Discovery of a novel exceptionally potent and orally active Nur77 ligand NB1 with a distinct binding mode for cancer therapy.

The orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 is emerging as an attractive target for cancer therapy, and activating Nur77's non-genotypic anticancer function has demonstrated strong therapeutic potential. However, few Nur77 site B ligands have been identified as excellent anticancer compounds. There are no co-crystal structures of effective anticancer agents at Nur77 site B, which greatly limits the development of novel Nur77 site B ligands.

Complexity of intrinsic brain activity in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients: patterns, association with structural damage, and clinical disability.

Functional plasticity has been demonstrated in multiple sclerosis (MS) studies. However, the intrinsic brain activity complexity alterations remain unclear. Here, using a coarse-graining time-series procedure algorithm, we obtained multiscale entropy (MSE) from a retrospective multi-centre dataset (208 relapsing-remitting MS patients and 228 healthy controls).

Impact of white matter hyperintensity location on outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients: a lesion-symptom mapping study.

Background: Studies on the impact of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) on function outcome have primarily concentrated on WMH volume, overlooking the potential significance of WMH location. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between WMH location and outcome in patients with their first-ever acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Methods: Patients who underwent their first AIS between September 2021 and September 2022 were recruited.

Kiwifruit spatiotemporal multiomics networks uncover key tissue-specific regulatory processes throughout the life cycle.

Kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis), a recently commercialized horticultural crop, is rich in various nutrient compounds. However, the regulatory networks controlling the dynamic changes in key metabolites among different tissues remain largely unknown. Here, high-resolution spatiotemporal datasets obtained by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodology and RNA-seq were employed to investigate the dynamic changes in the metabolic and transcriptional landscape of major kiwifruit tissues across different developmental stages, including from fruit skin, outer pericarp, inner pericarp, and fruit core.

Application of transgenic mice to the molecular pathogenesis of cataract.

One of the most prevalent disorders that cause blindness worldwide is cataract, and its essence is the visual disorder caused by the opacity of the lens. The significant degree of variation in cataracts and the fact that a variety of factors can impact a patient's lens transparency make it especially crucial to investigate the pathogenesis of cataracts at the molecular level. It has been found that more than 60 genes are linked to the formation of cataracts, and the construction of a transgenic mouse model of cataract similar to the selection of human lens clouding due to a variety of causes has become an important means of studying the pathogenesis of cataract.

Mirids secrete a TOPLESS targeting protein to enhance JA-mediated defense and gossypol accumulation for antagonizing cotton bollworms on cotton plants.

Most coexisting insect species exhibit stunted growth compared to individual species on plants. This phenomenon reflects an interspecific antagonism drawing extensive attention, while the underlying mechanisms remain largely uncharacterized. Mirids (Apolygus lucorum) and cotton bollworms (Helicoverpa armigera) are two common cotton pests.

Comparative Long Non-Coding Transcriptome Analysis of Three Contrasting Barley Varieties in Response to Aluminum Stress.

Aluminum toxicity is a major abiotic stress on acidic soils, leading to restricted root growth and reduced plant yield. Long non-coding RNAs are crucial signaling molecules regulating the expression of downstream genes, particularly under abiotic stress conditions. However, the extent to which lncRNAs participate in the response to aluminum (Al) stress in barley remains largely unknown.

Development of a Risk Assessment Tool for Venous Thromboembolism among Hospitalized Patients in the ICU.

Background: ICU patients have a high incidence of VTE. The American College of Chest Physicians antithrombotic practice guidelines recommend assessing the risk of VTE in all ICU patients. Although several VTE risk assessment tools exist to evaluate the risk factors among hospitalized patients, there is no validated tool specifically for assessing the risk of VTE in ICU patients.

Robotic-assisted CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary nodules localization by hook-wire needles: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Preoperative computed tomography (CT)-guided localization of small pulmonary nodules (SPNs) is the major approach for accurate intraoperative visualization in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). However, this interventional procedure has certain risks and may challenge to less experienced junior doctors. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of robotic-assisted CT-guided preoperative pulmonary nodules localization with the modified hook-wire needles before VATS.

iJAZ-based approach to engineer lepidopteran pest resistance in multiple crop species.

The fall armyworm (FAW) poses a significant threat to global crop production. Here we showed that overexpression of jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) protein GhJAZ24 confers resistance to cotton bollworm and FAW, while also causing sterility in transgenic cotton by recruiting TOPLESS and histone deacetylase 6. We identified the NGR motif of GhJAZ24 that recognizes and binds the aminopeptidase N receptor, enabling GhJAZ24 to enter cells and disrupt histone deacetylase 3, leading to cell death.

Automatic detection system for steel skeleton size based on machine vision.

Currently, most buildings are constructed using prefabricated concrete slabs supported by a steel skeleton that is generally tied and welded manually. However, if the overall size of the skeleton is incorrect and this error is not noticed before the concrete is poured, then a huge waste is incurred by having to scrap all the prefabricated slabs. Therefore, we propose an automatic system for measuring the frame size needed for prefabricated slabs made of reinforced concrete using LabVIEW and the NI Vision library of machine-vision functions to perform image processing and machine-vision detection.

Comparison of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tissue characterization parameters in white matter tracts of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

Objective: To investigate the microstructural properties of T2 lesion and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) in 20 white matter tracts between multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and correlations between the tissue damage and clinical variables.

Methods: The white matter (WM) compartment of the brain was segmented for 56 healthy controls (HC), 48 patients with MS, and 38 patients with NMOSD, and for the patients further subdivided into T2 lesion and NAWM. Subsequently, the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tissue characterization parameters of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were compared for 20 principal white matter tracts.

PDMS Film-Based Flexible Pressure Sensor Array with Surface Protruding Structure for Human Motion Detection and Wrist Posture Recognition.

Flexible pressure sensors have been widely concerned because of their great application potential in the fields of electronic skin, human-computer interaction, health detection, and so on. In this paper, a flexible pressure sensor is designed, with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films with protruding structure as elastic substrate and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)/cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) as conductive-sensitive material. The flexible pressure sensor has a wide linear detection range (0-100 kPa), outstanding sensitivity (2.

Uncovering potential distinctive acoustic features of healing music.

Background: Music therapy is a promising complementary intervention for addressing various mental health conditions. Despite evidence of the beneficial effects of music, the acoustic features that make music effective in therapeutic contexts remain elusive.

Aims: This study aimed to identify and validate distinctive acoustic features of healing music.

A comparative study of ultrasound cycloplasty and endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation in the treatment of secondary glaucoma.

To compare the clinical efficacy of ultrasound cycloplasty (UCP) and endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) in the treatment of secondary glaucoma. In a 12-month prospective single-center study, 22 patients with secondary glaucoma were treated by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), and 23 patients with secondary glaucoma were treated by a semiconductor laser. At the final follow-up, the two groups' surgical outcomes were compared.

Arabidopsis TETRASPANIN8 mediates exosome secretion and glycosyl inositol phosphoceramide sorting and trafficking.

Sphingolipids are components of plant membranes, and their heterogeneous distribution gives different membrane systems distinct properties. For example, glycosyl inositol phosphoceramides (GIPCs), 1 major type of sphingolipids, aggregate in the outer layer of the plasma membrane (PM), as well as in extracellular vesicles (EVs), including the small (30 to 100 nm) EVs termed exosomes. How these sphingolipids are sorted and trafficked is not clear.

Male and female are not the same: a multicenter study of static and dynamic functional connectivity in relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis in China.

Background: Sex-related effects have been observed in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), but their impact on functional networks remains unclear.

Objective: To investigate the sex-related differences in connectivity strength and time variability within large-scale networks in RRMS.

Methods: This is a multi-center retrospective study.

A dirigent protein complex directs lignin polymerization and assembly of the root diffusion barrier.

Functionally similar to the tight junctions present in animal guts, plant roots have evolved a lignified Casparian strip as an extracellular diffusion barrier in the endodermis to seal the root apoplast and maintain nutrient homeostasis. How this diffusion barrier is structured has been partially defined, but its lignin polymerization and assembly steps remain elusive. Here, we characterize a family of dirigent proteins (DPs) essential for both the localized polymerization of lignin required for Casparian strip biogenesis in the cell wall and for attachment of the strip to the plasma membrane to seal the apoplast.