An interferon-stimulated long non-coding RNA USP30-AS1 as an immune modulator in influenza A virus infection.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are essential components of innate immunity, maintaining the functionality of immune systems that control virus infection. However, how lncRNAs engage immune responses during influenza A virus (IAV) infection remains unclear. Here, we show that lncRNA USP30-AS1 is up-regulated by infection of multiple different IAV subtypes and is required for tuning inflammatory and antiviral response in IAV infection.

Patterning the Pore Orientation of Nanoporous Metal via Self-Organization in Flow Cells.

Nanoporous metals, a class of free-standing, high specific-area materials, evolve from interface-controlled self-organization in a selective dissolution (e.g., dealloying).

Multicomponent Polymerization toward Poly(BODIPY-sulfonamide)s as Unique SO2 Generators for Sonodynamic and Gas Combination Therapy.

In this work, a multicomponent polymerization (MCP) approach involving bipyrroles, sulfonyl azides, and diynes was developed to afford a library of poly(bipyrrole-sulfonylimide)s (PPSIs) in high yields and molecular weights, which were further modified to form unique sulfur dioxide (SO2) generators. Bipyrroles served as carbon-based nucleophiles to undergo Cu-catalyzed C-C coupling during the MCP. Upon post-MCP modification by transforming the bipyrrole unit to boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) and the sulfonylimide moiety to sulfonamide, poly(BODIPY-sulfonamide)s (PBSAs) were obtained as potent anticancer therapeutic agents.

Oak Wilt Disease May Reduce the Initial Decay Rate of Dead Quercus serrata Stems by Altering Fungal Communities in the Wood.

Oak wilt causes severe dieback of Quercus serrata, a dominant tree species in the lowlands across Japan. This study evaluated the effects of oak wilt on the wood-inhabiting fungal community and the decay rate of deadwood using a field monitoring experiment. We analysed the fungal metabarcoding community from 1200 wood samples obtained from 120 experimental logs from three forest sites at five different time points during the initial 1.

Untangling the Role of Capping Agents in Manipulating Electrochemical Behaviors Toward Practical Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Long-standing challenges including notorious side reactions at the Zn anode, low Zn anode utilization, and rapid cathode degradation at low current densities hinder the advancement of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs). Inspired by the critical role of capping agents in nanomaterials synthesis and bulk crystal growth, a series of capping agents are employed to demonstrate their applicability in AZIBs. Here, it is shown that the preferential adsorption of capping agents on different Zn crystal planes, coordination between capping agents and Zn ions, and interactions with metal oxide cathodes enable preferred Zn (002) deposition, water-deficient Zn ion solvation structure, and a dynamic cathode-electrolyte interface.

From local knowledge and science to policy: Lessons learned from Fiji's valuable grouper fisheries.

Pacific Island communities are heavily dependent on fisheries for subsistence and livelihoods. Yet, despite their importance, coastal fisheries are poorly managed and commercial pressures increasingly threaten them. Groupers (Epinephelidae) are exceptionally vulnerable to overexploitation due to aspects of their biology while their economic value makes them a prime target for commerce.

Local Strain Engineering of Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Towards Quantum Emitters.

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDCs) have received considerable attention in local strain engineering due to their extraordinary mechanical flexibility, electonic structure, and optical properties. The strain-induced out-of-plane deformations in 2D TMDCs lead to diverse excitonic behaviors and versatile modulations in optical properties, paving the way for the development of advanced quantum technologies, flexible optoelectronic materials, and straintronic devices. Research on local strain engineering on 2D TMDCs has been delved into fabrication techniques, electronic state variations, and quantum optical applications.

Illustrating the structures of bias from immortal time using directed acyclic graphs.

Background: Immortal time is a period of follow-up during which death or the study outcome cannot occur by design. Bias from immortal time has been increasingly recognized in epidemiological studies. However, the fundamental causes and structures of bias from immortal time have not been explained systematically.

Extreme hot weather events and risk of hospitalisation for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases in older people in Hong Kong in 2012 to 2018.

Background: The older population is more vulnerable to the impact of extreme hot weather events (EHWEs), while the impact on the frailer institutionalised older population was seldom assessed. Our objective was to assess the relationship between EHWEs and hospitalisation risks among institutionalised and community-dwelling older people.

Methods: We used territory-wide hospitalisation record of Hong Kong from year 2012 to 2018 to assess the associations between EHWEs and cardiovascular and respiratory disease hospitalisations in the population aged 65 or above.

Pervasive RNA-binding protein enrichment on TAD boundaries regulates TAD organization.

Mammalian genome is hierarchically organized by CTCF and cohesin through loop extrusion mechanism to facilitate the organization of topologically associating domains (TADs). Mounting evidence suggests additional factors/mechanisms exist to orchestrate TAD formation and maintenance. In this study, we investigate the potential role of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) in TAD organization.

Recent Advances and Perspectives on Coupled Water Electrolysis for Energy-Saving Hydrogen Production.

Overall water splitting (OWS) to produce hydrogen has attracted large attention in recent years due to its ecological-friendliness and sustainability. However, the efficiency of OWS has been forced by the sluggish kinetics of the four-electron oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The replacement of OER by alternative electrooxidation of small molecules with more thermodynamically favorable potentials may fundamentally break the limitation and achieve hydrogen production with low energy consumption, which may also be accompanied by the production of more value-added chemicals than oxygen or by electrochemical degradation of pollutants.

Panel containing three serum microRNAs: a promising biomarker for early detection of bladder cancer.

Background: Bladder cancer (BC) is a common tumor worldwide. Screening for BC currently lacks a highly efficient, non-invasive, and inexpensive method. Serum microRNA (miRNA), which is stable and commonly present, has the potential to serve as a novel marker for BC diagnosis.

Evolutionary characterization of the establishment of H6 influenza viruses in domestic geese in China: implications for the position of the host in the ecosystem.

Geese, both wild and domestic, are generally considered part of the natural reservoir for influenza A viruses. The highly pathogenic H5 Goose/Guangdong avian influenza virus lineage that is still causing outbreaks worldwide was first detected in domestic geese in 1996. However, while wild geese might have a somewhat restricted role in the influenza ecosystem, the role of domestic geese is little studied.

Engaging and supporting young adults in smoking cessation: Insights from a mobile-based cessation program in China.

Objective: Evidence-based smoking cessation treatments are underutilized by young adult smokers. This study explored young smokers' experiences with a mobile-based smoking cessation program that included a Quit & Win contest at a university in Zhuhai, China, aiming to identify key engagement and cessation mechanisms.

Methods: Twenty participants (aged 18-25 years) were selected through purposive sampling.

Effectiveness of psychodrama on mental health outcomes based on Chinese samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

Background: Psychodrama (PD), supported by extensive global research, is increasingly becoming a vital method for alleviating psychological symptoms and promoting mental well-being in diverse populations across China. However, comprehensive evidence based on rigorous interventions is currently lacking.

Methods: This article systematically reviews the literature on randomized controlled experimental intervention studies of PD in the Chinese Mainland from 1982 to 2023.

Prevalence and predictors of poor heart failure treatment outcomes in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Various factors can exacerbate disease progression in patients with HF and negatively impact treatment outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the pooled prevalence and contributing factors associated with poor heart failure treatment outcomes in Ethiopia.

Photodynamic therapy-induced precise attenuation of light-targeted semicircular canals for treating intractable vertigo.

Vertigo is a common symptom of various diseases that affects a large number of people worldwide. Current leading treatments for intractable peripheral vertigo are to intratympanically inject ototoxic drugs such as gentamicin to attenuate the semicircular canal function but inevitably cause hearing injury. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive therapeutic approach by precisely targeting the diseased tissue.

Synthesis, structure and π-expansion of tris(4,5-dehydro-2,3:6,7-dibenzotropone).

The polycyclic skeleton of tris(4,5-dehydro-2,3:6,7-dibenzotropone) is a key structural fragment in carbon schwarzites, a theoretical form of negatively curved carbon allotrope. This report presents a new synthesis of this compound using a Ni-mediated Yamamoto coupling reaction and structural analysis of it with X-ray crystallography. Interestingly, it is observed that tris(4,5-dehydro-2,3:6,7-dibenzotropone) crystallized from its solution in hexane resulting in colorless and yellow crystal polymorphs, where it adopts conformations of approximate and symmetry, respectively.

Moderating effects of demographic characteristics on the relationship between parenting practices and energy balance related behaviors of Chinese preschoolers.

Background: Early establishment of energy balance related behaviors (EBRBs) may be effective in combating unhealthy lifestyle in preschoolers. Parents are responsible for cultivating preschoolers' EBRBs directly through parenting practices. Although investigating the impact of various parenting practices on preschoolers' EBRBs is crucial to determine which practices should be recommended to parents to help reverse childhood unhealthy lifestyle, it is important to assess whether these effects of parenting practices on preschoolers' EBRBs would be similar across different groups of preschoolers, necessitating research into the moderating effects of demographic characteristics.

The valuation of older adult homecare services under a joint medical-social budgetary perspective.

Background: Homecare, a cornerstone of public health, is essential for health systems to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of universal health coverage while maintaining its own sustainability. Notwithstanding homecare's system-level significance, there is a lack of economic evaluations of homecare services in terms of their system-wide cost-savings. Specifically, decisions informed by a joint medical-social budgetary perspective can maximize the allocative efficiency of assigning a diverse service mix to address the complex needs of the older adult population.

Return to intended oncological therapy following advanced ovarian cancer surgery: a narrative review.

Introduction: Patients with advanced ovarian cancer often require radical cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy, with or without targeted therapy. Return to intended oncological therapy after surgery is a crucial metric, as delay can worsen survival. The concept of return to intended oncological therapy is important because it highlights the need for not just successful surgical outcomes, but also the ability to continue with the comprehensive cancer treatment plan.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Ameloblastoma in African Population: A Comprehensive Analysis of 371 Cases from Clinical, Radiological, and Histopathological Perspectives.

Objective: To analyze the frequency, clinical, histopathological, and radiological characteristics of ameloblastoma in Nigeria over the course of two decades.

Study Design: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 371 cases at a Nigerian university hospital between 2000 and 2023. Age, gender, site, histological variants, tumor size and duration were analyzed.

Optimising Luteinising Hormone Levels on Trigger Day for Improved Ovarian Response and Pregnancy Outcomes in Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Antagonist Protocols: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To determine the optimal luteinising hormone (LH) level on the trigger day and its impact on pregnancy outcomes in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocols using a data-driven approach.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University.

Plasma p-tau and neurofilament/p-tau ratio in differentiating Alzheimer's disease from syndromes associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Introduction: Plasma-based biomarkers have shown promise for clinical implementation, but their accuracy in differentiating Alzheimer's disease (AD) from syndromes associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) has yet to be fully investigated. This study assessed the potential of plasma biomarkers for differential diagnosis.

Methods: This cohort study included 374 participants (96 AD, 278 FTLD).