Identifying periphery biomarkers of first-episode drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia using machine-learning-based strategies.

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder. Accurate diagnosis and classification of schizophrenia has always been a major challenge in clinic due to the lack of biomarkers. Therefore, identifying molecular biomarkers, particularly in the peripheral blood, is of great significance.

Calcium-dependent protein kinase PpCDPK29-mediated Ca-ROS signal and PpHSFA2a phosphorylation regulate postharvest chilling tolerance of peach fruit.

Green and chemical-free hot water (HW) treatment can effectively reduce the chilling injury of peach fruit; however, the mechanism of inducing chilling resistance by heat treatment is still unclear. This study found that HW treatment could activate reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling, forming ROS-Ca signalling. Furthermore, we identified a peach Ca sensor, calcium-dependent protein kinase 29 (PpCDPK29), as a positive regulator of postharvest chilling resistance.

Concentrated growth factors promote epithelization in the mastoid obliteration after canal wall down mastoidectomy.

Objective: This retrospective study aimed at comparing the extent of epithelialization in mastoid obliteration after Canal Wall Down (CWD) mastoidectomy using Hydroxyapatite (HA) alone or using HA in combination with Concentrated Growth Factor (CGF) extracted from autologous blood.

Methods: A total of 56 patients undergoing the CWD mastoidectomy were enrolled. One group was treated by HA, while the other group received HA and CGF for mastoid obliteration (CGF/HA).

Relationship between pregnant women's combined exposure to heavy metals and their offspring's congenital heart defects in Lanzhou, China.

Background: Previous research has demonstrated that exposure to individual heavy metals elevates the incidence rate of congenital heart defects (CHDs). However, there is a paucity of data concerning the relationship between combined exposure to multiple heavy metals and the occurrence of CHDs. This study seeks to investigate the association between combined heavy metal exposure in pregnant women and the incidence of CHDs in their offspring in Lanzhou, China.

Galvanic Cell-Stimulated Mesenchymal Stem Cell Mesh for Enhanced Pelvic Organ Prolapse Treatment.

Implantation of a mesh loaded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a common approach for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The mesh provides effective support to pelvic floor, enhancing muscle contraction of pelvic organs while reducing inflammation. In this study, a fully degradable mesh is designed for the treatment of POP, utilizing MSCs stimulated by a galvanic battery-powered electric field.

The reduced interaction between SufS and SufU in Mycoplasma penetrans results in diminished sulfotransferase activity.

Mycoplasma Penetrans (Mpe) is an AIDS-related mycoplasma that is also closely related to respiratory diseases. Proteins involved in the first phase of Fe-S cluster biosynthesis in the SUF-like pathway are essential in Gram-positive bacteria because there is no redundant Fe-S cluster biosynthetic pathway in these proteins. In this study, we characterized two essential proteins: cysteine desulphurase (MpeSufS) and sulfurtransferase (MpeSufU) in Mpe, and resolved their crystal structures.

Research Progress of Shared Decision-Making in Schizophrenia with Anxiety.

Shared decision-making (SDM) has been practiced fairly frequently in general medicine, but less so in mental disorders, especially in closed psychiatric wards, and its positive predictor has recently been recognized in the field of mental health. Studies have shown that patients with severe mental disorders want a say in their care and their desire to participate in clinical decision-making is even higher than those treated by general medical services. This review aims to explore the research progress of SDM for patients with schizophrenia with anxiety in a collectivist culture (such as Chinese culture) and to provide a reference for the implementation of SDM in closed psychiatric wards.

Comparison of Survival Between Different Histological Subtypes in Cervical Cancer Patients: A Retrospective and Propensity Score-matched Analysis.

To investigate the correlation between different histological subtypes (adenosquamous carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma) and the prognosis of cervical cancer. In this retrospective cohort analysis, patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical surgery followed by either concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) or radiotherapy (RT) at West China Hospital of Sichuan University between 2009 and 2018 were enrolled. The study included patients with confirmed pathological diagnoses of cervical adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC), adenocarcinoma (AC), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Female contact sex pheromone recognition in the German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is mediated by two male antennae-enriched sensory neuron membrane proteins.

Background: The German cockroach Blattella germanica is a notorious urban health pest that has developed resistance to multiple pesticides. Thus, novel non-lethal pest control agents are urgently needed. Olfaction interference via disruption of sex pheromone recognition-related genes offers a promising approach.

Multi-Omics Revealed Regulatory Mechanisms Underlying the Flowering of across Three Dimensions.

Ferula spp. is an essential crop in Central Asia with pronounced economic benefits governed by its flowering process. However, the mechanisms of the flowering phenotype remain unclear.

Role of molybdenum in ameliorating busulfan-induced infertility in female mice.

Background: Molybdenum (Mo) plays a crucial role in regulating normal physiological function. However, its potential effect on female infertility has received little attention.

Methods: In this study, we explored the potential molecular mechanisms of Mo's action on mouse ovaries and oocytes by establishing a busulfan-induced infertility model.

Crucial role of a takeout protein in white-backed planthopper Sogatella furcifera (Horváth) orientation towards its host rice plants.

The takeout (TO) gene family impacts diverse physiological and behavioral functions in insects, yet specific olfactory-associated roles for the family have yet to be fully elucidated. To provide insights into TO function in rice planthoppers, the genomes of three rice planthoppers (white-backed planthopper, brown planthopper and small brown planthopper) were searched for TO homologs and their degree of conservation assessed via chromosomal localization, exon-intron boundaries, phylogenetic relationships and protein domains/motifs. We performed a tissue-specific expression analysis of the 20 TO genes in the white-backed planthopper (WBPH, Sogatella furcifera) and found that SfTO17 is enriched in adult antennae.

Hydrogen sulfide attenuates chilling injury in loquat fruit by alleviating oxidative stress and maintaining cell membrane integrity.

The effects of hydrogen sulfide (HS) on chilling injury (CI), reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, sugar metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and membrane lipid metabolism in loquat fruit throughout the refrigerated period were investigated in this study. The findings indicated that HS application restrained the increase in internal browning (IB), malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and electrolyte leakage, while sustaining higher total phenolic and total flavonoid levels, and lower soluble quinone content in loquat fruit. Besides, HS promoted antioxidant accumulation and increased antioxidant enzyme activities by the regulation of ROS metabolism, along with increasing fructose and glucose levels and reducing power by activating sugar metabolism and PPP.

Three-dimensional cultured human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells attenuate pulmonary fibrosis by improving the balance of mitochondrial fusion and fission.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a kind of fibrotic interstitial pneumonia with poor prognosis. Aging, environmental pollution, and coronavirus disease 2019 are considered as independent risk factors for pulmonary fibrogenesis. Consequently, the morbidity and mortality striking continues to rise in recent years.

Effects of the Combined Treatment of Trans-2-Hexenal, Ascorbic Acid, and Dimethyl Dicarbonate on the Quality in Fresh-Cut Potatoes ( L.) during Storage.

Fresh-cut potatoes ( L.) are susceptible to browning and microbial contamination during storage. In this study, the effects of trans-2-hexenal (E2H), ascorbic acid (VC), dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC), and the combined treatment of E2H, VC, and DMDC on quality deterioration in fresh-cut potatoes were investigated.

Genome-wide identification and role of HSFs in antioxidant response of hot water treated zucchini fruit during cold storage.

Zucchini squashes are cold-sensitive and vulnerable to chilling injury (CI) resulting from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hot water (HW) immersing effectively reduce CI symptoms during cold storage. However, mechanism involved in reduced ROS due to HW treatment has not been characterized well. In this study, tender green zucchini fruit were treated with HW for 15 min at 45 ± 1 °C and stored for 15 d at 4 ± 1 °C and above 90 % relative humidity.

YAP in development and disease: Navigating the regulatory landscape from retina to brain.

The distinctive role of Yes-associated protein (YAP) in the nervous system has attracted widespread attention. This comprehensive review strategically uses the retina as a vantage point, embarking on an extensive exploration of YAP's multifaceted impact from the retina to the brain in development and pathology. Initially, we explore the crucial roles of YAP in embryonic and cerebral development.

RNAi of yellow-y, required for normal cuticle pigmentation, impairs courtship behavior and oviposition in the German cockroach (Blattella germanica).

The insect cuticle plays a key role in maintaining the insect's physiological function and behavior. Herein, the yellow-y protein is required to produce black melanin, and is expressed in a pattern that correlates with the distribution of this pigment. However, yellow-y can also have other functions, for instance, in insect behavior, but not much is known.

Growth Process of Fe-O Nanoclusters with Different Sizes Biosynthesized by Protein Nanocages.

All protein-directed syntheses of metal nanoclusters (NCs) and nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted considerable attention because protein scaffolds provide a unique metal coordination environment and can adjust the shape and morphology of NCs and NPs. However, the detailed formation mechanisms of NCs or NPs directed by protein templates remain unclear. In this study, by taking advantage of the ferritin nanocage as a biotemplate to monitor the growth of Fe-O NCs as a function of time, we synthesized a series of iron NCs with different sizes and shapes and subsequently solved their corresponding three-dimensional atomic-scale structures by X-ray protein crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy.

The melanin pigment gene mediates body pigmentation and courtship behaviour in the German cockroach .

Genes involved in melanin production directly impact insect pigmentation and can affect diverse physiology and behaviours. The role these genes have on sex behaviour, however, is unclear. In the present study, the crucial melanin pigment gene was functionally characterised in an urban pest, the German cockroach, .

Characterization of a multi-domain exo-β-1,3-galactanase from Paenibacillus xylanexedens.

β-1,3-Galactanases selectively degrade β-1,3-galactan, thus it is an attractive enzyme technique to map high-galactan structure and prepare galactooligosaccharides. In this work, a gene encoding exo-β-1,3-galactanase (PxGal43) was screened form Paenibacillus xylanexedens, consisting of a GH43 domain, a CBM32 domain and α-L-arabinofuranosidase B (AbfB) domain. Using β-1,3-galactan (AG-II-P) as substrate, the recombined enzyme expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) exhibited an optimal activity at pH 7.

Nanoparticle-delivered RNAi-based pesticide target screening for the rice pest white-backed planthopper and risk assessment for a natural predator.

Vacuolar-type (H)-ATPase (vATPase) is a conserved multi-subunit eukaryotic enzyme composed of 14 subunits that form a functional complex consisting of an ATP-hydrolytic domain (V1) and a proton-translocation domain (V0). ATP hydrolysis and subsequent H translocation rely heavily on a fully assembled V1/V0 complex. Since vATPase is crucial for insect survival, it is a viable molecular target for pest control.