Identification, Characterization, and Catalytic Mechanism of Regioselective UbiA Prenyltransferases in Morus Plants.

UbiA prenyltransferases (PTs) play an indispensable role in the prenylation of plant metabolites, yielding numerous natural products with enhanced pharmacological activities. These enzymes typically target specific carbon atoms or hydroxyl groups of aromatic substrates. Despite the recent identification of dozens of plant-derived UbiA PTs, their catalytic mechanism remains poorly understood, particularly regarding the precise control of regioselectivity.

Effect of TiC Particles on High-Temperature Properties of Al-Li Alloy and Coarsening of AlCuLi(T) Precipitates.

This study investigates the effect of TiC particles regarding the properties of aluminium-lithium alloys under high-temperature conditions, focusing on the reinforcing effect of TiC and TiB particles in the aluminium matrix and the effect on the coarsening process of T precipitates. Aluminium-lithium alloys are widely used in aerospace applications, especially as skin materials for fast vehicles, due to their excellent high specific strength and corrosion resistance. However, conventional aluminium alloys are inadequate in meeting the elevated temperature service requirements associated with supersonic flight.

Gastrodin inhibits reactive astrocyte-mediated inflammation in hypoxic-ischemic brain damage through S100B/RAGE-Smad3 signaling.

Activated astrocytes and their associated inflammatory responses play critical roles in the pathogenesis of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD). Gastrodin (GAS), an anti-inflammatory herbal agent, is known to suppress microglial activation. Here, we investigate whether it exerts a similar effect on activated astrocytes and whether it acts through S100B/RAGE-Smad3 signaling.

A portable photoelectrochemical aptasensor based on voltage-resolved dual-signal output for the determination of chloramphenicol.

Developing a ratiometric photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor that can produce cathode-anode dual photocurrent signals is still a great challenge. Herein, we report a novel portable voltage-resolved ratiometric PEC aptasensor for the determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) with a digital multimeter (DMM) and voltage and current signal generator (VCSG) readout. Ru(bpy)-BiOBr heterojunction was employed as the only photoactive material, which is switched between type II and Z - scheme by varying the bias voltage (+0.

Lipidomic Analysis of Serum Lipid Profiles in Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty and the Potential Regulatory Role of GnRHa in Lipid Metabolism.

Idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) is an endocrine disorder increasingly observed in children, commonly treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa). However, the serum lipid profiles in girls with ICPP and the potential regulatory effects of GnRHa in lipid metabolism remain unclear. This research analyzed lipidomic profiles of serum samples from girls younger than 10 years of age, including 37 patients with ICPP, 32 ICPP patients treated with GnRHa, and 30 age-matched healthy controls.

Improving Foundation Model for Endoscopy Video Analysis via Representation Learning on Long Sequences.

Recent advancements in endoscopy video analysis have relied on the utilization of relatively short video clips extracted from longer videos or millions of individual frames. However, these approaches tend to neglect the domain-specific characteristics of endoscopy data, which is typically presented as a long stream containing valuable semantic spatial and temporal information. To address this limitation, we propose EndoFM-LV, a foundation model developed under a minute-level pre-training framework upon long endoscopy video sequences.

Ultra-Low Bitrate Face Video Compression Based on Conversions from 3D Keypoints to 2D Motion Map.

How to compress face video is a crucial problem for a series of online applications, such as video chat/conference, live broadcasting and remote education. Compared to other natural videos, these face-centric videos owning abundant structural information can be compactly represented and high-quality reconstructed via deep generative models, such that the promising compression performance can be achieved. However, the existing generative face video compression schemes are faced with the inconsistency between the 3D facial motion in the physical world and the face content evolution in the 2D view.

Coexistence of Direct and Indirect Crystallographic Pathways in Deoxidation of Molybdenum(VI) Oxide Nanowires.

Molybdenum oxide (MoO)-based materials have attracted considerable attention due to their significant applications in catalysis and optoelectronics. However, the introduction of oxygen vacancies into MoO materials under working conditions inevitably results in drastic changes in their properties and performance. Therefore, it is imperative to comprehend the deoxidation process of MoO in controlled environments.

Off-label use of recombinant activated factor VII in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis patients with major bleeding.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a fatal multi-systemic disorder. Patients with HLH are more prone to bleeding, which implies a poor outcome. The objective was to investigate the efficacy of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) in major intractable bleeding of HLH.

Reinforcement learning selects multimodal locomotion strategies for bioinspired microswimmers.

Natural microswimmers exhibit multimodal locomotion strategies to achieve versatile navigation tasks such as finding nutrient sources, avoiding danger and migrating to new habitats. These multimodal locomotion strategies typically involve complex coordination of cell actuators (, flagella) to generate translation, rotation and combined motions. Yet, it is generally difficult to establish a simple relationship between actuation and locomotion strategies due to the complex hydrodynamic coupling between the swimmer and the surrounding fluid.

S2 strain inhibits IRE1/caspase-12/caspase-3 pathway-mediated apoptosis of microglia HMC3 by affecting the ubiquitination of CALR.

Neurobrucellosis represents a severe complication of brucellosis, posing a considerable risk to human health and quality of life. This condition arises from an increased susceptibility to chronic infection, a significant clinical challenge. One key factor contributing to chronic neurobrucellosis is the regulation of microglial apoptosis by ; however, the exact molecular mechanisms remain largely unresolved.

[Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Streptococcus mitis Causing Bloodstream Infection in Children with Hematological Disease].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors, clinical characteristics, and bacterial resistance of bloodstream infections caused by in children with hematological disease, so as to provide a reference for infection control.

Methods: The clinical information and laboratory findings of pediatric patients complicated with blood cultures positive for from January 2018 to December 2020 in the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital were searched and collected. The clinical characteristics, susceptibility factors, and antibiotic resistance of the children were retrospectively analyzed.

Tumor Microenvironment-Responsive Nanodrug for Embolotherapy and Enhanced Chemotherapy.

Embolotherapy is an effective antitumor method, which essentially blocks the oxygen supply and induces hypoxia to treat tumors; however, traditional practices demand high expertise and harbor risks of complications. This study presents a mesoporous polydopamine-based (MPDA) drug delivery platform modified by engineered fusion proteins, which can specifically embolize tumor blood vessels and deliver the hypoxia-activated prodrug tirapazamine (TPZ). The fusion protein consists of an affibody targeting HER-2, a substrate for MMP-2, an RGD tripeptide, and a truncated tissue factor (tTF), which is then connected to MPDA loaded with TPZ.

Simultaneous Visualization of Dynamical and Static Tactile Perception Using Piezoelectric-Ultrasonic Bimodal Electronic Skin Based on Polarized PVDF-TrFE/2DBP Composites and the TFT Array.

The key to realizing completed bionic tactile perception of human skin using electronic skin relies on simultaneously distinguishing dynamic and static stimuli and restoring their characteristic information, which is realized by integration of several individual sensors but remains certain limitations including large physical size and high energy consumption. In this study, a piezoelectric-ultrasonic bimodal electronic skin (PUVE) based on polarized PVDF-TrFE/2DBP composites and a thin-film transistor (TFT) array is fabricated. The incorporation of 2DBP into the PVDF-TrFE film and the polarization approach provide excellent piezoelectric and ultrasonic performances of PVDF-TrFE/2DBP composites.

Eco-microbiology: discovering biochemical enhancers of PET biodegradation by .

Unlabelled: The scale of plastic pollution boggles the mind. Nearly 400 megatons of virgin plastics are produced annually, with an environmental release rate of 80%, and plastic waste, including microplastics and nanoplastics, is associated with a plethora of problems. The naturally evolved abilities of plastic-degrading microbes offer a starting point for generating sustainable and eco-centric solutions to plastic pollution-a field of endeavor we term eco-microbiology.

Ketamine-associated upper urinary tract dysfunction: What we know from current literature.

Objective: To review the current literature on ketamine-associated upper urinary tract (UUT) dysfunction and provide an overview of its pathogenesis and treatment principles.

Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Cochrane databases for relevant articles published in English between 2008 and 2023. Keywords used included "ketamine" and "upper urinary tract".

Capilliposide A relieved dry age-related macular degeneration through ROS/SIRT1/P53 signaling pathway.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of vision impairment in the elderly, which still lacks efficient treatment. Capilliposide A (LC-A), a saponin-type anti-inflammation compound extracted from Lysimachia capillipes Hemsl, were used for investigating its anti-AMD effects. The cell viability of LC-A against ARPE-19 cell lines were detected by CCK8 assay.

Ntoco Promotes Ferroptosis via Hnrnpab-Mediated NF-κB/Lcn2 Axis Following Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice.

Objective: Emerging evidence highlights the involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and ferroptosis in the pathogenesis of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the regulatory role of lncRNAs in TBI-induced ferroptosis remains poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the role of a specific lncRNA, noncoding transcript of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 4 (Ccl4) overlapping (Ntoco), in the regulation of ferroptosis following TBI and explore its potential as a therapeutic target.

Irisin Mitigates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation via Modulation of the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 Pathway.

Purpose: Doxorubicin (DOX), an anthracycline antibiotic, has limited clinical use due to its pronounced cardiotoxicity. Irisin, a myokine known for its metabolic regulation, has shown therapeutic effects on cardiovascular disease. This study investigates the potential cardioprotective function of irisin in reducing the cardiac injury induced by DOX.

SIRT6 Ameliorates Cancer Cachexia-Associated Adipose Wasting by Suppressing TNFR2 Signalling in Mice.

Background: Cachexia is a wasting syndrome associated with imbalanced energy metabolism and loss of adipose and muscle tissues and contributes to morbidity and mortality in ageing as well as in patients with severe chronic diseases, including cancer. At present, there are no treatments addressing cachexia that have reached validation to be used in the clinic. In this study, we investigate the protective role of SIRT6, an important regulator of energy homeostasis and health preservation, against Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC)-induced cachexia.

OUFR Versus FFR for Functional Assessment of Coronary Artery Stenosis in Patients With Unstable Angina.

Background: Hybrid intravascular ultrasound-optical coherence tomography (IVUS-OCT) imaging can integrate both advantages. Optical ultrasonic flow ratio (OUFR) was recently developed for functional assessment.

Objectives: This study aimed to verify the diagnostic performance of OUFR using fractional flow reserve (FFR) as the reference standard.

High-sensitive detection of Li and Zn in aqueous solutions using capillary effect-enhanced laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

To ensure the safe operation of pressurized water reactors, the real-time and high-sensitive monitoring of Li and Zn in primary cooling water is required. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a real-time analytical method with great application potential for elemental monitoring in primary cooling water. However, when LIBS directly detects liquids, plasma quenching will reduce the detection sensitivity.

Elucidating Local Confinement in Crowded Polymer Solutions Within Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) Through Single Particle Tracking Toward Deeper Understanding of Cells.

In a crowded environment, macromolecules occupy a significant proportion volume of cells to repulse other molecules in HO-rich phase domains. These HO-rich phase domains have been found to significantly influence material transportation and biochemical reactions. However, the accurate quantification of the size of these domains remains a challenge.

Neural network powered microscopic system for cataract surgery.

Phacoemulsification with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is a widely used effective treatment for cataracts. However, the surgical outcome relies heavily on precise operations with marked eye location and orientation, which ideally require a high-precision navigation system for complete guidance of surgical procedure. However, both research and current commercial surgical microscopes still face substantial challenges in handling various complex clinical scenarios.

Two dimensional MoS accelerates mechanically controlled polymerization and remodeling of hydrogel.

Self-remodeling material can change their physical properties based on mechanical environment. Recently, mechanically controlled polymerization using mechanoredox catalyst enabled composite materials to undergo a permanent structural change, thereby enhancing their mechanical strength. However, a significant delay in material's response was observed due to the sluggish activation of the bulk catalyst for polymerization.