Integrated analysis of genome-wide copy number variation and exome-wide rare variation identified novel loci for rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: The genetic underpinnings of RA remain partially elucidated, motivating our exploration of copy number variations (CNV) and rare variations in the pathogenesis of RA.

Methods: We conducted an integrated analysis of the genome-wide landscape of CNV and exome-wide rare variation associations with RA in the UK Biobank. To strengthen our findings, we corroborated the results by the differentially expressed genes identified from gene expression profiles of synovial tissue of RA patients and health controls.

Cancer gene identification through integrating causal prompting large language model with omics data-driven causal inference.

Identifying genes causally linked to cancer from a multi-omics perspective is essential for understanding the mechanisms of cancer and improving therapeutic strategies. Traditional statistical and machine-learning methods that rely on generalized correlation approaches to identify cancer genes often produce redundant, biased predictions with limited interpretability, largely due to overlooking confounding factors, selection biases, and the nonlinear activation function in neural networks. In this study, we introduce a novel framework for identifying cancer genes across multiple omics domains, named ICGI (Integrative Causal Gene Identification), which leverages a large language model (LLM) prompted with causality contextual cues and prompts, in conjunction with data-driven causal feature selection.

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.

sPLA2-IB and PLA2R Mediate Aberrant Glucose Metabolism in Podocytes via Hyperactivation of the mTOR/HIF-1α Pathway.

Secretory phospholipase A2 group IB (sPLA2-IB) and M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) are closely related to proteinuria and idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). Podocytes are important components of the glomerular filtration barrier and glucose metabolism, including glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, is crucial for maintaining podocyte physiological function. Aberrant energy metabolism has been reported in proteinuria diseases, including diabetic nephropathy.

Biodetoxification of both AFB1 and ZEN by Bacillus subtilis ZJ-2019-1 in gastrointestinal environment and in mice.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEN) are the most prevalent mycotoxins in production, posing a serious threat to human and animal health. Therefore, it is very urgent to find a safe and efficient method for the biodegradation of these mycotoxins. Our previous study demonstrated that Bacillus subtilis ZJ-2019-1 moderately degrades both mycotoxins in vitro and ZEN in female gilts.

Precise Engineering and Efficient Biosynthesis of Robust and High-Activity Human Haemoglobin for Artificial Oxygen Carriers.

Recombinant human haemoglobin (rHb) is a tetramer protein with heme as cofactors, which have extensive applications in the fields of biomaterials and biomedical therapeutics. However, due to the poor structural stability, the dissociation of heme, weak oxygen transport efficiency, and lower activity, the utilisation of rHb is severely limited in artificial oxygen carriers. Herein, based on the novel developed high-throughput screening strategies and semi-rational design, the engineered rHb mutant with strong stability and heme-binding ability was obtained.

Unlocking Ectoine's Postbiotic Therapeutic Promise: Mechanisms, Applications, and Future Directions.

Ectoine, a cytoprotective compound derived from bacteria and categorized as a postbiotic, is increasingly recognized as a viable alternative to traditional therapeutic agents, frequently presenting considerable side effects. This extensive review underscores the effectiveness of ectoine as a postbiotic in managing conditions such as rhinosinusitis, atopic dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis, all while demonstrating a commendable safety profile. Its capacity to establish robust hydrogen bonds without compromising cellular integrity supports its potential application in anti-aging and cancer prevention strategies.

Congruency effects and individual differences in masked face recognition under limited feature visibility.

Recognizing masked faces is a challenge. Researchers have explored congruency-based approaches to improve face matching, with promising results. Here, we investigated whether congruency between the encoding and the retrieval conditions can improve masked face recognition when only the eyes are visible under conditions of high and low memory load.

SCN3B is an Anti-breast Cancer Molecule with Migration Inhibition Effect.

Breast cancer is a prevalent and highly heterogeneous malignancy that continues to be a major global health concern. Voltage-gated sodium channels are primarily known for their role in neuronal excitability, but emerging evidence suggests their involvement in the pathogenesis of various cancers, including breast cancer. However, the effect of β-subunits on breast cancer cells is not yet studied.

Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy combined with lenvatinib and immune checkpoint inhibitor versus lenvatinib for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a multicenter study with propensity score and coarsened exact matching.

Purpose: Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with lenvatinib (Len) and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) in treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still needs further confirmation. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of HAIC combined with Len and ICI (HAIC + Len + ICI) versus Len alone in advanced HCC.

Methods: A total of 290 patients in Len group and 349 patients in HAIC + Len + ICI group were analysed.

Th17 Response in Uveitis: A Double-Edged Sword in Ocular Inflammation and Immune Regulation.

Uveitis involves a complex interplay of immune cell infiltration and cytokine imbalances, with Th17 cells playing a central role in this process. Th17 cells contribute to disease pathogenesis by promoting inflammation, recruiting additional immune cells, and directly damaging retinal tissues. This review discusses the current knowledge on therapeutic strategies targeting Th17-related cytokines, including cytokine blockade, small molecule inhibitors, and immunomodulatory approaches.

Early Recurrence of Colorectal Liver Metastasis (Number ≤ 5 and Largest Diameter ≤ 3 cm) after Resection or Thermal Ablation: a Multi-center Study of Patterns, Safety, Survival and Risk Factors.

Objective: To compare early recurrence patterns, safety, survival and investigate the clinical risk factors of early recurrence (ER) after liver resection or thermal ablation (TA) for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) with number ≤ 5 and largest diameter ≤ 3 cm.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included patients with CRLM who underwent liver resection or TA between January 2016 and December 2021 at two hospitals in China. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to assess recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

The Effect of Electroencephalographic Biofeedback Therapy on Anxiety and Overall Well-being in Patients with Rectal Cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback therapy in reducing anxiety levels and improving overall well-being among patients diagnosed with rectal cancer. A randomised controlled trial was conducted with 150 patients with rectal cancer who were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 75) or the control group (n = 75). The intervention group received 16 sessions of EEG biofeedback therapy over 8 weeks, whereas the control group received standard care.

Dynamic Mathematical Processing Through Symbolic, Situational, and Verbal Representations.

In this paper, we discuss symbolic, situational, and verbal mathematical processing. These three modes of processing are conducted by the mediums of symbolic, situational, and verbal mathematical representations. While symbolic processing is a suppressive-oriented mechanism, situational one is receptive-oriented and reliant on sensorimotor features of elements in the context of mathematical representation.

Mendelian randomization and mediation analysis reveal the role of immune cell subsets in the causal pathways between blood cell perturbation responses and rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by complex immune interactions. Elucidating the causal relationships between blood cell perturbations, immune cell subsets, and RA can provide valuable insights into its pathogenesis.

Methods: This study employed bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) to explore the causal effects of blood cell perturbations on RA risk, with a focus on immune cell mediation.

Mechanisms of action of intestinal microorganisms and advances in head and neck tumors.

In the last decade, it has been discovered that intestinal flora can affect various organ-specific cancers by altering the body's energy balance, synthesizing genetic toxins and small signaling molecules, and initiating and modulating immune responses. In this review, we will focus on elucidating the role of intestinal flora based on its molecular mechanisms and its possible impact on head and neck cancers in the near future, and explore how it may be a novel approach to treating head and neck cancers in the future.

Analysis of expression characteristics of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs in gastrointestinal cancer patients in Asia.

Background: Asian cancer patients have become the highest morbidity and mortality group, and gastrointestinal tumors account for the majority of them, so it is urgent to find effective targets. Therefore, ferroptosis-related lncRNAs models were established to predict the prognosis and clinical immune characteristics of GI cancer.

Methods: RNA sequencing and clinical data were collected from the TCGA database (LIHC, STAD, ESCA, PAAD, COAD, CHOL, and READ) of patients with gastrointestinal cancer in Asia.

LST1 expression correlates with immune infiltration and predicts poor prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia.

Clinical management of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) poses significant challenges due to its poor prognosis and heterogeneous nature. Discovering new biomarkers is crucial for improving risk assessment and customizing treatment approaches. While leukocyte-specific transcript 1 (LST1) is implicated in inflammation and immune regulation, its function in AML remains ambiguous.

Regulating pH distribution of soda saline-alkali soil during electrochemical treatment by conditioning catholyte pH coupled with approaching anodes.

Soda saline-alkali soils pose significant challenges to agricultural productivity due to high pH and excessive sodium content. This study investigated the removal of excess salts in soda saline-alkali soil through electrochemical treatment (ECT). Traditional ECT often led to uneven soil pH distribution, with acidic conditions near the anode and alkaline conditions near the cathode, which limited its effectiveness for soil improvement.

Promoter Methylation of WIF1 is Involved in IL-17-Induced Chondrocyte Inflammatory Injury and Matrix Degradation via Promoting Wnt5a/MAPK-JNK Signaling.

The activity of Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF1) is reduced upon promoter methylation and is involved in cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. This study aims to investigate the mechanism by which WIF1 methylation is involved in chondrocyte damage in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). A model of chondrocyte inflammatory injury in AS was constructed by stimulation with interleukin (IL)-17.

The causal relationships between inflammatory cytokines, blood metabolites, and thyroid cancer: a two-step Mendelian randomization analysis.

Background: Thyroid cancer is a prevalent malignant tumor, especially with a higher incidence in women. Tumor microenvironment changes induced by inflammation and alterations in metabolic characteristics are critical in the development of thyroid cancer. Nevertheless, their causal relationships remain unclear.

The relationship between time perspective and fear of cancer recurrence among Chinese gastric cancer patients: the chain mediating role of rumination and catastrophizing.

Purpose: Gastric cancer patients often experience significant fear of recurrence, impacting their physical and mental health. This study explores how time perspective influences fear of cancer recurrence, considering the roles of intrusive rumination and catastrophizing.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed with 394 gastric cancer patients.