Design, Synthesis, and Antibacterial Activity of Novel Sulfone Derivatives Containing a 1,2,4-Triazolo[4,3-]Pyridine Moiety.

To develop antibacterial agents with a novel mechanism of action, a series of sulfone compounds containing a 1,2,4-triazolo[4,3-]pyridine were designed and synthesized by progressive molecular structure optimization. The antibacterial activities of some derivatives against the four plant pathogens (), (), (), and () were evaluated. Among them, compound demonstrated significant antibacterial activities against , , and , with EC values of 1.

An AI dose-influence matrix engine for robust pencil beam scanning protons therapy.

Background: Rapid planning is of tremendous value in proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) therapy in overcoming range uncertainty. However, the dose calculation of the dose influence matrix (D) in robust PBS plan optimization is time-consuming and requires substantial acceleration to enhance efficiency.

Purpose: To accelerate the D calculations in PBS therapy, we developed an AI-D engine integrated into our in-house treatment planning system (TPS).

The effects of language dominance on the L1 and L2 tone production of Mandarin-Cantonese bilinguals.

The present study investigated the effects of language dominance on the cross-linguistic influence in the first and second languages (L1 and L2) of lexical tone production by Mandarin-Cantonese late bilinguals. Although the participants were unable to retain their L1 tonal system or to fully acquire the L2 tonal system after long-term exposure to their L2, certain correlations emerged between language dominance and tone production in L1 and L2. These findings add to the existing literature on language dominance and support the general assumption that bilinguals' two languages interfere with each other.

Sulfone derivatives containing an oxazole moiety as potential antibacterial agents: design, synthesis, antibacterial activity, and mechanism.

Background: Bacterial diseases in plants pose a serious threat to crop production, leading to substantial food loss every year. Prolonged and repeated use of a single antibacterial agent can promote resistance in pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop efficient antibacterial agents for the treatment of bacterial diseases.

Comparative clinical efficacy of "Figure-8" Banding and double-row anchor suture-bridge fixation in arthroscopic management of tibial intercondylar eminence avulsion fractures.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess and compare the clinical efficacy of "Figure-8" banding and double-row anchor suture-bridge fixation techniques in the arthroscopic management of tibial intercondylar eminence avulsion fractures.

Method: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 42 patients who underwent arthroscopic surgery for tibial intercondylar eminence fractures at our institution from June 2017 to June 2022. This cohort included 20 cases treated with "Figure-8" banding and 22 cases managed using double-row anchor suture-bridge fixation.

Revealing Gliding-Induced Structural Distortion in High-Nickel Layered Oxide Cathodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

After charging to a high state-of-charge (SoC), layered oxide cathodes exhibit high capacities but suffer from gliding-induced structural distortions caused by deep Li depletion within alkali metal (AM) layers, especially for high-nickel candidates. In this study, we identify the essential structure of the detrimental H3 phase formed at high SoC to be an intergrowth structure characterized by random sequences of the O3 and O1 slabs, where the O3 slabs represent Li-rich layers and the O1 slabs denote Li-depleted (or empty) layers that glide from the O3 slabs. Moreover, we adopt two doping strategies targeting different doping sites to eliminate the formation of Li-vacant O1 slabs.

Targeting ribosome biogenesis as a novel therapeutic approach to overcome EMT-related chemoresistance in breast cancer.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes significantly to chemotherapy resistance and remains a critical challenge in treating advanced breast cancer. The complexity of EMT, involving redundant pro-EMT signaling pathways and its paradox reversal process, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET), has hindered the development of effective treatments. In this study, we utilized a Tri-PyMT EMT lineage-tracing model in mice and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to comprehensively analyze the EMT status of tumor cells.

Influence of biceps-triceps ratio on golf swing performance.

Objective: This study examines how maintaining a straight leading arm affects the muscle strength balance between the biceps and triceps in golfers and its influence on golf performance.

Methods: We recruited 20 male participants aged 18-45, including 10 golfers and 10 non-golfers. The participants' average age was 25.

Therapeutic effects of curculigoside on cyclophosphamide-induced premature ovarian failure in mice.

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to elucidate the anti-apoptotic effects of curculigoside (CUR) on ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) in a mouse model of cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced premature ovarian failure (POF).

Method: Intraperitoneal injection of CTX (100 mg/kg body weight) induced POF in mice. Thirty-six female mice were divided into six groups: blank group; POF model group; low-dose CUR group; medium-dose CUR group; high-dose CUR group; and estradiol benzoate group.

Canonical and Noncanonical Functions of the BH3 Domain Protein Bid in Apoptosis, Oncogenesis, Cancer Therapeutics, and Aging.

Effective cancer therapy with limited adverse effects is a major challenge in the medical field. This is especially complicated by the development of acquired chemoresistance. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie these processes remains a major effort in cancer research.

Recent Advances and Outlook of Benzopyran Derivatives in the Discovery of Agricultural Chemicals.

Scaffold structures, new mechanisms of action, and targets present enormous challenges in the discovery of novel pesticides. The discovery of new scaffolds is the basis for the continuous development of modern agrochemicals. Identification of a good scaffold such as triazole, carbamate, methoxy acrylate, pyrazolamide, pyrido-pyrimidinone mesoionic, and bisamide often leads to the development of a new series of pesticides.

Common Methods for Phylogenetic Tree Construction and Their Implementation in R.

A phylogenetic tree can reflect the evolutionary relationships between species or gene families, and they play a critical role in modern biological research. In this review, we summarize common methods for constructing phylogenetic trees, including distance methods, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and tree-integration methods (supermatrix and supertree). Here we discuss the advantages, shortcomings, and applications of each method and offer relevant codes to construct phylogenetic trees from molecular data using packages and algorithms in R.

Antimicrobial Activity and Mechanisms of Punicalagin against .

This study sought to explore the antimicrobial activity of punicalagin against and its potential modes of action. ATCC 17802 and RIMD 2210633 were exposed to punicalagin, and the energy production, membrane potential, and envelope permeability, as well as the interaction with cell biomolecules, were measured using a variety of fluorescent probes combined with electrophoresis and Raman spectroscopy. Punicalagin treatment disrupted the envelope integrity and induced a decrease in intracellular ATP and pH.

Metabolomic analysis of rumen-protected branched-chain amino acids in primiparous dairy cows.

Introduction: Peripartal cows are susceptible to a negative energy balance due to inadequate nutrient intake and high energy requirements for lactation. Improving the energy metabolism of perinatal dairy cows is crucial in increasing production in dairy cows.

Methods: In this study, we investigated the impact of rumen-protected branched-chain amino acid (RPBCAA) on the production performance, energy and lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and immune function of primiparous dairy cows using metabolomics through a single-factor experiment.

Dexmedetomidine affects the NOX4/Nrf2 pathway to improve renal antioxidant capacity.

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the protective effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on renal injury caused by acute stress in rats and explore the protective pathways of DEX on rat kidneys in terms of oxidative stress.

Methods: An acute restraint stress model was utilized, where rats were restrained for 3 hours after a 15-minute swim. Biochemical tests and histopathological sections were conducted to evaluate renal function, along with the measurement of oxidative stress and related pathway proteins.

Direct Oxidative Cyclization of 3-Arylpropionic Acids to 3,4-Dihydrocoumarins: Reinvestigation of the Reaction Mechanism.

Instigated by olfactory analysis of odorant molecules, the constitutions of 3,4-dihydrocoumarins prepared by PIFA-based oxidative cyclizations of 3-arylpropionic acids were revised by means of 2D NMR and X-ray analysis. Supported by computational analysis, the migratory mechanism of intermediate spirolactonic cations has been amended: 1,2-alkyl shifts instead of 1,2-carboxylic shifts were selectively obtained.

Saponin Prevents Immune Dysfunction and Strengthens Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Function in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppressed BALB/c Mice.

The aim of this study was to explore the immunomodulatory effect of saponin (PS) in a cyclophosphamide-induced (Cy) immunosuppression mice model. Oral administration of PS by gavage effectively alleviated weight loss caused by Cy and increased the index of immune organs. PS promoted the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes and T cell subsets (CD3, CD355, CD4/CD8) and relieved the xylene-induced inflammatory response and Cy-induced increase of serum hemolysin.

Fe-MOF/AuNP-based ratiometric electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of deoxynivalenol in grain products.

A ratiometric assay was designed to improve the sensitivity and reliability of electrochemical immunosensors for deoxynivalenol (DON) detection. The indicator signal caused by the Fe-based metal-organic framework nanocomposites loaded with gold nanoparticles and the internal reference signal from the [Fe(CN)] in the electrolyte came together at the immunosensor. When immunoreactivity occurred, the indicator signals decreased as the concentration of DON increased, while the internal reference signals increased slightly.

Comparison of the gene expression profile of testicular tissue before and after sexual maturity in Qianbei Ma goats.

Background: With long-term research on the reproductive ability of Qianbei Ma goat, we found that the puberty of the male goats comes at the age of 3 months and reaches sexual maturity at 4 months,the male goats are identified as physically mature at 9 months and able to mate. Compared with other kinds of breeds of goats, Qianbei Ma goat is featured with more faster growth and earlier sexual maturity.Therefore, in order to explore the laws of growth of Qianbei Ma goat before sexual maturity(3-month-old)and after sexual maturity (9-month-old).

The effect of multiple factors on changes in organic-inorganic fractions of condensable particulate matter during coal combustion.

Condensable particulate matter (CPM) from coal combustion is the focus of current pollutant emission studies, and CPM can be divided into inorganic and organic fractions according to the component characteristics. At present, the effects of different factors in the combustion process on the organic and inorganic components of CPM have not been discussed systematically. Here, we conducted combustion experiments collected the generated CPM on a well-controlled drip tube furnace, and investigated the effects of different factors on the generation of organic and inorganic components of CPM by varying the furnace wall insulation temperature, the ratio of gas supply components and the water vapor content in the flue gas.

Quercetin Regulates Microglia M1/M2 Polarization and Alleviates Retinal Inflammation via ERK/STAT3 Pathway.

Retinal inflammation is a pivotal characteristic observed in various retinal degenerative disorders, notably age-related macular degeneration (AMD), primarily orchestrated by the activation of microglia. Targeting the inhibition of microglial activation has emerged as a therapeutic focal point. Quercetin (Qu), ubiquitously present in dietary sources and tea, has garnered attention for its anti-neuroinflammatory properties.

Risk factors for venous thromboembolism following knee arthroscopy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Objectives: To evaluate the risk factors for increased risk of venous thrombosis after arthroscopic knee surgery.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were searched from their inception to April 4, 2023. Observational studies investigated venous thrombosis following arthroscopic knee surgery were included.