Nf2-FAK signaling axis is critical for cranial bone ossification and regeneration.

Skeletal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess self-renewal capacities and play a leading role in the craniofacial system. However, their engagement in controlling cranial bone development and regeneration remains largely unidentified. Herein, we discovered the neurofibromin 2 (Nf2)-encoded regulator Merlin, demonstrating indispensableness in the craniofacial system.

Multiplex lateral flow immunoassay for simultaneous detection and specific discrimination of Xoo and Xoc in rice plants.

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc) are two important rice bacterial pathogens, causing serious losses of global rice yield every year.

Efficacy of disitamab vedotin (RC48) for previously treated human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer with symptomatic brain metastases: a case report and review of the literature.

Local radiotherapy or surgery is the standard of care for treating brain metastases among patients with breast cancer. However, affected by tumor subtype, more than 50% of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer and brain metastases will still develop local recurrence or new brain lesions within 1 year after radiotherapy. As systemic therapies demonstrate higher and clinically relevant levels of intracranial activity and longer survival, there is limited evidence to guide how to weigh the options of radiotherapy versus systemic therapy (and deferral of radiation) in patients with progressive brain metastases, particularly those that are symptomatic.

Fasudil protects spiral ganglion neurons and hair cells against cisplatin-induced apoptosis by inhibiting reactive oxygen species accumulation and regulating the ROCK/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway.

Cisplatin causes hearing loss in at least 60% of chemotherapy patients, leading to impairments in the patient's life quality. Spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) and hair cells (HCs) are the main cell types affected by cisplatin accumulation in the inner ear. Fasudil is an FDA-approved drug and has been reported to exert neuroprotective effects in previous research.

Adaptation of single molecule real time (SMRT) sequence technology for hepatitis C virus genome sequencing and identification of resistance-associated substitutions.

Background And Objective: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) impact HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Therefore, a sensitive sequencing assay for detecting HCV RASs is crucial. PacBio sequencing, a Single molecule real time (SMRT) platform, is capable of long-fragment sequencing.

"Repair and fold" DNA nanotweezers for measuring DNA alkylation repair mediated by ALKBH.

We report a novel DNA lesion-modified nanotweezer that underwent conformational switching upon ALKBH enzyme-mediated lesion repair. We demonstrated that the DNA lesion-modified nanotweezer enabled specific and rapid monitoring of ALKBH2 and ALKBH3 activities and screening of inhibitors. Importantly, this strategy allowed evaluating ALKBH2-associated drug resistance in cells.

Pyrotinib-assisted whole brain radiotherapy alleviates HER2-positive advanced breast cancer and brain metastases: a prospective study in patients.

Purpose: The whole-brain radiotherapy (WRBT)-based therapeutic efficacy is often limited against human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2+)-positive advanced breast cancer (BC) and brain metastases (BM), requiring more effective treatment options. This prospective study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of combining WBRT with pyrotinib in patients with HER2+ advanced BC and BM.

Methods: The enrolled patients ( = 26, from April 2019 to March 2022) were divided into two treatment groups.

Clinical study on the treatment of acute epidural hematoma by embolization of middle meningeal artery through radial artery access combined with minimally invasive burr hole drainage.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of using coil embolization via radial artery access, combined with drilling and drainage, as a minimally invasive treatment for acute epidural hematoma compared to traditional craniotomy.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 134 patients with acute epidural hematoma treated at the Department of Neurosurgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, between January 2020 and April 2023. Among these patients, 37 underwent embolization of the middle meningeal artery through radial artery access combined with burr hole drainage, while 97 patients underwent craniotomy for hematoma removal.

Automatic identification of oligonucleotide metabolites in complex biological samples using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry combined with the molecule profiler software.

Oligonucleotide (ON) is one of the rapidly developing fields in biotherapeutics. Ultra high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) has been widely used for the identification of metabolites due to its high sensitivity, high resolution, and ability to provide structural information. The identification of ON metabolites in matrix has been reported by UHPLC-HRMS, however, manual data processing is time-consuming.

Inhibition of P2X7 receptor mitigates atrial fibrillation susceptibility in isoproterenol-induced rats.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia that is characterized by atrial electrical remodeling. The P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), an ATP-gated ion channel, has been implicated in cardiovascular pathologies; however, its role in atrial electrical remodeling remains unclear. This study investigated whether inhibition of P2X7R could mitigate isoproterenol (ISO)-induced atrial electrical remodeling in rats and explored the underlying mechanisms.

The role of intrapartum ultrasound combined with free position delivery in the management of abnormal fetal positions during labor.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of combining intrapartum ultrasound with free maternal positions in managing abnormal labor, specifically focusing on its impact on delivery outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 176 cases of abnormal labor progression in women who attempted vaginal delivery at our hospital from June 2021 to May 2022. Among these, 88 cases were diagnosed with abnormal fetal positions using a combination of intrapartum ultrasound and vaginal examination, and these patients were guided to adopt free maternal positions (experimental group).

Troponin C is required for copulation and ovulation in Nilaparvata lugens.

Troponin C (TnC) is a calcium-binding subunit of the troponin complex that regulates muscle contraction in animals. However, the physiological roles of TnC, especially in insect development and reproduction, remain largely unknown. We identified seven TnC genes encoding four EF-hand motif protein in the rice pest, the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens.

Synergistic effects of clays and cyanobacteria on the accumulation dynamics of soil organic carbon in artificial biocrusts.

Biocrusts are the primary organic carbon reservoirs in desert areas, in which inorganic clays potentially playing significant roles; however, the specific details of these roles remain largely unclear. In this study, typical 1:1 type (kaolin) and 2:1 type (montmorillonite, MMT) clay minerals were added to artificial biocrusts to investigate their effect on the acquisition performance of soil organic carbon (SOC). After 84 days of cultivation, the enhancement effects of kaolin and MMT were significant, resulting in SOC increments that were 5.

Optimizing Age of Information in Internet of Vehicles over Error-Prone Channels.

In the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), age of information (AoI) has become a vital performance metric for evaluating the freshness of information in communication systems. Although many studies aim to minimize the average AoI of the system through optimized resource scheduling schemes, they often fail to adequately consider the queue characteristics. Moreover, vehicle mobility leads to rapid changes in network topology and channel conditions, making it difficult to accurately reflect the unique characteristics of vehicles with the calculated AoI under ideal channel conditions.

Spin polarization induced by atomic strain of MBene promotes the ·O production for groundwater disinfection.

Superbugs in groundwater are posing severe health risks through waterborne pathways. An emerging approach for green disinfection lies at photocatalysis, which levers the locally generated superoxide radical (·O) for neutralization. However, the spin-forbidden feature of O hinders the photocatalytic generation of active ·O, and thus greatly limited the disinfection efficiency, especially for real groundwater with a low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration.

Study on the Technical Parameters for Estimating HIV-1 Incidence by Using a Recombinant Antigen-based Capture Enzyme Immunoassay - China.

Introduction: A novel recombinant antigen-based capture enzyme immunoassay (RAg-CEIA) was optimized and used to determine technical parameters for estimating human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) incidence in China.

Methods: We employed orthogonal experimental design to optimize RAg-CEIA by adjusting raw material dilution ratios. The assay was used to measure normalized optical density (ODn) values in 171 longitudinal plasma specimens from 51 HIV-1 seroconverting individuals, plotted against estimated days post-seroconversion.

Development and implementation of a novel method for detecting hepatitis C virus resistance-associated substitutions to NS3, NS5A, and NS5B inhibitors in Linzhou, China.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) have a significant impact on the treatment of HCV with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). However, limited research has been conducted, and no standardized methods for detecting RASs in mainland China.

Objectives: To develop and apply a novel method for detecting HCV RASs in HCV RNA-positive patients in Linzhou, China.

Use of the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) technique for smart rapid biomonitoring of trace metals in aquaculture systems.

It is of interest to explore the capabilities of the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) as a substitute for smart biomonitoring of metals in aquaculture waters. DGT deployment and transplantation experiments of scallops Argopecten irradians were carried out in the coastal aquaculture waters. The results showed that DGT-labile metal concentrations were relatively stable in the aquaculture and they were in descending order: Zn > Ni > Cu > Pb ≈ Cd.

Machine Learning Based on Digital Mammography to Reduce the Need for Invasive Biopsies of Benign Calcifications Classified in BI-RADS Category 4.

This study aims to develop a machine learning model applied on digital mammograms to reduce unnecessary invasive biopsies for suspicious calcifications classified as BI-RADS category 4. This study retrospectively analyzed data from 372 female patients with pathologically confirmed BI-RADS category 4 mammographic calcifications. Patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College (n = 275) were divided chronologically into a training and internal validation set.

Li-Ions Pre-intercalation Strategy of Manganese Oxides for Capacitive Deionization-Based Selective Lithium Extraction From Low-grade Brine.

In this work, Li preintercalated λ-LiMnO with tunable lithium content is synthesized, which exhibited excellent electrochemical performance and dual-mode electrochemical storage behavior. Double-layer capacitive and diffusion-controlled Faradaic processes play a role in the charge-discharge process, leading to an enhanced lithium selective adsorption capacity. When employed in hybrid capacitive deionization (HCDI), the λ-LiMnO obtains a Li adsorption capacity of 33.

Perioperative blood pressure variability as a risk factor for postoperative delirium in the patients receiving cardiac surgery.

Background: Delirium is one of the most common neurological complications after cardiac surgery. The purpose of our study was to assess the relationship between perioperative blood pressure variability (BPV) and postoperative delirium (POD) in the patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: Adult patients received cardiac surgery and stayed in Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for more than 24 h after surgery during the study period between June 2019 and December 2022 were included in this study.

miR394 and LCR cooperate with TPL to regulate AM initiation.

Plant architecture is a main determinate of crop yield, and lateral branching significantly influences the number of inflorescences and seeds. The mechanism of axillary bud initiation remains unclear. This work aimed to examine how miRNAs regulate axillary bud initiation.

Dietary protein intake interacts with weak handgrip strength and cognitive impairment.

Background: Handgrip strength correlates with cognitive function, but how gender and dietary protein interact with it is unclear.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between handgrip strength and cognitive function among non-stroke elders, and potential interaction effects of gender and dietary protein.

Methods: Non-stroke older adults with handgrip strength and cognitive tests available were included from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database.

Prognostic Value of Baseline Skeletal Muscle Index in Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated with Fruquintinib: A multi-center real world analysis.

Background: The Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) serves as an objective metric for assessing nutritional status in patients with malignant tumors. Research has found baseline nutritional status can influence both the efficacy and prognosis of targeted anti-tumor therapies, with growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitors frequently inducing drug-related sarcopenia. Fruquintinib has received approval for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.