Melatonin alleviates endometrial fibrosis in bovine endometritis by regulating TGF-β/Smad and MAPK signaling pathways via MT2.

Bovine endometritis can lead to abnormal endometrial function and fibrosis, resulting in difficulties in successful embryo implantation and intrauterine adhesions. Melatonin is well known for its profitable effects against inflammation and pathological fibrosis in discrepant organs. Considering the potential therapeutic benefits of melatonin, this study aimed to investigate its effects on endometrial fibrosis in cows with endometritis.

Micro-Nano Fractal Metal Grids as Transparent Conductive Electrodes for Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells.

Metal mesh-based transparent electrodes possess several notable advantages, including exceptional flexibility, high electrical conductivity, and excellent light transmittance, making them the focus of increasing research interest. However, their widespread application in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) remains a significant challenge due to the susceptibility of the metal grids to corrosion and their inherently rough surface. In this study, we report environmentally stable, low surface roughness transparent conductive electrodes by integrated micro-nano fractal metal grid transparent conductive electrodes (MNF-TCEs) and PH1000.

A retrospective cohort study on radio/chemotherapy and survival following esophageal fistula in esophageal cancer patients with prior radiotherapy.

Background/objective: Radiotherapy is a common treatment for patients with esophageal cancer. Esophageal fistula (perforation) is a serious complication in patients with advanced esophageal cancer. It is unclear how radio/chemotherapy post-fistula may affect survival in patients with malignant esophageal fistulae with radiotherapy pre-fistula.

Ultrafast cell-free DNA extraction from body fluids using UiO-66-NH hydrogel packed syringe.

Liquid biopsy represents a noninvasive or minimally invasive diagnostic approach relevant for both the organ-specific changes and systemic health conditions, whereas cell-free DNA (cfDNA) extraction from body liquids has attracted much attention in liquid biopsy, especially. Nowadays, metal-organic frameworks (MOF) such as UiO-66-NH has been demonstrated efficient extraction property for DNA molecular, whereas the disadvantages of MOF for solid-phase extraction (SPE) still remain. Herein, one macro-pored MOF hydrogel formation strategy was constructed in this study to achieve superb extraction performance of cfDNAs from body fluids.

Phyllosphere microbiome assists the hyperaccumulating plant in resisting heavy metal stress.

Phyllosphere microbiome plays an irreplaceable role in maintaining plant health under stress, but its structure and functions in heavy metal-hyperaccumulating plants remain elusive. Here, the phyllosphere microbiome, inhabiting hyperaccumulating (HE) and non-hyperaccumulating ecotype (NHE) of Sedum alfredii grown in soils with varying heavy metal concentration, was characterized. Compared with NHE, the microbial community α-diversity was greater in HE.

Exploring genetic loci linked to COVID-19 severity and immune response through multi-trait GWAS analyses.

Introduction: COVID-19 severity has been linked to immune factors, with excessive immune responses like cytokine storms contributing to mortality. However, the genetic basis of these immune responses is not well understood. This study aimed to explore the genetic connection between COVID-19 severity and blood cell traits, given their close relationship with immunity.

Polygenic risk scores for pan-cancer risk prediction in the Chinese population: A population-based cohort study based on the China Kadoorie Biobank.

Background: Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have been extensively developed for cancer risk prediction in European populations, but their effectiveness in the Chinese population remains uncertain.

Methods And Findings: We constructed 80 PRSs for the 13 most common cancers using seven schemes and evaluated these PRSs in 100,219 participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB). The optimal PRSs with the highest discriminatory ability were used to define genetic risk, and their site-specific and cross-cancer associations were assessed.

Gibberellin signalling mediates nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of Sucrose Synthase 1 to regulate the drought tolerance in rice.

The Green Revolution (GR) has substantially improved cereal crop yields and enhanced adaptation to diverse environmental challenges. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms involving GR-related genes that regulate drought tolerance in plants remain largely unclear. Here, we reveal that the gibberellin (GA) signalling repressor SLENDER RICE 1 (SLR1) negatively regulates the abundance of the dehydration-responsive protein OsBURP3 to enhance drought tolerance in rice.

Clinical manifestations and pathogenesis of mitochondrial dysfunction in short stature.

Background: Mitochondria plays a pivotal role in cellular energy production, and their dysfunction can lead to a spectrum of mitochondrial diseases, affecting various organs with a wide range of clinical symptoms. Among these, short stature is a notable manifestation, yet its pathogenesis related to mitochondrial dysfunction remains underexplored.

Data Sources: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Medline, and EMBASE databases from inception to November 2024.

Reducing PDK4 level constitutes a pivotal mechanism for glucocorticoids to impede osteoblastic differentiation through the enhancement of ferroptosis in mesenchymal stem cells.

Background: This study mainly explores the possible role and mechanism of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) in the onset and development of Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP), and seeks potential targets for the treatment of GIOP.

Methods: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were treated with osteogenic induction medium. An in vitro osteogenic damage model was established by exposing MSCs to a high concentration (10 M) of dexamethasone (DEX).

Corrigendum: Taxifolin increased semen quality of Duroc boars by improving gut microbes and blood metabolites.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.

Assessment of the clinical significance of a UGT1A1 gene variant in affecting phototherapy response and long-term outcomes in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Objective: Phototherapy is the standard treatment, but its efficacy can vary among neonates, prompting interest in genetic factors, particularly UGT1A1 gene variants. This study aims to evaluate the clinical significance of the UGT1A1 gene variant in influencing phototherapy response and long-term outcomes in neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Methods: This retrospective study included 104 neonates with neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, of whom 63 carried the normal UGT1A1 gene, and 41 had the homozygous UGT1A1 Gly71Arg variant.

Association of dietary niacin intake with osteoporosis in the postmenopausal women in the US: NHANES 2007-2018.

Background: Elderly individuals with inadequate vitamin B level are at increased risk of degenerative conditions, notably cardiovascular disorders, cognitive impairments, and osteoporosis. The relationship between niacin (vitamin B3) consumption and osteoporosis risk remains a subject of debate. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between dietary niacin intake and the incidence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women aged ≥50 years.

Identification of shared genetic loci for asthma, allergic rhinitis, and pollinosis in East Asians.

Asthma, allergic rhinitis, and pollinosis are prevalent respiratory conditions that often co-occur, suggesting common genetic and environmental causes. While significant progress has been made in identifying genetic loci in European populations, the genetic architecture in East Asian populations remains poorly understood. Using GWAS summary statistics from BioBank Japan, we performed multi-trait genome-wide association studies (MTAG) to quantify the genetic overlap among asthma, allergic rhinitis, and pollinosis in East Asians.

[PM Prediction Based on EOF Decomposition and CNN-LSTM Neural Network].

Based on the surface meteorological data and ambient air quality data of Taiyuan from 2016 to 2020, the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of PM concentration in Taiyuan were analyzed. The temporal and spatial variation characteristics of PM concentration in Taiyuan were studied using the EOF decomposition diagnostic analysis method. At the same time, the importance of meteorological factors was analyzed using a random forest model, and a PM concentration prediction model based on the CNN-LSTM neural network was established.

The impact of long-acting Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist pretreatment on the clinical pregnancy outcomes of hormone replacement therapy-frozen embryo transfer in recurrent implantation failure patients with and without polycystic ovary syndrome: a retrospective clinical study.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated that pre-treatment with long-acting Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone agonists (GnRHa) can significantly enhance the clinical pregnancy rate among recurrent implantation failure (RIF) patients. Investigations have also suggested that GnRHa pre-treatment could ameliorate the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. But there is a dearth of research on whether long-acting GnRHa pre-treatment yields superior clinical outcomes for RIF patients with PCOS.

Transcranial vibration stimulation at 40 Hz induced neural activity and promoted the coupling of global brain activity and cerebrospinal fluid flow.

Background: Neuroscience advances have highlighted the potential of non-invasive brain stimulation in influencing cognitive and emotional processes. Conventional stimulation methods such as electrical, magnetic, and ultrasound have been studied intensively, but little is known about the mechanical stimulation.

Objective: To investigate the effects of 40 Hz transcranial vibration stimulation (TVS) on human brain activity, specifically focusing on changes in the Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF) and Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) as measures of spontaneous brain activity.

Chiral Pt(II)-V(V) Bimetallic Cages and Guest-Induced Allosteric Regulation of Catalytic Asymmetric Sulfoxidation.

Flexible metal-organic cages can provide confined active metal sites and show promise in mimicking metalloenzymes. In this study, we synthesized two flexible chiral bimetallic coordination cages, [(PEt)Pt(,,-)] and its enantiomer, through the self-assembly of platinum(II) precursors with enantiopure tripodal vanadium(V) complexes bearing pendant pyridyl groups (). The cages show guest binding with chiral camphorsulfonate anions, concomitant with changes in the cage conformation.

Massively parallel variant-to-function mapping determines functional regulatory variants of non-small cell lung cancer.

Genome-wide association studies have identified thousands of genetic variants associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, it is still challenging to determine the causal variants and to improve disease risk prediction. Here, we applied massively parallel reporter assays to perform NSCLC variant-to-function mapping at scale. A total of 1249 candidate variants were evaluated, and 30 potential causal variants within 12 loci were identified.

Generation of a transgene-free Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell line (JNCHi002-A) from a female heterozygous carrier of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene mutation (c.387delC).

The low density lipoprotein receptor （LDLR) gene (OMIM#606945)encodes a protein of 860 amino acids. The encoded protein typically anchors itself to the cell membrane, where it facilitates the binding and internalization of low-density lipoprotein/cholesterol into the cell. Once inside, lysosomes liberate the cholesterol, which then becomes available to suppress the activity of the microsomal enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase.

Molecular dynamics study of functionalized carbon nanotube loaded with multiple doxorubicin targeted to folate receptor α.

Two novel targeted drug delivery systems (DDSs) were designed: folate (FOL) conjugated (9, 9) carbon nanotube (CNT) loaded with 20 doxorubicin (DOX) molecules (FOL-CNT/20DOX) and folate (FOL) conjugated carboxylated (9, 9) CNT (COOH-CNT) loaded with 24 doxorubicin (DOX) molecules (FOL-COOH-CNT/24DOX). The targeted property to folate receptor α (FRα) was calculated using molecular dynamics (MD) calculations. The structures of the FRα/FOL-CNT/20DOX and FRα/FOL-COOH-CNT/24DOX complexes were analyzed in detail.

Genome-wide characterization of the AlkB homolog (ALKBH) gene family in Litopenaeus vannamei identifies LvALKBH1 and LvALKBH8 as promising crustacean mA demethylases involved in molting regulation and ammonia stress response.

N-methyladenosine (mA) is the most abundant chemical modification on eukaryotic mRNAs. In crustaceans, the absence of canonical mA demethylases, namely fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) and AlkB Homolog 5 (ALKBH5), poses an unresolved puzzle about the mA demethylation machinery of these invertebrates. Here, a genome-wide search for potential ALKBH gene family members in the whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei was conducted.

Ultrafast Photoflash Synthesis of High-Entropy Oxide Nanoparticles.

High-entropy metal oxides (HEOs) have recently received growing attention for broad energy conversion and storage applications due to their tunable properties. HEOs typically involve the combination of multiple metal cations in a single oxide lattice, thus bringing distinctive structures, controllable elemental composition, and tunable functional properties. Many synthesis methods for HEOs have been reported, such as solid-state reactions and carbon thermal shock methods.

Discovery of two novel Flavobacterium species with potential for complex polysaccharide degradation.

Polysaccharides are recognized for their extensive biological functions, holding significant promise for applications in both medicine and food industries. However, their utilization is frequently constrained by challenges such as high molecular weights and indistinct sugar chain structures. Recently, two novel bacterial strains, N6 and J3, were isolated from the Nakdong River in Korea.