Proteome-wide mendelian randomization identifies causal plasma proteins in interstitial lung disease.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) has shown limited treatment advancements, with minimal exploration of circulating protein biomarkers causally linked to ILD and its subtypes beyond idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In this study, we aimed to identify potential drug targets and circulating protein biomarkers for ILD and its subtypes. We utilized the most recent large-scale plasma protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) data detected from the antibody-based method and ILD and its subtypes' GWAS data from the updated FinnGen database for Mendelian randomization analysis.

Involvement of inorganic nitrogen species (NO (x = 2, 3)) in the degradation of organic contaminants in environmental waters via UV irradiation or chemical oxidation: A dual-edged approach.

OH-mediated advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are widely used in wastewater treatment and drinking water purification. Recently, an increasing number of studies have indicated that common inorganic nitrogen ions can efficiently generate •OH under UV irradiation, demonstrating strong performance in the degradation of various contaminants. Conversely, the presence of inorganic nitrogen ions in UV or other oxidation processes dramatically increases the yield of toxic nitro (so)-aromatic products and the formation potential of nitrogenous disinfection by-products with high genotoxicity and cytotoxicity.

Squamocin Suppresses Tumor Growth through Triggering an Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Associated Degradation of EZH2/MYC Axis.

Despite substantial advances in the antitumor effects of annonaceous acetogenins (ACGs), the absence of a defined biological action mechanism remains a major barrier to their clinical application. Here, it is found that squamocin effectively depletes both EZH2 and MYC in multiple cancer cell lines, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and gastric and colorectal cancer, demonstrating potent efficacy in suppressing these in vivo tumor models. Through the combination of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF), and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α) is identified as the direct binding target of squamocin.

Dynamic classification and attention mechanism-based bidirectional long short-term memory network for daily runoff prediction in Aksu River basin, Northwest China.

Inland river runoff variability is pivotal for maintaining regional ecological stability. Daily flow forecasting in arid regions is crucial in understanding water body ecological processes and promoting healthy river ecology. Precise daily runoff forecasting serves as a cornerstone for ecological evaluation, management, and decision-making.

Developmental changes of skin quality from breast, back, and thigh of Pekin ducks from 1 to 6 weeks of age.

Good skin quality not only improved carcass quality but also increased consumer demand for fresh poultry meat. This study aimed to investigate the developmental changes in skin growth and quality of Pekin ducks during 1-6 weeks of age. The skin samples were collected from the breast, back, and thigh tissues of six male ducks at the end of each week.

Targeted gene sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of patients with gallbladder neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report.

Background: Gallbladder neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) represents a subtype of gallbladder malignancies characterized by a low incidence, aggressive nature, and poor prognosis. Despite its clinical severity, the genetic alterations, mechanisms, and signaling pathways underlying gallbladder NEC remain unclear.

Case Summary: This case study presents a rare instance of primary gallbladder NEC in a 73-year-old female patient, who underwent a radical cholecystectomy with hepatic hilar lymphadenectomy and resection of liver segments IV-B and V.

Impact of follicular size categories on oocyte quality at trigger day undergoing luteal phase stimulation protocol.

Purpose: To investigate an optimal strategy by assessing the effectiveness of varying follicular sizes on trigger day during luteal phase stimulation protocol and provide evidence for personalized protocol adjustment.

Methods: This was a retrospective study including a total of 661 patients who had started their in vitro fertilization cycle with a luteal phase stimulation (LPS) protocol during 2015-2023. We classified patients into groups according to the size of the dominant proportion of follicles on the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger day: large, medium, and small.

Validation of the 9th edition of the TNM staging system for limited-stage small cell lung cancer after Resection: A multicenter study.

Objectives: The 9th edition of the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system for lung cancer was proposed at the 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer in Singapore. This study aimed to externally validate and compare the latest staging of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Methods: Four hundred and eight patients with limited-stage SCLC were collected after lung resection from four centers.

Pristimerin Promotes Ubiquitination of HSPA8 and Activates the VAV1/ERK Pathway to Suppress TNBC Proliferation.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis. The natural compound pristimerin has shown promising anti-tumor effect. Here, it is found that pristimerin significantly triggered the activation of autophagy initiation and induced apoptosis in TNBC.

Proximity Labeling and Genetic Screening Reveal that DSG2 is a Counter Receptor of Siglec-9 and Suppresses Macrophage Phagocytosis.

Cancer cells present sialylated glycoconjugates that modulate the activity of various immune cells within the tumor microenvironment through trans interaction with immunosuppressive Siglec receptors. Identifying counter receptors for Siglecs can provide valuable targets for cancer immunotherapy, but it presents significant challenges. Here, the identification of DSG2 (Desmoglein 2) as a dominant counter receptor of Siglec-9 in melanoma cells is reported, using a workflow that combines the strength of proximity labeling and the advantage of CRISPR knockout screening.

Impact of surgery versus follow-up on psychological distress in patients with indeterminate pulmonary nodules: A prospective observational study.

Purpose: To investigate whether surgery is more effective than follow-up in reducing psychological distress for patients with observable indeterminate pulmonary nodules (IPNs) and to assess if psychological distress can serve as a potential surgical indication for IPNs.

Methods: This prospective observational study included 341 patients with abnormal psychometric results, as measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Of these, 262 patients opted for follow-up and 79 chose surgery.

3D Printed Titanium Scaffolds with Bi-Directional Gradient QK-Functionalized Surface.

3D printed titanium scaffold has promising applications in orthopedics. However, the bioinert titanium presents challenges for promoting vascularization and tissue growth within the porous scaffold for stable osteointegration. In this study, a modular porous titanium scaffold is created using 3D printing and a gradient-surface strategy to immobilize QK peptide on the surface with a bi-directional gradient distribution.

Discovery of Brain-Penetrative Negative Allosteric Modulators of NMDA Receptors Using FEP-Guided Structure Optimization and Membrane Permeability Prediction.

-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, a subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptors in the central nervous system (CNS), have garnered attention for their role in brain disorders. Specifically, GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors have emerged as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of depressive disorders and epilepsy. However, the development of GluN2A-containing NMDA receptor-selective antagonists, represented by -(4-(2-benzoylhydrazine-1-carbonyl)benzyl)-3-chloro-4-fluorobenzenesulfonamide (TCN-201) and its derivatives, faces a significant challenge due to their limited ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB), hampering their characterization and further advancement.

Gut microbial GABA imbalance emerges as a metabolic signature in mild autism spectrum disorder linked to overrepresented Escherichia.

Gut microbiota (GM) alterations have been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet the specific functional architecture remains elusive. Here, employing multi-omics approaches, we investigate stool samples from two distinct cohorts comprising 203 children with mild ASD or typical development. In our screening cohort, regression-based analysis for metabolomic profiling identifies an elevated γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to glutamate (Glu) ratio as a metabolic signature of ASD, independent of age and gender.

Upregulated astrocyte HDAC7 induces Alzheimer-like tau pathologies via deacetylating transcription factor-EB and inhibiting lysosome biogenesis.

Background: Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cell type in the brain, will convert into the reactive state in response to proteotoxic stress such as tau accumulation, a characteristic feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. The formation of reactive astrocytes is partially attributed to the disruption of autophagy lysosomal signaling, and inhibiting of some histone deacetylases (HDACs) has been demonstrated to reduce the molecular and functional characteristics of reactive astrocytes. However, the precise role of autophagy lysosomal signaling in astrocytes that regulates tau pathology remains unclear.

Electropositive Magnetic Fluorescent Nanoprobe-Mediated Immunochromatographic Assay for the Ultrasensitive and Simultaneous Detection of Bacteria.

Immunochromatographic assays (ICAs) provide simple and rapid strategies for bacterial diagnosis but still suffer from the problems of low sensitivity and high dependency on paired antibodies. Herein, the broad-spectrum capture and detection capability of the antibody-free electropositive nanoprobe are clarified for bacteria for the first time and an ultrasensitive fluorescent ICA platform is constructed for the simultaneous diagnosis of multiple pathogens. A magnetic multilayer quantum dot nanocomposite with an amino-embedded SiO shell (MagMQD@Si) is designed to enrich bacteria from solutions effectively, offer high luminescence, and reduce background signals on test strips, thus greatly improving the sensitivity and stability of ICA technique for pathogen.

XGBoost-based nomogram for predicting lymph node metastasis in endometrial carcinoma.

This study aims to construct and optimize risk prediction models for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients, thus improving the identification of patients at high risk of LNM and further providing accurate support for clinical decision-making. This retrospective analysis included 541 cases of EC treated at The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University between January 2017 and January 2022. Various clinical and pathological variables were incorporated, including age, body mass index (BMI), pathological grading, myometrial invasion, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) levels, and tumor size.

Kuiyangling Enema Alleviates Ulcerative Colitis Mice by Reducing Levels of Intestinal NETs and Promoting HuR/VDR Signaling.

Purpose: Kuiyangling is a traditional Chinese medicine formula used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, but the specific mechanism remains unclear. Imbalance in NETs regulation is one of the important factors contributing to the onset of ulcerative colitis (UC). The HuR/VDR signaling pathway plays a significant role in restoring the intestinal mucosal barrier in UC.

[Advances of Neoadjuvant Targeted Therapy in ALK-positive Non-small Cell Lung Cancer].

Lung cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion mutations accounting for approximately 4%-9% of cases. In recent years, there are increasing clinical evidences suggesting that the combination of ALK inhibitors with surgical treatment holds significant potential for clinical application in resectable early and locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. This review aims to summarize the advances in neoadjuvant targeted therapy for ALK fusion positive NSCLC and discuss its advantages and challenges in clinical practice.

Developing and experimental validating a T cell senescence-related gene signature to predict prognosis and immunotherapeutic sensitivity in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: T cell senescence affects non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by compromising the anti-tumor immune response. However, the prognostic significance of T cell senescence-related genes in NSCLC remains unclear.

Methods: The scRNA-seq data from normal lung and NSCLC tissues, along with co-incubation experiments involving NSCLC cells and T cells, were utilized to identify T cell senescence characteristics.

Increased reactive astrocytes and NLRC4-mediated neuronal pyroptosis in advanced visual structures contralateral to the optic nerve crush eye in mice.

Currently, research on optic nerve injury predominantly focuses on the retina and optic nerve, but emerging evidence suggests that optic nerve injury also affects advanced visual structures like the superior colliculus (SC) and primary visual cortex (V1 region). However, the exact mechanisms have not been fully explored. This study aims to investigate the characteristics and mechanisms of pathology in the SC and V1 region after optic nerve crush (ONC) to deepen our understanding of the central mechanism of visual injury.

Ancestral carbonic anhydrase with significantly enhanced stability and activity for CO capture and utilization.

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) has garnered increasing attention in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) due to their ecological friendliness. However, most of them suffer susceptibility to deactivation in harsh conditions. Herein, a reliable dataset was adopted for creating ancestral CAs through an optimized ancestral sequence reconstruction (ASR) method.

Harnessing NLP to investigate biomarker interactions and CVD risks in elderly chronic kidney disease patients.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) significantly increases the risk of CVD diseases, particularly among elderly patients. Understanding the interaction between several biomarkers and cardiovascular (CVD) risks is crucial for improving patient outcomes and tailoring personalized treatment strategies. There is much more to learn about the intricate relationship between biomarkers and CVD risks in elderly CKD patients.

Associations of Serum Homocysteine with Bone Mineral Density and Osteoporosis Incidence in Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: This research investigated the prospective association of serum homocysteine with lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) and the risk of osteoporosis in the Chinese population.

Methods: In this cohort, 2551 Chinese individuals aged ≥50 years underwent annual health examinations. Among them, 2551, 1549, and 926 completed two, three, and more than three examinations, respectively.

Treatment of unstable pelvic fractures with double INFIX.

Background: This study investigated the clinical efficacy of Double INFIX for the treatment of unstable pelvic fractures.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 23 patients with unstable pelvic fractures treated using the Double INFIX minimally invasive technique. The cohort included five cases of Tile B1 type, eight cases of B2 type, six cases of B3 type, three cases of C1 type and one case of type C2.