Restoration of lysosomal function attenuates autophagic flux impairment in nucleus pulposus cells and protects against mechanical overloading-induced intervertebral disc degeneration.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a leading cause of low back pain that incurs large socioeconomic burdens. Growing evidence reveals that macroautophagy/autophagy dysregulation contributes to IVDD, but the exact role of autophagy and its regulatory mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we found that mechanical overloading impaired the autophagic flux of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and .

Ionic Liquid Additive Mitigating Lithium Loss and Aluminum Corrosion for High-Voltage Anode-Free Lithium Metal Batteries.

Concentrated electrolytes based on lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) have been proposed as an effective Li-compatible electrolyte for anode-free lithium metal batteries (AFLMBs). However, these electrolytes suffer from severe aluminum corrosion at an elevated potential. To address this issue, we propose a binary ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte additive comprising the 1-methyl-1-butyl pyrrolidinium cation (Pyr), difluoro(oxalate)borate anion (DFOB), and difluorophosphate (POF) anion to mitigate the Li inventory loss and Al corrosion in 4 M LiFSI/DME electrolyte simultaneously.

Inhibition of sympathetic tone via hypothalamic descending pathway propagates glucocorticoid-induced endothelial impairment and osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common complication of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy. Recent advances demonstrate that sympathetic nerves regulate bone homeostasis, and GCs lower the sympathetic tone. Here, we show that the dramatically decreased sympathetic tone is closely associated with the pathogenesis of GC-induced ONFH.

Structural connectivity of thalamic subnuclei in major depressive disorder: An ultra-high resolution diffusion MRI study at 7-Tesla.

Background: The thalamus serves as a central relay station within the brain, and thalamic connectional anomalies are increasingly thought to be present in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the use of conventional MRI scanners and acquisition techniques has prevented a thorough examination of the thalamus and its subnuclear connectional profile. We combined ultra-high field diffusion MRI acquired at 7.

Cortical folding in distinguishing first-episode bipolar and unipolar depression.

Backgrounds: Clinical studies to date have yet to establish distinct boundaries between depression in bipolar disorder (BD) and unipolar depression (UD), leading to misdiagnoses and even exacerbation of the conditions. This study aimed to explore the distinctions in the local gyrification index (LGI) between BD and UD, and to evaluate its potential diagnostic value as a biomarker.

Methods: LGI values across 68 cortical regions were measured from 42 patients with BD, 45 patients with UD, and 45 healthy controls (HCs) based on the Desikan-Killiany atlas.

Hippocampal, thalamic, and amygdala subfield morphology in major depressive disorder: an ultra-high resolution MRI study at 7-Tesla.

Morphological changes in the hippocampal, thalamic, and amygdala subfields have been suggested to form part of the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the use of conventional MRI scanners and acquisition techniques has prevented in-depth examinations at the subfield level, precluding a fine-grained understanding of these subfields and their involvement in MDD pathophysiology. We uniquely employed ultra-high field MRI at 7.

Non-improvement predicts subsequent non-response to repeated-dose intravenous ketamine for depression: a re-analysis of a 2-week open-label study in patients with unipolar and bipolar depression.

There is insufficient evidence to guide dose and frequency optimization with repeated-dose ketamine for depression. This study assessed the value of symptomatic non-improvement after the first few ketamine infusions as a predictor of overall non-response in depression for early decision-making to discontinue treatment. A total of 135 individuals with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder experiencing a current major depressive episode were administered six repeated doses of intravenous ketamine.

Synthesis of Carboxyl-Functionalized COFs with Alternate Stable β-Ketoenamine and Benzimidazole Linkages: Unraveling Exceptional Solvent Effects for Efficient Uranium Separation.

The prevalent π-π interactions in 2D covalent organic frameworks (COFs) impart a certain flexibility to the structures, making the stacking of COF layers susceptible to external stimuli and introducing some structural disorder. Recent research indicates that the flexibility between COF layers and the associated disorder significantly influence their selective adsorption performance toward gas molecules. However, the adsorption process in a solution environment is more complex compared to gas-phase adsorption, involving interactions between adsorbents and adsorbates, as well as the solvation effects of flexible 2D COFs.

Successful Treatment of Intractable Tuberculous Peritonitis in a Woman with Chronic Kidney Allograft Dysfunction Using Contezolid Containing Regimen.

Tuberculosis(TB) is a serious infection that affects transplant recipients, particularly in high TB burden countries. Clinical presentation of these patients is atypical, and the care and management are frequently tricky as multi-drug interaction and intolerable adverse effects. Contezolid, a novel oxazolidinone antibacterial agent, had been demonstrated to be effective for TB in vitro and had been shown in some clinical cases with a more favorable safety profile than linezolid, the first-generation oxazolidinone, which had a commonly seen myelosuppression and neuropathy.

Distant organ metastasis patterns and prognosis of cervical adenocarcinoma: a population-based retrospective study.

Background: Adenocarcinoma is a common histological subtype of cervical cancer, accounting for 10-15% of all cases. The prognosis of cervical adenocarcinoma with distant organ metastases remains unclear. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the patterns and prognosis of distant organ metastasis in cervical adenocarcinoma.

Stitching interferometry using alternating calibration of positioning and systematic errors.

Stitching interferometry is an essential technique for the non-contact, high-precision measurement of large apertures or complex optical surfaces. However, the accuracy of full-aperture surface reconstruction is significantly compromised by subaperture positioning and systematic errors. To address this challenge, this study introduces a novel stitching interferometry method utilizing alternating calibration of positioning and systematic errors (SIAC).

Risk factors associated with pulmonary hypertension in patients with active tuberculosis and tuberculous destroyed lung: a retrospective study.

Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) can result in irreversible damage and lead to tuberculous destructive lung (TDL), a severe chronic lung disease that is associated with a high mortality rate. Additionally, pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a hemodynamic disorder that can be caused by lung diseases. The objective of this study is to investigate the risk factors associated with PH in active TB patients diagnosed with TDL.

Sex-specific associations between sex hormones and clinical symptoms in late-life schizophrenia.

The prevalence of late-life schizophrenia is increasing with high burden. It is well-documented that schizophrenia affects men and women differently in terms of symptoms. Sex hormones, which play a role in the pathology and symptoms of schizophrenia, are greatly affected by aging.

Pooling sputum samples for the Xpert MTB/RIF assay: a practical screening strategy for highly infectious tuberculosis cases.

The Xpert MTB/RIF test (Xpert) can help in the accurate screening of tuberculosis, however, its widespread use is limited by its high cost and lack of accessibility. Pooling of sputum samples for testing is a strategy to cut expenses and enhance population coverage but may result in a decrease in detection sensitivity due to the dilution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) by sample mixing. We investigated how the mixing ratio affected the detection performance of Xpert.

Bardoxolone methyl breaks the vicious cycle between M1 macrophages and senescent nucleus pulposus cells through the Nrf2/STING/NF-κB pathway.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD), an age-related degenerative disease, is accompanied by the accumulation of senescent nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. The current study aims to clarify the role of M1 macrophages in the senescence of NP cells, and further explores whether bardoxolone methyl (CDDO-Me) can alleviate the pathological changes induced by M1 macrophages and relieve IDD. On the one hand, conditioned medium (CM) of M1 macrophages (M1CM) triggered senescence of NP cells and ECM degradation in a time-dependent manner.

Key toxic components and sources affecting oxidative potential of atmospheric particulate matter using interpretable machine learning: Insights from fog episodes.

Fog significantly affects the air quality and human health. To investigate the health effects and mechanisms of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM) during fog episodes, PM samples were collected from the coastal suburb of Qingdao during different seasons from 2021 to 2022, with the major chemical composition in PM analyzed. The oxidative potential (OP) of PM was determined using the dithiothreitol (DTT) method.

The Wheat Annexin Plays Positive Roles in Plant Disease Resistance by Regulating the Accumulation of Reactive Oxygen Species and Callose.

(1) Annexins are proteins that bind phospholipids and calcium ions in cell membranes and mediate signal transduction between Ca and cell membranes. They play key roles in plant immunity. (2) In this study, virus mediated gene silencing and the heterologous overexpression of in Col-0 trials were used to determine whether the wheat annexin plays a positive role in plant disease resistance.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals the immune response mechanisms of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus under noise stress from offshore wind turbine.

As an important form of renewable energy, offshore wind power can effectively reduce dependence on traditional energy sources and decrease carbon emissions. However, operation of wind turbines can generate underwater noise that may have negative impacts on marine benthic organisms in the surrounding area. Sea cucumbers are slow-moving invertebrates that inhabit the ocean, relying on their immune system to adapt to their environment.

Traumatic brain injury stimulates sympathetic tone-mediated bone marrow myelopoiesis to favor fracture healing.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) accelerates fracture healing, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Accumulating evidence indicates that the central nervous system (CNS) plays a pivotal role in regulating immune system and skeletal homeostasis. However, the impact of CNS injury on hematopoiesis commitment was overlooked.

Regioselective One-Step Cyclization and Aromatization towards Directly Amino-Functionalized Covalent Organic Framework with Stable Benzodiimidazole Linkage.

The compatibility of crystallinity, stability, and functionality in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is challenging but significant in reticular chemistry and materials science. Herein, it is presented for the first time a strategy to synthesize directly amino-functionalized COF with stable benzodiimidazole linkage by regioselective one-step cyclization and aromatization. Bandrowski's base with two types of amino groups is used as a unique monomer, providing not only construction sites for the material framework through specific region-selective reaction, but also amino active sites for functionality, which is usually difficult to achieve directly in COF synthesis because amino groups are the participants in COF bonding.