Ultrasensitive, Real-Time Detection of Viral Antigens and RNA Enabled by Scalable Graphene-Based FET Sensors for Pathogen Detection: A Case Study on COVID-19.

Herein, a novel and simple electrospray (ES) printing technique was developed for the fabrication of ultrathin graphene layers with precisely controlled nanometer-scale thickness, where graphene oxide (GO) was electrosprayed on wafers and subsequently chemically reduced into reduced GO (rGO). Utilizing that technique, we prepared ultrathin rGO in-plane graphene field-effect transistor (GFET)-based biosensors coupled with a portable prototype measuring system for point-of-care detection of pathogens. We illustrate the use of such prepared GFETs to detect COVID-19, using the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antigen (N-protein) and genomic viral RNA as detection targets.

Optimal trajectory for the anterior occipital condyle screw.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the practicality and optimal approach for inserting an anterior occipital condyle screw, as well as to measure the screw placement characteristics.MethodsA total of 80 normal head and cervical spine computed tomography scans (40 males/40 females) were used to construct three-dimensional models. The average age of the participants was 45.

Incorporating Cooking Emissions To Better Simulate the Impact of Zero-Emission Vehicle Adoption on Ozone Pollution in Los Angeles.

Despite decades of emission control measures aimed at improving air quality, Los Angeles (LA) continues to experience severe ozone pollution during the summertime. We incorporate cooking volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in a chemical transport model and evaluate it against observations in order to improve the model representation of the present-day ozone chemical regime in LA. Using this updated model, we investigate the impact of adopting zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on ozone pollution with increased confidence.

Gold-Catalyzed Synthesis of (Dihydro)quinolones by Cyclization of Benzaldehyde-Tethered Ynamides and Anilines.

2-Quinolones represent a versatile class of compounds that are prevalent in natural and medicinally relevant molecules. Here we report a new approach to the selective formation of these structures. By gold catalysis, a range of benzaldehyde-tethered ynamides reacted with anilines, leading to 4-amino-3,4-dihydro-2-quinolones with high efficiency and excellent diastereoselectivity in dichloromethane.

Genetic evidence for the suppressive role of zebrafish vhl targeting mavs in antiviral innate immunity during RNA virus infection.

The von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor gene VHL is a classic tumor suppressor that has been identified in family members with clear cell renal cell carcinomas, central nervous system and retinal hemangioblastomas, phaeochromocytomas, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. The well-defined function of VHL is to mediate proteasomal degradation of hydroxylated hypoxia-inducible factor α proteins, resulting in the downregulation of hypoxia-responsive gene expression. Previously, we reported that VHL inhibits antiviral signaling by targeting mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) for proteasomal degradation.

Pilot Study of Metabolomic Biomarkers Associated with Outcomes in Patients with Lung Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy.

Lung cancer stands as the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, impacting both men and women in the United States and beyond. Radiation therapy (RT) serves as a key treatment modality for various lung malignancies. Our study aims to systematically assess the prognosis and influence of RT on metabolic reprogramming in patients diagnosed with nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) through longitudinal metabolic profiling.

Genetically supported targets and drug repurposing for brain aging: A systematic study in the UK Biobank.

Brain age gap (BAG), the deviation between estimated brain age and chronological age, is a promising marker of brain health. However, the genetic architecture and reliable targets for brain aging remains poorly understood. In this study, we estimate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based brain age using deep learning models trained on the UK Biobank and validated with three external datasets.

Targeting the NPY/NPY1R signaling axis in mutant p53-dependent pancreatic cancer impairs metastasis.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly metastatic malignancy. More than 80% of patients with PC present with advanced-stage disease, preventing potentially curative surgery. The neuropeptide Y (NPY) system, best known for its role in controlling energy homeostasis, has also been shown to promote tumorigenesis in a range of cancer types, but its role in PC has yet to be explored.

UFL1 promotes survival and function of virtual memory CD8 T cells.

In naïve mice, a fraction of CD8 T cells displaying high affinity for self-MHC peptide complexes develop into virtual memory T (TVM) cells. Due to self-reactivity, TVM cells are exposed to persistent antigenic stimulation, a condition known to induce T cell exhaustion. However, TVM cells do not exhibit characteristics similar to exhausted CD8 T (TEX) cells.

Fish requires FasL to facilitate CD8+ T-cell function and antimicrobial immunity.

Although bony fish have CD8+ T cells, the mechanisms by which these early-evolved cytotoxic cells combat intracellular pathogens remain unclear. In the present study, using Nile tilapia as a model, we investigated the detailed function, mechanism, and evolutionary pattern concerning CD8+ T cells. By depleting CD8+ T cells, they are found essential in combating Edwardsiella piscicida infection.

6-methyladnosine of vRNA facilitates influenza A virus replication by promoting the interaction of vRNA with polymerase proteins.

6-methyladnosine (mA) modification is present in both positive- and negative-strand RNA of influenza A virus (IAV) and affects the replication and pathogenicity of IAV. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism of mA in IAV RNA. In the present study, we identified the mA methylation of the viral RNA of different IAV subtypes and confirmed that mA modification promotes the polymerase activity and replication of IAV.

BackMix: Regularizing Open Set Recognition by Removing Underlying Fore-Background Priors.

Open set recognition (OSR) requires models to classify known samples while detecting unknown samples for real-world applications. Existing studies show impressive progress using unknown samples from auxiliary datasets to regularize OSR models, but they have proved to be sensitive to selecting such known outliers. In this paper, we discuss the aforementioned problem from a new perspective: Can we regularize OSR models without elaborately selecting auxiliary known outliers? We first empirically and theoretically explore the role of foregrounds and backgrounds in open set recognition and disclose that: 1) backgrounds that correlate with foregrounds would mislead the model and cause failures when encounters 'partially' known images; 2) Backgrounds unrelated to foregrounds can serve as auxiliary known outliers and provide regularization via global average pooling.

Comparison of health-related quality of life trajectories in older breast cancer survivors and noncancerous controls over 10 years: A SEER-MHOS analysis.

Purpose: This study analyzed the long-term effects of cancer on the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of older breast cancer survivors for 10 years, including a control group to distinguish between the impacts of cancer treatment and aging.

Methods: The SEER-MHOS data resource was used in the analysis. Cases were 674 older women diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998-2015 at age 65 and older and participated in Medicare Health Outcomes Survey within 24 months before their cancer diagnosis and at least once within 10 years of post-diagnosis.

Unlocking Ectoine's Postbiotic Therapeutic Promise: Mechanisms, Applications, and Future Directions.

Ectoine, a cytoprotective compound derived from bacteria and categorized as a postbiotic, is increasingly recognized as a viable alternative to traditional therapeutic agents, frequently presenting considerable side effects. This extensive review underscores the effectiveness of ectoine as a postbiotic in managing conditions such as rhinosinusitis, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis, all while demonstrating a commendable safety profile. Its capacity to establish robust hydrogen bonds without compromising cellular integrity supports its potential application in anti-aging and cancer prevention strategies.

Targeting Neuroinflammation in Preterm White Matter Injury: Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes.

Neuroinflammation is a key factor in the development of preterm white matter injury (PWMI), leading to glial cell dysfunction, arrest of oligodendrocyte maturation, and long-term neurological damage. As a potential therapeutic strategy, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit significant immunomodulatory and regenerative potential. Recent studies suggest that the primary mechanism of MSC action is their paracrine effects, particularly mediated by extracellular vesicles, with MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) being the key mediators.

Design Refinement of Catalytic System for Scale-Up Mild Nitrogen Photo-Fixation.

Ammonia and nitric acid, versatile industrial feedstocks, and burgeoning clean energy vectors hold immense promise for sustainable development. However, Haber-Bosch and Ostwald processes, which generates carbon dioxide as massive by-product, contribute to greenhouse effects and pose environmental challenges. Thus, the pursuit of nitrogen fixation through carbon-neutral pathways under benign conditions is a frontier of scientific topics, with the harnessing of solar energy emerging as an enticing and viable option.

The role of PD-L1 in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. In China, nearly half of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients carry epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have significantly improved the prognosis for patients with EGFR mutations and are considered the preferred treatment for these individuals.

An electrochromism-equipped enzymatic biofuel cell system combined with hollow microneedle array for self-powered glucose sensing in interstitial fluid.

A disposable, self-powered enzymatic biofuel cell (BFC) sensor integrated with a hollow microneedle array (HMNA) for glucose monitoring in interstitial fluid (ISF) is reported. The HMNA enables painless and minimally invasive ISF extraction. The BFC uses dehydrogenase (GDH) in conjunction with NAD, diaphorase (DI), and vitamin K (VK) serving as electron transfer mediators as the anode catalyst and Prussian blue (PB) as the electrochromic cathode.

Causal relationship and potential common pathogenic mechanisms between hidradenitis suppurativa and related cancer.

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory and common skin disease. Observation studies have reported the association between HS and cancers, however no studies reported whether a causal relationship exists between HS and cancers. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between HS and differential subtypes of cancers by conducting a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Self-disclosure and reproductive concerns among breast cancer female patients: the chain mediation model of couples' cancer-related communication problems and relationship intimacy.

Purpose: Reproductive concerns are prevalent in the female breast cancer patient population and increase existential distress. Although self-disclosure significantly correlated reproductive concerns, the exact mechanism of action is unknown. Based on previous theoretical studies on couples' cancer-related communication problems and intimacy in couples, this study constructed a chain mediation model to investigate whether the two variables mediate the relationship between self-disclosure and reproductive concerns.

Dietary risk factors in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis: a cohort study with paired healthy relatives as controls.

Purpose: Conflicting results have been reported on dietary factors in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Here, we compared the dietary intakes of IBD patients with those of paired healthy relatives (HRs), aiming to minimize the impact of genetic and environmental confounders.

Methods: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD, N = 45) and ulcerative colitis (UC, N = 20), their paired HRs (N = 45, N = 20) and healthy non-relative (HNR, N = 25, N = 55) controls were recruited.

PKM2 knockout facilitates the activation of the AMPK/KLF4/ACADVL pathway, leading to increased oxidative degradation of fatty acids in TNBC.

This study unveils PKM2 as a master metabolic coordinator in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), governing the glycolysis-lipolysis balance through the AMPK/KLF4/ACADVL axis. We demonstrate stage-specific PKM2 upregulation in TNBC, with CRISPR/Cas9 knockout inducing dual metabolic reprogramming-suppressed glycolysis and activated lipid catabolism. Mechanistically, PKM2 ablation triggers AMPK-dependent nuclear translocation of KLF4, which directly activates ACADVL (mitochondrial β-oxidation rate-limiting enzyme), explaining lipid droplet depletion.