A tactfully designed photothermal agent collaborating with ascorbic acid for boosting maxillofacial wound healing.

Maxillofacial injuries that may cause severe functional and aesthetic damage require effective and immediate management due to continuous exposure to diverse microbial populations. Moreover, drug resistance, biofilm formation, and oxidative stress significantly impede timely bacterial removal and immune function, making the exploration of advanced materials for maxillofacial wound healing an appealing yet highly challenging task. Herein, a near-infrared photothermal sterilization agent was designed, encapsulated with liposomes and coated with ascorbic acid known for its antioxidant and immune-regulatory functions.

A novel non-invasive murine model for rapidly testing drug activity via inhalation administration against .

The efficacy of many compounds against is often limited when administered via conventional oral or injection routes due to suboptimal pharmacokinetic characteristics. Inhalation-based delivery methods have been investigated to achieve high local therapeutic doses in the lungs. However, previous models, typically employing wild-type strains, were intricate, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and with poor reproducibility.

Assessing the fall risk with Stay Independent Questionnaire in people with stroke.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Stay Independent Questionnaire (C-SIQ) in evaluating individuals with stroke.

Design: The study adopted a cross-sectional design.

Setting: The research was conducted at a university-based neurorehabilitation center.

Basic helix-loop-helix ARNT like 1 regulates the function of immune cells and participates in the development of immune-related diseases.

The circadian clock is an internal timekeeper system that regulates biological processes through a central circadian clock and peripheral clocks controlling various genes. Basic helix-loop-helix ARNT-like 1 (), also known as aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (), is a key component of the circadian clock. The deletion of alone can abolish the circadian rhythms of the human body.

Targeting intracellular cancer proteins with tumor-microenvironment-responsive bispecific nanobody-PROTACs for enhanced therapeutic efficacy.

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are pivotal in cancer therapy for their ability to degrade specific proteins. However, their non-specificity can lead to systemic toxicity due to protein degradation in normal cells. To address this, we have integrated a nanobody into the PROTACs framework and leveraged the tumor microenvironment to enhance drug specificity.

Phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes in the marine environment: current status and future trends.

The exploitation and utilization of resources in marine environments have ignited a demand for advanced illumination and optical communication technologies. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), heralded as "green lighting sources", offer a compelling solution to the technical challenges of marine exploration due to their inherent advantages. Among the myriad of LED technologies, phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs) have emerged as frontrunners in marine applications.

Controlled PVA Release from Chemical-Physical Interpenetrating Networks to Treat Dry Eyes.

Dry eye disease is becoming increasingly prevalent, and lubricating eye drops, a mainstay of its treatment, have a short duration of time on the ocular surface. Although there are various drug delivery methods to increase the ocular surface residence time of a topical lubricant, the main problem is the burst release from these delivery systems. To overcome this limitation, herein, a chemical-physical interpenetrating network (IPN) was fabricated to take control over the release of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), a well-known therapeutic agent used to stabilize tear film, from gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels.

From Clinical to Benchside: Lacticaseibacillus and Faecalibacterium Are Positively Associated With Muscle Health and Alleviate Age-Related Muscle Disorder.

Sarcopenia is an age-related muscle disorder that increases risks of adverse clinical outcomes, but its treatments are still limited. Gut microbiota is potentially associated with sarcopenia, and its role is still unclear. To investigate the role of gut microbiota in sarcopenia, we first compared gut microbiota and metabolites composition in old participants with or without sarcopenia.

Computational frameworks transform antagonism to synergy in optimizing combination therapies.

While drug combinations are increasingly important in disease treatment, predicting their therapeutic interactions remains challenging. This review systematically analyzes computational methods for predicting drug combination effects through multi-omics data integration. We comprehensively assess key algorithms including DrugComboRanker and AuDNNsynergy, and evaluate integration approaches encompassing kernel regression and graph networks.

Age-associated microglial transcriptome leads to diminished immunogenicity and dysregulation of MCT4 and P2RY12/P2RY13 related functions.

The aging process is marked by a time-dependent deterioration in cellular functions, particularly the immune and neural systems. Understanding the phenotype acquisition of microglia, the sentinel immune cells of the brain, is crucial for understanding the nature of age-related neurological diseases. However, the specific phenotype adopted by microglia during aging remains a subject of debate and is contingent on the chosen experimental model.

An indirect ELISA for the detection of antibodies against Dirofilaria spp. in cats.

Background: Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens are mosquito-borne filaroids that primarily infect dogs but also cats. Diagnosing feline dirofilariosis is challenging because of the low parasitic burdens and transient or absent microfilaremia.

Fibrocyte enrichment and myofibroblastic adaptation causes nucleus pulposus fibrosis and associates with disc degeneration severity.

Fibrotic remodeling of nucleus pulposus (NP) leads to structural and mechanical anomalies of intervertebral discs that prone to degeneration, leading to low back pain incidence and disability. Emergence of fibroblastic cells in disc degeneration has been reported, yet their nature and origin remain elusive. In this study, we performed an integrative analysis of multiple single-cell RNA sequencing datasets to interrogate the cellular heterogeneity and fibroblast-like entities in degenerative human NP specimens.

Driver identification in advanced transportation systems using osprey and salp swarm optimized random forest model.

Enhancement of security, personalization, and safety in advanced transportation systems depends on driver identification. In this context, this work suggests a new method to find drivers by means of a Random Forest model optimized using the osprey optimization algorithm (OOA) for feature selection and the salp swarm optimization (SSO) for hyperparameter tuning based on driving behavior. The proposed model achieves an accuracy of 92%, a precision of 91%, a recall of 93%, and an F1-score of 92%, significantly outperforming traditional machine learning models such as XGBoost, CatBoost, and Support Vector Machines.

The immunological perspective of major depressive disorder: unveiling the interactions between central and peripheral immune mechanisms.

Major depressive disorder is a prevalent mental disorder, yet its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Accumulating evidence implicates dysregulated immune mechanisms as key contributors to depressive disorders. This review elucidates the complex interplay between peripheral and central immune components underlying depressive disorder pathology.

Regulating Water Molecules via Bioinspired Covalent Organic Framework Membranes for Zn Metal Anodes.

The Zn metal anode in aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) faces daunting challenges including undesired water-induced parasitic reactions and sluggish ion migration kinetics. Herein, we develop three-dimensional covalent organic framework (COF) membranes with bioinspired ion channels toward stabilized Zn anodes. These COFs, featured by zincophilic pyridine-N sites, enable effective regulation of water molecules at the anode-electrolyte interphase.

Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention for Children With Hematological Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Cognitive-behavioral intervention (CBI) has shown positive effects in improving psychological and health-related outcomes in children with cancer. However, no evidence has been found in Ethiopia. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of CBI on anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL) in Ethiopian children with hematological cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Employing Octahedral Net Charge Descriptors for Designing High-Performance Aqueous Proton Batteries.

Recently, aqueous proton batteries have shown promise for electrochemical energy storage using MXene electrodes. However, designing high-performance MXene proton batteries remains challenging due to the inevitable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the vast chemical composition space of MXene, and the unclear proton transport mechanism. To tackle these challenges, we established a general descriptor based on structural units of MXenes, termed the octahedral net charge descriptor (Qoct).

Synergistic Adhesion and Shape Deformation in Nanowire-Structured Liquid Crystal Elastomers.

Nature provides many examples of the benefits of nanoscopic surface structures in areas of adhesion and antifouling. Herein, the design, fabrication, and characterization of liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) films are presented with nanowire surface structures that exhibit tunable stimuli-responsive deformations and enhanced adhesion properties. The LCE films are shown to curl toward the side with the nanowires when stimulated by heat or organic solvent vapors.

[Adiposity-related anthropometric parameters, indoles and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in Chinese adults: a prospective cohort study].

To investigate the relationship of several adiposity-related anthropometric parameters, including BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body fat percentage (BFP) and indoles in plasma with the incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in adults in China. In China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study, blood samples were collected from 2 183 participants in the first resurvey in 2008 to detect indoles. Participants' body weight, body height, WC, hip circumference, and BFP were measured at baseline survey in 2004 and resurvey in 2008, the BMI and WHR were calculated with standardized methods.

Acceptor Elongation Boosted Intersystem Crossing Affords Efficient NIR Type-I and AIE-Active Photosensitizers for Targeting Ferroptosis-Based Cancer Therapy.

Photosensitizers (PSs) featuring type I reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) activity offer a promising solution to achieve non-invasive and precise theranostics. However, the reported AIE luminogens (AIEgens) with both AIE characteristic and strong type-I ROS generation are still scarce and the structure-property relationship is still unclear. Herein, an innovative acceptor elongation boosted intersystem crossing (AEBIC) design strategy has been proposed to endow the AIEgen strong type-I ROS producibility.

(-) - (11R, 12S)-mefloquine ameliorates neuropathic pain by modulating Cx36-ER stress interaction in the pain-related central nervous system in rats.

Aims: To explore the specific molecular and cellular mechanisms of (-) - Mefloquine (one of Mefloquine's enantiomers) in modulating the interaction between Connexin 36 (Cx36) and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) both in rats with CCI-induced neuropathic pain and in tunicamycin-induced ERS cells.

Materials And Methods: The authors conducted chronic constriction injury (CCI) in rats to induce neuropathic pain and established the ERS model in SH-SY5Y cells to mimic the stress state after neuropathic pain. The study employed behavioral tests and various molecular biology techniques, including Western blot analysis, cell transfection, and co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP).

Acceptability of Self-administered Acupressure for Knee Osteoarthritis in Middle-aged and Older Adults: A Mixed-method Secondary Analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate the acceptability of self-administered acupressure for Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) among middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: This is a mixed-method acceptability evaluation was embedded in a randomized controlled trial on self-administered acupressure for KOA. Participants received two 2-hour training sessions on self-administered acupressure and were instructed to practice twice daily for 12 weeks.

Effect of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics on PCBs removal in constructed wetlands planted with Myriophyllum aquaticum.

The co-occurrence of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is an emerging environmental concern. Wetland plants, with their unique anaerobic-aerobic environments, offer a promising approach for PCB removal. However, the impact of MPs and NPs on PCBs dynamics in constructed wetlands is not well understood.

IgA class switching enhances neutralizing potency against SARS-CoV-2 by increased antibody hinge flexibility.

IgA antibodies are critical components of the mucosal immune barrier, providing essential first-line defense against viral infections. In this study, we investigated the impact of antibody class switching on neutralization efficacy by engineering recombinant antibodies of different isotypes (IgA1, IgG1) with identical variable regions from SARS-CoV-2 convalescent patients. A potent, broad-spectrum neutralizing monoclonal antibody CAV-C65 exhibited a ten-fold increase in neutralization potency upon switching from IgG1 to IgA1 monomer.

Thematic analysis of perceptions from both patients and dental students on a digital clinical decision aid in prosthodontics: A qualitative study.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the impact of utilizing an innovative and comprehensive patient-centered digital clinical decision aid designed to facilitate shared decision-making in missing tooth replacement between dental students and their patients.

Methods: A qualitative study using interview approach was conducted in Hong Kong SAR and Malaysia. Thirty dental undergraduate students, each with one patient from the Faculty of Dentistry at The University of Hong Kong (n = 15) and Universiti Teknologi MARA (n = 15), were introduced to a digitally designed decision aid in missing tooth replacement prior to their treatment appointments.