Baolier Capsule's Secret Weapon: Piperine Boosts Cholesterol Excretion to Combat Atherosclerosis.

Purpose: The Baolier capsule (BLEC) is a proprietary Mongolian medicine administered for treating hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis (AS). However, the therapeutic effects, primary bioactive ingredients, and potential mechanisms underlying hypercholesterolemia and AS remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the pharmacological effects, principal active ingredients, and mechanisms of BLEC against hypercholesterolemia and AS.

Self-Assembly Behavior of Zein on Two Different Substrates Visualized by Atomic Force Microscopy.

When protein molecules come into contact with different types of substrate materials, the surface properties of the substrate will have a significant effect on their self-assembly behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-assembly behavior of zein molecules on the two different substrates. Herein, the microstructure of zein molecules on the surface of two typical substrates, mica and glass, were characterized in detail by atomic force microscopy.

Aerobic exercise attenuates high-fat diet-induced glycometabolism impairments in skeletal muscle of rat: role of EGR-1/PTP1B signaling pathway.

Objective: Impaired skeletal muscle glycogen synthesis contributes to insulin resistance (IR). Aerobic exercise reported to ameliorate IR by augmenting insulin signaling, however the detailed mechanism behind this improvement remains unclear. This study investigated whether aerobic exercise enhances glycogen anabolism and insulin sensitivity via EGR-1/PTP1B signaling pathway in skeletal muscle of rats.

B12-Dependent Radical SAM Enzymes Catalyze C-Fluoromethylation via a CH2F-cobalamin Intermediate.

Fluorine and fluorine-containing functional groups play important roles in drugs and agrochemicals. Recently, SAM-dependent methyltransferases and several SAM analogues have been reported for fluoromethyl transfer through a nucleophilic mechanism. However, fluoromethylation of unactivated carbon centers is very challenging, and their substitution usually involves a radical mechanism.

The role of tumor types in immune-related adverse events.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are monoclonal antibodies that block inhibitors of T cell activation and function. With the widespread use of ICIs in cancer therapy, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) have gradually emerged as urgent clinical issues. Tumors not only exhibit high heterogeneity, and their response to ICIs varies, with "hot" tumors showing better anti-tumor effects but also a higher susceptibility to irAEs.

Oxymatrine Inhibits Liver Cancer Progression by Regulating SIRT1/YY1/GPX4 Axis-Mediated Ferroptosis.

Ferroptosis is regarded as a promising cancer therapeutic target. As a major bioactive compound from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herb Aiton, oxymatrine (OMT) can depress inflammatory factors, reduce iron deposition, and suppress the hub gene or protein expression involved in ferroptosis and inflammation. Additionally, OMT can control collagen deposition in the liver and has a therapeutic effect on liver cancer.

Developing dual-responsive quinolinium prodrugs of 8-hydroxyquinoline by harnessing the dual chelating sites.

The bidentate metal ion chelator 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) demonstrates significant potential in anticancer therapy but is hindered by adverse effects due to nonspecific chelation in normal tissues. The phenolic hydroxyl oxygen of 8-HQ has been extensively exploited to develop O-masked 8-HQ prodrugs aimed at achieving on-demand chelation. However, the equally crucial quinoline nitrogen for chelation remains underutilized.

Gut microbiota has important roles in the obstructive sleep apnea-induced inflammation and consequent neurocognitive impairment.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a state of sleep disorder, characterized by repetitive episodes of apnea and chronic intermittent hypoxia. OSA has an extremely high prevalence worldwide and represents a serious challenge to public health, yet its severity is frequently underestimated. It is now well established that neurocognitive dysfunction, manifested as deficits in attention, memory, and executive functions, is a common complication observed in patients with OSA, whereas the specific pathogenesis remains poorly understood, despite the likelihood of involvement of inflammation.

Silk Fibroin Hydrogel for Pulse Waveform Precise and Continuous Perception.

Precise and continuous monitoring of blood pressure and cardiac function is of great importance for early diagnosis and timely treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The common tests rely on on-site diagnosis and bulky equipments, hindering early diagnosis. The emerging hydrogels have gained considerable attention in skin bioelectronics by virtue of the similarities to biological tissues and versatility in mechanical, electrical, and biofunctional engineering.

Brain network analysis reveals hemispheric aberrant topology in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder.

Idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is recognized as a prodromal stage of neuro-degenerative disease. While brain network analysis is a well-documented approach for characterizing disease-related dysfunctions, the specific patterns in iRBD, particularly those related to hemispheric aberrations remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, this study investigated the topological abnormalities of multi-band EEG networks in patients with iRBD.

The efficacy of norepinephrine application in Mammotome-assisted minimally invasive resection for benign breast neoplasm: A retrospective study.

Objective: Although Mammotome-assisted minimally invasive resection (MAMIR) has been widely accepted for treating breast benign nodules, the procedure remains very technical and challenging. The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of norepinephrine application in MAMIR concerning intraoperative hemorrhage, postoperative pain and postoperative hospitalization.

Methods: A total of 306 patients with breast nodules admitted at the Xishan people's Hospital of Wuxi City between June 2021 and July 2023 were included in this retrospective cohort study.

Detection of CRISPR‒Cas and type I R-M systems in of human and animal origins and their relationship to antibiotic resistance and virulence.

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)‒CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) and restriction‒modification (R-M) systems are important immune systems in bacteria. Information about the distributions of these two systems in from different hosts and their mutual effect on antibiotic resistance and virulence is still limited. In this study, the whole genomes of 520 strains of from GenBank, including 325 from humans and 195 from animals, were collected for CRISPR‒Cas systems and type I R-M systems, virulence genes, antibiotic resistance genes, and multilocus sequence typing detection.

National and Regional Molecular Epidemiology of HIV-1 - China, 2004-2023.

Introduction: The genetic diversity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 subtypes significantly influences the effectiveness of diagnostic tools, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and vaccine development. This study aimed to assess the regional and national prevalence of HIV-1 subtypes and recombinants in China between 2004 and 2023 using pol gene segment analysis.

Methods: We analyzed annual HIV/AIDS reports and pol gene segment sequences from all Chinese provinces between 2004 and 2023.

Microfluidic Electrospinning Core-Shell Nanofibers for Anti-Corrosion Coatings With Efficient Self-Healing Properties.

Self-healing materials have been extensively explored in metal anti-corrosion fields. However, improving the self-healing efficiency remains a significant work that severely limits their further development. Here, a strategy to fabricate anti-corrosion coatings with efficient self-healing properties based on microfluidic electrospinning technologies and UV-curable healing agents is reported.

Design and Synthesis of Multi-compartment Microcapsules via Pickering Emulsion Polymerization for Infrared Stealth and Adaptive Camouflage Applications.

High-performance color-changing compounds, recognized as prominent smart materials, dynamically alter their color in response to external environmental stimuli. However, existing compounds exhibit limited responsiveness and color diversity, presenting challenges in the development of textiles responsive to multiple stimuli. This research introduces a novel design for dual-responsive color-changing microcapsules, employing a Pickering emulsion template method.

Polyanionic Electrolyte Ionization Desalination Empowers Continuous Solar Evaporation Performance.

Solar evaporation contributes to sustainable and environmentally friendly production of fresh water from seawater and wastewater. However, poor salt resistance and high degree of corrosion of traditional evaporators in brine make their implementation in real applications scarce. To overcome such deficiency, a polyanionic electrolyte functionalization strategy empowering excellent uniform desalination performance over extended periods of time is exploited.

Establishment of a prognostic nomogram based on the clinical and inflammatory parameters as well as acute radiation enteritis for patients with cervical cancer receiving radiotherapy.

Objective: Acute radiation enteritis is one of the most common complications of radiotherapy for patients with cervical cancer. This study aims to investigate the effect of acute radiation enteritis on the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer receiving radiotherapy and to establish a nomogram predicting the patients' overall survival (OS).

Methods: The clinical data of 288 patients with cervical cancer who were admitted to our department from 2014 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and the survival of patients were followed up.

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Urate Crystal Deposition in Tendons With Gout Patients.

Objective: To use ultrasound technology to assess the deposition of urate crystals in the common lower limb tendons of patients with gout, providing additional imaging information for the management of these patients.

Methods: High-frequency ultrasound was retrospectively used to evaluate urate crystal deposition in common lower limb tendons-quadriceps, patellar, and Achilles-in patients with gouty arthritis. Comparative statistical analysis was conducted among asymptomatic hyperuricemia patients and healthy individuals during the same period.

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling and simulation of topiramate in populations with renal and hepatic impairment and considerations for drug-drug interactions.

Topiramate (TPM) is a broad-spectrum antiepileptic drug (AED) commonly prescribed for approved and off-label uses. Routine monitoring is suggested for clinical usage of TPM in special population due to its broad side effect profile. Therefore, it is crucial to further explore its pharmacokinetic characteristics.

Prediction model establishment of prognosis factors for distant metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma based on the SEER database.

Background: Distant metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an important indicator of poor patient prognosis. Identifying patients who are at high risk of metastasis early on is essential for creating personalized treatment plans, yet currently, there is a scarcity of effective predictive tools.

Objective: To investigate the effects of different factors on distant metastasis in HCC patients and to establish a clinical prediction model for predicting distant metastasis in HCC patients.

Bromocriptine mesylate-loaded nanoparticles co-modified with low molecular weight protamine and lactoferrin for enhanced nose-to-brain delivery in Parkinson's disease treatment.

Parkinson's disease confronts challenges in drug delivery due to the blood-brain barrier. Intranasal delivery bypasses the blood-brain barrier for improved drug bioavailability, yet narrow nasal space and brief retention time hinder clinical applicability. We conducted a Bromocriptine Mesylate-loaded PLGA nanoparticles co-modified with low molecular weight protamine (LMWP) and lactoferrin (Lf) (LMWP/Lf-BCM-NPs) for nose-to-brain delivery.

MSR1 in lung squamous cell carcinoma: Prognostic and immunological values in pan-cancer and single-cell analyses and a cohort study.

Objective: Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) constitutes approximately 40% of lung cancer cases and lacks effective treatments, needing new diagnostic and prognostic tools. Macrophage scavenger receptor 1 (MSR1), as a key receptor in macrophages, is essential in tumor immunity. However, its mechanisms in regulating tumor progression and immunity and its prognostic value in LUSC remain unclear.

High-performance nitrogen-doped green fluorescent carbon dots for applications in rapid detection of chlortetracycline and fluorescent film.

Chlortetracycline (CTC), a widely used antibiotic, poses potential health risks due to its residues in animal products, making its detection crucial for environmental and human health. This study introduces a novel, rapid, and sensitive method for CTC detection utilizing nitrogen-doped green fluorescent carbon dots (G-CDs) synthesized through a simple hydrothermal process. The G-CDs exhibit strong green fluorescence and high quantum yield, demonstrating excellent selectivity and sensitivity for CTC detection.

The effectiveness of a nurse-led home-based cardiac rehabilitation based on instant information intervention in the prognosis of patients with TAVR: A randomized controlled trial protocol.

Background: Patients with poor prognosis after TAVR surgery require high-quality cardiac rehabilitation. Digital home-based rehabilitation based on real-time information intervention can improve outcomes. However, the parameters of the text message intervention, such as text message content, intervention duration, text message frequency, and other parameters, may vary.