Interdisciplinary integration strategy reveals the anti-inflammatory efficacy and potential mechanism of Jianpi Qingre Tongluo prescription in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic synovitis and associated with high rates of disability and systemic damage. Jianpi Qingre Tongluo prescription (Huangqin Qingre Chubi Capsule, HQC), an herbal formula with abundant clinical applications, has played a definite role in both clinical and experimental studies of RA. However, the specific mechanisms by which HQC relieves inflammation in RA have not been fully elucidated.

Role of oxidative balance score in staging and mortality risk of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome: Insights from traditional and machine learning approaches.

Objectives: To evaluate the roles of oxidative balance score (OBS) in staging and mortality risk of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome (CKM).

Methods: Data of this study were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2018. We performed cross-sectional analyses using multinomial logistic regression to investigate the relationship between OBS and CKM staging.

TGFβ-activated Asporin interacts with STMN1 to promote prostate cancer docetaxel chemoresistance and metastasis by upregulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Aims: Prostate cancer (PCa) remains a significant challenge in oncology due to high rates of drug resistance following standard treatment with docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Asporin (ASPN) has been regarded as an oncogene and its upregulation is closely associated with malignant behavior and poor prognosis in multiple cancers. Studies indicated that abnormal activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is prevalent in PCa.

Antibiotic prescription in pediatric patients with influenza in outpatient and emergency departments: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Influenza is a common viral respiratory infection, and inappropriate antibiotic use may lead to increased drug resistance and unnecessary waste of healthcare resources. However, real-world antibiotic prescribing in pediatric influenza patients remains largely unknown in China.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of outpatient and emergency department prescriptions in a tertiary children's hospital for pediatric patients diagnosed with influenza between January 1, 2021, and July 31, 2023.

Intermolecular interactions influenced the gelation and texture improvement of sturgeon surimi gels by walnut protein isolates.

Intermolecular interaction is a key factor in the fortification of surimi gels by plant protein addition. Here, the effects of different intermolecular interactions, such as ionic, covalent and non-covalent interactions, on gel structure, gelation strength and water-holding properties were investigated, using sturgeon surimi fortified by three walnut isolates, including walnut meal (WM), protein isolate (WPI) and peptide (WP), as representatives. Quantitative creep-recovery analysis and soluble protein assay demonstrated that secondary bonds, mainly hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bond, possibly played a dominant role in walnut protein-fortified surimi gels.

Green and chemical-free pretreatment of flavonoids in tea plant seed husk using ultrasound-cold isostatic pressure synergistic extraction.

A new method was established to extract flavonoids from tea plant seed husk: ultrasonic-cold isostatic pressure synergistic extraction. The effects of pressure, ethanol concentration, tea plant seed husk addition and treatment time on the extraction of flavonoids were investigated. The optimal extraction process was determined as follows: applied pressure 468.

Engineering strategies for the construction of oriented and functional skeletal muscle tissues.

The growth and formation of tissues, such as skeletal muscle, involve a complex interplay of spatiotemporal events, including cell migration, orientation, proliferation, and differentiation. With the continuous advancement of in vitro construction techniques, many studies have contributed to skeletal muscle tissue engineering (STME). This review summarizes recent advances in the ordered construction of skeletal muscle tissues, and evaluates the impact of engineering strategies on cell behavior and maturation, including biomaterials, manufacturing methods and training means.

A 240-target VEP-based BCI system employing narrow-band random sequences.

Objective: In the field of brain-computer interface (BCI), achieving high information transfer rates (ITR) with a large number of targets remains a challenge. This study aims to address this issue by developing a novel code-modulated visual evoked potential (c-VEP) BCI system capable of handling an extensive instruction set while maintaining high performance.

Method: We propose a c-VEP BCI system that employs narrow-band random sequences as visual stimuli and utilizes a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based EEG2Code decoding algorithm.

CAD manipulates tumor intrinsic DHO/UBE4B/NF-κB pathway and fuels macrophage cross-talk, promoting hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis.

Background And Aims: Portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), an indicator of clinical metastasis, significantly shortens hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients' lifespan, and no effective treatment has been established. We aimed to illustrate mechanisms underlying PVTT formation and tumor metastasis, and identified potential targets for clinical intervention.

Approach And Results: Multi-omics data of 159 HCC patients (including 37 cases with PVTT) was analyzed to identify contributors to PVTT formation and tumor metastasis.

Precise motif and cross-presentation of coronavirus peptides by feline MHC class I: implications for the mild infection of SARS-CoV-2.

As one of the earliest identified susceptible animals for the SARS-CoV-2, cats are also the vulnerable hosts for feline coronaviruses, ie feline enteric coronavirus (FECV). Here, to understand the cross-presentation of coronavirus-derived peptides by cat major histocompatibility complex molecule feline leucocyte antigen (FLA) class I, unpredictable natural peptide motifs presented by FLA-K*00701 and FLA-E*00301 were identified through peptide elution and further confirmed by the structural determination of the 2 FLA class I molecules. Based on these precise motifs of FLA class I peptides, the atlas of cross-presenting peptides from different coronaviruses in cats were sketched with 3 hotspots in C-terminal half of ORF1ab protein.

Rapid clonal expansion and somatic hypermutation contribute to the fate of SARS-CoV-2 broadly neutralizing antibodies.

Several vaccines and immunization strategies, including inactivated vaccines, have proven effective in eliciting antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), providing an opportunity to characterize the antibody response. In this study, we investigated the monoclonal antibody responses elicited by wild-type SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccination compared to those elicited by natural infection and mRNA vaccination. The analysis showed that antibodies encoded by biased germline genes were shared between SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated and naturally infected individuals.

Genetically supported targets and drug repurposing for brain aging: A systematic study in the UK Biobank.

Brain age gap (BAG), the deviation between estimated brain age and chronological age, is a promising marker of brain health. However, the genetic architecture and reliable targets for brain aging remains poorly understood. In this study, we estimate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based brain age using deep learning models trained on the UK Biobank and validated with three external datasets.

Active microgel particle swarms for intrabronchial targeted delivery.

Intrabronchial delivery of therapeutic agents is critical to the treatment of respiratory diseases. Targeted delivery is demanded because of the off-target accumulation of drugs in normal lung tissues caused by inhalation and the limited motion dexterity of clinical bronchoscopes in tortuous bronchial trees. Herein, we developed microrobotic swarms consisting of magnetic hydrogel microparticles to achieve intrabronchial targeted delivery.

6-methyladnosine of vRNA facilitates influenza A virus replication by promoting the interaction of vRNA with polymerase proteins.

6-methyladnosine (mA) modification is present in both positive- and negative-strand RNA of influenza A virus (IAV) and affects the replication and pathogenicity of IAV. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism of mA in IAV RNA. In the present study, we identified the mA methylation of the viral RNA of different IAV subtypes and confirmed that mA modification promotes the polymerase activity and replication of IAV.

Single-Bacterium Diagnosis via Terahertz Near-Field Dielectric Nanoimaging.

Single-bacterium diagnostic methods with unprecedented precision and rapid turnaround times are promising tools for facilitating the transition from empirical treatment to personalized anti-infection treatment. Terahertz (THz) radiation, a cutting-edge technology for identifying pathogens, enables the label-free and non-destructive detection of intermolecular vibrational modes and bacterial dielectric properties. However, this individual dielectric property-based detection and the mismatched spatial resolution are limited for the single-bacterium identification of various species of pathogens.

Conditioned medium of engineering macrophages combined with soluble microneedles promote diabetic wound healing.

Diabetic wounds have a profound effect on both the physical and psychological health of patients, highlighting the urgent necessity for novel treatment strategies and materials. Macrophages are vital contributors to tissue repair mechanisms. Macrophage conditioned medium contains various proteins and cytokines related to wound healing, indicating its potential to improve recovery from diabetic wound.

Direct Cytosolic Delivery of siRNA Conjugates: A Paradigm in Antiangiogenic Therapy for Choroidal Neovascularization.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) has garnered tremendous interest as a potential therapeutic tool because of its intriguing gene-silencing ability. Toward the success in the manufacture of siRNA therapeutics for the potential treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV), siRNA conjugated with dual functional units of membrane-penetrating heptafluoropropyl and age-related macular degeneration-targeting cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide was attempted for transcellular transportation into the cell interiors. Of note, cyclic RGD allowed selective affinities toward the angiogenic endothelial cells in the pathological CNV.

Glass-confined carbon dots: transparent afterglow materials with switchable TADF and RTP.

The confined synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) in solid matrixes is a promising avenue for developing new afterglow materials. Benefiting from the advantages of the sol-gel preparation of nanoporous glass, we report transparent glass-confined CDs with tunable afterglow luminescence. Switchable thermally-activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) and room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of CDs were achieved by adjusting the sintering temperature and ion doping.

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).

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.

Single-cell RNA sequencing generates an atlas of normal tibia cartilage under mechanical loading conditions.

Chondrocytes in articular cartilage can secrete extracellular matrix to maintain cartilage homeostasis. It is well known that articular cartilage chondrocytes are sensitive to mechanical loading and that mechanical stimuli can be translated to biological processes. This study provides deep insight into the impact of mechanical loading on chondrocytes via single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq).

Disulfidptosis: a novel gene-based signature predicts prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Disulfidptosis, a novel form of disulfide stress-induced cell death involved in tumor progression, hasn't be well defined the function in tumor progression. And the clinical impacts of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) remain largely unclear. In this study, we identified two distinct disulfidptosis subtypes and found that multilayer DRG alterations were associated with prognosis and TME infiltration characteristics.

Nomogram predicts risk score and likehood of orchiectomy in patients with testicular torsion: a multicenter retrospective study.

Purpose: Testicular torsion is a prevalent scrotal emergency associated with a significant risk of testicular loss, and there is no reliable scoring system available to assess the likelihood of orchiectomy following testicular torsion.

Methods: Clinical characteristics and surgical data of patients with testicular torsion from January 2015 to May 2024 were gathered from National Center for Children's Health (NCCH) and the Children's Hospital of Capital Institute of Pediatrics (CIPCH). Independent risk variables for testicular resection were evaluated by logistic regression analyses, leading to the establishment of a nomogram.

Should lymphadenectomy be recommended in radical surgery of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients? A retrospective study.

Purpose: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is an extremely deadly cancer with high recurrence incidence, particularly in patients with lymph node metastasis (LNM). The necessity of lymphadenectomy including lymph node biology (LNB) and dissection (LND) during ICC radical surgery remains debate.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the patients diagnosed with ICC and underwent radical surgery at the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from 2012 to 2023.

Tangeretin regulates oxidative stress in cutaneous melanoma cells via the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Oxidative stress is a key factor in melanoma progression, making it an important therapeutic target. This study explored the effects of tangeretin, a citrus-derived flavonoid, on human melanoma A375 cells and its underlying mechanisms. A375 cells were treated with tangeretin at various concentrations.