Self-Immobilizing Fluorogenic Probe for In Situ Labeling of Granzyme B Activity in Host Immune Response to Bacterial Infections.

Bacterial infections, particularly those caused by drug-resistant bacteria, represent a pressing global health challenge. During the interaction between pathogen infection and host defense, bacterial infections initiate the host's immune response, which involves the activation of proteases that play a critical role in antibacterial defense. Granzyme B (GzmB), a key immune-related biomarker associated with cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), plays a pivotal role in this process.

Aminopeptidase-Responsive NIR Photosensitizer for Precision Targeting and Eradication of Biofilms.

The emergence of resistance in represents a significant global health challenge, particularly due to the hurdle of effectively penetrating biofilms with antimicrobials. Moreover, the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens has driven the urgent need for developing innovative therapeutic approaches to overcome antibiotic resistance. Antibacterial phototherapy strategies have shown great potential for combating pathogens due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, spatiotemporal controllability, and relatively low rate of resistance emergence.

Management of Pediatric Traumatic Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction and Predictors for Surgical Outcomes.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical features, surgical treatments, and outcomes of pediatric post-traumatic nasolacrimal duct obstructions and predictors for surgical outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients under the age of 18 years with the diagnosis of traumatic nasolacrimal duct obstructions during an 11-year period from a tertiary referral center. The clinical data were reviewed and analyzed.

Prognosis of radiotherapy for esophageal cancer in elderly patients exceeding seventy-five years old.

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) often occurs in the elderly, with approximately 33% of patients aged ≥ 75 years at the time of diagnosis.

Aim: To evaluate the prognostic factors for radiotherapy (RT) in elderly patients with unresectable EC.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, toxic reactions, and survival information of EC patients aged ≥ 75 years who underwent intensity-modulated RT at Lu'an Hospital of Anhui Medical University between January 2016 and September 2023.

SGK1-Mediated Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotypic Transformation Promotes Thoracic Aortic Dissection Progression.

Background: The occurrence of thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is closely related to the transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from a contractile to a synthetic phenotype. The role of SGK1 (serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase 1) in VSMC phenotypic transformation and TAD occurrence is unclear.

Methods: Four-week-old male Sgk1 ( floxed) and Sgk1;Tagln (smooth muscle cell-specific knockout) mice were administered β-aminopropionitrile monofumarate for 4 weeks to model TAD.

Engineered Nanoparticles for Theranostic Applications in Kidney Repair.

Kidney diseases are characterized by their intricate nature and complexity, posing significant challenges in their treatment and diagnosis. Nanoparticles (NPs), which can be further classified as synthetic and biomimetic NPs, have emerged as promising candidates for treating various diseases. In recent years, the development of engineered nanotherapeutics has focused on targeting damaged tissues and serving as drug delivery vehicles.

The use of heat-treated whey protein isolate as a natural emulsifier in fat-filled whey powder with a pre-emulsification process.

Background: Fat-filled whey powder is a type of whey powder that has been developed in recent years and is widely applied in the dry processing of infant formula milk powder. The addition of sodium caseinate, dextrin, or modified starch as emulsifiers can also improve the stability of fat-filled whey powders. However, regulations forbid the use of these substances as raw materials in powdered infant formulas.

Seasonal influence on tomato fruit metabolome profile: Implications for ABA signaling in multi-stress resilience.

The increasing effects of climate change are leading to an increase in the number and intensity of extreme events, making it essential to study how plants respond to various stresses occurring simultaneously. A crucial regulator of plant responses to abiotic stress is abscisic acid (ABA), as its accumulation in response to stress leads to transcriptomic and metabolomic changes that contribute to plant stress tolerance. In the present study, we investigated how ABA, stress conditions (salinity, water deficit and their combination) and seasons (autumn-winter and spring-summer) regulate tomato fruit yield and metabolism using tomato wild type (WT) and the ABA-deficient flacca mutant (flc) under stress conditions in cold and warm seasons.

Multi-Source Information-Based Bearing Fault Diagnosis Using Multi-Branch Selective Fusion Deep Residual Network.

Rolling bearing is the core component of industrial machines, but it is difficult for common single signal source-based fault diagnosis methods to ensure reliable results since sensor signals are vulnerable to the pollution of background noises and the attenuation of transmitted information. Recently, multi-source information-based fault diagnosis methods have become popular, but the information redundancy between multiple signals is a tough problem that will negatively impact the representational capacity of deep learning algorithms and the precision of fault diagnosis methods. Besides that, the characteristics of various signals are actually different, but this problem was usually omitted by researchers, and it has potential to further improve the diagnosing performance by adaptively adjusting the feature extraction process for every input signal source.

Improvement and effectiveness analysis of dynamic/static imbibition experiments.

In low-permeability fractured reservoirs, there is a generalized fluid displacement between the replacement fluid in the fracture and the matrix crude oil. This imbibition behavior plays a crucial role in the development of this type of reservoir. The experimental devices for studying static imbibition behavior are generally susceptible to air pollution on the surface of the test core and a long testing period; the experimental devices for studying dynamic imbibition behavior are generally unable to eliminate the driving action.

Different extraction methods shape the phenolic signature and biological activity of Morinda lucida extracts: A novel source of bioactive compounds preparing functional applications.

The extraction of bioactive compounds is based on the application of various extraction techniques. Therefore, the stem and root bark of the plant species Morinda lucida L. were used in this research, while the extraction procedure was performed using three extraction techniques: HAE (homogenizer extraction), UAE (ultrasound extraction) as modern, and MAC (maceration) as conventional extraction technique.

In-situ rapid cultivation of aerobic granular sludge in A/O bioreactor by using Ca(ClO) pretreating sludge.

The efficient utilization of residual sludge and the rapid cultivation of aerobic granular sludge in continuous-flow engineering applications present significant challenges. In this study, aerobic granular cultivation was fostered in a continuous-flow system using Ca(ClO)2-sludge carbon (Ca-SC). Ca-SC retained the original sludge properties, contributing to granular growth in an A/O bioreactor.

Advances in the tea plants phenotyping using hyperspectral imaging technology.

Rapid detection of plant phenotypic traits is crucial for plant breeding and cultivation. Traditional measurement methods are carried out by rich-experienced agronomists, which are time-consuming and labor-intensive. However, with the increasing demand for rapid and high-throughput testing in tea plants traits, digital breeding and smart cultivation of tea plants rely heavily on precise plant phenotypic trait measurement techniques, among which hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology stands out for its ability to provide real-time and rich-information.

Treatments and prognostic outcomes of combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma with distant metastasis: an analysis based on SEER data.

Background: Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) is a rare liver cancer with a poor prognosis, often diagnosed at an advanced stage. The management of cHCC-CCA with distant metastasis remains challenging, and prognostic factors are not well-defined. This study aimed to investigate prognostic factors and treatment outcomes for cHCC-CCA patients with distant metastasis.

Metabolomic Profiles and Biopharmaceutical Properties of and from Turkey.

Halophytic plants possess a huge range of active constituents and medicinal benefits. In this study, extracts (water, ethanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and n-hexane) of two halophytes of the genus ( and ) were investigated for their phytochemical profiles and pharmacological properties. The phytochemical profiles of both species were investigated using an untargeted metabolomics approach based on high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Ecotoxicological evaluation of an aqueous phytoextract of Melia azedarach L.

Melia azedarach L. is a Meliaceae that has shown important insecticidal activities. However, few researchers have extensively studied the toxicology of aqueous extracts of M.

Integration of LC-HRMS and H NMR metabolomics data fusion approaches for classification of Amarone wine based on withering time and yeast strain.

Two untargeted metabolomics approaches (LC-HRMS and H NMR) were combined to classify Amarone wines based on grape withering time and yeast strain. The study employed a multi-omics data integration approach, combining unsupervised data exploration (MCIA) and supervised statistical analysis (sPLS-DA). The results revealed that the multi-omics pseudo-eigenvalue space highlighted a limited correlation between the datasets (RV-score = 16.

Insights into Fungal Mitochondrial Genomes and Inheritance Based on Current Findings from Yeast-like Fungi.

The primary functions of mitochondria are to produce energy and participate in the apoptosis of cells, with them being highly conserved among eukaryotes. However, the composition of mitochondrial genomes, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication, and mitochondrial inheritance varies significantly among animals, plants, and fungi. Especially in fungi, there exists a rich diversity of mitochondrial genomes, as well as various replication and inheritance mechanisms.

Theoretical study of the structural and thermodynamic properties of U-He compounds under high pressure.

Uranium is considered as a very important nuclear energy material because of the huge amount of energy it releases. As the main product of the spontaneous decay of uranium, it is difficult for helium to react with uranium because of its chemical inertness. Therefore, bubbles will be formed inside uranium, which could greatly reduce the performance of uranium or cause safety problems.

DNA barcoding combined with high-resolution melting analysis to discriminate rhubarb species and its traditional Chinese patent medicines.

Rhubarb is a frequently used and beneficial traditional Chinese medicine. Wild resources of these plants are constantly being depleted, meaning that rhubarb products have been subjected to an unparalleled level of adulteration. Consequentially, reliable technology is urgently required to verify the authenticity of rhubarb raw materials and commercial botanical drugs.

Effects of Nighttime Noise Management in Intensive Care Units on Hormone Levels and Sleep Quality in Conscious Patients.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of nighttime noise management in intensive care units (ICU) on hormone levels and sleep quality in conscious patients.

Methods: From March 2020 to March 2021, the routine noise management for conscious patients was implemented in the ICU of Wenzhou TCM Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. During this time, 86 patients were selected as the study subjects; five patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded, and 81 patients were included in the reference group.

The short-term effect of microplastics in lettuce involves size- and dose-dependent coordinate shaping of root metabolome, exudation profile and rhizomicrobiome.

Micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) in the soil can impact the microbial diversity within rhizospheres and induce modifications in plants' morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters. However, a significant knowledge gap still needs to be addressed regarding the specific effects of varying particle sizes and concentrations on the comprehensive interplay among soil dynamics, root exudation, and the overall plant system. In this sense, different omics techniques were employed to clarify the mechanisms of the action exerted by four different particle sizes of polyethylene plastics considering four different concentrations on the soil-roots exudates-plant system was studied using lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.