Expanding Cas12a Activity Control with an RNA G-Quadruplex at the 5' end of CRISPR RNA.

Precise control of Cas12a activity is essential for the improvement of the detection limit of clinical diagnostics and the minimization of errors. This study addresses the challenge of controlling Cas12a activity, especially in the context of nucleic acid detection where the inherent incompatibility between isothermal amplification and CRISPR reactions complicates accurate diagnostics. An RNA G-quadruplex (RG4) structure at the 5' end of crRNA is introduced to modulate Cas12a activity accurately without the need for chemical modifications.

A novel model based on clinical and computed tomography (CT) indices to predict the risk factors of postoperative major complications in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background: Postoperative complications are prone to occur in patients after radical pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). This study aimed to construct and validate a model for predicting postoperative major complications in patients after PD.

Methods: The clinical data of 360 patients who underwent PD were retrospectively collected from two centers between January 2019 and December 2023.

LHX3 promotes EMT in hepatoma cell through β-catenin/TCF4 pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant cancer and lacks effective therapeutic targets. The role of LIM/homeobox protein Lhx3 (LHX3) has been extensively studied in various tumor tissues, where it has been identified as a promoter of tumorigenesis and malignancy. However, the specific functional role and potential mechanism of LHX3 in human HCCs are not clearly clarified.

Comparative effectiveness of four techniques for identifying vertebral fragility fractures among elderly patients.

Objective: The incidence of vertebral fragile fractures peaked among the elderly population, and identifying individuals at high risk of vertebral fractures and promptly instituting preventions are of critical importance. This study aims to determine the efficacy and values of Hounsfield unit (HU) values, vertebral bone quality (VBQ) scores, bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) to discriminate between patients with and without vertebral fractures.

Methods: A thorough search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wan Fang Database to identify potential studies that met the eligibility criteria.

USP33 Regulates DNA Damage Response and Carcinogenesis Through Deubiquitylating and Stabilising p53.

The de-ubiquitinase USP33 has been shown to possess either tumour-promoting or inhibitory effect on human cancer cells. However, all these findings are mainly based on in vitro cell culture models, and the in vivo evidence, which is more plausible to digest the functional role of USP33 in carcinogenic process, is still lacking. Here, we demonstrate that USP33 modulates DNA damage responses including cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction through associating with p53.

Unveiling the global dynamics of dissolved organic carbon in aquatic ecosystems: Climatic and anthropogenic impact, and future predictions.

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and its biodegradability (BDOC%) in aquatic ecosystems significantly impact the global carbon cycle, varying greatly across rivers, lakes, and estuaries due to environmental and anthropogenic factors. However, a thorough understanding of these variations is still lacking. This study investigated the interactions between climate, hydrology, physiography, soil, land cover, and human activity on DOC dynamics in rivers, lakes, and estuaries.

Macrophages promote pre-metastatic niche formation of breast cancer through aryl hydrocarbon receptor activity.

Macrophages that acquire an immunosuppressive phenotype play a crucial role in establishing the pre-metastatic niche (PMN), which is essential for facilitating breast cancer metastasis to distant organs. Our study showed that increased activity of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in lung macrophages plays a crucial role in establishing the immunosuppressive PMN in breast cancer. Specifically, AHR activation led to high expression of PD-L1 on macrophages by directly binding to the promoter of Pdl1.

Causal effects of the RANK-RANKL-OPG system and scoliosis: A bidirectional 2-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Epidemiological studies and a recent Mendelian randomization (MR) study have identified an association between low bone mass and an increased risk of scoliosis. Previous research suggests that bone loss in patients with scoliosis may be related to the RANK-RANKL-OPG system. This study is to investigate whether a causal relationship exists between the RANK-RANKL-OPG system and the development of scoliosis.

Exploring -Lipoic Acid Based Thermoplastic Silicone Adhesive: Towards Sustainable and Green Recycling.

Considering the demand for the construction of a sustainable future, it is essential to endow the conventional thermoset silicone adhesive with reuse capability and recyclability. Although various research attempts have been made by incorporating reversible linkages, developing sustainable silicone adhesives by natural linkers is still challenging, as the interface between the natural linker and the silicone is historically difficult. We exploited the possibility of utilizing -lipoic acid, a natural linker, to construct a sustainable silicone adhesive.

Effects of pharmacogenomics-guided treatment on medication adherence and the antidepressant switching rate in major depressive disorder.

Background: In the treatment of depression, medication plays a crucial role. However, insufficient patient adherence to medication often results in unsatisfactory treatment outcomes, increasing both the recurrence and rehospitalization rates of depression, and consequently imposing a greater economic burden on the healthcare system.

Objectives: Our objective was to examine the impact of pharmacogenomic testing on medication adherence and antidepressant switching rates among individuals diagnosed with depression.

Spintronic terahertz metasurface emission characterized by scanning near-field nanoscopy.

Understanding the ultrafast excitation, detection, transportation, and manipulation of nanoscale spin dynamics in the terahertz (THz) frequency range is critical to developing spintronic THz optoelectronic nanodevices. However, the diffraction limitation of the sub-millimeter waves - THz wavelengths - has impaired experimental investigation of spintronic THz nano-emission. Here, we present an approach to studying laser THz emission nanoscopy from W|CoFeB|Pt metasurfaces with ∼60-nm lateral spatial resolution.

Electrical Spin State Manipulation in All-Magnet Heterojunctions Using a Ferromagnetic Spin Source.

The ability to electrically manipulate spin states in magnetic materials is essential for the advancement of energy-efficient spintronic device, which is typically achieved in systems composed of a spin source and a magnetic target, where the magnetic state of the target is altered by a charge current. While theories suggest that ferromagnets could function as more versatile spin sources, direct experimental studies involving only the spin source and target layers have been lacking. Here electrical manipulation of spin states in noncolinear antiferromagnet MnSn using ferromagnets (Ni, Fe, NiFe, CoFeB) as the spin sources is reported.

Molecular Understanding of the Role of Catalyst Particle Arrangement in Local Mass Transport Resistance for Fuel Cells.

Platinum (Pt) catalyst performance loss caused by a high local oxygen transport resistance is an urgent problem to be solved for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Rationally arranging Pt particles on carbon support is the primary approach for reducing mass transport resistance. Herein, using a unique method coupling Hybrid Reverse Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental measurements, a Pt particle arrangement strategy is proposed to reduce local oxygen transport resistance, based on a molecular-level understanding of its impact.

Dietary protein re-alimentation following restriction improves protein deposition via changing amino acid metabolism and transcriptional profiling of muscle tissue in growing beef bulls.

This study aimed to develop a compensatory growth model using growing beef cattle by changing dietary protein and to investigate the underlying mechanisms of compensatory protein deposition in muscle tissue. Twelve Charolais bulls were randomly assigned to one of two groups with two periods: 1) a control group (CON) fed a 13% crude protein (CP) diet for 6 weeks; 2) a treatment group (REC) fed a 7% CP diet for 4 weeks (restriction period) and fed a 13% CP diet in the following 2 weeks (re-alimentation period). Growth performance, digestibility, nitrogen balance, targeted metabolomics of amino acids (AA) in plasma, and transcriptional profiling in muscle tissue were analyzed.

CRISPR-Cas9 screening identifies the role of FER as a tumor suppressor.

It is important to systematically identify tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) to improve our understanding of tumorigenesis and develop strategies for early diagnosis and mitigating disease progression. In the present study, we used an in vivo genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) screen and identified FPS/FES-related (FER) as a TSG. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revealed that normal cells with low FER expression exhibited elevated malignant transformation potential and stemness properties.

Rainstorms drive the carbon dioxide emissions during the algae-growing season in a large eutrophic lake.

Lakes are sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO), contributing to global climate change. Temporal variations in lake CO emissions are pronounced, with algal growth and precipitation identified as important drivers. Eutrophic lakes often act as atmospheric CO sinks during the growing season.

Variations in the milk lipidomic profile of lactating dairy cows fed the diets containing alfalfa hay versus alfalfa silage.

Alfalfa is primarily stored as silage or hay in livestock production. Previous research has shown that the storage method of grass significantly influences milk composition. This study aimed to investigate milk production performance and lipid composition in dairy cows fed diets consisting of alfalfa hay or alfalfa silage as roughage.

[Research Progress for the Toxic Effects of Microplastics on Soil Animals and Plants].

Terrestrial ecosystems represent the most direct and principal reservoirs of plastic contamination on Earth. The toxic effects of microplastic exposure on terrestrial plants have been analyzed from the perspectives of direct toxicity, indirect toxicity, and combined toxicity with other pollutants. By investigating the impacts on the growth, behavior, and oxidative stress responses of soil animals, the toxicological patterns of microplastics have been elucidated.

Status of inpatients with pediatric epilepsy in children's hospitals in China (2016-2021).

Background: Pediatric epilepsy is the most common disease of pediatric neurological diseases in China. Current demographic characteristics and economic burdens are needed to guide public health policy. In this study, we provide the demographic characteristics and economic burden of pediatric epilepsy patients in China from 2016 to 2021, and describe the change trend and correlation of demographic characteristics and economic burden by province.

Chiral iodine-catalyzed asymmetric oxyamination of unactivated olefins.

In this paper, chiral aryl iodides were used for the first time to catalyze the formation of C-O and C-N bonds of inactive olefins to obtain optically active aminolactone derivatives. The reaction is compatible with various substituted alkenyl carboxylic acid substrates. This method usually shows high activity and enantioselectivity, with a yield of up to 83% and an ee of up to 99%.

Effects of on alcohol-induced liver injury through storing Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and gut microbiota.

Background: L. Sch. Bip.