Screening, Discovery, and Optimization of the Natural Antitubercular Chlorflavonin from a Marine-Derived Fungal Library.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by the bacterium (), is still a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Fifty-fungi from a marine-derived fungal library were screened for anti- activity, and an strain with strong anti- activity was found. Three known flavones, chlorflavonin (), dechlorflavonin (), and bromoflavone (), were isolated from this fungus.

An Incognito Standardized Patient Approach for Measuring and Reducing Intersectional Healthcare Stigma: A Pilot Cluster Randomized Control Trial.

Background: Consistent evidence shows stigma impedes healthcare access in people living with HIV (PLWH) and men who have sex with men (MSM). We evaluated the impact of a stigma reduction training for providers whose design was informed by direct observation of their clinical behaviors obtained through visits by incognito standardized patient (SP).

Setting: We conducted this study in in sexually transmitted infection clinics in Guangzhou, China.

Aligned membranes regulate wound healing via MMP12 secreted by macrophages.

Aligned electrospinning membranes (Align) have demonstrated the potential to enhance wound healing by establishing a regenerative microenvironment surrounding the wound; However, the precise mechanism underlying its facilitation of healing remains unclear. To elucidate aligned electrospun fiber membrane's role in accelerating wound healing and improving its quality, we conducted a comprehensive analysis. Firstly, in vivo experiments confirmed that Align promotes wound healing.

Oxygen Vacancy-Mediated Microflower-like BiOI for Reactive Oxygen Species Generation through Piezo-Photocoupling Effect.

Photocatalytic reactive oxygen species (ROS) evolution with BiOI still suffers from sluggish charge carrier dynamics and limited light absorption. Herein, abundant oxygen vacancies (OVs) were introduced into the microflower-like BiOI, and its ROS generation toward organic dye degradation under the synergistic effect of visible light and ultrasound irradiation was investigated. Benefiting from the broadened visible-light absorption range, stronger piezoresponse, and higher carrier transport efficiency in OV-enriched BiOI (2-PEG-BiOI), both its photocatalytic and piezocatalytic degradations were improved.

Ferritin From Striped Stem Borer (Chilo suppressalis) Oral Secretion Acts as an Effector Helping to Maintain Iron Homoeostasis and Impair Defenses in Rice.

The striped stem borer (Chilo suppressalis, SSB) is a highly destructive insect pest in rice (Oryza sativa). SSB oral secretions (OSs) can induce plant defense responses in rice. However, the specific effectors in SSB OSs that mediate these interactions with rice remain poorly understood.

Dual Ratiometric Fluorescence Sensors Based on Chiral Carbon Dots for the Sensitive and Specific Detection of Arginine.

Arginine (Arg) is involved in tissue metabolism and regulates the immune function; thereby, achieving the detection of Arg is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Herein, dual ratiometric fluorescence sensors were prepared with the blue emission of levorotatory/dextrorotatory carbon dots (CDs) and the red emission of porphyrin (L/D-CDs-PP) for the sensitive and portable detection of Arg. Interestingly, L-CDs-PP and D-CDs-PP displayed not only the dual emission peaks at 493 and 650 nm but also different response modes to Arg; thus, they could serve as dual ratiometric fluorescence sensors to achieve the accurate and reliable detection of Arg, with the detection limit of 23.

Programmable DNA Nanoswitch-Regulated Plasmonic CRISPR/Cas12a-Gold Nanostars Reporter Platform for Nucleic Acid and Non-Nucleic Acid Biomarker Analysis Assisted by a Spatial Confinement Effect.

CRISPR/Cas 12a system based nucleic acid and non-nucleic acid targets detection faces two challenges including (1) multiple crRNAs are needed for multiple biomarkers detection and (2) insufficient sensitivity resulted from photobleaching of fluorescent dyes and the low kinetic cleavage rate for a traditional single-strand (ssDNA) reporter. To address these limitations, we developed a programmable DNA nanoswitch (NS)-regulated plasmonic CRISPR/Cas12a-gold nanostars (Au NSTs) reporter platform for detection of nucleic acid and non-nucleic acid biomarkers with the assistance of the spatial confinement effect. Through simply programming the target recognition sequence in NS, only one crRNA is required to detect both nucleic acid and non-nucleic acid biomarkers.

Exploring the role of adipokines in exercise-induced inhibition of tumor growth.

The integration of exercise prescriptions into cancer adjuvant therapy presents challenges stemming from the ambiguity surrounding the precise mechanism through which exercise intervention mitigates the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mortality and recurrence. Elucidation of this specific mechanism has substantial social and clinical implications. In this study, tumor-bearing mice engaged in voluntary wheel running exhibited a notable decrease in tumor growth, exceeding 30%.

ISCAZIM: Integrated statistical correlation analysis for zero-inflated microbiome data.

Microbiome-metabolome association analysis is critical to reveal the key pairs of gut microbiota and metabolites for discovery of the microbial biomarkers in chronic diseases. However, the characteristics of microbiome data, such as zero inflation, over dispersion, may impair the confidence of association analysis between microbiome and metabolome data. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing statistical methods and to develop a computational framework tailored to the unique characteristics of microbiome data.

Prognostic Value of the Preoperative Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio for Postoperative Adverse Events in Patients with Acute Type a Aortic Dissection.

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of the preoperative lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) for postoperative adverse events in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD).

Methods: A retrospective study of the clinical data collected in our hospital between March 2015 and January 2024 was performed on 290 patients diagnosed with ATAAD who underwent surgical treatment and met the inclusion criteria for patient selection. The included patients were divided into a low LMR group (<1.

Transferrin Disassociates TCR from CD3 Signaling Apparatus to Promote Metastasis.

Immune recognition and activation by the peptide-laden major histocompatibility complex-T cell receptor (TCR)-CD3 complex is essential for anti-tumor immunity. Tumors may escape immune surveillance by dissembling the complex. Here, we report that transferrin, which is overexpressed in patients with liver metastasis, disassociates TCR from the CD3 signaling apparatus by targeting the constant domain (CD) of T cell receptor α (TCRα), consequently suppresses T cell activation, and inhibits anti-metastatic and anti-tumor immunity.

A responsive cocktail nano-strategy breaking the immune excluded state enhances immunotherapy for triple negative breast cancer.

The exclusion of immune cells from the tumor can limit the effectiveness of immunotherapy in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway plays a crucial role in priming adaptive anti-tumor immunity through the production of type I interferons (IFNs), facilitating the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) and the function of T cells. Although the increased expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) upon STING activation is favorable for amplifying the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and realizing combination therapy, the penetration barrier remains a major obstacle.

formed CuSn alloy from multivariate metal-organic frameworks for tunable CO electroreduction.

A molecular ligand separation method based on multivariate metal-organic frameworks (MOF) is developed to precisely regulate CuSn alloy for tuning the selectivity of HCOOH and CO in CO reduction. With this method, the agglomeration and heterogeneous nucleations of metals are effectively inhibited during the electrochemical transformation of CuSn-MOFs into highly pure CuSn alloy. The low Sn content favors CO production, while the high Sn concentration facilitates HCOOH formation.

Towards sensitive identification of fluorinated graphdiyne configurations by computational X-ray spectroscopy.

Fluorinated graphdiyne (F-GDY) materials exhibit exceptional performance in various applications, such as luminescent devices, electron transport, and energy conversion. Although F-GDY has been successfully synthesized, there is a lack of comprehensive identification of fluorinated configurations, either by theory or experiment. In this work, we investigated seven representative F-GDY configurations with low dopant concentrations and simulated their carbon and fluorine 1s X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and carbon 1s near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) spectra.

Femtosecond-Laser-Ablated Porous Silver Nanowire Heater with Ultralow Driven-Voltage and Ultrafast Sensitivity for Highly Efficient Crude Oil Remedy.

The development of viscous-crude oil and water separation technology is important for overcoming pollution caused by oil spills. Although some separators responding to light, electric, and temperature have been proposed, their poor structural homogeneity and inferior controllability, together with weak capillary forces, hinder the rapid salvage of viscous crude oil. Herein, a Joule-heated hydrophobic porous oil/water separator is reported, which has advantages of low energy consumption (169.

Schisanhenol Inhibits the Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Targeting Programmed Cell Death-ligand 1 via the STAT3 Pathways.

Background: Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is overexpressed in tumor cells, which promotes tumor cell survival and cell proliferation and causes tumor cells to escape T-cell killing. Schisanhenol, a biphenyl cyclooctene lignin-like compound, was extracted and isolated from the plant named Schisandra rubriflora (Franch.).

DACH-Based Chiral Sensing Platforms as Tunable Benzamide-Chiral Solvating Agents for NMR Enantioselective Discrimination.

Chiral discrimination is an indispensable tool that has pivotal importance in the assignment of absolute configuration and determination of enantiomeric excess in chiral compounds. A series of enantiomerically pure -1,2-diaminocyclohexane (-DACH)-derived benzamides were first synthesized by simple chemical steps, and 14 variated derivatives have been assessed as NMR chiral solvating agents (CSAs) for discrimination of the signals of mandelic acid (MA) in H NMR analysis. The highly efficient chiral recognition of CSA on different substrates, including MAs, carboxylic acids, amino acid derivatives, and phosphoric acids (32 examples), was expanded via H, F, and P NMR spectroscopy.

Construction of a prognostic model for gastric cancer based on immune infiltration and microenvironment, and exploration of MEF2C gene function.

Background: Advanced gastric cancer (GC) exhibits a high recurrence rate and a dismal prognosis. Myocyte enhancer factor 2c (MEF2C) was found to contribute to the development of various types of cancer. Therefore, our aim is to develop a prognostic model that predicts the prognosis of GC patients and initially explore the role of MEF2C in immunotherapy for GC.

Inferior vena cava diameter in patients with chronic heart failure and chronic kidney disease: a retrospective study.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) carries the highest population attributable risk for mortality among all comorbidities in chronic heart failure (CHF). No studies about the association between inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter and all-cause mortality in patients with the comorbidity of CKD and CHF has been published.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 1327 patients with CHF and CKD were included.

Nonacademic predictors of China medical licensing examination.

Background: National Medical Licensing Examination (NMLE) is the entrance exam for medical practice in China, and its general medical knowledge test (GMKT) evaluates abilities of medical students to comprehensively apply medical knowledge to clinical practice. This study aimed to identify nonacademic predictors of GMKT performance, which would benefit medical schools in designing appropriate strategies and techniques to facilitate the transition from medical students to qualified medical practitioners.

Methods: In 1202 medical students, we conducted the deletion-substitution-addition (DSA) and structural equation model (SEM) analyses to identify nonacademic predictors of GMKT performance from 98 candidate variables including early life events, physical conditions, psychological and personality assessments, cognitive abilities, and socioeconomic conditions.

Chlamydia cases in women of reproductive age, 2006-2020: an analysis of surveillance data from Southern China.

Background: Chlamydia is common among women of reproductive age and can cause serious health issues. This study aimed to examine the trends and factors linked to newly diagnosed and reported chlamydia cases in women aged 15-49 in Guangdong Province from 2006 to 2020.

Methods: We included all newly diagnosed and reported chlamydia cases from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2020.

Unmasking cerebral infarction: hemianopia and heavy menstrual bleeding in a patient with adenomyosis and vascular abnormalities.

Background: Adenomyosis, typically associated with heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pain, is rarely linked to neurological complications. This case presents a rare instance of ischemic stroke in a young patient with adenomyosis and vascular abnormalities, underscoring the role of anemia, hypercoagulability, and vascular factors as potential contributors to cerebral infarction.

Case Presentation: We describe a 41-year-old female with a history of adenomyosis who presented with right-sided hemianopia and dizziness following severe menstrual bleeding.

Brain-derived tau oligomer polymorphs: distinct aggregations, stability profiles, and biological activities.

Aggregation of microtubule-associated tau protein is a distinct hallmark of several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Tau oligomers are suggested to be the primary neurotoxic species that initiate aggregation and propagate prion-like structures. Furthermore, different diseases are shown to have distinct structural characteristics of aggregated tau, denoted as polymorphs.

FBXO22 promotes HCC angiogenesis and metastasis via RPS5/AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF-A signaling axis.

The gene F-box only protein 22 (FBXO22) has been discovered to promote the development of liver cancer tumors. Nevertheless, there remains considerable ambiguity regarding the involvement of FBXO22 in the processes of angiogenesis and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study has confirmed a significant upregulation of FBXO22 expression in both HCC samples and cellular models.

Correcting mitochondrial loss mitigates NOTCH1-related aortopathy in mice.

Loss-of-function mutations in NOTCH1 were previously linked to thoracic aortopathy, a condition for which non-surgical treatment options are limited. Based on clinical proteome analysis, we hypothesized that mitochondrial fusion and biogenesis in aortic smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are crucial for regulating the progression of NOTCH1-related aortopathy. Here we demonstrate that SMC-specific Notch1 knockout mice develop aortic pathology, including stiffening, dilation and focal dissection.