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This study was conducted to efficiently produce virus-like particles (VLPs) of enterovirus 71 (EV71), a causative virus of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). The expression level of the P1 precursor, a structural protein of EV71, was modified to increase VLP production, and the optimal expression level and duration of the 3CD protein for P1 cleavage were determined. The expression level and duration of 3CD were controlled by the p10 promoter, which was weakened by repeated burst sequence (BS) applications, as well as the OpIE2 promoter, which was weakened by the insertion of random untranslated region sequences of various lengths. The cleavage and production efficiency of the P1 precursor were compared based on the expression time and level of 3CD, revealing that the p10-BS5 promoter with four repeated BSs was the most effective. When P1 and 3CD were expressed using the hyperexpression vector and the p10-BS5 promoter, high levels of structural protein production and normal HFMD-VLP formation were observed, respectively. This study suggests that the production efficiency of HFMD-VLPs can be significantly enhanced by increasing the expression of the P1 precursor and controlling the amount and duration of 3CD expression.

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Researchers at the University of Minnesota have completed a first-in-human clinical trial testing a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique to help the immune system fight advanced gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The results, recently published in The Lancet Oncology, show encouraging signs of the safety and potential effectiveness of the treatment.

“Despite many advances in understanding the genomic drivers and other factors causing cancer, with few exceptions, stage IV remains a largely incurable disease,” said Emil Lou, MD, Ph.D., a gastrointestinal oncologist with the University of Minnesota Medical School, Masonic Cancer Center and M Health Fairview, and clinical principal investigator for the trial. “This trial brings a new approach from our research labs into the clinic and shows potential for improving outcomes in patients with late-stage disease.”

In the study, researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing to modify a type of immune cell called tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). By deactivating a gene called CISH, the researchers found that modified TILs were better able to recognize and attack .

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Scientists have achieved a major leap in quantum technology by deriving an exact mathematical expression crucial for refining noisy quantum entanglement into the pure states needed for advanced quantum computing and communication. Their work revisits and corrects flawed theories from two decades

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If you’re wondering how artificial intelligence may begin to interact with our world on a more personal level, look no further than the landscape of sports. As the technology of machine learning becomes more mature and the need for human officiating becomes less necessary, sports leagues have found creative ways to integrate the concept of “computer referees” in ways we may not have initially expected.

Tennis, for example, has been a leading figure in adopting AI officiating. The Hawk-Eye System, introduced in the early 2000s, first changed tennis officiating by allowing players to challenge calls made by line judges. Hawk-Eye, which used multiple cameras and real-time 3D analysis to determine whether a ball was in or out, has today developed into a system called Electronic Line Calling Live, known as ELC. The new technology has become so reliable that the ATP plans to phase out line judges in professional tournaments by the summer of this year.

The Australian Open has taken this system a step further by testing AI to detect foot-faults. Utilizing skeletal tracking technology, the system monitors player movements to identify infractions, improving match accuracy and reducing human error. However, a glitch in the technology did make for a funny moment during this past year’s Australian Open when the computer speaker repeated “foot-fault” before German player Dominik Koepfer could even begin his serve.

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Insomnia, depression, and anxiety are the most common mental disorders. Treatments are often only moderately effective, with many people experiencing returning symptoms. This is why it is crucial to find new leads for treatments. Notably, these disorders overlap a lot, often occurring together. Could there be a shared brain mechanism behind this phenomenon?

Siemon de Lange, Elleke Tissink, and Eus van Someren, together with their colleagues from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, investigated brain scans of more than 40,000 participants from the UK Biobank. The research is published in the journal Nature Mental Health.

Tissink says, “In our lab, we explore the similarities and differences between , anxiety, and depression. Everyone looks at this from a : some mainly look at genetics and in this study, we look at brain scans. What aspects are shared between the disorders, and what is unique to each one?”

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