Search

Metabolomics covers a wide range of applications in life sciences, biomedicine, and phytology. Data acquisition (to achieve high coverage and efficiency) and analysis (to pursue good classification) are two key segments involved in metabolomics workflows. Various chemometric approaches utilizing either pattern recognition or machine learning have been employed to separate different groups. However, insufficient feature extraction, inappropriate feature selection, overfitting, or underfitting lead to an insufficient capacity to discriminate plants that are often easily confused. Using two ginseng varieties, namely Panax japonicus (PJ) and Panax japonicus var. major (PJvm), containing the similar ginsenosides, we integrated pseudo-targeted metabolomics and deep neural network (DNN) modeling to achieve accurate species differentiation. A pseudo-targeted metabolomics approach was optimized through data acquisition mode, ion pairs generation, comparison between multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and scheduled MRM (sMRM), and chromatographic elution gradient. In total, 1980 ion pairs were monitored within 23 min, allowing for the most comprehensive ginseng metabolome analysis. The established DNN model demonstrated excellent classification performance (in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, area under the curve, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC)) using the entire metabolome data and feature-selection dataset, exhibiting superior advantages over random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and multilayer perceptron (MLP). Moreover, DNNs were advantageous for automated feature learning, nonlinear modeling, adaptability, and generalization. This study confirmed practicality of the established strategy for efficient metabolomics data analysis and reliable classification performance even when using small-volume samples. This established approach holds promise for plant metabolomics and is not limited to ginseng.

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the ovary represents a rare and malignant extrahepatic tumor that shares morphological and immunophenotypic similarities with hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to the ambiguous histomorphology and aggressive behavior, the diagnosis and management of hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the ovary present unique challenges. Here, we present a 67-year-old woman with massive ascites and disseminated peritoneal implants at initial diagnosis. She was treated with six cycles of neoadjuvant therapy (albumin-bound paclitaxel + nedaplatin + bevacizumab) and a debulking surgery, followed by eight cycles of postoperative adjuvant therapy (albumin-bound paclitaxel + carboplatin + bevacizumab). Elaborate pathology workup found significant involvement of angiogenesis in the tumor and confirmed the diagnosis via immunohistochemistry. Further molecular characterization of the tumor by whole-exome sequencing (WES) revealed a novel heterozygous germline mutation (NM_000057.2, c.1290_1291delinsATCAGGCCTCCATAG, p.Y430fs1) in gene BLM, likely pathogenic, suggesting a potential candidate for Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. For the maintenance therapy, she received a combination of the PARP inhibitor niraparib and the antiangiogenic anlotinib. As of now, the patient has achieved a partial response, with no apparent evidence of disease progression observed nearly 30 months. Our study sheds light on the WES-based profiling in rare cancers to screen for any treatable targets with otherwise no standard therapeutic options. The promising results with the niraparib–anlotinib combination suggest its potential as a maintenance therapy option for hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the ovary, which warrants validation in future larger cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaves have evolved shape diversity, ranging from simple leaves with a smooth margin to complicated shapes with toothed/serrated, lobed, and dissected leaves with leaflets. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana with simple leaves producing a serrated margin, boundary regulatory factor genes CUP SHAPED COTYLEDON 2 (CUC2) and CUC3 play important roles in promoting leaf initiation and maintenance of serration. Stem cell-related WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX1 (WOX1) and PRESSED FLOWER (PRS)/ WOX3 are also essential for leaf margin morphogenesis, but the role of WOX1 and PRS as well as the relationships between CUCs and WOXs for tooth development are unclear. In this study, we found that WOX1, but not PRS, prevents overproduction of number of teeth and excessive tooth size by limiting CUC3 expression to a moderate level in a temporally regulated manner. We also revealed that BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT 1 (BZR1), a known regulator of plant development including boundary regions, is involved in WOX1 negative regulation of tooth development by repressing CUC3 expression during the initiation/early stage of tooth development. WOX1 parallelly limits BZR1 and CUC3 expression from the late stage of the first two teeth, while it restricts CUC3 activity in a BZR1-dependent manner from the initiation/early stage of subsequently developed teeth. This study uncovers a new mechanism for WOX1 in fine-tuning the leaf margin geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present research, the nanosecond short-pulsed laser with rotary drilling method was designed to process carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite plate. The hole dimension, surface morphology, heat-affected zone (HAZ), and mechanical properties were analyzed. The results reveal that the CFRP composite plate could be rapidly drilled with highly qualified processing surface by the nanosecond short-pulsed laser with rotary drilling method. The figures such as circle, square, triangle, and regular hexagon could be processed with minimum hole diameter of 0.1 mm. The changing of laser scanning speed and laser power could result in the variation in diameter of hole entrance and exit, which fluctuates in scope of 35 μm. The calculated biggest taper angle is about 0.43°, but the smallest taper angle is about 0.12°. The laser drilling on CFPR composite decreases the tensile strength by about 9%, which should be ascribed to the damage of continuous carbon fiber, but it is still acceptable. The nanosecond short-pulsed laser with rotary drilling method generates a small HAZ on hole entrance but almost no HAZ in hole exit. The surface roughness of laser processed CFRP ranges from 2.925 to 4.226 μm. Comparatively, the laser scanning speed between 800 and 1,000 mm/s and laser power around 28 W would be the optimal choice, which could realize the best balance between surface quality and efficiency.

The electrochemical reduction of oxygen is pivotal for advancing emerging energy technologies. Precise control over morphology and electronic structure is essential for enhancing catalytic activity and stability in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this study, a freestanding carbon electrode is developed by in-situ growth of carbon nanotube (CNT)-encapsulated bimetallic CoM (M = Ni, Fe, Mn, Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) within a hierarchical carbonized wood matrix (CoM@NWCC). The hierarchically porous architecture of the electrode promotes efficient mass transfer during the ORR. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and density functional theory (DFT) analyses revealed that incorporating metals such as Ni, Fe, Mn, and Cu modulates the electronic structure of Co, specifically adjusting the distance between the d-band center (E d ) and the Fermi level (E F ), thus optimizing ORR kinetics. Among these, CoNi@NWCC, with its asymmetric electronic configuration, achieves an optimal balance between OH * and OOH * adsorption, significantly enhancing catalytic performance. This study demonstrates the potential of band structure engineering to precisely tailor catalyst properties, offering a cost-effective and high-performance solution for zinc-air batteries (ZABs) suitable for large-scale deployment., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stands as a grave illness characterized by elevated death rates. Early identification plays a vital role in improving patient survival. Herein, a novel split-type dual-mode biosensor featuring with near-infrared photoelectronchemical (PEC) and colorimetric sensing characteristics was developed for the high-performance detection of HepG2 cells. Biotin labeled aptamer (Bio-Apt1) was immobilized onto 96-well plates functionalized with streptavidin to capture HepG2 cells through specific binding. HepG2 cells were then labeled with another aptamer (Apt-2) by recognizing GPC3 on the surface of HepG2 cells. Apt 2 could form DNA double strand (dsDNA-ALP) with ALP-labeled complementary DNA (cDNA-ALP). Subsequently, ALP was released to catalyze AAP to form ascorbic acid (AA), and AA reduced HAuCl 4 to form gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Then the mixture containing AuNPs was introduced onto the surface of Y-MOFs/GCE to enhance the photocurrent response. The change of photocurrent corresponding to the concentration of HepG2 cells can be used for the PEC determination. ALP can catalyze the hydrolysis of disodium phenyl phosphate to produce phenol, followed by a reaction with 4-aminoantipyrine and potassium ferricyanide, resulting in a quinone derivative for the colorimetric determination. The photoelectrochemical and colorimetric detection models show excellent selectivity and sensitivity in identifying HepG2 cells, exhibiting a linear reaction range from 1.0 × 10 2 to 1.0 × 10 6  cells mL -1 and a detection limit of 13 cells mL -1 and 51 cells mL -1 , respectively. The dual-mode split type biosensor avoided direct damage to biomolecules from high-energy light, and the independent signal transduction enabled the acquisition of reliable results., 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 © 2025. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Colorectal polyps are commonly observed in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and pose a significant clinical concern because of their potential for malignancy., Aim: To explore the clinical characteristics of colorectal polyps in patients with CLD, a nomogram was established to predict the presence of adenomatous polyps (AP)., Methods: Patients with CLD who underwent colonoscopy at Tianjin Second People's Hospital from January 2020 to May 2023 were evaluated. Clinical data including laboratory results, colonoscopy findings, and pathology reports were collected. Key variables for the nomogram were identified through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, followed by multivariate logistic regression. The performance of the model was evaluated using the area under the receiver area under curve, as well as calibration curves and decision curve analysis., Results: The study enrolled 870 participants who underwent colonoscopy, and the detection rate of AP in patients with CLD was 28.6%. Compared to individuals without polyps, six risk factors were identified as predictors for AP occurrence: Age, male sex, body mass index, alcohol consumption, overlapping metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and serum ferritin levels. The novel nomogram (AP model) demonstrated an area under curve of 0.801 (95% confidence interval: 0.756-0.845) and 0.785 (95% confidence interval: 0.712-0.858) in the training and validation groups. Calibration curves indicated good agreement among predicted and actual probabilities (training: χ 2 = 11.860, P = 0.157; validation: χ 2 = 7.055, P = 0.530). The decision curve analysis underscored the clinical utility of the nomogram for predicting the risk of AP., Conclusion: The AP model showed reasonable accuracy and provided a clinical foundation for predicting the occurrence of AP in patients with CLD, which has a certain predictive value., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) can catalyze the asymmetric sulfoxidation to form pharmaceutical prazoles in environmentally friendly approach. In this work, the thermostable BVMO named PockeMO had high sulfoxidation activity towards rabeprazole sulfide to form (R)-rabeprazole but demonstrated significant overoxidation activity to form undesired sulfone by-product. To address this issue, the enzyme was engineered based on the computer assisted comparison for the substrate binding conformations. A mutant S482Y/L532Q (MU2) was obtained with much alleviated overoxidation activity and enhanced sulfoxidation activity towards rabeprazole sulfide. The catalytic efficiency for (R)-rabeprazole oxidation decreased 35 folds and increased 40 folds for the sulfoxidation of lansoprazole sulfide. The structural mechanism for the selectivity improvement was illuminated to find a selectivity decision pocket that was conservatively present in BVMOs composed of 4 loops. In upscaled reaction system, the substrate loading for MU2 increased from 40 mM to 100 mM for the synthesis of enantiopure (R)-rabeprazole. The sulfone content decreased from 16.6 % to 1.2 % compared to PockeMO. Lansoprazole sulfide could also be fully converted into enantiopure (R)-lansoprazole at 50 mM in 4 h by MU2 while PockeMO almost did not have activity. This work indicated the synthetic applicability of MU2 for active pharmaceutical (R)-prazoles., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The gastric mucosal barrier, through its gastric pits, serves as a pathway for secretions, ensuring that mucus produced by the gastric glands is transferred to the gastric lumen, providing stable protection. Here a bioinspired liquid pockets material is shown, composed of a thermo-driven hydrogel that acts as an external activation unit to release interflowing liquid responsively, and porous matrices that serve as interconnected pockets to transfer it, enabling controlled internal flow and adaptive barrier functionality. Experiments and theoretical analysis demonstrate the stability and regulatory mechanisms of these liquid pockets, based on the interconnected pockets between the external activation unit and internal fluid flow. It exhibits a new pathway for regulating microscale flow at responsive material interfaces, enabling applications from sequential drug release, self-cleaning, and antifouling to anti-swelling. These unique capabilities address long-standing challenges in microscale flow control, with potential impacts in diverse fields including microfluidics, drug delivery, medical devices, 3D printing, and beyond., (© 2025 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Purpose: This retrospective cohort study evaluated the accuracy of analog versus virtual wax-ups in prosthetic-driven planning and guided surgery., Methods: There were 73 patients with a single missing posterior tooth who underwent either an analog or virtual wax-up design following a prosthetic-driven concept. Intraoral scans of the final restoration were performed 1 year after completion of the restoration. The accuracy was assessed by comparing the deviation between the final restoration and the wax-up (analog or virtual) of each patient at the prosthetic level. The maximum deviation in six areas (buccal top, buccal mid, buccal bottom, lingual top, lingual mid, and lingual bottom) was recorded. The accuracy was also assessed at the implant level by comparing the deviation between the virtual new implant position, which was redesigned based on the final restoration as the new wax-up, and the planned position. The mean deviations in the coronal, apical, angular, and depth measurements were recorded. A two-tailed independent t-test and a one-way analysis of variance were used., Results: Statistically significant differences were observed between the buccal (P = 0.03) and lingual tops (P = 0.03) at the prosthetic level. Significant differences were observed in the angular (P < 0.01) and coronal (P = 0.01) deviations at the implant level. There were smaller deviations between the analog wax-ups and final restorations regardless of the prosthetic or implant level., Conclusions: Analog wax-ups were preferable to virtual wax-ups for preoperative design in computer-guided implant surgery.