Inclusion of hypocretin-1 improved performance of poor sleep quality prediction for elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Hypocretin-1 is a vital neurotransmitter in regulating the sleep-wake cycle and provides neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia. We aims to develop a poor sleep quality predictive model for elderly population with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: A total of 183 consecutively elderly patients were included in the prospective cohort study.

Efficient and Rapid Enrichment of Extracellular Vesicles Using DNA Nanotechnology-Enabled Synthetic Nano-Glue.

Swift and efficient enrichment and isolation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) are crucial for enhancing precise disease diagnostics and therapeutic strategies, as well as elucidating the complex biological roles of EVs. Conventional methods of isolating EVs are often marred by lengthy and laborious processes. In this study, we introduce an innovative approach to enrich and isolate EVs by leveraging the capabilities of DNA nanotechnology.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Corticosteroids in the Treatment of Plantar Fasciitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This study aims to compare the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and corticosteroids (CS) in treating plantar fasciitis, focusing on pain relief, foot function, and plantar fascia thickness to identify the optimal treatment approach.

Design: A comprehensive search of medical databases was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, utilizing an extensive keyword strategy. Inclusion criteria encompassed prospective RCTs involving adult patients with plantar fasciitis treated with local PRP or CS injections, specifically assessing outcomes such as the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores, and plantar fascia thickness.

Gene Associated with Breast Cancer: A Genetic and Bioinformatic Study.

Female breast cancer is the most common and the fifth deadliest cancer worldwide. It is influenced by a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. The excision repair cross-complementation group 3 gene () has recently been identified as a breast cancer susceptibility gene in various cohorts of different geographical and ethnic origin.

Restorative Effects of Short-Chain Fatty Acids on Corneal Homeostasis Disrupted by Antibiotic-Induced Gut Dysbiosis.

The gut microbiota plays a crucial regulatory role in various physiological processes, yet its impact on corneal homeostasis remains insufficiently understood. Here, we investigate the effects of antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis (AIGD) and germ-free conditions on circadian gene expression, barrier integrity, nerve density, and immune cell activity in the corneas of mice. Through RNA sequencing, we found that both AIGD and germ-free conditions significantly disrupted the overall transcriptomic profile and circadian transcriptomic oscillations in the cornea.

Multiple aptamer recognition-based quantum dot lateral flow platform: ultrasensitive point-of-care testing of respiratory infectious diseases.

Respiratory infectious diseases spread rapidly and have a wide range of impacts, posing a serious threat to public health security. The development of a sensitive, accurate, and rapid detection method for respiratory viruses is crucial for disease prevention and control. However, existing methods are inadequate in satisfying the demand for accurate and convenient detection simultaneously.

Programmable Circular Multispecific Aptamer-Drug Engager to Broadly Boost Antitumor Immunity.

Safely and effectively harnessing innate immunity to boost cancer immunotherapy is promising yet challenging. Hence, we have developed a series of programmable aptamer-based multispecific engagers by encoding various artificial aptamer-drug codons with DNA-templated polymerization, aiming to broadly boost innate and adaptive immunity for antitumor therapy. All circular single-stranded multivalent aptamer-drug conjugates (os-mvApDCs) had a dendritic structure, precise size, and excellent stability, enabling prolonged blood circulation, targeted tumor accumulation, and rapid multireceptor-mediated endocytosis.

Antitumor Activity of a Bispecific Chimera Targeting EGFR and Met in Gefitinib-Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) frequently acquire resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) due to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation or activation of the bypass pathway involving mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (Met). To address this challenge, a bispecific nanobody-aptamer chimera is designed to target mutated EGFR and Met simultaneously to block their cross-talk in NSCLC. The EGFR-Met chimera is cost-effectively engineered using microbial transglutaminase and click chemistry strategies.

Inhibitory DNA Aptamer Tools against SOCS3-gp130 Interactions.

The Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in transmembrane signal transduction, enabling cells to communicate with the extracellular environment, which requires precise regulation to prevent abnormal signaling outcomes. Within this complex pathway, suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) acts as a pivotal negative regulator via binding to cytokine receptors. However, our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing SOCS3 interactions has been limited by the lack of suitable chemical probes.

Lipoxin A improves cardiac remodeling and function in diabetes-associated cardiac dysfunction.

Background: Diabetic heart disease may eventually lead to heart failure, a leading cause of mortality in diabetic individuals. The lack of effective treatments for diabetes-induced heart failure may result from a failure to address the underlying pathological processes, including chronic, low-grade inflammation. Previous studies have reported that lipoxin A (LXA), known to promote resolution of inflammation, attenuates diabetes-induced atherosclerosis, but its impact on diabetic hearts has not been sought.

The dichotomous roles of microbial-modified bile acids 7-oxo-DCA and isoDCA in intestinal tumorigenesis.

The gut microbiota has a significant impact on the development and function of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) by modifying bile acid (BA) metabolites. Recently, specific gut microbiome-derived BAs, such as 7-oxo-deoxycholic acid (7-oxo-DCA) and isodeoxycholic acid (isoDCA), have been identified to be shifted inversely in colitis and hepatic liver diseases. Although the responsible gut microbes have been identified, metabolites' effects on IECs remain largely unclear.

Spatiotemporal risk of human brucellosis under intensification of livestock keeping based on machine learning techniques in Shaanxi, China.

As one of the most neglected zoonotic diseases, brucellosis has posed a serious threat to public health worldwide. This study is purposed to apply different machine learning models to improve the prediction accuracy of human brucellosis (HB) in Shaanxi, China from 2008 to 2020, under livestock husbandry intensification from a spatiotemporal perspective. We quantitatively evaluated the performance and suitability of ConvLSTM, RF, and LSTM models in epidemic forecasting, and investigated the spatial heterogeneity of how different factors drive the occurrence and transmission of HB in distinct sub-regions by using Kernel Density Analysis and Shapley Additional Explanations.

Streamlining RNA Aptamer Selection via Unique Molecular Identifiers and High-Throughput Sequencing.

Aptamers are valuable tools for applications such as cell imaging, drug delivery, and therapeutics. RNA aptamers, in particular, exhibit complex structural diversity and flexibility, affording higher affinity and specificity, broader target recognition, and easier chemical modification compared with DNA aptamers. However, traditional selection methods for RNA aptamers are time-consuming and involve numerous rounds of screening, thus limiting their widespread application.

Efficacy and Safety of Roxadustat for Anemia in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Nonmyeloid Malignancies: A Randomized, Open-Label, Active-Controlled Phase III Study.

Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of roxadustat, a first-in-class hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, for chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA) in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies receiving multicycle treatments of chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: In this open-label, noninferiority phase III study conducted at 44 sites in China, 159 participants age ≥18 years with CIA nonmyeloid malignancy and CIA were randomly assigned (1:1) to oral roxadustat or subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin-α (rHuEPO-α) three times a week for 12 weeks. Roxadustat starting dosages were 100, 120, and 150 mg three times a week for participants weighing 40-<50, 50-60, and >60 kg, respectively.

Selective and Orally Bioavailable c-Met PROTACs for the Treatment of c-Met-Addicted Cancer.

c-Met is an attractive therapeutic target in multiple tumors. Previous studies have discovered some effective proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) able to degrade c-Met; however, the structure-activity relationship (SAR), degradation selectivity, and pharmacokinetic profiles of c-Met PROTACs have, to date, remained largely unknown. Herein, through extensive SAR studies on various warheads, linkers, and E3 ligase ligands, a novel potent c-Met PROTAC was identified.

Efficient Strategy to Discover DNA Aptamers Against Low Abundance Cell Surface Proteins in Scarce Samples.

Molecular recognition probes targeting cell surface proteins such as aptamers play crucial roles in precise diagnostics and therapy. However, the selection of aptamers against low-abundance proteins in situ on the cell surface, especially in scarce samples, remains an unmet challenge. In this study, we present a single-round, single-cell aptamer selection method by employing a digital DNA sequencing strategy, termed DiDS selection, to address this dilemma.

Exploring the impact of estrogenic endocrine disruptors on cervical cancer progression: A transcriptome analysis and prognostic model development.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally. The detrimental health effects of estrogenic endocrine disruptors (EED), such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, are recognized, but their role in cervical cancer progression remains unclear. To investigate this, a transcriptome analysis using bioinformatics was conducted.

A chemical screen identifies PRMT5 as a therapeutic vulnerability for paclitaxel-resistant triple-negative breast cancer.

Paclitaxel-resistant triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains one of the most challenging breast cancers to treat. Here, using an epigenetic chemical probe screen, we uncover an acquired vulnerability of paclitaxel-resistant TNBC cells to protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) inhibition. Analysis of cell lines and in-house clinical samples demonstrates that resistant cells evade paclitaxel killing through stabilizing mitotic chromatin assembly.

Ecological environmental flow estimation for rivers with complicated hydraulic conditions.

Estimating ecological environmental flow in tidal rivers is one of the major challenges for sustainable water resource management in estuaries and river basins. This paper presents an ecological environmental flow framework that was developed to accommodate highly dynamic medium tidal estuaries found along the Yellow Sea coast of China. The framework not only proposes a method of water quality-based ecological flow for tidal gate-controlled rivers but also proposes a method of water demand for scouring and silting to protect ports in coastal viscous sediment environments.

Facial nerve regeneration via body-brain crosstalk: The role of stem cells and biomaterials.

The human body is a complex, integral whole, and disruptions in one organ can lead to dysfunctions in other parts of the organ network. The facial nerve, as the seventh cranial nerve, arises from the brainstem, controls facial expression muscles and plays a crucial role in brain-body communication. This vulnerable nerve can be damaged by trauma, inflammation, tumors, and congenital diseases, often impairing facial expression.