Advanced Imaging Techniques for Assessing Fat, Iron, and Fibrosis in Chronic Liver Disease.

Imaging plays a critical role in the management of chronic liver disease (CLD) because it is a safe and painless method to assess liver health. The widely used imaging techniques include ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. These techniques allow the measurement of fat deposition, iron content, and fibrosis, replacing invasive liver biopsies in many cases.

Targeted Nanoprobes Enabled Precision Theranostics in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a highly aggressive and prognostically unfavorable subtype of breast cancer, characterized by the absence of common hormone receptors, which renders conventional therapies largely ineffective. This review comprehensively examines the molecular and clinical characteristics of TNBC, underscoring the substantial challenges inherent in its treatment and the innovative potential of targeted nanoprobes in advancing both diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms. Through the modification of targeting molecules, nanoprobes can deliver therapeutic agents highly specific to TNBC cells, thus significantly improving the sensitivity of diagnostic modalities and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions.

Lead (Pb) Induces Osteotoxicity Through the Activation of Mutually Reinforced ER Stress and ROS in MC3T3-E1 Cells.

Lead (Pb) is the most common contaminant of heavy metals and is widely present in the environment. Destruction of bone structure, malformation of bone development, and loss of bone mass are important pathological features of lead-exposed individuals. However, the exact molecular mechanisms associated with lead exposure and osteogenic injury are still not fully understood.

Targeting p38 MAPK: A potential bridge between ER stress and age-related bone loss.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is crucial in the development of numerous age-related bone disorders. Notably, ER stress can precipitate bone loss by orchestrating inflammatory responses, apoptosis, and autophagy through the activation of the p38 MAPK pathway. Age-related bone loss diseases pose a significant burden on society and healthcare as the global population ages.

Organic fertilizer increases pumpkin production by improving soil fertility.

Compared with long-term and continuous application of large amounts of chemical fertilizers, fertilizers with microbial organic nutrient sources can improve soil environment, increase soil fertility and increase crop yield. In view of the current low soil fertility and poor soil environment leading to low crop yield and instability in the arid regions of northwest China, the effects of organic fertilizer with microbial nutrient sources on soil nutrients and pumpkin yield were studied in 2022 and 2023 in this region. The fertilizer application level was used as control factor, with four treatments of low level (L), medium level (M), high level (H), and a conventional fertilizer control (CK).

LDHzyme-assisted high-performance on-site tracking of levodopa pharmacokinetics for Parkinson's disease management.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder marked by the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the consequent decline in motor and cognitive functions. The primary therapeutic agent levodopa necessitates precise dosing due to its narrow therapeutic window and complex pharmacokinetics. This study presents the development of a novel CuCoFe-LDHzyme-based sweat sensor for real-time monitoring of levodopa concentration in PD patients.

Magnetic Resonance Elastography Combined With PI-RADS v2.1 for the Identification of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer.

Background: Multiparametric MRI may cause overdiagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) with the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2.1 (PI-RADS v2.1).

In Situ Deprotection-Free Synthesis of Silver/Graphdiyne with a High Raman Sensing Effect for Detection of Polychlorophenols and Microplastics.

Since the first synthesis of graphdiyne (GDY), it has been widely receiving a lot of attention and has great application prospects in many fields, such as energy storage, catalysis, and sensing. However, the complex deprotection treatment and long reaction time limit its mass production and applications. Here, we present a strategy for the silver-catalyzed deprotection-free rapid synthesis of GDY.

Tannic Acid-Enabled Antioxidant and Stretchable MXene/Silk Strain Sensors for Diving Training Healthcare.

MXene-based conductive hydrogels hold significant promise as epidermal sensors, yet their susceptibility to oxidation represents a formidable limitation. This study addresses this challenge by incorporating MXene into a tannic acid (TA) cross-linked silk fibroin matrix. The resulting conductive hydrogel (denoted as ) exhibits favorable characteristics such as adjustable mechanical properties, self-healing capabilities (both mechanically and electrically), and strong underwater adhesion.

Cryo-EM structures of Candida albicans Cdr1 reveal azole-substrate recognition and inhibitor blocking mechanisms.

In Candida albicans, Cdr1 pumps azole drugs out of the cells to reduce intracellular accumulation at detrimental concentrations, leading to azole-drug resistance. Milbemycin oxime, a veterinary anti-parasitic drug, strongly and specifically inhibits Cdr1. However, how Cdr1 recognizes and exports azole drugs, and how milbemycin oxime inhibits Cdr1 remain unclear.

Two-Orders-of-Magnitude Enhancement of SERS Activity via a Simple Surface Engineering of Quasi-Metal Single-Crystal Frameworks.

Beyond noble metals and semiconductors, quasi-metals have recently been shown to be noteworthy substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and their excellent quasi-metal surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensing has demonstrated a wider range of application scenarios. However, the underlying mechanism behind the enhanced Raman activity is still unclear. Here, we demonstrate that surface hydroxyls play a crucial role in the enhancement of the SERS activity of quasi-metal nanostructures.

A Scalable, Programmable Neural Stimulator for Enhancing Generalizability in Neural Interface Applications.

Each application of neurostimulators requires unique stimulation parameter specifications to achieve effective stimulation. Balancing the current magnitude with stimulation resolution, waveform, size, and channel count is challenging, leading to a loss of generalizability across broad neural interfaces. To address this, this paper proposes a highly scalable, programmable neurostimulator with a System-on-Chip (SOC) capable of 32 channels of independent stimulation.

Liver stiffness measurement by magnetic resonance elastography predicts cirrhosis and decompensation in alcohol-related liver disease.

Purpose: To evaluate magnetic resonance elastography (MRE)-based liver stiffness measurement as a biomarker to predict the onset of cirrhosis in early-stage alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) patients, and the transition from compensated to decompensated cirrhosis in ALD.

Methods: Patients with ALD and at least one MRE examination between 2007 and 2020 were included in this study. Patient demographics, liver chemistries, MELD score (within 30 days of the first MRE), and alcohol abstinence history were collected from the electronic medical records.

The Effects and Mechanism of ATM Kinase Inhibitors in .

, an important opportunistic pathogen, underscores the necessity of developing novel therapeutic drugs and identifying new drug targets. Our findings indicate that the half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC) of KU60019 and CP466722 (abbreviated as KU and CP) against are 0.522 μM and 0.

Silk-based intelligent fibers and textiles: structures, properties, and applications.

Multifunctional fibers represent a cornerstone of human civilization, playing a pivotal role in numerous aspects of societal development. Natural biomaterials, in contrast to synthetic alternatives, offer environmental sustainability, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Among these biomaterials, natural silk is favored in biomedical applications and smart fiber technology due to its accessibility, superior mechanical properties, diverse functional groups, controllable structure, and exceptional biocompatibility.

People-Oriented Nursing Mode on the Negative Emotions and Psychological Status of Patients with Bladder Cancer.

Background: We aimed to investigate the clinical application effect of people-oriented nursing model on the negative emotions and psychological conditions of patients with bladder cancer.

Methods: Eighty patients with bladder cancer were enrolled from January 2020 to January 2022 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University Heilongjiang, Province, China. The patients were randomly divided into the control group, each group consisted of 40 patients (conventional nursing mode) and the experimental group (people-oriented nursing mode) according to the admission time.

Repeatability of vibration-controlled transient elastography versus magnetic resonance elastography in patients with cirrhosis: A prospective study.

Background And Aims: Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) have the potential to assess disease progression; however, repeatability data in people with cirrhosis are lacking. We aimed to assess the effect of disease severity on measurement variability and contribute to the evidentiary basis for the qualification of repeating liver stiffness measurements (LSM) in practice and research.

Methods: This prospective study included 49 adult participants (58.

The effect of novel aromatic heterocycle substituted aminamidine derivatives on Necator americanus.

Background: The efficacy of current drugs against hookworms at a single dose is highly variable across regions, age groups and infection intensity. Extensive and repeated use of these drugs also leads to potential drug resistance. Therefore, novel drugs are required for sustained disease control.

Apparent diffusion coefficient and tissue stiffness are associated with different tumor microenvironment features of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objectives: To investigate associations between tissue diffusion, stiffness, and different tumor microenvironment features in resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Seventy-two patients were prospectively included for preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion-weighted imaging and MR elastography examination. The mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and stiffness value were measured on the central three slices of the tumor and peri-tumor area.

Comprehensive evaluation of the water-fertilizer coupling effects on pumpkin under different irrigation volumes.

Compared to conventional irrigation and fertilization, the Water-fertilizer coupling can significantly enhance the efficiency of water and fertilizer utilization, thereby promoting crop growth and increasing yield. Targeting the challenges of poor crop growth, low yield, and inefficient water and fertilizer utilization in the arid region of northwest China under conventional irrigation and fertilization practices. Therefore, a two-year on-farm experiment in 2022 and 2023 was conducted to study the effects of water-fertilizer coupling regulation on pumpkin growth, yield, water consumption (ET), and water and fertilizer use efficiency.