Cinacalcet Improves Erythropoietin Resistance in Patients with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism Receiving Dialysis Treatment.

Introduction: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is recognized as a major global public health problem. Dialysis is the mainstay of treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease and can prolong survival in patients with CKD. As patient survival increases, the treatment of complications becomes more important.

RNA-Seq and ATAC-Seq Reveal CYP26A1-Mediated Regulation of Retinoic Acid-Induced Meiosis in Chicken Primordial Germ Cells.

Retinoic acid (RA) plays a critical role in initiating meiosis in primordial germ cells (PGC), yet the specific mechanisms of its interaction with PGC remain unclear. In this study, we used an in vitro feeder-free culture system with chicken PGC as a model to explore the mechanisms by which RA induces the entry of PGC into meiosis. Results demonstrated that exogenous RA treatment altered the cell cycle distribution of PGC, significantly increasing the proportion of cells in the G1 phase and decreasing those in the G2 phase, suggesting that RA may promote the transition of PGC from proliferation to differentiation.

Significance of Serum Magnesium in Parathyroid Hormone Level in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Introduction: In chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) is linked to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Levels of PTH are influenced by serum phosphate (P) and calcium (Ca), but little is known about the impact of magnesium (Mg) on PTH. Hence, this study investigated the relationship between PTH and Mg in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients and non-dialysis patients from three hospitals in China.

Plasma-based transcriptomic non-coding signature for predicting relapse in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignant tumor of the hematological system in children, and its relapse after treatment has consistently been a significant factor hindering prognosis. This study aimed to develop a blood-based non-invasive method for predicting relapse in children with ALL. Two cohorts of pediatric ALL patients were analyzed.

S100 calcium-binding protein A8 exacerbates deep vein thrombosis in vascular endothelial cells.

Previous studies highlighting the pivotal function of the S100A8 protein have shown that inflammation and vascular endothelial harm play a major role in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) development, as evidenced by earlier studies highlighting the pivotal function of the S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8). Therefore, we aimed to establish a connection between S100A8 and DVT and investigate the role of S100A8 in DVT development. Blood specimens were taken from 23 patients with DVT and 31 controls.

Giant Photogalvanic Effect-Induced Terahertz Wave Emission in Wafer-Scale Type-II Dirac Semimetal PtTe.

Terahertz (THz) emission arising from the second-order nonlinear photocurrent effects in two-dimensional quantum materials has attracted significant attention due to its high efficiency and ease of polarization manipulation. However, in centrosymmetric quantum materials, the terahertz emission is typically suppressed, caused by the directional symmetry of the photocurrent generated under femtosecond laser excitation. In this work, we report that wafer-scale type-II Dirac semimetal PtTe with lattice centrosymmetry exhibits remarkably high THz emission efficiency (2 orders of magnitude greater than that of a ZnTe nonlinear crystal with equivalent thickness) and pronounced polarization sensitivity at room temperature.

Neurotransmitter-bound bestrophin channel structures reveal small molecule drug targeting sites for disease treatment.

Best1 and Best2 are two members of the bestrophin family of anion channels critically involved in the prevention of retinal degeneration and maintenance of intraocular pressure, respectively. Here, we solved glutamate- and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-bound Best2 structures, which delineate an intracellular glutamate binding site and an extracellular GABA binding site on Best2, respectively, identified extracellular GABA as a permeable activator of Best2, and elucidated the co-regulation of Best2 by glutamate, GABA and glutamine synthetase in vivo. We further identified multiple small molecules as activators of the bestrophin channels.

Chronic impacts of natural infrastructure on the physical and psychological health of university students during and after COVID-19: a case study of Chengdu, China.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the health benefits of green spaces, yet research on how specific elements of natural infrastructure affect well-being during the pandemic has been limited.

Methods: This study, conducted at Sichuan Agricultural University with 300 students in 2022, investigated how urban natural infrastructure impacts physical and psychological well-being during the pandemic. Different aspects of natural infrastructure, such as thermal comfort, air quality (negative ion concentration), and noise and light levels, varied in their positive effects on students' health.

A drug-drug co-amorphous system for highly improved solubility of breviscapine: an experimental and computational study.

Drug-drug co-amorphous systems are a promising approach to improve the aqueous solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs. This study explores the combination of breviscapine (BRE) and matrine (MAT) form an amorphous salt, aiming to synergistically enhance the solubility and dissolution of BRE. In silico analysis of electrostatic potential and local ionization energy were conducted on BRE-MAT complex to predict the intermolecular interactions, and solvent-free energies were calculated using thermodynamic integration and density functional theory.

Photoimmunologic Therapy of Stubborn Biofilm via Inhibiting Bacteria Revival and Preventing Reinfection.

Stubborn biofilm infections pose serious threats to public health. Clinical practices highly rely on mechanical debridement and antibiotics, which often fail and lead to persistent and recurrent infections. The main culprits are 1) persistent bacteria reviving, colonizing, and rejuvenating biofilms, and 2) secondary pathogen exposure, particularly in individuals with chronic diseases.

Isolation and investigation on lactic acid bacteria for potential probiotic properties from cat feces.

Background: Probiotics, which are beneficial to the host, have been shown to benefit the health of cats. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are commonly used probiotics, but most strains used for cats are not derived from cats, leading to reduced efficacy and poor adaptation to cats. The objective was to identify LAB with promising probiotic potential specific to cats.

Phase-transformed lactoferrin/strontium-doped nanocoatings enhance antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and vascularised osteogenesis of titanium.

Failure of orthopedic implants due to localized bacterial infections, inflammation and insufficient blood supply is always problematic. In this study, strontium-doped titanium dioxide nanotubes (STN) were firstly prepared on titanium surface, and then lactoferrin (LF) was loaded into strontium-doped nanotubes (STN) by the phase transition method, eventually the LF/TCEP-STN composite coating was successfully prepared. With the innate antimicrobial properties of LF, LF/TCEP-STN was effected against E.

CD312 Promotes Paediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Through GNA15-Mediated Non-Classical GPCR Signalling Pathway.

The bone marrow-infiltrated immune microenvironment plays a crucial role in blood system diseases, such as leukaemia. In this study, we aimed to investigate the critical role of the immune microenvironment in the onset and progression of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Through high-throughput detection and screening of the GPCR database in the childhood ALL immune microenvironment, we identified CD312 as a candidate target.

CRISPR-Cas9 screening identifies the role of FER as a tumor suppressor.

It is important to systematically identify tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) to improve our understanding of tumorigenesis and develop strategies for early diagnosis and mitigating disease progression. In the present study, we used an in vivo genome-wide clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) screen and identified FPS/FES-related (FER) as a TSG. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revealed that normal cells with low FER expression exhibited elevated malignant transformation potential and stemness properties.

Understanding the characteristic changes of retrogradation behavior and edible quality of brown rice modified with inhibiting retrogradation enzymes of .

Brown rice (BR) has gradually become a new choice for consumers due to its exceptionally nutritional value. Whereas starch retrogradation profoundly reduces its edibility, shelf-life and consumer acceptance, limiting the development of BR and even other starch-based food products. So, it is crucial for controlling the retrogradation properties of brown rice starch (BRS), and which has received significant attention in the food industry.

High-Throughput Computing of Janus Chalcogenides as Photocatalysts and Piezoelectric Materials for Overall Water Splitting.

The presence of the intrinsic fields in two-dimensional (2D) materials holds promise for photocatalysts, as it diminishes the band gap requirements of 1.23 eV and accelerates the separation of the photogenerated carriers. Inspired by the extensive application in MAX families, we predict Janus ZMXAY derived from MAX materials to introduce intrinsic fields suitable for photocatalysts from 512 candidates.

Sabatier Optimal of Mn-N Single Atom Catalysts for Selective Oxidative Desulfurization.

Understanding the relationship of competitive adsorption between reactants is the prerequisite for high activity and selectivity in heterogeneous catalysis, especially the difference between the adsorption energies (E) of two reactive intermediates in Langmuir-Hinshelwood (L-H) models. Using oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrogen sulfide (HS-ODH) as a probe, we develop various metal single atoms on nitrogen-doped carbon (M-NDC) catalysts for controlling E-HS, E-O and investigating the difference in activity and selectivity. Combining theoretical and experimental results, a Sabatier relationship between the catalytic performance and E-O/E-HS emerges.

Association of Preoperative Nutritional Status with Sarcopenia in Patients with Gastrointestinal Malignancies Assessed by Global Leadership Initiative in Malnutrition Criteria: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: The Global Leadership Initiative in Malnutrition (GLIM) consensus highlights the importance of using the GLIM criteria as a standardized approach to diagnosing malnutrition, particularly in patients with cachexia. Although many existing studies have utilized the GLIM criteria to assess the association between malnutrition and malignant tumor patients, there remains relatively little research exploring the specific relationship between malnutrition and sarcopenia. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between malnutrition under the GLIM criteria and preoperative sarcopenia in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies.

Programmable NIR Responsive Nanocomposite Enables Noninvasive Intratympanic Delivery of Dexamethasone to Reverse Cisplatin Induced Hearing Loss.

Local intratympanic drug delivery to the inner ear possesses significant otological clinical promise as cisplatin-induced hearing loss (CIHL) therapy, inducing significantly less side effects than systemic drug delivery. However, the multiple detoured barriers, round window membrane (RWM) and poorly controlled drug release hinder successful non-invasive drug delivery through intratympanic administration (IT). Here, a novel near-infrared (NIR) responsive nanocomposite functionalized with saponin, denoted gold nanorod@dexamethasone-mesoporous silica-saponin (AuNR@DEX-MS-saponin, NPs/DEX), is developed to enhance RWM permeation and to control the drug release spatiotemporally.

Fullerene-Hybridized Fused-Ring Electron Acceptor with High Dielectric Constant and Isotropic Charge Transport for Organic Solar Cells.

A novel isotropic fullerene-hybridized fused-ring electron acceptor, designated C-Y, has been synthesized via a mild [4+2] Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction with fullerene C to enhance the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). Comparative analysis shows that C-Y significantly outperforms the control acceptor Me-Y, with a notable increase in the relative dielectric constant from 2.79 to 3.