Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Co-Infection in HIV/AIDS Individuals: Clinical Diagnosis, Consequences and Treatments.

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) was named for its role as the causative agent of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), which is MCV positive in approximately 80% of cases. MCV is classified as a Group 2A carcinogen, which promotes carcinogenesis by integrating T-antigen into the cell genome. The prevalence of anti-MCV antibodies in the general population can be as high as 90%.

[Association between serum manganese level and oral cancer: a case-control study].

Objective: To explore the relationship between serum manganese and risk of oral cancer.

Methods: Using a case-control study design, a total of 468 newly diagnosed oral cancer patients in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, who were confirmed by surgical pathology between September 2010 and January 2020, were selected as the case group. A total of 1419 patients from the hospital's physical examination population and the community's natural population during the same period were selected as the control group.

Traditional Chinese medicine Chaiqinchengqi decoction for patients with acute pancreatitis: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Chaiqinchengqi decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine, has shown promising effects in in vitro, animal and preliminary small human studies for acute pancreatitis, but evidence of clinical practice is limited.

Purpose: To investigate whether Chaiqinchengqi decoction could improve clinical outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Study Design: Prospective, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial.

The Characteristics and Functions of Orally Absorbed Herbal Decoction-Borne Plant MicroRNAs.

Herbal decoctions always contain numerous plant microRNAs, and some of these can be absorbed orally to exert cross-kingdom gene regulation. However, little is known about which specific types of herbal decoction-borne plant microRNAs are more likely to be absorbed. Thus, two antiviral herbal decoctions, Qingfei Paidu and Qingre Huashi Kangdu, were administered to human volunteers and rats, respectively, to investigate the characteristics of orally absorbed decoction-borne plant microRNAs.

Coagulopathy and acute pancreatitis: pathophysiology and clinical treatment.

Coagulopathy is a critical pathophysiological mechanism of acute pancreatitis (AP), arising from the complex interplay between innate immune, endothelial cells and platelets. Although initially beneficial for the host, uncontrolled and systemic activation of coagulation cascade in AP can lead to thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications, ranging from subclinical abnormalities in coagulation tests to severe clinical manifestations, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation. Initiation of coagulation activation and consequent thrombin generation is caused by expression of tissue factor on activated monocytes and is ineffectually offset by tissue factor pathway inhibitor.

Compromised macrophages contribute to progression of MASH to hepatocellular carcinoma in FGF21KO mice.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis is well accepted as a potential precursor of hepatocellular carcinoma. Previously, we reported that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) revealed a novel anti-inflammatory activity via inhibiting the TLR4-IL-17A signaling, which could be a potential anticarcinogenetic mechanism to prevent to MASH-HCC transition. Here, we set out to determine whether FGF21 has a major impact on Kupffer cells' (KCs) ability during MASH-HCC transition.

Mechanical Properties, Durability Performance, and Microstructure of CaO-Fly Ash Solidified Sludge from Northeast, China.

In order to investigate the influence of the CaO and fly ash (FA) dosage and proportion on the mechanical properties, durability, and microstructure of solidified sludge, freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles and dry-wet (D-W) cycles are conducted to study the change in appearance and the strength attenuation of CaO-FA solidified sludge. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) is used to analyze the microstructure of the solidified sludge with various dosages and ratios of CaO-FA. The results demonstrate that the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and direct shear strength of solidified sludge increase with the prolongation of the curing age.

Magnetic polydopamine nanoparticles as stabilisers for enzyme-Pickering emulsions: Application in the interfacial catalytic reaction of olive oil.

Solid particles are essential for stabilising Pickering emulsions and improving interfacial catalytic reactions. We constructed magnetic polydopamine nanoparticles to stabilise lipase-Pickering emulsions for olive oil deacidification. The results showed that the nanoparticles had a core-shell structure with an average particle size of 605.

A natural compound-empowered podophyllotoxin prodrug nanoassembly magnifies efficacy-toxicity benefits in cancer chemotherapy.

Small-molecule prodrug nanoassembly technology with a unique advantage in off-target toxicity reduction has been widely used for antitumor drug delivery. However, prodrug activation remains a rate-limiting step for exerting therapeutic actions, which requires to quickly reach the minimum valid concentrations of free drugs. Fortunately, we find that a natural compound (BL-193) selectively improves the chemotherapy sensitivity of breast cancer cells to podophyllotoxin (PPT) at ineffective dose concentrations.

AFP-HSP90 mediated MYC/MET activation promotes tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma and gastric cancers.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) elevation is a well-known biomarker in various diseases, particularly in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Intracellular AFP has been previously implicated in promoting tumorigenesis. In this study, we discovered that AFP enhances the stability of oncoproteins c-MYC and c-MET, thereby facilitating the progression of liver and gastric tumors.

Peptides for microbe-induced cancers: latest therapeutic strategies and their advanced technologies.

Cancer is a significant global health concern associated with multiple distinct factors, including microbial and viral infections. Numerous studies have elucidated the role of microorganisms, such as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), as well as viruses for example human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV), in the development of human malignancies.

High temperature aggravated hypoxia-induced intestine toxicity on juvenile Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis).

High temperature and hypoxia in water due to global warming threaten the growth and development of aquatic animals. In natural or cultured environments, stress usually does not occur independently, whereas the synergistic effect of high temperature and hypoxia on Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) are rarely reported. In this study, 450 juvenile crabs were equally divided into control group (24 °C ± 0.

Evidence that spatial scale and environment factors explain grassland community assembly in woodland-grassland ecotones.

How communities of living organisms assemble has long been a central question in ecology. The impact of habitat filtering and limiting similarity on plant community structures is well known, as both processes are influenced by individual responses to environmental fluctuations. Yet, the precise identifications and quantifications of the potential abiotic and biotic factors that shape community structures at a fine scale remains a challenge.

Dynamics of polarization-tuned mirror symmetry breaking in a rotationally symmetric system.

Lateral momentum conservation is typically kept in a non-absorptive rotationally symmetric system through mirror symmetry via Noether's theorem when illuminated by a homogeneous light wave. Therefore, it is still very challenging to break the mirror symmetry and generate a lateral optical force (LOF) in the rotationally symmetric system. Here, we report a general dynamic action in the SO(2) rotationally symmetric system, originating from the polarization-tuned mirror symmetry breaking (MSB) of the light scattering.

Nanoenabled intracellular zinc bursting for efficacious reversal of gefitinib resistance in lung cancer.

Following the identification of specific epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations, gefitinib, one of the first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), has proven efficacious in targeting NSCLC that is driven by specific EGFR-activating mutations. However, most patients who initially respond to gefitinib, develop acquired resistance. In the current study, we devised a novel strategy to enhance the efficacy of gefitinib.

Increased straw return promoted soil organic carbon accumulation in China's croplands over the past 40 years.

Quantifying changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks within croplands across a broad spatiotemporal scale in response to anthropogenic and environmental factors offers valuable insights for sustainable agriculture aimed to improve soil health. Using a validated and widely used soil carbon model RothC, we simulated the SOC dynamics across intensive croplands in China that support ∼22 % of the global population using only 7 % of the global cropland area. The modelling results demonstrate that the optimized RothC effectively captures SOC dynamics measured across 29 long-term field trials during 40 years.

Nanotechnology in inflammation: cutting-edge advances in diagnostics, therapeutics and theranostics.

Inflammatory dysregulation is intimately associated with the occurrence and progression of many life-threatening diseases. Accurate detection and timely therapeutic intervention on inflammatory dysregulation are crucial for the effective therapy of inflammation-associated diseases. However, the clinical outcomes of inflammation-involved disorders are still unsatisfactory.

Evidence of Cross-Kingdom Gene Regulation by Plant MicroRNAs and Possible Reasons for Inconsistencies.

The debate on whether cross-kingdom gene regulation by orally acquired plant miRNAs is possible has been ongoing for nearly 10 years without a conclusive answer. In this study, we categorized plant miRNAs into different groups, namely, extracellular vesicle (EV)-borne plant miRNAs, extracted plant miRNAs, herbal decoction-borne plant miRNAs, synthetic plant miRNA mimics, and plant tissue/juice-borne plant miRNAs. This categorization aimed to simplify the analysis and address the question more specifically.

Persistent predominance of the Victoria lineage of influenza B virus during COVID-19 epidemic in Nanchang, China.

The sentinel hospital-based influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance network was established in China since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. This network plays important roles in monitoring influenza virus variation and identifying novel respiratory pathogens. In this study, we characterized the pathogen spectrum pattern (PSP) of ILI based on three sentinel hospitals and analyzed the significant change of PSP during the COVID-19 epidemic.

What should be measured and reported in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with acute pancreatitis? A study protocol for establishing a core outcome set.

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is characterised by inflammation of the exocrine pancreas, which potentially leads to local complications and organ failure resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. A long-term follow-up by an experienced team is needed. Currently, a variety of outcome measures are used in clinical trials for patients with AP.

Interactions between flue gas desulfurization gypsum and biochar on water infiltration characteristics and physicochemical properties of saline-alkaline soil.

The application of flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) improves the soil structure, reduces soil pH, and accelerates soil salt leaching. Biochar amendment to soil can affect the soil infiltration rate, increase soil porosity, decrease soil bulk density, and enhance the water retention capacity. This study investigated the interactive effect of FGDG and biochar on water infiltration characteristics and physicochemical properties as well as determined the optimal amendment rate as a saline-alkaline soil conditioner.

Discriminating the impacts of vegetation greening and climate change on the changes in evapotranspiration and transpiration fraction over the Yellow River Basin.

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a vital parameter in terrestrial water-energy cycles. The transpiration fraction (TF) is defined as the ratio of transpiration (T) to evapotranspiration (ET), representing the contribution rate of vegetation transpiration to ecosystem ET. Quantifying the relative contributions of vegetation and climate change on the ET and TF dynamic is of great significance to better understand the water budget between the land and atmosphere.