Aurora kinase A promotes hepatic stellate cell activation and liver fibrosis through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Aims: Aurora kinase A (AURKA) has been implicated in promoting myeloid and renal fibrosis. This study aimed to investigate the impact and underlying mechanism of AURKA on liver fibrosis and to assess the therapeutic potential of MLN8237, a small-molecule AURKA inhibitor, in preventing liver fibrosis in mice.

Methods: The research used bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemistry staining on fibrotic liver tissues from human and mouse models to assess AURKA expression.

Huangqi-Danshen decoction alleviates renal fibrosis through targeting SCD1 to modulate cGAS/STING signaling.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The Huangqi-Danshen decoction (HDD) is composed of Huangqi (Astragali Radix) and Danshen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) and has been shown to alleviate renal fibrosis. However, the potential therapeutic mechanisms and effective components of HDD remain unclear.

Aim Of The Study: Both lipid metabolism and cGAS/STING signaling play vital roles in the development and progression of renal fibrosis.

Mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of natural polysaccharides as potential anti-osteoporosis agents: A review.

In recent years, polysaccharides derived from natural sources have garnered significant attention due to their safety and potential anti-osteoporotic effects. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the sources, distribution, structures, and mechanisms of anti-osteoporosis polysaccharides, as well as an investigation into their structure-activity relationships. Over thirty distinct, homogenous polysaccharides with anti-osteoporosis properties have been extracted from natural sources, primarily categorized as glucans, fructans, galactomannans, glucomannans, and various other heteropolysaccharides.

Rapid detection of nitrite and in food based on multiple simulated enzyme activities of FeO-ZnO-MnO nanocomposites.

Food safety has emerged as a paramount concern in global health, prompting innovative approaches to ensure the safety of people's sustenance. In this study, a novel strategy was devised to fabricate FeO-ZnO-MnO hybrid nanobiocatalysts, which exhibited remarkable enzymatic activity surpassing that of Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalysis. It demonstrated exceptional proficiency in decomposing 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) without the need for harsh reaction conditions or the aid of HO.

A comprehensive evaluation on the associations between hearing and vision impairments and risk of all-cause and cause-specific dementia: results from cohort study, meta-analysis and Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Epidemiological studies show inconsistent links between hearing/vision impairment and dementia risk. Using multisource data, we investigated how single or combined sensory impairments relate to risks of all-cause and specific types of dementia.

Methods: We employed a triangulation approach combining three methodologies.

Degradation of extracellular antibiotic resistance gene through singlet oxygen produced by carbon nanotubes-activated persulfate.

Extracellular antibiotic resistance gene (eARG) has emerged as a global crisis in recent years, yet commonly used disinfectants have proven ineffective for their elimination. Seeking to enhance the degradation efficiency of eARG, this study explored the potential of carbon nanotubes-activated persulfate (CNTs + PS) system as a novel method for eradicating eARG. Our findings demonstrated that CNTs + PS effectively disrupted the intact structure of eARG, inhibited their genetic replication and horizontal transfer capability, achieving remarkable degradation of eARG contamination.

Huangqi-Danshen Decoction Against Renal Fibrosis in UUO Mice via TGF-β1 Induced Downstream Signaling Pathway.

Background: Huangqi-Danshen decoction (HDD) is a Chinese medicinal herb pair with good efficacy in treating chronic kidney disease, but its mechanism needs to be clarified.

Aim: To uncover the underlying mechanism of HDD antagonizing renal fibrosis through network pharmacology (NP) analysis and experimental validation.

Materials And Methods: The chemical components of water extract of HDD were analyzed by combining the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q-Exactive mass spectrum analysis (UHPLC-QE-MS) and HERB database.

A novel constraint-based structure learning algorithm using marginal causal prior knowledge.

Causal discovery with prior knowledge is important for improving performance. We consider the incorporation of marginal causal relations, which correspond to the presence or absence of directed paths in a causal model. We propose the Marginal Prior Causal Knowledge PC (MPPC) algorithm to incorporate marginal causal relations into a constraint-based structure learning algorithm.

Improving the identification of pollution source areas with catchment-resolution sensitivity analysis.

The significant impacts of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) on riverine ecosystems underscores the critical need to identify the primary nutrient source areas in watersheds. This study aims to unravel the influences of terrain and land use types on mean monthly TN (TNM) and mean monthly TP (TPM) export across varying catchment resolutions in the Qiantang River Watershed of China. The findings of this study illuminated the critical role of topography in understanding nutrient dynamics, wielding a profound influence over water flow patterns and nutrient dispersion.

Identification of serum metabolites associated with aristolochic acid nephropathy severity and insights into the underlying mechanism.

Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) is a rapidly progressive kidney disease caused by medical or environmental exposure to aristolochic acids (AAs). This study aimed to identify serum metabolites associated with the severity of acute AAN and investigate the underlying mechanisms. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with vehicle and 3 doses of aristolochic acid I (AAI) (1.

Spatial distribution of PAHs and microbial communities in intertidal sediments of the Pearl River Estuary, South China.

The exploration of sediment pollution caused by PAHs and its impact on microbial communities can provide valuable insights for the remediation of sediments. The spatial distribution of PAHs and their impact on the microbial community within the Pearl River Estuary were investigated in this study. The findings revealed that the total concentration ranges of 16 PAHs were between 24.

Nonbiodegradable microplastic types determine the diversity and structure of soil microbial communities: A meta-analysis.

As an emerging contaminant, microplastics (MPs) have received considerable attention for their potential threat to the soil environment. However, the response of soil bacterial and fungal communities to MPs exposure remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a global meta-analysis of 95 publications and 2317 observations to assess the effects of nonbiodegradable MP properties and exposure conditions on soil microbial biomass, alpha and beta diversity, and community structure.

Mineralization and microbial utilization of poly(lactic acid) microplastic in soil.

The current carbon dioxide (CO) evolution-based standard method for determining biodegradable microplastics (MPs) degradation neglects its priming effect on soil organic matter decomposition, which misestimates their biodegradability. Here, a C natural abundance method was used to estimate the mineralization of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) MP in various agricultural soils, and to trace its utilization in different microbial groups. In alkaline soils, the PLA-derived CO emissions increased with increasing soil carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios, and the mineralization of PLA MP concentrations ranged from 3-33 %, whereas the CO evolution method probably over- or under-estimated the mineralization of PLA in alkaline soils with different soil C/N ratios.

Stable, Scalable, and Free-Standing Perovskite Quantum Dots Composite Reinforced by Cellulose Fibers.

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have attracted emerging attention as fluorescent and light-absorbing materials for next-generation optoelectronics due to their outstanding properties and cost-efficiency. However, PQD thin film suffers significant instability due to structure and material failures, which hinders their application in flexible and reliable PQD-based advanced wearable devices. Herein, we use commercial cellulose fiber-based filter paper as a substrate to synthesize PQDs in situ and fabricate PQD-paper free-standing flexible composite film.

Spatio-temporal evolution mechanism and dynamic simulation of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution of the Yangtze River economic Belt in China.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus inputs are the main causes of aquatic environmental deterioration. Accurately quantifying and dynamically assessing the regional nitrogen and phosphorus pollution emission (NPPE) loads and influencing factors is crucial for local authorities to implement and formulate refined pollution reduction management strategies. In this study, we constructed a methodological framework for evaluating the spatio-temporal evolution mechanism and dynamic simulation of NPPE.

Comprehensive evaluation of genes related to basement membrane in hepatocellular carcinoma.

In all mammals, the basement membrane serves as a pivotal extracellular matrix. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a challenge among numerous cancer types shaped by basement membrane-related genes (BMGs). Our research established an innovative prognostic model that is highly accurate in its prediction of HCC prognoses and immunotherapy efficacy to summarize the crucial role of BMGs in HCC.

Delineation of renal protein profiles in aristolochic acid I-induced nephrotoxicity in mice by label-free quantitative proteomics.

Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) is a kidney injury syndrome caused by aristolochic acids exposure. Our study used label-free quantitative proteomics to delineate renal protein profiles and identify key proteins after exposure to different doses of aristolochic acid I (AAI). Male C57BL/6 mice received AAI (1.

Deep Learning Radiomics Model of Contrast-Enhanced CT for Differentiating the Primary Source of Liver Metastases.

Rationale And Objectives: To develop and validate a deep learning radiomics (DLR) model based on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) to identify the primary source of liver metastases.

Materials And Methods: In total, 657 liver metastatic lesions, including breast cancer (BC), lung cancer (LC), colorectal cancer (CRC), gastric cancer (GC), and pancreatic cancer (PC), from 428 patients were collected at three clinical centers from January 2018 to October 2023 series. The lesions were randomly assigned to the training and validation sets in a 7:3 ratio.

A global meta-analysis on the drivers of salt marsh planting success and implications for ecosystem services.

Planting has been widely adopted to battle the loss of salt marshes and to establish living shorelines. However, the drivers of success in salt marsh planting and their ecological effects are poorly understood at the global scale. Here, we assemble a global database, encompassing 22,074 observations reported in 210 studies, to examine the drivers and impacts of salt marsh planting.

Engineering sulfur defective BiS@C with remarkably enhanced electrochemical kinetics of lithium-ion batteries.

Introducing the appropriate vacancies to augment the active sites and improve the electrochemical kinetics while maintaining high cyclability is a major challenge for its widespread application in electrochemical energy storage. Here, core-shell structured BiS@C with sulfur vacancies was prepared by hydrothermal method and one-step carbonization/sulfuration process, which significantly improves the intrinsic electrical conductivity and ion transport efficiency of BiS. Additionally, the uniform protective carbon layer around surface of composite maintains structural stability and effectively alleviates volume expansion during alloying/dealloying.