Association Between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Findings of the Observational and Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Airway inflammation is considered one of the pathogenic factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the role of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the development of RA remains unclear. We used cross-sectional studies and Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the link between COPD and RA.

Methods: In National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013-2018, the association between COPD and RA was investigated using weighted logistic regression models.

Generative adversarial network integrated with metabolomics identifies potential biomarkers related to quality changes of atemoya (Annona cherimola × Annona squamosa) stored at 10 and 25 °C.

Atemoya fruit deteriorates rapidly during post-harvest storage. A complete understanding of the metabolic mechanisms underlying this process is crucial for developing effective preservation strategies. Metabolomic approaches combined with machine learning offer new opportunities to identify quality-related biomarkers.

Facial Anti-Spoofing Using "Clue Maps".

Spoofing attacks (or Presentation Attacks) are easily accessible to facial recognition systems, making the online financial system vulnerable. Thus, it is urgent to develop an anti-spoofing solution with superior generalization ability due to the high demand for spoofing attack detection. Although multi-modality methods such as combining depth images with RGB images and feature fusion methods could currently perform well with certain datasets, the cost of obtaining the depth information and physiological signals, especially that of the biological signal is relatively high.

Insights on exploring the therapeutic potential and structural modification of Tetrandrine.

Tetrandrine (Tet), a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid from , is noted for its diverse pharmacological effects but faces limitations in clinical use due to toxicity, poor solubility, and low bioavailability. Researchers are working to address these issues by developing Tet derivatives with greater therapeutic potential through structural modification. Generally, key modifications include: 1) introducing an aromatic heterocycle or a hydrophobic alkyne unit at the -5 position can enhance its antitumor activity; 2) adding an amide, sulfonamide, or electron-withdrawing group at the -14 position can enhance its antitumor activity; 3) changing its structure to a quaternary ammonium salt can alter its solubility and greatly boost its antibacterial activity; 4) structural modification of the -12-methoxybenzyl motif can enhance its metabolic stability and thus change the activity of the analogs; 5) Tet structural simplification may result in the identification of anticancer lead compounds with novel mechanisms of action.

Cyclic natural product oligomers: diversity and (bio)synthesis of macrocycles.

Cyclic compounds are generally preferred over linear compounds for functional studies due to their enhanced bioavailability, stability towards metabolic degradation, and selective receptor binding. This has led to a need for effective cyclization strategies for compound synthesis and hence increased interest in macrocyclization mediated by thioesterase (TE) domains, which naturally boost the chemical diversity and bioactivities of cyclic natural products. Many non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS) derived natural products are assembled to form cyclodimeric compounds, with these molecules possessing diverse structures and biological activities.

Citrus exosome-modified exogenous dsRNA delivery reduces plant pathogen resistance and mycotoxin production.

Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PENs) are crucial for intercellular communication. However, PEN-based transport of pathogenic fungal genes remains unclear. This study isolated and purified PENs from lane late navel orange citrus juice by following the sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation technique.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Membrane Distillation for Different Salt Solutions in Nanopores.

Nanoporous membranes offer significant advantages in direct contact membrane distillation applications due to their high flux and strong resistance to wetting. This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to explore the performance of membrane distillation in a single nanopore, mainly focusing on wetting behavior, liquid entry pressure, and membrane flux variations across different concentrations and types of salt solutions. The findings indicate that increasing the NaCl concentration enhances the wetting of membrane pores, thereby decreasing the entry pressure of the solution.

Aberrant individual large-scale functional network connectivity and topology in chronic insomnia disorder with and without depression.

Insomnia is increasingly prevalent with significant associations with depression. Delineating specific neural circuits for chronic insomnia disorder (CID) with and without depressive symptoms is fundamental to develop precision diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we examine static, dynamic and network topology changes of individual large-scale functional network for CID with (CID-D) and without depression to reveal their specific neural underpinnings.

An Ensemble Learning Algorithm for Cognitive Evaluation by an Immersive Virtual Reality Supermarket.

Early screening for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is crucial in delaying cognitive deterioration and treating dementia. Conventional neuropsychological tests, commonly used for MCI detection, often lack ecological validity due to their simplistic and quiet testing environments. To address this gap, our study developed an immersive VR supermarket cognitive assessment program (IVRSCAP), simulating daily cognitive activities to enhance the ecological validity of MCI detection.

Characteristics of locus coeruleus functional connectivity network in patients with comorbid migraine and insomnia.

Background: Migraine and insomnia are prevalent conditions that often co-occur, each exacerbating the other and substantially impacting the quality of life. The locus coeruleus (LC), a brainstem region responsible for norepinephrine synthesis, participates in pain modulation, sleep/wake cycles, and emotional regulation, rendering it a potential nexus in the comorbidity of migraine and insomnia. Disruptions in the LC-noradrenergic system have been hypothesized to contribute to the comorbidities of migraine and insomnia, although neuroimaging evidence in humans remains scarce.

Evaluation of comorbid psychological disorders in functional gastrointestinal disorders patients by vibraimage technology: protocol of a prospective, single-center trial.

Introduction: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) affect over 40% of individuals globally, and impact the quality of life. A significant portion of FGIDs patients comorbids with anxiety and depression. Traditional screening tools for psychological disorders may lack comprehensiveness.

FGF7 and FGF10 Promote Fate Transition of Human Epidermal Cell-derived Organoids to an Eccrine Gland Phenotype.

Reconstruction of hair follicles (HFs) and eccrine sweat glands (ESGs) is essential for functional skin regeneration. In skin reconstruction research, we found that foreskin-derived epidermal cells reconstructed HF organoids unidirectionally, but not ESG organoids. To investigate key genes and pathways influencing the fate of ESG and HF, a transcriptome profiling of ESG placode-containing skin and HF placode-containing skin was employed, and key DEGs were identified and validated by RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence staining in mice and rats.

Altered cingulate gyrus subregions functional connectivity in chronic insomnia disorder with anxiety.

Background: Chronic insomnia disorder (CID) is commonly associated with mood disorders. The cingulate gyrus (CG) plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of CID and anxiety. However, the specific characteristics of altered brain networks in the CG in CID with anxiety remain unclear.

Functional connectome gradient predicts clinical symptoms of chronic insomnia disorder.

Insomnia is the second most prevalent psychiatric disorder worldwide, but the understanding of the pathophysiology of insomnia remains fragmented. In this study, we calculated the connectome gradient in 50 chronic insomnia disorder (CID) patients and 38 healthy controls (HC) to assess changes due to insomnia and utilized these gradients in a connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) to predict clinical symptoms associated with insomnia. The results suggested that insomnia led to significant alterations in the functional gradients of some brain areas.

Association between body fat distribution and asthma in adults: results from the cross-sectional and bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Many studies define obesity based on body mass index (BMI) and explore its relationship with adult asthma. However, BMI only considers height and weight, ignoring other factors such as body fat, which may have a greater impact on health. We investigated the relationship between body fat distribution and adult asthma using both a cross-sectional study and bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Fabrication of antimicrobial packaging based on polyaminopropyl biguanide incorporated pectin/polyvinyl alcohol films for fruit preservation.

Pectin (PEC)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), plasticizers, and polyaminopropyl biguanide (Pb) (0.125%-1%) were used to prepare the film solution. The results demonstrated significantly enhanced tensile strength and elongation at break of PEC/PVA/Pb 0.

Sex-Specific Entorhinal Cortex Functional Connectivity in Cognitively Normal Older Adults with Amyloid-β Pathology.

Sex and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype have been shown to influence the risk and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the impact of these factors on the functional connectivity of the entorhinal cortex (ERC) in clinically unpaired older adults (CUOA) with amyloid-β (Aβ +) pathology remains unclear. A total of 1022 cognitively normal older adults with Aβ + (603 females and 586 APOE ε4 +) from the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's (A4) study were included in this study.

The Influence of Reinforced Fibers and Opacifiers on the Effective Thermal Conductivity of Silica Aerogels.

Fiber-particle-reinforced silica aerogels are widely applied in thermal insulation. Knowing their effective thermal conductivity (ETC) and radiative characteristics under high temperatures is necessary to improve their performance. This article first analyzes the radiation characteristics of silica aerogels doped with opacifier particles and reinforced fibers, and then a universal model is established to predict the ETC.

Ultrasonic enhanced liquid-liquid interfacial reaction for improving the synthesis of Iron-doped carbon dots (Fe-CDs) for achieving superior photocatalytic performance.

The precise and controllable preparation of carbon nanomaterials under mild conditions poses a great challenge, especially for metal-catalysed multiphase preparation. This work proposes an efficient method that utilizing high-density ultrasound to enhance the liquid-liquid interfacial reaction system. Iron-doped carbon dots (Fe-CDs) are successfully synthesized in such a normal temperature and atmospheric-pressure reaction condition.

Case Report: Two cases of advanced primary cardiac angiosarcoma treated with anlotinib and a retrospective analysis of the literature.

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is a rare malignant soft-tissue sarcoma derived from vascular endothelial cells or lymphatic endothelial cells, with a high malignancy, poor prognosis, and a lack of effective medical therapy. This article reports on two patients with primary cardiac angiosarcoma who received first-line treatment with multi-targeted anti-angiogenic agent, anlotinib monotherapy. The treatment rapidly controlled pleural and pericardial effusion, significantly reduced the tumor, improved symptoms, and showed satisfactory recent efficacy.