Genetic and Demographic Determinants of Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy Risk and Severity.

Importance: Understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) could contribute to developing gene-targeted therapies.

Objective: To investigate associations between demographic data and age at first keratoplasty in a genetically refined FECD cohort.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study recruited 894 individuals with FECD at Moorfields Eye Hospital (London) and General University Hospital (Prague) from September 2009 to July 2023.

Adjuvant PD-1 Blockade With Camrelizumab for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: The DIPPER Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Approximately 20% to 30% of patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) experience disease relapse despite definitive chemoradiotherapy. The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade camrelizumab has demonstrated considerable value in recurrent or metastatic NPC, while its role in locoregionally advanced NPC is unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant camrelizumab for patients with locoregionally advanced NPC.

Redefining Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment: Nanotechnology Meets Tumor Immune Microenvironment.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, characterized by its complex pathogenesis and poor therapeutic outcomes. Despite recent advances in targeted molecular therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), radiotherapy, and conventional chemotherapy, the five-year survival rate for this neoplasm remains dismally low. The progress in nanotechnology has revolutionized cancer treatment in recent years.

Breaking symmetry for better catalysis: insights into single-atom catalyst design.

Breaking structural symmetry has emerged as a powerful strategy for fine-tuning the electronic structure of catalytic sites, thereby significantly enhancing the electrocatalytic performance of single-atom catalysts (SACs). The inherent symmetric electron density in conventional SACs, such as M-N configurations, often leads to suboptimal adsorption and activation of reaction intermediates, limiting their catalytic efficiency. By disrupting this symmetry of SACs, the electronic distribution around the active center can be modulated, thereby improving both the selectivity and adsorption strength for key intermediates.

Treatment for moyamoya disease with hyperhomocysteinemia.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of controlling serum homocysteine on improving surgical outcomes in patients with moyamoya disease (MMD) and hyperhomocysteinemia. In this prospective observational cohort study, 477 patients with MMD post-encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis are divided into the HHcy-MMD post-control group (n = 193), HHcy-MMD uncontrolled group (n = 91), and MMD group (n = 193), with the HHcy-MMD post-control group further subdivided into good (homocysteine 0-10 μmol/L, n = 121) and general (homocysteine 10-15 μmol/L, n = 72) control groups. The differences in imaging and long-term clinical prognosis among the three groups were compared.

Intensive Blood Pressure Strategy on Cardiovascular Diseases in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome: Post Hoc Analysis of a Clinical Trial.

Background: Blood pressure (BP) management in patients with metabolic syndrome is complex, and optimal targets remain debated. The CRHCP (China Rural Hypertension Control Project) trial demonstrated that intensive BP control reduces cardiovascular events. This secondary analysis assessed its efficacy in patients with hypertension and metabolic syndrome.

Interface Engineering for High Strength and High Toughness Ceramic Matrix Composites.

Ceramics exhibit exceptional strength, hardness, and structural stability, rendering them indispensable as aerospace, national defense, and biomedical applications. However, the presence of robust covalent or ionic bonds within the ceramic leads to its inherent poor fracture toughness. The incorporation of toughening phases into ceramics is widely recognized as an optimal toughening strategy for ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) based on chemical means, with the interplay between toughening phase and ceramic at the interface playing a crucial role in achieving superior mechanical properties.

Loss of N-6 adenine-specific DNA methyltransferase 1 leads to meiotic prophase abnormalities and male sub-fertility in mice.

Mammalian sexual reproduction critically relies on the generation of haploid gametes following a specialized cell division process known as meiosis. Here, we demonstrate that N-6 Adenine-Specific DNA methyltransferase 1 (N6AMT1) plays a crucial role in the progression of meiosis during spermatogenesis, as follows. N6AMT1 was expressed in germ cells throughout the entire process of spermatogenesis, with a peak in mRNA levels in spermatocytes at the prophase I stage of meiosis.

March2 Alleviates Aortic Aneurysm/Dissection by Regulating PKM2 Polymerization.

Background: Aortic aneurysm/dissection (AAD) is a life-threatening disease lacking effective pharmacological treatment. Protein ubiquitination plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular diseases. However, the possible contribution of the E3 ubiquitin ligase March2 (membrane-associated RING finger protein 2) to the cause of AAD remains elusive.

Residual Al Adatoms Driven Epitaxy of AlGaN QWs for High-Performance UV LEDs.

AlGaN-based ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) experience a notable reduction in efficiency within the 280-330 nm wavelength range, known as the "UVB gap". Given the extensive applications of UV LEDs in this wavelength range, it is imperative to bridge this efficiency gap. In this study, a strategy facilitated by the presence of residual Al adatoms is introduced to simultaneously improve the integration of Ga-adatoms and the migration of Al/Ga-adatoms during the growth of low-Al-composition AlGaN quantum wells (QWs) even at high temperatures comparable to those used for high-Al-composition AlGaN quantum barriers.

Large Language Model-Based Critical Care Big Data Deployment and Extraction: Descriptive Analysis.

Background: Publicly accessible critical care-related databases contain enormous clinical data, but their utilization often requires advanced programming skills. The growing complexity of large databases and unstructured data presents challenges for clinicians who need programming or data analysis expertise to utilize these systems directly.

Objective: This study aims to simplify critical care-related database deployment and extraction via large language models.

A novel method to assess antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against influenza A virus M2 in immunized murine models.

The matrix protein 2 (M2) is a preferred target for developing a universal vaccine against the influenza A virus (IAV). This study aimed to develop a method for assessing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) associated with M2-based immunization in mice. We first established a stable cell line derived from mouse lymphoma cells (YAC-1) expressing M2 of H3N2.

Explore autophagy-related lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA networks for diagnosis of early-onset schizophrenia through transcriptome analysis.

Background: The severe functional impairment and poor prognosis of early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) create a great need to identify effective biomarkers for early diagnosis in young psychiatric patients. Current research indicates a potential link between loss of autophagy function and emotional and behavioral abnormalities in individuals with psychiatric disorders.

Materials And Methods: This study aimed to explore diagnostic autophagy-related endogenous competitive RNA (ceRNA) networks for EOS patients.

Risk factors for steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head in children with immune kidney disease.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) after glucocorticoid (GC) therapy in children with immune kidney diseases.

Methods: This retrospective study included patients (1-18 years) diagnosed with immune kidney disease treated with GCs from January 2012 to July 2022 in our hospital. Data, such as sex, age and body weight at the first GC treatment, and the GC dose, were collected.

Efficacy and safety of therapeutic exercise for primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: A growing number of research papers have looked at the influence of exercise on pain severity in people with primary dysmenorrhea, but the findings have been inconsistent. The purpose of this research was to thoroughly evaluate the impact of exercise on pain severity in individuals with primary dysmenorrhea and to find the best exercise regimen for these patients.

Methods: All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise for patients with primary dysmenorrhea were searched in the Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, EBSCO, and CINAHL databases.

SOX9 Overexpression Ameliorates Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatohepatitis Through Activation of the AMPK Pathway.

Background And Aims: The transcription factor sex-determining region Y-related high-mobility group-box gene 9 (SOX9) plays a critical role in organ development. Although SOX9 has been implicated in regulating lipid metabolism , its specific role in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the role of SOX9 in MASH pathogenesis and explored the underlying mechanisms.

Hidden high-risk states identification from routine urban traffic.

One of the core risk management tasks is to identify hidden high-risk states that may lead to system breakdown, which can provide valuable early warning knowledge. However, due to the high dimensionality and nonlinear interactions embedded in large-scale complex systems like urban traffic, it remains challenging to identify hidden high-risk states from huge system state space where over 99% of possible system states are not yet visited in empirical data. Based on the maximum entropy model, we infer the underlying interaction network from complicated dynamical processes of urban traffic and construct the system energy landscape.

The Effects of Different Reheating Methods on the Quality of Pre-Cooked Braised Chicken.

This study investigated the effects of microwave (MW) reheating, water boiling (WB) reheating, and steaming (ST) reheating on the quality attributes (including reheating loss, moisture content, centrifugal loss, water distribution, color, texture, microstructure, flavor, and taste) of pre-cooked braised chicken (PBC), using a non-reheated group as a control (C). The results showed that the ST group demonstrated the lowest reheating loss, and that ST reheating had the least influence on textural characteristics among all the reheating methods. In addition, the results of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the integrity of the muscle fibers in the ST group was most comparable to the C group.

Comparing the Drying Characteristics, Phytochemicals, and Antioxidant Characterization of L. Treated by Different Processing Techniques.

American ginseng (AG) has long been used as an ingredient in the food and pharmaceutical industries because of its nutritional and economic value. AG is rich in nutrients, and its quality is greatly affected by how it is processed. However, there is a relative paucity of research on the comprehensive evaluation of different processing techniques of AG.

Flavor, Lipid, and Transcriptomic Profiles of Chinese Wagyu Beef Cuts: Insights into Meat Quality Differences.

This study aimed to investigate the flavor formation and meat quality differences among different beef cuts in Chinese Wagyu cattle. The metabolites and gene expression profiles of chuck, neck, rump, tenderloin, and longissimus lumborum cuts were analyzed. The results revealed that a total of 240 volatile organic compounds and 779 lipid molecules were detected among the beef cuts, with hydrocarbons (accounting for 29.

Dynamic Compressive Behavior, Constitutive Modeling, and Complete Failure Criterion of 30 Vol.% BC/2024Al Composite.

This study investigated the compressive behavior of 30 vol.% boron carbide (BC)/2024 aluminum (Al) composites under quasi-static and dynamic loading at different temperatures. Building on the experimental findings, the Johnson-Cook (JC) model was modified, and a complete failure criterion was proposed.

Laser-Cladding Cu-Cr-X Coating on Cu Alloy for Longer Service Life in Electrical Applications.

Advancements in electrical components have intensified the challenges for copper alloy wear resistance and high-temperature performance in electrical applications. The surface coating preparation of Cu alloys is crucial for enhancing their lifespan and promoting sustainable resource development. This study explored the microstructure and properties of Cu-Cr-X coatings (X = Mo/W, AlO/TiO) on Cu alloy substrates via laser-cladding to improve wear resistance and hardness, vital for electrical component reliability and switching capacity.

Influence of Retrogression and Re-Aging Parameters on the Microstructure and Hardness of Jet-Formed 7050 Alloy.

In this paper, regression and re-aging treatment (RRA) was performed on the 7050 alloy, and the evolution in the microstructure of the 7050 alloy was observed by metallography and SEM. The effect of regression and re-aging treatment on the hardness of the alloy was investigated; the maximum hardness was 84.576 HRB at 180 °C/30 min.

A Micro-Nodal Tungsten-Rhenium Thin-Film Thermocouple Based on Electrohydrodynamic Printing.

High-temperature thin-film thermocouples (TFTCs) have gained significant attention in the aerospace and energy industries due to their compact size and millisecond response time. Although previous studies have reduced the size of TFTCs to the millimeter scale, the heat flow field has continued to limit temperature measurement accuracy. To address this issue, this study used an electrohydrodynamic printing process to fabricate tungsten-rhenium TFTCs with a thickness at the micrometer scale.

Spontaneous Infiltration Behavior of Al Matrix into Carbon Fiber Bundles Induced by Al-Ni Binary Reaction.

In this study, a Ni-coated carbon fiber reinforced Al-matrix (Ni-CF/Al) composite is prepared utilizing a pressure-free infiltration process. The CFs are coated with a layer of Ni through an electroless plating process, which facilitates the spontaneous infiltration behavior driven by the Al-Ni binary reaction. The spontaneous infiltration process, observed via synchrotron radiation in the direction opposite to gravity, demonstrates a fastest velocity of 31.