Astragalus polysaccharide/carboxymethyl chitosan/sodium alginate based electroconductive hydrogels for diabetic wound healing and muscle function assessment.

Natural polysaccharides with excellent biocompatibility are considered ideal materials for repairing diabetic foot ulcer. However, diabetic foot ulcer is often accompanied by decreased muscle function, even resulting in muscle atrophy. During wound repair, monitoring muscle function at the wound site in real time can identify the decreased muscle strength timely, which is crucial for precise wound rehabilitation.

Understanding the application-related features of sweet potato starch varying in multi-scale supramolecular structure.

Understanding the application-related features of sweet potato starch (SPS) is necessary for its utilization, which remains limited. Here, seven starches isolated from different sweet potato varieties (HA, SS, YSA, YSB, YSC, YSD, and YSE) were used. It was confirmed that the multi-scale structure possesses significant effects upon the application-related features of SPS.

Liraglutide improves cognition function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by downregulating β-secretase and γ-secretase and alleviating oxidative stress in HT-22 cells.

Diabetes has been regarded as an independent risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Liraglutide could improve cognition in AD mouse models, but its precise mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we used STZ-induced diabetic rats and HT-22 cells to investigate the effects of liraglutide.

A hyaluronic acid-modified cyclodextrin self-assembly system for the delivery of β-carotene in the treatment of dry eye disease.

Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial ocular disease, the core mechanism of which is the tear film instability caused by ocular oxidative stress damage and inflammation. Although various pharmaceutical agents are available for DED treatment, their effectiveness is often limited by the eyes' unique biological barriers, and the long-term use of steroid hormones can lead to several adverse effects. This study reported a nano-supramolecular delivery system consisting of a polycyclodextrin (PCD), hyaluronic acid (HA) and the natural compound β-carotene (BC) for the DED treatment.

Unlocking biological insights from differentially expressed genes: Concepts, methods, and future perspectives.

Background: Identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) is a core task of transcriptome analysis, as DEGs can reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying biological processes. However, interpreting the biological significance of large DEG lists is challenging. Currently, gene ontology, pathway enrichment and protein-protein interaction analysis are common strategies employed by biologists.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts regulate mitochondrial metabolism and inhibit chemosensitivity via ANGPTL4-IQGAP1 axis in prostate cancer.

Introduction: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a critical component of the tumor microenvironment, being implicated in enhancing tumor growth and fostering drug resistance. Nonetheless, the mechanisms underlying their function in prostate cancer (PCa) remain incompletely understood, which is essential for devising effective therapeutic strategies.

Objectives: The main objective of this study was to explore the mechanisms by which CAFs mediate PCa growth and chemoresistance.

A plant growth-promoting bacterium supports cadmium detoxification of rice by inducing phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis.

Cadmium (Cd) is easily absorbed by rice and enters the food chain, posing a health risk to humans. Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) can help the plant respond to Cd stress, but the mechanism of PGPB for Cd reduction is unclear. Therefore, this study was conducted and found inoculation with a newly isolated Pseudomonas koreensis promoted the growth of rice and reduced its Cd content.

An R2R3-type MYB transcription factor, GmMYB77, negatively regulates isoflavone accumulation in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.].

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is an exceptionally rich in isoflavones, and these compounds attach to oestrogen receptors in the human body, lessening the risk of breast cancer and effectively alleviating menopausal syndrome symptoms.

A review of self-healing hydrogels for bone repair and regeneration: Materials, mechanisms, and applications.

Bone defects, which arise from various factors such as trauma, tumor resection, and infection, present a significant clinical challenge. There is an urgent need to develop new biomaterials capable of repairing a wide array of damage and defects in bone tissue. Self-healing hydrogels, a groundbreaking advancement in the field of biomaterials, displaying remarkable ability to regenerate damaged connections after partial severing, thus offering a promising solution for bone defect repair.

The influence of microorganisms on bone homeostasis in apical periodontitis.

Objective: This review aims to provide an overview of the role of microorganisms in the onset and progression of periapical diseases, particularly regarding their effects on bone homeostasis.

Design: The search for this narrative review was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar using relevant keywords, including checking reference lists of journal articles by hand searching.

Results: Microorganisms directly promote osteoclasts through pathways such as nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), while inhibiting osteoblasts function by interfering with the wingless-related integration site (Wnt)/β-catenin pathway in the periapical area.

Amelioration of myofibrillar protein emulsion gel properties by mildly oxidized sunflower oil.

Different oxidation states of oil affect the emulsion stablility and gel properties of emulsified meat products. Emulsified chicken gels were prepared using sunflower oil (SFO) with different oxidation levels (0, 20, 40, and 60 min, 120 °C). The pre-oxidation treatment of oils was investigated for emulsification and gelation of myofibrillar protein (MP).

MDMNI-DGD: A novel graph neural network approach for druggable gene discovery based on the integration of multi-omics data and the multi-view network.

Accurately predicting druggable genes is of paramount importance for enhancing the efficacy of targeted therapies, reducing drug-related toxicities and improving patients' survival rates. Nevertheless, accurately predicting candidate cancer-druggable genes remains a critical challenge in translational medicine due to the high heterogeneity and complexity of cancer data. In this study, we proposed a novel graph neural approach called Druggable Gene Discovery based on the Integration of Multi-omics Data and the Multi-view Network (MDMNI-DGD), aiming to predict and evaluate cancer-druggable genes.

Safety and efficacy of adjuvant FOLFOX/FOLFIRI with versus without hepatic arterial infusion of floxuridine in patients following colorectal cancer liver metastasectomy (HARVEST trial): A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Hepatic artery infusion (HAI) chemotherapy, particularly with floxuridine (FUDR), has previously shown effectiveness in improving recurrence-free survival (RFS) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). Nonetheless, its adjuvant use alongside modern systemic chemotherapy remains unevaluated.

Patients And Methods: The HARVEST trial is an open-label, randomized, controlled study conducted from May 2018 to August 2021.

Controllable Phosphine-Catalyzed Three-Component Domino Reaction of Activated Alkenes with Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) Carbonates: Divergent Synthesis of Densely Functionalized Cyclopentanes and Diquinanes.

An unexpected phosphine-catalyzed controllable three-component domino reaction involving [1 + 2 + 2] annulation and [1 + 2 + 2]/[3 + 2] sequential annulation reaction of 2-arylmethylidene cyanoacetates/malononitriles with Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) carbonates has been developed. A broad range of densely functionalized cyclopentanes and diquinanes bearing five or four consecutive stereogenic centers, including two all-carbon quaternary stereocenters, were smoothly acquired in moderate to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions from readily available materials. Moreover, this divergent transformation enables the simultaneous generation of three or four new C-C bonds and one or two carbocyclic rings in only one step.

Activation of MST1 protects filtration barrier integrity of diabetic kidney disease in mice through restoring the tight junctions of glomerular endothelial cells.

As a pathological feature of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), dysregulated glomerular filtration barrier function could lead to the increased levels of proteinuria. The integrity of tight junctions (TJs) of glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) is a guarantee of physiological function of glomerular filtration barrier. Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase (MST1) is a key regulatory protein in the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and it regulates the expression of TJs-related proteins in cerebral vascular endothelial cells.

Homogeneous synthesis of cationic celluloses with broad-spectrum antibacterial activities for the treatment of vaginitis in mice.

Microbial infection is a significant health issue for humans. Despite the development of numerous antibiotics, the continuous rise of drug-resistant bacteria highlights the urgent need for new materials to combat these problems. In this study, four water-soluble quaternized cellulose (QC) derivatives with degrees of substitution (DS) ranging from 0.

Research on the dielectric properties of flexible β-CD/PVDF all-organic films.

All-organic dielectric polymers are currently a hot topic in the study of dielectric materials. However, it is still challenging to improve the dielectric constant, breakdown strength, and energy storage density of materials simultaneously. This study used PVDF as the matrix, and β-CD/PVDF all-organic composite dielectric films were prepared using a solution blending method.

Cell elasticity measurement and sorting based on microfluidic techniques: Advances and applications.

Cell elasticity serves as a crucial physical biomarker that reflects changes in cellular structures and physiological states, providing key insights into cell behaviors. It links mechanical properties to biological function, highlighting its importance for understanding cell health and advancing biomedical research. Microfluidic technologies, with their capabilities for precise manipulation and high-throughput analysis, have significantly advanced the measurement of cell elasticity and elasticity-based cell sorting.