Vitamin E ameliorates blood cholesterol level and alters gut microbiota composition: A randomized controlled trial.

Background And Aims: Antioxidants, including vitamin E (VE) and grape seed extract (GSE), as anti-aging supplementation have been widely used to improve human health. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in health and affects the treatment effect of various interventions. However, the role of gut microbiota in VE remains unclear.

Smoking cessation improves health status of patients with chronic diseases: evidence from a longitudinal study of older adults in China.

Background: Smoking is a well-documented risk factor for numerous chronic diseases, and cessation is correlated with enhanced health outcomes. Nonetheless, the precise effects of smoking cessation on the health status of older adults with chronic conditions in China have not been thoroughly quantified.

Objective: This study aims to quantitatively assess the correlations between smoking cessation and enhancements in the health outcomes of elderly Chinese individuals with chronic diseases.

Changes in blood pressure and metabolic factors of patients after esophagectomy assessed based on a propensity score matching approach.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze the changes in blood pressure after esophagectomy and the postoperative metabolic factors of esophageal cancer patients with and without combined hypertension.

Methods: Case data of 203 patients with esophageal cancer treated by esophagectomy were retrospectively collected. Patients were divided into 51 cases in the combined hypertension group and 152 cases in the uncomplicated hypertension group according to whether they had preoperative combined hypertension or not.

Association between oral health and physio-cognitive decline syndrome of older adults in China and its sex differences: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Physio-Cognitive Decline Syndrome (PCDs) is characterized by the coexistence of MIND (mobility impairment, no disability) and CIND (cognitive impairment, no dementia), which predicts dementia risk. Deteriorating oral health can contribute to malnutrition, cognitive decline, and physical frailty, all of which may exacerbate PCDs symptoms. This study investigates the association between oral health and PCDs, exploring sex differences in this relationship.

A Sliding Window-Based CNN-BiGRU Approach for Human Skeletal Pose Estimation Using mmWave Radar.

In this paper, we present a low-cost, low-power millimeter-wave (mmWave) skeletal joint localization system. High-quality point cloud data are generated using the self-developed BHYY_MMW6044 59-64 GHz mmWave radar device. A sliding window mechanism is introduced to extend the single-frame point cloud into multi-frame time-series data, enabling the full utilization of temporal information.

Factors Influencing Liver Cirrhosis Progression in Wilson's Disease Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study Over 5 Years.

Objectives: Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by dysregulated copper metabolism, amenable to treatment with chelating agents. It manifests with hepatic and neurological symptoms, often precipitating the development of liver cirrhosis as a prominent complication. This study aims to elucidate the factors, biomarker alterations, and therapeutic modalities influencing the progression of cirrhosis in WD patients.

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Natural Flavonoids in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Insights into Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Regulation.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic non-specific disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract, and Intestinal Mucosal Barrier (IMB) damage is closely related to its pathogenesis. The management of IBD often involves repairing the mechanical, chemical, immune, or biological barriers of the intestinal mucosa to alleviate symptoms. Currently, the treatment of IBD patients requires continuous medication or surgical interventions, which can cause irreversible damage to the patient's body over time.

Preanalytical Considerations of Handling Suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Specimens Within the Clinical Pathology Laboratories: A Survey-Based Approach.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, fatal, and transmissible neurodegenerative disorder caused by prion proteins. Handling specimens from individuals with suspected or confirmed cases presents a safety challenge to hospital workers including clinical laboratory staff. As no national guidelines exist, the clinical pathology laboratory must establish protocols for handling these specimens to ensure sufficient protective measures.

Identification of CENPM as a key gene driving adrenocortical carcinoma metastasis via physical interaction with immune checkpoint ligand FGL1.

Background: Distant metastasis occurs in the majority of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), leading to an extremely poor prognosis. However, the key genes driving ACC metastasis remain unclear.

Methods: Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and functional enrichment analysis were conducted to identify ACC metastasis-related genes.

Deer antler reserve mesenchyme cells modified with miR-145 promote chondrogenesis in cartilage regeneration.

Deer antler-derived reserve mesenchyme cells (RMCs) are a promising source of cells for cartilage regeneration therapy due to their chondrogenic differentiation potential. However, the regulatory mechanism has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we analyzed the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating the differentiation of RMCs and in the post-transcriptional regulation of chondrogenesis and hypertrophic differentiation at the molecular and histological levels.

Genetic Insights Into the Role of Cathepsins in Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Evidence From Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Previous studies have confirmed the significant role of cathepsins in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. We aimed to determine whether genetically predicted 10 cathepsins may have a causal effect on Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: We conducted a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study using publicly available data from genome-wide association study (GWAS) to assess the causal associations between 10 cathepsins and three neurodegenerative diseases, including AD, PD, and ALS.

Ratiometric fluorescent probe and smartphone-based visual recognition for HO and organophosphorus pesticide based on Ce/Ce cascade enzyme reaction.

Organicphosphorus is a ubiquitous pesticide that has potential hazards to human health and environmental well-being. Therefore, the precise identification of residues of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) emerges as an urgent necessity. A ratiometric fluorescent sensor for the detection of OPs by leveraging the catalytic activities of Ce and Ce on the two fluorescent substrates 4-Methylumbelliferyl phosphate (4-MUP) and o-phenylenediamine (OPD) correspondingly was designed.

On-DNA Three-Component Cycloaddition of Diazo Compounds, Nitrosoarenes, and Alkenes: Syntheses of Isoxazolidines for DNA-Encoded Chemical Libraries.

A DNA-compatible three-component reaction is disclosed for the synthesis of on-DNA polysubstituted isoxazolidines that serve as privileged core scaffolds in numerous natural products and bioactive molecules. This one-pot approach involves the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of DNA-tagged styrenes with diazo compounds and nitrosoarenes in an aqueous solution of KOAc. The reaction demonstrates excellent functional group compatibility, providing a conventional protocol for the construction of a DNA-labeled isoxazolidine library.

A platform of functional studies of ESCC-associated gene mutations identifies the roles of TGFBR2 in ESCC progression and metastasis.

Genomics studies have detected numerous genetic alterations in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the functions of these mutations largely remain elusive, partially due to a lack of feasible animal models. Here, we report a convenient platform with CRISPR-Cas9-mediated introduction of genetic alterations and orthotopic transplantation to generate a series of primary ESCC models in mice.

Special Issue "Drug Discovery and Application of New Technologies".

Historically, drug discovery and development have proven to be time-consuming and costly, with the process averaging around 15 years and costing approximately USD 2 billion to bring a new small-molecule drug to market [...

Multimodel-based quantitative source apportionment and risk assessment of soil heavy metals: A reliable method to achieve regional pollution traceability and management.

To strengthen the control of pollution sources and promote soil pollution management of agricultural land, this study constructed a comprehensive source apportionment framework, which significantly improved the reliability of potential source analysis compared with the traditional single model. The spatial distribution pattern of agricultural soil heavy metals (SHMs) content in Lintong, a typical river valley city in China, was determined and the degree of contamination was evaluated. A scientific source apportionment methodological framework was constructed through correlation analysis methods together with multiple source apportionment receptor models.

Run-up velocity and jumping ground reaction force of Chinese female gymnasts.

The run-up velocity and jumping ground reaction force directly influence gymnasts' ability to perform more difficult manoeuvres and win competitions on vault. However, the variables influencing them among elite female gymnasts remain inadequately understood and warrant detailed investigation. This study aimed to analyse critical variables including run-up velocity and jumping ground reaction force, and to compare these factors across different vault types while further exploring the correlations among them.

Surgical Recovery Through the Lens of Patients with Colorectal Disease: A Qualitative Study in an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Setting.

Background: As perioperative care shifts to a more patient-centered model, understanding needs and experiences of patients is vital. Gaining such insight can enhance the alignment of care with patient priorities, encouraging adherence to recovery-oriented interventions. We aimed to explore patient-defined recovery and the elements that modify the recovery process for patients with colorectal disease under enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) care.

CWSCNet: Channel-Weighted Skip Connection Network for Underwater Object Detection.

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) equipped with the intelligent underwater object detection technique is of great significance for underwater navigation. Advanced underwater object detection frameworks adopt skip connections to enhance the feature representation which further boosts the detection precision. However, we reveal two limitations of standard skip connections: 1) standard skip connections do not consider the feature heterogeneity, resulting in a sub-optimal feature fusion strategy; 2) feature redundancy exists in the skip connected features that not all the channels in the fused feature maps are equally important, the network learning should focus on the informative channels rather than the redundant ones.

An overview of systematic reviews of acupuncture for Parkinson's disease.

Background: Many systematic reviews (SRs) have reported the efficacy of acupuncture in improving Parkinson's disease (PD), but the quality of evidence is unknown. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively summarize and objectively evaluate the evidence of acupuncture for PD.

Methods: Seven databases were searched to retrieve SRs on the acupuncture for PD.

Discovery of a urea-based hit compound as a novel inhibitor of transforming growth factor-β type 1 receptor: and studies.

Transforming growth factor β type 1 receptor (TGFβR1), a crucial serine-threonine kinase, is central to the TGFβ/Smad signaling pathway, governing cellular processes like growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and immune response. This pathway is closely linked to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, which plays an important role in the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To date, only limited inhibitors targeting TGFβR1 have entered clinical trials, yet they encounter challenges, notably high toxicity, in clinical applications.

Genome-Wide Analysis and Expression Profiling of Soybean Family in Response to Plant Hormones and Functional Identification of in Soybean Mosaic Virus.

Rubisco small subunit (RbcS), a core component with crucial effects on the structure and kinetic properties of the Rubisco enzyme, plays an important role in response to plant growth, development, and various stresses. Although genes have been characterized in many plants, their muti-functions in soybeans remain elusive. In this study, a total of 11 genes were identified and subsequently divided into three subgroups based on a phylogenetic relationship.