Sequencing in over 50,000 cases identifies coding and structural variation underlying atrial fibrillation risk.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent and morbid abnormality of the heart rhythm with a strong genetic component. Here, we meta-analyzed genome and exome sequencing data from 36 studies that included 52,416 AF cases and 277,762 controls. In burden tests of rare coding variation, we identified novel associations between AF and the genes MYBPC3, LMNA, PKP2, FAM189A2 and KDM5B.

A calcitonin gene-related peptide co-crosslinked hydrogel promotes diabetic wound healing by regulating M2 macrophage polarization and angiogenesis.

Delayed diabetic wound (DBW) healing is a severe complication of diabetes, characterized notably by peripheral sensory neuropathy. The underlying mechanism of sensory nerves and DBW remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in regulating epithelialization and angiogenesis in DBW.

Advances in the Catalytic Mechanism of Metal Oxides for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are one of the promising next-generation energy storage/conversion devices, considering their high energy density and low cost. However, the shuttle of polysulfides hinders the practical application of Li-S batteries, which leads to reduced cycling stability. Although chemical adsorption strategies have made significant progress in improving the cycling stability of Li-S batteries, the poor catalytic conversion ability of the polysulfide host results in an imbalance between chemical adsorption and catalytic conversion.

Unveiling the Genetic Landscape of Coronary Artery Disease Through Common and Rare Structural Variants.

Background: Genome-wide association studies have identified several hundred susceptibility single nucleotide variants for coronary artery disease (CAD). Despite single nucleotide variant-based genome-wide association studies improving our understanding of the genetics of CAD, the contribution of structural variants (SVs) to the risk of CAD remains largely unclear.

Method And Results: We leveraged SVs detected from high-coverage whole genome sequencing data in a diverse group of participants from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine program.

Serine starvation suppresses the progression of esophageal cancer by regulating the synthesis of purine nucleotides and NADPH.

Serine metabolism provides important metabolic intermediates that support the rapid proliferation of tumor cells. However, the role of serine metabolism in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that serine starvation predominantly inhibits ESCC cell proliferation by suppressing purine nucleotides and NADPH synthesis.

Metabolome and comparative genome provide insights into secondary metabolites generation of a rare karst-growing Rhododendron in vitro culture.

Rhododendron species have the potential to be rich in secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical or industrial value. However, there is a lack of comprehensive metabolome studies at the genome level, particularly for unique and rare species like Rhododendron bailiense, which exclusively grows in karst environments in Guizhou, southwest China. Recently, genome assembly data for this species was available.

Classifying COVID-19 hospitalizations in epidemiology cohort studies: The C4R study.

Rationale: Robust COVID-19 outcomes classification is important for ongoing epidemiology research on acute and post-acute COVID-19 conditions. Protocolized medical record review is an established method to validate endpoints for clinical trials and cardiovascular epidemiology cohorts; however, a protocol to adjudicate hospitalizations for COVID-19 among epidemiology cohorts was lacking.

Objectives: We developed a protocol to ascertain and adjudicate hospitalized COVID-19 across a meta-cohort of 14 US prospective cohort studies.

New Anti-Fibrotic Strategies for Keloids: Insights From Single-Cell Multi-Omics.

Keloids are complex pathological skin scars characterised by excessive growth of fibrous tissue and abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Despite various treatment options available, the treatment of keloids remains a major clinical challenge due to high recurrence rates and inconsistent therapeutic outcomes. By collecting three keloid tissues and three normal skin samples and utilising single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we delved into the cellular heterogeneity and molecular mechanisms of keloids.

Interactions Between Bacterivorous Nematodes and Bacteria Reduce NO Emissions.

Trophic interactions in micro-food webs, such as those between nematodes and their bacterial prey, affect nitrogen cycling in soils, potentially changing nitrous oxide (NO) production and consumption. However, how nematode-mediated changes in soil bacterial community composition affect soil NO emissions is largely unknown. Here, microcosm experiments are performed with the bacterial feeding nematode Protorhabditis to explore the potential of nematodes in regulating microbial communities and thereby soil NO emissions.

Cardiovascular Disease and Other Competing Causes of Death in Older Kidney Cancer Patients.

Background: To study the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other competing causes of death in older kidney cancer patients.

Methods: Data on older patients (aged 65 and above) diagnosed with kidney cancer between 1975 and 2018 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We delved into the distribution of CVD and other competing causes of death across the entire cohort and in various patient subgroups.

The expected polygenic risk score (ePRS) framework: an equitable metric for quantifying polygenetic risk via modeling of ancestral makeup.

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) depend on genetic ancestry due to differences in allele frequencies between ancestral populations. This leads to implementation challenges in diverse populations. We propose a framework to calibrate PRS based on ancestral makeup.

Exosomes derived from fibroblasts in DFUs delay wound healing by delivering miR-93-5p to target macrophage ATG16L1.

Diabetes is an extremely costly disease, one-third of which are attributed to the management of diabetic foot disease including chronic, non-healing, diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Therefore, much effort is needed to understand the pathogenesis of DFUs and novel therapeutics. We utilized exosome staining to confirm the interaction between fibroblast-derived exosomes and macrophages.

β-Asarone regulates microglia polarization to alleviate TBI-induced nerve damage via Fas/FasL signaling axis.

Acute injury and secondary injury caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) seriously threaten the health of patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of β-Asarone in TBI-induced neuroinflammation and injury. In this work, the effects of β-Asarone on nerve injury and neuronal apoptosis were investigated in mice with TBI by controlled cortical impingement.

Longitudinal assessment of peripheral organ metabolism and the gut microbiota in an APP/PS1 transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202510000-00028/figure1/v/2024-11-26T163120Z/r/image-tiff Alzheimer's disease not only affects the brain, but also induces metabolic dysfunction in peripheral organs and alters the gut microbiota. The aim of this study was to investigate systemic changes that occur in Alzheimer's disease, in particular the association between changes in peripheral organ metabolism, changes in gut microbial composition, and Alzheimer's disease development.

DNA Methylation Signatures of Cardiovascular Health Provide Insights into Diseases.

Background: The association of overall cardiovascular health (CVH) with changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) has not been well characterized.

Methods: We calculated the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) score to reflect CVH in five cohorts with diverse ancestry backgrounds. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) for LE8 score were conducted, followed by bioinformatic analyses.

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure Analysis of Germplasm Resources in Jiangxi Province.

This study aimed to compare and assess the genetic diversity and trends among the introduced family provenance, first-cycle superior trees breeding provenance, and improved-generation superior trees breeding provenance of using EST-SSR markers. The goal was to provide a foundation for advanced genetic improvement and sustainable utilization of in Jiangxi Province. A total of 417 individuals were analyzed for their genetic diversity and population structure using 19 pairs of SSR markers.

Heat Stress Impairs Endometrial Function During Implantation by Regulating Autophagy in Hainan Black Goat.

Heat stress (HS) is a significant factor that adversely affects the health, welfare, and productivity of domestic animals, particularly impacting embryo implantation rates. However, the effects of HS on endometrial function during the peri-implantation period in Hainan black goats remain unclear. This study explores the influence of HS on the endometrium of these goats.

FeS@COF based nanocarrier for photothermal-enhanced chemodynamic/thermodynamic tumor therapy and immunotherapy via reprograming tumor-associated macrophages.

Developing high-performance nanomedicines to enhance antitumor efficacy remains a hot point in the field of biomedicine. In this study, we designed a versatile nanocomposite (FeS₂@COF-HA/AIPH) integrating covalent organic frameworks (COF) functionalized with pyrite (FeS₂) for synergistic photothermal (PTT), chemodynamic (CDT), thermodynamic (TDT) therapies, and immunotherapy. The superior photothermal effects and catalytic capabilities of FeS₂@COF enabled a minimally invasive PTT/CDT combination.

PD-1/PD-L1 and coronary heart disease: a mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: It has been found that programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) or its ligand PD-L1 may play an important role in the onset and progression of coronary heart disease (CHD). Thus, we conducted this mendelian randomization analysis (MR) to estimate the causal relationship between PD-1/PD-L1 and 5 specific CHDs (chronic ischemic heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, coronary atherosclerosis, and unstable angina pectoris), complemented by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for further validation.

Methods: Publicly available summary-level data were attained from the UK Biobank with genetic instruments obtained from the largest available, nonoverlapping genome-wide association studies (GWAS).