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Coordination of synapses onto electrodes with high specificity and maintaining a stable and long-lasting interface have importance in the field of neural interfaces. One potential approach is to present ligands on the surface of electrodes that would be bound through a protein-protein interaction to specific areas of neuronal cells. Here, we functionalize electrode surfaces with genetically engineered neuroligin-1 protein and demonstrate the formation of a nascent presynaptic bouton upon binding to neurexin-1 β on the presynaptic membrane of neurons. The resulting synaptically connected electrode shows an assembly of presynaptic proteins and comparable exocytosis kinetics to that of native synapses. AZD3965 clinical trial Importantly, a neuroligin-1-induced synapse-electrode interface exhibits type specificity and structural robustness. We envision that the use of synaptic adhesion proteins in modified neural electrodes may lead to new approaches in the interfacing of neural circuity and electronics.Hydrogen (H2) sensors that can be produced en masse with cost-effective manufacturing tools are critical for enabling safety in the emerging hydrogen economy. The use of melt-processed nanocomposites in this context would allow the combination of the advantages of plasmonic hydrogen detection with polymer technology; an approach which is held back by the slow diffusion of H2 through the polymer matrix. Here, we show that the use of an amorphous fluorinated polymer, compounded with colloidal Pd nanoparticles prepared by highly scalable continuous flow synthesis, results in nanocomposites that display a high H2 diffusion coefficient in the order of 10-5 cm2 s-1. As a result, plasmonic optical hydrogen detection with melt-pressed fluorinated polymer nanocomposites is no longer limited by the diffusion of the H2 analyte to the Pd nanoparticle transducer elements, despite a thickness of up to 100 μm, thereby enabling response times as short as 2.5 s at 100 mbar (≡10 vol. %) H2. Evidently, plasmonic sensors with a fast response time can be fabricated with thick, melt-processed nanocomposites, which paves the way for a new generation of robust H2 sensors.The E1 and E2 genes of the human papillomavirus encode the so-called early proteins, their sequences are conserved, and regulatory functions are associated with the viral oncoproteins. The purpose of this study is to determine the HPV16 E1 and E2 mutations appearing in the female population of southern Poland, depending on the severity of cervical pathological changes. We also take into account the number of E1 and E2 mutations detected in the E6 gene variant (350G or 350T). This publication is one of the first in the Central and Eastern Europe to deal with this topic. We identified 4 mutations in the E1 gene and 24 mutations in the E2 gene that have not been described so far. In three cases of squamous cell carcinoma a C3409T mutation occurred, which is widely described as oncogenic. This mutation lies in the 3243-3539 area of the E2 hinge region. Statistical analyses show a possible relationship of mutations in this area with oncogenesis. The discovered dependencies may be important in the context of oncogenesis, however, a study with a larger group of patients is needed in order to confirm this view.

Physiologically regulated insulin secretion and euglycemia are achievable in type 1 diabetes (T1D) by islet or pancreas transplantation. However, pancreas transplant alone (PTA) remains a debated approach, with uncertainties on its relative benefits and risks. We determined the actual long-term (10 years) efficacy and safety of PTA in carefully characterized T1D subjects.

This is a single-centre, cohort study in 66 consecutive T1D subjects who received a PTA between April 2001 and December 2007, and were then all followed until 10 years since transplant. Main features evaluated were patient survival, pancreas graft function, C-peptide levels, glycemic parameters, and the function of the native kidneys.

Ten-year actual patient survival was 92.4%. Optimal (insulin-independence) or good (minimal insulin requirement) graft function was observed in 57.4 and 3.2% of patients, respectively. Six (9.0%) patients developed stage 5 or 4 chronic kidney disease. In the remaining individuals bearing a successful PTA, eGFR decline per year was -2.29±2.69 ml/min/1.73m. Reduction of eGFR at 1 year post-PTA was higher in those with pre-PTA hyperfiltration and higher HbA1c concentrations; eGFR changes afterwards significantly correlated with diabetes duration. In recipients with normoglycemia at 10 years, 74% of normo- or micro-albuminuric subjects pre-PTA remained stable, and 26% progressed towards a worse stage; conversely, in 62.5% of the macro-albuminuric individuals albuminuria severity regressed.

These long-term effects of PTA on patient survival, graft function and the native kidneys support PTA as a suitable approach to treat diabetes in selected T1D patients.

These long-term effects of PTA on patient survival, graft function and the native kidneys support PTA as a suitable approach to treat diabetes in selected T1D patients.

Many operators are discouraged from performing left main (LM) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in the absence of right coronary artery (RCA) support due to the increased procedure risk.

We aimed at assessing the impact of absent functional RCA on prognostic implications in patients undergoing unprotected LM PCI.

613 patients underwent LM PCI in our department between 2015 and 2019. Consecutive 385 patients with unprotected LM and at least 1-year follow-up were included in the study. The study population comprosed 272 patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease (ULMCAD) with dominant RCA, without any significant lesions (Group 1), and 113 ULMCAD patients and without RCA support (Group 2).

In Group 2, 32.7% patients had a significant RCA stenosis, 48.7% had chronic total occlusion (CTO) of RCA, and 18.6% had recessive RCA. Patients in Group 2 were older and had higher prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). SYNTAX Score (median [IQR] 26.0 [20.0-33.0] vs 19.0 [13.