Genetic mapping of serum metabolome to chronic diseases among Han Chinese.

Serum metabolites are potential regulators for chronic diseases. To explore the genetic regulation of metabolites and their roles in chronic diseases, we quantified 2,759 serum metabolites and performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs) among Han Chinese individuals. We identified 184 study-wide significant (p < 1.

Target Discovery Driven by Chemical Biology and Computational Biology.

Target identification is crucial for drug screening and development because it can reveal the mechanism of drug action and ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results. Chemical biology, an interdisciplinary field combining chemistry and biology, can assist in this process by studying the interactions between active molecular compounds and proteins and their physiological effects. It can also help predict potential drug targets or candidates, develop new biomarker assays and diagnostic reagents, and evaluate the selectivity and range of active compounds to reduce the risk of off-target effects.

Longitudinal serum proteome mapping reveals biomarkers for healthy ageing and related cardiometabolic diseases.

The blood proteome contains biomarkers of ageing and age-associated diseases, but such markers are rarely validated longitudinally. Here we map the longitudinal proteome in 7,565 serum samples from a cohort of 3,796 middle-aged and elderly adults across three time points over a 9-year follow-up period. We pinpoint 86 ageing-related proteins that exhibit signatures associated with 32 clinical traits and the incidence of 14 major ageing-related chronic diseases.

Spillover of active oxygen intermediates of binary RuO/NbO nanowires for highly active and robust acidic oxygen evolution.

Over-oxidation of surface ruthenium active sites of RuO-based electrocatalysts leads to the formation of soluble high-valent Ru species and subsequent structural collapse of electrocatalysts, which results in their low stability for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a binary RuO/NbO electrocatalyst with abundant and intimate interfaces has been rationally designed and synthesized to enhance its OER activity in acidic electrolyte, delivering a low overpotential of 179 mV at 10 mA cm, a small Tafel slope of 73 mV dec, and a stabilized catalytic durability over a period of 750 h. Extensive experiments have demonstrated that the spillover of active oxygen intermediates from RuO to NbO and the subsequent participation of lattice oxygen of NbO instead of RuO for the acidic OER suppressed the over-oxidation of surface ruthenium species and thereby improved the catalytic stability of the binary electrocatalysts.

Integrated comparative physiological and transcriptomic analyses of Elymus sibiricus L. reveal the similarities and differences in the molecular mechanisms in response to drought and cold stress.

Drought and cold crucially affect plant growth and distribution. Plants have evolved complex molecular mechanisms to adapt to such adverse environmental conditions. This study examines two Elymus sibiricus (Es) germplasms differing in resilience to these stresses.

Association of the EAT-Lancet diet, serial measures of serum proteome and gut microbiome, and cardiometabolic health: a prospective study of Chinese middle-aged and elderly adults.

Background: The EAT-Lancet diet was reported to be mutually beneficial for the human cardiometabolic system and planetary health. However, mechanistic evidence linking the EAT-Lancet diet and human cardiometabolic health is lacking.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the role of blood proteins in the association between the EAT-Lancet diet and cardiometabolic health and explore the underlying gut microbiota-blood protein interplay.

Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Preterm Birth Among Women With Gestational Diabetes.

Importance: Physical activity, as a modifiable factor, emerges as a primary intervention strategy for the prevention and management of gestational diabetes (GD). Among women with GD, the association of physical activity during pregnancy with preterm birth remains unclear.

Objective: To examine the association of accelerometer-derived physical activity metrics and patterns with preterm birth among women with GD.

Diet-gut microbiome interaction and its impact on host blood glucose homeostasis: a series of nutritional n-of-1 trials.

Background: The interplay between diet and gut microbiome substantially influences host metabolism, but uncertainties remain regarding their relationships tailored for each subject given the huge inter-individual variability. Here we aim to investigate diet-gut microbiome interaction at single-subject resolution and explore its effects on blood glucose homeostasis.

Methods: We conducted a series of nutritional n-of-1 trials (NCT04125602), in which 30 participants were assigned high-carbohydrate (HC) and low-carbohydrate (LC) diets in a randomized sequence across 3 pair of cross-over periods lasting 72 days.

Toward precision medicine: End-to-end design and construction of integrated microneedle-based theranostic systems.

With the growing demand for precision medicine and advancements in microneedle technology, microneedle-based drug delivery systems have evolved into integrated theranostic platforms. However, the development of these systems is currently limited by the absence of clear conclusions and standardized construction strategies. The end-to-end concept offers an innovative approach to theranostic systems by creating a seamless process that integrates target sampling, sensing, analysis, and on-demand drug delivery.

Mapping the gut microbial structural variations in healthy aging within the Chinese population.

Mapping gut microbial structural variants (SVs) during human aging may provide fundamental knowledge and mechanistic understanding of the gut microbiome's relationship with healthy aging. We characterize gut microbial SVs from 3,230 Chinese participants, identifying key SVs associated with aging, healthy aging, and age-related chronic diseases. Our findings reveal a pattern of copy number loss in aging-related SVs, with 35 core SVs consistently detected.

Highly plastic Zn-0.3Ca alloy for guided bone regeneration membrane: Breaking the trade-off between antibacterial ability and biocompatibility.

A common problem for Zn alloys is the trade-off between antibacterial ability and biocompatibility. This paper proposes a strategy to solve this problem by increasing release ratio of Ca ions, which is realized by significant refinement of CaZn particles through bottom circulating water-cooled casting (BCWC) and rolling. Compared with conventionally fabricated Zn-0.

Neddylation signaling inactivation by tetracaine hydrochloride suppresses cell proliferation and alleviates vemurafenib-resistance of melanoma.

Tetracaine, a local anesthetic, exhibits potent cytotoxic effects on multiple cancer; however, the precise underlying mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity remain uncertain. The anti-cancer activity of tetracaine was found to be the most effective among commonly used local anesthetics in this study. After tetracaine treatment, the differentially expressed genes in melanoma cells were identified by the RNAseq technique and enriched in the lysosome signaling pathway, cullin family protein binding, and proteasome signaling pathway through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes.

Deciphering the evolutionary development of the "Chinese lantern" within Solanaceae.

The key genetic variation underlying the evo-devo of ICS in Solanaceae may be further pinpointed using an integrated strategy of forward and reverse genetics studies under the framework of phylogeny. The calyx of Physalis remains persistent throughout fruit development. Post-flowering, the fruiting calyx is inflated rapidly to encapsulate the berry, giving rise to a "Chinese lantern" structure called inflated calyx syndrome (ICS).

Synthesis of Diverse Ureas from Amines and CO at Atmospheric Pressure and Room Temperature.

A metal-free method is developed to perform the synthesis of urea derivatives utilizing CO as the C1 building block at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. In addition to diverse symmetric and dissymmetric ureas, benzimidazolones and quinazolinone can also be easily prepared using this protocol. Most importantly, the gram-scale preparation of fungicide pencycuron and antipsychotic drug pimavanserin proceeded smoothly under the mild conditions.

Pneumonia in an elderly Tibetan male caused by Shewanella algae: A case report.

Rationale: Shewanella algae are Gram-negative bacteria that are widely found in aquatic habitats and rarely cause lung infections in inland areas.

Patient Concerns: Cough with light-yellow phlegm for 2 weeks.

Diagnoses: The final diagnosis was bacterial pneumonia.

Metal stable isotopes fractionation during adsorption.

Isotope technology is an ideal tool for tracing the sources of certain pollutants or providing insights into environmental processes. In recent years, the advent of multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) has enabled the precise measurement of various metal stable isotopes. Due to the presence of "fingerprint" properties in various environmental samples, metal stable isotopes have been applied to distinguish the source of contaminants effectively and further understand the corresponding environmental processes.