Predictive factors for clinical cure in the treatment of HBeAg(-) chronic hepatitis B or compensated cirrhosis: a prospective observational study.

Background: Sequential or combined treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) and pegylated interferon alpha-2b (Peg-IFN--2b) can improve the clinical cure rate. However, its clinical application is limited due to the adverse reactions associated with IFN.

Methods: A multi-center prospective observational study was conducted involving 59 NAs-treated chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who were treated with a combination therapy of NAs and Peg-IFN--2b for 48 weeks.

A comparative investigation on excimer fluorescence toward its bright future.

Must excimers quench fluorescence? This study aims to clarify the misconception that excimers are defective species with weak fluorescence. For this purpose, we utilized a rigid xanthene template to connect anthracene units for constructing an inter-excimer and an intra-excimer. Their photophysical properties were systematically investigated in solution and crystal forms, representing dynamic and static environments, respectively.

The Potential of the Probiotic Isolate SS18-50 to Prevent Colitis in Mice.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the () SS18-50 (an isolate with favorable probiotic properties following space traveling) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Male ICR mice were randomly assigned to one of six groups: a control group, a model group, and four intervention groups comprising the isolate (SS18-50-L and SS18-50-H) and the wild type (GS18-L and GS18-H) strains. The model group and the intervention groups were administered a 3.

Nutrition-Associated Biomarkers in Predicting Intravenous Immunoglobulin Resistance and Coronary Artery Lesions in Kawasaki Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Several studies explored the associations of pre-albumin (PA)/albumin (ALB) and ALB-combined indicators (prognostic nutrition index [PNI], albumin-to-globulin ratio [AGR], bilirubin-to-albumin [BAR], and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio [CAR]) with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance and coronary artery lesions (CALs) in Kawasaki disease (KD) patients. However, the results were controversial. A meta-analysis was conducted to reconfirm their associations and predictive performance.

Retinoic Acid Regulates Allergic Inflammation via Limiting Mast Cell Activation.

BackgroundAllergic diseases have become one of the major public health problems to be addressed in the world today. As a tissue resident cell, mast cells are crucial in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases. Vitamin A is an important fat-soluble vitamin with immunomodulatory functions.

Spermidine synthase promotes liver cancer progression in a paracrine manner by altering the macrophage immunometabolic state.

Purpose: Understanding the molecular mechanisms of adaptive regulation in the tumor microenvironment is crucial for precision therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We hypothesized that cargo proteins carried by extracellular vesicles (EVs) released in a hypoxic microenvironment might promote HCC progression by remodeling tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs).

Methods: EV protein analysis by label-free proteomics mass spectrometry of HCC cell lines of different tumor grades was performed.

Aerobic oxidation of alkylarenes and polystyrene waste to benzoic acids a copper-based catalyst.

The chemical recycling of polystyrene (PS) waste to value-added aromatic compounds is an attractive but formidable challenge due to the inertness of the C-C bonds in the polymer backbone. Here we develop a light-driven, copper-catalyzed protocol to achieve aerobic oxidation of various alkylarenes or real-life PS waste to benzoic acid and oxidized styrene oligomers. The resulting oligomers can be further transformed under heating conditions, thus achieving benzoic acid in up to 65% total yield through an integrated one-pot two-step procedure.

A Distinctive Strategy for Catheter Ablation in Patients With Bilateral Common Ostium in the Inferior Pulmonary Veins: A Case Report.

Pulmonary vein anatomical variations are frequently observed in atrial fibrillation patients undergoing catheter ablation. However, when it comes to patients with atrial fibrillation and bilateral common ostium in the inferior pulmonary veins, using a bilateral circumferential pulmonary vein isolation approach during catheter ablation heightens the risk of esophageal injury. At present, there is no established standard catheter ablation strategy for such cases.

Metastatic brain tumors: from development to cutting-edge treatment.

Metastatic brain tumors, also called brain metastasis (BM), represent a challenging complication of advanced tumors. Tumors that commonly metastasize to the brain include lung cancer and breast cancer. In recent years, the prognosis for BM patients has improved, and significant advancements have been made in both clinical and preclinical research.

A general synthesis method for small-size and water-soluble NaYF:Yb, Ln upconversion nanoparticles at high temperature.

In this work, we developed a general synthesis method for the water-soluble lanthanide ion-doped NaYF upconversion (UC) nanoparticles (NPs) using triethylene glycol (TEG) as a high temperature solvent and diacid as a surfactant. Since the boiling point of the TEG is as high as 289.4 °C, the synthesis temperature can be correspondingly increased to a higher temperature that is a bit lower than this one.

Novel peptides with calcium-binding capacity from antler bone hydrolysate, its bioactivity on MC3T3-E1 cells, and the possible chelating mode.

In this study, peptide-calcium chelate was screened from antler bone hydrolysate, and its bioactivity on MC3T3-E1 cells and its chelating mechanism were investigated. In vitro experiments showed that peptide-calcium chelate promoted the differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells. Subsequently, three novel calcium-chelating peptides were obtained from antler bone hydrolysate using hydroxyapatite chromatography (HAC), Sephadex G-25 gel filtration chromatography, and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC).

Identification of Novel Proteins Mediating Causal Association Between Smoking and Essential Hypertension: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Smoking is a factor for hypertension. We aim to reveal novel plasma proteins mediating the relationship of smoking with hypertension and identify potential drug targets for hypertension on the basis of Mendelian randomization design.

Methods And Results: Data for smoking were selected from the largest genome-wide association study meta-analysis performed by the Genome-Wide Association Study and Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine Use.

Enhancing the capacity of Mn-rich cathodes by kinetics control for lithium-ion batteries.

High energy density cathodes have been widely explored in recent years in the area of lithium-ion batteries, which suffer from sluggish kinetics and structural degradation. Herein, the kinetics of the charge transfer process on the cathode material was accelerated synergistic lanthurizing and Li/Mn optimization method, thereby delivering layered-spinel biphase and improved electrochemical performance. The available capacity was greatly enhanced from 57.

Double coordination shell modulation of nitrogen-free atomic manganese sites for enhancing oxygen reduction performance.

The rational design and fabrication of the active sites of single-atom catalysts (SACs) remains the main breakthrough for efficient electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Although metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) materials have been reported to exhibit good ORR performance, the M-N bond is prone to oxidation and subsequent destruction in Fenton-like reactions. Here, we report a nitrogen-free Mn-based SAC (Mn-SOG-600) anchored on a nitrogen-free graphene substrate, where manganese is bound to four oxygen atoms and one sulfur atom across two different coordination shells.

An interactive dual energy storage mechanism boosts high-performance aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Organic materials are promising cathodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) due to their cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and tunable structures. However, the energy density of AZIBs remains limited by the inherently low capacity and output voltage of organic cathode materials. To address this challenge, we develop a Mn ion-doped polyaniline (PAM) by harnessing the joint merits of the highly reversible doping process of the conjugated backbone and the unique dissolution-deposition behavior of Mn in ZnSO electrolyte.

Bipolar electrochemiluminescence at the water/organic interface.

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) has emerged as a valuable tool for understanding multiphasic and compartmentalized systems, which have crucial wide-ranging applications across diverse fields. However, ECL reactions are limited to the vicinity of the electrode surface due to spatial constraints of electron transfer and the short lifetime of radical species, making ECL emission in bulk multiphasic solution challenging. To address this limitation, we propose a novel bipolar electrochemistry (BPE) approach for wireless dual-color ECL emission at the water/organic (w/o) interface.

Analysis of risk factors affecting the prognosis of angiosarcoma patients: a retrospective study.

This study aimed to identify prognostic factors influencing the survival of angiosarcoma patients and to explore the relationship between peripheral blood indicators and patient prognosis. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data collected from 105 angiosarcoma patients treated at China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University from January 2004 to April 2019, with an additional 50 patients included as external validation cohort. The median survival time for the study cohort was 1395 days, with 66.

A new herbal extract carbon nanodot nanomedicine for anti-renal cell carcinoma through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

New Re carbon nanodots with narrow size distribution, good water solubility and high cell membrane permeability were prepared from a herbal extract. They exhibited high inhibitory effects on renal cancer A498 cells and renal cell carcinoma. They could stimulate the production of ROS, induce mitochondrial dysfunction, and accelerate the release of intracellular calcium ions in the A498 cells.

Dual light-responsive shape transformations of a nanocomposite hydrogel sheet enabled by etching shaped plasmonic nanoparticles.

We report here on dual shape transformations of the same thermo-responsive hybrid hydrogel sheet under irradiation of a laser with two different wavelengths (808 nm and 450 nm). By etching the silver nanoprisms in the sheet to silver nanodiscs by using chloride ions (Cl), two areas with distinct light extinction properties are integrated in a single sheet. The conversion of photon energy to thermal energy in local areas by the silver nanoprisms or nanodiscs under laser irradiation with an appropriate wavelength heats up the sheet locally and causes a local volumetric shrinkage, and hence a volumetric mismatch in different areas in the sheet.

Oleanolic acid attenuates obesity through modulating the lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-fed mice.

As a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, oleanolic acid has hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. This work performed the in vitro experiments and animal assay to explore whether oleanolic acid alleviates lipid accumulation induced by high-fat diet by mediating PPARγ. Oil red O staining showed that oleanolic acid can reduce lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells, which were treated with oleic acid and palmitic acid.