Brd4 modulates metabolic endotoxemia-induced inflammation by regulating colonic macrophage infiltration in high-fat diet-fed mice.

High-fat diet (HFD) induces low-grade chronic inflammation, contributing to obesity and insulin resistance. However, the precise mechanisms triggering obesity-associated metabolic inflammation remain elusive. In this study, we identified epigenetic factor Brd4 as a key player in this process by regulating the expression of Ccr2/Ccr5 in colonic macrophage.

An "off-on" fluorescent probe for imaging pyruvic acid in living systems.

Pyruvic acid (PA) is an α-keto acid which exert important biological and pathological functions. The current PA profiling assays are mainly based on the ultraviolet spectroscopy and electrochemical biosensor, requiring killing cells and destroying tissues which limit their application in living cells. Optical imaging provides nondestructive powerful and detective tools to better understand the physiological and pathological role of PA in living systems.

Ultrasound-guided needle knife release for stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor pollicis longus: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided needle knife release in the treatment of stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor pollicis longus.

Methods: In this prospective trial, 60 patients with clinically and ultrasonographically confirmed stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor pollicis longus were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 groups: ultrasound-guided needle knife release (n = 20), traditional conservative treatment (n = 20), and open surgery (n = 20). The primary outcome measure was the Quinnell grade of triggering severity.

Modal test and finite element updating of sprayer boom truss.

In addressing the finite element model and actual structural error of the sprayer boom truss, this study aims to achieve high-precision dynamic characteristics, enhance simulation credibility, make informed optimization decisions, and reduce testing costs. The research investigates the dynamic behavior of the sprayer boom truss through modal experiments and finite element simulations. Initially, modal parameters of the sprayer boom are obtained through experimental testing, validating their reasonableness and reliability.

Sulfa-Michael Addition on Dehydroalanine: A Versatile Reaction for Protein Modifications.

Chemical modification of proteins has been widely applied in diagnostic and therapeutic processes. Here, we report a novel bioconjugation between sulfinic acids and amino acid dehydroalanine (Dha) in the context of both small molecules and proteins. This conjugation enables the rapid formation of sulfone linkages in a chemoselective and disulfide-compatible manner under biocompatible conditions with Dha residues chemically installed in proteins and thus provides a robust tool that is simple and has exquisite site selectivity for protein functionalization in a wide range.

Magneto-Controlled Tubular Liquid Actuators with Pore Engineering for Liquid Transport and Regulation.

Liquid manipulation using tubular actuators finds diverse applications ranging from microfluidics, printing, liquid transfer to micro-reactors. Achieving flexible and simple regulation of manipulated liquid droplets during transport is crucial for the tubular liquid actuators to perform complex and multiple functions, yet it remains challenging. Here, a facile tubular actuator for directional transport of various liquid droplets under the control of an externally applied magnetic field is presented.

Circular RNA-based therapy provides sustained and robust neuroprotection for retinal ganglion cells.

Ocular neurodegenerative diseases like glaucoma lead to progressive retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss, causing irreversible vision impairment. Neuroprotection is needed to preserve RGCs across debilitating conditions. Nerve growth factor (NGF) protein therapy shows efficacy, but struggles with limited bioavailability and a short half-life.

Sleep duration and leisure activities are involved in regulating the association of depressive symptoms, muscle strength, physical function and mild cognitive impairment.

Background: In order to lessen the burden of Alzheimer's disease (AD), timely and efficient management and intervention methods for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are crucial. MCI is seen as a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. Although sarcopenia is an important risk factor for MCI, it is unclear what factors mediates and regulates the brain-muscle communication.

Association between sleep duration and possible sarcopenia in middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study.

Background: Sarcopenia is a common cause of disability in the aging population, and managing sarcopenia is an important step in building intrinsic capacity and promoting healthy aging. A growing body of evidence suggests that sleep deprivation may be a mediator of the development of sarcopenia. The purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal association between sleep duration and possible sarcopenia using data from a national sample.

Dual-Functional AIE Fluorescent Probe for Visualization of Lipid Droplets and Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer.

Abnormal lipid droplets (LDs) are known to be intimately bound with the occurrence and development of cancer, allowing LDs to be critical biomarkers for cancers. Aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens), with efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) production performance, are prime photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) with imaging. Therefore, the development of dual-functional fluorescent probes with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics that enable both simultaneous LD monitoring and imaging-guided PDT is essential for concurrent cancer diagnosis and treatment.

WSB1/2 target chromatin-bound lysine-methylated RelA for proteasomal degradation and NF-κB termination.

Proteasome-mediated degradation of chromatin-bound NF-κB is critical in terminating the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes and can be triggered by Set9-mediated lysine methylation of the RelA subunit. However, the E3 ligase targeting methylated RelA remains unknown. Here, we find that two structurally similar substrate-recognizing components of Cullin-RING E3 ligases, WSB1 and WSB2, can recognize chromatin-bound methylated RelA for polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation.

Static charge is an ionic molecular fragment.

What is static charge? Despite the long history of research, the identity of static charge and mechanism by which static is generated by contact electrification are still unknown. Investigations are challenging due to the complexity of surfaces. This study involves the molecular-scale analysis of contact electrification using highly well-defined surfaces functionalized with a self-assembled monolayer of alkylsilanes.

The histone methyltransferase ASH1L protects against bone loss by inhibiting osteoclastogenesis.

Absent, small, or homeotic1-like (ASH1L) is a histone lysine methyltransferase that generally functions as a transcriptional activator in controlling cell fate. So far, its physiological relevance in bone homeostasis and osteoclast differentiation remains elusive. Here, by conditional deleting Ash1l in osteoclast progenitors of mice, we found ASH1L deficiency resulted in osteoporosis and potentiation of osteoclastogenesis in vivo and in vitro.

Development, identification, and utilization of wheat-tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum 4EL translocation lines resistant to stripe rust.

The new stripe rust resistance gene Yr4EL in tetraploid Th. elongatum was identified and transferred into common wheat via 4EL translocation lines. Tetraploid Thinopyrum elongatum is a valuable genetic resource for improving the resistance of wheat to diseases such as stripe rust, powdery mildew, and Fusarium head blight.

Photochemically Controlled Release of the Glucose Transporter 1 Inhibitor for Glucose Deprivation Responses and Cancer Suppression Research.

Cancer cells need a greater supply of glucose mainly due to their aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect. Glucose transport by glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) is the rate-limiting step for glucose uptake, making it a potential cancer therapeutic target. However, GLUT1 is widely expressed and performs crucial functions in a variety of cells, and its indiscriminate inhibition will cause serious side effects.

Functional polymeric molecules for performing autonomous synthesis of particles with core-shell structures and customizable shapes.

Self-organization by the directed migration of components within a system is an important process in many applications, such as the unidirectional migration of motor proteins for transporting items to specific sites in a cell. This manuscript describes a class of functional polymeric molecules that have a set of instructions written by specific chemical moieties. These instructions allow the functional polymeric molecules to be used for autonomous synthesis of particles: particles with both functional core-shell structure and customizable shapes are fabricated for the first time.

Prognostic factors and clinic-pathologic characteristics of ovarian tumor with different histologic subtypes-a SEER database population study of 41,376 cases.

Background: Ovarian cancer is considered the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among all gynecological malignancies and a significant reason for mortality in women. This cohort study aimed to explore the survival trends of malignant ovarian tumors (MOT), cancer antigen 125 (CA125) level, and clinicopathological prognostic factors of MOT by histological subtype.

Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, a total of 41,411 MOT cases diagnosed between January 2005 and December 2014 were extracted.

Altered expression of the L-arginine/nitric oxide pathway in ovarian cancer: metabolic biomarkers and biological implications.

Motivation: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a highly lethal gynecological malignancy. Extensive research has shown that OC cells undergo significant metabolic alterations during tumorigenesis. In this study, we aim to leverage these metabolic changes as potential biomarkers for assessing ovarian cancer.

Gastrointestinal-Peristalsis-Inspired Hydrogel Actuators for NIR-Controlled Transport of Viscous Liquids.

Liquid transportation is fundamentally important in microfluidics, water collection, biosensing, and printing, and has attracted enormous research interest in the past decades. However, despite substantial progress, it remains a big challenge to achieve the controlled transport of viscous liquids (>100 mPa s) commonly existing in daily life and the chemical industry. Inspired by the gastrointestinal peristalsis of mammalians that can efficiently transport viscous chyme (viscosity up to 2000 mPa s) by the synergistic combination of contraction driving force and lubrication, here, the design and construction of double-layered tubular hydrogel actuators for directional transport of highly viscous liquids ranging from ≈1000 mPa s to >80 000 mPa s under the control of an applied 808 nm laser, which is attributed to the cooperation of outer layer contraction and water film lubrication of the inner layer, is reported.