Structural insights into the regulation of monomeric and dimeric apelin receptor.

The apelin receptor (APJR) emerges as a promising drug target for cardiovascular health and muscle regeneration. While prior research unveiled the structural versatility of APJR in coupling to Gi proteins as a monomer or dimer, the dynamic regulation within the APJR dimer during activation remains poorly understood. In this study, we present the structures of the APJR dimer and monomer complexed with its endogenous ligand apelin-13.

Metronomic Capecitabine Plus Aromatase Inhibitor as Initial Therapy in Patients With Hormone Receptor-Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer-The Phase III MECCA Trial.

Purpose: The effects of metronomic chemotherapy plus endocrine therapy have yet to be elucidated through a randomized phase III clinical trial.

Methods: Randomized clinical trials were conducted at 12 centers in China from August 22, 2017, to September 24, 2021, and the final follow-up date was August 25, 2023. Patients with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who had no previous systemic therapy in the metastatic setting were enrolled.

Photocatalytic Dehalogenation of Aryl Halides Mediated by the Flexible Metal-Organic Framework MIL-53(Cr).

The catalytic potential of flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) remains underexplored, particularly in solution-phase reactions. This study employs MIL-53(Cr), a prototypical "breathing" MOF capable of structural adaptation via pore size modulation, as a photocatalyst for the dehalogenation of aryl halides. Powder X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function analyses reveal that organic solvents influence pore opening, while substrates and products dynamically adjust the framework configuration during catalysis.

The fully bio-based bilayered flame retardant treatment for paper via natural bio-materials.

In this paper, we report a novel method for enhancing the flame retardancy of wood-based paper by utilizing natural biomaterials. The research constructed a bilayered structure coating on paper fiber surfaces, incorporating mixed starch (MS), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and phytic acid (PA) as natural bio-based flame retardants. The structural configuration of the coating comprises MS/ATP and MS/PA, which were sequentially assembled as bottom and top parts, respectively, through pneumatic spraying.

Airway microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic disorder in ozone and PM co-exposure induced lung inflammatory injury in mice.

Co-exposure to ground-level ozone (O) and fine particles (PM, ≤ 2.5 µm in diameter) has become a primary scenario for air pollution exposure of urbanites in China. Recent studies have suggested a synergistic effect of PM and O on induction of lung inflammatory injury.

Safety study of fluralaner solution on poultry red mite: A clinical study screening of the optimal dose and focusing on hepatic and renal parameters.

The poultry red mite (PRM), Dermanyssus gallinae, a significant ectoparasite causing diseases in poultry, is globally prevalent and necessitates effective control strategies. There are restrictions on the use of acaricides in poultry across several nations due to worries about medication residues. Consequently, finding safe and efficient treatments for PRM is imperative.

Children's cost-benefit analysis about agents who act for the greater good.

Acting for the greater good often involves paying a personal cost to benefit the collective. In two studies, we investigate how children (N = 184, M = 8.02 years, SD = 1.

Targeting autophagy plus high-dose CDK4/6 inhibitors in advanced HR+HER2- breast cancer: A phase 1b/2 trial.

Background: The unmet needs of managing patients with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer who progress after cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) treatment remain unclarified.

Methods: This was a phase 1b/2, single-arm, open-label study that enrolled 29 patients with HR+/HER2- breast cancer who experienced first-line palbociclib treatment failure. The primary endpoint was the incidence of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT).

Association of Occupational Noise Exposure and Extended High-Frequency Hearing Loss in Young Workers With Normal Hearing.

Objectives: Studies on the relationship between occupational noise exposure and extended high-frequency (EHF) hearing loss are limited. This study investigated the relationship between occupational noise exposure and EHF hearing loss in workers exposed to noise as measured by sound pressure level, exposure duration, and kurtosis to help provide a basis for early detection and prevention of hearing loss in noise-exposed workers.

Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 602 participants with 472 noise-exposed workers and 130 non-noise-exposed controls.

Hippocampus carbonic anhydrase 1 via ERK pathway may be involved in depressive like behaviors.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a destructive mental disease, yet the mechanism is still not clear. Carbonic anhydrase, an efficient catalyst for CO conversion to carbonate and protons, could affect many functions, such as memory formation recognition. Lately, we illustrated that carbonic anhydrase 1 (CAR1) knockout (CAR1) mice could lead to depressive-like behaviors, but the underlying molecular mechanism is unknown.

OTULIN confers cisplatin resistance in osteosarcoma by mediating GPX4 protein homeostasis to evade the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS), the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents, arises from bone-forming mesenchymal cells. Despite advancements in surgical resection and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (cisplatin, doxorubicin, and methotrexate), chemotherapy resistance remains a significant challenge, leading to poor survival rates in patients with metastatic or recurrent OS.

Methods: In this study, we focused on the role of OTULIN, a key linear deubiquitinating enzyme, in OS chemoresistance.

In-depth analysis of active compounds targeting tropomyosin-related kinase A via constructed lipid raft @capillary monolith affinity chromatography.

In order to enrich the selection of biological ligands, realize the miniaturization analysis, and broaden the application of monolith materials for active ingredients screening and separating, we sough to construct a lipid raft @capillary monolith microcolumn affinity chromatography model. Single factor experiments and various characterization methods, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis, were employed to investigate the polymerization of the monolith column under different material ratios to determine optimal preparation conditions. Subsequently, the lipid raft from U251 cells was integrated with the monolith materials based on epoxy-based covalent crosslinking principle and characterized through SEM and immunofluorescence methods.

Visual codon: a user-friendly Python program for viewing and optimizing gene GC content.

Due to the codon bias of different species, codon optimization is usually carried out in the process of heterologous protein expression. At present, there are a variety of codon optimization tools. However, the optimized sequences may still have high or low points of local guanine and cytosine (GC) content, which is not conducive to the primer design of gene subcloning, and also makes it difficult to perform the experiment of synthesizing the whole gene with DNA fragments by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) reaction.

Nanogel imprinting improving affinity and selectivity of domain-limited ssDNA aptamer to Pb: Interaction mechanisms revealed by molecular dynamics simulation.

Aptamer conformations are susceptible to environmental conditions, which makes it difficult to achieve stable targets detection in complex environments with aptasensors. Imprinting strategy was proposed to immobilize the specific conformation of aptamers, aiming to enhance their recognition anti-interference. However, it is mechanistically unclear how the imprinted polymers affect aptamers' recognition, which limits application of the strategy.

Manipulating p-π Resonance through Methoxy Group Engineering in Covalent Organic Frameworks for an Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Kinetic factors frequently emerge as the primary constraints in photocatalysis, exerting a critical influence on the efficacy of polymeric photocatalysts. The diverse conjugation systems within covalent organic frameworks (COFs) can significantly impact photon absorption, energy level structures, charge separation and migration kinetics. Consequently, these limitations often manifest as unsatisfactory kinetic behavior, which adversely affects the photocatalytic activity of COFs.

Protocol of an adaptive mobile health intervention for the management of gestational weight gain: The LEAP cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: More than half of pregnant patients with overweight or obesity exceed national gestational weight gain (GWG) guidelines, increasing their risk of adverse outcomes. There is an urgent need to develop effective and scalable interventions to improve GWG.

Objective: To describe the protocol of Lifestyle, Eating, and Activity in Pregnancy (LEAP), a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating a mobile health (mHealth) intervention promoting appropriate GWG in an integrated healthcare system.

Analysis of immune cell activation in patients with diabetes foot ulcer from the perspective of single cell.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) can cause severe complications, including diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). There is a significant gap in understanding the single-cell ecological atlas of DM and DFU tissues.

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing data were used to create a detailed single-cell ecological landscape of DM and DFU.

A novel sustained-release agent based on disulfide-induced recombinant collagen hydrogels for the prevention and treatment of infections.

Schistosomiasis is commonly managed using the praziquantel, but it is only effective against adult worms and duration of action is short. Liver fibrosis will worsen if eggs are still present after stopping treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a sustained drug release system for effectively preventing and treating schistosomiasis.

The Growing Altitude Influences the Flavor Precursors, Sensory Characteristics and Cupping Quality of the Pu'er Coffee Bean.

The growing altitude is an important factor affecting the quality of coffee. We explored the flavor precursors, sensory characteristics, and cupping qualities of coffee growing at different altitudes and discussed their associated relationships. The altitude at which coffee is grown has different effects on its chemical composition.

The development of kind concepts: Insights from object individuation.

Object individuation studies have been a valuable tool in understanding the development of kind concepts. In this article, we review evidence from object individuation paradigms to argue that by their first birthday, infants represent at least three superordinate-level sortal kinds: OBJECT, ANIMATE, and AGENT (possibly also ARTIFACT). These superordinate sortal-kind concepts share key characteristics of adult kind concepts, such as prioritizing causal properties and having inductive potential.

Alginate catabolic systems in marine bacteria.

Brown algae, constituting the second largest group of marine macroalgae, fix significant amounts of inorganic carbon into alginate, the most abundant polysaccharide found in their cell walls. Alginate serves as an important macromolecular carbon source for marine bacteria. The catabolism of alginate by bacteria is an important step in the marine carbon cycle, and this area of research has attracted growing interests over the past decade.

Experimental study on the nonlimit active earth pressure of finite soil in proximity engineering.

This study focuses on the active earth pressure distribution of finite soil masses in urban proximity engineering, with a specific emphasis on nonlimit conditions. Through laboratory model tests, the relationship between the nonlimit earth pressure and displacement of the finite soil mass is investigated. Furthermore, the distribution law of the nonlimit earth pressure is explored, considering the influence of the existing structure, proximity distance, and soil cover thickness of the existing structure on the nonlimit earth pressure distribution within the finite soil mass.

Ischemic Stroke Induces ROS Accumulation, Maladaptive Mitophagy, and Neuronal Apoptosis in Minipigs.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced adaptive/maladaptive mitophagy plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, most studies have been conducted using rodent models, which limits their clinical application. In this study, we aimed to develop porcine models of permanent stroke and observe the pathophysiological alterations caused by acute ischemic stroke, focusing on ROS-induced mitophagy.

Pectin enhances the inhibition of α-amylase via the mixture of rutin and quercetin.

The human dietary system, which contains a variety of compounds such as polyphenols and polysaccharides, is very complex. Whether polysaccharides affect the inhibitory of polyphenol mixtures on α-amylase needs to be further investigated. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect and mechanism of pectin on the inhibition of α-amylase by a mixture of rutin and quercetin (R-Q).