Genome-wide CRISPR-based screen identifies E2F transcription factor 1 as a regulator and therapeutic target of aristolochic acid-induced nephrotoxicity.

Aristolochic Acid I (AAI) is widely present in traditional Chinese medicines derived from the Aristolochia genus and is known to cause significant damage to renal tubular epithelial cells. Genome-wide screening has proven to be a powerful tool in identifying critical genes associated with the toxicity of exogenous substances. To identify undiscovered key genes involved in AAI-induced renal toxicity, a genome-wide CRISPR library screen was conducted in the human kidney-2 (HK-2) cell line.

Future runoff trends in the mang river basin of China: Implications of carbon emission paths.

In recent years, the rapid development of the global economy has led to an increasing impact of the ongoing climate warming phenomenon on the hydrological cycle. In this context, the runoff changes affected by human activities are more severe. This study classifies climate scenarios based on carbon emission levels into "low-carbon" (SSP1-2.

"Mortise and Tenon Joint" Technique to Improve the Stability of Three-Dimensional Costal Cartilage Framework in Fully Expansion Ear Reconstruction.

Objective: For full expansion of ear reconstruction, the stability of a cartilage framework is very important. However, most techniques for framework fabrication focus on three-dimensional structure and adequate projection. Few studies are available on improving the stability of the reconstructed framework.

A time-dependent bidirectional association between folate and lung cancer deaths among a national cohort.

The relationship between folate and the risk of cancer remains undetermined partially due to the dynamic changes in folate intakes at the population level caused by folic acid fortification implemented in the USA and other countries. To control for the interference from fortification, we assessed the relationship between folate and lung cancer death (LCD) risk among a national cohort established years before folic acid fortification. We followed up 14 528 adults aged 19 years or older who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) on average for 14 years.

Inhibiting FGFR by toadflax reverses erlotinib resistance in nonsmall cell lung cancer.

This study aims to demonstrate the effect of toadflax (bufalin) on erlotinib resistance in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by inhibiting the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR). The microfluidic mobility transferase and caliper mobility-shift assays were employed to detect the FGFR inhibition by bufalin and the binding reversibility. Further, the inhibitory effects of bufalin were determined in HCC827 and HCC827/ER cells in vitro, investigating relative FGFR overexpression by quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-qPCR) and FGFR downstream proteins, that is, FGFR substrate 2 (FRS2), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and S6 by western blot analysis.

Region-specific biomechanical characterization of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm of hypertensive patients with bicuspid aortic valves.

Hypertension and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) are key clinical factors that may affect local biomechanical properties of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAAs). This study sought to investigate regional differences in biaxial mechanical properties of the ATAAs for the hypertensive patients with BAV. Fresh ATAA samples were harvested from 16 hypertensive patients (age, 66 ± 9 years) undergoing elective aortic surgery.

Two cases of fatal insulin homicide resolved using combined immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence techniques.

Diabetes is a prevalent disease in modern society. Since the development and widespread use of synthetic insulin, its therapeutic application has become globally recognized for managing diabetes. However, excessive administration of insulin may lead to fatal outcomes.

Assessing the ecological effects of the World's Largest Forestry Eco-engineering: Three-North Protective Forest Program within the initially scheduled range from 1978 to 2022.

China's Three-North Protective Forest Program (TNP) is the world's most ambitious afforestation project (ongoing from 1978 to 2050), which aims to increase forest coverage through afforestation and reforestation, protect agriculture, reduce soil erosion, and control desertification. Although TNP has been ongoing for 45 years, its rationales and effects remain uncertain. Here, we conducted a range-wide assessment of TNP by analyzing data from >10,000 scenes of satellite images and >50,000 field survey plots.

Oxidative balance is associated with diabetic kidney disease and mortality in adults with diabetes mellitus: Insights from NHANES database and Mendelian randomization.

Objective: To explore and validate the association between the oxidative balance and prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and mortality in patients with diabetes.

Study Design: A large and representative sample from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2013 to 2016 was analyzed to study the potential association between Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) and prognosis of DKD in adult diabetic patients. Weighted multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between OBS and DKD risk.

Health Communication and Adherence to Noninvasive Ventilation in Chronic Hypercapnic Respiratory Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Domiciliary noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a standard treatment for improving health outcomes among patients with chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure (CHRF). However, poor adherence substantially limits its therapeutic effectiveness.

Objective: To determine the effect of an information-motivation-behavioral (IMB) skills-based intervention (IMB-NIV program) on NIV adherence, patient-reported health outcomes, and health service use among patients with CHRF.

Squaraine dye as a fluorescent probe for highly sensitive detection of pyrophosphate and alkaline phosphatase.

We synthesized a squaraine dye (F-0) to develop a method for detecting pyrophosphate (PPi) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) by modulating the fluorescence of F-0. The fluorescence intensity of the F-0 system was quenched upon the addition of Cu ions; however, it was restored when PPi was introduced due to the formation of a complex between PPi and Cu. Since ALP can hydrolyze PPi, the fluorescence of the system was quenched again upon the addition of ALP.

Intraoperative Parathyroid Hormone Monitoring Criteria in Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Network Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy.

Importance: Intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IOPTH) monitoring is recommended by the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons for use during parathyroidectomy for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), but there is no clinician consensus regarding the IOPTH monitoring criteria that optimize diagnostic accuracy.

Objective: To evaluate and rank the diagnostic properties of IOPTH monitoring criteria used during surgery for patients with PHPT.

Data Sources: A bayesian diagnostic test accuracy network meta-analysis (DTA-NMA) was performed, in which peer-reviewed citations from January 1, 1990, to July 22, 2023, were searched for in MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and CINAHL.

Cancer molecular subtyping using limited multi-omics data with missingness.

Diagnosing cancer subtypes is a prerequisite for precise treatment. Existing multi-omics data fusion-based diagnostic solutions build on the requisite of sufficient samples with complete multi-omics data, which is challenging to obtain in clinical applications. To address the bottleneck of collecting sufficient samples with complete data in clinical applications, we proposed a flexible integrative model (CancerSD) to diagnose cancer subtype using limited samples with incomplete multi-omics data.

First report of causing leaf spot on in China.

Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia divaricata) is a perennial plant belonging to the Umbelliferae family, and is widely cultivated as a traditional Chinese medicine plant used to treat various diseases in northern China. In August 2022, a widespread leaf spot disease emerged on the Fangfeng leaves across a 2.5-acre farmland located in the Naiman District of Tongliao City, China ( 44°17' N; 121°29' E), where 5,000 acres of Fangfeng had been cultivated.

Improved Methods for the Synthesis of BH and -Heterocycle-Coordinated BH (-Het·BH).

Improved methods for the synthesis of BH and a series of -heterocycle-coordinated BH complexes (-Het·BH) have been developed with readily obtained KBH as the starting material. Oxidation of KBH could provide BH in over 90% yield. Then, the -Het·BH complexes were prepared from the as-synthesized BH through in situ multistep reactions by reacting with NaH, -heterocycles, and dilute hydrochloric acid.

Targeting Oncogenic RET Kinase by Simultaneously Inhibiting Kinase Activity and Degrading the Protein.

The rearranged-during-transfection (RET) kinase is a validated target for the treatment of RET-altered cancers. Currently approved RET-selective kinase inhibitors, selpercatinib (LOXO-292) and pralsetinib (BLU-667), increase the oncogenic RET protein level upon treatment, which may affect their efficacy. We seek to reduce the oncogenic RET protein level and RET kinase activity simultaneously.

from Sauerkraut Alleviates Acute Lung Injury Induced by Methicillin-Resistant through the Regulation of M2 Macrophage Polarization via Its Metabolite Esculin.

Sauerkraut contains various fermentative microorganisms that produce active metabolites, enhancing immunity and resistance to infections. However, its effects on methicillin-resistant (MRSA)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) remain unclear. Using RAW264.

Low pH Means More Female Offspring: A Multigenerational Plasticity in the Sex Ratio of Marine Bivalves.

Global changes can profoundly affect the sex determination and reproductive output of marine organisms, disrupting the population structure and ecosystems. High COdriven low pH in the context of ocean acidification (OA) has been shown to severely affect various calcifiers, but less is known about the extent to which low pH influences sex determination and reproduction of marine organisms, particularly mollusks. This study is the first to report a biased sex ratio over multiple generations toward females, driven by exposure to high CO-induced low pH environments, using the ecologically and economically important Portuguese oyster () as a model.

A novel geminivirus-derived 3' flanking sequence of terminator mediates the gene expression enhancement.

Exploring the new elements to re-design the expression cassette is crucial in synthetic biology. Viruses are one of the most important sources for exploring gene expression elements. In this study, we found that the DNA sequence of the SBG51 deltasatellite from the Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) greatly enhanced the gene expression when flanked downstream of the terminator.

Photoimmunologic Therapy of Stubborn Biofilm via Inhibiting Bacteria Revival and Preventing Reinfection.

Stubborn biofilm infections pose serious threats to public health. Clinical practices highly rely on mechanical debridement and antibiotics, which often fail and lead to persistent and recurrent infections. The main culprits are 1) persistent bacteria reviving, colonizing, and rejuvenating biofilms, and 2) secondary pathogen exposure, particularly in individuals with chronic diseases.

Decoration of Autophagy Detecting Nanoparticle with an Anionic Fluorochrome Enhances Multispectral Characterization of Autophagosome Location and Flux.

Autophagy is a key biological process that has proven extremely difficult to detect noninvasively. To address this, an autophagy detecting nanoparticle (ADN) was recently developed, consisting of an iron oxide nanoparticle decorated with cathepsin-cleavable arginine-rich peptides bound to the near-infrared fluorochrome Cy5.5.

Noble-Metal-Free Cocatalysts Reinforcing Hole Consumption for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution with Ultrahigh Apparent Quantum Efficiency.

Achieving efficient and sustainable hydrogen production through photocatalysis is highly promising yet remains a significant challenge, especially when replacing costly noble metals with more abundant alternatives. Conversion efficiency with noble-metal-free alternatives is frequently limited by high charge recombination rates, mainly due to the sluggish transfer and inefficient consumption of photo-generated holes. To address these challenges, a rational design of noble-metal-free cocatalysts as oxidative sites is reported to facilitate hole consumption, leading to markedly increased H yield rates without relying on expensive noble metals.

A Lionfish-Skin-Inspired Intrinsic Antifouling Coating for Full-Ocean-Depth up to 7730 Meters.

As marine equipment advances from shallow to deep-sea environments, the demand for high-performance antifouling materials continues to increase. The lionfish, a species inhabiting both deep-sea and shallow coral reefs, prevents fouling organism adhesion via its smooth, mucus-covered skin, which contains antimicrobial peptides. Inspired by lionfish skin, this work integrates zwitterionic segments with hydration-based fouling-release properties and the furan oxime ester structure with intrinsic antibacterial activity to develop a silicone-based antifouling coating capable of operating from shallow to deep-sea environments.