Design of Fluorinated Peptides as Biotransformed Urinalysis Biomarkers for Non-Invasive Diagnosis and Treatment of Liver Injury through Enzyme Directed Kinetics.

Urinalysis, as a non-invasive and efficient diagnostic method, is very important but faces great challenges due to the complex compositions of urine and limited naturally occurring biomarkers for diseases. Herein, by leveraging the intrinsic absence of endogenous fluorinated interference, a strategy with the enzymatically activated assembly of synthetic fluorinated peptide for cholestatic liver injury (CLI) diagnosis and treatment through F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) urinalysis and efficient drug retention is developed. Specifically, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), overexpressed in the liver of CLI mice, triggers the assembly of fluorinated peptide, thus, directing the traffic and dynamic distribution of the synthetic biomarkers after administration, whereas CLI mice display much slower clearance of peptides through urine as compared with healthy counterparts.

Nuclear power plant waste heat opens a window of next-generation desalination hybridization: a SOAR-based review.

This review examines the potential for utilizing nuclear power plant (NPP) waste heat in hybrid desalination systems, focusing on Reverse Osmosis-Low-Temperature Evaporation (RO-LTE) driven by renewable energy sources and atomic waste heat. By employing a SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) analysis, the study evaluates the integration of NPP waste heat into various desalination technologies, emphasizing the environmental benefits and energy efficiency improvements. Fundamental aspirations include advancements in material science and heat exchanger designs, which enhance heat transfer and evaporation processes.

Actions of dexmedetomidine in regulating NLRP3 in postoperative cognitive dysfunction in aged mice via the autophagy-lysosome pathway.

Background And Purpose: Autophagy-lysosomal pathway dysfunction leads to postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Dexmedetomidine (Dex) improves POCD, and we probed the effects of Dex on autophagy-lysosomal pathway dysfunction in a POCD model.

Experimental Approach: A POCD mouse model was established and intraperitoneally injected with Dex.

Feasibility and safety of Taipei Veterans General Hospital Heavy Ion Therapy Center: The first carbon-ion irradiation facility in Taiwan.

Background: Unlike conventional photon radiotherapy, particle therapy has the advantage of dose distribution. Carbon-ion radiotherapy is also advantageous in terms of biological effectiveness and other radiobiological aspects. These benefits lead to a higher response probability for previously known radioresistant tumor types.

SNORA37/CMTR1/ELAVL1 feedback loop drives gastric cancer progression via facilitating CD44 alternative splicing.

Background: Emerging evidence shows that small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), a type of highly conserved non-coding RNA, is involved in tumorigenesis and aggressiveness. However, the roles of snoRNAs in regulating alternative splicing crucial for cancer progression remain elusive.

Methods: High-throughput RNA sequencing and comprehensive analysis were performed to identify crucial snoRNAs and downstream alternative splicing events.

Molecular phylogeny and comparative chloroplast genome analysis of the type species Crucigenia quadrata.

Background: The confused taxonomic classification of Crucigenia is mainly inferred through morphological evidence and few nuclear genes and chloroplast genomic fragments. The phylogenetic status of C. quadrata, as the type species of Crucigenia, remains considerably controversial.

Comparative organelle genomics in Daphniphyllaceae reveal phylogenetic position and organelle structure evolution.

The family Daphniphyllaceae has a single genus, and no relevant comparative phylogenetic study has been reported on it. To explore the phylogenetic relationships and organelle evolution mechanisms of Daphniphyllaceae species, we sequenced and assembled the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of Daphniphyllum macropodum. We also conducted comparative analyses of organelles in Daphniphyllaceae species in terms of genome structure, phylogenetic relationships, divergence times, RNA editing events, and evolutionary rates, etc.

Genetic and clinical spectrum of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome with nuclear pore gene mutation.

Background: Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is insensitive to steroid therapy and overwhelmingly progresses to kidney failure (KF), the known pathogenic genes of which include key subunits of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), a less-recognized contributor to glomerular podocyte injury.

Methods: After analyzing their clinical characterizations and obtaining parental consent, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on patients with SRNS. Several nucleoporin (NUP) biallelic pathogenic variants were identified and further analyzed by cDNA-PCR sequencing from white cells of peripheral blood, minigene assay, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, and electron microscopy (EM) ultrastructure observation of kidney biopsy, as well as multiple in silico prediction tools, including 3D protein modeling.

Software Discrepancies in Radionuclide-Derived Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction.

Gated equilibrium radionuclide angiography (ERNA), or multigated acquisition scanning, is a well-established technique to monitor left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients treated with potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy. To determine the results of a true change in LVEF, low inter- and intrareader variability is important. The aim of this study was to investigate inter- and intrareader variability in LVEF measurements using 2 different commercially available software packages with cardiac MR (CMR) as a reference standard.

Effect of Characteristic Inflammatory and Structural Pelvic Magnetic Resonance Imaging Lesions on Expert Assessment of Axial Juvenile Spondyloarthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings on axial disease assessment in juvenile spondyloarthritis (JSpA).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of patients with JSpA with suspected axial disease. Three experts reviewed each case and rated their confidence (-3 to +3) in the presence of axial disease, first with clinical data and second with clinical and MRI data.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate promotes the dermal papilla cell proliferation and migration through the induction of VEGFA.

Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) are crucial for the growth and development of hair follicles (HF). (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the primary catechin identified in green tea, which has antioxidant effects and regulates cell activity. This study demonstrates that EGCG could promote the proliferation of DPCs.

Genetic algorithm optimized BP neural network for fast reconstruction of three-dimensional radiation field.

The three-dimensional radiation field is an important database reflecting the radioactivity distribution in a nuclear facility. It is of great significance to accurately and quickly grasp the radiation dose field distribution to implement radiation protection. Presently, majority of radiation field reconstruction algorithms concentrate on two-dimensional reconstruction and can only measure on a regular grid.

Chicken adipose tissue is differentially involved in primary and secondary regional immune response to NDV through miR-20a-5p-NR4A3 pathway.

The mammalian adipose tissue (AT) plays a key role in regulating immune function and anti-infective protection to maintain tissue regional homeostasis. However, it is still unclear whether there are differences in the participation of AT in primary and secondary immune response, and whether avian AT has the similar immune function characteristics to mammals. In this study, we used Newcastle disease virus (NDV) attenuated vaccine to induce primary and secondary immune response in chickens, and the changes of the key regulatory gene NR4A3 (nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3) of T cells activation and its targeted miR-20a-5p were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).

Patterns of Tau pathology in patients with anti-IgLON5 disease visualized by Florzolotau (18F) PET.

Background: Anti-IgLON5 disease is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder with prominent Tau protein deposits in the brainstem and hypothalamus. The aim of this study was to visualize the in vivo distribution patterns of Tau protein in patients with anti-IgLON5 disease using the second-generation Tau PET tracer, Florzolotau (18F) PET imaging.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with anti-IgLON5 disease were enrolled consecutively.

A gene-encoded bioprotein second harmonic generation (SHG) probe from Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) polyhedrin for live cell imaging.

Compared to fluorescence, second harmonic generation (SHG) has recently emerged as an excellent signal for imaging probes due to its unmatched advantages in terms of no photobleaching, no phototoxicity, no signal saturation, as well as the superior imaging accuracy with excellent avoidance of background noise. Existing SHG probes are constructed from heavy metals and are cellular exogenous, presenting with high cytotoxicity, difficult cellular uptake, and the limitation of non-heritability. We, therefore, initially propose an innovative gene-encoded bioprotein SHG probe derived from Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) polyhedrin.

Lauryl-NrTP6 lipopeptide self-assembled nanorods for nuclear-targeted delivery of doxorubicin.

Targeted delivery offers solutions for more efficient therapies with fewer side effects. Here, lipopeptides (LPs) prepared by conjugation of the nuclear-targeting peptide analogue H-YKQSHKKGGKKGSG-NH (NrTP6) and two lauric acid chains are used to encapsulate the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (DX) through a solvent-exchange protocol. LPs spontaneously form nanosized rod-like assemblies in phosphate buffer.

SMARCA4 Deficiency in Lung Cancer: From Signaling Pathway to Potential Therapeutic Targets.

SMARCA4-deficient lung cancer, including thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumors and SMARCA4-deficient nonsmall-cell lung carcinomas, is a rare and aggressive disease characterized by rapid progression and poor prognosis. This cancer was identified as a distinct entity with specific morphologic and molecular features in the 2021 WHO Classification of Thoracic Tumors. Molecular alterations in SMARCA4 are specific to this type of lung cancer.

Tungsten Bronze WNbO Nanorod: The Low-Strain and Preferred Orientation Enables Long-Life for High-Rate Lithium-Ion Storage.

Tungsten bronze oxides have emerged as attractive materials for energy storage owing to their fast charge-discharge property. However, the internal weakness of low capacity and short cycling performance impedes their development in wide application. In this work, the tungsten bronze WNbO nanorods with preferred orientation (001) were prepared by hydrothermal method for the first time.

Phylogenomics, reticulation, and biogeographical history of Elaeagnaceae.

The angiosperm family Elaeagnaceae comprises three genera and . 100 species distributed mainly in Eurasia and North America. Little family-wide phylogenetic and biogeographic research on Elaeagnaceae has been conducted, limiting the application and preservation of natural genetic resources.

Solar-driven production of renewable chemicals via biomass hydrogenation with green methanol.

Solar-driven, selective biomass hydrogenation is recognized as a promising route to renewable chemicals production, but remains challenging. Here, we report a TiO supported Cu single-atom catalyst with a four-coordinated Cu-O structure, which can be universally applied for solar-driven production of various renewable chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass-derived platform molecules with good yields using green methanol as a hydrogen donor, to address this challenge. It is significant that the biomass upgrading driven by natural sunlight on a gram scale demonstrates the great practical potential.

Intervalence plasmons in boron-doped diamond.

Doped semiconductors can exhibit metallic-like properties ranging from superconductivity to tunable localized surface plasmon resonances. Diamond is a wide-bandgap semiconductor that is rendered electronically active by incorporating a hole dopant, boron. While the effects of boron doping on the electronic band structure of diamond are well-studied, any link between charge carriers and plasmons has never been shown.

Epicatechin attenuates emamectin benzoate-induced liver injury in grass carp by activating Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway.

Emamectin benzoate (EMB) is an antibiotic insecticide pesticide modified from avermectin. In the current study, we performed an in-depth investigation of the protective effects of epicatechin on EMB-induced liver injury in common carps. The carps were cultured in an aquatic environment containing 2.

Modeling, synthesis and cell-based evaluation of pyridine-substituted analogs of CD3254 and fluorinated analogs of CBt-PMN as novel therapeutics.

Six pyridine analogs of (E)-3-(3-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,1,4,4,6-pentamethylnaphthalen-7-yl)-4-hydroxyphenyl)acrylic acid-or CD3254 (11)-in addition to two novel analogs of 1-(3,5,5,8,8-pentamethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-yl)-1H-benzo[d][1,2,3]triazole-5-carboxylic acid (CBt-PMN or 23) were prepared and evaluated for selective retinoid-X-receptor (RXR) agonism alongside bexarotene (1), an FDA-approved drug for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Treatment with 1 often elicits side-effects by disrupting or provoking other RXR-dependent nuclear receptors and cellular pathways. All analogs were assessed through modeling for their ability to bind RXR and then evaluated in human colon and kidney cells employing an RXR-RXR mammalian-2-hybrid (M2H) system and in an RXRE-controlled transcriptional assay.

Chemical reactions with the Casson nanofluid flow by the bioconvective behavior of microorganisms over a spinning disc.

This study examines the behavior of the Casson nanofluid bioconvection flow around a spinning disc under various influences, including gyrotactic microorganisms, multiple slips, and thermal radiation. Notably, it accounts for the reversible nature of the flow and incorporates the esterification process. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of reversible chemical reactions on the flow behavior of a Casson nanofluid in the presence of bioconvective microorganisms over a spinning disc.

Microglial galectin-3 increases with aging in the mouse hippocampus.

Microglial activation during aging is associated with neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. Galectin-3 plays a crucial role in microglial activation and phagocytosis. However, the role of galectin-3 in the aged brain is not completely understood.