Research note: A novel protease improves egg production and fecal nutrient utilization in laying hens fed corn- or wheat-based diet.

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a novel protease on egg production performance and fecal nutrient retention in laying hens fed corn- or wheat-based diet. Fifty-six Hy-Line Brown hens at 37 wk of age were fed two diets based on either wheat or corn, supplemented or not with protease at 30,000 NFP/kg. The diets were formulated with a 4 % reduction in protein and digestible amino acid compared to the breeder nutrient recommendations to reveal the potentials of protease.

Pre-B-Cell leukemia transcription factor 1 contributes to liver fibrosis by enabling IL-7 signaling in hepatic stellate cells.

Background And Aims: Liver fibrosis, when dysregulated, contributes to irreversible loss of hepatic structure and function heralding end-stage liver diseases including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) represent the common progenitor to myofibroblasts that produce extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to mediate liver fibrosis. In the present study, we investigated the role of Pre-B-Cell leukemia transcription factor 1 (PBX1) in this process.

Downregulated expression of dual-specificity phosphatase-1 in multiple myeloma as a predictor of poor survival outcomes.

Objectives: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematological malignancy, Dual-specificity phosphatase-1 (DUSP1) plays a crucial role in the initiation and progression of various tumors. Here, we aim to elucidate the role of DUSP1 in MM.

Methods: DUSP1 mRNA expression was analyzed based on public datasets, and protein expression was determined by immunohistochemistry.

Recent Progress of Mycotoxin in Various Food Products-Human Exposure and Health Risk Assessment.

Mycotoxins, as prevalent contaminants in the food chain, exhibit diverse toxicological effects on both animals and humans. Chronic dietary exposure to mycotoxin-contaminated foods may result in the bioaccumulation of these toxins, posing substantial public health risks. This review systematically examines the contamination patterns of mycotoxins across major food categories, including cereals and related products, animal-derived foods, fruits, and medical food materials.

Deoxynivalenol and Toxin Exposure and Health Effects Assessment of Pregnant Shanghai Women.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) and toxins (ATs) are two common types of mycotoxins in food. Although they are physiologically toxic to animals and various cell lines, data related to the exposure risks and health effects in the human population were still limited, especially for ATs. In this study, we combined food consumption data and human biomonitoring data of 200 pregnant volunteers from different districts of Shanghai to assess the exposure to DON and ATs.

Research progress on critical viral protease inhibitors for coronaviruses and enteroviruses.

Viral infectious diseases have been seriously affecting human life and health. SARS-CoV-2 was the pathogen that caused Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the impact of COVID-19 is still existing. Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the primary pathogen of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), and no effective direct-acting antiviral drugs targeting EV71 has been approved yet.

A humanized antibody against mucormycosis targets angioinvasion and augments the host immune response.

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection caused by Mucorales fungi that cause severe disease and fatality, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Although vaccines and immunotherapeutics have been successful in combating viral and bacterial infections, approved antifungal immunotherapies are yet to be realized. To address this gap, monoclonal antibodies targeting invasive fungal infections have emerged as a promising approach, particularly for immunocompromised patients who are unlikely to maximally benefit from vaccines.

PCSK9/LOX-1 is associated with T2DM and regulates high glucose-induced lipid metabolism dysfunction in human microvascular endothelial cells.

Introduction: The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9/lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (PCSK9/LOX-1) axis plays a crucial role in regulating vascular endothelial cell function, but its specific involvement in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains unclear. This study aims to explore the potential mechanism of the PCSK9/LOX-1 axis in high-glucose (HG)-induced vascular endothelial cell dysfunction.

Material And Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from T2DM patients to analyse the correlation between PCSK9 and blood lipid levels.

Causal Relationship Between Intelligence, Noncognitive Education, Cognition and Urinary Tract or Kidney Infection: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: The occurrence of urinary tract or kidney infection is correlated with intelligence, noncognitive education and cognition, but the causal relationship between them remains uncertain, and which risk factors mediate this causal relationship remains unknown.

Methods: The intelligence (n=269,867), noncognitive education (n=510,795) and cognition data (n=257,700) were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted in individuals of European ethnicities. The genetic associations between these factors and urinary tract or kidney infection (UK Biobank, n=397,867) were analyzed using linkage disequilibrium score regression.

Comparison of hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common joint disorder, and intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are frequently employed therapeutic interventions. However, there remains controversy regarding their efficacy. This systematic review aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of HA and PRP through a meta-analysis, with the objective of identifying the optimal treatment protocol for KOA and enhancing its management.

Alterations in PD-L1 succinylation shape anti-tumor immune responses in melanoma.

Tumors undergo metabolic reprogramming to meet the energetic, synthetic and redox demands essential for malignancy, often characterized by increased glycolysis and lactate production. However, the role of mitochondrial metabolism in tumor immunity remains unclear. The present study integrates spatial transcriptomics, bulk transcriptomics and proteomics, revealing a strong link between the metabolite succinyl-CoA and tumor immunity as well as the efficacy of anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) therapy in patients with melanoma.

A comparison of fetal hemoglobin interference in routine high-performance liquid chromatography, immunoassay, and enzymatic methods of glycated hemoglobin measurement.

Introduction: Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is known to cause method-specific interference in glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement. Data on HbF interference, however, is currently either lacking for some platforms (eg, the Abbott Core Laboratory Alinity c and Beckman Coulter AU5800) or available only for HbF levels lower than the maximum claimed by the manufacturer (eg, Bio-Rad D-100).

Methods: We examined the effect of HbF interference on 7 HbA1c platforms using a series of spiked adult whole blood samples with increasing HbF levels (0% to 35%) and either low (approximately 5%) or high (approximately 9%) HbA1c levels, using isotope dilution mass spectrometry as a reference measurement procedure.

Correlations of Prealbumin, Procalcitonin, and Brain Natriuretic Peptide with Acute Respiratory Infection in Children.

Background: We aimed to investigate the correlations of prealbumin (PA), procalcitonin (PCT) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) with acute respiratory infection (ARI) in children.

Methods: A total of 120 children with ARI admitted from June 2021 through June 2023 were selected (an infection group) and divided into a bacteria group (n = 50) and a virus group (n = 70) according to the results of bacterial culture and serum test. Another 90 healthy children who underwent physical examination in the same period were selected as a control group.

[Advances in application of small-molecule compounds in neuronal reprogramming].

Neuronal reprogramming is an innovative technique for converting non-neuronal somatic cells into neurons that can be used to replace lost or damaged neurons, providing a potential effective therapeutic strategy for central nervous system (CNS) injuries or diseases. Transcription factors have been used to induce neuronal reprogramming, while their reprogramming efficiency is relatively low, and the introduction of exogenous genes may result in host gene instability or induce gene mutation. Therefore, their future clinical application may be hindered by these safety concerns.

UK Biobank data demonstrate long-term exposure to floods is a risk factor for incident dementia.

Background: Flooding has emerged as the most prevalent natural disaster, impacting billions of individuals worldwide. However, the long-term effects of flooding exposure on dementia remain unclear.

Methods: With a nested case-control design, a risk-set sampling method was used to match cases and controls.

High-altitude pulmonary hypertension: a comprehensive review of mechanisms and management.

High-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) is characterized by an increase in pulmonary artery pressure due to prolonged exposure to hypoxic environment at high altitudes. The development of HAPH involves various factors such as pressure changes, inflammation, oxidative stress, gene regulation, and signal transduction. The pathophysiological mechanisms of this condition operate at molecular, cellular, and genetic levels.

Stabilizing Precursor Solutions by Proton-Rich Additive for High-Performance Air-Processed Solar Cells.

Storing perovskite precursor solutions under ambient conditions poses a significant challenge to commercialization, as humidity and oxidation accelerate ageing and introduce defects in devices. A major contributor to solution ageing and impurity perovskite phases is the deprotonation of hybrid organic cations, specifically methylammonium (MA) and formamidinium (FA). In this work, a proton-rich additive, 4-(aminomethyl)pyridine 2-iodide, is used to inhibit MA deprotonation in precursor solutions by generating free H, thereby mitigating the degradation of organic cations under oxygen and humidity stress.

Clinical Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in Bullous Pemphigoid Patients: A 15-Year Review in China.

Background: There are limited data on clinical outcomes and prognosis factors for bullous pemphigoid (BP) at long-term follow-up.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes and prognostic factors in BP patients.

Methods: This retrospective study was performed between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2023 in Shandong Province, China.

Identification of blacklist regions in cattle and pig genomes.

Cattle and pigs are important farm animals and biomedical models for studying human development and diseases. Accurate annotation of their cis-regulatory elements is essential for advancing breeding strategies and biological research. Identifying these elements typically relies on ChIP-seq data, which profiles histone modifications and transcription factors.

Rapid COD Sensing in Complex Surface Water Using Physicochemical-Informed Spectral Transformer with UV-Vis-SWNIR Spectroscopy.

Water, as a finite and vital resource, necessitates water quality monitoring to ensure its sustainable use. A key aspect of this process is the accurate measurement of critical parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD). However, current spectroscopic methods struggle with accurately and consistently measuring COD in large-scale, complex water environments due to an insufficient understanding of water spectra and limited generalizability.

Erythematous Plaques and Nodules in a Child.

A 10-year-old boy presented with plaques and nodules accompanied by itching on his trunk and extremities, persisting for 2 months. Initially, erythematous papules appeared, followed by vesicles that caused pain upon rupture. He was diagnosed with erythema elevatum diutinum (EED), a condition more commonly seen in adults and rarely in children, particularly boys.

Fluffy mesoporous AlO supported Ag-InO schottky junction catalysts for selective hydrogenation of CO of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes.

Unsaturated alcohols (UOLs) are important fine chemical intermediates. Thus, it is of great significance to design and prepare catalysts for highly selective hydrogenation of CO of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes (UALs). In this paper, a fluffy mesoporous AlO-supported Ag-InO catalyst (Ag-InO/-AlO) was synthesized by employing a two-solvent method, in which Ag and InO form a Mott-Schottky junction and lead to electron transfer from InO to Ag.

Drug discovery targeting thyroid hormone receptor (THR) for the treatment of liver diseases and other medical indications.

Thyroid hormone receptors (THRs), a crucial nuclear receptor protein family, primarily consist of two categories: receptors and receptors. Among them, THR is the primary subtype of thyroid hormone that confers benefits to the liver. In the last two decades, there have been efforts to develop THR agonists that selectively yield beneficial effects on the liver, such as lowering triglycerides and cholesterol, while reducing adverse effects on the heart, muscle, and bone.

Engineered MXene Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine.

MXene-based materials have attracted significant interest due to their distinct physical and chemical properties, which are relevant to fields such as energy storage, environmental science, and biomedicine. MXene has shown potential in the area of tissue regenerative medicine. However, research on its applications in tissue regeneration is still in its early stages, with a notable absence of comprehensive reviews.

GPNMB disrupts SNARE complex assembly to maintain bacterial proliferation within macrophages.

Xenophagy plays a crucial role in restraining the growth of intracellular bacteria in macrophages. However, the machinery governing autophagosome‒lysosome fusion during bacterial infection remains incompletely understood. Here, we utilize leprosy, an ideal model for exploring the interactions between host defense mechanisms and bacterial infection.