Quantitation of human mitochondrial DNA and whole mtGenomes sequencing of fingernail/hair shaft samples.

The analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is suitable for fingernail/hair shaft samples in forensic science. A successful mtDNA forensic analysis depends on the quantity and quality of the mtDNA. The application of massively parallel sequence techniques to the analysis of mtDNA has the potential to improve the recovery of genetic information from difficult forensic specimens and to increase the discrimination potential of mtDNA by capturing and comparing full mtGenomes.

Massively parallel sequencing of a forensic combined panel of 107-plex STR loci and 292-plex SNP loci in the Han Chinese population.

Massively parallel sequencing (MPS), a well-established strategy for forensic DNA profiling, enables the simultaneous sequencing of multiple targeted loci of multiple samples at a single-base resolution with high coverage. In this study, we developed a novel typing system by combining solution-based hybrid capture methods with MPS to target as many as 107 short tandem repeats (STRs) and 292 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Han Chinese population. Completely accurate and concordant STR genotypes were obtained when compared to typing results generated from conventional capillary electrophoresis analysis, with six loci exhibiting inferior performance due to allele dropout or even locus dropout.

Higher oxidative balance score is associated with lower female infertility: a cross-sectional study.

Background: An imbalance of the pro-oxidant and antioxidant profiles in the body contributes to the development of diseases, including female infertility.

Methods: In this study, we performed a secondary analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and calculated the values of oxidative balance score (OBS). A weighted logistic regression model was used to explore the potential relationship between OBS (continuous factor and quartile set) and female infertility, and the P for trend was calculated.

Comparative analysis of six nutritional scores in predicting prognosis of COVID-19 patients.

Background: Identifying nutritional risk in COVID-19 patients poses a challenge due to the unique qualities of every nutritional screening instrument. The objective was to assess the efficacy of six nutritional scores, including the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) score, the NUTRIC (nutrition risk in the critically ill) score, the modified NUTRIC score, the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, TCB index (TCBI), predicting prognosis of COVID-19 patients.

Methods: Clinical data were collected from COVID-19 patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between December 2022 and February 2023.

Lysophosphatidylcholine 14:0 Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury via Protecting Alveolar Epithelial Barrier by Activation of Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by diffuse alveolar injury and acute non-cardiac pulmonary edema, with high morbidity and mortality. Lysophosphatidylcholine 14:0 (LPC14:0) has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects in sepsis and bacteremia. We hypothesized that LPC14:0 could be a potential treatment for ALI.

Effectiveness of a Local Drug Delivery System Based on Antimicrobial Peptides in Early Treatment of Peri-implantitis.

Objective: To analyse the effects of titanium implants coated with various antimicrobial peptide (AMP) layers on bacterial growth and early biofilm formation around the implants.

Methods: A novel AMP mixture was constructed using Type I collagen, sulfonated succinimide 4- (N-Maleimidylphenyl) butyrate, and AMPs. Titanium discs treated with chitosan and hyaluronic acid solutions were reacted with the AMP mixture to obtain AMP-coated titanium discs.

iDNA-ITLM: An interpretable and transferable learning model for identifying DNA methylation.

In this study, from the perspective of image processing, we propose the iDNA-ITLM model, using a novel data enhance strategy by continuously self-replicating a short DNA sequence into a longer DNA sequence and then embedding it into a high-dimensional matrix to enlarge the receptive field, for identifying DNA methylation sites. Our model consistently outperforms the current state-of-the-art sequence-based DNA methylation site recognition methods when evaluated on 17 benchmark datasets that cover multiple species and include three DNA methylation modifications (4mC, 5hmC, and 6mA). The experimental results demonstrate the robustness and superior performance of our model across these datasets.

Developmental Validation of the Microreader 23HS Plex ID System: A Novel Supplementary Non-CODIS STR Multiplex Assay for Forensic Application.

A novel supplementary non-CODIS STR multiplex assay designated as the "Microreader 23HS Plex ID System" was developed. The Microreader 23HS Plex ID System enables simultaneous profiling of 23 STR loci and the amelogenin locus. The majority of these loci are non-CODIS STRs (D4S2408, D9S2157, D20S161, D3S2459, D18S1364, D13S305, D1S2142, D19S400, D6S1017, D7S1517, D2S1776, D2S1360, D3S1744, D16S3391, D3S1545, D11S4463, D20S85, D1S549, D10S2325, D21S2055), with the exception of three CODIS STRs (D2S441, D12S391, and D22S1045).

The dynamic response mechanism of crops to manganese uptake and transfer mediated by different intercropping crop attributes.

Background: An issue of pressing concern is the manganese contamination in farmland soils adjacent to industrial areas. To address this, intercropping hyperaccumulator plants with crops emerges as a sustainable approach to ensuring food security. This study aims to investigate the influence of intercropping Sedum alfredii with maize or soybean on their growth and the dynamics of manganese accumulation through field experiments.

3-methyladenine ameliorates acute lung injury by inhibiting oxidative damage and apoptosis.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a condition characterized by inflammation and oxidative damage. 3-methyladenine (3-MA) has great potential for regulating apoptosis, but its regulatory role in ALI is unknown.

Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice and -butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-treated bronchial epithelial cells were used to simulate in vivo and in vitro ALI models, respectively.

Temporal Assessment of Protein Stability in Dried Blood Spots.

The use of protein biomarkers in blood for clinical settings is limited by the cost and accessibility of traditional venipuncture sampling. The dried blood spot (DBS) technique offers a less invasive and more accessible alternative. However, protein stability in DBS has not been well evaluated.

BC-QNet: A quantum-infused ELM model for breast cancer diagnosis.

The timely and accurate diagnosis of breast cancer is pivotal for effective treatment, but current automated mammography classification methods have their constraints. In this study, we introduce an innovative hybrid model that marries the power of the Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) with FuNet transfer learning, harnessing the potential of the MIAS dataset. This novel approach leverages an Enhanced Quantum-Genetic Binary Grey Wolf Optimizer (Q-GBGWO) within the ELM framework, elevating its performance.

Elucidating hepatocellular carcinoma progression: a novel prognostic miRNA-mRNA network and signature analysis.

There is increasing evidence that miRNAs play an important role in the prognosis of HCC. There is currently a lack of acknowledged models that accurately predict patient prognosis. The aim of this study is to create a miRNA-based model to precisely forecast a patient's prognosis and a miRNA-mRNA network to investigate the function of a targeted mRNA.

Development and evaluation of nomograms and risk stratification systems to predict the overall survival and cancer-specific survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, and patients with HCC have a poor prognosis and low survival rates. Establishing a prognostic nomogram is important for predicting the survival of patients with HCC, as it helps to improve the patient's prognosis. This study aimed to develop and evaluate nomograms and risk stratification to predict overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in HCC patients.

Proteomic Difference Analysis of Whole Blood and Bloodstains.

Objectives: To study the changes of protein levels in peripheral blood after it dried.

Methods: The proteins from whole blood and bloodstains were detected by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and normalized by the label-free quantification (LFQ) method. The differential proteins were analyzed by using R 4.

Technical strategy for monozygotic twin discrimination by single-nucleotide variants.

Monozygotic (MZ) twins are theoretically genetically identical. Although they are revealed to accumulate mutations after the zygote splits, discriminating between twin genomes remains a formidable challenge in the field of forensic genetics. Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) are responsible for a substantial portion of genetic variation, thus potentially serving as promising biomarkers for the identification of MZ twins.

Altered intestinal microbiota enhances adenoid hypertrophy by disrupting the immune balance.

Introduction: Adenoid hypertrophy (AH) is a common upper respiratory disorder in children. Disturbances of gut microbiota have been implicated in AH. However, the interplay of alteration of gut microbiome and enlarged adenoids remains elusive.

Cross-Platform Application of DNA Methylation Age Estimation Model in Eastern Chinese Han Population.

Objectives: To evaluate the forensic application value of an age estimation model based on DNA methylation in eastern Chinese Han population, and to provide a theoretical basis for exploring age estimation models suitable for different detection platforms.

Methods: According to the 6 age-related methylation sites in the published blood DNA methylation age estimation models of Chinese Han population, the DNA methylation level of 48 samples was detected by pyrosequencing and next-generation sequencing (NGS). After submitting DNA methylation levels to the age estimation model, the DNA methylation ages were predicted and compared with their real ages.

Epigenetic regulation of human-specific gene expression in the prefrontal cortex.

Background: Changes in gene expression levels during brain development are thought to have played an important role in the evolution of human cognition. With the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies, changes in brain developmental expression patterns, as well as human-specific brain gene expression, have been characterized. However, interpreting the origin of evolutionarily advanced cognition in human brains requires a deeper understanding of the regulation of gene expression, including the epigenomic context, along the primate genome.

Age Estimation Based on DNA Methylation and Its Application Prospects in Forensic Medicine.

With the improvement of DNA methylation detection techniques, studies on age-related methylation sites have found more age-specific ones across tissues, which improves the sensitivity and accuracy of age estimation. In addition, the establishment of various statistical models also provides a new direction for the age estimation of tissues from different sources. This review summarizes the related studies of age estimation based on DNA methylation from the aspects of detection technology, age-related cytosine phosphate guanine site and model selection in recent years.

Kernel Partial Least Squares Feature Selection Based on Maximum Weight Minimum Redundancy.

Feature selection refers to a vital function in machine learning and data mining. The maximum weight minimum redundancy feature selection method not only considers the importance of features but also reduces the redundancy among features. However, the characteristics of various datasets are not identical, and thus the feature selection method should have different feature evaluation criteria for all datasets.

Research on the Attenuation Characteristics of High-Frequency Elastic Waves in Rock-Like Material.

In order to study the frequency-dependent attenuation characteristics of high-frequency elastic waves in rock-like materials, we conducted high-frequency elastic wave attenuation experiments on marble, granite, and red sandstone rods, and investigated the frequency dependence of the attenuation coefficient of high-frequency elastic waves and the frequency dependence of the attenuation of specific frequency components in elastic waves. The results show that, for the whole waveform packet of the elastic wave signal, the attenuation coefficient and the elastic wave frequency have an approximate power relationship, with the exponents of this power function being 0.408, 0.