Systematic evaluations of receptor models in source apportionment of particulate solids in road deposited sediments: A practical application for tracking heavy metal sources on urban road surfaces.

Receptor models have been widely used to identify pollution sources in the urban environment. However, evaluating the accuracy of source apportionment results for road deposited sediments (RDS) using these models has not been the focus of previous studies. This study compared canonical receptor models, i.

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.

Characterizing nitrogen deposited on urban road surfaces: Implication for stormwater runoff pollution control.

Nitrogen (N) is one of the most important pollutants on urban road surfaces. Understanding the N deposition forms, load characteristics, and influential factors can help to provide management and control strategies for road stormwater runoff pollution. This study focuses on a highly urbanized area in Guangzhou, China, and presents the characteristics of both dissolved and particulate N deposition forms as well as their correlations with land-use types and traffic factors.

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.

Comparative study of different extendable intramedullary rods combined with surgery in the treatment of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia.

Background: When using traditional extensible intramedullary rods to treat congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia (CPT), there were cases of re-fracture and internal fixation fracture. Therefore, the authors propose a research hypothesis that a thicker distal extensible intramedullary rod can better protect the tibia and reduce the incidence of refracture PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of new and traditional extensible intramedullary rods in the treatment of CPT in children METHODS: From January 2017 to December 2021, the clinical data of 49 children with CPT who were treated with traditional extensible intramedullary rod combined surgery (group A) and new extensible intramedullary rod combined surgery (group B) in our hospital were collected. Inclusive criteria: ① Crawford type IV CPT children; ② The operation was performed by the same team.

ggbulksurv: An R package for easy Drosophila and C. elegans survival analysis.

Lifespan studies on fast-aging model organisms like and are conducted with multiple organisms per vial. Lifespan data results in a "one row, multiple individuals" format, which is incompatible with R packages that require a "one row, one individual" format. We present , an R package for user-friendly survival analysis and highlight three key features.

Biogeography and impact of nitrous oxide reducers in rivers across a broad environmental gradient on emission rates.

Microbial communities that reduce nitrous oxide (NO) are divided into two clades, nosZI and nosZII. These clades significantly differ in their ecological niches and their implications for NO emissions in terrestrial environments. However, our understanding of NO reducers in aquatic systems is currently limited.

Cardiolipin oxidized by ROS from complex II acts as a target of gasdermin D to drive mitochondrial pore and heart dysfunction in endotoxemia.

Cardiac dysfunction, an early complication of endotoxemia, is the major cause of death in intensive care units. No specific therapy is available at present for this cardiac dysfunction. Here, we show that the N-terminal gasdermin D (GSDMD-N) initiates mitochondrial apoptotic pore and cardiac dysfunction by directly interacting with cardiolipin oxidized by complex II-generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) during endotoxemia.

Effects of carbon to nitrogen ratio on nitrogen removal in a single-stage microaerobic system: A model-based evaluation.

Single-stage microaerobic systems have been proven to be effective for concurrent removal of ammonium and organic carbon from sewage. While mechanistic models derived from activated sludge models (ASMs) have simulated nutrients removal under microaerobic conditions, classic ASMs exhibit limitations in capturing the intricate effects of carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratio on nitrogen removal performance. To address this issue, a mechanistic model modified from the classic ASMs was proposed to capture the combined inhibitory effects of carbon and ammonium on microaerobic systems.

Effect of hydrothermal-acid pretreatment on methane yield and microbial community in anaerobic digestion of rice straw.

Hydrothermal pretreatment has been proposed to enhance straw methane yield during anaerobic digestion recently. However, the combined effect of hydrothermal and organic acid pretreatment (HTOAP) needs further investigation. This study identified optimal pretreatment at 120 °C with 3 % acetic acid for 24 h by orthogonal design method.

Application and effect of tension-reducing suture in surgical treatment of hypertrophic scar.

Purpose: To investigate the application and effectiveness of tension-reducing suture in the repair of hypertrophic scars.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical data was conducted on 82 patients with hypertrophic scars treated at the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from September 2021 to December 2022. Patients were operated with combination of heart-shaped tension-reducing suturing technique and looped, broad, and deep buried (LBD) suturing technique or conventional suture method.

Oncolytic virotherapy stimulates anti‑tumor immune response and demonstrates activity in advanced sarcoma: Report of two cases.

Sarcoma is derived from mesenchymal neoplasms and has numerous subtypes, accounting for 1% of all adult malignancies and 15% of childhood malignancies. The prognosis of metastatic or recurrent sarcoma remains poor. The current study presents two cases of sarcoma enrolled in a phase I dose escalation trial for solid tumor, who had previously failed all standard therapies.

Resveratrol activates autophagy and protects from UVA-induced photoaging in human skin fibroblasts and the skin of male mice by regulating the AMPK pathway.

Skin photoaging is mostly caused by ultraviolet A (UVA), although active medications to effectively counteract UVA-induced photoaging have not yet been created. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol found in the skin of grapes, has been shown to have various biological functions such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics. However, the role of resveratrol in UVA-induced photoaging has not been clarified.