Releasing a sugar brake generates sweeter tomato without yield penalty.

In tomato, sugar content is highly correlated with consumer preferences, with most consumers preferring sweeter fruit. However, the sugar content of commercial varieties is generally low, as it is inversely correlated with fruit size, and growers prioritize yield over flavour quality. Here we identified two genes, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) calcium-dependent protein kinase 27 (SlCDPK27; also known as SlCPK27) and its paralogue SlCDPK26, that control fruit sugar content.

Large-scale scattering-augmented optical encryption.

Data proliferation in the digital age necessitates robust encryption techniques to protect information privacy. Optical encryption leverages the multiple degrees of freedom inherent in light waves to encode information with parallel processing and enhanced security features. However, implementations of large-scale, high-security optical encryption have largely remained theoretical or limited to digital simulations due to hardware constraints, signal-to-noise ratio challenges, and precision fabrication of encoding elements.

ANK Deficiency-Mediated Cytosolic Citrate Accumulation Promotes Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: Disturbed metabolism and transport of citrate play significant roles in various pathologies. However, vascular citrate regulation and its potential role in aortic aneurysm (AA) development remain poorly understood.

Methods: Untargeted metabolomics by mass spectrometry was applied to identify upregulated metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in AA tissues of mice.

Combination of Deep Learning Grad-CAM and Radiomics for Automatic Localization and Diagnosis of Architectural Distortion on DBT.

Rationale And Objectives: Detection and diagnosis of architectural distortion (AD) on digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) is challenging. This study applied artificial intelligence (AI) using deep learning (DL) algorithms to detect AD, followed by radiomics for classification.

Materials And Methods: 500 cases with AD on DBT reports were identified; the earlier 292 cases for training, and the later 208 cases for testing.

Kindlin-2 Phase Separation in Response to Flow Controls Vascular Stability.

Background: Atheroprotective shear stress preserves endothelial barrier function, while atheroprone shear stress enhances endothelial permeability. Yet, the underlying mechanisms through which distinct flow patterns regulate EC integrity remain to be clarified. This study aimed to investigate the involvement of Kindlin-2, a key component of focal adhesion and endothelial adherens junctions crucial for regulating endothelial cell (EC) integrity and vascular stability.

Integrated omics profiling reveals systemic dysregulation and potential biomarkers in the blood of patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are autoimmune conditions that affect the central nervous system. The contribution of peripheral abnormalities to the disease's pathogenesis is not well understood.

Methods: To investigate this, we employed a multi-omics approach analyzing blood samples from 52 NMOSD patients and 46 healthy controls (HC).

Variation in the metagenomic analysis of fecal microbiome composition calls for a standardized operating approach.

The reproducibility in microbiome studies is limited due to the lack of one gold-standard operating procedure. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of protocol variations on microbiome composition using metagenomic data sets from a single center. We assessed the variation in a data set consisted of 2,722 subjects, including 9 subcohorts harboring healthy subjects and patients with various disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Kukoamine A alleviates nephrolithiasis by inhibiting endogenous oxalate synthesis via the IL-6/JAK/STAT3/DAO signaling pathway.

Background: The recurrent nature and socioeconomic burden of nephrolithiasis demand effective treatments. Delineating the crosstalk between inflammatory processes and the endogenous oxalate metabolism pathway, which underpins nephrolithiasis pathogenesis, is essential for advancing treatment strategies.

Purpose: We aim to screen therapeutic Chinese herbal remedies and their bioactive constituents for kidney stone treatment using a fruit fly model, followed by efficacy and mechanism validation in a rodent nephrolithiasis model as well as in vitro human cell culture model.

Image-Based Auto-Focus Microscope System with Visual Servo Control for Micro-Stereolithography.

Micro-stereolithography (μSL) is an advanced additive manufacturing technique that enables the fabrication of highly precise microstructures with fine feature resolution. One of the primary challenges in μSL is achieving and maintaining precise focus throughout the fabrication process. For the successful application of μSL, it is essential to maintain the sample surface within a focal depth of several microns.

Ultrasound-based artificial intelligence model for prediction of Ki-67 proliferation index in soft tissue tumors.

Rationale And Objectives: To investigate the value of deep learning (DL) combined with radiomics and clinical and imaging features in predicting the Ki-67 proliferation index of soft tissue tumors (STTs).

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 394 patients with STTs admitted from January 2021 to December 2023 in two separate hospitals were collected. Hospital-1 was the training cohort (323 cases, of which 89 and 234 were high and low Ki-67, respectively) and Hospital-2 was the external validation cohort (71 cases, of which 23 and 48 were high and low Ki-67, respectively).

FS-YOLOv9: A Frequency and Spatial Feature-Based YOLOv9 for Real-time Breast Cancer Detection.

Rationale And Objectives: Breast cancer screening is critical for reducing mortality rates. YOLOv9, a new real-time object-detection model, is ideal for cancer screening. A customized YOLOv9 model with enhancements for detecting breast cancer on the basis of species and morphological diversity has potential clinical significance.

ASGR1 Deficiency Inhibits Atherosclerosis in Western Diet-Fed Mice by Regulating Lipoprotein Metabolism and Promoting Cholesterol Efflux.

Background: Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of cardiovascular diseases. Clinical studies indicate that loss-of-function ASGR1 (asialoglycoprotein receptor 1) is significantly associated with lower plasma cholesterol levels and reduces cardiovascular disease risk. However, the effect of ASGR1 on atherosclerosis remains incompletely understood; whether inhibition of ASGR1 causes liver injury remains controversial.