Characterization of hepatocarcinoma cells: lymphatic metastasis potential through enhanced production, expression, and secretion along the VEGF-C/D-VEGFR-3/NRP-2 axis.

Objectives: In vitro and in vivo analyses were conducted to examine the correlations between the production, expression, and secretion of the VEGF-C/D-VEGFR-3/NRP-2 axis and various levels of lymphatic metastatic potential in murine hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, cytoimmunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were employed to assess the expression and secretion of the VEGF-C/D-VEGFR-3/NRP-2 axis at the gene, protein, cytological, and histological levels.

Results: In both in vitro and in vivo experiments, the ligands VEGF-C/D and receptors VEGFR-3/NRP-2 were primarily localized in the cytoplasm or cell membrane of hepatocarcinoma F/P cells with high/low lymphatic metastatic potentials, and in normal hepatocytes, respectively.

Meriones unguiculatus serves as a spontaneous primary aldosteronism rodent model.

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common form of endocrine hypertension. The available animal models of PA rely on gene manipulation, thus fail to duplicate the general pathological process of PA in humans. Meriones unguiculatus (MU) has been reported to possess a large size of adrenal gland and an elevated ability to save water.

The Value of Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging to Assess Liver and Kidney Recovery after Mesenchymal Stem Cell Intervention in CCl4-Induced Cirrhotic Rats.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate the potential of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in monitoring the improvement of liver and kidney injury in cirrhotic rats after bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMSCs) treatment.

Methods: Thirty rats were induced with liver cirrhosis via subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride. Six rats were randomly selected for DKI scanning and subsequently euthanized for biochemical and histological analysis.

The 2023 report of the synergetic roadmap on carbon neutrality and clean air for China: Carbon reduction, pollution mitigation, greening, and growth.

The response to climate change and air pollution control demonstrates strong synergy across scientific mechanisms, targets, strategies, and governance systems. This report, based on a monitoring indicator system for coordinated governance of air pollution and climate change, employs an interdisciplinary approach combining natural and social sciences. It establishes 20 indicators across five key areas: air pollution and climate change, governance systems and practices, structural transformation and technologies, atmospheric components and emission reduction pathways, and health impacts and co-benefits.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass alleviates kidney inflammation and improves kidney function in mice by activating TLCA/TGR5 pathway.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a severe diabetic microvascular complication featured by chronic low-grade inflammation. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery has gained importance as a safe and effective surgery to treat DKD. Bile acids significantly change after RYGB, which brings a series of metabolic benefits, but the relationship with the improvement of DKD is unclear.

A neural regulation mechanism of head electroacupuncture on brain network of patients with stroke related sleep disorders.

Objective: To analyze part of the mechanism of electroacupuncture on Sishencong (EX-HN1) for stroke-related sleep disorders (SSD) and post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI).

Methods: Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, 72 patients were assigned to the electro-acupuncture (EA) group or the sham acupuncture (SA) group. A healthy control (HC) group was also included.

Unveiling the genetic basis and metabolic rewiring behind the galactose-positive phenotype in a Streptococcus thermophilus mutant.

Streptococcus thermophilus (S. thermophilus) is a widely used starter culture in dairy fermentation, but most strains are galactose-negative and only metabolize glucose from lactose hydrolysis. In this study, we aimed to uncover the mechanisms underlying the acquisition of a stable galactose-positive (Gal) phenotype in a mutant strain of S.

Dietary apigenin ameliorates obesity-related hypertension through TRPV4-dependent vasorelaxation and TRPV4-independent adiponectin secretion.

Background: Obesity-related hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor. Apigenin, a natural flavonoid in celery, induces vascular dilation via endothelial transient receptor potential channel vanilla 4 (TRPV4) channels. This study aimed to explore apigenin's potential to alleviate obesity-related hypertension in mice and its underlying mechanisms.

Optimizing air quality and health Co-benefits of mitigation technologies in China: An integrated assessment.

Carbon mitigation technologies lead to air quality improvement and health co-benefits, while the practical effects of the technologies are dependent on the energy composition, technological advancements, and economic development. In China, mitigation technologies such as end-of-pipe treatment, renewable energy adoption, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and sector electrification demonstrate significant promise in meeting carbon reduction targets. However, the optimization of these technologies for maximum co-benefits remains unclear.

Climate change impacts on the extreme power shortage events of wind-solar supply systems worldwide during 1980-2022.

Economic productivity depends on reliable access to electricity, but the extreme shortage events of variable wind-solar systems may be strongly affected by climate change. Here, hourly reanalysis climatological data are leveraged to examine historical trends in defined extreme shortage events worldwide. We find uptrends in extreme shortage events regardless of their frequency, duration, and intensity since 1980.

Selection of a galactose-positive mutant strain of Streptococcus thermophilus and its optimized production as a high-vitality starter culture.

Streptococcus thermophilus is a common starter in yogurt production and plays an important role in the dairy industry. In this study, a galactose-positive (Gal) mutant strain, IMAU20246Y, was produced using the chemical mutagen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) from wild-type S. thermophilus IMAU20246, which is known to have good fermentation characteristics.

Feasibility of Artificial Intelligence Constrained Compressed SENSE Accelerated 3D Isotropic T1 VISTA Sequence For Vessel Wall MR Imaging: Exploring the Potential of Higher Acceleration Factors Compared to Traditional Compressed SENSE.

Rationale And Objectives: Investigate the feasibility of using deep learning-based accelerated 3D T1-weighted volumetric isotropic turbo spin-echo acquisition (VISTA) for vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (VW-MRI), compared to traditional Compressed SENSE and optimize acceleration factor (AF) to obtain high-quality clinical images.

Methods: 40 patients with atherosclerotic plaques in the intracranial or carotid artery were prospectively enrolled in our study from October 1, 2022 to October 31, 2023 underwent high-resolution vessel wall imaging on a 3.0 T MR system using variable Compressed SENSE (CS) AFs and reconstructed by an optimized artificial intelligence constrained Compressed SENSE (CS-AI).

Effects of Baduanjin practice on emotional, attention and cognitive function in acupuncturists: protocol for a clinical randomized controlled neuroimaging trial.

Background: In Chinese medicine, the mental focus and emotional stability of acupuncturists are key to optimal clinical outcomes. Many renowned acupuncturists utilize Traditional Chinese Qigong practices to enhance their concentration and emotional regulation abilities. Nevertheless, the existing literature lacks comprehensive evidence addressing this matter.

China's carbon-neutral policies will reduce short-term PM-associated excess incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

China's carbon-neutral target could have benefits for ambient fine particulate matter (PM)-associated mortality. Although previous studies have researched such benefits, the potential impact on cardiovascular disease incidence burden is yet to be investigated thoroughly. Here, we first estimate the association between short-term PM exposure and the incidence of stroke and coronary heart disease (CHD) via a case-crossover study before projecting future changes in short-term PM-associated excess incidence across China from 2025 to 2060 under three different emission scenarios.

Compressed Sensitivity Encoding Artificial Intelligence Accelerates Brain Metastasis Imaging by Optimizing Image Quality and Reducing Scan Time.

Background And Purpose: Accelerating the image acquisition speed of MR imaging without compromising the image quality is challenging. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of contrast-enhanced (CE) 3D T1WI and CE 3D-FLAIR sequences reconstructed with compressed sensitivity encoding artificial intelligence (CS-AI) for detecting brain metastases (BM) and explore the optimal acceleration factor (AF) for clinical BM imaging.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-one patients with cancer with suspected BM were included.

Cost-effectiveness uncertainty may bias the decision of coal power transitions in China.

A transition away from coal power always maintains a high level of complexity as there are several overlapping considerations such as technical feasibility, economic costs, and environmental and health impacts. Here, we explore the cost-effectiveness uncertainty brought by policy implementation disturbances of different coal power phaseout and new-built strategies (i.e.

Genomic and transcriptomic analysis of genes involved in exopolysaccharide biosynthesis by IMAU20561 grown on different sources of nitrogen.

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs), which are produced by lactic acid bacteria, have been found to improve the texture and functionality of fermented dairy products. In a previous study, four nitrogen sources were identified as affecting the yield, molecular weight and structure of EPSs produced by IMAU20561 in M17 medium. In this genomic and transcriptomics study, a novel gene cluster responsible for assembly of repeating units of EPS is reported.

Leptin receptor deficiency impedes metabolic surgery related-weight loss through inhibition of energy expenditure in db/db mice.

Background: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery is an effective metabolic surgery against diabetes and obesity. Clinical evidence indicates that patients with severe obesity have a poor curative effect in losing weight if they suffer from leptin or its receptor deficiency, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we investigated the effect of leptin receptor deficiency on metabolic dysfunction in db/db mice treated by RYGB surgery.

Evaluation of Kidney Injury Using Arterial Spin Labeling and Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent MRI: An Experimental Study in Rats With Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Cirrhosis.

Background: Serum creatinine (Scr) may be not suited to timely and accurately reflect kidney injury related to chronic liver disease. Currently, the ability of arterial spin labeling (ASL) and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) sequences to evaluate renal blood flow (RBF) and blood oxygen in chronic liver disease remains to be verified.

Purpose: To investigate the value of ASL and BOLD imaging in evaluating hemodynamics and oxygenation changes during kidney injury in an animal model of chronic liver disease.

Health benefits from the rapid reduction in ambient exposure to air pollutants after China's clean air actions: progress in efficacy and geographic equality.

Clean air actions (CAAs) in China have been linked to considerable benefits in public health. However, whether the beneficial effects of CAAs are equally distributed geographically is unknown. Using high-resolution maps of the distributions of major air pollutants (fine particulate matter [PM] and ozone [O]) and population, we aimed to track spatiotemporal changes in health impacts from, and geographic inequality embedded in, the reduced exposures to PM and O from 2013 to 2020.

Treatment of Parkinson disease by acupuncture combined with medicine based on syndrome differentiation from the perspective of modern medicine: A review.

As a multifactorial degenerative disease, Parkinson disease (PD) causes tremor, gait rigidity, and hypokinesia, which interfere with normal life. Because the disease is usually discovered in the late stage of complete degeneration of neurons, it can greatly delay treatment and even eventually lead to death. Therefore, the diagnosis of this disease is very challenging, and it is gratifying that substantial progress has been made in the development of optical coherence tomography (OCT) as a diagnostic biomarker for this disease, and genetic and imaging tests have become part of routine protocols in clinical practice.

Structure-function crosstalk in liver cancer research: Protein structuromics.

Liver cancer can be primary (starting in the liver) or secondary (cancer that has spread from elsewhere to the liver, known as liver metastasis). Liver metastasis is more common than primary liver cancer. Despite great advances in molecular biology methods and treatments, liver cancer is still associated with a poor survival rate and a high death rate, and there is no cure.

Drivers of Increasing Ozone during the Two Phases of Clean Air Actions in China 2013-2020.

In response to the severe air pollution issue, the Chinese government implemented two phases (Phase I, 2013-2017; Phase II, 2018-2020) of clean air actions since 2013, resulting in a significant decline in fine particles (PM) during 2013-2020, while the warm-season (April-September) mean maximum daily 8 h average ozone (MDA8 O) increased by 2.6 μg m yr in China during the same period. Here, we derived the drivers behind the rising O concentrations during the two phases of clean air actions by using a bottom-up emission inventory, a regional chemical transport model, and a multiple linear regression model.