Homochiral carbon nanotube van der Waals crystals.

For applications of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in integrated circuits, it is crucial to have high-tube density arrays of SWNTs that are well aligned and purely semiconducting. In this work, we report on the direct growth of close-packed SWNT arrays on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) substrates, demonstrating high alignment and uniform chirality within each array. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that a self-assembly growth mechanism resulted from the intertube van der Waals attraction and the ultralow sliding friction of SWNTs on the atomically flat hBN substrate.

Effects of Fermented Liquid Feed with Compound Probiotics on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Fecal Microbiota of Growing Pigs.

Feed fermentation enhances feed nutrition and animal health, but its impact on the gut microbiota of young pigs remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a probiotic fermented feed, which includes , , , and , on the growth performance, meat quality, and intestinal microbiota of growing pigs. We randomly assigned 24 Duroc × Landrace × Landrace pigs to two groups: a control (Ctrl) group and the fermented liquid feed (FLF) group, with three replicate pens per group and four pigs per pen.

Research progress of T cells in cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a malignant tumor, is typically challenging to detect early and often results in a poor prognosis. In recent years, research interest has grown in the potential application of immunotherapy for CCA treatment. T cells, as a crucial component of the immune system, play a significant role in immune surveillance and therapy for cholangiocarcinoma.

Impact of immune cell metabolism on membranous nephropathy and prospective therapy.

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a primary glomerular disease commonly causing adult nephrotic syndrome. Characterized by thickened glomerular capillary walls due to immune complex deposition, MN is a complex autoimmune disorder. Its pathogenesis involves immune deposit formation, complement activation, and a heightened risk of renal failure.

Differential Effects of Light and Dark Phase Modifications on Jet Lag Adaptability in Mice.

In chronobiology, shifting light/dark cycles is a common method to disrupt circadian rhythms. While the direction and magnitude of a phase shift (e.g.

Unveiling Photoperiod-Responsive Regulatory Networks in Tropical Maize Through Transcriptome Analysis.

Maize ( L.), a crop of worldwide importance, owes its adaptability to diverse environments to its genetic variation. However, tropical maize exhibits intrinsic photoperiod sensitivity, limiting its adaptability to temperate regions.

Causal relationship between sleep traits and risk of Epilepsy: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Observational studies have identified a strong correlation between epilepsy and sleep traits, highlighting their interactive relationship. However, no studies have specifically examined the associations between sleep traits and epilepsy. In this context, we conducted a Mendelian Randomization (MR) investigation to explore the causal nature of these associations.

Dynamic and static brain functional abnormalities in autism patients at different developmental stages.

To date, most studies on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have focused on specific age ranges, while the mechanisms underlying the entire developmental process of autism patients remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in brain function in autistic individuals at different developmental stages by resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). We obtained rs-fMRI data from 173 ASD and 178 typical development (TD) individuals in Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange, spanning child, adolescent, and adult groups.

Relationship between competency inventory, perceived career benefits, and professional identity among pediatric nurses.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between competency inventory, perceived career benefits, and professional identity among pediatric nurses.

Methods: A convenience sampling method was used to select 444 pediatric nurses from 10 tertiary hospitals in Hebei Province between June 2023 and August 2023 as the research subjects. The survey was conducted on September 15, 2023, during the morning meetings (nurses who were not on duty that day were surveyed when they returned to work).

Transcriptional enhancers in human neuronal differentiation provide clues to neuronal disorders.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified thousands of variants associated with complex phenotypes, including neuropsychiatric disorders. To better understand their pathogenesis, it is necessary to identify the functional roles of these variants, which are largely located in non-coding DNA regions. Here, we employ a human mesencephalic neuronal cell differentiation model, LUHMES, with sensitive and high-resolution methods to discover enhancers (NET-CAGE), perform DNA conformation analysis (Capture Hi-C) to link enhancers to their target genes, and finally validate selected interactions.

Tea leaf exosome-like nanoparticles (TELNs) improve oleic acid-induced lipid metabolism by regulating miRNAs in HepG-2 cells.

Tea is a widely consumed beverage globally, but the tea industry faces a significant waste management challenge. In this study, we developed tea leaf exosome-like nanoparticles (TELNs) with an average size of 274 ± 24.7 nm and a zeta potential of -20.

Targeting the E Prostanoid Receptor EP4 Mitigates Cardiac Fibrosis Induced by β-Adrenergic Activation.

Sustained β-adrenergic activation induces cardiac fibrosis characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). Prostaglandin E (PGE) receptor EP4 is essential for cardiovascular homeostasis. This study aims to investigate the roles of cardiomyocyte (CM) and cardiac fibroblast (CF) EP4 in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac fibrosis.

Association of baseline eGFR and incident heart failure on patients receiving intensive blood pressure treatment.

Aims: We aim to elucidate the association of baseline eGFR and incident heart failure on patients receiving intensive BP treatment.

Methods And Results: A post hoc analysis was conducted on the SPRINT database. Multivariab le Cox regression and interaction restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis were performed to investigate the interaction between baseline eGFR and intensive BP control on heart failure prevention.

Associations of Short-Term Ozone Exposure With Hypoxia and Arterial Stiffness.

Background: Epidemiological studies reported associations between ozone (O) exposure and cardiovascular diseases, yet the biological mechanisms remain underexplored. Hypoxia is a shared pathogenesis of O-associated diseases; therefore, we hypothesized that O exposure may induce changes in hypoxia-related markers, leading to adverse cardiovascular effects.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate associations of short-term O exposure with hypoxic biomarkers and arterial stiffness.

Successful application of microspore culture by adding kinetin and methylene blue to improve microspore embryogenesis in Chinese kale breeding.

Microspore culture is an efficient and rapid method that produces doubled haploid (DH) lines for hybrid breeding in crops and vegetables. However, the low frequency of microspore embryogenesis and spontaneous diploidization in Chinese kale still require improvement. In the present work, an efficient microspore culture protocol was constructed and used for DH producing in Chinese kale breeding.

An ASGP-R-targeting magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent for liver cancer diagnosis.

Development of novel Gd-based contrast agents for targeted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of liver cancer remains a great challenge. Herein we reported a novel Gd-based MRI contrast agent with improved relaxivity for specifically diagnosing liver cancer. This GSH-responsive macromolecular contrast agent (mCA), POLDGd, was prepared by RAFT polymerization, and its lactic acid moiety could precisely target the ASGP-R surface protein on liver cancer cells, whereas PODGd without the lactic acid moiety was prepared as a control.

Associations of Body Mass Index and Percent Body Fat with Osteoporosis, Sarcopenia, and Osteosarcopenia: A Retrospective Study Based on Postmenopausal Women in China.

: Alterations in the body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat (PBF) have been considered to be related to aging-induced changes in bone and muscle. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of the BMI and PBF with osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and osteosarcopenia in postmenopausal women. : A total of 342 participants who underwent musculoskeletal function assessments at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2015 and December 2022 were retrospectively screened.

Lysoglycerophospholipid metabolism alterations associated with ambient fine particulate matter exposure: Insights into the pro-atherosclerotic effects.

The biological pathways connecting ambient fine particulate matter (PM)-induced initial adverse effects to the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are not fully understood. We hypothesize that lysoglycerophospholipids (LysoGPLs) are pivotal mediators of atherosclerosis induced by exposure to PM. This study investigated the changes of LysoGPLs in response to PM exposure and the mediation role of LysoGPLs in the pro-atherosclerotic effects of PM exposure.

Minimally invasive surgery versus open surgery for intraspinal tumors: a meta-analysis based on 15 observational studies.

Objectives: This study compared the clinical outcomes of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and open surgery (OS) for patients with intraspinal tumors.

Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases was conducted to identify relevant studies. Continuous variables, including estimated blood loss, surgery duration, time to mobilization, length of hospitalization, visual analog scale (VAS) score, and incision length, were reported as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

Strong and Tough Self-Healing Elastomers via BTA-Mediated Microstructure and Metal-ligand Coordination.

Creating elastomers with high strength, toughness, and rapid self-healing remains a key challenge. These seemingly contradictory properties require innovative design strategies. Herein, a novel approach is proposed by simultaneously incorporating a unique triple hydrogen bond unit, benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA), and imidazole-Zn dynamic coordination into the elastomer.

An Optimized SVR Algorithm for Pulse Pile-Up Correction in Pulse Shape Discrimination.

Pulse pile-up presents a significant challenge in nuclear radiation measurements, particularly in neutron-gamma pulse shape discrimination, as it causes pulse distortion and diminishes identification accuracy. To address this, we propose an optimized Support Vector Regression (SVR) algorithm for correcting pulse pile-up. Initially, the Dung Beetle Optimizer (DBO) and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) are integrated to refine the correction process, with performance evaluated using charge comparison methods (CCM) for pulse shape discrimination.

A Comparative Analysis on Indoor and Outdoor PM and Their Hourly Associations with Acute Respiratory Inflammation Among College Students in Lhasa.

Ambient concentrations are commonly used as proxies for personal PM exposure in epidemiological studies, despite indoor settings being the places where people spend most of their time. In a panel study of 110 nonsmoking, healthy college students in Lhasa, Tibet, indoor PM was monitored using calibrated low-cost sensors for two multiweek periods, in over 40 dormitories where participants resided. We also repeatedly measured fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), an acute respiratory inflammation biomarker, for each participant.

Research Progress on Chitosan Microneedle Arrays in Transdermal Drug Delivery.

As a type of transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS), Microneedles (MNs) have garnered significant attention from researchers due to their ability to penetrate the stratum corneum (SC) of the skin, enhance drug permeability and bioavailability, avoid first-pass metabolism, and cause minimal damage to the skin. This makes them particularly suitable for localized transdermal drug delivery. Dissolvable microneedles (DMNs) can encapsulate sensitive particles, provide high drug-loading capacity, and possess biodegradability and biocompatibility, attracting extensive research interest.