Revisiting Phryma leptostachya L.: phylogenetic relationships and biogeographical patterns from complete plastome.

Background: Phryma leptostachya L. is a notable example of a species with a disjunct distribution, found in both East Asia and Eastern North America. Despite the striking morphological similarities between these geographically isolated populations, molecular evidence suggests that they may have diverged sufficiently to be considered distinct taxa.

Radioprotection of healthy tissue via nanoparticle-delivered mRNA encoding for a damage-suppressor protein found in tardigrades.

Patients undergoing radiation therapy experience debilitating side effects because of toxicity arising from radiation-induced DNA strand breaks in normal peritumoural cells. Here, inspired by the ability of tardigrades to resist extreme radiation through the expression of a damage-suppressor protein that binds to DNA and reduces strand breaks, we show that the local and transient expression of the protein can reduce radiation-induced DNA damage in oral and rectal epithelial tissues (which are commonly affected during radiotherapy for head-and-neck and prostate cancers, respectively). We used ionizable lipid nanoparticles supplemented with biodegradable cationic polymers to enhance the transfection efficiency and delivery of messenger RNA encoding the damage-suppressor protein into buccal and rectal tissues.

Impact of Deep Learning 3D CT Super-Resolution on AI-Based Pulmonary Nodule Characterization.

Background/objectives: Correct pulmonary nodule volumetry and categorization is paramount for accurate diagnosis in lung cancer screening programs. CT scanners with slice thicknesses of multiple millimetres are still common worldwide, and slice thickness has an adverse effect on the accuracy of the pulmonary nodule volumetry.

Methods: We propose a deep learning based super-resolution technique to generate thin-slice CT images from thick-slice CT images.

Left Ventricular Entry to Reduce Brain Lesions During Catheter Ablation: A Randomized Trial.

Background: Catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmias, one of the most rapidly growing procedures in cardiac electrophysiology, is associated with magnetic resonance imaging-detected brain lesions in more than half of cases. Although a retrograde aortic approach is conventional, modern tools enable entry through a transseptal approach that may avoid embolization of debris from the arterial system. We sought to test the hypothesis that a transseptal puncture would mitigate brain injury compared with a retrograde aortic approach.

3D Spatiotemporal Activation Mapping of Cardiac Organoids Using Conformal Shell Microelectrode Arrays (MEAs).

Cardiac organoids have emerged as transformative models for investigating cardiogenesis and cardiac diseases. While traditional 2D microelectrode arrays (MEAs) have been used to assess the functionality of cardiac organoids, they are limited to electrophysiological measurements from a single plane and do not capture the 3D propagation of electrical signals. Here, we present a programmable, shape-adaptive shell MEA designed to map the electrical activity across the entire surface of cardiac organoids.

Novel Directly Reprogrammed Smooth Muscle Cells Promote Vascular Regeneration as Microvascular Mural Cells.

Background: Although cell therapy has emerged as a promising approach to promote neovascularization, its effects are mostly limited to capillaries. To generate larger or stable vessels, layering of mural cells such as smooth muscle cells (SMCs) or pericytes is required. Recently, direct reprogramming approaches have been developed for generating SMCs.

Intra-articular Stromal Vascular Fraction and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Injections Show Variable Efficacy and Higher Potential Complications Compared to Corticosteroid and Hyaluronic Acid in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of intra-articular stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ASC) injections in patients with knee osteoarthritis through a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify Level I studies that compared the clinical efficacy of SVF or ASC with that of other nonoperative treatments. Clinical scores measured 3, 6, and 12 months postinjection were standardized to pain and functional scales for meta-analysis based on minimal clinically important differences.

Rhodoquinone carries electrons in the mammalian electron transport chain.

Ubiquinone (UQ), the only known electron carrier in the mammalian electron transport chain (ETC), preferentially delivers electrons to the terminal electron acceptor oxygen (O). In hypoxia, ubiquinol (UQH) diverts these electrons onto fumarate instead. Here, we identify rhodoquinone (RQ), an electron carrier detected in mitochondria purified from certain mouse and human tissues that preferentially delivers electrons to fumarate through the reversal of succinate dehydrogenase, independent of environmental O levels.

Regulation of senescence-associated secretory phenotypes in osteoarthritis by cytosolic UDP-GlcNAc retention and O-GlcNAcylation.

UDP-GlcNAc serves as a building block for glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains in cartilage proteoglycans and simultaneously acts as a substrate for O-GlcNAcylation. Here, we show that transporters for UDP-GlcNAc to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi are significantly downregulated in osteoarthritic cartilage, leading to increased cytosolic UDP-GlcNAc and O-GlcNAcylation in chondrocytes. Mechanistically, upregulated O-GlcNAcylation governs the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) by stabilizing GATA4 via O-GlcNAcylation at S406, which compromises its degradation by p62-mediated selective autophagy.

Sample Preparation of Caenorhabditis elegans for GC-MS-Based Metabolomics in Toxicity Assessment.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, widely recognized as a model organism due to its ease of breeding and well-characterized genomes, boasts complete digestive, reproductive, and endocrine systems, as well as conserved signaling pathways shared with mammals. It has become an invaluable resource for metabolomics research, particularly in examining responses to chemical or environmental factors and toxicity assessments. In this article, we provide detailed, step-by-step protocols for cultivating C.

Identification of Primary Metabolites in H NMR-Based Metabolomics of Plants.

Identifying metabolites in NMR-based plant metabolomics is challenging due to the complexity of plant metabolites. This complexity stems from the abundance and diverse chemical properties of compounds, which vary in concentration across plant specimens. Additionally, the lack of automated identification software complicates the analysis process.

Identification of novel 7-hydroxycoumarin derivatives as ELOC binders with potential to modulate CRL2 complex formation.

The VHL-containing cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL2) complex is an E3 ligase commonly used in targeted protein degradation (TPD). Hydroxyproline-based ligands that mimic VHL substrates have been developed as anchor molecules for proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) in TPD. To expand the chemical space for VHL ligands, we conducted fragment screening using VHL-ELOB-ELOC (VBC) proteins.

Intraindividual Comparison of Image Quality Between Low-Dose and Ultra-Low-Dose Abdominal CT With Deep Learning Reconstruction and Standard-Dose Abdominal CT Using Dual-Split Scan.

Objective: The aim of this study was to intraindividually compare the conspicuity of focal liver lesions (FLLs) between low- and ultra-low-dose computed tomography (CT) with deep learning reconstruction (DLR) and standard-dose CT with model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) from a single CT using dual-split scan in patients with suspected liver metastasis via a noninferiority design.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study enrolled participants who met the eligibility criteria at 2 tertiary hospitals in South Korea from June 2022 to January 2023. The criteria included (a) being aged between 20 and 85 years and (b) having suspected or known liver metastases.

Association of Obesity and Skeletal Muscle with Postoperative Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background A comprehensive assessment of skeletal muscle health is crucial to understanding the association between improved clinical outcomes and obesity as defined by body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) in lung cancer, but limited studies have been conducted on this topic. Purpose To investigate the association between BMI-defined obesity and survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent curative resection, with a specific focus on the status of skeletal muscle assessed at CT. Materials and Methods This retrospective study investigated Korean patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent curative resection between January 2008 and December 2019.

Ginsenoside-Re-rich ethanol extract of Panax ginseng berry enhances healthspan extension via mitostasis and NAD metabolism.

Background: Ginseng Berry Concentrate (GBC) enhances exercise capacity in mice, but the effects of its key component, ginsenoside Re (G-Re), on aging and mitochondrial function are not well understood. This study investigates the impact of G-Re on mitophagy and its potential to promote healthy aging.

Methods: Experiments in C2C12 myocytes and HeLa-mitoKeima-PARKIN cells assessed GBC and G-Re's effects on mitophagy, supported by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis.

Artificial Intelligence in Predicting Ocular Hypertension After Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty.

Purpose: Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) has emerged as a novel approach in corneal transplantation over the past two decades. This study aims to identify predisposing risk factors for post-DMEK ocular hypertension (OHT) and develop a preoperative predictive model for post-DMEK OHT.

Methods: Patients who underwent DMEK at Gangnam Severance Hospital between 2017 and 2024 were included in the study.

Explainable vision transformer for automatic visual sleep staging on multimodal PSG signals.

Polysomnography (PSG) is crucial for diagnosing sleep disorders, but manual scoring of PSG is time-consuming and subjective, leading to high variability. While machine-learning models have improved PSG scoring, their clinical use is hindered by the 'black-box' nature. In this study, we present SleepXViT, an automatic sleep staging system using Vision Transformer (ViT) that provides intuitive, consistent explanations by mimicking human 'visual scoring'.

The Hao-Fountain syndrome protein USP7 regulates neuronal connectivity in the brain via a novel p53-independent ubiquitin signaling pathway.

Mutation or deletion of the deubiquitinase USP7 causes Hao-Fountain syndrome (HAFOUS), which is characterized by speech delay, intellectual disability, and aggressive behavior and highlights important unknown roles of USP7 in the nervous system. Here, we conditionally delete USP7 in glutamatergic neurons in the mouse forebrain, triggering disease-relevant phenotypes, including sensorimotor deficits, impaired cognition, and aggressive behavior. Although USP7 deletion induces p53-dependent neuronal apoptosis, most behavioral abnormalities in USP7 conditional knockout mice persist following p53 loss.

Yeokwisan: Standardised Herbal Formula Enhancing Gastric Mucosal Protection Against Gastric Ulcers in Mice, a Preclinical Study.

: Yeokwisan (YWS) is a standardised herbal formula for relieving functional dyspepsia symptoms. : We explored the therapeutic value of YWS and its potential effects on gastritis. Its inhibitory effect on gastric mucosal damage and anti-inflammatory activity in animal models of alcohol- and restraint stress-induced gastritis were also examined.

Assessing the Efficacy of Mitochondria-Accumulating Self-Assembly Peptides in Pancreatic Cancer: An Animal Study.

Although pancreatic cancer presents with one of the most unfavorable prognoses, its treatment options are very limited. Mitochondria-targeting moieties, considered a new and prominent treatment modality, are expected to demonstrate synergistic anticancer effects due to their distinct mechanism compared to conventional chemotherapeutic approaches. This study evaluated the therapeutic potential of mitochondria-accumulating self-assembly peptides, referred to as Mito-FFs, utilizing both in vitro and in vivo pancreatic cancer models.

Arthroscopic Microdrilling for Full-Thickness Trochlear Cartilage Defects in Patients Undergoing High Tibial Osteotomy Confers Improved Cartilage Status at 1 Year and Rate of Minimal Clinically Important Difference at Short-term Follow-Up.

Purpose: To compare the patient-reported outcome (PRO) improvements and cartilage status of trochlear cartilage defects (TCDs) after additional arthroscopic microdrilling versus no treatment for TCDs during medial open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO).

Methods: Patients who underwent MOWHTO with either microdrilling (group M) or no treatment (group N) for near full-thickness TCDs (International Cartilage Repair Society grade IIIB or greater) from March 2010 to September 2022 were retrospectively reviewed, with a minimum 2-year follow-up. 1:1 Propensity score-matched group N was created.

Mcl-1 is a Gatekeeper Molecule to Regulate the Crosstalk Between Ferroptotic Agent-Induced ER Stress and TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis.

We previously reported that ferroptosis interplays with apoptosis through the integration of two independent pathways: the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathway and the mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signaling pathway. In this study, we investigated a potential gatekeeper molecule, Mcl-1, between the two signal transduction pathways. Morphology studies and cell death analyses confirmed that a combination treatment of ferroptotic agent erastin (ERA) and apoptotic agent TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) synergistically enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma BxPC3 and human colorectal carcinoma HCT116 cells.

Enhanced Detection Performance of Acute Vertebral Compression Fractures Using a Hybrid Deep Learning and Traditional Quantitative Measurement Approach: Beyond the Limitations of Genant Classification.

Objective: This study evaluated the applicability of the classical method, height loss ratio (HLR), for identifying major acute compression fractures in clinical practice and compared its performance with deep learning (DL)-based VCF detection methods. Additionally, it examined whether combining the HLR with DL approaches could enhance performance, exploring the potential integration of classical and DL methodologies.

Methods: End-to-End VCF Detection (EEVD), Two-Stage VCF Detection with Segmentation and Detection (TSVD_SD), and Two-Stage VCF Detection with Detection and Classification (TSVD_DC).