Tianxiangdan suppresses foam cell formation by enhancing lipophagy and reduces the progression of atherosclerosis.

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of Tianxiangdan (TXD) on lipophagy in foam cells and its underlying mechanism in treating atherosclerosis, particularly focusing on its efficacy in lowering blood lipids. In vivo, ApoE-/- atherosclerosis mouse models were established for group intervention. Blood lipid levels of the mice were measured, lipid deposition and autophagy levels in atherosclerotic plaques were assessed, and co-localization of lipid droplets and autophagosomes was examined.

Toxicity of antimony in housefly after whole-life-cycle exposure: Changes in growth, development, redox homeostasis, mitochondrial function, and fecundity.

The increasing utilization of antimony (Sb) in manufacturing industries has led to the emergence of Sb contamination in the environment as a significant public health concern. To elucidate the toxicity of Sb and its mechanism of action, this study aimed to investigate the adverse effects of Sb on a cosmopolitan insect, housefly (Musca domestica), under a whole life cycle (from embryonic to adult stage) exposure through the examination of a suite of parameters, including biological, physiological, behavioral, and molecular endpoints. A range of Sb concentrations, including moderate contamination (0.

Chirality induced spin selectivity in electron transport investigated by scanning probe microscopy.

Chirality induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect implies the relationship between chirality and magnetism, attracting extensive attention in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology. Since it was first discovered with photoemission method in 1999, the CISS effect has been investigated and measured by a variety of methods. Among different means of measurements, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) as a powerful tool to explore the CISS effect, can directly measure and present the spin filtering property of chiral molecules in electron transport.

Excited-state antioxidant activity for apigenin based on external electric field-modulated ESIPT behavior: TD-DFT and molecular docking calculations.

Apigenin (Api), a flavonoid possessing dual features of antioxidant activity and intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB), is subjected to an external electric field (EEF) to investigate its excited-state antioxidant activity after excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) behavior employing the density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) methods, as well as molecular docking. The existence of IMHB is demonstrated by structural parameters and AIM topological analysis, where Api in the enol form under an EEF of +60 × 10 a.u.

Exosomes derived from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells promote healing of complex perianal fistulas in rats.

Background: Complex perianal fistulas, challenging to treat and prone to recurrence, often require surgical intervention that may cause fecal incontinence and lower quality of life due to large surgical wounds and potential sphincter damage. Human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUC-MSCs) and their exosomes (hUCMSCs-Exo) may promote wound healing.

Methods: This study assessed the efficacy, mechanisms, and safety of these exosomes in treating complex perianal fistulas in SD rats.

Association between nutrient intake and inflammatory bowel disease risk: Insights from NHANES data and dose-response analysis.

Background: The role of dietary and nutritional factors in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains poorly understood, necessitating further investigation. This study aims to explore the association between nutrient intake and the risk of IBD.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized data from the 2009-2010 NHANES cycle, focusing on individuals with complete 24-hour dietary intake records and clinically assessed IBD information.

The detrimental effects and mechanisms of Orlistat in disrupting energy homeostasis and reproduction in Daphnia magna.

Orlistat (ORL) has been employed as an anti-obesity pharmaceutical for several decades. Given its low absorption rate, the majority of administered ORL is excreted into the environment with feces. It is crucial to collect scientific information regarding the possible ecological risks associated with ORL.

Dipole Molecule-Mediated Modulating Residual PbI Clusters in Two-Step-Processing Inverted Perovskite Photovoltaics.

The precise modulation of PbI presence is of paramount importance in the domain of perovskite solar cell fabrication, particularly when employing the two-step method. The distinct crystallization trajectory inherent to this method often leaves unreacted PbI at the buried interface, which can create a large number of defect states. To address this challenge, we have introduced a strategic predeposition of the dipole molecule, 3-(decyldimethylammonio)propane sulfonate inner salt (3DPSI).

Medical meteorological forecast for ischemic stroke: random forest regression vs long short-term memory model.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the top risk factors for death and disability. Meteorological conditions have an effect on IS attack. In this study, we try to develop models of medical meteorological forecast for IS attack based on machine learning and deep learning algorithms.

Relationship between antioxidant activity and ESIPT process based on flavonoid derivatives: A comprehensive analysis.

Antioxidant activity, as a topic of current interest, is discussed together with the excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process for three flavonoid derivatives, based on density functional theory (DFT)and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) methods, as well as DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The potential energy curves and transition states demonstrate that the three molecules can undergo only single proton transfer in the excited state, and all of them are ultrafast ESIPT processes. The absorption spectra of all the molecules show effective protection against UV radiation with low fluorescence intensity, especially Baicalein (Bai), which demonstrates their great potential for sunscreen applications.

Conformational Control of σ-Interference Effects in the Conductance of Permethylated Oligosilanes.

As silicon-based integrated circuits continue to shrink, their molecular characteristics become more pronounced. However, the structure-property relationship of silicon-based molecular junctions remains to be elucidated. Here, an intuitive explanation of the effects of backbone dihedral angles on transport properties in permethylated oligosilanes is presented employing the Ladder C model Hamiltonian combined with nonequilibrium Green's function formalism.

Open roads and bridge: Preservation of fresh beef by a packaging film constructed from photosensitizing bacterial cellulose.

Food packaging is now widely used in everyday life to protect food from certain environmental factors. In this work, we have successfully prepared a bacterial cellulose/chitosan-TPE-COOH composite film (BC/CS-TPE), which can achieve broad-spectrum killing of bacteria through a variety of antibacterial mechanisms and ensure the freshness of the beef. In this complex film, CS acts as "advance team", responsible for breaking through the cell wall or outer membrane of bacteria, while the reactive oxygen species produced by photosensitizer under irradiation attacks bacteria, further increasing the destructive effect on the bacterial cell membrane.

CT radiomics to predict pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To develop and validate a CT-based radiomics model to predict pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy (NICRT) in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods: A total of 105 patients with locally advanced ESCC receiving NICRT from February 2019 to December 2023 were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into the training cohort and the test cohort at a 3:1 ratio.

digestion and fecal fermentation behaviors of exopolysaccharide from and its impacts on hypoglycemic activity PI3K/Akt signaling and gut microbiota modulation.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of gastrointestinal digestion on the physicochemical properties and hypoglycemic activity of extracellular polysaccharides from (MEPS). The results showed that the MEPS digestibility was 22.57 % after saliva-gastrointestinal digestion and only partial degradation had occurred.

Artificial intelligence for brain disease diagnosis using electroencephalogram signals.

Brain signals refer to electrical signals or metabolic changes that occur as a consequence of brain cell activity. Among the various non-invasive measurement methods, electroencephalogram (EEG) stands out as a widely employed technique, providing valuable insights into brain patterns. The deviations observed in EEG reading serve as indicators of abnormal brain activity, which is associated with neurological diseases.

A Moderately High-Fat Diet with Proper Nutrient Quality Improves Glucose Homeostasis, Linked to Downregulation of Intestinal CD36 Mediated by the Loss of .

The global prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus has become a major public health challenge. Dietary intervention is a cornerstone of diabetes management, yet the optimal macronutrient composition remains an open question. In this study, mice were fed a western (W) diet, a moderately high-fat (MHF) diet, a high-protein-high-carbohydrate (HPHC) diet, or a high-protein-low-carbohydrate (HPLC) diet for 22 weeks to compare the effects of different dietary patterns on glucose homeostasis.

Poisoning Mechanism Map for Metal Hydride Hydrogen Storage Materials.

The effective utilization of hydrogen storage materials (HSMs) is hindered by impurity gas poisoning, posing a significant challenge for large-scale applications. This study elucidates the poisoning mechanisms of various impurities gases (CO, CO, O, Ar, He, CH, N) on ZrCo, Pd, U and LaNi. Impurities gases are categorized into active and inactive types based on their effecting behaviors and mechanisms on the hydrogenation of HSMs.

Real-world evaluation of multimodal treatment practice in older oesophageal cancer patients.

Objectives: Elderly-specific data for multimodal treatment of oesophageal cancer (EC) is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of multimodal treatment in older EC patients and to compare the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma who received NCT/NCRT were identified in the National Cancer Database (NCDB, 2004-2015).

External electric field induced emission behavior for ESIPT-based 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-4-(pyren-1-yl)phenol towards near-infrared region.

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) for low energy transfer and double emission, but the current methods for regulating ESIPT processes are mostly solvent and substituent effects. Here, utilizing the density theory functional (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) methods, the ESIPT process controlled by an external electric field (EEF) is proposed, and the changes in photophysical properties of 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-4-(pyren-1-yl)phenol (PyHBT) are investigated. Structural parameter variations and IR vibrational spectra measure the prerequisite for the ESIPT process, namely, intramolecular hydrogen bond (IHB) strength, and the scanned potential energy curves (PECs) demonstrate that the ESIPT process of PyHBT is harder to execute as the positive EEF increases, and the opposite is true for the negative EEF.

The impact and mechanism study of Sijunzi decoction and Rg1 on proliferation and differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells: An experimental study.

Background: Previous researches have demonstrated that the traditional Chinese medicine could therapeutically treat inflammatory and hypoxic diseases by enhancing the functionality of mesenchymal stem cells. However, its mechanism was not yet clear. This research aimed to investigate the impact of the traditional Chinese medicine Sijunzi decoction and its herb monomer ginsenoside Rg1 on the proliferation and differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Robotic-assisted versus video-assisted lobectomy for resectable non-small-cell lung cancer: the RVlob randomized controlled trial.

Background: The long-term survival and perioperative outcomes of robotic-assisted lobectomy (RAL) and video-assisted lobectomy (VAL) in resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were found to be comparable in retrospective studies, but they have not been investigated in a randomized trial setting. We conducted the RVlob trial to investigate if RAL was non-inferior to VAL in patients with resectable NSCLC.

Methods: In this single-center, open-label, and parallel-arm randomized controlled trial conducted in Ruijin Hospital (Shanghai, China) between May 2017 and May 2020, we randomly assigned patients with resectable NSCLC in a 1:1 ratio to receive either RAL or VAL.