Exploring causal relationship of traumatic brain injury and comorbidities: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous observational studies demonstrated a link existed between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebral disease and multisystem complications, such as dementia, pneumonia, and gastrointestinal disease, but they could be confused by confounding and reverse causality.

Objective: We aimed to figure out the causal correlation between TBI and the following complications.

Methods: Database concerning TBI and complications from genome-wide association study (GWAS) and two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed to examine whether TBI was causally associated with the risk of some complications.

Epigallocatechin gallate mitigates the motor deficits in a rotenone-induced Parkinson's disease rat model via promoting protein kinase D1 and inhibiting neuronal Parthanatos.

Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of the dopaminergic (DA) neurons, is still lack of available treatments to completely block neurodegeneration. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a predominant active polyphenol generated from green tea, exerts multiple neuroprotective roles in the nervous system. However, the function role of EGCG in PD and the underlying mechanism remains to be investigated.

NPR1 promotes blue light-induced plant photomorphogenesis by ubiquitinating and degrading PIF4.

Light is a major determinant of plant growth and survival. NONEXPRESSER OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES 1 (NPR1) acts as a receptor for salicylic acid (SA) and serves as the key regulator of SA-mediated immune responses. However, the mechanisms by which plants integrate light and SA signals in response to environmental changes, as well as the role of NPR1 in regulating plant photomorphogenesis, remain poorly understood.

Abscisic acid-, stress-, ripening-induced 2 like protein, TaASR2L, promotes wheat resistance to stripe rust.

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is one of the most destructive wheat diseases.

Inactivation of a Wheat Ribosomal Silencing Factor Gene TaRsfS Confers Resistance to Both Powdery Mildew and Stripe Rust.

Powdery mildew and stripe rust are major diseases on wheat worldwide that cause significant reductions in wheat production. The ribosomal silencing factor (RsfS) has been proven to regulate protein biosynthesis by inhibiting the translation process in bacterial response to stress. However, the role of RsfS in plant resistance to biotic stresses remains unclear.

Flexible Arc-Shaped Micro-Fiber Bragg Grating Array Three-Dimensional Tactile Sensor for Fingertip Signals Detection and Human Pulse Monitoring.

A flexible arc-shaped micro-Fiber Bragg Grating (mFBG) array three-dimensional tactile sensor for fingertip signal detection and human pulse monitoring is presented. It is based on a three mFBGs array which is embedded in an arc-shaped poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomer, which can effectively discriminate the normal force, left force, and right force by monitoring the reflected intensity variation of the three mFBGs. Different from the traditional FBG sensors, this sensor measures force by detecting changes in light intensity, effectively avoiding the wavelength cross-sensitivity impact of temperature variations on the sensor performance.

ZEB1 controls a lineage-specific transcriptional program essential for melanoma cell state transitions.

Cell plasticity sustains intra-tumor heterogeneity and treatment resistance in melanoma. Deciphering the transcriptional mechanisms governing reversible phenotypic transitions between proliferative/differentiated and invasive/stem-like states is required. Expression of the ZEB1 transcription factor is frequently activated in melanoma, where it fosters adaptive resistance to targeted therapies.

Prediction of coronary artery lesions in children with Kawasaki syndrome based on machine learning.

Objective: Kawasaki syndrome (KS) is an acute vasculitis that affects children < 5 years of age and leads to coronary artery lesions (CAL) in about 20-25% of untreated cases. Machine learning (ML) is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that integrates complex data sets on a large scale and uses huge data to predict future events. The purpose of the present study was to use ML to present the model for early risk assessment of CAL in children with KS by different algorithms.

EGCG promotes the sensory function recovery in rats after dorsal root crush injury by upregulating KAT6A and inhibiting pyroptosis.

Dorsal root injury usually leads to irreversible sensory function loss and lacks effective treatments. (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is reported to exert neuroprotective roles in the nervous systems. However, the function of EGCG in treating dorsal root injury remains unclear.

[Role and mechanisms of CHI3L1 in coronary artery lesions in a mouse model of Kawasaki disease-like vasculitis].

Objectives: To explore the role and potential mechanisms of chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) in coronary artery lesions in a mouse model of Kawasaki disease (KD)-like vasculitis.

Methods: Four-week-old male SPF-grade C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group and a model group, with 10 mice in each group. The model group mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.

Genetic identification of familial hypercholesterolemia within whole genome sequences in 6820 newborns.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is defined as a monogenic disease, characterized by elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. FH remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in Chinese. We whole-genome sequenced 6820 newborns from Qingdao of China to investigate the FH-related gene (LDLR, APOB, PCSK9) mutation types, carrier ratio and genotype-phenotype correlation.

Dispersion Turning Attenuation Microfiber for Flowrate Sensing.

We demonstrated a new optical fiber modal interferometer (MI) for airflow sensing; the novelty of the proposed structure is that an MI is fabricated based on a piece of HAF, which makes the sensitive MI itself also a hotwire. The interferometer is made by applying arc-discharge tapering and then flame tapering on a 10 mm length high attenuation fiber (HAF, 2 dB/cm) with both ends spliced to a normal single mode fiber. When the diameter of the fiber in the processing region is reduced to about 2 μm, the near-infrared dispersion turning point (DTP) can be observed in the interferometer's transmission spectrum.

Favorable Loci Identified for Stripe Rust Resistance in Chinese Winter Wheat Accessions via Genome-Wide Association Study.

Stripe rust (or yellow rust), caused by f. sp. (), is one of the most devastating diseases of wheat worldwide.

A small-diameter vascular graft immobilized peptides for capturing endothelial colony-forming cells.

Combining synthetic polymers and biomacromolecules prevents the occurrence of thrombogenicity and intimal hyperplasia in small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs). In the present study, an electrospinning poly (L)-lactic acid (PLLA) bilayered scaffold is developed to prevent thrombosis after implantation by promoting the capture and differentiation of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs). The scaffold consists of an outer PLLA scaffold and an inner porous PLLA biomimetic membrane combined with heparin (Hep), peptide Gly-Gly-Gly-Arg-Glu-Asp-Val (GGG-REDV), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

An in vivo avian model of human melanoma to perform rapid and robust preclinical studies.

Metastatic melanoma patients carrying a BRAF mutation can be treated with a combination of BRAF and MEK inhibitors (BRAFi/MEKi), but innate and acquired resistance invariably occurs. Predicting patient response to targeted therapies is crucial to guide clinical decision. We describe here the development of a highly efficient patient-derived xenograft model adapted to patient melanoma biopsies, using the avian embryo as a host (AVI-PDX ).

Ribosomal protein L22-like1 promotes prostate cancer progression by activating PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies in men. Ribosomal protein L22-like1 (RPL22L1), a component of the ribosomal 60 S subunit, is associated with cancer progression, but the role and potential mechanism of RPL22L1 in PCa remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of RPL22L1 in PCa progression and the mechanisms involved.

The change in pediatric subject symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: an increase in cardiac consultation.

Background: It is reported that the adverse impact of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on the mental health of children and adolescents may lead to psychologically related disorders during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) period. Subject symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, and palpitation may be related to increased stress and anxiety in children and adolescents. The present research aimed to determine the number of pediatric consults and etiology of subject symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic period and compared it with the same timelines in 2019 and 2021 to discuss the impact of different periods on the organic disease onset of children with subject symptoms, especially in cardiac involvement.

Liquid Pressure Sensor Based on Fiber Bragg Grating with an Adjustable Structure.

In this paper, a fiber-optic liquid pressure sensor is designed and developed by encapsulating the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) inside the adjustable double-flange cylinder rigid structure with flexible polymer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Within the elastic deformation range of the PDMS, the proposed adjustable FBG-based liquid pressure sensor is proven to change its measuring range while maintaining high measurement sensitivity by simply adjusting the structure, that is, the sensor can achieve high measurement sensitivity in various liquid levels. In addition, the simulation and experimental results show that the sensor sensitivity can be enhanced by the proper changes of the structural parameters, such as the inner diameter, etc.

Microcystin‑leucine arginine promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation by activating the PI3K/Akt/Wnt/β‑catenin pathway.

Microcystin‑leucine arginine (MC‑LR) is an environmental toxin produced by cyanobacteria and is considered to be a potent carcinogen. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effect of MC‑LR on colorectal cancer (CRC) cell proliferation has never been studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of MC‑LR on CRC cell proliferation and the underlying mechanisms.

Microcystin-LR induced microfilament rearrangement and cell invasion by activating ERK/VASP/ezrin pathway in DU145 cells.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is an environmental toxin that is synthesized by cyanobacteria and considered a potential human carcinogen. However, the role of MC-LR in prostate cancer progression has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of MC-LR on prostate cancer cell invasion and its underlying mechanisms.

A central circadian oscillator confers defense heterosis in hybrids without growth vigor costs.

Plant immunity frequently incurs growth penalties, which known as the trade-off between immunity and growth. Heterosis, the phenotypic superiority of a hybrid over its parents, has been demonstrated for many traits but rarely for disease resistance. Here, we report that the central circadian oscillator, CCA1, confers heterosis for bacterial defense in hybrids without growth vigor costs, and it even significantly enhances the growth heterosis of hybrids under pathogen infection.

Author Correction: Genetically encoded tags for direct synthesis of EM-visible gold nanoparticles in cells.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Genetically encoded tags for direct synthesis of EM-visible gold nanoparticles in cells.

Genetically encoded tags for single-molecule imaging in electron microscopy (EM) are long-awaited. Here, we report an approach for directly synthesizing EM-visible gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on cysteine-rich tags for single-molecule visualization in cells. We first uncovered an auto-nucleation suppression mechanism that allows specific synthesis of AuNPs on isolated tags.

EMT-Inducing Transcription Factors, Drivers of Melanoma Phenotype Switching, and Resistance to Treatment.

Transcription factors, extensively described for their role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT-TFs) in epithelial cells, also display essential functions in the melanocyte lineage. Recent evidence has shown specific expression patterns and functions of these EMT-TFs in neural crest-derived melanoma compared to carcinoma. Herein, we present an update of the specific roles of EMT-TFs in melanocyte differentiation and melanoma progression.