Harnessing nuclear receptors to modulate hepatic stellate cell activation for liver fibrosis resolution.

With the recent approval of Resmetirom as the first drug targeting nuclear receptors for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), there is promising way to treat MASH-associated liver fibrosis. However, liver fibrosis can arise from various pathogenic factors, and effective treatments for fibrosis due to other causes remain elusive. The activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) represents a central link in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis.

Wastewater-based monitoring of antipyretics use during COVID-19 outbreak in China and its associated ecological risks.

At the end of 2022, a sudden policy shift in China triggered an unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak that led to a dramatic increase in the consumption of antipyretics. In this study, the occurrence of the two most commonly used antipyretics (ibuprofen and paracetamol) and their metabolites were analyzed in the wastewater of nine major cities in China, covering the periods before, during, and after the policy change. The remarkable surge after the policy change for ibuprofen and paracetamol reached 67 times (in Nanning) and 311 times (in Lanzhou) compared to pre-pandemic levels, respectively.

The characteristics of phthalate acid esters and bisphenol A in PM of a petrochemical city: Concentrations, compositions, and health risk assessment in Dongying.

Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) and bisphenol A (BPA) are recognized as common endocrine disruptors associated with various adverse effects on human health. However, limitations in existing systematic studies, particularly in air detection, have raised concerns about potential health risks from inhalation exposure. In this study, PM samples were collected in Dongying, a petrochemical city, from October 27 to December 6, 2021.

Protective effects of Sulforaphene on kidney damage and gut dysbiosis in high-fat diet plus streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious and prevalent complications associated with diabetes. Consequently, antidiabetic drugs or foods potentially protecting the kidneys are of significant therapeutic value. Sulforaphene (SFE) is a natural isothiocyanate derived from radish seeds, known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

The causal relationship of cigarette smoking to metabolic disease risk and the possible mediating role of gut microbiota.

Background: Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable death worldwide, with its associated diseases and conditions. Emerging evidence suggests that cigarette smoking contributes to a range of pathological metabolic injuries, including diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The impact of gut microbiota on metabolic health and diseases has been observed, but the causality remains uncertain.

Predicting upper limb motor recovery in subacute stroke patients via fNIRS-measured cerebral functional responses induced by robotic training.

Background: Neural activation induced by upper extremity robot-assisted training (UE-RAT) helps characterize adaptive changes in the brains of poststroke patients, revealing differences in recovery potential among patients. However, it remains unclear whether these task-related neural activities can effectively predict rehabilitation outcomes. In this study, we utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure participants' neural activity profiles during resting and UE-RAT tasks and developed models via machine learning to verify whether task-related functional brain responses can predict the recovery of upper limb motor function.

Three-dimensional printing technology for the positioning of the reconstructed auricle in microtia reconstruction.

Backgound: The positioning of the reconstructed ear in ear reconstruction is a crucial step that directly affects the surgical outcome.This study employs the residual ear tissue as a reference, in conjunction with three-dimensional(3D)printing model of the normal ear's mirror image corresponding to the microtia ear, to facilitate precise positioning during the reconstruction of the ear.

Methods: This study established a 3D model group and a control group.

Anti-hepatoma effect of homologous delivery of doxorubicin by HepG2 cells.

Compared to conventional polymer-based and biomaterial carriers, cells as vehicles for delivering bioactive molecules in the treatment of tumor diseases offer characteristics such as non-toxicity, biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and prolonged in vivo circulation. However, the focus of current cell drug delivery systems predominantly lies on live cells, such as red blood cells, white blood cells and others. Here, a drug delivery strategy targeting liver cancer utilizing cryo-shocked liver cancer cells (HepG2) as carriers was presented, and non-proliferative HepG2 cells particles loaded with DOX (HepG2-DOX) was effectively prepared, which has good homologous targeting.

CircDUSP16 mediates the effect of triple-negative breast cancer in pirarubicin via the miR-1224-3p/TFDP2 axis.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive molecular subtype of breast cancer characterized by a high recurrence rate, poor prognosis, and elevated mortality. Identifying novel molecular targets is crucial for developing more effective therapeutic strategies against TNBC. Recent studies have highlighted the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the progression of TNBC.

Food labelling and Chinese consumer preference for naturalness - A new way to differentiate grass-fed dairy products.

Due to the lack of recognized differentiation for grass-fed dairy products, producers of quality products have failed to capture consumer premium. This study investigates Chinese consumers' preference for the naturalness attributes of grass-fed dairy products as potential criteria for product differentiation of grass-fed milk. We examine how grazing conditions (e.

The Holobiont concept in ruminant physiology - more of the same, or something new and meaningful to food quality, food security, and animal health?

The holobiont concept has emerged as an attempt to recognize and describe the myriad interactions and physiological signatures inherent to a host organism, as impacted by the microbial communities that colonize and/or co-inhabit the environment within which the host resides. The field acknowledges and draws upon principles from evolution, ecology, genetics, and biology, and in many respects has been "pushed" by the advent of high throughput DNA sequencing and, to a lesser extent, other "omics"-based technologies. Despite the explosion in data generation and analyses, much of our current understanding of the human and ruminant "holobiont" is based on compositional forms of data and thereby, restricted to describing host phenotypes via associative or correlative studies.

380 MPa-30% grade biodegradable Zn-Mn-Mg-Ca alloy: Bimodal grain structure, large work-hardening strain, and enhanced biocompatibility.

Strain softening is a common issue for high-strength biodegradable Zn alloys. We developed Zn-0.6Mn-0.

Sleep quality and incident hypertension.

Introduction And Objectives: Poor sleep quality poses significant public health challenges worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the association between sleep quality and the risk of hypertension.

Methods: The study analyzed 284 250 adults from the UK Biobank (UKB) and 6104 participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) without hypertension at baseline.

Microplastics Aggravate the Adverse Effects of Methylmercury than Inorganic Mercury on Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The potential health risks of microplastics (MPs) and their combined exposure with heavy metals such as mercury (Hg) in aquatic environment are increasingly concerned recently. In this work, zebrafish embryos were exposed to different levels of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs, ∼0.1 μm) coupled with Hg(II) or/and MeHg at 20 μg/L, to investigate the tissue biodistribution and accumulation of PS-MPs and Hg species, and their interaction, as well as embryo toxicity, oxidative stress and metabolic profiles.

Lichong Decoction Improves Inflammatory Microenvironment and Alleviates Fibrosis in Uterine Leiomyoma via Targeting CXCL8.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Lichong decoction (LD) is extensively employed in the treatment of uterine leiomyoma (ULM), demonstrating remarkable clinical effectiveness with an absence of notable adverse reactions. Its composition aligns with the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) etiology of ULM, making it a highly suitable therapy. Nonetheless, the precise mechanisms underlying its therapeutic actions remain to be fully elucidated.

Quantitative redox proteomics links thioredoxin to heavy ion resistance in Deinococcus radiodurans.

Heavy ion radiotherapy is an effective treatment for tumors, but its therapeutic efficacy is limited in cancer cells with radiation resistance. Deinococcus radiodurans, well known for its extremely resisting various stresses, was used to explore radioresistant mechanism. We used quantitative redox proteomics to track the dynamic changes in the global redox state after C irradiation.

The RNA-binding protein CMSS1 promotes the progression of non-small cell lung cancer by regulating the telomerase protein subunit hTERT.

Aims: High telomerase activity has been detected in over 85 % of tumors, with the activation of hTERT being the most crucial mechanism for re-establishing telomerase activity. Activation of hTERT maintains telomere length in cells, enabling cancer cells to proliferate indefinitely. Nevertheless, the specific mechanism of telomerase activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear, and post-transcriptional regulation of hTERT could be a potential activation mechanism.

Identification of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl monoacyl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) associated with the synthesis of terpenoids in Santalum album L.

Santalum album is an economically important plant in the craft, spices and medicine industries. The main chemical constituents found in sandalwood essential oils are sesquiterpenes. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl monoacyl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) is one of the rate-limiting enzymes required for the synthesis of sandal sesquiterpenes, but there are no studies on the HMGR gene in S.

Effect of carotid artery stenting on cognitive function in patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis, a multimodal magnetic resonance study.

Introduction: More and more evidence suggesting that internal carotid artery stenosis is not only a risk factor for ischemic stroke but also for cognitive impairments. Hypoperfusion and silent micro emboli have been reported as the pathophysiological mechanisms causing cognitive impairment. The effect of carotid artery stenting (CAS) on cognitive function varied from study to study.

Promotion effect of the 1, 2-propanediol on the gel-related properties of locust bean gum/xanthan synergistic gel system.

The synergistic interaction gels of locust bean gum (LBG) /xanthan show great potential for application in the food industry, such as 3D printing and taste/texture simulation. Including 1, 2-propanediol (PDO) significantly promoted the gel-related properties of LBG/xanthan gels. The synergistic interaction between LBG and xanthan was enhanced with the presence of small amounts of PDO (≤ 20 %) due to the dehydration effect of PDO and the resulting promotion of the molecular association.

Structural analysis and immunological activity of a novel low molecular weight neutral polysaccharide isolated from Hemerocallis citrina Borani.

A novel neutral water-soluble polysaccharide (HCBP1-1) was isolated and purified from Hemerocallis citrina Borani by column chromatography. The fine structure of HCBP1-1 was determined by a series of physical and chemical means. HCBP1-1 was a homogeneous low molecular weight polysaccharide of 7.