De novo design of self-assembling peptides with antimicrobial activity guided by deep learning.

Bioinspired materials based on self-assembling peptides are promising for tackling various challenges in biomedical engineering. While contemporary data-driven approaches have led to the discovery of self-assembling peptides with various structures and properties, predicting the functionalities of these materials is still challenging. Here we describe the deep learning-guided de novo design of antimicrobial materials based on self-assembling peptides targeting bacterial membranes to address the emerging problem of bacterial drug resistance.

Biological age prediction and NAFLD risk assessment: a machine learning model based on a multicenter population in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.

Background: The objective was to develop a biological age prediction model (NC-BA) for the Chinese population to enrich the relevant studies in this population. And to investigate the association between accelerated age and NAFLD.

Methods: On the basis of the physical examination data of people without noninfectious chronic diseases (PWNCDs) in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China, the biological age measurement method was developed via three feature selection methods (all-subset regression, LASSO regression (LR), and recursive feature elimination) and three machine learning algorithms (generalized linear model (GLM), support vector machine, and deep generalized linear model (deep GLM)).

Circulating IL6 is involved in the infiltration of M2 macrophages and CD8+ T cells.

To elucidate the relationship between circulating cytokines and the prognosis of microsatellite-stable(MSS) colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, we examined the correlation between circulating cytokine levels and tumor immune infiltration microenvironment in this patient population. By conducting a preliminary analysis of the GEO database, we identified five core genes associated with colorectal cancer and further analyzed their impact on immune infiltration. We measured serum cytokine levels and validated the immune infiltration results through immunohistochemical staining of common inflammatory cell markers, including CD3, CD4, CD8, CD163, and FOXP3.

Adjuvant PD-1 Blockade With Camrelizumab for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: The DIPPER Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Approximately 20% to 30% of patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) experience disease relapse despite definitive chemoradiotherapy. The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade camrelizumab has demonstrated considerable value in recurrent or metastatic NPC, while its role in locoregionally advanced NPC is unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant camrelizumab for patients with locoregionally advanced NPC.

The role of tumor-associated macrophages in lung cancer.

Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, necessitating innovative treatments. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are primary immunosuppressive effectors that foster tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and resistance to therapy. They are broadly categorized into proinflammatory M1 and tumor-promoting M2 phenotypes, with elevated M2 infiltration correlating with poor prognosis.

Mesenchymal cell-derived exosomes and miR-29a-3p mitigate renal fibrosis and vascular rarefaction after renal ischemia reperfusion injury.

Background: Renal fibrosis and vascular rarefaction are significant complications of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal cell-derived exosomes (hucMSC-exos) have shown potential in mitigating these conditions. This study investigates the role of miR-29a-3p in exosomes and its therapeutic effects on I/R-induced renal damage.

The benefit and risk of addition of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors to chemotherapy for advanced cervical cancer: a phase 3 randomized controlled trials based meta-analysis.

Background: Chemotherapy has been confirmed as an effective treatment for advanced cervical cancer. However, whether combining PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with chemotherapy (PIC) offers superior efficacy remains a subject of debate. This meta-analysis aims to compare the antitumor effects and safety profile of PIC versus chemotherapy.

Transapical Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation with the J-Valve System in Aortic Regurgitation.

Background: Aortic regurgitation (AR) is a condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in severe cases. The J-Valve system, next-generation transcatheter heart valve, may overcome the procedural challenges associated with treating pure AR. This study reported the outcome of use of the J-Valve for treatment of AR.

Effects of empathy on the perspectives of respectful and disrespectful maternity care among nursing and midwifery students in China: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Empathy is a crucial attribute in healthcare, benefiting both professionals and patients. It also plays an important role in the midwife-woman relationship, contributing to the implementation of respectful maternity care. Witnessing acts of disrespect towards childbearing women in the clinical setting may impair students' perceptions of respectful maternity care, as they may come to view disrespect as normative.

Serum microRNA-24-based nomogram predicts prognosis for patients with resected pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PCa) is one of the malignant tumors with an extremely poor prognosis. Rare biomarkers exist for predicting the outcomes of PCa patients. This study aimed to develop a nomogram model based on serum microRNA-24 (miR-24) and clinicopathological factors to predict overall survival (OS) and treatment response to conventional adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) in patients with PCa.

Single-cell analysis reveals transcriptomic features and therapeutic targets in primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma.

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PPLELC) is a rare subtype of non-small-cell lung cancer. Duo to the current lack of precise targeted therapies, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapeutic targets. In this study, we perform single-nucleus transcriptome analysis on PPLELC samples to reveal the molecular tumor heterogeneity and characterize the functional states of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment.

Three-dimensional partitioning and quantification of orthodontic root resorption via automatic root extraction from cone-beam computed tomography.

Background: External root resorption (ERR) during orthodontic treatment is a common concern, and accurate quantification is crucial for assessing outcomes and minimizing long-term complications. This study aims to quantify ERR using automated root extraction from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), combined with a novel root partitioning method and enhanced through the integration of intraoral scans for improved accuracy.

Methods: Thirty-six patients with malocclusion were included and divided into two groups.

The cGAS-STING pathway in cancer immunity: dual roles, therapeutic strategies, and clinical challenges.

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway is a crucial component of the host's innate immunity and plays a central role in detecting cytosolic double-stranded DNA from endogenous and exogenous sources. Upon activation, cGAS synthesizes cGAMP, which binds to STING, triggering a cascade of immune responses, including the production of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the context of cancers, the cGAS-STING pathway can exert dual roles: on the one hand, it promotes anti-tumor immunity by enhancing antigen presentation, stimulating T-cell responses, and inducing direct tumor cell apoptosis.

Evaluating the energy-saving and efficiency-enhancing potential of data factor marketization: Empirical evidence from 270 cities in China.

The digital economy has been widely recognized for its potential to advance economic and environmental sustainability. However, despite extensive exploration, a critical gap persists in understanding how the allocation and reorganization of data factors within the digital economy can enhance energy efficiency. Specifically, the existing literature lacks empirical evidence on the causal relationship between data factor marketization and urban energy efficiency, as well as insights into the mechanisms underlying this relationship.

Glutamatergic projections from the basolateral amygdala to medial prefrontal cortex contribute to acute itch sensation processing.

Itch refers to an aversive sensation that generates a desire to scratch. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) activity is crucial in driving motivation, sensation, and emotional responses. Excitatory projections from the BLA play a vital role in turning neuronal activity throughout the brain, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).

Integrated Profiling Delineated KIF18A as a Significant Biomarker Associated with Both Prognostic Outcomes and Immune Response in Pancreatic Cancer.

Purpose: Kinesin family member 18A (KIF18A) is a member of the kinesin-8 family of motor proteins, involved in the progression and metastasis of various tumors. However, its role in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) remains unclear.

Methods: To evaluate that role, RNA sequencing datasets, complemented by pertinent clinical metadata, were procured from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repositories.

Giant Enhancement of Optical Nonlinearity by Manipulating Guest Molecular Stacking Modes in Metal-Organic Frameworks.

The influence of guest stacking interactions in host-guest (H-G) MOF composites on third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) performance remains largely unknown. Herein, we propose for the first time a noncovalent aggregate confinement strategy for synthesizing H-G MOF composites with different guest stacking modes. And [perylene] (α-Pe) and [perylene] (β-Pe) were selected as guests and confined into a novel Ca-based MOF {[Ca(TBAPy)(DMA)]·3DMA·[N(CH)]·HO} (Ca-MOF-pts).

Unlocking the power of time-since-infection models: data augmentation for improved instantaneous reproduction number estimation.

The time-since-infection (TSI) models, which use disease surveillance data to model infectious diseases, have become increasingly popular due to their flexibility and capacity to address complex disease control questions. However, a notable limitation of TSI models is their primary reliance on incidence data. Even when hospitalization data are available, existing TSI models have not been crafted to improve the estimation of disease transmission or to estimate hospitalization-related parameters-metrics crucial for understanding a pandemic and planning hospital resources.

[A sparse-view cone-beam CT reconstruction algorithm based on bidirectional flow field- guided projection completion].

Objectives: We propose a sparse-view cone-beam CT reconstruction algorithm based on bidirectional flow field guided projection completion (BBC-Recon) to solve the ill-posed inverse problem in sparse-view cone-beam CT imaging.

Methods: The BBC-Recon method consists of two main modules: the projection completion module and the image restoration module. Based on flow field estimation, the projection completion module, through the designed bidirectional and multi-scale correlators, fully calculates the correlation information and redundant information among projections to precisely guide the generation of bidirectional flow fields and missing frames, thus achieving high-precision completion of missing projections and obtaining pseudo complete projections.

Extracellular Polymeric Substances Conditioning Layer Mediates the Bacterial Adhesion Behaviors toward Controlled Biofilm Formation.

In aquatic environments, conditioning layers play a crucial role in modulating the adhesion and aggregation of planktonic bacteria, ultimately facilitating biofilm formation and the irreversible onset of biofouling. This study reports the construction of a simplified conditioning layer using extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by and its influence on the adherence behaviors of bacteria. The results reveal that the EPS conditioning layer remarkably inhibits the adherence yet promotes the aggregation of .

Predictive value of biliverdin reductase-A and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance on mild cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aims/introduction: To investigate the predictive value of the biliverdin reductase-A (BVR-A) and the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and to establish a nomogram model.

Materials And Methods: This study included 140 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Based on Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores, participants were categorized into the normal cognitive function (T2DM-NCF) group (65 cases) and the mild cognitive impairment (T2DM-MCI) group (75 cases).

Fast quality assessment and origin identification of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix using fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics.

This study explores the application of Fourier Transform Infrared Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) combined with chemometric analysis for rapid quality assessment and origin species verification of Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix (Qinjiao). Qinjiao, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, faces significant challenges in quality control due to frequent adulteration and substitution. In this study, 195 Qinjiao samples were analyzed using FTIR-PAS, and chemometric techniques were employed for both classification and regression analysis.

Rational design strategy for thermostability enhancement of protein-glutaminase and investigation of the underlying mechanisms.

Protein-Glutaminase (PG) with efficient deamidation ability has shown vital potential in food fields. Enzymes with high thermostability remain active in high-temperature environments, which can be applied to some steps requiring high temperature treatment in food processing, thereby greatly expanding their industrial application. In this study, an efficient comprehensive strategy based on consensus sequence and computer-aid analysis was proposed to develop a combinatorial mutant mPG-5 M (A79S/T97V/S108P/N154D/L156Y), exhibiting a 55.

Nivolumab combined with induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A multicenter phase 2 PLATINUM trial.

Severe toxicities caused by concurrent cisplatin are a critical problem in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment. In this phase 2 multicenter PLATINUM trial (NCT03984357), we recruited 152 NPC patients who received 12-cycle nivolumab plus induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy without concurrent cisplatin. After a median follow-up of 43 months, the 3-year failure-free survival (FFS) was 88.