A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-centered study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of MEI005 in Reducing Submental Fat in Chinese Adults.

Background: Submental fat (SMF) is a common aesthetic concern traditionally treated with liposuction. Non-surgical alternatives like injectable deoxycholic acid are gaining popularity. However, no related products have been clinically approved in China.

CXXC5 function blockade promotes diabetic wound healing through stimulating fibroblast and vascular endothelial cell activation.

Background: Extracellular matrix (ECM) and angiogenesis are critical controls of wound regeneration, and their dysfunction delays diabetes recovery. CXXC5 belongs to the CXXC protein family that can regulate the function of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs); However, awareness of its functional role remains limited.

Methods: Mice were divided into control (CON), diabetic (DM), diabetic + KY19382 (DM + KY19382), and diabetic + vehicle (DM + Vehicle) groups.

The reanalysis of a new strategy for groundwater level prediction using combined simulation of machine learning and Muskingum methods under ecological water replenishment.

Due to its multi-functionality, ecological water replenishment (EWR) has been an important measure for restoring aquifers. However, suitable prediction methods need to be selected for the unique fluctuation exhibited by groundwater level (GWL) in the process of EWR. This study employed a novel coupling model, RFR-MUS, to address this issue.

Effects of Nanoscale precipitates on mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility in Zn-Mn alloy.

Controlling degradation rate is essential for the biomedical application of biodegradable Zn alloys. Alloying with soluble elements is an effective way to regulate formation of second phases, which differ in potential from the Zn matrix. The potential difference exhibits positive or negative effects on corrosion resistance.

Sulforaphane promotes diabetic wound healing by regulating macrophage efferocytosis and polarization.

Background: Delayed wound healing frequently occurs as a complication of diabetes. Diabetic wounds that are difficult to heal are associated with chronic, persistent inflammation, characterized by impaired efferocytosis and a sustained pro-inflammatory state of macrophages at the wound site. Sulforaphane (SFN), a bioactive compound found in cruciferous vegetables, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.

Endothelial TRIM35-Regulated MMP10 Release Exacerbates Calcification of Vascular Grafts.

Vascular calcification is a highly regulated process in cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is strongly correlated with morbidity and mortality, especially in the adverse stage of vascular remodeling after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). However, the pathogenesis of vascular graft calcification, particularly the role of endothelial-smooth muscle cell interaction, is still unclear. To test how ECs interact with SMCs in artery grafts, single-cell analysis of wild-type mice is first performed using an arterial isograft mouse model and found robust cytokine-mediated signaling pathway activation and SMC proliferation, together with upregulated endothelial tripartite motif 35 (TRIM35) expression.

A DNA phosphorothioation pathway via adenylated intermediate modulates Tdp machinery.

In prokaryotes, the non-bridging oxygen in the DNA sugar-phosphate backbone can be enzymatically replaced by a sulfur atom, resulting in phosphorothioate (PT) modification. However, the mechanism underlying the oxygen-to-sulfur substitution remains enigmatic. In this study, we discovered a hypercompact DNA phosphorothioation system, TdpABC, in extreme thermophiles.

The Impact of Sinus Surgery for Chronic Rhinosinusitis on Concomitant Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Both anxiety and depression are prevalent among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and associated with poorer outcomes following treatment for CRS. However, the impact of treatment on CRS on mental health remains uncertain. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate if surgical intervention for CRS may alleviate comorbid depression and anxiety.

Electrospun 11β-HSD1 Inhibitor-Loaded Scaffolds for Accelerating Diabetic Ulcer Healing.

Diabetic ulcers (DUs) are a common and severe complication of diabetes, characterized by impaired wound healing due to a complex pathophysiological mechanism. Elevated levels of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I (11β-HSD1) in wounds have been demonstrated to modulate glucocorticoid activity, leading to delayed skin cell proliferation and restricted angiogenesis, ultimately hindering wound healing. In this study, we propose an electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofiber scaffold doped with the 11β-HSD1 inhibitor BVT2733 (BPs) to prevent 11β-HSD1 activity during the diabetic wound healing process.

Molecular basis of the phosphorothioation-sensing antiphage defense system IscS-DndBCDE-DndI.

Phosphorothioation serves as a DNA backbone modification mechanism, wherein a sulfur atom substitutes the nonbridging oxygen atom within the phosphodiester, facilitated by the gene products of dndABCDE or sspABCD. The combination of dndABCDE with dndFGH forms a bona fide defense system, where the DndFGH protein complex exhibits DNA nickase and DNA translocase activities to prevent phage invasion. In this study, we identified that dndI, co-transcribed with dndFGH, can independently couple with iscS-dndBCDE as an anti-phage defense system.

Effects of electroacupuncture on microglia phenotype and epigenetic modulation of C/EBPβ in SAMP8 mice.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD), an age-progressive neurodegenerative disease, is featured by a relentless deterioration of cognitive abilities. In parallel with the hypotheses of Aβ and tau, microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is a core pathological hallmark of AD. Promoting the transition of microglia from M1 to M2 phenotype and inhibition of neuroinflammatory response provide new insights into the treatment of AD.

Button-Push On-Demand Synthesis for Rapid Optimization of Antiviral Peptidomimetics.

The optimization of hit compounds into drug candidates is a pivotal phase in drug discovery but often hampered by cumbersome manual synthesis of derivatives. While automated organic molecule synthesis has enhanced efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness, achieving fully automated multistep synthesis remains a formidable challenge due to issues such as solvent and reagent incompatibilities and the accumulation of side-products. We herein demonstrate an automated solid-phase flow platform for synthesizing α-keto-amides and nitrile peptidomimetics, guided by docking simulations, to identify potent broad-spectrum antiviral leads.

A leucine-rich-repeat receptor-like kinase regulates pollen aperture formation in rice.

Apertures in pollen grains exhibit species-specific patterns and provide an ideal model for studying cell surface patterning. Pollen apertures are critical for cereal crop fertility, and while DEFECTIVE IN APERTURE FORMATION1 (OsDAF1) and INAPERTURATE POLLEN1 (OsINP1) have been documented to participate in pollen aperture formation in rice (Oryza sativa), the molecular transduction pathway regulating aperture formation is largely unknown. Here, we report that a leucine-rich-repeat receptor-like kinase (LRR-RLK), APERTURE MISSING1 (AM1), plays a key role in rice pollen aperture formation.

Body fat percentage vs body mass index in estimating basal cell carcinoma.

Background: The role of body mass index (BMI) in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) risk remains controversial, and limited information is available regarding the relationship between other physical measurements and BCC. Several recent studies have found a positive effect of adiposity on improved survival when obesity was determined solely by BMI (the "obesity paradox"). We hypothesize that body fat percentage (BFP) may serve as a more sensitive risk factor for BCC than BMI.

Step-cut osteotomy for cubitus varus deformity with application of patient-specific instrument in children: a preliminary report.

Purpose: The step-cut osteotomy has been recognized as a valuable approach for addressing cubitus varus deformity, albeit one that necessitates technical proficiency. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the modified step-cut osteotomy technique in conjunction with patient-specific instruments by clinical and radiological assessment.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent modified step-cut osteotomy with the use of patient-specific instruments in conjunction with Kirschner wires fixation for the correction of cubitus varus deformity between April 2016 and April 2022.

Effects of aeration control strategies on nitrous oxide emissions in alternating anoxic-oxic sequencing batch reactor systems.

Reducing NO emissions is key to controlling greenhouse gases (GHG) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Although studies have examined the effects of dissolved oxygen (DO) on NO emissions during nitrogen removal, the precise effects of aeration rate remain unclear. This study aimed to fill this research gap by investigating the influence of dynamic aeration rates on NO emissions in an alternating anoxic-oxic sequencing batch reactor system.

Chemsex as lines of flight? Critical Deleuzean perspectives on chemical intimacies.

Background: Public health scholars informed by a dominant biomedical paradigm have in their 'rush to risk' emphasised the problematic aspects of chemsex. Meanwhile, critical chemsex scholars have attemped to destigmatise such sexual-chemical practices and foreground how they can be transformative. Taking these two perspectives as points of departure, we make a case for understanding chemsex vis-à-vis Deleuzean lines of flight.

FOXO-regulated DEAF1 controls muscle regeneration through autophagy.

The commonality between various muscle diseases is the loss of muscle mass, function, and regeneration, which severely restricts mobility and impairs the quality of life. With muscle stem cells (MuSCs) playing a key role in facilitating muscle repair, targeting regulators of muscle regeneration has been shown to be a promising therapeutic approach to repair muscles. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms driving muscle regeneration are complex and poorly understood.

METTL3 promotes the osteogenic differentiation of periosteum-derived MSCs via regulation of the HOXD8/ITGA5 axis in congenital pseudarthrosis.

Background: Congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT) is a dominant health challenge in pediatric orthopedics. The essential process in the development of CPT is the limited capacity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from CPT to undergo osteogenic differentiation. Our research aimed to elucidate the role and mechanism of methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) in the osteogenic differentiation process of CPT MSCs.

Global trends and hotspots in research on acupuncture for neurodegenerative diseases over the last decade: a bibliometric and visualization analysis.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the current status and trends of acupuncture for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) in the last decade and provide new insights for researchers in future studies.

Methods: The publications concerning acupuncture treatment for NDs published between 2014 and 2023 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection. We used CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze data on numbers of annual publications, countries, institutions, cited journals, cited authors, cited references, keywords, and citation bursts about acupuncture for NDs.