Efficacy, durability and safety of faricimab for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration: 48-week results from the phase 3 LUCERNE China subpopulation.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy, durability and safety of intravitreal faricimab versus aflibercept over 48 weeks in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) from the LUCERNE China subpopulation.

Design: LUCERNE (NCT03823300) was a phase 3 global, double-masked, active comparator-controlled trial. The China subpopulation comprised patients from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Increased Plasma Pyruvate Kinase M2 (PK-M2) in Heart Failure: A Novel Biomarker Related to Cardiac Function and its Clinical Implications.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether circulating pyruvate kinase M2 (PK-M2) levels are elevated in the peripheral blood and to assess their association with diagnosis and prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods And Results: We conducted a prospective investigation involving 222 patients with HF and 103 control subjects, measuring PK-M2 concentrations using ELISA. The primary outcome, assessed over a median follow-up of 2 years (interquartile range: 776 to 926 days), was the time to the first occurrence of either rehospitalization for worsening HF or cardiovascular death.

Development and validation of a score for clinical deterioration in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis.

Patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) may experience poor response to anticoagulant therapy and delayed surgical treatment may lead to clinical deterioration. However, the factors contributing to clinical deterioration remain poorly understood. Patients with CVT from three centers between January 2017 and October 2023 were included and grouped as the development cohort and validation cohort.

VEGFA, MYC, and JUN are abnormally elevated in the synovial tissue of patients with advanced osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), affecting > 500 million people worldwide, profoundly affects the quality of life and ability to work. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway plays an essential role in OA. To address the lack of studies focused on synovial cells in OA, we evaluated the expression patterns and roles of the MAPK signaling pathway components in OA synovial tissues using bioinformatics.

Roles of the CDCA gene family in breast carcinoma.

Cell division cycle-associated (CDCA) genes are dysregulated in carcinomas. Our study aims to identify similarities and differences of the clinical roles of CDCAs in breast cancer (BRCA) and to explore their potential mechanisms. In GEPIA, compared to normal tissues, expressions of CDCAs were higher in BRCA and sub-types.

Highly sensitive, breathable, and superhydrophobic dome structure nonwoven-based flexible pressure sensor utilizing machine learning for handwriting recognition.

Wearable devices that incorporate flexible pressure sensors have shown great potential for human-machine interaction, speech recognition, health monitoring, and handwriting recognition. However, achieving high sensitivity, durability, wide detection range, and breathability through cost-effective fabrication remains challenging. Through ultrasound-assisted modification and impregnation-drying, dome-structured nonwovens/rGO/PDMS flexible pressure sensors were developed.

Structure-guided mining of stereoselective reductive aminases for biocatalytic stereodivergent synthesis of chiral piperidinamine and derivatives.

Chiral azacyclic amine derivatives occupy a vital role of nitrogen-containing compounds, due to serve as foundational motifs in numerous pharmaceuticals and bioactive substances. Novel complementary enantioselective reductive aminases IRED9 and IRED11 were unveiled through comprehensive gene mining from Streptomyces viridochromogenes and Micromonospora echinaurantiaca, respectively, which both demonstrated enantiomeric excess (ee) values and conversion ratios of up to 99 % towards N-Boc-3-pyridinone (NBPO) and cyclopropylamine. IRED9 exhibited the highest activity at pH 8.

Lightweight MXene Composite Films with Hollow Egg-Box Structures: Enhanced Electromagnetic Shielding Performance Beyond Pure MXene.

MXene is widely used in the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding field. However, the high electromagnetic reflectivity of pure MXene causes potential secondary EMI pollution. This study presents a hollow egg-box structure used in MXene composite film, by which the reflectivity (R) could decrease from 0.

Aptamer-Driven Multifunctional Nanoplatform for Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging and Rapid Inactivation of .

() is a prominent pathogen responsible for intestinal infections, primarily transmitted through contaminated food and water. This underscores the critical need for precise and biocompatible technologies enabling early detection and intervention of bacterial colonization . Herein, a multifunctional nanoplatform (IR808-Au@ZIF-90-Apt) was designed, utilizing an -specific aptamer to initiate cascade responses triggered by intracellular ATP and GSH.

Innovative applications of bio-inspired technology in bio-based food packaging.

Traditionally, food packaging was used to extend the shelf life of food or to monitor its condition. Inspired by many biological structures found in nature, bio-inspired functional materials for bio-based food packaging have been shown to have significantly improved capabilities over traditional bio-based food packaging materials in various aspects and to attract consumers through novel freshness preservation features. This review synthesizes recent advances in bio-inspired bio-based food packaging materials that mimic the structure of natural organisms with specific functionalities, with examples of specific biomimetics in different enhancement areas.

Simultaneous Toughening and Strengthening of Ductile Polymer by Rigid Polymeric Fillers: The Role of Interfacial Entanglement.

The modification of thermoplastic polymers is frequently impeded by the inherent contradiction between their toughness and strength. In this study, an effective strategy to significantly improve the mechanical properties of ductile polymers by simply adding a complimentary rigid polymer is introduced. This work uses a semi-crystalline polymer aliphatic polyketone (POK) as the matrix material and a small quantity of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as the rigid polymer, through establishing molecular chain entanglements at the interface to produce POK/PMMA blends with exceptional mechanical property.

Construction of antibiotic-free riboflavin producer in by metabolic engineering strategies with a plasmid stabilization system.

Riboflavin, an important vitamin utilized in pharmaceutical products and as a feed additive, is mainly produced by metabolically engineered bacterial fermentation. However, the reliance on antibiotics in the production process leads to increased costs and safety risks. To address these challenges, an antibiotic-free riboflavin producer was constructed using metabolic engineering approaches coupled with a novel plasmid stabilization system.

Hybrid hydrogels containing gradients in gold nanoparticles for localized delivery of mesenchymal stem cells and enhanced nerve tissues remodeling .

Currently, most peripheral nerve injuries are incurable mainly due to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in inflammatory tissues, which can further exacerbate localized tissue injury and cause chronic diseases. Although promising for promoting nerve regeneration, stem cell therapy still suffers from abundant intrinsic limitations, mainly including excessive ROS in lesions and inefficient production of growth factors (GFs). Biomaterials that scavenge endogenous ROS and promote GFs secretion might overcome such limitations and thus are being increasingly investigated.

p16 Aggravated Sepsis-associated Cardiac Injury by Inhibiting the PI3K/AKT Pathway and Inducing Redox Imbalance.

Severe sepsis can promote myocardial injury and cardiac dysfunction, but role of p16 in sepsis-induced myocardial injury remains undefined. PBMCs were collected from patients. Expression of inflammatory factors and NLRP3 pathway were detected by Western blotting and qPCR in WT and p16KO mice.

A multiplex fluorescent microsphere immunochromatography assay for simultaneous detection of phorate, fenthion, and profenofos.

The mass production and use of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) have led to a threat to human health. Therefore, establishing a sensitive, rapid, and high-throughput detection method is of great importance. In this study, computer-aided molecular design was firstly applied to design the specific haptens of phorate (PHO), fenthion (FEN), and profenofos (PRO), and high-performance monoclonal antibodies against PHO, FEN, and PRO were prepared.

Effect of Reaction Interface Structure on the Morphology and Performance of Thin-Film Composite Membrane.

Thin-film composite (TFC) membrane has been extensively utilized and investigated for its excellent properties. Herein, we have constructed an active layer (AL) containing cave-like structures utilizing large meniscus interface. Furthermore, the impact of interface structure on the growth process, morphology, and effective surface area of AL has been fully explored with the assistance of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS).

Bovine lactopontin promotes bone development in growing rats by altering the composition of intestinal flora and bile acid metabolism.

Lactopontin (LPN) is an important milk protein with the potential to improve bone health; however, its specific effects have not been determined. This study aims to investigate the effects of LPN on early bone growth and development. 3 week-old SD rats ( = 32) were assigned to the control group, whey protein concentration (WPC) group, LPN-L (low-dose LPN) group, and LPN-H (high-dose LPN) group, with intragastric administration of deionized water, 65.

Assessing cross-country inequalities in global burden of gastrointestinal cancers: slope and concentration index approach.

Purpose: New cases and deaths of gastrointestinal cancers are predicted to increase significantly by 2040. This study aims to explore cross-country inequalities and trends in global burdens of colon and rectum cancer (CRC), esophageal cancer (EC) and gastric cancer (GC).

Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019 were analyzed to examine trends in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for three gastrointestinal cancers with estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and Joinpoint analysis.

Free fatty acid receptor 4 modulates dietary sugar preference via the gut microbiota.

Sugar preference is a key contributor to the overconsumption of sugar and the concomitant increase in the incidence of diabetes. However, the exact mechanism of its development remains ambiguous. Here we show that the expression of free fatty acid receptor Ffar4, a receptor for long-chain fatty acids, is decreased in patients and mouse models with diabetes, which is associated with high sugar intake.

Lateral flow assay with automatic signal amplification based on delayed substrate release.

The low sensitivity of Lateral flow assay (LFA) limits its application in rapid detection for trace targets. LFAs with nanozyme (nanozyme-LFA) as signal labels have demonstrated excellent performance in point of care testing (POCT). However, additional operational steps for substrate catalysis in nanozyme LFA are required, which makes the nanozyme-LFA operation complicated.

Boosting Energy Harvesting Performance in Piezoelectric Composites with Aligned Porosity via a Dual Structure Design Strategy.

Porous piezoelectric materials have attracted much interest in the fields of sensing and energy harvesting owing to their low dielectric constant, high piezoelectric voltage coefficient, and energy harvesting figure of merit. However, the introduction of porosity can decrease the piezoelectric coefficient, which restricts the enhancement of output current and power density. Herein, to overcome these challenges, an array-structured piezoelectric composite energy harvester with aligned porosity was constructed via a dual structure design strategy to enhance the output current and power density.

Genetically Predicted Gut Microbiota Mediate the Association Between Fatty Acids and Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis.

Fatty acids (FAs) and gut bacteria likely play vital roles in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). However, the causal connection between FAs, gut microbiota, and ICP has not yet been confirmed. To investigate the associations of FAs, gut bacteria, and ICP, a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis with two samples was performed to identify the potential causal relationships between FAs and ICP.

Luminescent Metal-Organic Framework with Outstanding "Turn-On" Hg Sensing Ability First Constructed by an AIE Ligand.

Hg is highly toxic and can cause serious harm to the environment and humans. Thus, it is vital to develop efficient Hg sensors. In this work, a LMOF-based (LMOF = luminescent metal-organic framework) "turn-on" Hg sensor () is first developed by an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) functional ligand.

Galactooligosaccharide-Metabolism-Related Genes of Contribute to the Regulation of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetic Mice.

This study investigated whether the galactooligosaccharide (GOS)-metabolism-related genes (GOS-cluster) in contribute to alleviating glucose and lipid metabolic disorders in type 2 diabetic mice. Genomic analysis of 69 strains based on the GOS-cluster, combined with in vitro fermentation experiments, revealed that high-GOS-cluster strains (≥24 MFS, ≥39 GOS-cluster) demonstrated superior GOS utilization and bile salt tolerance. In vivo the high-GOS-cluster strains resulted in a significant reduction of blood glucose levels by 18.

Assessing the occurrence of hypertension in patients receiving calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibodies for episodic and chronic migraine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of episodic and chronic migraine was invetigated. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Ovid Medline, Web of Science and Embase databases from their inception until April 2024 for randomized controlled trials comparing CGRP monoclonal antibodies with placebo or other active treatments in adults with episodic or chronic migraine. The primary outcome assessed was the incidence of hypertension, and secondary outcomes were tolerability, acceptability and adverse events.