Metabolomic alterations in the plasma of patients with various clinical manifestations of COVID-19.

Background: The metabolomic profiles of individuals with different clinical manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have not been clearly characterized.

Methods: We performed metabolomics analysis of 166 individuals, including 62 healthy controls, 16 individuals with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 88 patients with moderate (n = 42) and severe (n = 46) symptomatic 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19; 17 with short-term and 34 with long-term nucleic-acid test positivity). By examining differential expression, we identified candidate metabolites associated with different SARS-CoV-2 infection presentations.

Characterization of small RNAs in the spleen of MASH in a non-human primate model.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its advanced stage, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), are increasingly recognized as a global health issue. This study examines the role of small RNAs in the spleen of MASH using a non-human primate model. We performed high-throughput small RNA sequencing on spleen tissues from MASH-primates, revealing significant alterations in the expression of small non-coding RNAs, especially miRNAs.

Patient-derived organoids and mini-PDX for predicting MET-mutated lung cancer patient clinical therapeutic response.

Lung cancer as a molecularly and histologically high heterogonous disease, there is an urgent need to predict lung cancer patients' responses to anti-cancer treatment, and patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have been recognized as a valuable platform for preclinical drug screening. In this study, we successfully established 26 PDO lines from various subtypes of lung cancers including benign tumor, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma, large-cell carcinoma, and small-cell carcinoma. These PDOs were shown to retain the major genomic and histological characteristics of primary tumors and remain stable during long-term culture.

A novel extraction method for three ochratoxins in human urine based on polystyrene/polyethersulfone electrospun nanofibers coated with copper nanoparticles.

In this study, four types of nanofibers were prepared electrospinning and characterized through SEM, TEM, EDS, FTIR, TG, XPS and water contact angle analyses, and the novel polystyrene/polyethersulfone nanofibers coated with copper nanoparticles (PS/PES-CuNPs nanofibers) were developed as an ideal adsorbent for the extraction of three ochratoxins from human urine. The solid-phase extractant of sample pretreatment displayed preferable sensitivity and an extraction effect, and the analytical method based on the novel packed-fiber solid-phase extraction strategy followed by high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (PFSPE-HPLC-FLD) achieved an exceedingly low limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.108-0.

Structural modification of 2-phenylquinoline-4-carboxylic acid containing SIRT3 inhibitors for the cancer differentiation therapy.

Inhibition of SIRT3 exhibited potency in triggering leukemic cell differentiation. In discovery of potent SIRT3 inhibitors for cancer differentiation therapy, structural modification was performed on the previously developed lead compound P6. A total of 33 compounds were designed and synthesized.

Variation of Odontoid Incidence According to Age in Asymptomatic Children.

Objective: To investigate the effect of age and sex on odontoid parameters and their relationships with cervical sagittal alignment in children.

Methods: A total of 155 Chinese children without cervical symptoms were divided into groups by age: 3-12 years (87 participants), 13-18 years (68 participants), and sex: male (91 participants) and female (64 participants). Lateral plain radiographs of the whole spine were analyzed for (1) odontoid parameters: odontoid incidence (OI), odontoid tilt, and C2 slope (C2S); and (2) cervical sagittal parameters: C0-2, C2-3, C2-4, C2-5, C2-6, and C2-7 angles (cervical lordosis [CL]), T1 slope (T1S), and T1S minus CL (T1S-CL).

Single-cell transcriptome atlas of testes from mice with high-fat diets.

Obesity is accompanied by multiple known health risks and increased morbidity, and obese men display reduced reproductive health. However, the impact of obesity on the testes at the molecular levels remain inadequately explored. This is partially attributed to the lack of monitoring tools for tracking alterations within cell clusters in testes associated with obesity.

Effective delivery of miR-150-5p with nucleus pulposus cell-specific nanoparticles attenuates intervertebral disc degeneration.

Background: The use of gene therapy to deliver microRNAs (miRNAs) has gradually translated to preclinical application for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). However, the effects of miRNAs are hindered by the short half-life time and the poor cellular uptake, owing to the lack of efficient delivery systems. Here, we investigated nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) specific aptamer-decorated polymeric nanoparticles that can load miR-150-5p for IDD treatment.

Pretreatment of shrimp shells with an acidic deep eutectic solvent system for chitin extraction and its enhanced performance as a carrier for immobilized lipase.

Existing methods for chitin extraction usually produce substantial waste, which poses ecological hazards. Natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) offers a promising one-step pretreatment alternative, replacing the resource-intensive demineralization (DM) and deproteinization (DP) process. Hence, in this study, the influence of various acidic NADES, on achieving a simplified one-step DM and DP in the chitin extraction process was investigated.

External treatment of traditional Chinese medicine for cancer pain: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Cancer pain is one of the most intolerable and frightening symptoms of cancer patients. However, the clinical effect of the three-step analgesic ladder method (TSAL) is not satisfactory. The combination of external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can improve the clinical effect.

Odontoid incidence: a constant cervical anatomical feature evident in standing plain radiographs and supine magnetic resonance images.

Objective: To assess whether there is a difference between measurements of odontoid incidence (OI) and other cervical sagittal parameters by X-ray radiography and those by supine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Standing X-ray and supine MRI images of 42 healthy subjects were retrospectively analyzed. Surgimap software was employed to measure cervical sagittal parameters including OI, odontoid tilt (OT), C2 slope (C2S), C0-2 angle, C2-7 angle, T1 slope (T1S) and T1S-cervical lordosis (CL).

Thymosin α1 modulated the immune landscape of COVID-19 patients revealed by single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing.

Background: The Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a serious threat to global health. Thymosin α1 (Tα1) was considered to be applied in COVID-19 therapy. However, the data remains limited.

Lipid alternations in the plasma of COVID-19 patients with various clinical presentations.

Background: COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory disease that can manifest in various clinical presentations. Although many studies have reported the lipidomic signature of COVID-19, the molecular changes in asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected individuals remain elusive.

Methods: This study combined a comprehensive lipidomic analysis of 220 plasma samples from 166 subjects: 62 healthy controls, 16 asymptomatic infections, and 88 COVID-19 patients.

Mediating Triple Ions Migration Behavior via a Fluorinated Separator Interface toward Highly Reversible Aqueous Zn Batteries.

Rampant dendrite growth, electrode passivation and severe corrosion originate from the uncontrolled ions migration behavior of Zn , SO , and H , which are largely compromising the aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) performance. Exploring the ultimate strategy to eliminate all the Zn anode issues is challenging but urgent at present. Herein, a fluorinated separator interface (PVDF@GF) is constructed simply by grafting the polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) on the GF surface to realize high-performance AZIBs.

Melatonin Improves Turbot Oocyte Meiotic Maturation and Antioxidant Capacity, Inhibits Apoptosis-Related Genes mRNAs In Vitro.

High-quality eggs are essential for the sustainability of commercial aquaculture production. Melatonin is a potent candidate for regulating the growth and maturation of oocytes. Therefore, research on the effect of melatonin on marine fish oocytes in vitro has been conducted.

The Significance of Odontoid Incidence in Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy.

Study Design: Observational study.

Objective: To analyze the cervical sagittal parameters for standing Digital radiography (DR) and supine Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to further clarify the relationship between odontoid incidence (OI) and cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Methods: 52 CSM patients aged 54.

Hepatic transcriptomic analysis reveals that Hif1α/ldha signal is involved in the regulation of hypoxia stress in black rockfish Sebastes schlegelii.

Hypoxia has become a common problem for aquatic organisms due to the interaction of global climate change and human activity. Black rockfish inhabits rocky reefs in waters of Japan, Korea and China, whereas the limited hypoxia tolerance leads to mass mortality and great economic loss. In this study, high-throughput RNA-seq for transcriptomic analysis was used to investigate the hepatic response in black rockfish under hypoxia (critical oxygen tension, Pcrit; loss of equilibrium, LOE) and reoxygenation (recover normal dissolved oxygen 24 h, R24) to explore the mechanisms underlying hypoxia tolerance and adaptation.

Discovery of [5,5'-bibenzo[d][1,3]dioxol]-6-substituted amine derivatives as potent proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. In discovery of novel small molecules that interfere PCSK9/LDLR protein-protein interaction (PPI), structural modification was performed based on our previously derived compounds. A series of [5,5'-bibenzo[d][1,3]dioxol]-6-amine analogs were designed and synthesized for the activity evaluation.

Effect of Dietetic Obesity on Testicular Transcriptome in Cynomolgus Monkeys.

Obesity is a metabolic disorder resulting from behavioral, environmental and heritable causes, and can have a negative impact on male reproduction. There have been few experiments in mice, rats, and rabbits on the effects of obesity on reproduction, which has inhibited the development of better treatments for male subfertility caused by obesity. Nonhuman primates are most similar to human beings in anatomy, physiology, metabolism, and biochemistry and are appropriate subjects for obesity studies.

Hypoxia stress induces hepatic antioxidant activity and apoptosis, but stimulates immune response and immune-related gene expression in black rockfish Sebastes schlegelii.

Dissolved oxygen concentrations both in the open ocean and coast have been declining due to the interaction of global climate change and human activity. Fish have evolved different adaptative strategies to cope with possibly damage induced by hypoxic environments. Black rockfish as important economic fish widely reared in the offshore sea cage, whereas related physiological response subject to hypoxia stress remained unclear.

Wiltse transforaminal thoracic interbody fusion approach for the treatment of single‑segment thoracic spinal tuberculosis in elderly patients with osteoporosis: A retrospective study of 20 cases.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical feasibility and efficacy of the Wiltse approach and TTIF in elderly patients with single-segment thoracic tuberculosis (SSTTB) complicated with osteoporosis and neurological dysfunction. Between January 2017 and January 2019, 20 elderly patients underwent the Wiltse TTIF approach at a single hospital. The follow-up time of these patients was 37.

A Nature-Inspired Separator with Water-Confined and Kinetics-Boosted Effects for Sustainable and High-Utilization Zn Metal Batteries.

Uncontrollable dendrite growth and sluggish ion-transport kinetics are considered as the main obstacles for the further development of high-performance aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs). Here, a nature-inspired separator (ZnHAP/BC) is developed to tackle these issues via the hybridization of the biomass-derived bacterial cellulose (BC) network and nano-hydroxyapatite particles (HAP). The as-prepared ZnHAP/BC separator not only regulates the desolvation process of the hydrated Zn ions (Zn(H O) ) by suppressing the water reactivity through the surface functional groups, alleviating the water-induced side-reactions, but also boosts the ion-transport kinetics and homogenize the Zn flux, resulting in a fast and uniform Zn deposition.