Investigating the common genetic architecture and causality of metabolic disorders with neurodegenerative diseases.

Background: The co-occurrence of metabolic dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases suggests a genetic link, yet the shared genetic architecture and causality remain unclear. We aimed to comprehensively characterise these genetic relationships.

Methods: We investigated genetic correlations among four neurodegenerative diseases and seven metabolic dysfunctions, followed by bidirectional Mendelian randomisation (MR) to assess potential causal relationships.

GPR17 modulates anxiety-like behaviors basolateral amygdala to ventral hippocampal CA1 glutamatergic projection.

Anxiety disorders are one of the most epidemic and chronic psychiatric disorders. An incomplete understanding of anxiety pathophysiology has limited the development of highly effective drugs against these disorders. GPR17 has been shown to be involved in multiple sclerosis and some acute brain injury disorders.

Adiponectin receptor 1-mediated basolateral amygdala-prelimbic cortex circuit regulates methamphetamine-associated memory.

The association between drug-induced rewards and environmental cues represents a promising strategy to address addiction. However, the neural networks and molecular mechanisms orchestrating methamphetamine (MA)-associated memories remain incompletely characterized. In this study, we demonstrated that AdipoRon (AR), a specific adiponectin receptor (AdipoR) agonist, inhibits the formation of MA-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in MA-conditioned mice, accompanied by suppression of basolateral amygdala (BLA) CaMKIIα neuron activity.

LncRNAs modulating tooth development and alveolar resorption: Systematic review.

Tooth development is an intricate process that encompasses cellular activities, molecular signaling pathways, and gene expression patterns. Disruptions in any of the processes can lead to structural anomalies, impairments in function, and increased vulnerability to oral disorders. Alveolar resorption, which refers to the pathological loss of alveolar bone around teeth, poses a substantial clinical problem in periodontal disorders such as periodontitis.

Molecular Eye: A System for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Clinical Diseases Based on Molecular Probe Technology.

With the flourishing development of precision medicine, theranostics, generally recognized as the integration of diagnosis and treatment, has emerged as a prominent trend in clinical research. However, theranostics primarily emphasizes the end result of integration, without providing sufficient details on how precise diagnosis and synergetic individualized treatment could be achieved and what clinical challenges could be effectively addressed in clinical practice. Molecular probe technology provides a robust method to bridge the gap between theory and practice.

Nanoscale Radiotheranostics for Cancer Treatment: From Bench to Bedside.

In recent years, the application of radionuclides-containing nanomaterials in cancer treatment has garnered widespread attention. The diversity of nanomaterials allows researchers to selectively combine them with appropriate radionuclides for biomedical purposes, addressing challenges faced by peptides, small molecules, or antibodies used for radionuclide labeling. However, with advantages come challenges, and nanoradionuclides still encounter significant issues during clinical translation.

RGS22 maintains the physiological function of ependymal cells to prevent hydrocephalus.

Ependymal cells line the wall of cerebral ventricles and ensure the unidirectional cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow by beating their motile cilia coordinately. The ependymal denudation or ciliary dysfunction causes hydrocephalus. Here, we report that the deficiency of regulator of G-protein signaling 22 (RGS22) results in severe congenital hydrocephalus in both mice and rats.

Impact of foam-mat drying conditions of "Gấc" aril on drying rate and bioactive compounds: Optimization by novel statistical approaches.

This study was conducted to optimize the foam-mat drying conditions to maximize quality [β-carotene and total polyphenol content (TPC)] and drying rate of "Gấc" aril powder by using two novel statistical techniques as Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) couple with Genetic Algorithm (GA). During production process, level of egg albumin (EA) used for foaming process and drying temperature mainly influenced the drying rate and content of antioxidant compounds in powder. ANN model of 3-10-3 showed more accuracy and faster prediction capacity than RSM model did.

First Report of Paprika mild mottle virus Infecting pepper ( L.) in China.

Paprika mild mottle virus (PaMMV), a tobamovirus from the Virgaviridae family, has been reported to infect pepper ( L.) in the Netherlands (García-Luque et al., 1993), Japan (Hamada et al.

A circuit from lateral hypothalamic to dorsal hippocampal dentate gyrus modulates behavioral despair in mice.

Behavioral despair is one of the clinical manifestations of major depressive disorder and an important cause of disability and death. However, the neural circuit mechanisms underlying behavioral despair are poorly understood. In a well-established chronic behavioral despair (CBD) mouse model, using a combination of viral tracing, in vivo fiber photometry, chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulations, in vitro electrophysiology, pharmacological profiling techniques, and behavioral tests, we investigated the neural circuit mechanisms in regulating behavioral despair.

Metabolic Assessment in Non-Dialysis Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of different metabolites in the body fluids of non-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) using a metabolomics approach. The goal was to identify early biomarkers of CKD progression through metabolic pathway analysis.

Patients And Methods: Plasma samples from 47 patients with stages 1-4 CKD not requiring dialysis and 30 healthy controls were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

Associations of ACE I/D and AGTR1 rs5182 polymorphisms with diabetes and their effects on lipids in an elderly Chinese population.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is generally accompanied by dyslipidaemia, but inconsistent relationships between lipid profiles and diabetes are noted. Moreover, genetic variations in insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms at angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) and T/C polymorphisms in the angiotensin type 1 receptor gene (AGTR1) are related to diabetes and lipid levels, but the associations are controversial. Thus, the current research aimed to explore the effects of ACE I/D, AGTR1 rs5182 and diabetes mellitus on serum lipid profiles in 385 Chinese participants with an average age of 75.

Prediction Model for Early-Stage CKD Using the Naples Prognostic Score and Plasma Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase Activity.

Purpose: Changes in inflammation, immunity, and nutritional status can promote the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the Naples prognostic score (NPS) reflects changes in these three general clinical parameters. Indoleamine 2.3-dioxygenase (IDO) can block the function of inflammatory cells and inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines.

A viral effector blocks the turnover of a plant NLR receptor to trigger a robust immune response.

Plant intracellular nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat immune receptors (NLRs) play a key role in activating a strong pathogen defense response. Plant NLR proteins are tightly regulated and accumulate at very low levels in the absence of pathogen effectors. However, little is known about how this low level of NLR proteins is able to induce robust immune responses upon recognition of pathogen effectors.

Interfacial epitaxy of multilayer rhombohedral transition-metal dichalcogenide single crystals.

Rhombohedral-stacked transition-metal dichalcogenides (3R-TMDs), which are distinct from their hexagonal counterparts, exhibit higher carrier mobility, sliding ferroelectricity, and coherently enhanced nonlinear optical responses. However, surface epitaxial growth of large multilayer 3R-TMD single crystals is difficult. We report an interfacial epitaxy methodology for their growth of several compositions, including molybdenum disulfide (MoS), molybdenum diselenide, tungsten disulfide, tungsten diselenide, niobium disulfide, niobium diselenide, and molybdenum sulfoselenide.

Indole Lactic Acid in Plasma and Urine: A Potential Biomarker for Chronic Kidney Disease and Inflammatory.

Purpose: We aimed to explore changes in plasma and urine indole lactic acid (ILA) levels and the relationship between inflammation and ILA in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and healthy people.

Patients And Methods: Forty-seven CKD patients and 30 healthy individuals were included in this study. One-way ANOVA was used for variables with normal distribution and homogeneous variance.

Evidence of abnormal hot carrier thermalization at van Hove singularity of twisted bilayer graphene.

Interlayer twist evokes revolutionary changes to the optical and electronic properties of twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) for electronics, photonics and optoelectronics. Although the ground state responses in TBG have been vastly and clearly studied, the dynamic process of its photoexcited carrier states mainly remains elusive. Here, we unveil the photoexcited hot carrier dynamics in TBG by time-resolved ultrafast photoluminescence (PL) autocorrelation spectroscopy.

Extracellular vesicles and endothelial dysfunction in infectious diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. Studies have shown that infections especially bacteraemia and sepsis are associated with increased risks for endothelial dysfunction and related CVDs including atherosclerosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small, sealed membrane-derived structures that are released into body fluids and blood from cells and/or microbes and are critically involved in a variety of important cell functions and disease development, including intercellular communications, immune responses and inflammation.

Strong chiroptical nonlinearity in coherently stacked boron nitride nanotubes.

Nanomaterials with a large chiroptical response and high structural stability are desirable for advanced miniaturized optical and optoelectronic applications. One-dimensional (1D) nanotubes are robust crystals with inherent and continuously tunable chiral geometries. However, their chiroptical response is typically weak and hard to control, due to the diverse structures of the coaxial tubes.

WS ribbon arrays with defined chirality and coherent polarity.

One-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides exhibiting an enhanced bulk photovoltaic effect have the potential to exceed the Shockley-Queisser limit efficiency in solar energy harvest within - junction architectures. However, the collective output of these prototype devices remains a challenge. We report on the synthesis of single-crystalline WS ribbon arrays with defined chirality and coherent polarity through an atomic manufacturing strategy.