that similar to those in the training set.
Read More...Deuterated solvent effects in the kinetics and thermodynamics of keto-enol tautomerization of ETFAA
In this study, the authors determined whether tautomerization dynamics in protic and aprotic solvents displayed differences in reaction rates and in the proportion of the keto and enol tautomers present.
Read More...Innovative Treatment for Reducing Senescence and Revitalizing Aging Cells through Gene Silencing
Cellular senescence plays a key role in aging cells and is attributed to a number of disease and pathology. These authors find that genetic editing of both RPS6KB1 and PPARGC1A revitalizes a human skin fibroblast cell line.
Read More...Evaluation of Tea Extract as an Inhibitor of Oxidative Stress in Prostate Cells
One important factor that contributes to human cancers is accumulated damage to cells' DNA due to the oxidative stress caused by free radicals. In this study, the authors investigate the effects of several different tea leaf extracts on oxidative stress in cultured human prostate cells to see if antioxidants in the tea leaves could help protect cells from this type of DNA damage. They found that all four types of tea extract (as well as direct application of the antioxidant EGCG) improved the outcomes for the cultured cells, with white tea extract having the strongest effect. This research suggests that tea extracts and the antioxidants that they contain may have applications in the treatment of the many diseases associated with cellular DNA damage, including cancer.
Read More...Fall and Spring Honeys Are Equally Effective at Reducing Growth Numbers of E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and S. epidermidis
In this study, locally produced fall and spring honeys were tested to determine whether there was a significant difference in their abilities to limit or prevent bacterial growth of E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and S. epidermidis.
Read More...On the Relationship Between Viscosity and Surface Tension
Surface tension and viscosity are both measures of how "sticky" a liquid is, but are they related? The authors here investigate the surface tension and viscosity of mixtures of water with different concentrations of agar agar, flour, or detergent. Surprisingly, they find that the least viscous mixtures had the strongest surface tensions, indicating that the two properties are not linked.
Read More...What is the optimal fuel for space flight? Efficiency, cost, and environmental impact
Here, the authors sought to investigate the efficiency, cost, and environmental impact of several possible propellants that are or could be used for space flight. By deriving three novel equations, they identified harm, energy, and cost scores for each fuel, suggesting that considering each factor will be essential to the ongoing growth of the space industry.
Read More...The effects of algaecides on Spirulina major and non-target organism Daphnia magna
Algal blooms pose a threat to ecosystems, but the methods used to combat these blooms might harm more than just the algae. Halepete, Graham, and Lowe-Schmahl demonstrate negative effects of anti-algae treatments on a cyanobacterium (Spirulina major), and the water fleas (Daphnia magna) that live alongside these cyanobacteria.
Read More...Impact of light intensity and electrolyte volume on performance of photo-electrochemical (PEC) solar cell
Here, seeking to develop more efficient solar cells, the authors investigated photo-electrochemical (PEC) solar cells, specifically molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) based on its high resistance to corrosion. They found that the percentage efficiency of these PEC solar cells was proportional to light intensity–0.9 and that performance was positively influenced by increasing the electrolyte volume. They suggest that studies such as these can lead to new insight into reaction-based solar cells.
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