Diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP) exposure leads to cell apoptosis to HUVEC cells and toxicity to Caenorhabditis elegans through increasing the oxidative stress.

Diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP), a common phthalate plasticizer, is frequently encountered in everyday life. Despite its widespread use, there is a dearth of toxicological research on DIOP, resulting in incomplete knowledge of its potential harmful effects. Our current research endeavored to provide a comprehensive evaluation of DIOP's toxicological profile using both cellular and Caenorhabditis elegans models as our in vitro and in vivo study subjects.

Improving Optical Efficiency and Luminance of GaN-Based Micro-Light-Emitting Diodes for High-Resolution Displays via NH Plasma Pretreatment.

GaN-based micro-light-emitting diodes (Micro-LEDs) are regarded as promising light sources for near-eye-display applications such as augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) displays due to their high resolution, high brightness, and low power consumption. However, the application of Micro-LEDs in high-pixel-per-inch (PPI) displays is constrained by the drop in efficiency caused by sidewall defects in small-sized devices. In this study, a process method involving NH plasma pretreatment to reduce sidewall defects is proposed and investigated for enhancing the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of small-sized devices.

Biosynthetic graft versus autologous graft tympanoplasty: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the graft success rate, hearing outcome, and operative time in patients undergoing tympanoplasty for tympanic membrane perforation with the use of either biosynthetic or autologous graft material.

Methods: This was a prospective randomized controlled trial performed at a regional hospital. 41 patients were enrolled and randomized, with 20 patients allocated to the treatment arm (biosynthetic graft) and 21 patients allocated to the control arm (autologous graft).

ZIKV prM hijacks PIM1 kinase for phosphorylation to prevent ubiquitin-mediated degradation and facilitate viral replication.

Introduction: Viral infection usually stimulates a variety of host cell factors to modulate the life cycle of the virus. PIM1, a serine/threonine protein kinase widely involved in cell proliferation, survival, differentiation and apoptosis, was recently reported to be upregulated by Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. However, how ZIKV-PIM1 interactions affect the viral life cycle are not fully understood.

Color-conversion displays: current status and future outlook.

The growing focus on enhancing color quality in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) has spurred significant advancements in color-conversion materials. Furthermore, color conversion is also important for the development and commercialization of Micro-LEDs. This article provides a comprehensive review of different types of color conversion methods as well as different types of color conversion materials.

Detection of EGFR mutations in patients with suspected lung cancer using paired tissue-plasma testing: a prospective comparative study with plasma ddPCR assay.

Detecting EGFR mutations in plasma using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay offers a promising diagnostic tool for lung cancer patients. The performance of plasma-based ddPCR assay relative to traditional EGFR mutation testing in tissue biopsies among Asian patients with suspected lung cancer remains underexplored. Consecutive patients admitted for diagnostic workup for suspected lung cancer were recruited.

Effectiveness of Horticultural Therapy in Older Adults without Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Horticultural therapy (HT) has garnered growing interest because of its psychological and physical benefits. Previous reviews have demonstrated its therapeutic effects in older adults with cognitive impairment or mental illnesses. However, its impact on older adults without dementia has not been synthesized.

Demystifying the challenging diagnosis of post-radiation nasopharyngeal necrosis on multimodality imaging.

Post-radiation nasopharyngeal necrosis (PRNN) is a rare but life-threatening condition that often poses a diagnostic challenge in imaging studies owing to its overlapping features with recurrent nasopharyngeal tumours. We herein describe the characteristic imaging appearance of PRNN on post-contrast T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/CT which may provide insights into its pathological findings.

A Photolithography-Free Fabrication Strategy for Perovskite Photodetector Array with High-Security Imaging Application.

Metal halide perovskites have attracted significant attention for high-performance and cost-effective photodetector (PD) arrays in recent years. Traditional perovskite photodetector arrays typically rely on planar structure and photolithography, which limit resolution and involve complex, costly processes. To address these challenges, an innovative, lithography-free fabrication strategy is proposed utilizing direct laser writing ablation and a surface energy-assisted selective growth process.

AFP-HSP90 mediated MYC/MET activation promotes tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma and gastric cancers.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) elevation is a well-known biomarker in various diseases, particularly in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Intracellular AFP has been previously implicated in promoting tumorigenesis. In this study, we discovered that AFP enhances the stability of oncoproteins c-MYC and c-MET, thereby facilitating the progression of liver and gastric tumors.

Identification of Anticancer Peptides from the Genome of : in Silico Screening, in Vitro and in Vivo Validations.

Anticancer peptides (ACPs) are promising future therapeutics, but their experimental discovery remains time-consuming and costly. To accelerate the discovery process, we propose a computational screening workflow to identify, filter, and prioritize peptide sequences based on predicted class probability, antitumor activity, and toxicity. The workflow was applied to identify novel ACPs with potent activity against colorectal cancer from the genome sequences of .

Peptides for microbe-induced cancers: latest therapeutic strategies and their advanced technologies.

Cancer is a significant global health concern associated with multiple distinct factors, including microbial and viral infections. Numerous studies have elucidated the role of microorganisms, such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), as well as viruses for example human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV), in the development of human malignancies.

The Fungal Secretory Peptide Micasin Induces Itch by Activating MRGPRX1/C11/A1 on Peripheral Neurons.

Pruritus is the leading symptom of dermatophytosis. Microsporium canis is one of the predominant dermatophytes causing dermatophytosis. However, the pruritogenic agents and the related molecular mechanisms of the dermatophyte M canis remain poorly understood.

COVID-19 vaccine related anxiety partially mediates the association between COVID-19 related anxiety and student adjustment to college during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions in living and learning to millions of college students. Here we investigated using mediation analysis two dimensions of anxiety that were specific to the pandemic - COVID-19 related anxiety and COVID-19 vaccine anxiety - to evaluate their relationship to college adjustment during the pandemic. Using cross-sectional survey data across three semester waves (Spring 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022) we probed whether anxiety functioned as a challenge or hindrance stressor on adjustment.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Sleep Disturbance in Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome.

Background & Aims: Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) is associated with sleep disturbance, but treatment options are limited. The etiology of PACS may be secondary to alterations in the gut microbiome. Here, we report the efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in alleviating post-COVID insomnia symptoms in a nonrandomized, open-label prospective interventional study.

Nanoenabled intracellular zinc bursting for efficacious reversal of gefitinib resistance in lung cancer.

Following the identification of specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations, gefitinib, one of the first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), has proven efficacious in targeting NSCLC that is driven by specific EGFR-activating mutations. However, most patients who initially respond to gefitinib, develop acquired resistance. In the current study, we devised a novel strategy to enhance the efficacy of gefitinib.

Combustion-Derived Pollutants Linked with Kidney Disease in Low-Lying Flood-Affected Areas in the Balkans.

Tens of thousands of people in southern Europe suffer from Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), and four times as many are at risk. Incidental ingestion of aristolochic acids (AAs), stemming from the ubiquitous(birthwort) weed in the region, leads to DNA adduct-induced toxicity in kidney cells, the primary cause of BEN. Numerous cofactors, including toxic organics and metals, have been investigated, but all have shown small contributions to the overall BEN relative to non-BEN village distribution gradients.

An autoinhibitory switch of the LSD1 disordered region controls enhancer silencing.

Transcriptional coregulators and transcription factors (TFs) contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) that are critical for their association and function in gene regulation. More recently, IDRs have been shown to promote multivalent protein-protein interactions between coregulators and TFs to drive their association into condensates. By contrast, here we demonstrate how the IDR of the corepressor LSD1 excludes TF association, acting as a dynamic conformational switch that tunes repression of active cis-regulatory elements.