Gut microbiota and clinical response to immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in patients with advanced cancer.

Background: There is currently no well-accepted consensus on the association between gut microbiota and the response to treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: Fecal samples were collected before ICI treatment. Gut microbiota was analyzed using 16 S ribosomal RNA sequencing.

Represents a New Host of the 16SrI Group of Phytoplasma Associated with Yellow Leaf Symptoms in China.

Ampelopsis grossedentata, commonly known as "Vine Tea" and well-recognized for its rich flavonoid content, is mainly distributed in the southern regions of the Yangtze River basin in China. These regions include Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Guizhou provinces. Vine Tea is mainly consumed as an herbal tea and has garnered attention for its reported health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diabetic, and neuroprotective properties.

NIR-activated quercetin-based nanogels embedded with CuS nanoclusters for the treatment of drug-resistant biofilms and accelerated chronic wound healing.

We have developed multifunctional nanogels with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, facilitating rapid wound healing. To prepare the multifunctional nanogels, we utilized quercetin (Qu) and a mild carbonization process to form carbonized nanogels (CNGs). These CNGs possess excellent antioxidative and bacterial targeting properties.

Assessment of the Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties of Stipe Extracts.

Background/aim: Flammulina velutipes (FV), also known as the golden needle mushroom, is an edible and medicinal fungus that contains bioactive substances regulating various physiological functions. While the fruiting bodies of FV are commonly consumed, their stipes are often discarded despite containing polysaccharides. In this study, the biological functions of FV stipes (FV-S) were investigated to reduce waste and pollution while increasing their value.

Combining virtual screening with cis-/trans-cleavage enzymatic assays effectively reveals broad-spectrum inhibitors that target the main proteases of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV.

The main protease (M) of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for viral replication, which suggests that the M is a critical target in the development of small molecules to treat COVID-19. This study used an in-silico prediction approach to investigate the complex structure of SARS-CoV-2 M in compounds from the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) database, then validate potential inhibitory compounds against the SARS-CoV-2 M in cis- and trans-cleavage proteolytic assays. Virtual screening of ∼280,000 compounds from the NCI database identified 10 compounds with highest site-moiety map scores.

The Application of Wireless Underground Sensor Networks to Monitor Seepage inside an Earth Dam.

Earth dams or embankments are susceptible to instability due to internal seepage, piping, and erosion, which can lead to catastrophic failure. Therefore, monitoring the seepage water level before the dam collapses is an important task for early warning of dam failure. Currently, there are hardly any monitoring methods that use wireless underground transmission to monitor the water content inside earth dams.

Interleukin-11/gp130 upregulates MMP-13 expression and cell migration in OSCC by activating PI3K/Akt and AP-1 signaling.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an extremely common head and neck cancer with a poor 5-year survival rate, especially in cases of metastatic disease. Interleukin (IL)-11 reportedly promotes cell growth and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms of IL-11 in OSCC metastasis are unclear.

Photoswitchable carbon-dot liposomes mediate catalytic cascade reactions for amplified dynamic treatment of tumor cells.

Most biochemical reactions that occur in living organisms are catalyzed by a series of enzymes and proceed in a tightly controlled manner. The development of artificial enzyme cascades that resemble multienzyme complexes in nature is of current interest due to their potential in various applications. In this study, a nanozyme based on photoswitchable carbon-dot liposomes (CDsomes) was developed for use in programmable catalytic cascade reactions.

MIB2: metal ion-binding site prediction and modeling server.

Motivation: MIB2 (metal ion-binding) attempts to overcome the limitation of structure-based prediction approaches, with many proteins lacking a solved structure. MIB2 also offers more accurate prediction performance and more metal ion types.

Results: MIB2 utilizes both the (PS)2 method and the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database to acquire predicted structures to perform metal ion docking and predict binding residues.

Divergent Characteristics of T-Cell Receptor Repertoire Between Essential Hypertension and Aldosterone-Producing Adenoma.

Aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) is a benign adrenal tumor that results in persistent hyperaldosteronism. As one major subtype of primary aldosteronism, APA leads to secondary hypertension that is associated with immune dysregulation. However, how the adaptive immune system, particularly the T-cell population, is altered in APA patients remains largely unknown.

Evaluation of chemotherapeutic response in living cells using subcellular Organelle‒Selective amphipathic carbon dots.

Monitoring of structural changes in subcellular organelles is critical to evaluate the chemotherapeutic response of cells. However, commercial organelle selective fluorophores are easily photobleached, and thus are unsuitable for real-time and long-term observation. We have developed photostable carbon-dot liposomes (CDsomes)-based fluorophores for organellar and suborganellar imaging to circumvent these issues.

Self-redox reaction driven in situ formation of CuO/TiCT nanosheets boost the photocatalytic eradication of multi-drug resistant bacteria from infected wound.

Background: MXenes with interesting optical and electrical properties have been attractive in biomedical applications such as antibacterial and anticancer agents, but their low photogeneration efficiency of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and poor stability are major concerns against microbial resistance.

Methods: Water-dispersible single layer TiCT-based MXene through etching tightly stacked MAX phase precursor using a minimally intensive layer delamination method. After addition of Cu(II) ions, the adsorbed Cu(II) ions underwent self-redox reactions with the surface oxygenated moieties of MXene, leading to in situ formation of CuO species to yield CuO/TiCT nanosheets (heterostructures).

Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker Associated With Less Outcome Risk in Patients With Acute Kidney Disease.

The aim of this study was to explore the respective use of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) on the outcomes of patients who could be weaned from dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury (AKI-D). This case-control study enrolled 41,731 patients who were weaned from AKI-D for at least 7 days from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Administration. We further grouped AKI-D patients according to ACEi and ARB use to evaluate subsequent risks of all-cause mortality and re-dialysis.

Recognition of a Novel Gene Signature for Human Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most common malignant and incurable brain tumors. The identification of a gene signature for GBM may be helpful for its diagnosis, treatment, prediction of prognosis and even the development of treatments. In this study, we used the GSE108474 database to perform GSEA and machine learning analysis, and identified a 33-gene signature of GBM by examining astrocytoma or non-GBM glioma differential gene expression.

Predicting Anticancer Drug Resistance Mediated by Mutations.

Cancer drug resistance presents a challenge for precision medicine. Drug-resistant mutations are always emerging. In this study, we explored the relationship between drug-resistant mutations and drug resistance from the perspective of protein structure.

Coupling a Borehole Thermal Model and MT3DMS to Simulate Dynamic Ground Source Heat Pump Efficiency.

We present a novel integrated two-region model that couples simulation of local heat transfer processes in borehole heat exchangers (BHEs) with field-scale heat transport simulation using MT3DMS to fulfill the dynamic simulation of the borehole geothermal systems. This includes the prediction of subsurface thermal perturbation induced by BHEs, derivation of the U-pipe circulating fluid temperature profile within boreholes, and the evaluation of the ground source heat pump efficiency based on available time series of building heat load. In our approach, MT3DMS is the simulator for the two-dimensional field-scale heat transport, while new Python modules are developed to analytically solve the thermal transfer process within boreholes and interface iteratively with MT3DMS.

Reduction of breast tumor drug resistance by 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene for exhibition synergic chemotherapeutic effect.

Chemotherapy drugs have limited efficacy in breast cancer due to multidrug resistance generated by cancer cells against anticancer drugs. In this study, we developed a novel derivative, 2, 3, 5, 4'-tetrahydroxystilbene (TG1) by modifying 2, 3, 5, 4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (THSG). In-vivo zebrafish embryo tests revealed that TG1 showed low toxicity.

Distributed Thermal Response Multi-Source Modeling to Evaluate Heterogeneous Subsurface Properties.

A thorough assessment of thermal properties in heterogeneous subsurface is necessary in design of low-temperature borehole heat exchangers (BHEs). A distributed thermal response test (DTRT), which combines distributed temperature sensing (DTS) with a conventional thermal response test (TRT), was conducted in a U-bend geothermal loop installed in an open borehole at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to estimate thermal properties by analyzing the thermal response of different geologic materials while applying a constant heat input rate. Fiber-optic cables in the DTRT were deployed both inside the U-bend geothermal loop and in the center of the borehole to improve the accuracy of calculated heat-loss rates and borehole temperature profile measurements.

Catalytic and photoresponsive BiZ/CuS heterojunctions with surface vacancies for the treatment of multidrug-resistant clinical biofilm-associated infections.

We report a one-pot facile synthesis of highly photoresponsive bovine serum albumin (BSA) templated bismuth-copper sulfide nanocomposites (BSA-BiZ/CuS NCs, where BiZ represents formed BiS and bismuth oxysulfides (BOS)). As-formed surface vacancies and BiZ/CuS heterojunctions impart superior catalytic, photodynamic and photothermal properties. Upon near-infrared (NIR) irradiation, the BSA-BiZ/CuS NCs exhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, not only against standard multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains but also against clinically isolated MDR bacteria and their associated biofilms.

Using bioinformatics approaches to investigate driver genes and identify BCL7A as a prognostic gene in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) results from the uncontrolled growth of cells in the colon, rectum, or appendix. The 5-year relative survival rate for patients with CRC is 65% and is correlated with the stage at diagnosis (being 91% for stage I at diagnosis versus 12% for stage IV). This study aimed to identify CRC driver genes to assist in the design of a cancer panel to detect gene mutations during clinical early-stage screening and identify genes for use in prognostic assessments and the evaluation of appropriate treatment options.

T-cell receptor-based therapy: an innovative therapeutic approach for solid tumors.

T-cell receptor (TCR)-based adoptive therapy employs genetically modified lymphocytes that are directed against specific tumor markers. This therapeutic modality requires a structured and integrated process that involves patient screening (e.g.

Integrated approach for multimorbid patients in a hospitalist setting: Survival analysis of a two-year prospective study.

Background/purpose: Multimorbidity is a worldwide issue when aging is rapidly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of demography, morbidity, disability and depression on short-term and long-term mortality for multimorbid inpatients.

Methods: The participants' information were assessed upon recruitment.