Recently, various attempts have been made to solve plastic waste problems, such as development of biodegradation without producing pollution. Polystyrene (PS) is the fifth most used plastic in many industries; therefore, degrading PS becomes a critical global issue. Here, we reported Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain DSM 50071, initially isolated from the gut of the superworms, Zophobas atratus, and the PS degradation by Pseudomonas sp. DSM 50071. We examined PS degradation using electronic microscopy and measured changes in atomic composition and contact angles with water droplets on the PS surface that represents a chemical change from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity. We have further examined chemical structural changes using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform-infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to confirm the formation of carbonyl groups (CO) in the oxidation pathway during PS biodegradation. In reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, the gene expression level of serine hydrolase (SH) in Pseudomonas sp. DSM 50071 was highly increased during PS degradation, and the enzyme-mediated biodegradation of PS was further confirmed by the SH inhibitor treatment test. Thus, the significance of these findings goes beyond the discovery of a novel function of Pseudomonas sp. DSM 50071 in the gut of superworms, highlighting a potential solution for PS biodegradation.

Dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) is a member of an evolutionarily conserved family of protein kinases that belongs to the CMGC group of kinases. DYRK1A, encoded by a gene located in the human chromosome 21q22.2 region, has attracted attention due to its association with both neuropathological phenotypes and cancer susceptibility in patients with Down syndrome (DS). Inhibition of DYRK1A attenuates cognitive dysfunctions in animal models for both DS and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Furthermore, DYRK1A has been studied as a potential cancer therapeutic target because of its role in the regulation of cell cycle progression by affecting both tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Consequently, selective synthetic inhibitors have been developed to determine the role of DYRK1A in various human diseases. Our perspective includes a comprehensive review of potent and selective DYRK1A inhibitors and their forthcoming therapeutic applications.

The 6′-fluorinated aristeromycins were designed as dual-target antiviral compounds aimed at inhibiting both the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and the host cell Sadenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) hydrolase, which would indirectly target capping of viral RNA. The introduction of a fluorine at the 6′position enhanced the inhibition of SAH hydrolase and the activity against RNA viruses. The adenosine and N 6 -methyladenosine analogues 2a−e showed potent inhibition against SAH hydrolase, while only the adenosine derivatives 2a−c exhibited potent antiviral activity against all tested RNA viruses such as Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus, chikungunya virus, and/or Zika virus. 6′,6′-Difluoroaristeromycin (2c) showed the strongest antiviral effect for MERS-CoV, with a ∼2.5 log reduction in infectious progeny titer in viral load reduction assay. The phosphoramidate prodrug 3a also demonstrated potent broad-spectrum antiviral activity, possibly by inhibiting the viral RdRp. This study shows that 6′-fluorinated aristeromycins can serve as starting points for the development of broad-spectrum antiviral agents that target RNA viruses.

The use of DN in adult valve surgery including complex procedures may confer acceptable outcomes comparable to or even superior to those obtained with the use of blood cardioplegia.