Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
December 2024
Aims: The exact cause of the parkinsonism gait remains uncertain. We first focus on understanding the underlying neurological reasons for these symptoms through the examination of both static functional network connectivity (SFNC) and dynamic functional network connectivity (DFNC).
Methods: We recruited 64 postural instability and gait disorder-dominated Parkinson's disease (PIGD-PD) patients, 31 non-PIGD-PD (nPIGD-PD) patients, and 54 healthy controls (HC) from Nanjing Brain Hospital.
Objective: Distraction osteogenesis is a primary treatment for severe mandibular hypoplasia. Achieving the ideal mandible movement direction through precise distraction vector control is still a challenge in this surgery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to apply Optical See-Through (OST) Augmented Reality (AR) technology for intraoperative navigation during mandibular distractor installation and analyze the feasibility to evaluate the effectiveness of AR in a phantom experiment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOrphanet J Rare Dis
October 2024
Objective: To determine the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of women with recurrent uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS).
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the clinical characteristics and survival of women with recurrent uLMS and identify prognostic factors.
Results: Overall, 71 patients with first recurrence of uLMS were included in our study.
Identification of bacterial protein-protein interactions and predicting the structures of these complexes could aid in the understanding of pathogenicity mechanisms and developing treatments for infectious diseases. Here we developed RoseTTAFold2-Lite, a rapid deep learning model that leverages residue-residue coevolution and protein structure prediction to systematically identify and structurally characterize protein-protein interactions at the proteome-wide scale. Using this pipeline, we searched through 78 million pairs of proteins across 19 human bacterial pathogens and identified 1,923 confidently predicted complexes involving essential genes and 256 involving virulence factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Objectives: Numerous observational studies link obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to inflammatory proteins, yet the directionality of these associations remains ambiguous. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the potential associations of gene-predicted inflammatory proteins with OSA.
Methods: Based on genome-wide association study data, we applied Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore potential connections between circulating inflammatory proteins and OSA, primarily using the inverse variance weighting method for robustness.
Zinc (Zn) contaminants in the aquatic environment have an intricate impact on amphibians. Amphibian gut and skin microbiota are participated in regulating their normal physiological functions. Here, we investigated the effects of Zn on the gut and skin tissues and microbiota of Bufo gargarizans and Rana chensinensis tadpoles using histological methods and 16S rRNA sequencing technology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTail resorption during amphibian metamorphosis is one of the most dramatic processes that is obligatorily dependent on thyroid hormone (TH). Heavy metals could result in thyroid gland damages and disturb TH homeostasis. Lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) often co-exist in natural aquatic ecosystems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCiprofloxacin (CIP) and levofloxacin (LEV) are broad-spectrum antibiotics with potent antibacterial activity. Although many studies have shown that antibiotics can lead to gut microbiota disruption, the effects of CIP and LEV on gut microbial colonization at the embryonic stage remain poorly characterized. Here, we evaluated the response of Bufo gargarizans embryos in terms of gut microbiota colonization, growth and developmental stages to CIP and LEV exposure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPetal developmental characteristics in Fumarioideae were similar at early stages, and the specialized nectar holder/pollen container formed by the outer/inner petals. The micro-morphology of these two structures, however, shows diversity in seven species. Elaborate petals have been modified to form different types, including petal lobes, ridges, protuberances, and spurs, each with specialized functions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the tourism sector, particularly tour guides (TGs), affecting their professional identity (TGPI) and intentions to return to work. As China strives to revive its tourism industry, it is crucial to understand the current state of TGPI, its evolution, influencing factors, and its impact on TGs' return intentions. This study employed a quantitative approach, using comparative analysis and binary logistic regression, to investigate these issues among frontline TGs in China, pre- and post-pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIdentified as an increasingly pivotal aspect, the benevolent extra-role characteristic of community citizenship behavior contributes to destination development efficiency and social cohesion. Based on the egoistic-altruistic motivation framework, this study investigated three motivations that propel residents to exercise community citizenship behaviors in a positive social contact context, namely self-focused, other-focused, and place-focused motivation. A conceptual model combined with positive contact, personal benefit, sympathetic understanding, place identity, and community citizenship behavior was developed and tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) through data from 366 residents in Kaifeng, China.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIdentification of bacterial protein-protein interactions and predicting the structures of the complexes could aid in the understanding of pathogenicity mechanisms and developing treatments for infectious diseases. Here, we developed a deep learning-based pipeline that leverages residue-residue coevolution and protein structure prediction to systematically identify and structurally characterize protein-protein interactions at the proteome-wide scale. Using this pipeline, we searched through 78 million pairs of proteins across 19 human bacterial pathogens and identified 1923 confidently predicted complexes involving essential genes and 256 involving virulence factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStreptomyces are a genus of ubiquitous soil bacteria from which the majority of clinically utilized antibiotics derive. The production of these antibacterial molecules reflects the relentless competition Streptomyces engage in with other bacteria, including other Streptomyces species. Here we show that in addition to small-molecule antibiotics, Streptomyces produce and secrete antibacterial protein complexes that feature a large, degenerate repeat-containing polymorphic toxin protein.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To explore a new classification of mandibular defects and changes in the preserved condyle after mandibular reconstruction with free fibular flap(FFF).
Study Design: We reviewed patients who underwent mandibular reconstruction with FFF from 2015 to 2021 and classified the mandibular defects into five categories: classⅠ(unilateral-mandibular excluding condyle), classⅡ(unilateral-mandibular including condyle), classⅢ(bilateral-mandibular excluding condyle), classⅣ(bilateral-mandibular including one condyle), and classⅤ(bilateral-mandibular including both condyles). Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) data were collected preoperatively(T0), at 7-10 postoperative days(T1), 6 postoperative months(T2), and 1 postoperative year(T3).
Delayed wound healing is a major complication of diabetes, and is associated with impaired cellular functions. Current treatments are unsatisfactory. Based on the previous reports on microRNA expression in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), miR-17-5p-engineered sEVs (sEVs) and encapsulated them in gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogel for diabetic wounds treatment are fabricated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Parkinson's disease (PD) patients frequently experience visual hallucinations (VHs) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and clinical correlates of VHs and OSA in the Chinese population with PD.
Materials And Methods: A sample of 489 PD patients was recruited for the present study.
Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc
July 2023
Providing imaging during interventional treatments of cardiovascular diseases is challenging. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has gained popularity as it is radiation-free and returns high resolution of soft tissue. However, the clinician has limited access to the patient, e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Previous studies have failed to investigate the specific effects of advanced age on survival outcomes by considering the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and age permutation in patients with T1a renal cell carcinoma (T1a RCC) treated by microwave ablation (MWA). Notably, RCC guidelines recommended radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and active surveillance (AS) are both treatment options for elderly T1a RCC, but whether MWA is superior to AS in light of higher heating efficiency and larger ablation zone compared with RFA is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the specific effects of advanced age on survival outcomes of T1a RCC patients stratified by CCI score and indicate better intervention for elderly T1a RCC between MWA and AS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough the expression of ASPP family members in multiple tumors has been studied, especially in various cell lines of breast cancer (BC), but the expressions pattern of ASPP family members in invasive BC tissues are not clear. We studied the expression and expression pattern of ASPPs family member in BCs, the relationship between ASPP family members and clinic-pathologic features of BCs was also analyzed. The results showed that the expression of ASPP1, ASPP2 and iASPP was observed on AE1/AE3 tumor cells, and not on infiltrated lymphocytes and capillaries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Persistent hyperglycaemia in diabetes causes functional abnormalities of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), partially leading to delayed skin wound healing. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing multiple pro-healing microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to exert therapeutic effects on diabetic wound healing. The present study aimed to observe the effects of EVs derived from placental mesenchymal stem cells (P-MSC-EVs) on diabetic wound healing and high glucose (HG)-induced senescent fibroblasts and to explore the underlying mechanisms.
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