Sakuranetin Prevents Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury via Nrf2-Induced Inhibition of Hepatocyte Ferroptosis.

Introduction: Oxidative stress is an important cause of acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury (AILI). Sakuranetin (Sak) is an antitoxin from the cherry flavonoid plant with good antioxidant effects. However, whether sakuranetine has a protective effect on APAP-induced liver injury is not clear.

Structure-based discovery of novel diarylpyrimidines as potent and selective Non-Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors: From CH(CN)-Biphenyl-Diarylpyrimidines to CNNH-Biphenyl-Diarylpyrimidines.

In order to enhance the anti-HIV-1 potency and selectivity of the previously reported compound 3 (EC = 27 nM, SI = 1361), a series of novel biphenyl-diarylpyrimidine derivatives were developed by employing structure-based drug design strategy. Among these derivatives, compound M44 demonstrated the most potent inhibitory activity against wild-type (WT) HIV-1 as well as five drug-resistant mutants (EC = 5-148 nM), which were 5-173 times more potent than that of 3 (EC = 27-9810 nM). Furthermore, this analogue exhibited approximately 11-fold lower cytotoxicity (CC = 54 μM) than that of etravirine and rilpivirine.

Genome-wide identification and functional roles relating to anthocyanin biosynthesis analysis in maize.

Background: Anthocyanin is an important class of water-soluble pigments that are widely distributed in various tissues of plants, and it not only facilitates diverse color changes but also plays important roles in various biological processes. Maize silk, serving as an important reproductive organ and displaying a diverse range of colors, plays an indispensable role in biotic resistance through its possession of anthocyanin. However, the copy numbers, characteristics, and expression patterns of genes involved in maize anthocyanin biosynthesis are not fully understood.

Experimental study on the splitting tensile failure of a carbon nanotube-modified fly ash foamed concrete filler.

To study the enhancement effect of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the splitting tensile properties of foamed concrete backfill in which cement and fly ash were used as the cementitious materials and natural sand was used as the aggregate, specimens of CNT-modified foamed concrete backfill were prepared. Brazilian splitting tests were used to investigate the splitting tensile strength of the CNT-modified foamed concrete backfill, and the digital speckle correlation method was used to analyze the stress field characteristics and crack expansion law of the specimens during splitting tensile testing. The stress-strain characteristics and energy dissipation laws of the backfill were studied at various static loading rates, and a relationship between the splitting tensile strength, ultimate strain, and loading rate was established.

Integrated ecological-health risk assessment of ofloxacin.

Antibiotics are emerging contaminants of significant concern, while previous research has mostly focused on their ecological or health impacts in isolation. This limited systematic research on its overall risk and the uncertainty relating to the risk evaluation is also unclear. This study addressed this gap by examining both ecological or health impacts by integrating interspecies correlation models, species sensitivity distribution curves, and health risk evaluation.

Radiotherapy combined with chemoimmunotherapy improves survival compared to chemoimmunotherapy alone as first-line treatment for oligometastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of radiotherapy combined with chemoimmunotherapy (RCIT) versus chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) alone as first-line treatment for oligometastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OESCC) at initial diagnosis.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 140 patients newly diagnosed with OESCC who received RCIT or CIT as first-line treatment between June 2018 and December 2021. Among them, 76 patients were in the RCIT cohort and 64 patients in the CIT cohort.

[Establishment of a quality grading standard of Isatidis Radix decoction pieces based on appearance traits and internal quality indexes].

This study aims to establish a quality grading standard that combines the conventional quality evaluation based on morphological characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine with the modern quality evaluation. Based on the existing standards and market circulation of Isatidis Radix, the diameter and color of Isatidis Radix decoction pieces were selected as the appearance traits for preliminary grading. The effects of internal quality indexes such as moisture, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, ethanol-soluble extractives, and 9 water-soluble components on different grades of decoction pieces were comprehensively compared, and the key grading indexes were determined by t-test.

Quercetin can improve anesthesia induced neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction by regulating miR-138-5p/ LCN2.

Background: Anesthesia can lead to functional cognitive impairment, which can seriously affect postoperative recovery. To investigate the effect and mechanism of quercetin (Que) in anesthetized rats, the study provided a new therapeutic idea for the prevention of cognitive dysfunction caused by anesthesia.

Methods: Cognitively impaired rats were constructed using Isoflurane (ISO) anesthesia and treated with Que.

3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) may negate the expected stimulation of elevated atmospheric CO and warming on fertilizer-N loss.

People have accepted the clear fact that elevated CO (eCO) and climate warming are happening, but sustainable agricultural systems are still struggling to adapt. 3,4-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol phosphate (DMPP) is currently recognized as a highly effective strategy for reducing nitrogen (N) loss and related environmental impacts. There is still uncertainty, however, whether DMPP could contribute to building climate-resilient ecosystems in a future climate scenario with co-elevated CO and temperature.

Large enhancement of ferroelectric properties of perovskite oxides via nitrogen incorporation.

Perovskite oxides have a wide variety of physical properties that make them promising candidates for versatile technological applications including nonvolatile memory and logic devices. Chemical tuning of those properties has been achieved, to the greatest extent, by cation-site substitution, while anion substitution is much less explored due to the difficulty in synthesizing high-quality, mixed-anion compounds. Here, nitrogen-incorporated BaTiO thin films have been synthesized by reactive pulsed-laser deposition in a nitrogen growth atmosphere.

Exploring the interdependencies of ecosystem services and social-ecological factors on the Loess Plateau through network analysis.

Ecosystem services arise from and are shaped by interactions within social-ecological systems. While network approaches hold promise for conceptualizing and managing ecosystem services, their practical application remains underexplored. This study introduces a novel application of the partial correlation network approach to ecosystem service research, using China's Loess Plateau as a case study to analyze ecosystem services and social-ecological factors within a network framework.

Determination of production capacity for open-pit coal mines under uncertainty: A model based on economies of scale.

The determination of optimal production capacity for open-pit mines is influenced by various economic and technical factors and is highly susceptible to uncertainties. To effectively address the impact of uncertainty on capacity planning, this study develops a production capacity planning model for open-pit coal mines, based on the theory of economies of scale and incorporating multiple uncertainty constraints. A novel method is proposed to quantify and propagate the uncertainties of key capacity control factors, alongside a comprehensive uncertainty analysis framework for total revenue.

Facile Preparation of Sulfonated Polysulfone Composite Membranes with High Hydrophilicity and Visible-Light Driving Self-Cleaning Performance.

The photo-Fenton reaction can efficiently degrade organic pollutants and thus is applied intensively for clearing out membrane fouling. However, the pollutant removal efficiency is greatly limited by the redox cycle rate of Fe/Fe and the rapid recombination rate of the photogenerated electrons and holes. In order to overcome these drawbacks, a sulfonated polysulfone composite membrane was designed and prepared by incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles into a sulfonated polysulfone membrane and sequentially forming β-FeOOHs on the membrane surface.

The effect of downregulation of ARL9 expression on the proliferation, metastasis and biological behavior of AGS gastric cancer cell lines.

Background: Some ADP ribosylation factors (ARF) and ADP ribosylation factor-like (ARL) family are involved in the regulation of certain cancers, but the role of ADP ribosylation factor-like 9 (ARL9) in gastric tumorigenesis remains elusive.

Objectives: The main aim of this study was to evaluate the ARL9 expression within stomach cancer cells and elucidate its influence on the modulation of cancer cell behavior.

Material And Methods: Differential ARL9 protein expression in normal stomach and stomach cancer tissue was ascertained through data sourced from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Data Analysis Portal (UALCAN).

Dynamic Chromatin Accessibility and Gene Expression Regulation During Maize Leaf Development.

Background/objectives: Chromatin accessibility is closely associated with transcriptional regulation during maize () leaf development. However, its precise role in controlling gene expression at different developmental stages remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of chromatin accessibility and its influence on genome-wide gene expression during the BBCH_11, BBCH_13, and BBCH_17 stages of maize leaf development.

Adapting SAM2 Model from Natural Images for Tooth Segmentation in Dental Panoramic X-Ray Images.

Dental panoramic X-ray imaging, due to its high cost-effectiveness and low radiation dose, has become a widely used diagnostic tool in dentistry. Accurate tooth segmentation is crucial for lesion analysis and treatment planning, helping dentists to quickly and precisely assess the condition of teeth. However, dental X-ray images often suffer from noise, low contrast, and overlapping anatomical structures, coupled with limited available datasets, leading traditional deep learning models to experience overfitting, which affects generalization ability.

Development of a prognostic nomogram model for predicting outcomes in benign esophagogastric anastomotic stenosis treated with fluoroscopic balloon dilation.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical utility and effectiveness of a nomogram model in predicting outcomes for patients with benign esophagogastric anastomotic stenosis (BES) undergoing fluoroscopic balloon dilation (FBD).

Methods: The clinical data of 428 patients with BES who received FBD treatment at our hospital between January 2013 and June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into training and validation cohorts in a 7:3 ratio.

MtrAB two-component system is crucial for the intrinsic resistance and virulence of Mycobacterium abscessus.

Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) poses serious therapeutic challenges, largely due to its intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics. The development of targeted therapeutic strategies necessitates the identification of bacterial factors that contribute to its reduced susceptibility to antibiotics and/or to the killing by its host cells. In this study, we discovered that Mab strains with disrupted mtrA, mtrB or both, or a gene-edited mtrA encoding MtrA with Tyr102Cys mutation, exhibited highly increased sensitivity to various drugs compared to the wild-type Mab.

The relationship between problematic internet use and psychological distress in older Chinese teachers (40+) during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic: three cross-sectional studies.

Background: Despite a consensus on the negative implications of problematic internet use (PIU) for mental health, there is a notable gap in research concerning older demographics, particularly older teachers. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of PIU and its impact on the mental wellbeing of this population.

Methods: Three sub-studies were conducted: Study 1 (2020) investigated how fear induced by COVID-19 influenced PIU and psychological distress among 3,929 older teachers.

Predictors of Academic Performance Trajectories Across Early and Middle Adolescence: Links with Internalizing and Externalizing Problems.

Although there is ample evidence linking academic and behavioral domains, few studies have examined the long-term, varied impacts of academic performance trajectories on problem behavior outcomes, particularly in early and middle adolescence. This study examined the different three-year academic performance trajectories, their links with behavioral outcomes, and the demographic and educational predictors that distinguish these patterns. The sample consisted of 10,279 Chinese adolescents (46.

TOPS-speed complex-valued convolutional accelerator for feature extraction and inference.

Complex-valued neural networks process both amplitude and phase information, in contrast to conventional artificial neural networks, achieving additive capabilities in recognizing phase-sensitive data inherent in wave-related phenomena. The ever-increasing data capacity and network scale place substantial demands on underlying computing hardware. In parallel with the successes and extensive efforts made in electronics, optical neuromorphic hardware is promising to achieve ultra-high computing performances due to its inherent analog architecture and wide bandwidth.

Do conscientious employees have a high level of work engagement? The roles of presenteeism and perceived organizational support.

In recent years, work engagement garnered significant attention from both the business community and academia. Drawing on conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study investigates the mechanisms and boundary conditions through which conscientiousness influences work engagement. Through an empirical survey of 376 employees, the study found that, first, conscientiousness positively predicts employees' work engagement; second, presenteeism partially mediates the relationship between conscientiousness and work engagement; third, perceived organizational support (POS) negatively moderates the relationship between conscientiousness and presenteeism while positively moderating the relationship between presenteeism and work engagement; fourth, POS moderates the indirect effect of conscientiousness on work engagement via presenteeism, whereas the mediated relationship is weakened when employees exhibit a higher POS.

Identification of the MAP4K gene family reveals GhMAP4K13 regulates drought and salt stress tolerance in cotton.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinases (MAP4Ks) are a class of highly conserved serine/threonine-protein kinases in eukaryotes. They participate in the typical MAPK cascade system and various signal transduction pathways regulating biological processes in plants, during stressful conditions. To date, genome-wide identification of MAP4Ks in cotton has not been reported.

Inverting Methanol Dehydrogenation Selectivity by Crowding Atomic Ni Species over α-MoC Catalysts.

Metal carbides with earth-abundant elements are widely regarded as promising alternatives to noble metal catalysts. Although comparable catalytic performances have been observed for metal carbides in several types of reactions, precise control of reaction pathways on them remains a formidable challenge, partially due to strong adsorption of reactants or intermediates. In this study, we show that bimolecular dehydrogenation of methanol to methyl formate and H is kinetically favored on bare α-MoC catalysts, while monomolecular dehydrogenation to CO and H becomes the dominant pathway when α-MoC is decorated with crowding atomic Ni species.

Catalytic oxidation upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate to commodity carboxylic acids.

Catalytic upcycling of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into high-value oxygenated products is a fascinating process, yet it remains challenging. Here, we present a one-step tandem strategy to realize the thermal catalytic oxidation upcycling of PET to terephthalic acid (TPA) and high-value glycolic acid (GA) instead of ethylene glycol (EG). By using the Au/NiO with rich oxygen vacancies as catalyst, we successfully accelerate the hydrolysis of PET, accompanied by obtaining 99% TPA yield and 87.