December 23, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by Anika Hazra, University of Toronto A team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has created a platform, called SIMPL2, that improves the study of protein-protein interactions by simplifying detection while improving measurement accuracy. Interactions between proteins play a significant role in biological processes, including those involved in disease. The team behind the SIMPL2 platform designed it to optimize researchers' ability to measure protein-protein interactions for targeted drug therapies. While protein-protein interactions have previously been considered 'undruggable' using small molecules , the platform addresses this challenge by facilitating the measurement of these interactions—improving our understanding of the types of molecules needed to control them. "Many methods have been developed to measure interactions between proteins, especially more recently as the significance of protein interactions in disease has become more apparent," said Zhong Yao, first author on the study and senior research associate of U of T's Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research. "However, all of these methods have shortcomings, including high costs and complicated procedures that delay results. The biggest advantages of our SIMPL2 platform are that it produces more reliable measurements and is comparatively cheaper to use." The study was published recently in the journal Molecular Systems Biology . Yao started working on the protein interaction measurement problem while developing the original SIMPL (Split-Intein Medicated Protein Ligation) system . SIMPL2 is an update of SIMPL that involves the use of the split luciferase enzyme for detection of protein interactions through luminescence. In addition to improving identification of interactions, the entire measurement process occurs through one medium: liquid. This simplifies the process considerably by reducing the number of steps required to carry out measurements. "One of the issues with SIMPL was that we had to use an additional process, called ELISA, to identify the proteins spliced by the SIMPL platform," said Yao. "It was a painful process that made an otherwise effective technology more complicated and expensive to use than it needed to be. SIMPL2 only requires one step, which can be performed manually, or it can be automated for even more efficiency in high-throughput studies." To test the new platform's sensitivity and applicability, the research team used it to measure interactions between proteins affected by modulators. Protein modulators include molecules that inhibit interactions between proteins, those that facilitate protein interactions and those that facilitate the degradation of target proteins. SIMPL2 was found to perform well in identifying these interactions, even in cases where the interactions were weak. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter— daily or weekly . While quantum computers and AI have made it easier to design small molecules for drug therapies, this has led to a need to develop much faster methods for validating the efficacy of new drugs. SIMPL2 can meet that need, as it can be used to test interactions between new molecules and their target proteins in cultured human cells. It is also capable of keeping apace with the rate at which new molecules are being designed. "We designed SIMPL2 to be a universal method for studying protein interactions that is rapid and inexpensive, as well as highly sensitive," said Igor Stagljar, principal investigator on the study and professor of biochemistry at U of T's Temerty Faculty of Medicine. "Now that we have optimized the platform, our next step is to use it to study interactions that play key roles in diseases, like cancer, to learn how to develop drug therapies. This work will involve the use of quantum computers and AI in collaboration with Alán Aspuru-Guzik's lab at U of T and Insilico Medicine, a global leader in generative AI drug discovery." More information: Zhong Yao et al, A split intein and split luciferase-coupled system for detecting protein-protein interactions, Molecular Systems Biology (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00081-2 Journal information: Molecular Systems Biology Provided by University of TorontoHow can the Baltic states be defended by hybrid threats?
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the NCAA to block the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports, arguing that it tricks and misleads fans. The lawsuit filed in state district court in Lubbock and announced Sunday argues the NCAA violates the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by promoting women's sports that may include a transgender athlete. The law is designed to protect consumers from being misled or tricked into buying products or services that are not as advertised, the lawsuit said. The Texas lawsuit is the latest attempt by conservative politicians to target transgender athletes and push the NCAA into banning them from competition. President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to stop trans athletes from competing. Editor's Picks Biden drops plan to protect transgender athletes 2d SJSU falls in MWC final as controversial year ends 22d Katie Barnes Appeals court upholds SJSU volleyball ruling 27d The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop the NCAA from allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports in Texas, or in sports that involve Texas programs. Or it wants the court to require the NCAA to stop marketing events as women's sports if transgender athletes are allowed. In a statement, Paxton appeared to reference the recent controversy involving San Jose State women's volleyball, where several opponents forfeited matches this season on grounds the Spartans had a transgender player. A federal court last month refused to block the school from playing in the Mountain West Conference championship. "When people watch a women's volleyball game, for example, they expect to see women playing against other women, not biological males pretending to be something they are not," Paxton said. "Radical 'gender theory' has no place in college sports." The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and, through school officials, has declined an interview request. Paxton accused the NCAA of "intentionally and knowingly jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of women" and turning women's sports into "co-ed competitions." The NCAA does not track data on transgender athletes among the 544,000 athletes currently competing on 19,000 teams at various levels across the country. NCAA President Charlie Baker testified in Congress earlier this month that he was aware of fewer than 10 active NCAA athletes who identified as transgender. "College sports are the premier stage for women's sports in America, and while the NCAA does not comment on pending litigation, the Association and its members will continue to promote Title IX, make unprecedented investments in women's sports and ensure fair competition in all NCAA championships," the NCAA said in a statement Monday. Brooke Slusser, the San Jose State volleyball co-captain who was among the players who sued the Mountain West Conference over her teammate's participation, praised the Texas lawsuit on social media. "Hey NCAA, just in case you haven't realized yet this fight will just keep getting harder for you until you make a change!" Slusser posted on X. The NCAA established a policy in 2010 that requires trans athletes who were assigned male at birth to complete at least one year of testosterone suppression therapy before being eligible to compete on a women's team. Trans athletes who were assigned female at birth and transitioned to male can compete on a men's team, but if they have received testosterone treatment, they are ineligible to compete on a women's team. Athletes are required to meet their chosen sport's standards for documented testosterone levels at various points during the season. In 2022, the NCAA revised its policy in what the organization called an attempt to align with national sports governing bodies. If a governing body does not have a trans athlete policy, then the policy of the international federation that oversees the sport applies. If there is no international federation policy, then the previously established Olympic policy criteria would be followed.
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the BJP of fraudulently adding and deleting names from the voters list in Delhi ahead of the assembly elections. ET Year-end Special Reads What kept India's stock market investors on toes in 2024? India's car race: How far EVs went in 2024 Investing in 2025: Six wealth management trends to watch out for Terming it as " Operation Lotus ", AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the BJP had officially sought the removal of names of over 11,000 votes in Shahdara assembly segment. "We won the assembly seat last time by a margin of 5,000 votes. If these 11,000 names were struck off, there would be no chance for a win this time. But they were caught red-handed and those names were not deleted. We are thankful to the Chief Election Officer for stopping this," he said. The BJP, however, accused the AAP of getting fake voters' names added to the list to bolster its support. State BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the number of voters in Delhi saw a huge jump between the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the assembly election next year. The same, he said, was observed after the 2019 general election. "Who got these new voters? There are no answers. They are trying to play the same game this time. BJP is saying those who don't live in Delhi anymore, those who have died, why should their names be on the list?" Kejriwal alleged that BJP had launched "Operation Lotus" in the New Delhi constituency, which he represents. "In 15 days, they have put in applications to delete the names of 5,000 voters and also applied for the addition of 7,500 names to the voter list. The total votes in my constituency are 1 lakh 6 thousand. What is the point of holding an election then? A game is playing out in the name of election," said Kejriwal. The AAP leader said a summary revision was carried out earlier and the Election Commission released a revised voter list on October 29. "If there is a 12% difference as the BJP claims, was the poll body's summary revision wrong?" he asked. Kejriwal said about 10 people had filed most of these deletion applications. "Who are these people? whose orders are they working on? Are they doing social work through door-to-door verification?" 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This means the names of bonafide voters are being deleted. They are depriving people of their citizenship," he said. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is keeping elite company. The Japanese superstar caps 2024 by winning The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third time, tying him with basketball great Michael Jordan. He trails only four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James. "I'm very honored," Ohtani said through translator Matt Hidaka in an exclusive interview with the AP. "Obviously all the hard work has paid off. Maybe next year, I'll get the award again." In balloting by 74 sports journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani received 48 votes. He previously won the award in 2023 and 2021, when he was with the Angels. "Growing up in Japan, I did follow Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods," he said. "I would see their accolades and how they were successful in the United States." People are also reading... The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson won six times, the most by a man or woman. Swimmer Léon Marchand of France, who won four gold medals at the Paris Olympics, was second with 10 votes in balloting announced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this year included the Masters and an Olympic gold medal, was third with nine. The AP Female Athlete of the Year will be announced Tuesday. Moving from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani won his third Most Valuable Player award and first in the National League, led his new team to its eighth World Series championship and created Major League Baseball's 50/50 club by hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases. Ohtani signed a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. Already a two-way superstar, he embellished his reputation even further despite not pitching all season while he rehabilitated from a second major right elbow surgery he had in September 2023. Ohtani went wild on offense, making every at-bat a must-see moment. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter batted a career-high .310 while easily surpassing his previous career highs in home runs and stolen bases. In September, he reached the previously unheard of 50/50 mark in a performance for the ages. Against the Miami Marlins in Florida, Ohtani went 6 for 6 with three homers, 10 RBIs, two stolen bases and 17 total bases. "It wouldn't shock me if he went 60/60 and 20 wins a year from now," Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 during Ohtani's second season in Anaheim, said recently. "This guy is the greatest athlete to ever play the sport of baseball and there's not a close second." Ohtani said he knew the Dodgers' franchise record for most homers in a season was 49. His previous best was 46, set in 2021. "I kind of wanted to get over that bar," he said. "I was pleasantly surprised I was able to pass that record." Ohtani carried the Dodgers offensively during the regular season, and he stayed healthy until Game 2 of the World Series. He injured his left shoulder trying to steal second base against the New York Yankees and finished the Series playing hurt. He underwent surgery a few days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship in early November. "I don't have full range of motion yet, but it feels a lot better," he told the AP. "There's no pain. There's obviously still a little bit of tightness, but slowly but surely it's getting better." Ohtani recently received an updated rehab schedule, and he's focused on the near-term. "It's the small steps that I think are very important to get me to the ultimate goal, which is to just get back healthy," he said. Ohtani is also throwing in the 70 mph range, which is typical for pitchers early in the offseason. "I'm going to continue to ramp up slowly," he said. The Dodgers' rotation for next season is in flux, and Ohtani is waiting to see how it shakes out. "We may go with a five-man rotation with a bullpen (game), which is what we did a lot during this season or we may have a six-man rotation," he said. "But it's all about balancing out when we can get rest and recuperate. We'll see where that takes us along the playoff chase. I've got to obviously pace myself, but again that situation will guide us to how we get there." The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, where Ohtani is even more closely watched. "My personal goal is to be fully healthy by the time the opening games do start," he said. "To be able to pitch and hit would be great, but the situation will kind of guide itself." Each time Ohtani comes to the plate or steps on the mound, there's great pressure and expectation for him to perform spectacular feats. "I just go out there and try to stay within myself," he said. "I can only control what I can control and that's where you trust your teammates. The guys behind me, you trust they're going to make the plays for you. I don't really try to overthink it." Ohtani generated big bucks for the Dodgers off the field, too. Fans traveled from Japan in droves to see him play around the U.S. At Dodger Stadium, they paid extra for tours of baseball's third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to be on the field during pre-game batting practice. A majority of the fans bought Ohtani-branded merchandise, especially his No. 17 jersey. Ohtani's presence also helped the Dodgers land a bevy of new Japanese sponsors. Because Ohtani prefers to speak Japanese and use an interpreter with the media, he is shrouded in a bit of mystique. Asked before his first postgame series if he was nervous, he dropped a one-word answer in English: "Nope," which drew laughter. Japanese-born Dodgers manager Dave Roberts observed Ohtani's behind-the-scenes interactions with his teammates, coaches and staff, and came away impressed. "I really do believe that as good of a ballplayer as he is, he's a much better person. He's very kind, considerate, he cares," Roberts told the AP. "I'm just proud of any fame or glory or award that he receives because he just does it in such a respectful and humble way." Ohtani relishes his privacy and rarely shares details about himself off the field. That's why his February announcement via Instagram that he had wed Mamiko Tanaka, a former basketball player, stunned his new teammates and the rest of the world. The following month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he was enveloped in scandal when his longtime interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being accused of using millions of dollars of Ohtani's money to place bets with an illegal bookmaker. His new teammates rallied around Ohtani, who was found to have no part in the wrongdoing, and publicly it didn't seem to affect him even if he was privately distressed by it. By June, the uproar had subsided. Mizuhara pleaded guilty to federal bank and tax fraud charges and admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani. The public got a glimpse of Ohtani's softer side in August, when his dog Decoy delivered a first pitch to his owner on their shared bobblehead night. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high-five with Ohtani at the plate. As a result, Decoy became a celebrity in his own right, with his breed (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the list of the most mispronounced words of 2024. He and Ohtani were mentioned during the telecast of last month's National Dog Show, where the small Spaniel-type breed was among the competitors. "The number of the breed has kind of dwindled, so by him gaining a little bit of popularity hopefully that brings up the number of his breed," Ohtani said. "I do feel like we were able to, in a small way, contribute to the popularity of the dog and I'm sure Decoy himself would be happy about that." Ohtani will be looking to top himself next year while eyeing a repeat World Series title. "It's almost like right now you can lock in the Most Valuable Player in the National League award because no one has that ability or talent," Roberts said. "I'm just excited to see what '25 has for Shohei Ohtani." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
NoneBy Denise Maher HealthDay Reporter Dec. 23, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Poison experts see it every winter holiday season: Parents rush kids to the emergency room or call hotlines, panicking that their child has ingested something dangerous. Between holiday breaks, visiting relatives' homes, attending festivities, and opening gifts galore, kids face extra risks for accidental exposure to poison. In addition to heart felt season’s greetings, the Nebraska Poison Center sends out reminders that changes in routine may increase risks for kids. Poison experts urge parents and party hosts to remember safety best practices. • Pretty holiday plants aren't edible. Keep small children and animals away from mistletoe, holly berries, yew plants and poinsettias. • Be mindful of small batteries. Toys, games, watches, remotes, and musical greeting cards may contain button or disc batteries. If swallowed, they can become stuck and cause serious injury or death if not removed. • Watch out for water beads and magnets in toys . Expanding water beads and rare earth magnets are inappropriate for those who may ingest them. Strong magnets can stick together in the intestines and trigger a medical emergency. If water beads are swallowed, they may swell and cause a blockage in the intestines. • Be on the lookout for nicotine-containing products, including vape liquid and chewing tobacco, as well as CBD and THC products . These are often in brightly colored packaging that can easily be mistaken for candy or other food items for children. If swallowed by youngsters, nicotine may cause shakiness, vomiting or seizures. Keep these items away from common areas, locked and out of reach. • Lock up cleaning cabinets. Cleansers, laundry pods, and other cleaning products should also be stored out of sight. Do not mix chemicals together when cleaning and follow all label directions for using these products. • Remind relatives without small children about the importance of child-proofing prescription drugs . Encourage friends and family to store medications up, out of sight and locked up tight, not out on a nightstand or counter. Keep all purses and travel bags secured. • Be vigilant about the bar and alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are more readily accessible during gatherings. Clean immediately after gatherings and remove all items that may contain alcohol. Sadly, the holiday season can bring joy and grief simultaneously. As seasonal calls to the Poison Center concerning children increase, so do calls about intentional harm. If you or a loved one are having thoughts of self-harm or are in a crisis, remember that you are not alone. Call 988 to reach the 24/7 National Suicide and Crisis Line for help. Prevention is the best way to avoid and minimize poisonings. The Poison Center’s specially trained registered nurses and pharmacists are available 24/7/365. If you have questions or suspect poisoning exposure, call 1-800-222-1222. Your call will be routed to a local poison control center. Poison Center services are free and confidential. More information The Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) has more about poison exposure. SOURCE: Holiday Help From the Nebraska Poison Center, fact sheet. Copyright © 2024 HealthDay . All rights reserved.