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Mitochondrial function relies on the coordinated interactions between genes in the mitochondrial (mtDNA) and nuclear genomes. Imperfect interactions following mitonuclear incompatibility may lead to reduced fitness. MtDNA introgressions across species and populations are common and well documented. Various strategies may be expected to reconcile mitonuclear incompatibility in hybrids or admixed individuals. African admixed cattle (Bos taurus × B. indicus) show sex-biased admixture, with taurine (B. taurus) mtDNA and a nuclear genome predominantly of humped zebu (B. indicus). Here, we leveraged local ancestry inference approaches to identify the ancestry and distribution patterns of nuclear functional genes associated with the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation process in the genomes of African admixed cattle. We show that most of the nuclear genes involved in mitonuclear interactions are under selection and of humped zebu ancestry. Variation in mtDNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) may have contributed to the recovery of optimal mitochondrial function following admixture with the regulation of gene expression, alleviating or nullifying mitochondrial dysfunction. Interestingly, some nuclear mitochondrial genes with enrichment in taurine ancestry may have originated from ancient African aurochs (B. primigenius africanus) introgression. They may have contributed to the local adaptation of African cattle to pathogen burdens. Our study provides further support and new evidence showing that the successful settlement of cattle across the continent was a complex mechanism involving adaptive introgression, mtDNA-CN variation, regulation of gene expression, and selection of ancestral mitochondria-related genes., (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)

Background: Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is a critical strategy to rehabilitate marginal donor lungs, thereby increasing lung transplantation (LTx) rates. Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury inevitably occurs during LTx. Exploring the common mechanisms between EVLP and I/R may unveil new treatment targets to enhance LTx outcomes., Methods: We obtained datasets from the public Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) for EVLP (GSE127055 and GSE127057) and I/R (GSE145989) processes. We performed analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Mitochondrial genes were sourced from the MitoCarta 3.0 database. Hub mitochondrial-related DEGs (MitoDEGs) were identified using a combination of protein-protein interaction networks and machine learning methods, which were further validated in cell and mice models of EVLP., Results: GSEA analysis of DEGs following EVLP and I/R revealed significant inhibition of mitochondrial function pathways, encompassing mitochondrial central dogma, mtRNA metabolism, OXPHOS assembly factors, metals and cofactors, and heme synthesis and processing processes. Machine learning algorithms including Random Forest, LASSO, and XGBoost identified five downregulated genes (MTERF1, ACACA, COX15, OSGEPL1, and COQ9) as hub MitoDEGs for both EVLP and I/R processes. We confirmed the reduced expression of these hub MitoDEGs in endothelial cells during EVLP and observed mitochondrial damage in endothelial cells characterized by swollen morphology and cristae disappearance., Conclusions: Imbalance in mitochondrial homeostasis is a shared pathological process during EVLP and I/R-induced lung injury. The identified hub mitochondrial-related genes (MTERF1, ACACA, COX15, OSGEPL1, and COQ9) suggest promising therapeutic targets for lung injury during LTx. The downregulation of these genes indicates a significant disruption in mitochondrial function. This study provides potential mitochondrial-related therapeutic targets for I/R-induced lung injury and for donor lung repair during EVLP procedure in LTx., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In clinical trials, mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC) have consistently demonstrated safety. However, demonstration of efficacy has been inconsistent and many MSC trials have failed to meet their efficacy endpoint. This disappointing reality is reflected by the limited number MSC therapies approved by regulatory agencies, despite the large number of MSC trials registered on clinicaltrials.gov. Notably, there has been a recent approval of an MSC therapy for pediatric graft-versus-host disease in the United States, marking the first MSC therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This review provides background on the history and potential therapeutic value of MSC, an overview of MSC products with regulatory approval, and a summary of registered MSC trials. It concludes with a discussion on current and ongoing challenges and questions surrounding MSC therapy that remains to be resolved before becoming available for routine clinical use outside of clinical trials., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Our objective was to compare the efficacy and safety of a drug-eluting stent featuring an abluminal bioabsorbable sirolimus-containing polymer coating (BP-SES) with an everolimus-eluting stent with a durable polymer (DP-EES) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTOs)., Methods: TARGET CTO is a multi-center, open-label, non-inferiority trial that randomized patients to either BP-SES or DP-EES in a 1:1 fashion following successful CTO re-canalization. The primary endpoint that was powered for non-inferiority assessment is in-stent late lumen loss (LLL) at 12 months., Results: A total of 206 subjects underwent randomization, with 103 assigned to the BP-SES group and 103 to the DP-EES group. Baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics were comparable. The primary endpoint demonstrated non-inferiority for the BP-SES group compared to the DP-EES group (0.21±0.43 mm vs. 0.21±0.33 mm; p=0.934, 2-sided; difference 0.01mm [BP-SES minus DP-EES]; 95% CI: -0.13 to 0.12 mm; p non-inferiority <0.001,1-sided). No significant differences were observed in secondary angiographic or clinical endpoints. The rates of 12-month in-stent and in-segment binary restenosis in the BP-SES group and the DP-EES group were similar (6.8% vs. 7.5%, p=0.86; and 8.1% vs. 8.8%; p=0.89, respectively). Although there was a trend favoring the BP-SES group, the difference between the BP-SES group and DP-EES group at 12 months in target lesion failure (2.1% vs. 8.0%, p=0.054) and target lesion revascularization (2.1% vs. 7.1%, p=0.089) did not reach statistical significance. No definite or probable stent thromboses were reported in either group., Conclusions: Compared to DP-EES, PCI of CTOs with BP-SES showed similar results in terms of late loss and binary restenosis at the 12-month follow-up., Clinical Trial: ClinictalTrial.gov, number NCT03040934., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. Ming Zheng and Dr. Ruifen Cao are employees of MicroPort. Dr. Spitzer declares institutional contracts with MicroPort Medical, Shanghai, China. Dr. Shao-Liang Chen has received speaker honoraria from Microport, Pulnovo, Boston International Scientific, Medtronic, Sanofi, and BioMed. Dr. Shao-Liang Chen is a Fellow at the Collaborative Innovation Center for Cardiovascular Disease Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. All the other authors report no conflicts of interest in regard to this manuscript., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The objective of this investigation was to ascertain the effectiveness of an ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) administered to patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma who were subjected to laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 172 patients, comparing 2 groups: one comprising 90 individuals who were administered intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) simultaneously with ESPB, and a second group of 82 patients who received PCA monotherapy. To equilibrate covariates across the groups, propensity score matching was executed, yielding 25 matched pairs as a result., Results: At 12 and 24 hours postprocedure, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, both at rest and during movement, were significantly reduced in the group receiving PCA in conjunction with ESPB. Furthermore, this group exhibited a substantially lower incidence of rescue analgesia utilization, a significantly abbreviated duration to ambulation, a reduced hospitalization period, and a significantly elevated level of patient satisfaction., Conclusion: ESPB serves as an efficacious ancillary analgesic for laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy, offering superior pain management and recuperation relative to the administration of intravenous analgesia in isolation. The implementation of ESPB as an adjunct to PCA in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy proved to be both safe and efficacious. Notably, PCA augmented with ESPB demonstrated greater efficacy in mitigating postoperative pain compared with PCA as a standalone therapy., Competing Interests: The author declares no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Inflammation is a pathology implicated in a wide range of human diseases. Recent years have seen tremendous progress in developing new types of anti-inflammatory agents for the treatment of inflammation of various origins. However, each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The very fact that there needs to have multiple types of anti-inflammatory agents underlines the complexity of inflammatory diseases and conditions, their molecular origins, and their treatment. Such complexity dictates the need to search for new approaches with improved potency and efficacy as well as reduced side effects. For these reasons, we are interested in exploring the possibility of generating synergy between carbon monoxide (CO), an endogenously produced cytoprotective agent, and known anti-inflammatory agents. Herein, we report the potentiating actions of CO on the anti-inflammatory effects of cortisone and dexamethasone as demonstrated in their ability to suppress the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 induced by either LPS or the S protein of SARS-CoV-2. Such effects are reflected in the substantially increased potency as well efficacy, when the efficacy of the corticosteroid alone does not allow for complete suppression of the expression of these cytokines. Further, increased attenuation of p65 phosphorylation is at least part of the molecular mechanism for the observed potentiating effects. We hope our work will stimulate a high level of activity along the same direction, leading to anti-inflammatory strategies with improved potency and efficacy and reduced side effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Binghe Wang reports financial support was provided by National Institutes of Health. Xiaoxiao Yang reports a relationship with Alpharmax Ltd. Co. that includes: board membership. Binghe Wang reports a relationship with OncoSpherix that includes: board membership. Xiaoxiao Yang has patent #US12071415B2 issued to Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc. Binghe Wang has patent #US12071415B2 issued to Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Biodegradable polymer stents may reduce the risk of neoatherosclerosis and stent thrombosis. Limited data is available for biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) and durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-EES) in chronic total occlusions (CTO)., Aim: This study was to evaluate healing patterns of BP-SES versus DP-EES in CTO at 3 and 13 months based on optical coherence tomography (OCT)., Methods: The TARGET-CTO study is a prospective, multicenter, randomized noninferiority controlled trial for BP-SES compared to DP-EES in CTO. In the current predefined subanalysis, 44 consecutive patients underwent OCT follow-up at 3 and 13 months. The primary endpoint was mean neo-intimal thickness at 3 months., Results: At 3 months, mean neo-intimal thickness was 47.6 ± 15.7 µm in BP-SES and 62.5 ± 37.3 µm in DP-EES (p = 0.384), meeting the noninferiority for BP-SES (p noninferiority  < 0.001). Mean neo-intimal thickness at 13 months was 76.4 ± 34.1 µm in BP-SES and 106.6 ± 54.9 µm in DP-EES (p = 0.086). No significant differences in strut coverage were observed at 3 or 13 months. At 13 months significantly higher percentages of frames with layered neo-intima and neoatherosclerosis were observed in DP-EES compared to BP-SES (p = 0.015 and p = 0.021, respectively)., Conclusions: BP-SES was noninferior to DP-EES in terms of neo-intimal thickness at 3 months and healing responses at 3-month follow-up were comparable. At 13 months, less advanced neoatherosclerosis patterns were observed in BP-SES as compared to DP-EES., (© 2025 The Author(s). Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Mitochondrial dynamics imbalance is an essential pathological mechanism in heart failure (HF). The Chinese herbal formula Xin-Ji-Er-Kang (XJEK) has demonstrated good therapeutic effects in various cardiovascular disease models. However, whether XJEK treats HF by regulating mitochondrial dynamics homeostasis and its specific molecular mechanisms remain elusive., Purpose: To investigate the effect of XJEK on restoring the disrupted mitochondrial dynamics homeostasis in HF and elucidate the potential regulatory mechanism., Study-Design/methods: A mouse model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MIR)-induced HF was established to assess the cardioprotection of XJEK. Subsequently, network pharmacology was employed to predict the mechanism by which XJEK treated HF. Moreover, gene silencing was employed to explore the potential mechanisms behind the cardioprotective effects of XJEK in AC16 cells subjected to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)., Results: XJEK treatment significantly attenuated myocardial fibrosis and ameliorated ventricular remodeling in post-MIR-induced HF mice. Network pharmacology analysis identified the estrogen receptor α (ERα) as a key regulator of XJEK-mediated cardioprotection. XJEK disordered mitochondrial dynamics in the hearts of MIR-induced HF mice. In addition, XJEK restored mitochondrial fusion-fission imbalance and facilitated ERα nuclear translocation to up-regulate sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) expression in the hearts of MIR-induced HF mice and H/R-induced AC16 cells. Notably, ERα depletion in cardiomyocytes completely abrogated the cardioprotective effects of XJEK., Conclusion: XJEK safeguards the hearts in mice with MIR-induced HF by facilitating ERα nuclear translocation to up-regulate SIRT3 expression to rescue the mitochondrial fusion-fission imbalance. This study establishes a new theoretical basis for treating HF with XJEK., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no competing financial interests or personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Heat-gelatinized starch (HGS), which is prepared via heat treatment, enhances viscosity and provides suitable thickening properties, which improve water retention in products. This study aimed to investigate the potential of blending gelatinized starch with edible hydrocolloids (guar gum, carrageenan (C), locust bean gum, konjac powder, and sodium alginate) to assess their effect on the stabilization of starch gelatinization and reduction of retrogradation. Optical microscopic observations revealed the disrupted structures of gelatinized starch after heat treatments, along with diminished or absent birefringence. Adding C to the gelatinized starch reduced its peak viscosity, breakdown and setback value. For the rheological analysis, heat gelatinization and hydrocolloid addition contributed to the increased elasticity and viscosity of samples. Gelatinization and hydrocolloid addition emerged as effective strategies for improving starch quality. Although it still warrants further exploration, the introduced approach holds potential for applications in the development of convenience and canned food products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

With the global population continuously rising, efficient bioconversion of inedible agricultural by-products is crucial for human food and energy sustainability. We here propose solid-state fermentation approaches to efficiently convert biopolymers into oligomers/monomers by accelerating the natural degradation process of the versatile Streptomyces sp. strain SCUT-3. Using fish skin as a representative by-product, 54.3 g amino acids and 14.7 g peptides (91 % < 2500 Da) were recovered from 89.0 g protein in 100 g tilapia skin sample by collagenase-overexpressed SCUT-3 for seven days at a 1:4 substrate:liquid ratio. Fish skin collagen hydrolysates exhibited excellent anti-oxidation, anti-hypertension, scratch-repairing, anti-aging, anti-ultraviolet radiation, and anti-inflammation effects on human skin fibroblasts In vitro and zebrafish larvae in vivo, indicating their potential applications in healthcare/skincare and anti-atopic dermatitis. As Laozi said, the divine law follows nature. This study underscores the efficacy of genetically engineered SCUT-3 according to its natural biomass utilization laws in large-scale biopolymer conversion., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There are no conflicts to declare., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In this paper, chiral aryl iodides were used for the first time to catalyze the formation of C-O and C-N bonds of inactive olefins to obtain optically active aminolactone derivatives. The reaction is compatible with various substituted alkenyl carboxylic acid substrates. This method usually shows high activity and enantioselectivity, with a yield of up to 83% and an ee of up to 99%. It is recovery and reuse of chiral aryl iodide catalyst CIC4 showed almost no loss in product yield and enantioselectivity after 3 runs.

A series of Dehydroabietylamine (DHAA) C-ring Schiff derivatives, L3-L20, were synthesized and their in vitro cytotoxic activity against the human tumor cell lines cervix HeLa, breast MCF-7, lung A549, liver HepG2, and the nonmalignant cell line umbilical vein HUVEC was investigated. Most of the compounds showed varying degrees of anticancer activity against HeLa cell lines while demonstrating lower toxicity to normal HUVEC cells compared to DHAA and doxorubicin (DOX), especially compound L19, which not only enhanced the anticancer activity of DHAA, but also significantly reduced the toxicity to normal cells, achieving a selectivity index (SI) 118 times higher than that of DHAA and 245 times higher than that of DOX. In addition, compound L19 induced apoptosis in HeLa cells in a dose-dependent manner and arrested the cell cycle in S phase. Spectroscopic experiments and molecular docking results showed that there was a strong interaction between the compounds and DNA. All these results indicate that the introduction of Schiff base structure on the C-ring of DHAA is an effective strategy for enhancing its selectivity, providing new insights for the design of DHAA-based anticancer compounds., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Cardiac fibrosis characterized by aberrant activation of cardiac fibroblasts impairs cardiac contractile and diastolic functions, inducing the progression of the disease towards its terminal phase, resulting in the onset of heart failure. Therefore, the inhibition of cardiac fibrosis has become a promising treatment for cardiac diseases. The ovarian follicle-stimulating hormone folliculin (FLCN) plays a significant role in various biological processes, such as lysosome function, mitochondrial synthesis, angiogenesis, ciliogenesis and autophagy. Severe heart failure was observed in FLCN knockout mice. In this study, we investigated the role of FLCN in cardiac fibrosis and its potential mechanisms. The mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery. Myocardial fibrosis developed in the mice 8 weeks after surgery. We showed that the protein and mRNA expression levels of FLCN were significantly decreased in TAC mice. Similar results were observed in primary mouse cardiac fibroblasts treated with Ang-II, an in vitro cardiac fibrosis model, suggesting that FLCN is involved in the pathological process of cardiac fibrosis. We demonstrated that overexpression of FLCN inhibited lysosome function in cardiac fibroblasts. Furthermore, overexpression of FLCN protected the heart from TAC-induced pathological cardiac fibrosis. We revealed that FLCN bound to the cPLA2 protein, increased its activity, regulated lysosomal function, and promoted membrane permeabilisation in cardiac fibroblasts during cardiac fibrosis. Knockdown of cPLA2 blocked the antifibrotic effect of FLCN in cardiac fibrosis. In addition, we found that the reduced expression of FLCN in cardiac fibrosis resulted from the modulation of YTHDF3-regulated m 6 A methylation of FLCN mRNA. The overexpression of YTHDF3 alleviated the production of collagens and improved cardiac structure and function in TAC mice. YTHDF3 inhibited proliferation and differentiation and regulated lysosomal function in mouse cardiac fibroblasts, whereas these effects were abolished by FLCN knockdown. We conclude that FLCN undergoes YTHDF3-regulated m 6 A modification and interacts with cPLA2 to improve lysosomal function in cardiac fibroblasts, highlighting its role in myocardial fibrosis therapy. These results suggest that FLCN and YTHDF3 could serve as potential therapeutic targets for cardiac fibroblast treatment., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics: This study was carried out in accordance with the recommendations of regulations of the experimental animal ethics committee of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University. The protocol was approved by the experimental animal ethics committee of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Pharmacological Society.)

A preliminary screening test was performed to discover new antihyperlipidaemic active compounds from the leguminous plant Derris eriocarpa How. A new compound, derris-isoflavone F ( 1 ), and derrubone dimethyl ether ( 6 ), a known synthetic compound of natural origin, were isolated from the stems of D. eriocarpa alongside eight recognised compounds. To our knowledge, this is the first instance of documenting the identification of compounds 1 - 10 from this plant. The new compound were evaluated for their antihyperlipidemic and antiproliferative properties. Compound 1 evidently reduced the triglyceride (TG) content in oleic acid-treated HepG2 cells, which validated its efficacy as a potential TG-lowering agent.

Background: Phthalate exposures have been shown to be inversely associated with reproductive success among women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART). However, the underlying mechanisms are unknown., Objectives: To explore blood coagulation function as the mediating role of associations between exposure to phthalates and ART outcomes., Methods: A total of 735 women from the Tongji Reproductive and Environmental (TREE) study were included. Urine samples collected at recruitment were quantified for 8 phthalate metabolites, and blood clotting time and platelet indices were also determined. Generalized linear regression, logistic regression, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, or Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were applied to investigate the associations among individual and mixture of phthalate metabolites, blood coagulation parameters, and ART outcomes. The mediation role of blood coagulation parameters was estimated by mediation analysis., Results: Mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate (MECPP), and molar sum of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate metabolites (∑DEHP) were positively associated with platelet indices. Phthalate metabolite mixture was also positively associated with platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), and plateletcrit (PCT), whereas inversely associated with international normalized ratio (INR). Meanwhile, PLT and PCT were inversely associated with the odds of implantation success and live birth, while prothrombin time and INR were positively associated with the odds of implantation success. Mediation analyses showed indirect effects of above-mentioned phthalate metabolites and phthalate mixture on the odds of implantation success and live birth through PLT or PCT, with the proportion mediated ranging from 3.44% to 8.96%., Conclusions: Phthalates may increase the risks of ART failure through enhancing blood coagulation function. More studies are warranted to verify the findings., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

In the present work, bacterial glycosyltransferases are utilized to construct ganglioside glycans in a convergent approach via a sugar‒nucleotide regeneration system and one-pot multienzyme reactions. Starting from β-lactoside enables the diversification of both the glycan moieties and the linkages in the lower α-arm and upper β-arm. Overall, a comprehensive panel of 24 natural a-series (GM3, GM2, GM1a, GD1a, GT1a, and fucosyl-GM1), b-series (GD3, GD2, GD1b, GT1b, and GQ1b), c-series (GT3, GT2, GT1c, GQ1c, and GP1c), α-series (GM1α, GD1aα, and GT1aα), and o-series (GA2, GA1, GM1b, GalNAc-GM1b, and GD1c) ganglioside glycans are prepared, which are suitable for biological studies and further applications. Moreover, a microarray is constructed with these synthesized ganglioside glycans to investigate their binding specificity with recombinant Fc-fused Siglec-7 and Siglec-9, which are immune checkpoint-like glycan recognition proteins on natural killer cells. The microarray binding results reveal that GD3 and GT1aα are specific ligands for Siglec-7 and Siglec-9, respectively, and this discovery can lead to the identification of appropriate ligands for investigating the roles of these Siglecs in immunomodulation., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Sacha inchi oil is growing in demand worldwide owing to its high fatty acid content of linolenic acid (44.30%-51.62%) and linoleic acid (34.08%-36.13%). In addition, Sacha inchi oil also contains phytosterols, such as stigmasterols (346- 456 μg/g), sitosterols (435-563 μg/g), and campesterols (10.47% ± 4.36%). Its main tocopherol is gamma-tocopherol (120.41-125.69 mg/100 g). The antinutrients in Sacha inchi seeds can be reduced by roasting prior to extraction. Various extractions, including both conventional and novel methods, have been used to extract Sacha inchi oil. However, the variety of extraction methods and origins of the seeds change the nutrient profiles, antinutrient content, and physicochemical properties. Incorporation of Sacha inchi oil into food products can increase its nutritional value, and it works as a moisturizing agent in cosmetic products. To obtain Sacha inchi oil with the desired properties and nutritional profile, this review summarizes the effects of different Sacha inchi seed oil extraction methods and processes on chemical compounds, antinutrient content, and physicochemical properties, including their potential and recent applications in food and cosmetic industries.

The objective of this study is to conduct a prospective trial comparing the therapeutic efficacy of Omega toenail correction and the Winograd procedure in treating stage II-III paronychia. From August 2018 to August 2023, ninety cases from eighty-three patients were randomly divided into two groups, one receiving Omega toenail correction (experimental group) and the other receiving the Winograd procedure (control group). The clinical therapeutic effects of both treatments were evaluated based on time to resume movement, treatment cycle, one-year recurrence rate, and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores before and after treatment. The clinical efficacy was compared between Omega toenail correction and Winograd procedure treating paronychia of stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ. It has been demonstrated that the time to resume movement in the experimental group is obviously shorter than that in the control group (P = 0.024), while the treatment cycle is longer (P = 0.009) with no significant difference (P = 0.734) in the aspect of one-year recurrence rate. However, the VAS after the correction in the experimental group is significantly lower than that in the control group (P = 0.019). It has been suggested that Omega toenail correction characterized by easy operation, sure efficacy and lower recurrence rate can be widely applied in clinic work., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors., (Copyright © 2024 the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study investigates the gender-specific genetic influence of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1111875 on diabetes risk within the Taiwanese population using data from the Taiwan Biobank. Diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2 diabetes (T2D), is influenced by genetic factors, and the rs1111875 SNP near the hematopoietically expressed homeobox (HHEX) gene has been linked to T2D susceptibility., Methods: The study included 69,272 participants after excluding those from arsenic-polluted areas and those with incomplete data. Logistic regression models were used for analyses., Results: The analyses revealed that the CT genotype of rs1111875 was associated with an increased risk of diabetes (OR = 1.092, 95% CI = 1.030-1.157, P = 0.003), as was the TT genotype (OR = 1.280, 95% CI = 1.165-1.407, P < 0.001). The effect was more pronounced in women (CT: OR = 1.118, 95% CI = 1.036-1.207, P = 0.004; TT: OR = 1.404, 95% CI = 1.243-1.585, P < 0.001). Men exhibited a higher overall risk of diabetes (OR = 1.565, 95% CI = 1.445-1.694, P < 0.001) and had a higher prevalence (12.71% vs 7.80%, P < 0.001) compared to women., Conclusions: The findings underscore the importance of considering gender differences in genetic studies of diabetes and suggest that personalized diabetes management strategies should account for both genetic and gender-specific risk factors. This research contributes to the broader understanding of genetic determinants of diabetes and their interaction with gender, aiming to enhance personalized healthcare strategies for diabetes prevention and treatment., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Diabetes Investigation published by Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between HERC6- associated immune response and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and to screen drug candidates for novel treatments., Materials and Methods: Mendelian Randomization (MR) was performed to test the relationship between a genetically predicted increase in HERC6 expression and the development of NAFLD. A single-cell RNA-seq profile of liver tissue with histological characteristics (GSE168933) was obtained. The immune cell type with the highest HERC6 score was identified, and the HERC6 scores across hepatic steatosis, ballooning, and lobular inflammation were compared. Bulk RNA data of liver samples from obese patients who underwent diet restriction or bariatric surgery (GSE83452) was deconvoluted, and the proportions of distinct HERC6-high immune cell subpopulations were estimated. The baseline and follow-up differences were compared to evaluate the effectiveness of different therapies. Finally, a single-cell drug susceptibility assessment was performed to screen drug candidates targeting HERC6-associated immune cells., Results: MR results showed that an increase in HERC6 expression was associated with an increase in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level and the development of NAFLD. The HERC6 score on monocyte-derived macrophage was the highest and positively correlated with hepatic steatosis, ballooning, and lobular inflammation. The HERC6-high macrophage fraction significantly decreased after bariatric surgery but not diet therapy. Triptolide was identified as a potential drug for NAFLD targeting HERC6-high macrophages., Conclusion: The results highlighted the role of hepatic macrophage HERC6 in NAFLD., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Djulis ( Chenopodium formosanum Koidz.) is an endemic cereal plant to Taiwan that has been cultivated by Taiwanese aborigines for hundreds of years. Djulis Djulis is a well-known ruby cereal because it contains betanin and exhibits strong antioxidant activity. This review summarizes comprehensive information regarding proximate composition, phytochemical compounds, biological activities, and recent industrial applications. Djulis is rich in phytochemical compounds including flavonoids, phenolics, and betanin. Further assessment of cell and animal studies showed that djulis leaf, whole grain, hull, and seed extracts exhibited antioxidant, anti-aging, anti-diabetic, anticancer, anti-adipogenesis, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and gastric protective properties. Products incorporating djulis were also included in this review. This review provides new insights into the application of djulis in the development of new products., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Regeneration of oral soft tissue defects, including mucogingival defects associated with the recession or loss of gingival and/or mucosal tissues around teeth and implants, is crucial for restoring oral tissue form, function, and health. This study presents a novel approach using three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting to fabricate individualized grafts with precise size, shape, and layer-by-layer cellular organization. A multicomponent polysaccharide/fibrinogen-based bioink is developed, and bioprinting parameters are optimized to create shape-controlled oral soft tissue (gingival) constructs. Rheological, printability, and shape-fidelity assays, demonstrated the influence of thickener concentration and print parameters on print resolution and shape fidelity. Artificial intelligence (AI)-derived tool enabled streamline the iterative bioprinting parameter optimization and analysis of the interaction between the bioprinting parameters. The cell-laden polysaccharide/fibrinogen-based bioinks exhibited excellent cellular viability and shape fidelity of shape-controlled, full-thickness gingival tissue constructs over the 18-day culture period. While variations in thickener concentrations within the bioink minimally impact the cellular organization and morphogenesis (gingival epithelial, connective tissue, and basement membrane markers), they influence the shape fidelity of the bioprinted constructs. This study represents a significant step toward the biofabrication of personalized soft tissue grafts, offering potential applications in the repair and regeneration of mucogingival defects associated with periodontal disease and dental implants., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: The non-exercise estimated cardiorespiratory fitness (eCRF) has been recognized as an important predictor of mortality among the general population. This study sought to evaluate the relationship between eCRF and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer in hypertensive adults., Methods: We included 27,437 adults with hypertension from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III and 10 NHANES cycles from 1999 to 2018. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of eCRF for mortality., Results: A total of 8,023 deaths were recorded throughout a median 8.6-year follow-up, including 2,338 from CVD, and 1,761 from cancer. The eCRF with per 1 metabolic equivalent increase was linked to decreased risk of all-cause (adjusted HR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.75-0.81) and CVD mortality (adjusted HR 0.79, 95% CI: 0.74-0.84), rather than cancer mortality (adjusted HR 0.94, 95% CI: 0.86-1.03). Moreover, a stronger protective effect of eCRF was observed for females (HR 0.66 (95% CI: 0.62-0.72) versus HR 0.78 (95% CI: 0.73-0.83), Pinteraction < 0.001 for all-cause mortality; HR 0.70 (95% CI: 0.61-0.80;) versus HR 0.82 (95% CI: 0.73-0.92), Pinteraction = 0.026 for CVD mortality) compared with males. Findings did not significantly differ in subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses., Conclusions: Among adults with hypertension, eCRF was inversely related to all-cause and CVD mortality, but not cancer mortality. A significant interaction effect existed between sex and eCRF. Further studies are needed to verify this association in different populations., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Five brasilane-type sesquiterpenoids, including four previously undescribed compounds named xylaribrasilaids A-D, along with a known analogue, were isolated from the ethyl acetate extracts of solid fermentation from Xylaria nigripes. X. nigripes, a traditional Chinese medicinal fungus utilized for treating various ailments such as insomnia, trauma, and depression, has garnered attention due to its pharmacological potential. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated through comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including NMR, HRESIMS, and experimental ECD data. In vitro bioassays were conducted to assess the neuroprotective activities of these compounds against glutamate-induced damage in PC12 cells. Remarkably, all isolated compounds demonstrated significant enhancements in cell viability while concurrently inhibiting apoptosis. Moreover, they effectively attenuated oxidative stress markers, as evidenced by increased activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione. Furthermore, these compounds displayed the capacity to mitigate intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation, highlighting their potential in combating oxidative stress-related neurodegenerative disorders., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of dynamic monitoring ecotropic virus integration site-1 (EVI1) expression in childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML)., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 113 pediatric AML patients of Wuhan Children's Hospital from 2014 to 2022. The correlation between EVI1 expression levels and clinical indicators including clinical characteristics, first complete remission (CR1), relapse, and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was carried out to comprehend the influence of EVI1 expression on relapse., Results: A total of 78 AML children with EVI1 expression at initial diagnosis were eligible, divided into EVI1-positive (EVI1high) and EVI1-negative (EVI1low) groups. FAB classification (P = 0.047) and abnormal karyotype (P = 0.009) showed significant differences between the two groups. The proportion of EVI1high in individuals with complex and/or monomeric karyotypes was significantly higher than in other cases (P = 0.032). When completing the first induction therapy, the EVI1high group showed a significantly lower CR1 rate than the EVI1low group (P = 0.015). Among 51 cases with EVI1 expression dynamically monitored, those with EVI1 overexpression more than twice had significantly shorter OS (P < 0.05). Among 19 non-HSCT patients undergoing three EVI1 assessments during induction therapy, those with EVI1 overexpression over once had higher relapse rates (P = 0.045). In addition, EVI1 expression level ≥ 83.38% significantly predicted relapse (AUC = 0.833)., Conclusion: Aberrantly high expression of EVI1 in pediatric AML was associated with poor prognosis. Continuous and dynamic monitoring of EVI1 expression promotes prognostic evaluation. We add some insights into the impact of EVI1 on the AML patients' OS and survival., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All the diagnostic methods and chemotherapy regimens conform to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the Wuhan Women’s and Children’s Health Care Center Ethics Committee. Informed written consent was obtained from the parents or guardians as appropriate. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective To reveal the spatial distribution patterns of key pollutants in the Huaihe River Basin and quantify the risks and burdens of non-gastrointestinal cancers by the grade of pollution,providing targets and data support for enhanced management of water pollution in the Huaihe River Basin. Methods Surface water quality data of the Huaihe River Basin were obtained from the National Surface Water Environmental Quality Monitoring Network(2021).Incidence data of seven cancers were extracted from the 2019 Annual Report of the China Cancer Registry.Random forest and SHapley Additive exPlanations were employed to select key pollutants,and pollution was graded based on the spatial analysis of the Huaihe River Basin.The cancer risks and population attributable fractions were calculated under pollution grades. Results Five key pollutants linked to cancers were identified,including total nitrogen,total phosphorus,chemical oxygen demand,biochemical oxygen demand after 5 days,and arsenic.Pollution was graded into three levels regarding the combined effects of pollutants.Compared with the low pollution areas,high pollution areas showed increased risks of lung cancer( RR =1.26,95% CI :1.06-1.50),breast cancer(female)( RR =1.46,95% CI :1.21-1.77),pancreatic cancer( RR =1.46,95% CI :1.06-2.01),brain cancer( RR =1.44,95% CI :1.05-1.98),and gallbladder cancer( RR =1.60,95% CI :1.03-2.50).The grade of pollution contributed to more than 5% of cases for most cancers above. Conclusions The potential cancer risks and burdens attributed to surface water pollution cannot be overlooked.Addressing this challenge necessitates close collaboration of various stakeholders to strengthen policy development,enhance environmental governance,and implement public health interventions.

In this first annual review article, the American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) Attending Physician Subcommittee (APSc) of the Physicians' Committee (PC) curated key apheresis literature in 2023 and presented their choices for the 10 most seminal apheresis articles. PubMed and OVID search engines were used to identify manuscripts from four topic areas: donor apheresis, therapeutic apheresis, education, and cellular therapy. To further identify seminal criteria, they had to present at least one of the following: novel findings, practice-altering outcomes, international scope, randomized controlled trial, relevant to current clinical practice, and/or provide evidence for category III or IV indications based on the ASFA ninth special issue of the Guidelines on the Use of Therapeutic Apheresis in Clinical Practice-Evidence-Based Approach. Inclusion criteria included: full-length, peer-reviewed, English language, and human subjects. Case reports, review articles, and meta-analyses were excluded., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of sulforaphane and the role of the Nrf2-Keap1/HO-1/ROS pathway in AngII-induced oxidative stress in podocyte injury., Methods: Mouse mpc5 podocytes were divided into four groups: control (Con), AngII, AngII + sulforaphane (AngII + SFN), and control + sulforaphane (Con + SFN). Western blotting was used to detect protein expression of Nrf2-Keap1, antioxidant enzyme HO-1, and apoptosis-related proteins. ROS levels were measured using a ROS assay kit, and cell survival and viability were assayed using the CCK-8 kit. Molecular interactions between Nrf2 and sulforaphane were analyzed computationally., Results: Compared with the Con group, podocytes treated with AngII alone exhibited inhibited proliferation, reduced cell viability, lower Bcl-2 expression, and higher cleaved caspase 3 expression. In the presence of sulforaphane, AngII group showed a mild inhibition on podocyte proliferation but did not induce the aforementioned changes in Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase 3 expression. Similarly, compared to the Con group, AngII treatment alone had lower Nrf2 expression and higher Keap1 expression in podocytes, accompanied by a significant decrease in ROS content. However, in the presence of sulforaphane, AngII failed to induce increases in Nrf2 and a decrease in Keap1 expression, as well as ROS levels. Furthermore, cells treated with sulforaphane exhibited higher HO-1 levels than control cells, and co-incubation with AngII did not alter HO-1 levels. Computational modeling revealed hydrophobic interactions between sulforaphane and the amino acid LYS-462 of Nrf2, as well as hydrogen bonding with amino acid HIS-465. The binding score between sulforaphane and Nrf2 was -4.7., Conclusion: Sulforaphane alleviated AngII-induced podocyte oxidative stress injury via the Nrf2-Keap1/HO-1/ROS pathway, providing new insights into therapeutic compounds for mitigating chronic kidney disease.

Background and Aims: The prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing hepatectomy is unsatisfactory, especially for those with microvascular invasion (MVI). This study aimed to determine the impact of adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and Lenvatinib on the prognosis of patients with HCC and MVI after hepatectomy., Methods: Patients diagnosed with HCC and MVI were reviewed, and stratified into four groups according to adjuvant TACE and/or Lenvatinib. Multivariate Cox regression analyses are used to determine independent risk factors., Results: 346 patients were included, and divided into four groups (Group I, TACE+ Lenvatinib; Group II, Lenvatinib; Group III, TACE; Group IV, without adjuvant therapy). Multivariable analysis showed that compared to Group IV, Group I had the best effect on improving the overall survival (OS, HR 0.321, 95%CI 0.099-0.406, P = 0.001) and recurrence-free survival (RFS, HR 0.319, 95%CI 0.129-0.372, P = 0.001). Additionally, compared with Group II or Group III, Group I also can significantly improve the OS and RFS. There is no significant difference between Group II and Group III in OS and RFS., Conclusion: The combination of TACE and Lenvatinib should be considered for anti-recurrence therapy for patients with HCC and MVI after hepatectomy., (Copyright © 2024 Asian Surgical Association and Taiwan Society of Coloproctology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Plant polyphenols are bioactive compounds touted for their antioxidant effects, and this is often the primary attribute used to explain their health benefits. However, we hypothesize that polyphenols have molecular properties independent of antioxidant function. The objective of this study was to investigate whether polyphenols had distinct molecular effects compared to pure antioxidants. RAW 264.7 macrophages were pretreated with either TEMPOL, a superoxide scavenger, N-acetyl cysteine, a hydroxyl radical and hydrogen peroxide scavenger, or polyphenol extracts from blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, kale, and baru nut. After 1 hour of pretreatment, cells were treated with lipopolysaccharides (100 ng/mL) for an additional 6 hour. Antioxidants and polyphenol extracts elicited antioxidant effects in vitro; however, polyphenols regulated redox proteins in a distinct, protective manner, whereas antioxidants, TEMPOL, and N-acetyl cysteine, did not. Additionally, distinct effects were observed in downstream Toll-like receptor 4 signaling and transcriptional activity of inflammatory proteins. We conclude that polyphenols have unique molecular effects that are independent of just their free radical scavenging capacity. This work advances our molecular understanding of how polyphenols act to target inflammation., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Although much progress has been made in chemotherapy or target therapy for advanced gastric cancer, the prognosis is still poor. It is necessary to screen biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction. However, the prognostic value of LOX family in gastric cancer and the underlying molecular mechanisms for promoting the progression of gastric cancer remains unclear. Among five members of LOX family, LOXL1 was the unique independent prognostic risk factor. The nomogram established based on the expression of LOXL1 and other clinical parameters could predict the overall survival rate of gastric cancer. Knockdown (KD) of LOXL1 decreased cell proliferation and led to G1 phase arrest in gastric cells. According to GSEA analysis that LOXL1 was positively correlated with the WNT signaling pathway, in vitro experiment proved that LOXL1-KD reduced the phosphorylation level of β-catenin and the expression of the downstream G1 phase checkpoint CCND1. In conclusion, LOXL1 has been identified as a potential risk prognostic biomarker for gastric cancer by promoting gastric cancer proliferation via WNT/β-catenin/cyclinD1 pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests or potential competing interests, and all authors should confirm its accuracy., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Microtubule (MT) regulation is essential for oocyte development. In Drosophila , MT stability, polarity, abundance, and orientation undergo dynamic changes across developmental stages. In our effort to identify novel microtubule-associated proteins that regulate MTs in the Drosophila ovary, we identified a previously uncharacterized gene, CG18190, which encodes a novel MT end-binding (EB) protein, which we propose to name EB-SUN. We show that EB-SUN colocalizes with EB1 at growing MT plus-ends in Drosophila S2 cells. Tissue-specific and developmental expression profiles from Paralog Explorer reveal that EB-SUN is predominantly expressed in the ovary and early embryos, while EB1 is ubiquitously expressed. Furthermore, as early as oocyte determination, EB-SUN comets are highly concentrated in oocytes during oogenesis. EB-SUN knockout (KO) results in decreased MT density at the onset of mid-oogenesis (stage 7) and delays oocyte growth during late mid-oogenesis (stage 9). Combining EB-SUN KO with EB1 knockdown (KD) in germ cells significantly further reduces MT density at stage 7. Hatching assays of single protein depletion reveal distinct roles for EB-SUN and EB1 in early embryogenesis, likely due to differences in their expression and binding partners. Notably, all eggs from EB-SUN KO/EB1 KD females fail to hatch, suggesting partial redundancy between these proteins., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no financial conflict of interest.

Li 1+x Al x Ti 2-x (PO 4 ) 3 (LATP) is a promising NASICON-type solid electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSLIBs) owing to its high ionic conductivity, low cost, and stability in ambient atmosphere. However, the electrochemical stability of LATP suffers upon contact with lithium metals, resulting in a reduction of Ti 4+ to Ti 3+ in its structure. This limitation necessitates interface modification processes, hindering its use in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, a high-entropy NASICON-type material, Li 1.3 Al 0.4 Ti 0.5 Zr 0.5 Sn 0.5 Ta 0.1 (PO 4 ) 3 (LATZSTP), is proposed to address the Ti-reduction issue, and the structural information was examined by extended X-ray absorption fine structure and neutron diffraction, revealing it to be a single phase of NASICON. The electrochemical stability is examined via cyclic voltammetry and Li stripping and plating tests; results indicate that LATZSTP has better stability against lithium metal than LATP does. Its ionic conductivity reaches 1.25 × 10 -4  S cm -1 , an applicable ionic conductivity for lithium-ion batteries. Afterward, LATZSTP is incorporated into an ASSLIB. LiFePO 4 /LATZSTP/Li has an initial capacity of 143 mA h/g and retention of 90.4 % after 100 cycles, which is better than LiFePO 4 /LATP/Li, indicating the high potential of LATZSTP for its good electrochemical stability and ionic conductivity. The enhanced electrochemical stability demonstrates a new design method for LATP-type materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Precisely regulated spermatocyte growth, differentiation, and apoptosis are crucial for sustainable male fertility. miR-143 has been demonstrated to regulate gene expression and cell apoptosis in various human cancers. However, the function of mmu-mir-143 (miR-143) in mammalian testes and its underlying mechanism remains unexplored. In this study, the expression of miR-143 was detected in C57BL/6 mice spermatocytes by in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunofluorescence (IF) co-staining and transfecting miR-143 inhibitor into GC-2 cells (mouse spermatogenic cells) shows that miR-143 inhibits cleaved Caspase 3 (CC3)-induced male germ cell death. The current study used IF co-staining of KI67 and γ-H2A.X in the testes of C57BL/6 mice at different developmental stages, revealing that active proliferation and apoptosis of spermatocytes occurred simultaneously in the testes at 14 day post-partum (dpp). Kras was predicted as a potential target of miR-143 in mice using of the online database TargetScan, verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), western blotting (WB), and Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Co-transfection of miR-143 inhibitor and Kras siRNA into GC-2 cells revealed an antagonistic correlation between miR-143 and Kras in regulating male germ cell death. Finally, miR-143 inhibitor and mimics were administered into the seminiferous tubule of 3-week-old C57BL/6 mice. The histomorphology, IF co-staining, and WB data indicated that the testes treated with the miR-143 inhibitor showed significantly aberrant phenotypes, including damaged seminiferous tubules, reduced spermatocyte quantity, and elevated levels of apoptosis. This study uncovered the mechanism by which miR-143 inhibits male germ cell apoptosis through the repression of Kras/KRAS levels and the inhibition of Caspase 3 activation, providing insight into the role of miRNA in spermatogenesis and the maintenance of male fertility., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Stent dislodgement is a rare but particularly challenging complication. However, current treatment strategies are suboptimal., Objective: This study sought to preliminarily assess the feasibility of a novel self-expanding basket (SEB) catheter to successfully retrieve dislodged stent during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)., Method: The novel SEB catheter is designed as a self-expanding basket tip made of superelastic shape nitinol memory alloy, which could automatically expand to tightly wrap and flatten the deformed struts regardless of whether the stent come off the guidewire. Consecutive patients with coronary artery disease who experienced stent dislodgement during PCI were included. The primary outcome was procedure success defined as completely removing the stent without surgical incision of blood vessels, or hemostatic forceps, or injury of access vessels., Results: From May 2020 to May 2023, a total of 6 patients encountering stent dislodgment were enrolled. Five presented as stent dislodgment with the guidewire in situ and the rest one as total stent and guidewire loss. Successful retrieving of dislodged stent with SEB catheter was achieved in 100% (6 of 6) subjects. After retracting lost stent, 5 of 6 patients received new stent implantation, and one only underwent balloon angioplasty with acceptable imaging results. No safety events were observed., Conclusions: This preliminary report of the novel stent retrieving device presents favorable efficacy and safety profile. Further multicenter study is required to confirm these findings., Clinical Trial Number: Not applicable., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. The requirement for obtaining informed consent was waived because of the retrospective design. Consent for publication: No applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Understanding abiotic carbon fixation provides insights into early Earth's carbon cycles and life's emergence in terrestrial hot springs, where iron sulfide (FeS), similar to cofactors in metabolic enzymes, may catalyze prebiotic synthesis. However, the role of FeS-mediated carbon fixation in such conditions remains underexplored. Here, we investigate the catalytic behaviors of FeS (pure and doped with Ti, Ni, Mn, and Co), which are capable of H 2 -driven CO 2 reduction to methanol under simulated hot spring vapor-zone conditions, using an anaerobic flow chamber connected to a gas chromatograph. Specifically, Mn-doped FeS increases methanol production five-fold at 120 °C, with UV-visible light (300-720 nm) and UV-enhanced light (200-600 nm) further increasing this activity. Operando and theoretical investigations indicate the mechanism involves a reverse water-gas shift with CO as an intermediate. These findings highlight the potential of FeS-catalyzed carbon fixation in early Earth's terrestrial hot springs, effective with or without UV light., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Essential oils (EOs), regarded as secondary metabolites from plants, possess effective antibacterial properties. This study investigates the antibacterial efficacy of seven citrus EOs against six spoilage bacteria: Vibrio parahaemolyticus , V. harveyi , Photobacterium damselae , Shewanella putrefaciens , Carnobacterium divergens , and Lactobacillus pentosus . The antibacterial activity of these EOs was evaluated using solid- and vapor-phase applications. All tested EOs demonstrated effective antibacterial activity at a concentration of 294 μL/L against Gram-negative bacteria. Notably, lemon and orange EOs exhibited dose-dependent inhibition in both solid- and vapor-phase applications, with minimum effective concentrations ranging from 29.4 to 58.8 μL/L. Following treatment with lemon and orange EOs for 6 h at 1/4 minimum inhibitory concentration, leakage of intracellular DNA and proteins was observed, indicating damage to the cell membrane/wall. Proteomic analysis revealed distinct mechanisms: lemon EO impaired bacterial antioxidant defenses, while orange EO disrupted cell division, leading to reduced bacterial viability. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential of different EO application forms in controlling spoilage bacteria.

Cerebral small vascular disease (CSVD) has a high incidence worldwide, but its pathological mechanisms remain poorly understood due to the lack of proper animal models. The current animal models of CSVD have several limitations such as high mortality rates and large-sized lesions, and thus it is urgent to develop new animal models of CSVD. Ultrasound can activate protoporphyrin to produce reactive oxygen species in a liquid environment. Here we delivered protoporphyrin into cerebral small vessels of rat brain through polystyrene microspheres with a diameter of 15 μm, and then performed transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) on the model rats. We found that TUS did not affect the large vessels or cause large infarctions in the brain of model rats. The mortality rates were also comparable between the sham and model rats. Strikingly, TUS induced several CSVD-like phenotypes such as cerebral microinfarction, white matter injuries and impaired integrity of endothelial cells in the model rats. Additionally, these effects could be alleviated by antioxidant treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC). As control experiments, TUS did not lead to cerebral microinfarction in the rat brain when injected with the polystyrene microspheres not conjugated with protoporphyrin. In sum, we generated a rat model of CSVD that may be useful for the mechanistic study and drug development for CSVD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there is no competing interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Four previously undescribed heterodimeric diketopiperazine alkaloids, expansines A-D, were identified from the solid rice medium fermented by Penicillium expansum MA147, along with one new resorcylic acid derivative and five known compounds. Their structures and relative/absolute configurations were elucidated by interpretation of their spectroscopic data, quantum chemical calculations, and chemical conversion. Some obtained compounds were evaluated for the cytotoxicity against a triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, and expansine C showed an IC 50 value of 3.23 μM. In further mechanistic studies, we found that it might act by increasing the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 and reducing cellular cholesterol levels, suggesting its potential as a novel anti-cancer agent.

Objective: Thrombocytopenia is a common complication of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT), though many patients will become immune refractory to platelet transfusions over time. We built and evaluated an electronic health record (EHR)-integrated, standards-based application that enables blood-bank clinicians to match platelet inventory with patients using data previously not available at the point-of-care, like human leukocyte antigen (HLA) data for donors and recipients., Materials and Methods: The web-based application launches as an EHR-embedded application or as a standalone application. The application coalesces disparate data streams into a unified view, including platelet count, HLA data, demographics, and real-time inventory. We looked at application usage over time and developed a multivariable logistic regression model to compute odds ratios that a patient undergoing HSCT would have a complicated thrombocytopenia course, with several model covariates including pre-/post-application deployment., Results: Usage of the application has been consistent since launch, with a slight dip during the first COVID wave. Our model, which included 376 patients in the final analysis, did not demonstrate a significantly decreased odds that a patient would have a complicated thrombocytopenia course after application deployment as compared to before application deployment., Discussion: We built an EHR-integrated application to improve platelet transfusion processes. Whereas our model did not demonstrate decreased odds of a patient having a complicated thrombocytopenia course, there are other workflow and clinical benefits that will benefit from future evaluation., Conclusion: A web-based, EHR-integrated application was built and integrated into our EHR system and is now part of the standard operating procedures of our blood bank., Competing Interests: William Gordon reports a relationship with Great Point Ventures and ZS Consulting that includes: consulting or advisory. Samuel Aronson reports a relationship with Nest Genomics that includes: consulting or advisory. Adam Landman reports a relationship with Abbott Laboratories that includes: consulting or advisory. Melissa Y. Yeung reports a relationship with One Lambda Inc. that includes: consulting or advisory. William J. Lane reports a relationship with One Lambda Inc. and CareDx Inc. that includes: consulting or advisory. William J. Lane has patent with royalties paid to Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. The other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Organics and divalent cations are the primary barriers constraining the performance of membrane technology, while the interactions between them and the detailed mechanisms of their impacts are still lacking in-depth analysis. In this study, sodium alginate and xanthan gum were selected as polysaccharides models, and the formation of transparent extracellular polymer particles (TEP) was assessed to examine the effect of Ca 2+ and polysaccharides type on membrane fouling from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. The results revealed that higher Ca 2+ concentrations led to a greater abundance of TEP, and the transformation of TEP microstructure is a key factor for the membrane fouling change indicated by specific filtration resistance (SFR). TEP formed by sodium alginate underwent a transformation from amorphous-TEP (a-TEP) form to particle-TEP (p-TEP), corresponding to a unimodal pattern of SFR variation. With increasing Ca 2+ concentration, the molecular interactions of xanthan gum became stronger, resulting in larger fibrous a-TEP and a continuous SFR increase. According to the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory, TEP formed by xanthan gum exhibited higher adhesion energy, thus causing more severe membrane fouling. The SFR variation of the TEP system can be satisfactorily explained by the conception of chemical potential change in the filtration process depicted in Flory-Huggins theory. This study is the first work to introduce models regarding chemical potential and TEP microstructure, linking the system chemical potential and TEP microstructure with membrane fouling indicated by SFR. As all, this study provided a new perspective for analyzing the polysaccharide fouling behavior via TEP determination and further enhanced the understanding through thermodynamic analysis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Carbon monoxide has been extensively studied for its various therapeutic activities in cell cultures and animal models. Great efforts have been made to develop noninhalational approaches for easy and controlled CO delivery. Herein, we introduce a novel metal-free CO prodrug approach that releases CO under near-physiological conditions. CO from the quinone-derived CO prodrugs is initiated by general acid/base-catalyzed tautomerization followed by oxidation by molecular oxygen to form the key norbornadienone intermediate, leading to cheletropic CO release only in an aerobic environment. Representative CO prodrug analog QCO-105 showed marked anti-inflammatory effects and HO-1 induction activity in RAW264.7 macrophages. In a mouse model of doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy, we show for the first time that the CO prodrug QCO-105 prevented cardiomyocyte injury, consistent with the known organ-protective effects of HO-1 and CO. Overall, such a new CO prodrug design serves as the starting point for developing CO-based therapy in attenuating the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin.

In the life cycle of the oriental fruit fly where larvae reside within fruits and adults exhibit high activity, the pupal stage occurs in the soil, closely tied to agricultural soil management. This study investigates the impact of four variables (body orientation, burial depth, soil particle size, and pH) on Bactrocera dorsalis' physiological preferences, eclosion rates, and pupal stage duration. Notably, body orientation, burial depth, soil texture (particle size), and pH affect eclosion rates. The fruit fly demonstrates a preference for a supine position during eclosion, with average eclosion rates of 97.33%, contrasting with decreases to 78.00% in a head-down position. Soil with mixed particle sizes is detrimental to pupal eclosion, reducing the eclosion rate to 56.67%. And at a pH of 9.98, eclosion rates decrease to 16.67%. These factors significantly influence eclosion rates However, these factors do not significantly alter the duration of the pupal stage, with mean changes not exceeding one day when experimental conditions are modified. These findings suggests that soil manipulations affecting these variables could reduce eclosion rates without compromising the uniformity of adult emergence. This study provides a foundation for environmentally friendly pest control practices and addresses gaps in the pupal stage research of the oriental fruit fly., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Lanthanide-based upconversion molecular complexes have potential application in diverse fields and attracted considerable research interest in recent years. However, the similar coordination reactivity of lanthanide ions has constrained the designability of target molecule with well-defined structure, and many attempts obtained statistical mixtures. Herein, an ion-paired Yb-Eu heteronuclear complex [Eu(Tp Py ) 2 ][Yb(ND) 4 ] (Tp Py =tris[3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazolyl]hydroborate, ND=3-cyano-2-methyl-1,5-naphthyridin-4-olate) was designed and synthesized. Thanks to the radius difference between Eu 3+ (1.07 Å) and Yb 3+ (0.98 Å) ions, the hexadentate Tp Py ligand was selected to coordinate with Eu 3+ and the Yb 3+ with a smaller radius was chelated by bidentate ND ligand. As a result, the sites of Eu 3+ and Yb 3+ in the complex can be clarified by high-resolution mass spectrometry and single-crystal structure analysis. Upon the excitation of Yb 3+ at 980 nm, the upconversion emission of Eu 3+ was realized through a cooperative sensitization process. Furthermore, [Eu(Tp Py ) 2 ][Yb(ND) 4 ] demonstrated excellent photostability during continuous high-power density 980 nm laser irradiation, with a LT 95 (the time to 95 % of the initial emission intensity) of 420 minutes. This work provides the first example of a pure ion-paired Yb-Eu heteronuclear complex upconversion system and may bring insights into rational design of lanthanide-based upconversion molecular complexes., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Two extremely devastating super dust storms (SDS) hit Mongolia and Northern China in March 2021, causing many deaths and substantial economic damage. Accurate forecasting of dust storms is of great importance for avoiding or mitigating their effects. One of the most critical factors affecting dust emissions is soil moisture, but its value in desert exhibits significant uncertainty. In this study, model experiments were conducted to simulate dust emissions using four soil moisture datasets. The results were compared with observations to assess the effects of soil moisture on the dust emission strength. The Integrated Source Apportionment Method (ISAM) was used to track the dust sources and quantify the contribution from each source region to the dust load over the North China Plain (NCP), Korea peninsula, and western Japan. The results show large differences in the dust load depending on the soil moisture datasets used. The high soil moisture in the NCEP dataset results in substantial underestimation of the dust emission flux and PM 10 concentration. Despite a minor overestimation of PM 10 concentrations in many Northern China cities, the ERA5 dataset yields the best simulation performance. During the two SDS events, about 7.5 Mt dust was released from the deserts in Mongolia and 2.8 Mt from the deserts in China. Source apportionment indicates that the Mongolian Gobi Desert is the dominant source of PM 10 in the NCP, Korea peninsula, and western Japan, accounting for 60 %-80 %, while Inner Mongolia contributed 10 %-20 %., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Evidence from observational studies suggests that increased calcium exposure may elevate the risk of adverse events in patients with coronary artery disease, while magnesium may exert a protective effect on disease risk. However, there have been limited investigations into the relationship between these minerals and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association between the Serum calcium-magnesium ratio (Ca/Mg ratio) in patients with acute coronary syndrome and their clinical outcomes., Methods: This retrospective analysis reviewed the clinical data of 1,775 patients with ACS who underwent coronary angiography and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at the Fujian Heart Center between May 2017 and December 2022. The patients were categorized into four groups based on their Ca/Mg ratio at admission (Group 1, ≤2.373, n = 443; Group 2, 2.374-2.517, n = 442; Group 3, 2.518-2.675, n = 446; Group 4, ≥2.676, n = 444). Single-factor analysis and multivariate logistic regression were employed to analyze the clinical characteristics and postoperative clinical outcomes of patients in different groups. The primary outcome included major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), while the secondary outcomes included contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN)、all-cause rehospitalization raten and hematorrhea., Results: Univariate analysis showed that the patients had a mean age of 64.50±10.79 years, with 370 female patients (20.8%). Additionally, 1,158 patients had hypertension (65.2%), and 710 patients had diabetes (40.5%). Univariate analysis showed an inverse relationship between the serum calcium-to-magnesium ratio and all-cause in-hospital mortality, with patients in the lowest quartile having the highest mortality rate. Multivariate analysis showed that the Ca/Mg ratio at admission was independently associated with MACCEs. Among them, this ratio was inversely associated with all-cause mortality [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.07; 95% CI 0.01-0.63; P<0.05] and positively associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation (aOR 1.86; 95% CI 1.08-3.21; P<0.05). Additionally, the Ca/Mg ratio was positively correlated with an increased risk of postoperative major bleeding (aOR 6.58; 95% CI 1.43-30.29; P<0.05)., Conclusion: In this large retrospective study, serum calcium and magnesium levels at admission were significantly associated with adverse outcomes in patients with ACS. The Ca/Mg ratio was identified as a reliable predictor of poor prognosis in ACS patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Jiang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a form of sexual dysfunction in males that imposes significant health and financial burdens globally. Despite its high prevalence, diagnosing ED remains challenging due to the limitations of current diagnostic methods and patients' reluctance to seek medical help. Currently, some studies have used machine learning techniques for developing ED prediction models, but the performance and interpretability of existing models need to be further improved. This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 2001 to 2004, adhering to the Transparent Reporting of a Multivariable Prediction Model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) statement. After excluding male respondents who did not meet the study criteria, a total of 3,869 participants were included. Gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) algorithms (XGBoost, CatBoost, LightGBM) were used to develop the ED prediction model. Data preprocessing, feature selection, model evaluation, and interpretability analysis were performed to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of the model. The model evaluation results revealed that the AUC values are XGBoost: 0.887 ± 0.016; LightGBM: 0.879 ± 0.016; CatBoost: 0.871 ± 0.019. The F1-Scores are XGBoost: 0.695 ± 0.023; LightGBM: 0.681 ± 0.025; CatBoost: 0.681 ± 0.025. The Recall values are XGBoost: 0.789 ± 0.026; LightGBM: 0.739 ± 0.030; CatBoost: 0.711 ± 0.030. These results confirmed that the XGBoost model is the best-performing ED prediction model in this study. Interpretability analysis results of the XGBoost model showed that age, obesity, cardiovascular risk factors, prostate-related diseases, and socioeconomic status are key features for predicting ED, playing a significant role in the ED mechanism. Therefore, we believe the ED prediction model trained in this study has strong predictive performance and high interpretability. This model can help to expand the diagnostic options for ED, improve the diagnosis rate of ED, and assist doctors in early intervention for patients with ED, ultimately improving patient prognosis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)