Cell therapy: A beacon of hope in the battle against pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic and progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by abnormal activation of myofibroblasts and pathological remodeling of the extracellular matrix, with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Lung transplantation is currently the only approach that can extend the life expectancy of patients; however, its applicability is severely restricted due to donor shortages and patient-specific limitations. Therefore, the search for novel therapeutic strategies is imperative.

Inhibition of triglyceride metabolism-associated enhancers alters lipid deposition during adipocyte differentiation.

Triglyceride (TG) metabolism is a complex and highly coordinated biological process regulated by a series of genes, and its dysregulation can lead to the occurrence of disorders in lipid metabolism. However, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of crucial genes in TG metabolism mediated by enhancer-promoter interactions remain elusive. Here, we identified candidate enhancers regulating the Agpat2, Dgat1, Dgat2, Pnpla2, and Lipe genes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by integrating epigenomic data (H3K27ac, H3K4me1, and DHS-seq) with chromatin three-dimensional interaction data.

Efficacy and Safety of Proactive Therapy with 2% Crisaborole Ointment in Children with Mild-to-Moderate Atopic Dermatitis: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Background: The effectiveness of crisaborole for proactive treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) is not well established.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of a proactive treatment strategy with 2% crisaborole ointment for managing mild-to-moderate AD in children.

Patients And Methods: In this 16-week randomized-controlled trial, children aged 2-17 years with mild-to-moderate AD were enrolled.

Finite element modeling of clavicle fracture fixations: a systematic scoping review.

Finite element analysis has become indispensable for biomechanical research on clavicle fractures. This review summarized evidence regarding configurations and applications of finite element analysis in clavicle fracture fixation. Seventeen articles involving 22 clavicles were synthesized from CINAHL, Embase, IEEE Xplore, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases.

LINC01224 promotes the Warburg effect in gastric cancer by activating the miR-486-5p/PI3K axis.

The Warburg effect, a common feature of solid tumors, rewires the metabolism and promotes growth, survival, proliferation, and long-term maintenance in gastric cancer (GC). We performed in vitro and in vivo studies of the pathogenesis of GC to investigate the effects and mechanism of LINC01224 in this cancer. qRT-PCR was used to measure the expression of LINC01224 or miR-486-5p in GC cells, and the expression of LINC01224 in GC tissues by FISH (Fluorescence in situ hybridization) analysis was evaluated.

Arabidopsis CIRP1 E3 ligase modulates drought and oxidative stress tolerance and reactive oxygen species homeostasis by directly degrading catalases.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays critical roles in modulating plant growth and stress response and its homeostasis is fine tuned using multiple peroxidases. HO, a major kind of ROS, is removed rapidly and directly using three catalases, CAT1, CAT2, and CAT3, in Arabidopsis. Although the activity regulations of catalases have been well studied, their degradation pathway is less clear.

Measurement and spectral analysis of medical shock wave parameters based on flexible PVDF sensors.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) achieves its therapeutic purpose mainly through the biological effects produced by the interaction of shock waves with tissues, and the accurate measurement and calculation of the mechanical parameters of shock waves in tissues are of great significance in formulating the therapeutic strategy and evaluating the therapeutic effect. This study utilizes the approach of implanting flexible polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) vibration sensors inside the tissue-mimicking phantom of various thicknesses to capture waveforms at different depths during the impact process in real time. Parameters including positive and negative pressure changes (P, P), pulse wave rise time ([Formula: see text]), and energy flux density (EFD) are calculated, and frequency spectrum analysis of the waveforms is conducted.

The SlWRKY42-SlMYC2 module synergistically enhances tomato saline-alkali tolerance by activating the jasmonic acid signaling and spermidine biosynthesis pathway.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is an important crop but frequently experiences saline-alkali stress. Our previous studies have shown that exogenous spermidine (Spd) could significantly enhance the saline-alkali resistance of tomato seedlings, in which a high concentration of Spd and jasmonic acid (JA) exerted important roles. However, the mechanism of Spd and JA accumulation remains unclear.

Enhanced ZBTB10 expression induced by betulinic acid inhibits gastric cancer progression by inactivating the ARRDC3/ITGB4/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with most patients diagnosed at advanced stages due to the absence of reliable early detection biomarkers.

Methods: RNA-sequencing was conducted to identify the differentially expressed genes between GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. CCK8, EdU, colony formation, transwell, flow cytometry and xenograft assays were adopted to explore the biological function of ZBTB10 and betulinic acid (BA) in GC progression.

Adaptive Multi-Kernel Graph Neural Network for Drug-Drug Interaction Prediction.

 Combination therapy, which synergistically enhances treatment efficacy and inhibits disease progression through the combined effects of multiple drugs, has emerged as a mainstream approach for treating complex diseases and alleviating symptoms. However, drug-drug interactions (DDIs) can sometimes lead to adverse reactions, potentially endangering lives. Therefore, developing efficient and accurate DDI prediction methods is crucial for elucidating drug mechanisms and preventing side effects.

Multifunctional Graphdiyne Enables Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells via Anti-Solvent Additive Engineering.

Finding ways to produce dense and smooth perovskite films with negligible defects is vital for achieving high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, we aim to enhance the quality of the perovskite films through the utilization of a multifunctional additive in the perovskite anti-solvent, a strategy referred to as anti-solvent additive engineering. Specifically, we introduce ortho-substituted-4'-(4,4″-di-tert-butyl-1,1':3',1″-terphenyl)-graphdiyne (o-TB-GDY) as an AAE additive, characterized by its sp/sp-cohybridized and highly π-conjugated structure, into the anti-solvent.

The negative relationship between brain-age gap and psychological resilience defines the age-related neurocognitive status in older people.

Biological brain age is a brain-predicted age using machine learning to indicate brain health and its associated conditions. The presence of an older predicted brain age relative to the actual chronological age is indicative of accelerated aging processes. Consequently, the disparity between the brain's chronological age and its predicted age (brain-age gap) and the factors influencing this disparity provide critical insights into cerebral health dynamics during aging.

Weight censorial score: estimation of the weight loss during concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients by image features predicts prognosis.

Purpose: Bodyweight loss is commonly found in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma patients during Concurrent Chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) and has implications for treatment decisions. However, the prognostic value of this weight loss remains uncertain. We addressed it by proposing a novel index Weight Censorial Score (WCS) that characterizes the patient-specific CCRT response on actual to estimated weight loss.

White Fluorescent Carbon Dots for Specific Fe3+ Detection and Imaging Applications.

In recent years, carbon dots (CDs) with fluorescence imaging function have been widely used in biomedicine, electronic manufacturing and environmental monitoring. However, monochromatic fluorescence is often limited by the application environment and loses its effectiveness. Here, we carefully designed white fluorescent CDs (WF-CDs) by solvothermal method, which is used for fluorescence imaging applications under different environmental conditions.

Exploiting the efficient Exo:Cas12i3-5M fusions for robust single and multiplex gene editing in rice.

The development of a single and multiplex gene editing system is highly desirable for either functional genomics or pyramiding beneficial alleles in crop improvement. CRISPR/Cas12i3, which belongs to the Class II Type V-I Cas system, has attracted extensive attention recently due to its smaller protein size and less restricted canonical "TTN" protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). However, due to its relatively lower editing efficiency, Cas12i3-mediated multiplex gene editing has not yet been documented in plants.

The role of circular RNAs in autoimmune diseases: Potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

With the emergence of high-quality sequencing technologies, further research on transcriptomes has become possible. Circular RNA (circRNA), a novel type of endogenous RNA molecule with a covalently closed circular structure through "back-splicing," is reported to be widely present in eukaryotic cells and participates mainly in regulating gene and protein expression in various ways. It is becoming a research hotspot in the non-coding RNA field.

ZmDREB1A controls plant immunity via regulating salicylic acid metabolism in maize.

DREB1A, a pivotal transcription factor, has long been known to regulate plant abiotic stress tolerance. However, its role in plant biotic stress tolerance and the underlying mechanisms have remained a mystery. Our research reveals that the maize ZmDREB1A gene is up-regulated in maize seedlings when the plants are infected by Rhizoctonia solani (R.

A fatal case of accidental asphyxia following nitrous oxide inhalation and alcohol consumption.

Nitrous oxide (NO) abuse is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Moreover, the use of NO combined with other substances, such as alcohol, is also common. Accidental deaths associated with NO abuse are rare in forensic practice, with most fatal cases involving continuous inhalation equipment or exposure in a confined space.

Bioinformatics and immunoinformatics approaches in the design of a multi-epitope vaccine targeting CTLA-4 for melanoma treatment.

Melanoma, a highly aggressive skin cancer, remains a significant cause of mortality despite advancements in therapeutic strategies. There is an urgent demand for developing vaccines that can elicit strong and comprehensive immune responses against this malignancy. Achieving this goal is crucial to enhance the efficacy of immunological defense mechanisms in combating this disease.

Anti-cystitis glandularis action exerted by glycyrrhetinic acid: bioinformatics analysis and molecular validation.

Cystitis glandularis (CG) is a chronic hyperplastic disorder of the bladder, and the available clinical drug therapy is insufficient currently. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), a bioactive compound extracted from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra, is found with beneficial actions, including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. We previously reported that GA relieves CG symptoms in animal model, implying the potential application of GA to treat CG.

Associations Between Lead and Cadmium Exposure and Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in U.S. Adults.

The impact of lead and cadmium exposure on subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD), indicated by elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) remains uncertain. We analyzed data from participants aged 20 and older, without overt CVD, in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; 1999-2004). Elevated lead and cadmium levels were defined as 3.

Platelet membrane-modified exosomes targeting plaques to activate autophagy in vascular smooth muscle cells for atherosclerotic therapy.

Atherosclerosis is one of the leading causes of ischemic cardiovascular disease worldwide. Recent studies indicated that vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an indispensable role in the progression of atherosclerosis. Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have demonstrated promising clinical applications in the treatment of atherosclerosis.