Mechanisms and Origins of Regioselectivity in Rare-Earth-Catalyzed C-H Functionalization of Anisoles and Thioanisoles.

The direct catalytic C-H functionalization of aromatic compounds such as anisoles and thioanisoles is of great interest and significance. However, achieving precise regioselectivity remains a major challenge. In this study, we conducted comprehensive density functional theory calculations to explore the mechanisms of rare-earth-catalyzed regioselective C-H alkylation, borylation, and silylation of anisole and thioanisole.

Rapid Authentication of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives by Coupling Portable Raman Spectroscopy with Machine Learning.

Background: Plant-based milk alternatives (PBMA) are increasingly popular due to rising lactose intolerance and environmental concerns over traditional dairy products. However, limited efforts have been made to develop rapid authentication methods to verify their biological origin.

Objective: In this study, we developed a rapid, on-site analytical method for the authentication and identification of PBMA made by six different plant species utilizing a portable Raman spectrometer coupled with machine learning.

AJGM: Joint Learning of Heterogeneous Gene Networks with Adaptive Graphical Model.

Motivation: Inferring gene networks provides insights into biological pathways and functional relationships among genes. When gene expression samples exhibit heterogeneity, they may originate from unknown subtypes, prompting the utilization of mixture Gaussian graphical model for simultaneous subclassification and gene network inference. However, this method overlooks the heterogeneity of network relationships across subtypes and does not sufficiently emphasize shared relationships.

Heterogeneous cellular responses to hyperthermia support combined intraperitoneal hyperthermic immunotherapy for ovarian cancer mouse models.

The benefit of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in ovarian cancer remains controversial, hindering the development of rational combination therapies based on hyperthermia (HT). This study reports the preliminary results of the neoadjuvant HIPEC (NHIPEC) trial (ChiCTR2000038173), demonstrating enhanced tumor response in high-grade serous ovarian cancer with NHIPEC. Through single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, we identified both homogeneous and heterogeneous cellular responses to HT within the tumor and microenvironment.

A flexible pressure sensor array for self-powered identity authentication during typing.

The keyboard, a staple tool for information entry and human-machine interaction, faces demands for enhanced information security due to evolving internet technologies. This study introduces a self-powered flexible intelligent keyboard (SFIK) that harnesses the giant magnetoelastic effect to convert the mechanical pressure from key presses into electrical signals. The sensor boasts a wide sensing range (35 to 600 kPa) and a rapid response time (∼300 ms), allowing it to record and recognize individual keystroke dynamics.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) TDP43 negatively regulates PKZ-IRF3-mediated IFN I response.

Transactive response DNA binding protein 43 kD (TDP43), encoded by the tardbp gene, is a member of heterogenous nuclear ribonucleoproteins family. In this study, a gradual upregulation of TDP43 messenger RNA was observed in either Ctenopharyngodon idella kidney cells or zebrafish following stimulation with B-DNA, grass carp reovirus, or spring viremia of carp virus. Moreover, grass carp reovirus stimulation enhances the dimerization, phosphorylation, and cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation of TDP43 in zebrafish (DrTDP43).

Single-Bacterium Diagnosis via Terahertz Near-Field Dielectric Nanoimaging.

Single-bacterium diagnostic methods with unprecedented precision and rapid turnaround times are promising tools for facilitating the transition from empirical treatment to personalized anti-infection treatment. Terahertz (THz) radiation, a cutting-edge technology for identifying pathogens, enables the label-free and non-destructive detection of intermolecular vibrational modes and bacterial dielectric properties. However, this individual dielectric property-based detection and the mismatched spatial resolution are limited for the single-bacterium identification of various species of pathogens.

The causal effects of inflammatory bowel disease on its ocular manifestations: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Observational studies have shown that ocular manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are common extraintinal manifestations, among which iridocyclitis, scleritis and episcleritis are the most common. However, whether there is a causal relationship between the two is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the causality of IBD on ocular manifestations using the mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Quad-Nanopore Array Enables High-Resolution Identification of Four Single-Stranded DNA Homopolymers.

The solid-state nanopore technique holds the potential to develop mechanically stable and miniaturized DNA sequencing devices. However, the limited temporal resolution due to the high electric field inside the nanopore and the lack of an effective speed control strategy have hindered the realization of sequencing. Here, we reported a quad-array (four nanopores milled with ∼30 nm interpore spacing as a detection unit) that induced a redistribution of the electric field inside and outside the nanopore array and offered high-resolution discrimination of four ssDNA homopolymer types.

BackMix: Regularizing Open Set Recognition by Removing Underlying Fore-Background Priors.

Open set recognition (OSR) requires models to classify known samples while detecting unknown samples for real-world applications. Existing studies show impressive progress using unknown samples from auxiliary datasets to regularize OSR models, but they have proved to be sensitive to selecting such known outliers. In this paper, we discuss the aforementioned problem from a new perspective: Can we regularize OSR models without elaborately selecting auxiliary known outliers? We first empirically and theoretically explore the role of foregrounds and backgrounds in open set recognition and disclose that: 1) backgrounds that correlate with foregrounds would mislead the model and cause failures when encounters 'partially' known images; 2) Backgrounds unrelated to foregrounds can serve as auxiliary known outliers and provide regularization via global average pooling.

Visible-light-mediated photocatalytic aerobic oxidative synthesis of pyrazolo[4,3-]pyrimidin-7(6)-ones and sildenafil.

A novel, efficient and sustainable methodology involving visible-light-mediated construction of pyrazolo[4,3-]pyrimidin-7(6)-ones from easily available 4-amino-1-methyl-3-propyl-1-pyrazole-5-carboxamide and aldehydes in the presence of 4CzIPN under an oxygen atmosphere has been developed. This photocatalytic system worked under mild conditions and avoided the use of any excess amount of toxic oxidants and transition metals. A variety of functionalized products were obtained in good to excellent yields.

System metabolic engineering modification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to increase SAM production.

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) is an important compound with significant pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. Currently, microbial fermentation is dominant in SAM production, which remains challenging due to its complex biosynthetic pathway and insufficient precursor availability. In this study, a multimodule engineering strategy based on CRISPR/Cas9 was established to improve the SAM productivity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Dietary risk factors in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis: a cohort study with paired healthy relatives as controls.

Purpose: Conflicting results have been reported on dietary factors in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Here, we compared the dietary intakes of IBD patients with those of paired healthy relatives (HRs), aiming to minimize the impact of genetic and environmental confounders.

Methods: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD, N = 45) and ulcerative colitis (UC, N = 20), their paired HRs (N = 45, N = 20) and healthy non-relative (HNR, N = 25, N = 55) controls were recruited.

Responses of cotton growth, physiology, and soil properties to polyethylene microplastics in arid areas.

Microplastics (MPs), as a global environmental issue, have unclear impacts on agricultural ecosystems. Cotton, as a major agricultural crop in Xinjiang, requires plastic film covering to ensure its yield. The widespread use of plastic film (commonly made of polyethylene) in cotton cultivation has led to significant concerns about microplastic pollution in cotton fields.

Artificial intelligence-based automated surgical workflow recognition in esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection: an international multicenter study (with video).

Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a crucial yet challenging multi-phase procedure for treating early gastrointestinal cancers. This study developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based automated surgical workflow recognition model for esophageal ESD and proposed an innovative training program based on esophageal ESD videos with or without AI labels to evaluate its effectiveness for trainees.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed complete ESD videos collected from seven hospitals worldwide between 2016 and 2024.

New perspectives on the taste mechanisms of umami and bitter peptides in low-salt fermented fish sauce based on peptidomics, molecular docking and molecular dynamics.

Umami and bitter peptides generated by microbial metabolism are essential to the taste of low-salt fish sauce. However, the uncertain taste mechanisms of peptides hinder the efficient identification of high-intensity taste peptides in fish sauce. Our study investigated the taste mechanisms of umami or bitter peptides from low-salt fish sauce fermented with .

Development and validation of a nomogram model based on vascular entry sign for predicting lymphovascular invasion in gastric cancer.

Background: To evaluate the predictive value of a nomogram based on the vascular entry sign for lymphovascular invasion in gastric cancer.

Methods: A total of 135 patients with histopathologically confirmed gastric cancer from August 2021 to November 2022 were enrolled. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced CT scans.

Low-Cost, Facile, and Scalable Manufacturing of Single-Molecule-Integrated Catalytic Electrodes.

To surmount the shortcomings of powder-based catalysts and small electrode sizes, the development of meter-scale integrated electrode materials is essential for practical electrocatalytic applications, which requires fine control over the effective surface grafting of catalytic active sites on large-size electrodes as well as addressing the challenge of balancing cost-effective and large-scale manufacturing with highly active and stable operation. Herein, we report a low-cost, facile, and scalable method for directly constructing meter-scale single-molecule-integrated catalytic electrodes using commercially available, flexible, and size-tailored conductive carbon textiles (e.g.

Two-Year Hypertension Incidence Risk Prediction in Populations in the Desert Regions of Northwest China: Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Hypertension is a major global health issue and a significant modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, contributing to a substantial socioeconomic burden due to its high prevalence. In China, particularly among populations living near desert regions, hypertension is even more prevalent due to unique environmental and lifestyle conditions, exacerbating the disease burden in these areas, underscoring the urgent need for effective early detection and intervention strategies.

Objective: This study aims to develop, calibrate, and prospectively validate a 2-year hypertension risk prediction model by using large-scale health examination data collected from populations residing in 4 regions surrounding the Taklamakan Desert of northwest China.

Lifei Qingchang Tang attenuates acute lung injury the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

Acute lung injury (ALI) has high morbidity and mortality. Lifei Qingchang Tang (LFQCT), a traditional Chinese medicine, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties but its mechanism in ALI remains unclear. , LFQCT reduced intracellular Ca, ROS, and NO in LPS-induced RAW 264.

Cellular Senescence in the Regenerative Niche Hampers Skeletal Muscle Repair.

With the growing interest in skeletal muscle diseases, understanding the processes, factors, and treatments associated with muscle regeneration is crucial. Skeletal muscle regeneration is a complex process that largely depends on the niche composed of cell populations, such as satellite cells, and their microenvironment. Cellular senescence is associated with various physiological processes and age-related diseases and plays a significant role in the muscle regeneration niche.

Molecular Chain Interpenetration-Enabled High Interfacial Compatibility of Ionic and Electronic Conductors for Stretchable Ionic Devices.

Ionic devices find applications such as flexible electronics and biomedicines and function by exploiting hybrid circuits of mobile ions and electrons. However, the poor interfacial compatibility of hard electronic conductors with soft ionic conductors in ionic devices leads to low deformability, sensitivity, electromechanical responses, and stability. Herein, an interpenetrating interface between silicone-modified polyurethane/carbon nanotube electronic conductors and ionoelastomers in an ionic device using in situ polymerization is fabricated.

High-Capacity Volumetric Methane Storage in Hyper-Cross-Linked Porous Polymers via Flexibility Engineering of Building Units.

Adsorbed natural gas (ANG) storage is emerging as a promising alternative to traditional compressed and liquefied storage methods. However, its onboard application is restricted by low volumetric methane storage capacity. Flexible porous adsorbents offer a potential solution, as their dense structures and unique gate-opening effects are well-suited to enhance volumetric capacity under high pressures.