Causal inference study of plasma proteins and blood metabolites mediating the effect of obesity-related indicators on osteoporosis.

Background: Osteoporosis and obesity are both major global public health problems. Observational studies have found that osteoporosis might be related to obesity. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis could overcome the limitations of observational studies in assessing causal relationships.

Peripheral Inflammation Profile of Cerebellar Ataxia.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the characteristics of peripheral inflammatory profiles and their correlations with the clinical features in patients with cerebellar ataxia.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on a cohort of 140 cerebellar ataxia patients, including 74 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), 66 patients with multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia (MSA-C), and 145 healthy controls (HCs). Inflammatory profiles (PLT, MPV, NLR, PLR, MLR, SII, AISI and ESR) were measured in peripheral blood, and were compared by ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test.

Identification of the enzymatic cleavage relationship between anti-aging protein α-Klotho and Alzheimer's disease biomarker BACE1.

Background: The α-Klotho is known to be involved in longevity and various age-related diseases, including cognitive impairment. BACE1, an important enzyme associated with the pathological process of Alzheimer's disease (AD), serves as a biomarker for predicting changes in cognitive function. Although both proteins are closely linked to age-related cognitive function, the mechanism of their interaction remains unclear.

Conditional knockdown of gene expression in plants via 3' UTR editing.

The spatiotemporal knockdown of genes through genome editing heralds a new frontier in molecular breeding, yet it remains largely unexplored. Recognizing the intricate regulatory networks of endogenous microRNAs (miRNAs), we posited that integrating specific miRNA target sequences into the 3' UTR of a gene could construct artificial miRNA-dependent regulatory circuits, facilitating precise spatiotemporal gene suppression. To test this hypothesis, we selected three endogenous miRNAs with unique expression profiles by analyzing rice miRNA expression profiles.

Effects of Protein on Depression-like Behavior and Gut Microbiota in Stressed Juvenile Mice.

protein (Lep) exhibits anti-inflammatory effects, but its antidepressant activity is unknown. This study used a 44-day chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model to determine whether Lep has a beneficial effect through the gut-brain axis in 3-week-old male C57BL/6 mice. Gavaging with Lep solution alleviated the depression-like behavior and anxiety symptoms in CUMS growing mice.

Predictive Value of Machine Learning Models for Cerebral Edema Risk in Stroke Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Stroke patients are at high risk of developing cerebral edema, which can have severe consequences. However, there are currently few effective tools for early identification or prediction of this risk. As machine learning (ML) is increasingly used in clinical practice, its effectiveness in predicting cerebral edema risk in stroke patients has been explored.

Effect of Asphalt Granulation on the Performance of Artificial Graphite Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

In order to investigate the effects of the softening point, the addition ratio, and the median particle size (D50) of the asphalt on the performance of secondary particles of artificial graphite anode materials prepared by granulation, ten-kilogram orthogonal experiments were designed. D50 and powder orientation index (OI) value of the prepared secondary particles of artificial graphite anode materials were employed as evaluation index, and the results of the orthogonal experiments were subjected to polarity analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression analysis. It is demonstrated that the addition ratio of the asphalt exerts the most pronounced influence on D50 and powder OI value of secondary granular artificial graphite anode materials, followed by the softening point.

Temporal disruption in tuberculosis incidence patterns during COVID-19: a time series analysis in China.

Background: Despite extensive knowledge of tuberculosis (TB) and its control, there remains a significant gap in understanding the comprehensive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB incidence patterns. This study aims to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the pattern of pulmonary tuberculosis in China and examine the application of time series models in the analysis of these patterns, providing valuable insights for TB prevention and control.

Methods: We used pre-COVID-19 pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) data (2007-2018) to fit SARIMA, Prophet, and LSTM models, assessing their ability to predict PTB incidence trends.

Gut-Microbiota-Derived Butyric Acid Overload Contributes to Ileal Mucosal Barrier Damage in Late Phase of Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress Mice.

Intestinal mucosal barrier damage is regarded as the critical factor through which chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) leads to a variety of physical and mental health problems. However, the exact mechanism by which CUMS induces intestinal mucosal barrier damage is unclear. In this study, 14, 28, and 42 d CUMS model mice were established.

Molecular Mechanism: Inhibition of T-2 Toxin Synthesis by Surfactin in Dried Fish: Induction of Nucleation by ROS Accumulation.

(1) T-2 toxin synthesized by () can cause deterioration of dried fish and endanger human health. (2) The molecular mechanism by which antibacterial lipopeptides surfactin inhibited growth and toxin production was elucidated by investigating the intracellular ROS production pathway and the subcellular distribution and transcriptional activity of the transcription factor and its regulation of gene in . (3) Surfactin caused hyphal damage and nucleic acid and protein leakage; thus, the growth of was disrupted.

Comparative Analysis of Intestinal Morphology and Gut Microbiota of Under Different Aquaculture Systems.

Fish gut health is influenced by various factors, with the environment being a significant one. is a key aquaculture species in China, yet research on the impact of different aquaculture systems on its intestinal health remains limited. This study aims to explore the changes in intestinal morphology and gut microbiota of under two aquaculture systems.

Development of a CD39 nanobody and its enhancement to chimeric antigen receptor T cells efficacy against ovarian cancer in preclinical studies.

: CD39, a key ectonucleotidase that drives adenosine production, acts as a critical immunosuppressive checkpoint in cancer. Although it has shown promise as a therapeutic target, clinical trials are demonstrating the need for more potent targeting approaches. This need is driving innovation towards the development of novel antibodies and the exploration of strategic combinations with a range of immunotherapies.

A monoallelic variant in CCN2 causes an autosomal dominant spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia with low bone mass.

Cellular communication network factor 2 (CCN2) is a secreted extracellular matrix-associated protein, and its aberrantly increased expression has been implicated in a diversity of diseases involving pathological processes of fibrosis, chronic inflammation, or tissue injury, which has promoted the evaluation of CCN2 as therapeutic targets for multiple disorders. However, human phenotypes associated with CCN2 deficiency have remained enigmatic; variants in CCN2 have not yet been associated with a human phenotype. Here, we collected families diagnosed with spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia (SEMD), and screened candidate pathogenic genes for families without known genetic causes using next-generation sequencing.

Increased rainfall frequency enhances dry seasonal soil mineral-associated organic carbon in a subtropical forest.

Climate models predict longer and more severe droughts, and alterations in the frequency and intensity of rainfall events. However, how changing precipitation patterns affect soil organic carbon (SOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) remains unclear. Here, we conducted a three-year rainfall manipulation experiment with ambient rainfall as the control, removal of half the total rainfall amount with unaltered frequency (DRA), and increased rainfall frequency with the total amounts unchanged (IRF) in a subtropical forest.

A Deep Learning-Enhanced Compartmental Model and Its Application in Modeling Omicron in China.

The mainstream compartmental models require stochastic parameterization to estimate the transmission parameters between compartments, whose calculation depend upon detailed statistics on epidemiological characteristics, which are expensive, economically and resource-wise, to collect. In addition, infectious diseases spread in three dimensions: temporal, spatial, and mobile, i.e.

Intelligent medicine in focus: the 5 stages of evolution in robot-assisted surgery for prostate cancer in the past 20 years and future implications.

Robot-assisted surgery has evolved into a crucial treatment for prostate cancer (PCa). However, from its appearance to today, brain-computer interface, virtual reality, and metaverse have revolutionized the field of robot-assisted surgery for PCa, presenting both opportunities and challenges. Especially in the context of contemporary big data and precision medicine, facing the heterogeneity of PCa and the complexity of clinical problems, it still needs to be continuously upgraded and improved.

Pericyte loss via glutaredoxin2 downregulation aggravates diabetes-induced microvascular dysfunction.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness among working-age adults. Pericyte loss is an early pathological feature of DR. Under hyperglycemic conditions, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production increases, leading to oxidative stress and subsequent mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis.

Mycorrhizal association controls soil carbon-degrading enzyme activities and soil carbon dynamics under nitrogen addition: A systematic review.

Recent evidence suggests that changes in carbon-degrading extracellular enzyme activities (C-EEAs) can help explain soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics under nitrogen (N) addition. However, the factors controlling C-EEAs remain unclear, impeding the inclusion of microbial mechanisms in global C cycle models. Using meta-analysis, we show that the responses of C-EEAs to N addition were best explained by mycorrhizal association across a wide range of environmental and experimental factors.

Antibiotic susceptibility of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated from prawns and oysters marketed in Zhanjiang, China.

To evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from prawns and oysters marketed in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China. 84 strains of V. parahaemolyticus were isolated from prawns and oysters sampled from 9 major markets.

Sleep disturbance in rodent models and its sex-specific implications.

Sleep disturbances, encompassing altered sleep physiology or disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea, profoundly impact physiological functions and elevate disease risk. Despite extensive research, the underlying mechanisms and sex-specific differences in sleep disorders remain elusive. While polysomnography serves as a cornerstone for human sleep studies, animal models provide invaluable insights into sleep mechanisms.

Screening, characterization and mechanism of a potential stabiliser for nisin nanoliposomes with high encapsulation efficiency.

The encapsulation efficiency (EE%) reflects the amount of bioactive components that can be loaded into nanoliposomes. Obtaining a suitable nanoliposome stabiliser may be the key to improving their EE%. In this study, three polyphenols were screened as stabilisers of nanoliposomes with high nisin EE%, with curcumin nanoliposomes (Cu-NLs) exhibiting the best performance (EE% = 95.

Microbiome and Metabolite Analysis Insight into the Potential of Shrimp Head Hydrolysate to Alleviate Depression-like Behaviour in Growth-Period Mice Exposed to Chronic Stress.

Chronic stress (CS) endangers the physical and mental health of adolescents. Therefore, alleviating and preventing such negative health impacts are a top priority. This study explores the effect of feeding shrimp head hydrolysate (SHH) on gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and neurotransmitters in growing C57BL/6 mice subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress.

Fried Soybean Oil Causes Systemic Low-Grade Inflammation by Disrupting the Balance of Gut Microbiota in Mice.

Previous reports have mainly investigated the long-term effects (>30 d), such as gut microbiota dysbiosis and systemic low-grade inflammation, in mice fed fried oil. However, short-term intake of deep-fried oil is more likely to occur in daily life, and such studies are lacking. This study aimed to investigate the short-term effects of fried oil intake on systemic low-grade inflammation.