Innovative Ricin Toxin Detection: Unraveling Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Lyase Activity and Developing Fluorescence Sensors.

Ricin toxin (RT) is a potential bioterrorism agent because of its high potency, extremely small lethal dose, ease of preparation, and notable stability. Therefore, a portable method is urgently required to efficiently detect and determine the presence of toxicity of RT and evaluate its potency for public health monitoring and counter-bioterrorism responses. Currently, enzyme-based assays for detecting RT mainly focus on its -glycosidase activity.

Prevalence of malnutrition among adult inpatients in China: a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Malnutrition substantially contributes to adverse clinical outcomes. However, no national survey has been conducted to characterize its epidemiology in hospital settings in China. We conducted the China Nutrition Fundamental Data 2020 project among a multistage stratified cluster sample of adult inpatients from 291 study sites across 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities (except for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan Province, and the Xizang Autonomous Region, please see MATERIALS AND METHODS for details of the causes) of China to generate reliable data on the prevalence of malnutrition and explore the associated risk factors.

PRMT1-methylated MSX1 phase separates to control palate development.

Little is known about the regulation and function of phase separation in craniofacial developmental disorders. MSX1 mutations are associated with human cleft palate, the most common craniofacial birth defect. Here, we show that MSX1 phase separation is a vertebrate-conserved mechanism underlying embryonic palatal fusion.

Thermoresponsive dual-network chitosan-based hydrogels with demineralized bone matrix for controlled release of rhBMP9 in the treatment of femoral head osteonecrosis.

In an effort to mitigate or reverse the pathological progression of early-stage osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), this study employed a promising strategy that involves the sustained delivery of osteogenic factors to augment core decompression, facilitated by the use of composite hydrogels. Specifically, a hydrogel was synthesized by blending chitosan, Pluronic F-127, and tripolyphosphate, utilizing both ionic bonding and copolymer micelle cross-linking techniques. This hydrogel demonstrated exceptional biocompatibility, temperature responsiveness, pH-dependent biodegradation, and controlled release properties.

[Clinical observation on rapid relief of dyspnea in juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis treated with bevacizumab].

To evaluate the efficacy of bevacizumab in reducing dyspnea, avoiding tracheostomy, and assessing the overall safety and effectiveness of the treatment in patients with juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JORRP). This study included 19 patients with JORRP treated with Bevacizumab at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, BenQ Medical Center, from March 2022 to June 2024. The age of patients ranged from 1.

M2 macrophages regulate nucleus pulposus cell extracellular matrix synthesis through the OPN-CD44 axis in intervertebral disc degeneration.

Objective: Macrophages play a crucial role in various physiological processes. In intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), macrophage infiltration has been observed in human intervertebral disc (IVD) specimens, but how macrophages influence IDD remains unclear.

Methods: According to the single-cell transcriptome expression profiles from GSE165722, we verified the infiltration of macrophages in IDD and the possible interaction between infiltrated macrophages and nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs).

The CC motif chemokine ligand 11 contributes to alcoholic liver disease.

Aims: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is characterized by aberrant lipid metabolism and chronic inflammation that eventually give rise to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the present study we investigated the contribution of CC motif chemokine ligand 11 (CCL11) to the ALD pathogenesis.

Methods And Materials: ALD was induced in mice by binge ethanol gavage or chronic ethanol feeding.

Protective effect of ulinastatin against negative inflammatory response and organ dysfunction in acute aortic dissection surgery: The PANDA trial.

Ulinastatin is a protease-inhibiting drug with anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological properties. Little is known regarding its role following acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) surgery. We perform a randomized controlled trial to investigate the protective effect of ulinastatin against negative inflammatory response and organ dysfunction in ATAAD surgery (PANDA).

Targeted therapy for glioblastoma utilizing hyaluronic acid-engineered liposomes for adriamycin delivery.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant tumor with highly heterogeneous and invasive characteristics leading to a poor prognosis. The CD44 molecule, which is highly expressed in GBM, has emerged as a highly sought-after biological marker. Therapeutic strategies targeting the cell membrane protein CD44 have emerged, demonstrating novel therapeutic potential.

Comparison of upper airway volume and hyoid position after camouflage orthodontic or orthodontic-orthognathic treatment in patients with skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusion with normal-angle vertical pattern.

Objectives: This study aims to compare the effects of two orthodontic treatment modalities for skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusion on specific changes in airway volume, morphology, palatal angle, mandibular rotation, and bone displacement. Results provide scientific evidence for the selection of orthodontic treatment plans and reduce the risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Methods: Thirty-six patients diagnosed with skeletal class Ⅲ malocclusion at the Department of Orthodontics, the Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from September 2018 to December 2023 were divided into two groups: orthodontic-orthognathic treatment group (18 patients) and camouflage orthodontic treatment group (18 patients).

Effects of initial periodontal therapy on the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps in gingival crevicular fluid in patients with severe periodontitis.

Objectives: This study aimed to observe the effects of initial periodontal therapy on the level of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with severe periodontitis and to analyze the factors related to the formation of NETs.

Methods: Thirty-one patients with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ periodontitis were recruited. Clinical periodontal parameters, including plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD), and clinical atta-chment loss (CAL), were recorded before and 6-8 weeks after initial periodontal therapy.

Temporal and Spatial Metabolic Shifts Revealing the Transition from Ulcerative Colitis to Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer.

Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) have a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), however, the metabolic shifts during the UC-to-CRC transition remain elusive. In this study, an AOM-DSS-induced three-stage colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) model is constructed and targeted metabolomics analysis and pathway enrichment are performed, uncovering the metabolic changes in this transition. Spatial metabolic trajectories in the "normal-to-normal adjacent tissue (NAT)-to-tumor" transition, and temporal metabolic trajectories in the "colitis-to-dysplasia-to-carcinoma" transition are identified through K-means clustering of 74 spatially and 77 temporally differential metabolites, respectively.

Ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI with quantitative perfusion parameters in differentiating breast cancer: a study focusing on triple-negative and HER2 positive breast cancer.

Background: In the realm of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, accurately discerning molecular subtypes is of paramount importance, especially when aiming to avoid invasive tests. The updated guidelines for diagnosing and treating HER2 positive advanced breast cancer, as presented at the 2021 National Breast Cancer Conference and the Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, highlight the significance of this approach. A new generation of drug-antibody combinations has emerged, expanding the array of treatment options for HER2 positive advanced breast cancer and significantly improving patient survival rates.

Disparities in cancer-related financial toxicity across economically diverse provinces in China: A multi-center cross-sectional study.

Objective: China's diverse economic landscape across its regions may contribute to disparities in cancer-related financial toxicity (FT), but empirical evidence is lacking. This study examined regional disparities in cancer-related FT across economically diverse provinces in China.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients with cancer from six tertiary and six secondary hospitals across three Chinese provinces with varying economic statuses (high-, middle-, and low-income).

Potential biomarkers for cerebral small vessel disease with cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a common factor in age-related diseases such as stroke and dementia, and about half of dementia patients worldwide are caused by CSVD. CSVD-related cognitive impairment (CSVD-CI) affects more and more elderly people, resulting in economic losses and burdens on families and society. In recent years, circulating biomarkers have made breakthroughs and played an increasingly important role in the diagnosis, progression, and prognosis of CSVD-associated cognitive impairment, and are expected to be applied to the early clinical detection, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with cerebral small vessel disease.

Using multimodal ultrasound technology to improve the success rate of liver tumor puncture for lesions with poor visibility on conventional ultrasound imaging.

Background: The ability of conventional ultrasound (US)-guided liver biopsy to visualize certain liver lesions, particularly those affected by conditions like hepatitis or cirrhosis, which can obscure lesion boundaries and lead to inaccurate biopsy targeting, is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of multimodal US techniques to improve the visibility of liver lesions that are indistinct under conventional US, and to enhance the success rate of percutaneous biopsies.

Methods: In total, 144 patients with liver masses and lesions that were not clearly visible on conventional US from October 2018 to January 2024 were enrolled in this retrospective analysis.

Altered effective connectivity in Parkinson's disease patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study and support vector machine analysis.

Background: Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is associated with pathological α-synuclein deposition and may have different damage directions due to α-synuclein spreading orientations. Recent functional imaging studies of Parkinson's disease (PD) with RBD have identified abnormalities in connectivity, but effective connectivity (EC) for this altered orientation is understudied. Here, we aimed to explore altered intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) and EC in PD patients with probable RBD (pRBD).

Unveiling the Intratumor Microbiome in Liver Cancer: Current Insights and Prospective Applications.

The role of the gut microbiome in the development and progression of liver cancer has long been recognized. However, the presence of microbes in tumors that were previously considered sterile has only recently been discovered. The intratumor microbiome in liver cancer likely originates from various sources, including the gut, hematogenous spread from other mucosal locations, adjacent non-cancerous tissues, and co-metastasis with the tumor cells.

Multiplex immunohistochemistry to explore the tumor immune microenvironment in HCC patients with different GPC3 expression.

Objectives: GPC3 has been recognized as a promising target for immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the GPC3-targeted immunotherapies have shown limited therapeutic efficacy. The use of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies in HCC treatment is considerably constrained.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes of Group B Streptococcus colonization: a retrospective study.

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonization is one of the major causes of severe neonatal infections. The study was intended to identify GBS colonization in pregnant women, explore its potential risk factors, and analyze the impact of GBS on outcomes for both mothers and newborns.

Material And Methods: A retrospective research was carried out on pregnant women who had undergone GBS screening and delivered from June 2020 to December 2022.

S-ketamine alleviates morphine-induced hyperalgesia via decreasing the gut Enterobacteriaceae levels: Comparison with R-ketamine.

Background: Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) is a serious complication during the pain treatment. Ketamine has been commonly reported to treat OIH, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Gut microbiota is recently recognized as one of the important mechanisms underlying the occurrence and treatment of OIH.

Unraveling the genetic links between depression and type 2 diabetes.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disorder that has high comorbidity with mental disorders. The genetic relationships between T2D and depression are far from being well understood.

Methods: We performed genetic correlation, polygenic overlap, Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses, cross-trait meta-analysis, and Bayesian colocalization analysis to assess genetic relationships between T2D and depression, in the forms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and depressed affect (DAF).

New strategy for the utilization of invasive species: A tert-butylhydroquinone electrochemical platform based on Solidago canadensis L.

Tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is a widely used synthetic phenolic antioxidant found in edible oils and other fried foods. Nevertheless, the excess use of TBHQ can reduce food quality and impact public health. In this paper, we reported the synthesis of a nanocomposite consisting of carbon and nitrogen co-doped nickel oxide (NiO-N/C-700), which was used to modify a pencil graphite electrode for the sensitive detection of TBHQ.

LPCAT1 reduces inflammatory response, apoptosis and barrier damage of nasal mucosal epithelial cells caused by allergic rhinitis through endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Allergic rhinitis (AR), common in children and adolescents, involves Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1) catalyzing surfactant lipid biosynthesis and suppressing endoplasmic reticulum expression. However, the precise mechanism underlying the impact of LPCAT1 on epithelial cell damage in AR remains elusive. Hence, the present investigation elucidated the potential effect of LPCAT1 on epithelial cell damage in AR by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Single-cell sequencing revealed the necessity of macrophages in brain microenvironment remodeling by breast cancer metastasis.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, 30-50 % of patients with advanced breast cancer develop brain metastasis, causing severe damage to their life quality. Due to the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), brain lesions were recognized to be a unique microenvironment with limited infiltration of circulating immune cells and drugs. However, emerging studies reported the immunology of the brain tumor microenvironment (TME) and indicated the potential of immunotherapy against brain metastases.