Associations between prenatal phthalate exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by infant sex.

Background: Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) ubiquitously present in the environment. There are limited studies on the impact of phthalate exposure during the gestational period on neonatal telomere length.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between maternal serum phthalate concentrations in early pregnancy and neonatal telomere length and whether this correlation exhibits sex-specificity.

Assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants based on non-dispersive infrared technique: a case study.

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide (CO), methane (CH), and nitrous oxide (NO) emanating from coal-fired power plants contribute substantially to the greenhouse effect. In the face of the continual trend of global warming, curbing GHGs emissions has emerged as an essential step to lessen anthropogenic carbon emissions and attain the targets of carbon peak and neutrality. The practical implementation of strategies to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power stations necessitates the precise monitoring and recording of associated greenhouse gas emissions.

A Phototautomeric 3D Covalent Organic Framework for Ratiometric Fluorescence Humidity Sensing.

Photoinduced proton transfer is an essential photochemical process for designing photocatalysts, white light emitters, bioimaging, and fluorescence sensing materials. However, deliberate control of the excited/ground states and meticulous manipulation of the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) pathway constitute a significant challenge in liquids and dense solids. Here, we present the integration of a hydronaphthoquinone fluorophore into a crystalline, porous, phototautomeric dynamic 3D covalent organic framework (COF) to show guest-induced fluorescence turn-on, emission redshift enhancement, and shortened lifetimes for ratiometric fluorescence humidity sensing.

Coded Ultrasonic Ranging for the Distance Measurement of Coaxial Rotor Blades.

Coaxial rotor helicopters have a wide range of civilian and military applications; however, the collision risk of the upper and lower blades that comes with the coaxial rotor system remains. This paper introduces a blade-tip distance measurement method based on coded ultrasonic ranging to tackle this challenge. Coded ultrasonic ranging with phase modulation was adopted to improve the measurement rate.

Artificial intelligence-assisted identification and assessment of mandibular asymmetry on panoramic radiography.

Introduction: Mandibular symmetry is crucial in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. This study aimed to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) method to automatically and accurately identify mandibular landmarks and assess asymmetry via orthopantomography (OPG) radiographs.

Methods: A total of 1038 OPG radiographs (451 mixed and 587 permanent dentitions) were collected and annotated to develop the AI model for identifying mandibular landmarks.

Insulin Resistance Increases TNBC Aggressiveness and Brain Metastasis via Adipocyte-derived Exosomes.

Patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and comorbid Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), characterized by insulin resistance of adipose tissue, have higher risk of metastasis and shorter survival. Adipocytes are the main non-malignant cells of the breast tumor microenvironment (TME). However, adipocyte metabolism is usually ignored in oncology and mechanisms that couple T2D to TNBC outcomes are poorly understood.

HSV-1 UL56 protein recruits cellular NEDD4-family ubiquitin ligases to suppress CD1d expression and NKT cell function.

Unlabelled: Herpesviruses, including α-herpesvirus and herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), are masters of immune evasion. Previously we demonstrated that CD1d-restricted NKT cells are required for optimal anti-HSV-1 immune responses and HSV-1 efficiently downregulates CD1d to suppress NKT cell function. To delineate how the virus evades NKT cell function and establishes infection , we screened an HSV-1 expression library to identify the viral gene(s) downregulating CD1d and discovered that a leaky late gene, UL56, most efficiently suppresses CD1d expression by degrading the protein, apparently via both proteasome- and lysosome-dependent pathways.

Ultra-Specific G-Quadruplex-Colistin Interaction for Efficient Transcriptome-Wide G4 Mapping.

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are challenging targets for chemical biology interventions, notably because of their dynamic topological polymorphism. We found that the antibiotic small- molecule colistin (COL) interacts specifically with a single subtype of G4 structures, the so-called parallel G4s. This interaction triggers the aggregation of the G4/COL complexes in a structure-specific manner, which can thus be separated from the bulk solution by centrifugation.

Hypothalamus and brainstem circuits in the regulation of glucose homeostasis.

The central nervous system (CNS) senses and integrates blood glucose status, regulating its levels through communication with peripheral organs. While traditional wisdom holds that the hypothalamus primarily controls glucose homeostasis, the brainstem, although less studied, has been emerging as a key player in blood glucose metabolism. While the brainstem is reciprocally wired with the hypothalamus, their interactions are crucial for glucose control.

Understanding the link between ALDH2 genotypes and diabetes.

Introduction: The association between aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) rs671 and diabetes remains controversial, with uncertainty about whether alcohol consumption or other factors mediate or modify this relationship. This study aimed to examine the ALDH2-diabetes association using standardized clinical criteria while systematically investigating potential confounding, mediating, and interacting factors in a community-based cohort.

Method: We analyzed baseline data from 4,535 participants in the China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort Study (4C study).

Training modalities for elder sarcopenic obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Introduction: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a condition characterized by the coexistence of age-related obesity and sarcopenia. This systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) aimed to compare the effects of different training modalities, such as aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT), combined resistance with AT (CT), and multicomponent training (MCT) on body composition, muscle strength, and physical performance in elderly patients with SO.

Methods: We electronically searched randomized controlled trials, published from inception to March 2024 in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus.

Multimodal ultrasound: a non-invasive method for identifying dedifferentiation of papillary thyroid carcinoma during active surveillance.

Objectives: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of multimodal ultrasound in differentiating anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and to evaluate its capability in detecting thyroid carcinoma (TC) aggressiveness.

Methods: Sixty nude mice were randomly assigned to ATC and PTC groups and injected subcutaneously with KHM-5M and TPC-1 cell lines, respectively. Tumors were analyzed using B-mode ultrasound (B-US), Color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), elastography, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Case report: The smallest 9p21.3 microdeletion involving but not causes multiple plexiform neurofibromas.

Chromosome 9p21.3 is a locus associated with a rare autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome characterized by early-onset melanoma and a broad spectrum of neural system tumors. Two major tumor-suppressor genes, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A and 2B ( and ), as well as a large non-coding RNA , are often co-deleted in the core region.

Molecular insights into TT2-type MYB regulators illuminate the complexity of floral flavonoids biosynthesis in .

Proanthocyanidins (PAs), anthocyanins, and flavonols are key flavonoids that play diverse roles in plant physiology and human health. Despite originating from a shared biosynthetic pathway, the regulatory mechanisms of PA biosynthesis and the cooperative regulation of different kinds of flavonoids remain elusive, particularly in flower tissues or organs. Here, we elucidated the regulatory network governing PA biosynthesis in 'Red River®' by characterizing four TT2-type MYB transcription factors, designated FhMYBPAs.

Sintilimab plus bevacizumab followed by resection in intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: a phase Ib clinical trial with biomarker analysis.

Objective: This phase Ib trial aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of sintilimab plus bevacizumab (sintilimab/bev), followed by resection in patients with potentially resectable intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore the clinical implications of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) and T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire.

Methods And Analysis: Eligible patients with intermediate-stage HCC received sintilimab/bev treatment. Patients with partial response or stable disease for at least two consecutive evaluations and technically resectable received hepatectomy.

Urine Output as a Novel Predictor for In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Pulmonary Embolism Patients: Training With the MIMIC Database and Validation With Independent Cohort.

Identifying high-risk patients with acute pulmonary embolism is vital for improving disease prognosis. However, current guidelines and research on risk factors are insufficient to meet clinical needs. This study was aimed at exploring novel risk factors to predict in-hospital mortality.

The influence of sensation seeking on college student sports lottery purchasing behavior: a moderated mediation model.

Objective: The study aims to explore how sensation seeking relates to college students sports lottery purchasing behavior, mediated by fear of missing out and moderated by perceived risk.

Methods: A study surveyed 409 college students using various scales to assess sensation seeking, sports lottery purchasing behavior, fear of missing out, and perceived risk. Data analysis included descriptive stats, t-tests, partial correlations, mediation and moderation effects, and Bootstrap testing to understand the psychological drivers behind sports lottery purchases among students.

An Attention-Aware Multi-Task Learning Framework Identifies Candidate Targets for Drug Repurposing in Sarcopenia.

Background: Sarcopenia presents a pressing public health concern due to its association with age-related muscle mass decline, strength loss and reduced physical performance, particularly in the growing older population. Given the absence of approved pharmacological therapies for sarcopenia, the need to discover effective pharmacological interventions has become critical.

Methods: To address this challenge and discover new therapies, we developed a novel Multi-Task Attention-aware method for Multi-Omics data (MTA-MO) to extract complex biological insights from various biomedical data sources, including transcriptome, methylome and genome data to identify drug targets and discover new therapies.

Effects of 4-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone supplementation on growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, rumen fermentation characteristics, rumen bacterial quorum sensing, and microbial community in Hu sheep.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of 4-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone on growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, rumen fermentation characteristics, rumen microbial LuxS/AI-2 quorum sensing, and community composition in Hu sheep.

Methods: Twenty-two male Hu sheep with similar body weights and ages were evenly divided into two groups: the control group, which was fed a basal diet (n=11, CON), and the treatment group, which was fed the basal diet supplemented with an additional 1.0 g/d of HDMF (n=11, HDMF).

Clinical correlation study of non-tuberculous mycobacterial isolates from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infections have emerged as a significant public health concern, posing a threat to human health. This study aims to identify various NTM strains from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, assess their drug resistance profiles, and investigate the risk factors associated with NTM disease. Gene chip technology was used to identify NTM strains.

Tumor burden score combined with AFP and PIVKA-II (TAP score) to predict the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients after radical liver resection.

Background: Our study aimed to combine the morphological behavior (tumor burden score, TBS) and the biological behavior (AFP and PIVKA-II) to predict the prognosis of HCC patients after radical liver resection.

Methods: A total of 1766 HCC patients were divided into the training cohort (n = 1079) and the validation cohort (n = 687) with a ratio of 6:4. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

Chromosome-level genome assembly of soybean aphid.

Soybean aphid (Aphis glycines) is one of the main pests on soybeans, which causes serious damage to the soybean worldwide. The current genome of the soybean aphid is quite fragmented, which has impeded scientific research to some extent. In this study, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of the soybean aphid using MGI short reads, PacBio HiFi long reads and Hi-C reads.

[Analysis of the results of the Fuxing Program Action for micro-elimination of hepatitis C in Zhuhai].

The Fuxing Program was established in Zhuhai as an action plan to micro-eliminate hepatitis C in response to the World Health Organization's goal of eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. Therefore, the effectiveness of this program in terms of hepatitis C screening, treatment, follow-up, and other aspects is evaluated here. The "Fuxing Project" was established in May 2021 under the supervision of the Zhuhai Medical Quality Control Center for Infectious Diseases.

Risk prediction models for dental caries in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically evaluate published predictive models for dental caries in children and adolescents.

Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Data Sources: Comprehensive searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP) and SinoMed for relevant studies published up to 18 January 2024.

Post-marketing safety evaluation of Vortioxetine: A decade-long pharmacovigilance study based on the FAERS database.

This study evaluated adverse events (AEs) associated with Vortioxetine by analyzing extensive data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).