Insect metamorphosis and chitin metabolism under miRNA regulation: a review with current advances.

Insect metamorphosis is a complex developmental process regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs) and hormonal signaling pathways. Key genes driving insect ontogenic changes are precisely modulated by miRNAs, which interact with 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and juvenile hormone (JH) to coordinate developmental transitions. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in understanding miRNA biogenesis, their regulatory roles in gene expression, and their involvement in critical biological processes, including metamorphosis and chitin metabolism.

Unraveling the infrared detection properties of BiTe depending on thickness under the semiconductor and metal surface states.

BiTe recently emerges as a promising candidate material for the next generation of mid-wave to long-wave infrared photodetection owing to its exceptionally narrow bandgap (approximately 0.2 eV) and the favorable photoelectronic properties. In particular, its topological insulator structure is safeguarded by time-reversal symmetry, leading to electronic structures with distinct surface and bulk states as well as distinctive optoelectronic properties.

Electrosynthesis of Atomically Precise Au Nanoclusters.

Innovation in synthesis methodologies is crucial for advancing the discovery of new materials. This work reports the electrosynthesis of a [Au(4-BuPhC≡C)(Dppe)]Cl nanocluster (Au NC) protected by alkynyl and phosphine ligands. From simple precursor, HAuCl and ligands, the whole synthesis is driven by a constant potential in single electrolytic cell.

Denoising complex-valued diffusion MR images using a two-step, nonlocal principal component analysis approach.

Purpose: To propose a two-step, nonlocal principal component analysis (PCA) method and demonstrate its utility for denoising complex diffusion MR images with a few diffusion directions.

Methods: A two-step denoising pipeline was implemented to ensure accurate patch selection even with high noise levels and was coupled with data preprocessing for g-factor normalization and phase stabilization before data denoising with a nonlocal PCA algorithm. At the heart of our proposed pipeline was the use of a data-driven optimal shrinkage algorithm to manipulate the singular values in a way that would optimally estimate the noise-free signal.

Organelle-targeted BODIPY-conjugated platinum(IV) anticancer prodrugs for overcoming drug resistance.

Platinum-based chemotherapy, despite being a cornerstone of cancer treatment, faces significant challenges due to acquired drug resistance. To address this issue, we have designed three organelle-targeting platinum(IV) prodrugs conjugated with BODIPY fluorophores, enabling spatiotemporal control through green light irradiation. These BODIPY-Pt(IV) conjugates exhibit excellent stability in PBS buffer, demonstrating resilience under physiological conditions.

Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveal the Genetic Architecture of Ionomic Variation in Grains of Tartary Buckwheat.

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is esteemed as a medicinal crop due to its high nutritional and health value. However, the genetic basis for the variations in Tartary buckwheat grain ionome remains inadequately understood. Through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on grain ionome, 52 genetic loci are identified associated with 10 elements undergoing selection.

The influence of sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors on the risk of cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction: A meta-analysis.

Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) is a major concern for patients undergoing cardiotoxic cancer treatments. Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have shown cardioprotective effects in both diabetic and non-diabetic populations. However, their impact on CTRCD risk remains uncertain.

Electrochemical biosensing in oncology: a review advancements and prospects for cancer diagnosis.

Early and precise diagnosis of cancer is pivotal for effective therapeutic intervention. Traditional diagnostic methods, despite their reliability, often face limitations such as invasiveness, high costs, labor-intensive procedures, extended processing times, and reduced sensitivity for early-stage detection. Electrochemical biosensing is a revolutionary method that provides rapid, cost-effective, and highly sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers.

Controversy and multiple roles of the solitary nucleus receptor Nur77 in disease and physiology.

Neuron-derived clone 77 (Nur77), a member of the orphan nuclear receptor family, is expressed and activated rapidly in response to diverse physiological and pathological stimuli. It exerts complex biological functions, including roles in the nervous system, genome integrity, cell differentiation, homeostasis, oxidative stress, autophagy, aging, and infection. Recent studies suggest that Nur77 agonists alleviate symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target in such conditions.

Identification and validation of transcriptome-wide association study-derived genes as potential druggable targets for osteoarthritis.

Aims: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a widespread chronic degenerative joint disease with an increasing global impact. The pathogenesis of OA involves complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Despite this, the specific genetic mechanisms underlying OA remain only partially understood, hindering the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.

Spermidine alleviates copper-induced oxidative stress, inflammation and cuproptosis in the liver.

Copper exposure poses potential detrimental effects on both public and ecosystem health. Spermidine, an antioxidant, has shown promise in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation within the liver. However, its specific role in mitigating copper-induced hepatic cuproptosis and disturbances in copper metabolism remains unexplored.

Gold-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions of Organoiodides with Disulfides: Access to Aryl Sulfides and Vinyl Sulfide Derivatives.

Thioethers and their derivatives play important roles in synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and materials science. Herein, we report a hemilabile P,N-ligand-assisted gold-catalyzed C-S cross-coupling reaction of organoiodides with disulfides. In this reaction, alkyl or aryl disulfides react smoothly with aryl or vinyl iodides to afford a series of aryl sulfide and vinyl sulfide derivatives in good to excellent yields.

Exploring the impact of RPN1 on tumorigenesis and immune response in cancer.

The ribophorin family, including RPN1, has been associated with tumor progression, but its specific role in pan-cancer dynamics remains unclear. Using data from TCGA, GTEx, and Ualcan databases, we investigated the relationship of RPN1 with prognosis, genomic alterations, and epigenetic modifications across various cancers. Differential analysis revealed elevated RPN1 expression in multiple cancer types, indicating a potential prognostic value.

Potential biological roles of exosomal non-coding RNAs in breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant tumors among women, accounting for 24.5% of all cancer cases and leading to 15.5% of cancer-related mortality.

Efficacy of Linaclotide in Functional Dyspepsia and Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome Overlap: A Randomized Trial.

Background And Aim: Linaclotide is effective in relieving constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. However, few studies focus on the efficacy of linaclotide for overlapping symptoms of functional dyspepsia among irritable bowel syndrome patients. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of linaclotide compared with lactulose in patients with functional dyspepsia and constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome overlap.

Tungsten Oxide/g-CN Heterostructures: Composition, Structure, and Photocatalytic Applications.

The construction of heterostructures promotes extending the light adsorption range of graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) materials, improving the photogenerated charge carrier separation/transfer efficiency for attaining much enhanced performances. Because defective tungsten oxide (WO) materials possess rich composition/morphology and an extended light response in the near-infrared region, WO is a quite popular nanocomponent for modifying g-CN, forming heterostructures that can be used for various photocatalytic applications involving water splitting, CO reduction, NO removal, HO generation, and related chemical to fuel conversion reactions. In this review, important aspects of WO/g-CN heterostructure photocatalysts are reviewed to provide paradigms for composition adjustment, structural design, and photocatalytic applications of these materials.

Protective effects of Paeonia suffruticosa callus extract in skin through anti-inflammation and repair UVB-induced damage.

Objective: The study investigated effects of peony callus extracts (PCE) on the protective efficacy against Ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced photoageing, using in vitro and in vivo studies. The research focused on PCE's ability to protect against inflammatory factors, DNA damage and accumulation of senescent cells, along with the evaluation of the extract's potential anti-photoageing benefits to skin.

Methods: Human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT cells), mast cells and fibroblasts were used to evaluate the role of PCE in anti-photoageing.

Effect of intermittent hemodialysis filtration mode on intradialytic hypotension and nutritional status in patients with end-stage renal disease.

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effect of intermittent hemodialysis filtration mode (IHDF) on intradialytic hypotension and nutritional status in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Methods: Patients with ESRD who underwent hemodialysis and were treated at our hospital from December 2021 to December 2023 according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected and randomly assigned into two groups: the experimental group (patients received intermittent hemodialysis filtration mode treatment, n = 50) and the control group (patients received conventional maintenance hemodialysis treatment, n = 49). Subsequently, the participant characteristics, the treatment effect, the occurrence of intradialytic hypotension, the safety assessment, blood pressure indicators, and the nutritional status were compared between the two groups.

Updated Insights Into the Mechanism of Salt-Induced Aggregation-Based Single-Molecule Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Since its discovery in 1997, the single molecule surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SM-SERS) has attracted wide interest owing to its enormous potential in many fields. However, the commercialized applications of SM-SERS are still limited by the lack of a clear understanding of the relevant mechanism in the famous SM-SERS experiments. In this study, a salt-gradient model is proposed to deeply investigate the physical nature and update insights into the morphological, structural, and component evolution processes of Ag NPs from dispersed nanostructures to aggregation states in the salt-induced aggregation SERS strategy.

Efficient Extraction, Chemical Characterization, and Bioactivity of Essential Oil From Pine Needles.

Introduction: Pine needles are a rich source of bioactive compounds, and there are few reports on the extraction and identification of active substances in various types of pine needles.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to enhance the efficiency and yield of pine needle essential oil extraction by employing an innovative ultrasonic-assisted salt-out hydrodistillation technology. It also aims to establish a correlation between gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and electronic nose (E-nose) to distinguish essential oils from Cedrus deodara, Pinus thunbergii, Pinus massoniana, and Pinus koraiensis.

Risk Prediction Models for Stress Urinary Incontinence in Pregnant and Postpartum Women: A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal.

Background: Many studies have developed or validated prediction models to estimate the risk of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in pregnant and postpartum women, but the quality of the model development and model applicability remains unknown.

Objectives: To systematically review and critically evaluate currently available prediction models for SUI in pregnant and postpartum women.

Search Strategy: Cochrane Library, EBSCO, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Chinese CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases were searched from inception until February 2024.

Interface Engineering for High Strength and High Toughness Ceramic Matrix Composites.

Ceramics exhibit exceptional strength, hardness, and structural stability, rendering them indispensable as aerospace, national defense, and biomedical applications. However, the presence of robust covalent or ionic bonds within the ceramic leads to its inherent poor fracture toughness. The incorporation of toughening phases into ceramics is widely recognized as an optimal toughening strategy for ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) based on chemical means, with the interplay between toughening phase and ceramic at the interface playing a crucial role in achieving superior mechanical properties.

On-site genetic diagnosis for the invasive pest Hylurgus ligniperda (Fabricius) and its possible application.

Background: Forests in nearly all regions worldwide are affected by invasions of non-native bark beetles. Hylurgus ligniperda (Fabricius) is a globally invasive bark beetle that stealthily jeopardizes pine health and spreads worldwide insidiously. The worldwide occurrence of Hylurgus ligniperda challenges trade in pine logs or wooden materials.

Treat-And-Extend Versus Pro Re Nata Regimen of Intravitreal Conbercept Injection for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Results from COCOA, a Prospective, Open-Label, Multicenter, Randomized Phase IV Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To evaluate and contrast the effectiveness and safety of two conbercept treatment protocols-a three-dose treat-and-extend (3+T&E) regimen and a three-dose pro re nata (3+PRN) regimen-in Chinese patients diagnosed with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods: Eligible patients, who had not undergone anti-VEGF intraocular injections within 3 months prior to enrollment, were randomly assigned to either the 3+T&E or 3+PRN regimen. The 3+T&E group received at least three monthly injections, with subsequent visit intervals extended based on disease activity assessment.

Tailoring OER/ORR activity in TMN catalysts through first-/second-shell nitrogen doping: a density functional theory investigation.

Proposing an effective modification strategy to optimize catalyst reaction potentials is crucial for enhancing catalytic performance. In this study, we employed a combined approach by adjusting nitrogen dopants in the first- and second-shell environments to tailor the OER/ORR reaction potentials of FeN, CoN, and NiN active centers. Using density functional theory simulations, we systematically compared the effects of first- and second-shell nitrogen dopants on the local atomic/electronic structures and catalytic activities.