Virological and Immunological Characteristics of HBeAg-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B Patients With Low HBsAg Levels.

Background: HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with low HBsAg levels represents a relatively rare serological pattern and is closely associated with the severity of liver disease. However, the underlying mechanisms in such cases remain largely unclear.

Methods: Treatment-naïve HBeAg-positive CHB patients with low HBsAg levels in China were enrolled and analysed.

Causal relationship between immune cells and periodontitis: A Mendelian randomization study.

This study employed Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore potential causal relationships between 731 immune cell subtypes and periodontitis. Utilizing a 2-sample MR design, our study delved into the diverse landscape of immune cell interactions with periodontitis-associated factors. Multiple MR methods, including inverse variance weighting, weighted median, and MR-Egger tests, were employed to ensure reliability and mitigate potential pleiotropic effects.

Spop deficiency impairs adipogenesis and promotes thermogenic capacity in mice.

As the adaptor protein that determines substrate specificity of the Cul3-SPOP-Rbx1 E3 ligase complex, SPOP is involved in numerous biological processes. However, its physiological connections with adipogenesis and thermogenesis remain poorly understood. In the current study, we report that the conditional knockout of Spop in mice results in substantial changes in protein expression, including the upregulation of a critical factor associated with thermogenesis, UCP1.

Exploring the promising potential of alcohol extract from the aerial part of dill in ameliorating DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Dill (Anethum graveolens L.) is a typical Uyghur medicine. It is traditionally used to treat sticky and stagnant dampness, hiccups and food stagnation, intestinal obstruction, and anorectal diseases.

Beyond homophily in spatial-temporal traffic flow forecasting.

Traffic flow forecasting is a crucial yet complex task due to the intricate spatial-temporal correlations arising from road interactions. Recent methods model these interactions using message-passing Graph Convolution Networks (GCNs), which work for homophily graphs where connected nodes primarily exhibit close observations. However, relying solely on homophily graphs presents inherent limitations in traffic modeling, as road interactions can yield not only close but also distant observations over time, revealing diverse and dynamic node-wise correlations.

Gambogic acid induces GSDME dependent pyroptotic signaling pathway via ROS/P53/Mitochondria/Caspase-3 in ovarian cancer cells.

Gambogic acid (GA) is a naturally active compound extracted from the Garcinia hanburyi with various anticancer activities. However, whether GA induces pyroptosis (a newly discovered inflammation-mediated programmed cell death mechanism) in ovarian cancer (OC) has not yet been reported. This study revealed that GA treatment reduced cell viability by inducing pyroptosis in OC cell lines.

Inflammatory and Nutritional Markers as Indicators for Diagnosing and Assessing Disease Activity in MS and NMOSD.

Background: Inflammation and nutritional markers have recently gained recognition for their roles in the fabrication of cognitive control centers demyelinating illnesses. Inflammatory indices such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), along with nutritional markers like albumin (ALB), hemoglobin (HB), and body mass index (BMI), may predict disease occurrence. However, their potential in evaluating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) remains unexplored.

Machine learning based on multiplatform tests assists in subtype classification of mature B-cell neoplasms.

Mature B-cell neoplasms (MBNs) are clonal proliferative diseases encompassing over 40 subtypes. The WHO classification (morphology, immunology, cytogenetics and molecular biology) provides comprehensive diagnostic understandings. However, MBN subtyping relies heavily on the expertise of clinicians and pathologists, and differences in clinical experience can lead to variations in subtyping efficiency and consistency.

Association of Body Roundness Index and A Body Shape Index with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: insights from NHANES 2015-2018 data.

Objective: This study examines the relationship between several anthropometric indices-Body Roundness Index (BRI), A Body Shape Index (ABSI), Waist-to-Weight Index (WWI), Waist Circumference (WC), and Body Mass Index (BMI)-and the prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2015 to 2018.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 7,004 adult participants was conducted using NHANES 2015-2018 data. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models were employed to assess the association between BRI, ABSI, and OSA.

High-resolution imaging atlas reveals the context-dependent role of pancreatic sympathetic innervation in diabetic mice.

A better understanding of how sympathetic nerves impact pancreatic function is helpful for understanding diabetes. However, there is still uncertainty and controversy surrounding the roles of sympathetic nerves within the pancreas. To address this, we utilize high-resolution imaging and advanced three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction techniques to study the patterns of sympathetic innervation and morphology in the islets of adult wild-type (WT) and diabetic mice.

Effect of inspiratory lung volume on bronchial and arterial dimensions and ratios on chest computed tomography in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: The assessment of bronchus-artery (BA) metrics on chest CT is important for detecting airway abnormalities. It is less clear how BA metrics are dependent on lung volume.

Methods: CTs were obtained from a COPDGene substudy investigating the impact of radiation dose on lung density.

Thermoresponsive Phase Change Oleogel Microcapsules for Coencapsulation of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Actives.

To address the concurrent needs of the personal care industry for simultaneous protection of active ingredients and enhancement of product functionality, this study employs a microfluidic technique to fabricate EstoGel M-based oleogel microcapsules capable of coencapsulating both hydrophilic and hydrophobic actives. The oleogels exhibit gel-like characteristics with a melting point of approximately 70 °C, ensuring high encapsulation efficiency for hydrophilic and hydrophobic actives within aqueous environments. The oleogel microspheres encapsulating hydrophobic actives are prepared using microfluidic technology with robust elasticity, which can be ruptured by a force of less than 15 mN, contributing to a favorable tactile sensation upon application.

Insight into the Phylogenetic Relationships of Phasmatodea and Selection Pressure Analysis of Chen & He, 1991 (Phasmatodea: Lonchodidae) Using Mitogenomes.

Stick and leaf insects are a group among the Insecta that are famous for their extraordinary mimicry ability. Since the establishment of the Phasmatodea, their internal classification has been constantly revised. Mitochondrial genes as molecular markers have been widely used for species classification, but the phylogenetic relationships within the Phasmatodea remain to be thoroughly discussed.

Pharmacological and Biological Targeting of FGFR1 in Cancer.

FGFR1 is a key member of the fibroblast growth factor receptor family, mediating critical signaling pathways such as RAS-MAPK and PI3K-AKT. which are integral to regulating essential cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Alterations in FGFR1 can lead to constitutive activation of signaling pathways that drive oncogenesis by promoting uncontrolled cell division, inhibiting apoptosis, and enhancing the metastatic potential of cancer cells.

CoronaVac-induced antibodies that facilitate Fc-mediated neutrophil phagocytosis track with COVID-19 disease resolution.

Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants raise concerns about decreased vaccine efficacy, vaccines continue to confer robust protection in humans, implying that immunity beyond neutralization contributes to vaccine efficacy. In addition to neutralization, antibodies can mediate various Fc-dependent effector functions, including antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), antibody-dependent neutrophil phagocytosis (ADNP) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). However, the specific role of each Fc-mediated effector function in contributing to COVID-19 disease attenuation in human remains unclear.

Subtle Tuning of Catalytic Well Effect in Phthalocyanine Covalent Organic Frameworks for Selective CO Electroreduction into CH.

In the electrocatalytic CO reduction reaction (CORR), the strategic design of a catalytic well capable of regulating the overall confinement effects of catalytic sites holds significant promise for enhancing multiple-electron transfer and C─C coupling efficiency, particularly for the generation of C products. Here, a series of Cu-salphen-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) featuring hydroxyl-induced catalytic well are synthesized, which demonstrate successful application in electrocatalytic CORR to yield multiple-electron transferred products. The meticulously engineered catalytic well, facilitated by multi-hydroxyl groups, manifests robust confinement effects, facilitating selective adsorption, enrichment, and activation of CO, intermediate stabilization, and reduction of energy barriers for electrocatalytic CORR.

Preparation of biomass-derived red emission carbon dots for real-time and long-term tracking of cells and tumor growth.

Effective real-time cell tracking and tumor growth monitoring are important for precise diagnosis and therapy of tumors and can also be used to monitor biological processes. In this study, a facile, green microwave method was developed to synthesize biomass-derived red emission carbon dots (RCDs) using the ethanolic extract of holly leaves. Owing to the advantages of the prepared RCDs, such as near infrared emission, stability, strong fluorescence intensity, excellent biocompatibility, penetration of thick tissues, avoiding background fluorescence interference, and improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio of biological imaging, they were applied to cell imaging, real-time cell tracking and tumor growth monitoring.

Engineered surface design of recognition site-ordered biomimetic sensor for efficient detection of circulating tumor cells.

The oriented assembly of cell membrane coating plays an important role in advancing the application of this strategy in biomedical fields, particularly in detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Unfortunately, there is a formidable challenge in achieving effective membrane orientation during the coating process owing to the asymmetric properties of cell membranes. Herein, magnetic vesicles released by tumor cells were designed to break down these barriers in the same way that microvesicles are actively secreted from cells, which completely inherited the orientation and characteristics of the parent cell membranes, exhibiting a satisfactory self-targeting ability for homologous cells.

Ectopic expression of NKG7 enhances CAR-T function and improves the therapeutic efficacy in liquid and solid tumors.

Lack of biopsies after treatment, especially in solid tumors, restricts the understanding of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells -related characteristic in vivo, thus hindering the development of strategies to improve CAR-T cells efficacy. Here, we applied nineteen individual single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from clinical samples of digestive cancers to explore the characteristics of tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs) to identify effective targets which might be benefit for enhancing the function of CAR-T cells. The data showed that natural killer cell granule protein 7 (NKG7) was overexpressed in TILs and positively associated with anti-PD1 or anti-CTLA4 therapy in digestive cancers.

Adhesive, Stretchable, and Photothermal Antibacterial Hydrogel Dressings for Wound Healing of Infected Skin Burn at Joints.

Dressings for infectious skin burn wounds at joints should have therapeutic functions as well as high tissue-adhesion, stretching, and self-healing properties. This makes it difficult for most hydrogel dressings to simultaneously meet the above-mentioned requirements. In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol), anhydrous sodium borax, epigallocatechin gallate, and copper chloride were used to prepare a hydrogel dressing (PBEC) for the infected burn wound healing at joints.

HBeAg-positive CHB patients with indeterminate phase associated with a high risk of significant fibrosis.

Background: The risk of liver fibrosis in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with indeterminate phase is not well characterized. We aimed to compare the presence of liver fibrosis in HBeAg-positive CHB patients between indeterminate phase and immune-tolerant phase.

Methods: This multi-center, retrospective cohort study included 719 treatment-naïve HBeAg-positive CHB patients with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT).