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Objectives: Periodontitis is associated with Fusobacterium nucleatum (F.n) infection. Although the colonization of renal tissue by F.n is well documented, its specific role in kidney disease has yet to be determined. This study aimed to investigate the potential association between F.n-induced periodontitis and renal interstitial fibrosis., Methods: The rat gingival sulcus was injected with F.n suspension, while the control group (NC) was injected with PBS. The levels of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), creatinine, and urea nitrogen (BUN) in rat serum and/or urine were quantified using the appropriate kits. Renal interstitial fibrosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were evaluated in rats using Masson staining, Periodic Schiff-Methenamine (PASM) staining, and immunohistochemical staining. The levels of fibrosis- and EMT-related proteins and the TGF-β/SMAD2/3 and β-catenin signaling pathways were determined using Western blot analysis. F.n in the kidney tissues was quantitatively determined using bacterial 16S rRNA technology., Results: Serum levels of TP, ALB, creatinine, and BUN were not significantly decreased in F.n-infected rats with periodontitis. The levels of creatinine and ALB in the urine were not statistically different between two groups. Masson and PASM staining showed that F.n-induced periodontitis could promote renal interstitial fibrosis in rats. The levels of collagen I, fibronectin (FN), vimentin, and α-SMA were upregulated in the kidney tissues of rats with F.n-induced periodontitis and in F.n-treated HK-2 cells. However, E-cadherin levels were reduced. F.n promoted renal interstitial and HK-2 cell fibrosis in rats by modulating the TGF-β/SMAD2/3 and β-catenin signaling pathways. F.n colonization increased renal interstitial fibrosis in rats., Conclusion: F.n-induced periodontitis promoted EMT by activating the TGF-β/SMAD2/3 and β-catenin signaling pathways, thus promoting renal interstitial fibrosis in rats., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The author declares that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This study aimed to fractionate and characterize the protein-rich polysaccharide-protein (PSP) complexes from a well-known edible mushroom, Lentinula edodes, and assess their nutritional and immunostimulatory properties. Crude PSP isolated from the mushroom water extract was purified by anion exchange chromatography, yielding fractions PSP-F1 and PSP-F2 containing 66.1 % and 74.0 % protein, respectively. Both fractions exhibited primarily β-sheet and random-coil protein structures, though the crude PSP fraction exhibited an additional α-helix structure. On SDS-PAGE, PSP-F1 showed two molecular weight bands, one below 10 kDa and another at 34 kDa, and PSP-F2 showed several bands, one below 10 kDa and others between 34 and 95 kDa. The nutritional value of essential and non-essential amino acid profiles was in the order of PSP-F2 > PSP-F1 > crude PSP; the amino acid ratio coefficient values of the crude PSP, PSP-F1, and PSP-F2 were 63 %, 67 %, and 72 %, respectively. The combination of PS and PSP fractions exhibited stronger immunoactivity than PSP-F1 or PSP-F2 alone. PSP-F2 showed a higher immunostimulatory activity than PSP-F1 in RAW264.7 cell culture. PSP-F2 was also more abundant of easily absorbed high-quality proteins. The results provide useful references for dietary and medicinal uses of PSP fractions in L. edodes and other edible mushrooms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Jian Yong WU reports was provided by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Lack of effective tumor‑specific delivery systems remains an unmet clinical challenge for the employment of chemotherapy using cytotoxic drugs. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently been investigated for their potential as an efficient drug‑delivery platform, due to their good biodistribution, biocompatibility and low immunogenicity. In the present study, the formulation of GE11 peptide‑modified EVs (GE11‑EVs) loaded with doxorubicin (Dox‑GE11‑EVs), was developed to target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)‑positive tumor cells. The results obtained demonstrated that GE11‑EVs exhibited highly efficient targeting and drug delivery to EGFR‑positive tumor cells compared with non‑modified EVs. Furthermore, treatment with Dox‑GE11‑EVs led to a significantly inhibition of cell proliferation and increased apoptosis of EGFR‑positive tumor cells compared with Dox‑EVs and free Dox treatments. In addition, it was observed that treatment with either free Dox or Dox‑EVs exhibited a high level of cytotoxicity to normal cells, whereas treatment with Dox‑GE11‑EVs had only a limited effect on cell viability of normal cells. Taken together, the findings of the present study demonstrated that the engineered Dox‑GE11‑EVs can treat EGFR‑positive tumors more accurately and have higher safety than traditional tumor therapies.

Objectives: To investigate the associations between PM 2.5 and its chemical constituents with blood pressure (BP), assess effects across BP quantiles, and identify the key constituent elevating BP., Methods: A total of 36 792 adults were included in the cross-sectional study, representing 25 districts/counties of southeast China. Quantile regression models were applied to estimate the associations of PM 2.5 and its chemical constituents (ammonium [NH 4+ ], nitrate [NO 3- ], sulfate [SO 42- ], black carbon [BC], organic matter [OM]) with systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean artery pressure (MAP). A weighted quantile sum (WQS) index was used to estimate the relative importance of each PM 2.5 chemical constituent to the joint effect on BP., Results: The adverse effects of each interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM 2.5 , NH 4+ , NO 3- , SO 42- , and BC on BP were found to be greater with elevated BP, especially when SBP exceeded 133 mmHg and DBP exceeded 82 mmHg. Each IQR increase in all five PM 2.5 chemical constituents was associated with elevated SBP ( β [95% CI]: 0.90 [0.75, 1.05]), DBP ( β : 0.44 [0.34, 0.53]), and MAP ( β : 0.57 [0.45, 0.69]), NH 4+ (for SBP: weight = 99.43%; for DBP: 12.78%; for MAP: 60.73%) and BC (for DBP: 87.06%; for MAP: 39.07%) predominantly influencing these effects. The joint effect of PM 2.5 chemical constituents on risks for elevated SBP and DBP exhibited an upward trend from the 70 th quantile (SBP exceeded 133 mmHg, DBP exceeded 82 mmHg)., Conclusion: Long-term exposure to PM 2.5 and its chemical constituents was associated with increased risk for elevated BP, with NH 4+ and BC being the main contributors, and such associations were significantly stronger at 70th to 90th quantiles (SBP exceeded 133 mmHg, DBP exceeded 82 mmHg)., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Oncogenes and tumor suppressors are well-known to orchestrate several signaling cascades, regulate extracellular and intracellular stimuli, and ultimately control the fate of cancer cells. Accumulating evidence has recently revealed that perturbation of these key modulators by mutations or abnormal protein expressions are closely associated with drug resistance in cancer therapy; however, the inherent drug resistance or compensatory mechanism remains to be clarified for targeted drug discovery. Thus, dual-target drug development has been widely reported to be a promising therapeutic strategy for improving drug efficiency or overcoming resistance mechanisms. In this review, we provide an overview of the therapeutic strategies of dual-target drugs, especially focusing on pharmacological small-molecule compounds in cancer, including small molecules targeting mutation resistance, compensatory mechanisms, synthetic lethality, synergistic effects, and other new emerging strategies. Together, these therapeutic strategies of dual-target drugs would shed light on discovering more novel candidate small-molecule drugs for the future cancer treatment., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) is an important edible mushroom and polysaccharides are its major constituents with proven health benefits. The study was to investigate the gut bacterial fermentation and subsequent effects on gut barrier function of a glucan-rich polysaccharide, LePS40 precipitated from the mushroom water extract with 40 % (v/v) ethanol. LePS40 consisted of a β-(1→3)-glucan main chain with substitution in the C-6 position with side chains mainly composed of (1 → 6)-linked β-Glcp residues, (1 → 6)-linked α-Galp residues and terminal residues of β-Glcp. LePS40 was found highly resistant to digestive enzymes and gastric acid in simulated human gastrointestinal tract, but highly fermentable during in vitro human fecal fermentation. The fecal fermentation degradation of LePS40 appeared to selectively break the glucoside linkage in view of the dramatic decrease in the glucose molar ratio (12.68 to 1.07). Compared with the prebiotic reference FOS, LePS40 led to much higher levels of butyric, and propionic acid and a lower level of acetic acid. Moreover, LePS40 enhanced the abundance of some beneficial bacterial populations, but decreased the bacteria possibly linked with fatty-liver disease and colorectal cancer. Furthermore, the fecal fermentation products of LePS40 showed a potential protective effect on intestinal barrier function against inflammatory damage in Caco-2/Raw264.7 co-culture model. These findings suggest the potential of LePS40 for improvement of gut health through modulation of gut microbiota., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is a critical endocrine mediator implicated in male reproductive physiology. To investigate the correlation between IGF2 protein levels and various aspects of male infertility, specifically focusing on sperm quality, inflammation, and DNA damage, a cohort of 320 male participants was recruited from the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China) between 1st January 2024 and 1st March 2024. The relationship between IGF2 protein concentrations and sperm parameters was assessed, and Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were employed to evaluate the independent associations between IGF2 protein levels and risk factors for infertility. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure IGF2 protein levels in seminal plasma, alongside markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α] and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]). The relationship between seminal plasma IGF2 protein levels and DNA damage marker phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) was also explored. Our findings reveal that IGF2 protein expression decreased notably in patients with asthenospermia and teratospermia. Correlation analysis revealed nuanced associations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, and low IGF2 protein concentrations correlated with increased inflammation and DNA damage in sperm. The observed correlations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, along with its connection to inflammation and DNA damage, underscore the importance of IGF2 in the broader context of male reproductive health. These findings lay the groundwork for future research and potential therapeutic interventions targeting IGF2-related pathways to enhance male fertility., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: ©The Author(s)(2024).)

Doping plays a crucial role in determining the critical temperature ( T c ) of superconductors, yet accurately predicting its effects remains a significant challenge. Here, we introduce a novel doping descriptor that captures the complex influence of dopants on superconductivity. By integrating the doping descriptor with elemental and physical features within a Mixture of Experts (MoE) model, we achieve a remarkable R 2 of 0.962 for T c prediction, surpassing all published prediction models. Our approach successfully identifies optimal doping levels in the Bi 2- x Pb x Sr 2 Ca 2- y Cu y O z system, with predictions closely aligning with experimental results. Leveraging this model, we screen compounds from the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database and employ a generative approach to explore new doped superconductors. This process reveals 40 promising candidates for high T c superconductivity among existing and hypothetical doped materials. By explicitly accounting for doping effects, our method offers a powerful tool for guiding the experimental discovery of new superconductors, potentially accelerating progress in high-temperature superconductivity research and opening new avenues for material design.

Nanolabels can enhance the detection performance of electrochemical biosensing methods, yet their practical application is hindered by complex preparation, batch-to-batch variability, and poor long-term storage stability. Herein, we present a novel electrochemical method for miRNA detection based on the just-in-time generation of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanolabels initiated by nucleic acids. In this design, the target miRNA-21 is captured with magnetic beads and polyadenylated by Escherichia coli Poly(A) polymerase ( E PP), producing miRNA-21 molecules with poly(A) tails (miR-21-poly(A)). These molecules are then adsorbed onto a bare gold electrode (AuE) surface via adenine-gold affinity interactions, serving as nucleation sites for the rapid in situ formation of ZIF-8 nanoparticles. The ZIF-8 nanoparticles function as signal labels, impeding electron transfer at the electrode interfaces and thereby generating a notable electrochemical signal. The developed method demonstrated exceptional sensitivity, with a detection limit (LOD) as low as 2.3 aM and a linear detection range from 10 aM to 1000 fM. The practical application of the developed method was validated by using it to evaluate miRNA-21 expression levels in various biological samples, including cell lines, tumor tissues, and clinical blood samples from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. This approach simplifies the detection process by eliminating the need for presynthesized nanomaterials and premodified electrodes. Its simplicity and high sensitivity make this method a promising tool for point-of-care testing and a wide range of biomedical research applications.

Background: This study used network meta-analysis to compare the effects of various exercise interventions, with the aim of identifying the most effective intervention measures., Methods: Data were extracted from 8 databases, comprising of PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Embase. The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool was used to assess the quality of the research. Network meta-analysis and meta-analysis were performed using STATA15.0 and Review Manager 5.4, respectively., Results: This analysis incorporated 58 research papers that had 4998 participants, of which 2480 were assigned to the test group and 2518 to the control group. As revealed by the data, the following is a descending order of the impact of various exercise regimens on the quality of life (QoL) of women who have undergone breast cancer surgery: For the MOS item short form health survey, the recommended sequence was as follows: aerobic + resistance exercise, football, baduanjin, walking, tai chi, yoga, resistance exercise, slow-moving qigong, aerobic exercise, and usual care; for functional assessment of cancer therapy for breast cancer, the sequence was as follows: aerobic + resistance exercise, resistance exercise, relaxation, baduanjin, square dance, aerobic exercise, tai chi, yoga, Pilates, mixer dance, aquatic sports, cycle ergometer, and usual care; and for European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire, the sequence was aerobic + resistance exercise, aerobic + yoga, aerobic exercise, Pilates, yoga, muscle strengthening, resistance exercise, square dance, usual care, walking, and aerobic + edema massage., Conclusion: The majority of exercise interventions demonstrated a discernible impact on the QoL in women following breast cancer surgery. The effects of diverse exercise interventions on the 3 QoL outcome indicators in patients with breast cancer exhibited variability. However, irrespective of the QoL measurement technique used, aerobic and resistance exercise continue to be the most favorable choices., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Gastric mesenchymal tumors (GMT) are identified as soft tissue neoplasms that arise from mesenchymal stem cells within the gastrointestinal tract. GMT primarily encompass gastric stromal tumors (GST), gastric leiomyomas, and gastric schwannomas. Although most GMT are benign, there are still potential malignant changes, especially GST. Thus, early surgical intervention is the primary treatment for GMT. We have designed a simple endoscopic "calabash" ligation and resection (ECLR) procedure to treat GMT. Its efficacy and safety need to be compared with those of traditional endoscopic techniques, such as endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE)., Aim: To assess the safety and effectiveness of ECLR in managing small GMT (sGMT) with a maximum diameter ≤ 20 mm by comparing to ESE., Methods: This retrospective analysis involved patients who were hospitalized in our institution between November 2021 and March 2023, underwent endoscopic resection, and received a pathological diagnosis of GMT. Cases with a tumor diameter ≤ 20 mm were chosen and categorized into two cohorts: Study and control groups. The study group was composed of patients treated with ECLR, whereas the control group was composed of those treated with ESE. Data on general clinical characteristics (gender, age, tumor diameter, tumor growth direction, tumor pathological type, and risk grade), surgery-related information (complete tumor resection rate, operation duration, hospitalization duration, hospitalization cost, and surgical complications), and postoperative follow-up were collected for both groups. The aforementioned data were subsequently analyzed and compared., Results: Five hundred and eighty-nine individuals were included, with 297 cases in the control group and 292 in the study group. After propensity score matching, the final analysis incorporated 260 subjects in each cohort. The findings indicated that the study group exhibited shorter operation duration and lowered medical expenses relative to the control group. Furthermore, the study group reported less postoperative abdominal pain and had a lower incidence of intraoperative perforation and postoperative electrocoagulation syndrome than the control group. There were no substantial variations observed in other parameters among the two cohorts., Conclusion: ECLR is a viable and effective approach for managing sGMT., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Graphdiyne (GDY) is a kind of carbon material, which has highly delocalized π-conjugated system and feasible green synthesis. Nowadays, the use of GDY substrate as a sensing platform has become a new research hotspot and is rapidly developing. However, its application as a sensor is still relatively overlook compared to other fields., Aim of Review: This study is for the purpose of making researchers have a complete comprehensive understanding of GDY and its associated sensing platforms., Key Scientific Concepts of Review: This study introduces the structure, unique characteristics, and synthesis progress of GDY material. Moreover, the article systematically summarizes the improvement of GDY-based sensors in life, health and environmental detection. It also discusses the opportunities and challenges of designing high-performance GDY-based sensing platforms with the assistance of machine learning and theoretical calculate. It has essential scientific and practical meaning for accelerating the development of sensing platforms which base on GDY, triggering unknown phenomena and knowledge of material research, and initiating unlimited space for scientific innovation., 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. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: The planting of mangroves is extensively used to control the invasive plant Spartina alterniflora in coastal wetlands. Different plant species release diverse sets of small organic compounds that affect rhizosphere conditions and support high levels of microbial activity. The root-associated microbial community is crucial for plant health and soil nutrient cycling, and for maintaining the stability of the wetland ecosystem., Methods: High-throughput sequencing was used to assess the structure and function of the soil bacterial communities in mudflat soil and in the rhizosphere soils of S. alterniflora , mangroves, and native plants in the Oujiang estuarine wetland, China. A distance-based redundancy analysis (based on Bray-Curtis metrics) was used to identify key soil factors driving bacterial community structure., Results: S. alterniflora invasion and subsequent mangrove afforestation led to the formation of distinct bacterial communities. The main soil factors driving the structure of bacterial communities were electrical conductivity (EC), available potassium (AK), available phosphorus (AP), and organic matter (OM). S. alterniflora obviously increased EC, OM, available nitrogen (AN), and NO 3 - -N contents, and consequently attracted copiotrophic Bacteroidates to conduct invasion in the coastal areas. Mangroves, especially Kandelia obovata , were suitable pioneer species for restoration and recruited beneficial Desulfobacterota and Bacilli to the rhizosphere. These conditions ultimately increased the contents of AP, available sulfur (AS), and AN in soil. The native plant species Carex scabrifolia and Suaeda glauca affected coastal saline soil primarily by decreasing the EC, rather than by increasing nutrient contents. The predicted functions of bacterial communities in rhizosphere soils were related to active catabolism, whereas those of the bacterial community in mudflat soil were related to synthesis and resistance to environmental factors., Conclusions: Ecological restoration using K. obovata has effectively improved a degraded coastal wetland mainly through increasing phosphorus availability and promoting the succession of the microbial community., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Wang et al.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in children with febrile seizures (FS) in Luzhou, Sichuan Province, China, and in particular its association with gender and age. This should inform possible strategies for supplementation with vitamin D, and hence for prevention of FS in the local pediatric population. The Febrile seizures group consisted of 747 children hospitalized with FS at the Southwest Medical University Affiliated Hospital from January 2020 to January 2024. The healthy control group was comprised of 750 children aged from 0 to 8 years who underwent health checkups during this period. The serum 25(OH)D level was analyzed in relation to gender and age to explore its association with FS. The median serum vitamin D level in the FS group (28.8 ng/mL; IQR 21.64, 33.64) was significantly lower than in the healthy control group (37.51 ng/mL; IQR 31.05, 37.51). The incidence of vitamin D deficiency in the FS group was 10.8%, which was significantly higher than in the healthy control group (P < 0.05). In addition, the serum vitamin D level in children with FS varied in different age groups, with significantly lower levels observed in older children (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis revealed that a serum vitamin D level of 35.28 ng/mL showed 60.0% sensitivity and 84.7% specificity for predicting FS (P < 0.05). In this study cohort, the serum vitamin D level in children with FS was at the lower limit of the physiological range, and significantly lower than in healthy children. Furthermore, this level decreased with age in children with FS. Regular supplementation with vitamin D for 6 months after birth and outdoor sun exposure for more than 2 h per day can improve the serum vitamin D level in children with FS., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A copper-catalyzed oxidative annulation of sydnones with perfluorocarboxylic anhydride for the synthesis of 3-aryl-5-fluoroalkyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3 H )-ones is developed. A diverse array of 3-aryl-5-fluoroalkyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3 H )-ones are prepared with good yields (>73 examples, yields up to 95%). The synthetic utility of the developed protocol was demonstrated by gram-scale synthesis, and the synthetic transformation to 1,2,4-triazol-3-one products. A mechanistic study suggests that the reaction proceeds via the extrusion of carbon dioxide to generate the hydrazide intermediate, which then undergoes intramolecular cyclization and oxidation.

Venous malformations are the most common congenital vascular malformations, and the incidence rate is high. Previous studies have confirmed that a variety of polymorphisms within the miRNA functional region are associated with tumor susceptibility. We examined the correlation between miR-618 rs2682818 C>A and risk of developing venous malformation in a southern Chinese population (1113 patients and 1158 controls). TaqMan genotyping of miR-618 rs2682818 C>A was conducted utilizing real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The miR-618 rs2682818 polymorphism was not correlated with susceptibility to venous malformation (CA/AA vs. CC: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81-1.25, p = 0.994; AA vs. CC/CA: AOR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.73-1.65, p = 0.646). Stratified analysis of different subtypes of venous malformation revealed that there was no significant difference in the rs2682818 C>A polymorphism genotypes across these subtypes. Our results indicate that miR-618 rs2682818 C>A polymorphism is not correlated with the susceptibility to venous malformation., (© 2024 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected neutrophils are often found in the airways of patients with active tuberculosis (TB), and excessive recruitment of neutrophils to the lung is linked to increased bacterial burden and aggravated pathology in TB. The basis for the permissiveness of neutrophils for Mtb and the ability to be pathogenic in TB has been elusive. Here, we identified metabolic and functional features of neutrophils that contribute to their permissiveness in Mtb infection. Using single-cell metabolic and transcriptional analyses, we found that neutrophils in the Mtb-infected lung displayed elevated mitochondrial metabolism, which was largely attributed to the induction of activated neutrophils with enhanced metabolic activities. The activated neutrophil subpopulation was also identified in the lung granulomas from Mtb-infected non-human primates. Functionally, activated neutrophils harbored more viable bacteria and displayed enhanced lipid uptake and accumulation. Surprisingly, we found that interferon-γ promoted the activation of lung neutrophils during Mtb infection. Lastly, perturbation of lipid uptake pathways selectively compromised Mtb survival in activated neutrophils. These findings suggest that neutrophil heterogeneity and metabolic diversity are key to their permissiveness for Mtb and that metabolic pathways in neutrophils represent potential host-directed therapeutics in TB., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Endometrial cancer (EC), as one of the most common cancers, severely threatens female reproductive health. Our previous study has shown that Kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1) played crucial roles in the progression of EC. In addition, abnormal centrosome amplification, which was reported to be partially regulated by KIFC1, usually occurred in different cancers. However, whether KIFC1 promoted EC through centrosome amplification and the potential mechanism remain to be revealed. The present study demonstrated that overexpressed KIFC1, which exhibited a worse prognosis, had a positive correlation with an increased number of centrosomes in human EC samples. In addition, KIFC1 overexpression in EC cells prompted centrosome amplification, chromosomal instability, and cell cycle progression. Moreover, we demonstrated that KIFC1 inhibited E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase TRIM37 to maintain the stability of PLK4 by reducing its ubiquitination degradation, and finally promoting centrosome amplification and EC progression in vitro. Finally, the contributing role of KIFC1 and the inhibitory effect of TRIM37 on EC development and metastasis was verified in a nude mouse xenograft model. Our study elucidated that KIFC1 depends on TRIM37-mediated reduced ubiquitination degradation of PLK4 to promote centrosome amplification and EC progression, thus providing a potential prognostic marker and promising therapeutic target for EC in the future., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

For cirrhotic refractory ascites, diuretics combined with albumin and vasoactive drugs are the first-line choice for ascites management. However, their therapeutic effects are limited, and most refractory ascites do not respond to medication treatment, necessitating consideration of drainage or surgical interventions. Consequently, numerous drainage methods for cirrhotic ascites have emerged, including large-volume paracentesis, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, peritoneovenous shunt, automated low-flow ascites pump, cell-free and concentrated ascites reinfusion therapy, and peritoneal catheter drainage. This review introduces the advantages and disadvantages of these methods in different aspects, as well as indications and contraindications for this disease., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Perampanel, the first third-generation anti-seizure medication targeting the AMPA receptor, has been used in the treatment of patients with focal seizures, with or without secondary generalized seizures, and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures. This study focused on the effectiveness and safety of perampanel for pediatric patients with at least 1-year follow-up in real-world settings., Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for real-world studies published before April 27, 2024. The data of interest were extracted and analyzed using the R software (version 4.2.1)., Results: From 1181 retrieved citations, 25 records involved a total of 2985 individuals were included in the meta-analysis. The 50 % responder rate pooled from the 22 studies yielded an overall 55.0 % (95 % CI: 46.1-63.8 %), with significant evidence of between-study heterogeneity (I 2 = 93 %, P < 0.01, τ 2 = 0.038). The seizure-free rate pooled from 22 studies yielded an overall rate of 28.9 % (95 % CI: 19.6-39.1 %). Twenty studies reported the retention rate of perampanel treatment with a pooled proportion was 71.1 % (95 % CI: 61.1-80.2 %). The estimate of the adverse events incidence rate pooled from the 23 studies yielded an overall 29.0 % (95 % CI: 23.4-34.9 %). Subgroup analyses were conducted based on follow-up time (12 months or ≥ 24 months)., Conclusion: Perampanel is generally well tolerated and effective in the treatment of epilepsy in children and adolescents with mid-long-term follow-up. The 50 % responder rate in children and adolescents improved with time. The retention rate and the seizure-free rate during at least 24 months of follow-up were not as sustained as those in 12 months of follow-up. Adverse events, particularly psychiatric and behavioral, should be monitored during clinical practice administration., Competing Interests: Declarations of interest The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2024 British Epilepsy Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Conventional fluorescent materials frequently exhibit narrow-band emissions with a small full width at half-maximum (fwhm) due to localized-state characteristics, but electroluminescence is less efficient owing to the utilization of only singlet excitons. In this work, taking advantage of naphthalimide (NAI)-acetylide derivatives with a rigid planar structure and localized transition characteristics, we elaborately designed two mononuclear Pt(II) complexes with weak double emissions of fluorescence and phosphorescence. Taking them as synthetic precursors, we prepared three PtAu 2 heteronuclear clusters and successfully attained highly efficient narrow-band red phosphorescence with the fwhm below 30 nm. Both theoretical and experimental results suggest that the phosphorescence of PtAu 2 clusters mainly originates from the naphthalimide-localized 3 IL (intraligand) triplet state. Solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) achieved highly efficient narrow-band red electroluminescence with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 16.7%. The CIE coordinates of the electroluminescence (0.69, 0.31) closely match the standard red emission for ultrahigh-definition display.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that thrives in environments associated with human activity, including soil and water altered by agriculture or pollution. Because L-lactate is a significant product of plant and animal metabolism, it can serve as a carbon source for P. aeruginosa in the diverse settings that it inhabits. In this study, we evaluate the production and use of two redundant P. aeruginosa L-lactate dehydrogenases, termed LldD and LldA. We confirm that the protein LldR represses lldD and identify a new transcription factor, called LldS, that activates lldA ; these distinct regulators and the genomic contexts of lldD and lldA contribute to their differential expression. We demonstrate that the lldD and lldA genes are conditionally controlled in response to lactate isomers as well as to glycolate and ɑ-hydroxybutyrate, which, like lactate, are ɑ-hydroxycarboxylates. We also show that lldA is induced when iron availability is low. Our examination of lldD and lldA expression across depth in biofilms indicates a complex pattern that is consistent with the effects of glycolate production, iron availability, and cross-regulation on enzyme preference. Finally, macrophage infection assays reveal that both lldD and lldA contribute to persistence within host cells, underscoring the potential role of L-lactate as a carbon source during P. aeruginosa- eukaryote interactions. Together, these findings help us understand the metabolism of a key resource that may promote P. aeruginosa 's success as a resident of contaminated environments and animal hosts.IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis, of hospital-acquired infections, and of wound infections. It consumes L-lactate, which is found at substantial levels in human blood and tissues. In this study, we investigated the spatial regulation of two redundant enzymes, called LldD and LldA, which enable L-lactate metabolism in P. aeruginosa biofilms. We uncovered mechanisms and identified compounds that control the preference of P. aeruginosa for LldD versus LldA. We also showed that both enzymes contribute to its ability to survive within macrophages, a behavior that is thought to augment the chronicity and recalcitrance of infections. Our findings shed light on a key metabolic strategy used by P. aeruginosa and have the potential to inform the development of therapies targeting bacterial metabolism during infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

With the drying and warming of the climate and irrational grazing, various types of grasslands in Inner Mongolia have been degraded to different degrees, and different management modes will inevitably affect the plant diversity and vegetation carbon stock of soil grasslands. To clarify the changes and influencing factors of plant diversity and carbon stock in different types of grasslands under different management modes, plant species composition, aboveground biomass, and vegetation carbon were analyzed based on 18 sentinel monitoring stations across three different types of grasslands in Inner Mongolia. The results showed that grazing increased the dominance of typical grassland and desert grassland, whereas meadow grassland decreased, and the evenness index and Shannon Wiener diversity index increased less in meadow grassland and desert grassland. Grazing decreased graminaceous biomass in meadow grassland and typical grassland, whereas it increased in desert grassland. Above-ground vegetation and below-ground root carbon stocks were much higher than those in grazing areas, 1.5 and 1.2 higher, respectively, but vegetation carbon stocks in long-term grazing sites were significantly lower than those in short-term grazing. Further, the structural equations showed that the effects of geographic location, climatic factors, and soil factors on the biomass and vegetation carbon stocks of the three grassland types differed significantly. The results can provide a reference for the ecologically sustainable development of grassland and the optimization of management mode.

To realize the resource utilization of solid waste (coal slime) and further the dual carbon goals, utilizing coal slime and coal ash as adsorbates for CO 2 capture is crucial. This study employed low-temperature N 2 adsorption, low-pressure CO 2 adsorption, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and isothermal adsorption tests to assess coal slime and coal ash's pore/mineral composition characteristics. Subsequently, the influence on CO 2 adsorption was analyzed to reveal the CO 2 adsorption mechanisms of pores and clay minerals, and CO 2 molecule adsorption behavior. The results showed that: (1) ashing led to reductions in total pore volume, specific surface area, micropore volume, and micropore specific surface area, accompanied by substantial decreases in micropores and mesopores; (2) ashing generated high-temperature stable mineral species, including quartz, andalusite, hematite, and gypsum, while all calcite decomposed into CaO; (3) coal slime exhibited greater CO 2 adsorption capacity than coal ash, influenced by pore structure and clay minerals; (4) the adsorption behavior of coal slime and coal ash likely aligns with micropore filling theory, suggesting CO 2 is adsorbed within the 0.30-1.47 nm pore structure. This research contributes to optimizing coal by-product utilization in mining areas and exploring adsorbate materials for CO 2 sequestration in abandoned goaf., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether and how Zn proteinate with moderate chelation strength (Zn-Prot M) can alleviate heat stress (HS)-induced intestinal barrier function damage of broilers. A completely randomized design was used for comparatively testing the effects of Zn proteinate on HS and non-HS broilers. Under high temperature (HT), a 1 (Control, HT-CON) + 2 (Zn source) × 2 (added Zn level) factorial arrangement of treatments was used. The 2 added Zn sources were Zn-Prot M and Zn sulfate (ZnS), and the 2 added Zn levels were 30 and 60 mg/kg. Under normal temperature (NT), a CON group (NT-CON) and pair-fed group (NT-PF) were included., Results: The results showed that HS significantly reduced mRNA and protein expression levels of claudin-1, occludin, junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAMA), zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and zinc finger protein A20 (A20) in the jejunum, and HS also remarkably increased serum fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-D), endotoxin and interleukin (IL)-1β contents, serum diamine oxidase (DAO) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 activities, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p65 mRNA expression level, and protein expression levels of NF-κB p65 and MMP-2 in the jejunum. However, dietary supplementation with Zn, especially organic Zn as Zn-Prot M at 60 mg/kg, significantly decreased serum FITC-D, endotoxin and IL-1β contents, serum DAO and MMP-2 activities, NF-κB p65 mRNA expression level, and protein expression levels of NF-κB p65 and MMP-2 in the jejunum of HS broilers, and notably promoted mRNA and protein expression levels of claudin-1, ZO-1 and A20., Conclusions: Our results suggest that dietary Zn, especially 60 mg Zn/kg as Zn-Prot M, can alleviate HS-induced intestinal barrier function damage by promoting the expression of TJ proteins possibly via induction of A20-mediated suppression of the NF-κB p65/MMP-2 pathway in the jejunum of HS broilers., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aims: Although there are various model-based approaches to individualized vancomycin (VCM) administration, few have been reported for adult patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). This work attempted to develop a machine learning (ML)-based model for predicting VCM trough concentration in adult PJI patients., Methods: The dataset of 287 VCM trough concentrations from 130 adult PJI patients was split into a training set (229) and a testing set (58) at a ratio of 8:2, and an independent external 32 concentrations were collected as a validation set. A total of 13 covariates and the target variable (VCM trough concentration) were included in the dataset. A covariate model was respectively constructed by support vector regression, random forest regression and gradient boosted regression trees and interpreted by SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP)., Results: The SHAP plots visualized the weight of the covariates in the models, with estimated glomerular filtration rate and VCM daily dose as the 2 most important factors, which were adopted for the model construction. Random forest regression was the optimal ML algorithm with a relative accuracy of 82.8% and absolute accuracy of 67.2% (R 2  =.61, mean absolute error = 2.4, mean square error = 10.1), and its prediction performance was verified in the validation set., Conclusion: The proposed ML-based model can satisfactorily predict the VCM trough concentration in adult PJI patients. Its construction can be facilitated with only 2 clinical parameters (estimated glomerular filtration rate and VCM daily dose), and prediction accuracy can be rationalized by SHAP values, which highlights a profound practical value for clinical dosing guidance and timely treatment., (© 2024 British Pharmacological Society.)

With the rapid development of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technology, it is necessary to explore the feasibility of coal slime as a porous carbon material for CO 2 capture. In this paper, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphological characteristics of coal slime samples with different metamorphic degrees, and the pore structure of coal slime was explored by low temperature N 2 adsorption and low-pressure CO 2 adsorption experiments. The pore distribution characteristics were analyzed, and the adsorption law of different metamorphic degrees were summarized through CO 2 isothermal adsorption experiments. The results showed that: The specific surface area (SSA) and pore volume (PV) of the mesopores of the coal slime exhibited a U-shaped distribution with coal rank, and are much smaller than that of its micropores. Micropores less than 2 nm are the main adsorption space of coal slime, its PV accounted for 59%, 60%, 71%, and SSA accounted for 92%, 93%, 95%, obviously, which are dominant at all stages. The linear correlation fitting coefficients R 2 between the limiting adsorbed amount a of CO 2 and the micropores PV and the SSA were up to 0.830 and 0.887, respectively. The coal slime has good adsorption performance for CO 2 . Based on the Langmuir model to fit the limit adsorption amount, a-value can reach 41.774 cm 3  g -1 , 32.072 cm 3  g -1 , 38.457 cm 3  g -1 at 303 K with the increase of R max . Studying the impact of coal slime on CO 2 adsorption performance provides a theoretical basis for the subsequent preparation of energy storage materials and is of great significance for the safe, efficient and economic capture and sequestration of CO 2 , to alleviate the serious situation of the environment and realizing the dual-carbon goal., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest On behalf of all the co-authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: The cause of asthenozoospermia (AZS) is not well understood because of its complexity and heterogeneity. Although some gene mutations have been identified as contributing factors, they are only responsible for a small number of cases. Radial spokes (RSs) are critical for adenosine triphosphate-driven flagellar beating and axoneme stability, which is essential for flagellum motility. In this study, we found novel compound heterozygous mutations in leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 23 ( LRRC23 ; c.1018C>T: p.Q340X and c.881&#95;897 Del: p.R295Gfs*32) in a proband from a nonconsanguineous family with AZS and male infertility. Diff-Quik staining and scanning electron microscopy revealed no abnormal sperm morphology. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining showed that these mutations suppressed LRRC23 expression in sperm flagella. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy showed the absence of RS3 in sperm flagella, which disrupts stability of the radial spoke complex and impairs motility. Following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, the proband's spouse achieved successful pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby. In conclusion, our study indicates that two novel mutations in LRRC23 are associated with AZS, but successful fertility outcomes can be achieved by in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer techniques., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: ©The Author(s)(2024).)

A series of C-3 arylated huperzine A (HPA) derivatives (1-30) were designed and synthesized in good yields via palladium-catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. Cholinesterase inhibitory and neuroprotective activities of all 30 derivatives were evaluated. Cholinesterase inhibition results revealed that derivatives 2 and 15 exhibited dual inhibitory activity against both acetylcholinesterase (AChE inhibition: 2, IC 50  = 1.205 ± 0.395 μM; 15, IC 50  = 0.225 ± 0.062 μM) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE inhibition: 2, IC 50  = 8.598 ± 3.605 μM; 15, IC 50  = 4.013 ± 0.068 μM), a feature not observed in huperzine A. Molecular docking results indicated that the introduction of aryl groups enhanced the affinity of the derivatives for the acyl-binding pocket of BChE, thereby limiting the hydrolysis of acetyl choline. However, these derivatives exhibited poor performance in cytotoxicity and neuroprotection assays., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: This study aims to clarify the mechanical action of cyclin-dependent protein kinase 1 (CDK1) in the development of endometrial carcinoma (EMCA), which may be associated with the phosphorylation of kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1) and further activate the PI3K/AKT pathway., Methods: The protein and gene expression of CDK1 in EMCA tissues and tumor cell lines were evaluated by western blot, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry staining. Next, Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assay detected cell survival and proliferation. Cell migration and invasion were measured by Transwell assay. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were tested by flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence staining of γH2AX was used to evaluate DNA damage, respectively. Subsequently, a co-immunoprecipitation assay was used to detect the interaction between CDK1 and KIFC1. The phosphorylated protein of KIFC1 and PI3K/AKT was detected by western blot. Finally, the effect of CDK1 on the tumor formation of EMCA was evaluated in a nude mouse xenograft model., Results: CDK1 was highly expressed in EMCA tumor cell lines and tissues, which contributed to cell survival, proliferation, invasion, and migration, inhibited cell apoptosis, and induced DNA damage of EMCA cells dependent on the phosphorylation of KIFC1. Moreover, the CDK1-KIFC1 axis further activated PI3K/AKT pathway. Finally, CDK1 knockdown repressed tumor formation of EMCA in vivo., Conclusion: We report that increased CDK1 promotes tumor progression and identified it as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target of EMCA., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© 2024. Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology, and Japan Society of Gynecologic Oncology.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to propose a comprehensive maxillary sinus (MS) contour classification system based on the evaluation of anatomical characteristics from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) examination and investigate the relationship between sinus contours and sinus floor elevation (SFE)., Methods: A total of 283 CBCT scans from patients who had single tooth loss in the posterior maxilla and underwent SFE were analyzed. The MS was classified at each tooth position. For buccal-palatal evaluation, the classification from Type A to E was narrow-taper, taper, ovoid, square, and irregular, respectively. For mesial-distal evaluation, the classification from Type 1 to 4 was flat, slope, concave, and septa, respectively. The major anatomical parameters evaluated were (1) residual bone height (RBH), (2) sinus width (SW), (3) maxillary sinus angle (MSA), (4) buccal dip angle (BDA), (5) palatonasal recess (PNR), and (6) sinus depth., Results: Eleven groups of MS contour were classified after detailed calculation. Differences in the RBH, MSA, BDA, and SW among different groups were statistically significant. The narrow-taper and slope MS (A2) group had the highest RBH (8.66 ± 0.77 mm), largest BDA (79.9° ± 3.18°), smallest MSA (19.8° ± 2.01°), and narrowest SW (6.30 ± 1.23 mm). The lowest RBH was in the square and concave sinus (D3) group (5.11 ± 2.70 mm). The ovoid and concave sinus (C3) group had the smallest BDA (50.64 ± 8.73 mm) and largest MSA (74.11° ± 11.52°). The square and flat MS (D1) group had the widest SW (19.13 ± 3.69 mm). A strongly significant positive correlation was observed between the SW and MSA (r = 0.67) and a strongly negative correlation between the SW and BDA (r = - 0.65). The prevalence of PNR (mean angle: 104.06° ± 16.83°, mean height: 14.72 ± 11.78 mm) was 38% and frequently observed in the ovoid and slope MS (C2) group., Conclusion: Despite certain characteristics at different tooth sites, the same tooth position was categorized differently using different classification systems, indicating large anatomical variations in the MS. The classification system proposed herein allows for classification based on general characteristics at a single tooth site, aiming to help surgeons in improving presurgical evaluation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The field of carborane research has witnessed continuous development, leading to the construction and development of a diverse range of crystalline porous materials for various applications. Moreover, innovative synthetic approaches are expanding in this field. Since the first report of carborane-based crystalline porous materials (CCPMs) in 2007, the synthesis of carborane ligands, particularly through innovative methods, has consistently posed a significant challenge in discovering new structures of CCPMs. This paper provides a comprehensive summary of recent advances in various synthetic approaches for CCPMs, along with their applications in different domains. The primary challenges and future opportunities are expected to stimulate further multidisciplinary development in the field of CCPMs.

Butterflies constitute approximately 10% of lepidopteran insects, and along with silkworms, they can produce silk; however, this feature is often ignored. In the present study, we observed two primary methods used by butterflies to hang pupae on trees using silk: pupa adheraena ( Danaus chrysippus ) and pupa contigua ( Papilio polytes ). Anchoring the abdominal ends of pupae with a silk pad was the most common method used in both cases, whereas wrapping silk around the body using a silk girdle was a method unique to pupa contigua. The connection between the cremaster and silk pad was observed to be similar to that between the hook and loop of a Velcro fastener, except that the cremaster hook is anchor-shaped rather than being a single hook. Such a connection will remain secure, ensuring the safety of the pupae during exposure to wind and rain. Through determining the mechanical properties of silk, the performance of butterfly silk was found to be weaker than that of silkworm silk. Therefore, the P. polytes silk girdle adopts the strategy of merging a dozen silk threads to improve its strength and toughness, thereby making it difficult to break. In addition, we explained how the protein sequence and structure of butterfly silk impact its performance. In conclusion, we discovered that butterfly pupae develop unique body features to establish secure bonds with silk. This enables them to effectively undergo metamorphosis and endure harsh weather conditions and surroundings.

Introduction: Traditional cancer treatment strategies often have severe toxic side effects and poor therapeutic efficacy. To address the long-standing problems related to overcoming the complexity of tumors, we develop a novel nanozyme based on the in situ oxidation of 2D Ti 3 C 2 structure to perform simultaneous phototherapy and sonodynamic therapy on tumors. Ti 3 C 2 nanozymes exhibit multi-enzyme activity, including intrinsic peroxidase (POD) activities, which can react with H 2 O 2 in the tumor microenvironment. This new material can construct Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 heterostructures in vivo., Methods: Photothermal (PTT), sonodynamic (SDT) effects, and photoacoustic (PA) image-guided synergy therapy can be achieved. Finally, anticancer immune responses occur with this nanozyme. In vivo experiments revealed that the Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 heterostructure inhibited tumor growth., Results: Complementarily, our results showed that the Ti 3 C 2 /TiO 2 heterostructure enhanced the immunogenic activity of tumors by recruiting cytotoxic T cells, thereby enhancing the tumor ablation effect. Mechanistic studies consistently indicated that Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) regulates apoptosis of HCC cells by modulating NRF2/OSGIN1 signaling both in vitro and in vivo. As a result, Ti 3 C 2 nanozyme effectively inhibited tumor through its synergistic ability to modulate ROS and enhance immune infiltration of cytotoxic T cells in the tumor microenvironment., Discussion: These findings open up new avenues for enhancing 2D Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets and suggest a new way to develop more effective sonosensitizers for the treatment of cancer., Competing Interests: Hailing Yu, Yongquan Huang and Zhisheng Nong are co-first authors for this study. The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2024 Yu et al.)

Total amount of creatine (Cr) and phosphocreatine, or total creatine (tCr), may have a significant impact on the performance of skeletal muscles. In sports such as bodybuilding, it is popular to take Cr supplements to maintain tCr level. However, no study has explored the quantitative relationship between exercise intensity and the induced change in muscle's tCr. In this well-controlled study, straight-leg plantar flexion with specific load and duration was performed by 10 healthy subjects inside an MRI scanner, immediately followed by 1 H MR spectroscopy (MRS) for measuring tCr concentration in gastrocnemius. For repeatability assessment, the experiment was repeated for each subject on two different days. Across all the subjects, baseline tCr was 46.6 ± 2.4 mM, ranging from 40.6 to 50.1 mM; with exercise, tCr significantly decreased by 10.9% ± 1.0% with 6-lb load and 21.0% ± 1.3% with 12-lb load (p < 0.0001). Between two different days, baseline tCr, percentage decrease induced by exercise with a 6-lb and 12-lb load differed by 2.2% ± 2.3%, 11.7% ± 6.0% and 4.9% ± 3.2%, respectively. In conclusion, the proposed protocol of controlled exercise stimulation and MRS acquisition can reproducibly monitor tCr level and its exercise-induced change in skeletal muscles. The measured tCr level is sensitive to exercise intensity, so can be used to quantitatively assess muscle performance or fatigue., (© 2024 The Author(s). Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.)

Background: Post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is a common consequence of radical partial hepatectomy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)., Aims: To investigate the relationship between preoperative antiviral therapy and PHLF, as well as assess the potential efficacy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level in predicting PHLF., Methods: A retrospective study was performed involving 1301 HCC patients with HBV who underwent radical hepatectomy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the capacity of HBV DNA to predict PHLF and establish the optimal cutoff value for subsequent analyses. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the independent risk factors of PHLF. The increase in the area under the ROC curve, categorical net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to quantify the efficacy of HBV DNA level for predicting PHLF. The P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Logistic regression analyses showed that preoperative antiviral therapy was independently associated with a reduced risk of PHLF ( P < 0.05). HBV DNA level with an optimal cutoff value of 269 IU/mL ( P < 0.001) was an independent risk factor of PHLF. All the reference models by adding the variable of HBV DNA level had an improvement in area under the curve, categorical NRI, and IDI, particularly for the fibrosis-4 model, with values of 0.729 (95%CI: 0.705-0.754), 1.382 (95%CI: 1.341-1.423), and 0.112 (95%CI: 0.110-0.114), respectively. All the above findings were statistically significant., Conclusion: In summary, preoperative antiviral treatment can reduce the incidence of PHLF, whereas an increased preoperative HBV DNA level has a correlative relationship with an increased susceptibility to PHLF., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors declare no competing interests for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Atherosclerosis (AS) is an inflammatory arterial disorder that occurs due to the deposition of the excessive lipoprotein under the artery intima, mainly including low-density lipoprotein and other apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a crucial role in transmitting signals in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. GPCRs recognize inflammatory mediators, thereby serving as important players during chronic inflammatory processes. It has been demonstrated that free fatty acids can function as ligands for various GPCRs, such as free fatty acid receptor (FFAR)1/GPR40, FFAR2/GPR43, FFAR3/GPR41, FFAR4/GPR120, and the lipid metabolite binding glucose-dependent insulinotropic receptor (GPR119). This review discusses GPR43 and its ligands in the pathogenesis of AS, especially focusing on its distinct role in regulating chronic vascular inflammation, inhibiting oxidative stress, ameliorating endothelial dysfunction and improving dyslipidemia. It is hoped that this review may provide guidance for further studies aimed at GPR43 as a promising target for drug development in the prevention and therapy of AS., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests.

The convergence of green growth is not only very important for the sustainable development of mankind, but also plays a key role in the coordinated development of eastern, Midwest regions of China. The effect of innovative human capital (IHC) on the convergence of regional green growth in China needs to be explored. This paper empirically explores the impact of IHC on the convergence of regional green growth in China from spatial perspective for the first time. Through the regression analysis of the convergence models, three main conclusions are obtained: (1) there are obvious conditional β space convergence characteristics of green growth among inter-provincial units in China. Under the spatial correlation expressed by distance weights and adjacent weights, the conditional β space convergence characteristics of green growth are quite different. (2) Compared with the adjacency weight, under the distance weight, the spatial diffusion effect of innovative knowledge and technologies created by IHC is stronger. (3) There is club convergence of green growth in the East and the Midwest regions, and the quantity and quality of IHC in the Midwest region play a stronger role in the convergence of green growth than in the East region. Based on the above conclusions, this paper proposes some policies for the East and Midwest regions., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Isoprenoid metabolism and its derivatives took part in photosynthesis, growth regulation, signal transduction, and plant defense to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, how aluminum (Al) stress affects the isoprenoid metabolism and whether isoprenoid metabolism plays a vital role in the Citrus plants in coping with Al stress remain unclear. In this study, we reported that Al-treatment-induced alternation in the volatilization rate of monoterpenes (α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, α-terpinene, γ-terpinene and 3-carene) and isoprene were different between Citrus sinensis (Al-tolerant) and C. grandis (Al-sensitive) leaves. The Al-induced decrease of CO 2 assimilation, maximum quantum yield of primary PSII photochemistry (F v /F m ), the lower contents of glucose and starch, and the lowered activities of enzymes involved in the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway and 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway might account for the different volatilization rate of isoprenoids. Furthermore, the altered transcript levels of genes related to isoprenoid precursors and/or derivatives metabolism, such as geranyl diphosphate (GPP) synthase (GPPS) in GPP biosynthesis, geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGPPS), chlorophyll synthase (CHS) and GGPP reductase (GGPPR) in chlorophyll biosynthesis, limonene synthase (LS) and α-pinene synthase (APS) in limonene and α-pinene synthesis, respectively, might be responsible for the different contents of corresponding products in C. grandis and C. sinensis. Our data suggested that isoprenoid metabolism was involved in Al tolerance response in Citrus, and the alternation of some branches of isoprenoid metabolism could confer different Al-tolerance to Citrus species., 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 Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To introduce our method managing nasal septal spurs during endoscopic septoplasty., Methods: We conducted a prospective study of cases treated with endoscopic septoplasty between March 2022 and June 2023. We innovated a surgical method to reduce the local mucosal tension at the spur by cutting the spur above and below the bony connection, and reducing the chance of mucosal tear and loss during dissection. The authors performed these cases at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, where 40 surgeries were performed with regular postoperative follow-ups for 6-12 months., Results: All patients' clinical symptoms improved significantly after surgery. After 2-4 weeks of follow-up, the mucosa could recover to the preoperative state on both sides of the nasal septum., Conclusion: This surgical method is suitable for most patients with nasal septal deviation, especially those with a spur, which can effectively reduce the chance of nasal septal mucosa tear and accelerate postoperative recovery., Level of Evidence: Ⅳ., (Copyright © 2024 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier España S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Human carcinoembryonic antigen cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) is an inhibitory cell surface protein that functions through homophilic and heterophilic ligand binding. Its expression on immune cells in human tumors is poorly understood., Methods: An antibody that distinguishes human CEACAM1 from other highly related CEACAM family members was labeled with 159 Tb and inserted into a panel of antibodies that included specificity for programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) and PD-L1, which are targets of immunotherapy, to gain a data-driven immune cell atlas using cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF). A detailed inventory of CEACAM1, PD1, and PD-L1 expression on immune cells in metastatic lesions to lymph node or soft tissues and peripheral blood samples from patients with treatment-naive and -resistant melanoma as well as peripheral blood samples from healthy controls was performed., Results: CEACAM1 is absent or at low levels on healthy circulating immune cells but is increased on immune cells in peripheral blood and tumors of melanoma patients. The majority of circulating PD1-positive NK cells, innate T cells, B cells, monocytic cells, dendritic cells, and CD4 + T cells in the peripheral circulation of treatment-resistant disease co-express CEACAM1 and are demonstrable as discrete populations. CEACAM1 is present on distinct types of cells that are unique to the tumor microenvironment and exhibit expression levels that are highest in treatment resistance; this includes tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cells., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first comprehensive atlas of CEACAM1 expression on immune cells in a human tumor and reveals an important correlation with treatment-resistant disease. These studies suggest that agents targeting CEACAM1 may represent appropriate partners for PD1-related pathway therapies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who undergo polypectomy may experience postpolypectomy bleeding. To reduce the risk of delayed postpolypectomy bleeding among the general population, cold snare polypectomy (CSP) is recommended for removing colon polyps smaller than 1 cm. Nevertheless, only few studies have examined the effect of CSP on patients with ESRD., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with ESRD who underwent colonoscopic polypectomy for polyps larger than 5 mm at a Taiwanese university hospital from January 2014 to January 2023. The main outcome was delayed postpolypectomy bleeding within 30 days. Multivariate analysis was conducted to adjust for major confounders., Results: A total of 557 patients with ESRD underwent colonoscopic polypectomy during the study period: 201 underwent CSP and 356 underwent hot snare polypectomy (HSP). Delayed postpolypectomy bleeding occurred in 27 patients (4.8%). The rate of delayed postpolypectomy bleeding was lower in patients with ESRD who underwent CSP than in those who underwent HSP (1.9% vs. 6.4%, P = 0.022). The percentage of patients who did not experience postpolypectomy bleeding within 30 days after CSP remained lower than that observed after HSP (P = 0.019, log-rank test). Multivariate analysis demonstrated immediate postpolypectomy bleeding and HSP to be independent risk factors for delayed postpolypectomy bleeding. A nomogram prognostic model was used to predict the potential of delayed postpolypectomy bleeding within 30 days in patients with ESRD., Conclusions: Compared with HSP, CSP is more effective in mitigating the risk of delayed postpolypectomy bleeding in patients with ESRD., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Inherited ichthyosis comprises a series of heterogeneous dermal conditions; it mainly manifests as widespread hyperkeratosis, xerosis and scaling of the skin. At times, overlapping symptoms require differential diagnosis between ichthyosis and several other similar disorders. The present study reports seven patients with confirmed or suspected to be associated with ichthyosis by conducting a thorough clinical and genetic investigation. Genetic testing was conducted using whole‑exome sequencing, with Sanger sequencing as the validation method. The MEGA7 program was used to analyze the conservation of amino acid residues affected by the detected missense variants. The enrolled patients exhibited ichthyosis‑like but distinct clinical manifestations. Genetic analysis identified diagnostic variations in the FLG , STS , KRT10 and SERPINB7 genes and clarified the carrying status of each variant in the respective family members. The two residues affected by the detected missense variants remained conserved across multiple species. Of note, the two variants, namely STS : c.452C>T(p.P151L) and c.647&#95;650del(p.L216fs) are novel. In conclusion, a clear genetic differential diagnosis was made for the enrolled ichthyosis‑associated patients; the study findings also extended the mutation spectrum of ichthyosis and provided solid evidence for the counseling of the affected families.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and Müller cells gliosis are significant pathological characteristics of retinal degeneration (RD) and causing blinding. Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment for RD, the recently accepted therapeutic mechanism is cell fusion induced materials transfer. However, whether materials including mitochondrial transfer between grafted stem cells and recipient's cells contribute to suppressing gliosis and mechanism are unclear. In present study, we demonstrated that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transferred mitochondria to Müller cells by cell fusion and tunneling nanotubes. BMSCs-derived mitochondria (BMSCs-mito) were integrated into mitochondrial network of Müller cells, improving mitochondrial function, reducing oxidative stress and gliosis, which protected visual function partially in the degenerative rat retina. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that BMSCs-mito increased mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content and facilitated mitochondrial fusion in damaged Müller cells. It suggests that mitochondrial transfer from BMSCs remodels Müller cells metabolism and suppresses gliosis; thus, delaying the degenerative progression of RD., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

GPRC5D is an atypical Class C orphan G protein-coupled receptor. Its high expression on the surface of multiple myeloma cells has rendered it an attractive target for therapeutic interventions, including monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T cells, and T-cell engagers. Despite its therapeutic potential, the insufficient understanding regarding of the receptor's structure and antibody recognition mechanism has impeded the progress of effective therapeutic development. Here, we present the structure of GPRC5D in complex with a preclinical-stage single-chain antibody (scFv). Our structural analysis reveals that the GPRC5D presents a close resemblance to the typical Class C GPCRs in the transmembrane region. We identify a distinct head-to-head homodimer arrangement and interface mainly involving TM4, setting it apart from other Class C homo- or hetero-dimers. Furthermore, we elucidate the binding site engaging a sizable extracellular domain on GPRC5D for scFv recognition. These insights not only unveil the distinctive dimer organization of this unconventional Class C GPCR but also hold the potential to advance drug development targeting GPRC5D for the treatment of multiple myeloma., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Weaning stress reduces growth performance and health of young pigs due in part to an abrupt change in diets from highly digestible milk to fibrous plant-based feedstuffs. This study investigated whether dietary galactooligosaccharide (GOS), supplemented both pre- and post-weaning, could improve growth performance and intestinal health via alterations in the hindgut microbial community., Methods: Using a 3 × 2 factorial design, during farrowing 288 piglets from 24 litters received either no creep feed (FC), creep without GOS (FG-) or creep with 5% GOS (FG+) followed by a phase 1 nursery diet without (NG-) or with 3.8% GOS (NG+). Pigs were sampled pre- (D22) and post-weaning (D31) to assess intestinal measures., Results: Creep fed pigs grew 19% faster than controls (P < 0.01) prior to weaning, and by the end of the nursery phase (D58), pigs fed GOS pre-farrowing (FG+) were 1.85 kg heavier than controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, pigs fed GOS in phase 1 of the nursery grew 34% faster (P < 0.04), with greater feed intake and efficiency. Cecal microbial communities clustered distinctly in pre- vs. post-weaned pigs, based on principal coordinate analysis (P < 0.01). No effects of GOS were detected pre-weaning, but gruel creep feeding increased Chao1 α-diversity and altered several genera in the cecal microbiota (P < 0.05). Post-weaning, GOS supplementation increased some genera such as Fusicatenibacter and Collinsella, whereas others decreased such as Campylobacter and Frisingicoccus (P < 0.05). Changes were accompanied by higher molar proportions of butyrate in the cecum of GOS-fed pigs (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Gruel creep feeding effectively improves suckling pig growth regardless of GOS treatment. When supplemented post-weaning, prebiotic GOS improves piglet growth performance associated with changes in hindgut microbial composition., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Background: Countries abroad have implemented pediatric palliative treatment for several years; however, complete pediatric palliative treatment guidelines and legal guidance remain lacking in China, making the implementation of palliative care difficult., Purpose: This study aimed to understand the current situation, similarities, and differences in the knowledge, attitudes, and needs of caregivers and healthcare providers regarding palliative care for children., Methods: This cross-correlation study collected data from pediatric and neonatal intensive care units of four hospitals in China. The participants comprised 180 caregivers and 172 healthcare providers. The measurement tools included the palliative care knowledge scale, palliative care attitude scale, and pediatric palliative care needs scale. This study adhered to the STROBE reporting guidelines., Results: Significant differences in palliative care knowledge, attitudes, and needs were observed between caregivers and healthcare providers (p < 0.005). Pediatric healthcare providers demonstrated higher knowledge and positive attitudes regarding palliative care than caregivers. Needs for communication in general and relief from pain and other symptoms of caregivers were higher than those of healthcare providers (p < 0.001). Furthermore, palliative care attitude and needs of healthcare providers were positively correlated with each other (r = 0.212, p < 0.005)., Conclusion: Pediatric healthcare providers and caregivers demonstrated different perceptions of needs for palliative care. The results of this study can serve as a reference for the future development of guidelines related to children's needs and related interventions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Freestanding single-crystalline SrTiO 3 membranes, as high-κ dielectrics, hold significant promise as the gate dielectric in two-dimensional (2D) flexible electronics. Nevertheless, the mechanical properties of the SrTiO 3 membranes, such as elasticity, remain a critical piece of the puzzle to adequately address the viability of their applications in flexible devices. Here, we report statistical analysis on plane-strain effective Young's modulus of large-area SrTiO 3 membranes (5 × 5 mm 2 ) over a series of thicknesses (from 6.5 to 32.2 nm), taking advantage of a highly efficient buckling-based method, which reveals its evident thickness-dependent behavior ranging from 46.01 to 227.17 GPa. Based on microscopic and theoretical results, we elucidate these thickness-dependent behaviors and statistical data deviation with a bilayer model, which consists of a surface layer and a bulk-like layer. The analytical results show that the ∼3.1 nm surface layer has a significant elastic softening compared to the bulk-like layer, while the extracted modulus of the bulk-like layer shows a variation of ∼40 GPa. This variation is considered as a combined contribution from oxygen deficiency presenting in SrTiO 3 membranes, and the alignment between applied strain and the crystal orientation. Upon comparison of the extracted elastic properties and electrostatic control capability to those of other typical gate dielectrics, the superior performance of single-crystalline SrTiO 3 membranes has been revealed in the context of flexible gate dielectrics, indicating the significant potential of their application in high-performance flexible 2D electronics.

The extensively studied Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) in various batteries are limited by their low discharge capacity, or subpar rate etc., which are solely reliant on the cation (de)intercalation mechanism. In contrast to the currently predominant focus on cations, we report the overlooked anion-cation competition chemistry (Cl - , K + , Zn 2+ ) stimulated by high-voltage scanning. With our designed anion-cation combinations, the KFeMnHCF cathode battery delivers comprehensively superior discharge performance, including voltage plateau >2.0 V (vs. Zn/Zn 2+ ), capacity >150 mAh g -1 , rate capability with capacity maintenance above 96 % from 0.6 to 5 A g -1 , and cyclic stability exceeding 3000 cycles. We further verify that such comprehensive improvement of electrochemical performance utilizing anion-cation competition chemistry is universal for different types of PBAs. Our work would pave a new and efficient road towards the next-generation high-performance PBAs cathode batteries., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Zinc (Zn) could alleviate the adverse effect of high temperature (HT) on intestinal integrity and barrier function of broilers, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the possible protective mechanisms of Zn on primary cultured broiler jejunal epithelial cells exposed to thermal stress (TS). In Exp.1, jejunal epithelial cells were exposed to 40℃ (normal temperature, NT) and 44℃ (HT) for 1, 2, 4, 6, or 8 h. Cells incubated for 8 h had the lowest transepithelial resistance (TEER) and the highest phenol red permeability under HT. In Exp.2, the cells were preincubated with different Zn sources (Zn sulfate as iZn and Zn proteinate with the moderate chelation strength as oZn) and Zn supplemental levels (50 and 100 µmol/L) under NT for 24 h, and then continuously incubated under HT for another 8 h. TS increased phenol red permeability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and p-PKC/PKC level, and decreased TEER, cell proliferation, mRNA levels of claudin-1, occludin, zona occludens-1 (ZO-1), PI3K, AKT and mTOR, protein levels of claudin-1, ZO-1 and junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A), and the levels of p-ERK/ERK, p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT. Under HT, oZn was more effective than iZn in increasing TEER, occludin, ZO-1, PI3K, and AKT mRNA levels, ZO-1 protein level, and p-AKT/AKT level; supplementation with 50 μmol Zn/L was more effective than 100 μmol Zn/L in increasing cell proliferation, JAM-A, PI3K, AKT, and PKC mRNA levels, JAM-A protein level, and the levels of p-ERK/ERK and p-PI3K/PI3K; furthermore, supplementation with 50 μmol Zn/L as oZn had the lowest LDH activity, and the highest ERK, JNK-1, and mTOR mRNA levels. Therefore, supplemental Zn, especially 50 μmol Zn/L as oZn, could alleviate the TS-induced integrity and barrier function damage of broiler jejunal epithelial cells possibly by promoting cell proliferation and tight junction protein expression via the MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)