Peripheral nerve regeneration using a bioresorbable silk fibroin-based artificial nerve conduit fabricated via a novel freeze-thaw process.

While silk fibroin (SF) obtained from silkworm cocoons is expected to become a next-generation natural polymer, a fabrication method for SF-based artificial nerve conduits (SFCs) has not yet been established. Here, we report a bioresorbable SFC, fabricated using a novel freeze-thaw process, which ensures biosafety by avoiding any harmful chemical additives. The SFC demonstrated favorable biocompatibility (high hydrophilicity and porosity with a water content of > 90%), structural stability (stiffness, toughness, and elasticity), and biodegradability, making it an ideal candidate for nerve regeneration.

Neuroactive steroid biosynthesis during pregnancy predicts future postpartum depression: a role for the 3α and/or 3β-HSD neurosteroidogenic enzymes?

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects ~10-15% of childbearing individuals, with deleterious consequences for two generations. Recent research has explored the biological mechanisms of PPD, particularly neuroactive steroids (NAS). We sought here to investigate associations between NAS levels and ratios during pregnancy and the subsequent development of depressive symptoms with postpartum onset.

Plasma proteomic evidence for increased β-amyloid pathology after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Previous studies have suggested that systemic viral infections may increase risks of dementia. Whether this holds true for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus infections is unknown. Determining this is important for anticipating the potential future incidence of dementia.

Toward a biological definition of neuronal and glial synucleinopathies.

Cerebral accumulation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) aggregates is the hallmark event in a group of neurodegenerative diseases-collectively called synucleinopathies-which include Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy. Currently, these are diagnosed by their clinical symptoms and definitively confirmed postmortem by the presence of αSyn deposits in the brain. Here, we summarize the drawbacks of the current clinical definition of synucleinopathies and outline the rationale for moving toward an earlier, biology-anchored definition of these disorders, with or without the presence of clinical symptoms.

Change point detection in brucellosis time series from 2010 to 2023 in Xinjiang China using the BEAST algorithm.

Brucellosis is a significant global challenge, but there has been a lack of epidemiological studies on brucellosis in Xinjiang from a change point perspective. This study aims to bridge this gap by employing sequence decomposition and identifying significant change points, with datasets sourced from the Xinjiang Disease Prevention and Control Information System. This study employed the BEAST algorithm to decompose the brucellosis time series in Xinjiang from 2010 to 2023, while simultaneously identifying change points in the decomposed seasonal and trend components.

The impact of air pollution on career changes among Chinese workers.

The influence exerted by air pollution on interregional workforce migration has garnered considerable attention in ecological economics over time; however, relatively scant consideration has been given to its effects on occupational transition dynamics. This study presents an empirical examination of the influence of air pollution on job changes among the working population and seeks to understand the underlying causal mechanisms. By merging detailed micro-level survey data with regional Fine particulate matter (PM) data from Chinese counties spanning the years 1997 to 2015, we have constructed an extensive database to support our analysis.

Investigation and evaluation of palygorskite microstructure following acid pretreatment and its potential use as an adsorbent for copper.

Palygorskite exhibits distinctive morphological and textural characteristics due to its fibrous and micropore nature. This research experimentally investigates the microstructure of palygorskite and how acid treatment changes the fibrous shape and ability to adsorb. Acetic and hydrochloric acid were used to study the effect of acid on palygorskite fibrous morphology.

PathoGD: an integrative genomics approach to primer and guide RNA design for CRISPR-based diagnostics.

Critical to the success of CRISPR-based diagnostic assays is the selection of a diagnostic target highly specific to the organism of interest, a process often requiring iterative cycles of manual selection, optimisation, and redesign. Here we present PathoGD, a bioinformatic pipeline for rapid and high-throughput design of RPA primers and gRNAs for CRISPR-Cas12a-based pathogen detection. PathoGD is fully automated, leverages publicly available sequences and is scalable to large datasets, allowing rapid continuous monitoring and validation of primer/gRNA sets to ensure ongoing assay relevance.

Exploring the link between dietary inflammatory index, inflammatory biomarkers, and sleep quality in adults with obesity: a pilot investigation.

Objective: Obesity is known to be associated with inflammation and impaired sleep quality. In addition, the anti-inflammatory properties of the daily diet provide positive effects on health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the inflammatory index of the diet consumed by people with obesity and inflammatory biomarkers and sleep quality.

Risk-directed management of chronic kidney disease.

The timely and rational institution of therapy is a key step towards reducing the global burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD is a heterogeneous entity with varied aetiologies and diverse trajectories, which include risk of kidney failure but also cardiovascular events and death. Developments in the past decade include substantial progress in CKD risk prediction, driven in part by the accumulation of electronic health records data.

Identification and suppression of low-frequency oscillations using PMU measurements based power system model in smart grid.

Low-frequency oscillations (LFO) are inherent to large interconnected power systems. Timely detection and mitigation of these oscillations is essential to maintain reliable power system operation. This paper presents a methodology to identify and mitigate low-frequency oscillations ( forced and inter-area) using a wide area monitoring system (WAMS) based power system model utilizing phasor measurement units (PMUs).

Design and mechanical analysis of a novel modular bionic earthworm robot with upright functionality.

With the escalating demand for exploration within confined spaces, bionic design methodologies have attracted considerable attention from researchers, primarily due to the intrinsic limitations of human access to hazardous environments. However, contemporary bionic robots primarily attain linear motion through the axial radial deformation of their body segments, thereby lacking the upright functionality that is characteristic of these organisms. In response to the limitations associated with current bionic earthworm robots concerning upright capability and stiffness modulation, we propose an innovative bionic robot that incorporates upright functionality and programmable stiffness.

Biomarker analysis from complex biofluids by an on-chip chemically modified light-controlled vertical nanopillar array device.

Nanostructured devices have proven useful in a broad range of applications, from diagnosing diseases to discovering and screening new drug molecules. We developed vertical silicon nanopillar (SiNP) arrays for on-chip multiplex capture of selected biomolecules using a light-induced release of the array's selectively captured biomarkers. This platform allows the rapid, reusable and quantitative capture and release of a selection of biomarkers, followed by their downstream analysis.

Machine learning models for water safety enhancement.

Humans encounter both natural and artificial radiation sources, including cosmic rays, primordial radionuclides, and radiation generated by human activities. These radionuclides can infiltrate the human body through various pathways, potentially leading to cancer and genetic mutations. A study was conducted using random sampling to assess the concentrations of radioactive isotopes and heavy metals in mineral water from Iran, consumable at Arak City.

Sensorimotor adaptation reveals systematic biases in 3D perception.

The existence of biases in visual perception and their impact on visually guided actions has long been a fundamental yet unresolved question. Evidence revealing perceptual or visuomotor biases has typically been disregarded because such biases in spatial judgments can often be attributed to experimental measurement confounds. To resolve this controversy, we leveraged the visuomotor system's adaptation mechanism - triggered only by a discrepancy between visual estimates and sensory feedback - to directly indicate whether systematic errors in perceptual and visuomotor spatial judgments exist.

Loss of ARID1A accelerates prostate tumourigenesis with a proliferative collagen-poor phenotype through co-operation with AP1 subunit cFos.

Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is the commonest male visceral cancer, and second leading cause of cancer mortality in men in the Western world.

Methods: Using a forward-mutagenesis Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon-based screen in a Probasin Cre-Recombinase (Pb-Cre) Pten-deficient mouse model of PC, we identified Arid1a loss as a driver in the development of metastatic disease.

Results: The insertion of transposon in the Arid1a gene resulted in a 60% reduction of Arid1a expression, and reduced tumour free survival (SB:Pten Arid1a median 226 days vs SB:Pten Arid1a 293 days, p = 0.

Equilibrium study of logistics demand and logistics resource allocation in Guangdong Province.

Logistics serve as a vital link between production and consumption. The balanced allocation of logistics demand and resources can promote the harmonious development of the logistics system, thereby fostering regional economic growth. As a leading region in China's reform and opening-up, Guangdong Province has experienced high economic growth.

Quantitative analysis of amino acid excretion by Methanothermobacter marburgensis under N-fixing conditions.

Methanogenic archaea (methanogens) possess fascinating metabolic characteristics, such as the ability to fix molecular nitrogen (N). Methanogens are of biotechnological importance due to the ability to produce methane (CH) from molecular hydrogen (H) and carbon dioxide (CO) and to excrete proteinogenic amino acids. This study focuses on analyzing the link between biological methanogenesis and amino acid excretion under N-fixing conditions.

Error-driven upregulation of memory representations.

Learning an association does not always succeed on the first attempt. Previous studies associated increased error signals in posterior medial frontal cortex with improved memory formation. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms that facilitate post-error learning remain poorly understood.

Rational design, synthesis, in vitro, and in-silico studies of pyrazole‑phthalazine hybrids as new α‑glucosidase inhibitors.

This paper describes the design, development, synthesis, in silico, and in vitro evaluation of fourteen novel heterocycle hybrids as inhibitors of the α-glucosidase enzyme. The primary aim of this study was to explore the potential of novel pyrazole-phthalazine hybrids as selective inhibitors of α-glucosidase, an enzyme involved in carbohydrate metabolism, which plays a key role in the management of type 2 diabetes. The rationale for this study stems from the need for new, more effective inhibitors of α-glucosidase with improved efficacy and safety profiles compared to currently available therapies like Acarbose.

Development and validation of a frailty risk model for patients with mild cognitive impairment.

The study aims to develop and validate an effective model for predicting frailty risk in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The cross-sectional analysis employed nationally representative data from CHARLS 2013-2015. The sample was randomly divided into training (70%) and validation sets (30%).