Detection of positive selection on depression-associated genes.

Although depression significantly impacts fitness, some hypotheses suggest that it may offer a survival benefit. However, there has been limited systematic investigation into the selection pressures acting on genes associated with depression at the genomic level. Here, we conducted comparative genomic analyses and computational molecular evolutionary analyses on 320 depression-associated genes at two levels, i.

Network pharmacology analysis and animal experiment validation of inflammation inhibition by Swertiamarin in treating Ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with increasing global incidence and limited therapeutic options, underscores the urgent need for novel multi-target agents. Swertiamarin (STM), a secoiridoid glycoside derived from traditional medicine, exhibits anti-inflammatory properties, but its pharmacological mechanisms in UC remain unclear. In this study, we integrated network pharmacology and experimental validation to systematically decipher STM's therapeutic effects.

Predicting the Key Properties of a Modified Product to Pre-Select a Pluronic F127 Modification Scheme for Preparing High-Quality Nano-Micelles.

Hydrophobic modification alters the properties of Pluronic F127 to form micelles more efficiently and enhances its drug-loading capacity. However, selecting the appropriate hydrophobic group for modification is laborious. In this paper, we propose an efficient approach for predicting key parameters to select hydrophobic groups for F127 modification prior to synthesis, in order to improve the formability and stability of the micelles.

Defect Passivating Hole Transporting Material for Large-Area and Stable Perovskite Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

Organic hole-transporting materials (HTMs) with high hole mobility and a defect passivating ability are critical for improving the performance and stability of perovskite optoelectronics, including perovskite quantum dot light-emitting diodes (Pe-QLEDs) and perovskite solar cells. In this study, we designed two small-molecule HTMs, termed and , incorporating the methylthio group (SMe) as defect-passivating sites to enhance the interaction between HTMs and the perovskite layer for Pe-QLED applications. Our study highlights that , featuring SMe groups at the para-position of the carbazole unit, demonstrates a strong interaction and superior passivation effects with perovskite quantum dots.

Motile cilia: Key developmental and functional roles in reproductive systems.

Background: Cilia are specialized microtubule-based organelles that extend from the cell surface and are classified into non-motile and motile types. The assembly and function of cilia are regulated by a complex molecular network that enables motile cilia to generate fluid flow across epithelial surfaces through coordinated beating. These motile cilia are found in the respiratory, nervous, and reproductive systems.

Mass shootings durably increase the sale of alcohol in American communities.

Mass shootings are devastating events. Communities can cope with the ensuing trauma in a number of ways, including changing their behavioral patterns. Using point-of-sale data from 35,000 individual retailers, including more than half of all American grocery and drugstore purchases, and all American mass shootings from 2006 to 2019, we find, in a set of two-way fixed-effects counterfactual analyses, that a mass shooting in a given community (the area covered by the ZIP-3 code) predicts a significant increase in the sales of alcohol that lasts at least 2 years past the shooting.

Amelioration of Inflammation in Rats with Experimentally Induced Asthma by Trimen Polyphenols via the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory respiratory disease that affects millions globally and poses a serious public health challenge. Current therapeutic strategies, including corticosteroids, are constrained by variable patient responses and adverse effects. In this study, a polyphenolic extract derived from the Tibetan medicinal plant Trimen (SRT) was employed and shown to improve experimentally (ovalbumin + cigarette smoke, OVA + CS) induced asthma in rats.

Inhibition, Gastritis Attenuation, and Gut Microbiota Protection in C57BL/6 Mice by NCUH062003.

(), one of the most prevalent pathogenic bacteria worldwide, is the leading cause of gastritis, gastric intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer. Antibiotics, the conventional treatment for eliminating , often lead to severe bacterial resistance, gut dysbiosis, and hepatic insufficiency and fail to address the inflammatory response or gastric mucosal damage caused by infection. In this study, based on 10-week animal experiments, two models of NCUH062003 for the prophylaxis and therapy of infection in C57BL/6 mice were established; a comprehensive comparative analysis was performed to investigate the anti- effect of probiotics, the reduction in inflammation, and repair of gastric mucosal damage.

Dysregulation of miR-21-5p in children with obesity and its predictive value for metabolic syndrome.

Background: microRNAs (miRNAs) could mediate the glucose and lipid metabolism progress in metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Objectives: To analyze the value of miRNA (miR)-21-5p for MetS diagnosis in children with obesity. Function of miR-21-5p has been explored by the prediction of target genes and functional and pathway enrichment analysis.

METTL16 is Required for Meiotic Sex Chromosome Inactivation and DSB Formation and Recombination during Male Meiosis.

Meiosis in males is a critical process that ensures complete spermatogenesis and genetic diversity. However, the key regulators involved in this process and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report an essential role of the mA methyltransferase METTL16 in meiotic sex chromosome inactivation (MSCI), double-strand break (DSB) formation, homologous recombination and SYCP1 deposition during male meiosis.

Risk factors and prognosis of depression in Takayasu arteritis patients.

Background: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is associated with an increased risk of developing complicated comorbidities, which can bring both psychological and physical burdens to the patients.

Objective: TA is found to carry a high risk of developing depression. This research aimed to investigate the risk factors and prognosis of depression in TA patients.

ANK Deficiency-Mediated Cytosolic Citrate Accumulation Promotes Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: Disturbed metabolism and transport of citrate play significant roles in various pathologies. However, vascular citrate regulation and its potential role in aortic aneurysm (AA) development remain poorly understood.

Methods: Untargeted metabolomics by mass spectrometry was applied to identify upregulated metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in AA tissues of mice.

KDM4A promotes malignant progression of breast cancer by down-regulating BMP9 inducing consequent enhancement of glutamine metabolism.

Background: Recent studies have found that histone-modified genes play an increasingly important role in tumor progression. Lysine(K) specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A) is a histone lysine-specific demethylase highly expressed in a variety of malignant tumors, data showed that KDM4A was negatively correlated with the Bone Morphogenetic Protein 9 (BMP9) in breast cancer. And previous experiments have demonstrated that exogenous BMP9 significantly inhibits breast cancer development.

ICAT-Mediated Crosstalk Between Cervical Cancer Cells and Macrophages Promotes M2-Like Macrophage Polarization to Reinforce Tumor Malignant Behaviors.

Inhibitor of β-catenin and T-cell factor (ICAT) is a classical inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway. Nonetheless, our previous work found that ICAT is overexpressed in cervical cancer (CC), resulting in the augmentation of migration and invasion capabilities of CC cells. It remains unclear what molecular mechanism underlies this phenomenon.

The value and accuracy of intracoronary electrocardiogram in the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia in coronary heart disease.

Background: Although intracoronary electrocardiography (IC-ECG) offers direct electrophysiological insights into myocardial ischemia caused by insufficient coronary blood supply, compared to common diagnostic methods like electrocardiography (ECG), it lacks widespread adoption and robust clinical research.

Objective: To analyze the value and accuracy of intracoronary electrocardiogram in myocardial ischemia diagnosis in coronary heart disease patients.

Methods: Three hundred patients treated at our hospital were included in the study.

Bidirectional Inhibiting Interfacial Ion Migration in the Inorganic Hole Transport Layer for Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes.

CuZnSnS (CZTS) is strong candidate for hole transport in perovskite light emitting diodes (PeLEDs) due to their cost-effectiveness, deep highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), and high hole mobility. However, its inherent polymetallic ions usually deteriorate the quality of the perovskite emission layer (EML) affecting device performance. In this study, a bidirectional anchoring strategy is proposed by adding 15-crown-5 ether (15C5) into CZTS hole transport layer (HTL) to suppress the reaction between HTL and EML.

Stepwise Stiffening/Softening of and Cell Recovery from Reversibly Formulated Hydrogel Interpenetrating Networks.

Biomechanical contributions of the extracellular matrix underpin cell growth and proliferation, differentiation, signal transduction, and other fate decisions. As such, biomaterials whose mechanics can be spatiotemporally altered- particularly in a reversible manner- are extremely valuable for studying these mechanobiological phenomena. Herein, a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogel model consisting of two interpenetrating step-growth networks is introduced that are independently formed via largely orthogonal bioorthogonal chemistries and sequentially degraded with distinct recombinant sortases, affording reversibly tunable stiffness ranges that span healthy and diseased soft tissues (e.

Histone demethylase KDM2A recruits HCFC1 and E2F1 to orchestrate male germ cell meiotic entry and progression.

In mammals, the transition from mitosis to meiosis facilitates the successful production of gametes. However, the regulatory mechanisms that control meiotic initiation remain unclear, particularly in the context of complex histone modifications. Herein, we show that KDM2A, acting as a lysine demethylase targeting H3K36me3 in male germ cells, plays an essential role in modulating meiotic entry and progression.

Circulating metabolomics revealed novel associations between multiple ambient air pollutants exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease incidence: Evidence from a prospective cohort study.

The mechanisms underlying relationships between ambient air pollution and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk remained largely uncertain. In this study, we aim to evaluate whether metabolic signature comprising multiple circulating metabolites can characterize metabolic response to the multiple air pollution; and to assess whether the identified metabolic signature contribute to COPD risk. A total of 227,962 participants with complete data were included from the UK biobank study.