Genetically modified chickens as bioreactors for protein-based drugs.

Protein drug production encompasses various methods, among which animal bioreactors are emerging as a transgenic system. Animal bioreactors have the potential to reduce production costs and increase efficiency, thereby producing recombinant proteins that are crucial for therapeutic applications. Various species, including goats, cattle, rabbits, and poultry, have been genetically engineered to serve as bioreactors.

Intein-mediated split Cas9 for genome editing in plants.

Virus-induced genome editing (VIGE) technologies have been developed to address the limitations to plant genome editing, which heavily relies on genetic transformation and regeneration. However, the application of VIGE in plants is hampered by the challenge posed by the size of the commonly used gene editing nucleases, Cas9 and Cas12a. To overcome this challenge, we employed intein-mediated protein splicing to divide the transcript into two segments (Split-v1) and three segments (Split-v3).

Downregulation of MerTK in circulating T cells of patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Objective: To explore the differential gene expression in peripheral blood immune cells of individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), comparing those with and without non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR).

Methods: From a pool of 126 potential participants, 60 were selected for detailed analysis. This group included 12 healthy donors (HDs), 22 individuals with DM, and 26 with NPDR.

Utilizing the renal and vertebral contours as landmarks for right adrenal vein localization in primary aldosteronism: a retrospective analysis of 310 cases.

Background: Adrenal Vein Sampling (AVS) is the gold standard for categorizing primary aldosteronism (PA). However, catheterization of the right adrenal vein (RAV) can be technically challenging. This study aimed to investigate the validity of the right renal vertebral contour as fluoroscopic landmarks to help RAV orifice localization during AVS.

Intestinal rearrangement of biliopancreatic limbs, alimentary limbs, and common limbs in obese type 2 diabetic mice after duodenal jejunal bypass surgery.

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), yet the precise mechanisms underlying its effectiveness remain incompletely understood. While previous research has emphasized the role of rearrangement of the gastrointestinal anatomy, gaps persist regarding the specific impact on the gut microbiota and barriers within the biliopancreatic, alimentary, and common limbs. This study aimed to investigate the effects of duodenal-jejunal bypass (DJB) surgery on obese T2DM mice.

Association between Metrnl and carotid atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major cause of atherosclerosis, as well as an independent risk factor of cardiovascular adverse events. We aimed to evaluate the association of serum Meteorin-like protein (Metrnl) level with carotid atherosclerosis as determined by carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) status in subjects with T2DM.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 83 T2DM subjects without pre-existing cardiovascular diseases.

Elucidating the causal relationship between gut microbiota, metabolites, and diabetic nephropathy in European patients: Revelations from genome-wide bidirectional mendelian randomization analysis.

Objective: Previous observational studies suggest a potential link between gut microbiota, metabolites, and diabetic nephropathy. However, the exact causal relationship among these factors remains unclear.

Method: We conducted a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization study using summary statistics from the IEU OpenGWAS Project database to investigate gut microbiota, metabolites, and diabetic nephropathy.

Association of T3/T4 ratio with inflammatory indicators and all-cause mortality in stroke survivors.

Background: Abnormal thyroid hormone levels may occur in critical illness, which may have an interactive relationship with inflammatory reaction. At present, the relationship between triiodothyronine (T3)/thyroxine (T4) ratio and inflammatory indicators and all-cause mortality of stroke survivors is still unclear.

Methods: We obtained the relevant data of the respondents from 2007 to 2012 through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database for statistical analysis.

Association between serum uric acid-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease among Chinese children with obesity.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become one of the most prevalent chronic liver diseases worldwide. The serum uric acid-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (UHR) has been recognized as a novel marker for metabolic diseases, including MASLD. However, all previous studies were performed in adults.

Unraveling the dual threat: sarcopenia and insufficient physical activity in diabetes risk.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the alterations in diabetes risk associated with sarcopenia and insufficient physical activity, as well as the demographic shifts within the diabetic population.

Method: Utilizing pertinent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database spanning 2011 to 2018, the criteria for sarcopenia were established by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. These criteria were calculated using lean body mass data in conjunction with body mass index data.

Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis identifies metabolic and immune-related diagnostic biomarkers shared between diabetes and COPD using multi-omics and machine learning.

Background: Diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prominent global health challenges, each imposing significant burdens on affected individuals, healthcare systems, and society. However, the specific molecular mechanisms supporting their interrelationship have not been fully defined.

Methods: We identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of COPD and diabetes from multi-center patient cohorts, respectively.

Activity and stability origin of core-shell catalysts: unignorable atomic diffusion behavior.

The exceptional oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performances of core-shell catalysts are well documented, yet their activity and durability origins have been interpreted only based on the static structures. Herein we employ a NiFe alloy coated with a nitrogen-doped graphene-based carbon shell (NiFe@NC) as a model system to elucidate the active structure and stability mechanism for the ORR and OER by combining constant potential computations, molecular dynamic simulations, and experiments. The results reveal that the synergistic effects between the alloy core and carbon shell facilitate the formation of Fe-N-C active sites and replenish metal sites when central metal atoms detach.

Unravelling the pH-dependent mechanism of ferroelectric polarization on different dynamic pathways of photoelectrochemical water oxidation.

Ferroelectric polarization is considered to be an effective strategy to improve the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of photoelectrocatalysis. The primary challenge is to clarify how the polarization field controls the OER dynamic pathway at a molecular level. Here, electrochemical fingerprint tests were used, together with theoretical calculations, to systematically investigate the free energy change in oxo and hydroxyl intermediates on TiO-BaTiO core-shell nanowires (BTO@TiO) upon polarization in different pH environments.

Introducing halogen-bonded gates into zeolitic frameworks for efficient benzene/cyclohexene/cyclohexane separation.

The separation of C cyclic hydrocarbons (benzene, cyclohexene, and cyclohexane) is one of the most challenging chemical processes in the petrochemical industry. Herein, we design and synthesize a new SOD-topology metal azolate framework (MAF) with aperture gating behaviour controlled by C-Br⋯N halogen bonds, which exhibits distinct temperature- and guest-dependent adsorption behaviours for benzene/cyclohexene/cyclohexane. More importantly, the MAF enables the efficient purification of benzene from its binary and ternary mixtures (selectivity up to 113 ± 2; purity up to 98% +), which is the highest record for benzene/cyclohexane/cyclohexene separation to date.

Engineering perfluoroarenes for enhanced molecular barrier effect and chirality transfer in solutions.

Noncovalent forces have a significant impact on photophysical properties, and the flexible employment of weak forces facilitates the design of novel luminescent materials with a variety of applications. The arene-perfluoroarene (AP) force, as one type of π-hole/π interaction, shows unique directionality, involving an electron-deficient π-hole interacting with a π-electron-rich region, facilitating precise orientation and stabilization in supramolecular structures. Here we present an amination engineering protocol to build a perfluoroarene library based on an octafluoronaphthalene skeleton with various steric and electronic properties.

Different p-block elements induce C[111] octahedral distortion in titanium to generate an intense nonlinear effect.

Acentric crystalline materials are the cornerstone of numerous cutting-edge technologies and have been highly sought-after, but they are difficult to construct controllably. Herein, by introducing a new p-block element to break the symmetrical environment of the d transition metal in the centric matrix TiTeO, a novel acentric tellurite sulfate, namely Ti(TeO)(SO), was successfully constructed. In its structure, two types of p-block element-centered oxo-anionic groups, [TeO] and [SO], endow [TiO] with an out-of-center distortion along the local C[111] direction, which is rare in titanium oxides containing a lone-pair cation.

Corrigendum: Research progress of gut microbiome and diabetic nephropathy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.

Predictors of HBsAg seroclearance in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients treated with nucleotide analogs plus polyethylene glycol interferon.

Introduction: The minority of the chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients received polyethylene glycol interferon (PEG-IFN) combined with nucleotide analogs (NAs) can obtain hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance.

Methods: In order to find out the advantaged population, we retrospectively collected 122 CHB patients treated with NAs alone or NAs plus PEG-IFN for 48 weeks, who were admitted to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital from 2019 to 2024.

Results: We found HBsAg clearance rate in NAs plus PEG-IFN group was 40.

Ischemic colitis presenting as a colonic mass: a case report and diagnostic challenges.

Ischemic colitis (IC) is a multifaceted condition that often manifests with nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea, particularly in older adults with vascular risk factors. Diagnosis is supported by elevated levels of white blood cells, lactate, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Computed tomography (CT) imaging typically reveals wall thickening and fat stranding in watershed areas.

A positive relationship between weight-adjusted waist index and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a study on US adolescents.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver condition in children, underscoring the urgent need for non-invasive markers for early detection in this population.

Methods: We utilized survey data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2020 regarding liver ultrasound transient elastography (LUTE) for the diagnosis of NAFLD (dependent variable), and used multiple logistic regression models to explore the association between weight-adjusted waist circumference index (WWI) and the prevalence of NAFLD in US adolescents. Smoothing curves and threshold effect analyses were used to assess the non-linear association between the independent variables and the dependent variable.

A compound heterozygous mutation causes congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a case report.

Congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (cTTP) is a thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) characterized by severe hereditary ADAMTS13 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motifs 13) deficiency caused by mutations. This rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder is often misdiagnosed as immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) or hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Here, we report a 21-year-old male cTTP patient with a compound heterozygous mutation.

Advances in the genetics of myasthenia gravis: insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder involving complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS), and other methods have identified multiple novel susceptibility loci and genes, providing crucial insights into the genetic etiology of MG. Moreover, the pivotal roles of epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, in the pathogenesis of MG are gradually being unveiled.

Ascaris lumbricoides a rare cause gastric perforation: a case report and brief literature review.

(AL), a prevalent nematode causing ascariasis, infects millions worldwide, with a higher risk in preschool and school-aged children. Though infections are usually mild, rare and life-threatening complications like gastrointestinal perforation exist. This article documents a case involving a 61-year-old deaf-mute man who presented with a month-long history of epigastric pain accompanied by nausea, anorexia, and constipation.

A novel approach of using transtibial transport (TTT) to manage thromboembolic events following surgical management of necrotizing soft tissue infection: a case report.

Necrotising soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are one of the most challenging and severe forms of infections. The prognosis requires accurate and aggressive diagnosis and management. In this case, we present an unexplained case of concurrence of TE events following BKA for the surgical management of NSTI.

Comparing the corneal temperature of dry eyes with that of normal eyes via high-resolution infrared thermography.

Purpose: This study compares the corneal temperature in dry eyes with normal eyes via high-resolution infrared thermography.

Methods: A total of 86 participants were enrolled, with 40 and 46 participants in the dry eye disease (DED) and control groups, respectively. All participants underwent non-invasive breakup time (NIBUT) measurement, an Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire and ocular thermography.