Integrative analysis of gene expression and chromatin dynamics multi-omics data in mouse models of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis.

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis is a relentless and ultimately fatal lung disorder. Despite a wealth of research, the intricate molecular pathways that contribute to the onset of PF, especially the aspects related to epigenetic modifications and chromatin dynamics, continue to be elusive and not fully understood.

Methods: Utilizing a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between chromatin structure, chromatin accessibility, gene expression patterns, and cellular heterogeneity.

Global, regional, and national assessment of foreign body aspiration (1990-2021): novel insights into incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years.

Background: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a preventable yet underrecognized global health challenge, contributing to substantial clinical and economic burdens. Comprehensive and comparable analyses of FBA trends across diverse populations and socioeconomic contexts remain limited. Leveraging data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study, we provide an in-depth global, regional, and national analysis of FBA trends over the past three decades, including the first evaluation of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), years of life lost (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs).

Regulation of immune microenvironments by polyetheretherketone surface topography for improving osseointegration.

Optimizing the immune microenvironment is essential for successful implant osseointegration. In this study, four different nano/microstructures were fabricated on polyetheretherketone (PEEK) substrates by varying the agitation speed during sulfonation to influence osteoimmunomodulation and implant integration. The results indicate that nano/microstructures with minimal dimensions (SP450) inhibit actin polymerization by reducing calcium influx through PIEZO1, activating the anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage phenotype.

CREB1/CRTC2 regulated tubular epithelial-derived exosomal miR-93-3p promotes kidney injury induced by calcium oxalate via activating M1 polarization and macrophage extracellular trap formation.

Background: Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals are known to cause renal injury and trigger inflammatory responses. However, the role of exosome-mediated epithelial-macrophage communication in CaOx-induced kidney injury remains unclear.

Methods: To identify key molecules, miRNA sequencing was conducted on exosomes derived from CaOx-treated (CaOx-exo) and control (Ctrl-exo) epithelial cells, identifying miR-93-3p as significantly upregulated.

Spontaneous psoas hematoma following posterior lumbar fusion surgery: a mini literature review.

Background: Spontaneous psoas hematoma is a very rare clinical entity, and the pathogenesis and pathologic mechanisms of spontaneous psoas hematoma remain unclear, thus, it is of great value to explore.

Case Presentation: We encountered a patient who developed femoral nerve paralysis due to psoas muscle hematoma following posterior lumbar fusion surgery. A 69-year-old female with lumbar spinal canal stenosis underwent posterior lumbar fusion at the L3-4 and L4-5 levels.

Vascularized fibular epiphyseal transfer for biological reconstruction of bone defects following resection in children with proximal humeral sarcoma.

Background: The functional reconstruction of bone defects following resection of proximal humerus tumors in children poses a significant challenge. This study utilized vascularized fibular epiphyseal transfer for proximal humerus reconstruction to evaluate the outcome, complications, and survival rates.

Methods: In this study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 13 pediatric patients who underwent vascularized fibular epiphyseal transfer for biological reconstruction following oncologic resection of the proximal humerus between 2019 and 2021.

Potential biomarkers develop for predicting the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after optimized chemoradiotherapy using serum metabolomics.

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the most common type of esophageal cancer, characterized by low five-year survival rate, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) has been proposed to treat ESCC, while potential biomarkers for prognostic monitoring after optimized CCRT remains unknown.

Methods: Serum samples from 45 patients with ESCC were collected and categorized into three groups: Control (pre-CCRT), CCRT (during CCRT), and CCRT-1 M (one-month post-CCRT). The therapeutic effect was evaluated using CT imaging and established evaluation criteria.

Does income have a non-linear impact on residents' BMI? Re-examining the obesity Kuznets curve.

Background: After more than 40 years of growth, the income of Chinese residents has greatly increased; however, the problems of overweight and obesity among residents have become increasingly prominent.

Methods: We used data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) to study the relationship between residents' income and obesity using the instrumental variable (IV) method.

Results: The impact of income on residents' body mass index (BMI) is an inverted U-shape; that is, when income is low, BMI significantly rises with income, and when per capita income exceeds 57,066 yuan in 2023 prices (equivalent to 8,098 dollars), further increases in income will lead to a decrease in BMI.

Comparative efficacy of cast immobilization versus removable braces in patients with ankle fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: An effective and appropriate method to support the ankle joint optimally is particularly important during the healing phase of ankle fractures. The purpose of this review was to assess the functional outcomes, ankle-related quality of life, and associated complications of cast immobilization versus removable braces for the treatment of adult ankle fractures.

Methods: Studies comparing cast immobilization and removable braces after ankle fracture were included by systematic searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE databases according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Evaluation and Meta-Analysis Statements) guidelines.

Psychometric testing of Chinese version of screening tools (PASS) and GAD among perinatal population: hospital based evidence 2023.

Background: Anxiety disorders are increasing worldwide, untreated anxiety is linked to maternal and child health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to test psychometric properties of the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS) among Chinese women.

Methods: The PASS was translated into Chinese following Beaton's intercultural debugging guide.

Prognostic value of tumor deposits and positive lymph nodes in colorectal cancer surgery: improved staging for long-term prognosis.

Background: To evaluate the prognostic value of the presence and number of tumor deposits (TDs) and the combination of TDs and number of positive lymph nodes (PLNs) in patients undergoing colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery, and to modify N staging.

Method: The clinical data of 1470 patients with stage I-IV CRC who underwent surgery in Wuhan Union Hospital from February 2014 to May 2018 were collected. The optimal cutoff value for TD + PLNs was obtained using X-tile software, and patients were regrouped accordingly.

Chromosomal inversion at the DG1 promoter drives double-grain spikelets and enhances grain yield in sorghum.

The phenomenon of multiple-grain spikelets is frequently observed in gramineous crops. In the case of dual-floret spikelets, the upper fertile floret develops normally to form a single grain, while the lower sterile floret undergoes abortion. Here we elucidate the role of Double-Grain 1 (DG1), a gene encoding a homeobox-domain-containing protein, in regulating the lower floret meristem activity and double-grain spikelet trait in sorghum.

Dynamic Chirality in Nature-Inspired Photonic Crystal Films: Ultralong Room Temperature Phosphorescence and Stimuli-Responsive Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) systems exhibiting room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) are attracting considerable attention for applications in information encryption and smart sensing. However, achieving ultralong circularly polarized RTP (CPRTP) with tunable chirality and stimuli-responsive CPL remains challenging. Inspired by the color-changing properties of the butterfly, we developed a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-based photonic crystal film with an ultralong RTP lifetime of 2.

Description of Cytobacillus Mangrovibacter sp. nov., and Cytobacillus Spartinae sp. nov., Isolated from Mangrove Sediment.

Two Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped, and motile strains FJAT-53684 and FJAT-54145 were isolated from the mangrove sediment. They optimally grew at pH 8.0 and could tolerate NaCl up to 5% (w/v).

Systemic barrier dysfunction in type 2 inflammation diseases: perspective in the skin, airways, and gastrointestinal tract.

The epithelial barrier in different organs is the first line of defense against environmental insults and allergens, with type 2 immunity serving as a protective function. Genetic factors, and biological and chemical insults from the surrounding environment altered regulate epithelial homeostasis through disruption of epithelial tight junction proteins or dilated intercellular spaces. Recent studies suggest that epithelial barrier dysfunction contributes to pathologic alteration in diseases with type 2 immune dysregulation including (but not limited to) atopic dermatitis, prurigo nodularis, asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, and eosinophilic esophagitis.

A ratiometric electrochemical sensor based on Cu@Ni/MWCNTs for detection of chloramphenicol.

A signal tag was successfully designed by means of two-step reduction approach, in which CuNi nanoparticles (CuNi NPs) uniformly distributed on the surface of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). This composites not only inherits excellent conductivity and surface area of MWCNTs, but also endows the material with superior electrocatalytic performance due to the introduction of CuNi NPs. Then, a ratiometric sensing platform coupled with built-in correction ability for convenient direct determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) was exploited, wherein Cu@Ni/MWCNTs were used as signal label and ferrocene (Fc) as internal reference.

Associations of essential trace metals with telomere length in general population: a cross-sectional study.

This study investigated the relationship between essential plasma metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Se, Zn) and telomere length in 2,194 Chinese adults aged ≥ 30 years. Metal concentrations were measured using ICP-MS, and leukocyte relative telomere length (rTL) was assessed by qPCR. In the elderly, Cr and Mn were significantly positively correlated with rTL, while Mo, Zn, and Cu showed negative correlations.

RBMS3-loss impedes TRIM21-induced ubiquitination of ANGPT2 in an RNA-independent manner and drives sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sorafenib, a first-line targeted drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has limited clinical application due to intrinsic/acquired resistance. In this study, we have identified the RNA-binding protein RBMS3 as a pivotal regulator involved in sorafenib resistance among patients with HCC. Loss- and gain-of-function experiments further demonstrate that downregulation of RBMS3 promotes angiogenesis and confers resistance to sorafenib by augmenting the capacity of HCC cells to express and secrete ANGPT2, while upregulation of RBMS3 reverse these phenotypes.

Vaginal microbiota transplantation alleviates vaginal atrophy in ovariectomized mice.

Vaginal atrophy is a prevalent symptom in menopausal women, affecting over 50% of older women and patients with loss of ovarian function. The role of factors other than estrogen, such as the vaginal microbiota (VM), in the development of vaginal atrophy has not been fully explored. Therefore, we selected 8-week-old C57 mice with bilateral ovariectomy for experimentation.

Imaging molecular structures and interactions by enhanced confinement effect in electron microscopy.

Atomic imaging of molecules and intermolecular interactions are of great significance for a deeper understanding of the basic physics and chemistry in various applications, but it is still challenging in electron microscopy due to their thermal mobility and beam sensitivity. Confinement effect and low-dose imaging method may efficiently help us achieve stable high-resolution resolving of molecules and their interactions. Here, we propose a general strategy to image the confined molecules and evaluate the strengths of host-guest interactions in three material systems by low-dose electron microscopy.

Binary peptide coacervates as an active model for biomolecular condensates.

Biomolecular condensates formed by proteins and nucleic acids are critical for cellular processes. Macromolecule-based coacervate droplets formed by liquid-liquid phase separation serve as synthetic analogues, but are limited by complex compositions and high molecular weights. Recently, short peptides have emerged as an alternative component of coacervates, but tend to form metastable microdroplets that evolve into rigid nanostructures.

Responsive DNA artificial cells for contact and behavior regulation of mammalian cells.

Artificial cells have emerged as synthetic entities designed to mimic the functionalities of natural cells, but their interactive ability with mammalian cells remains challenging. Herein, we develop a generalizable and modular strategy to engineer DNA-empowered stimulable artificial cells designated to regulate mammalian cells (STARM) via synthetic contact-dependent communication. Constructed through temperature-controlled DNA self-assembly involving liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), STARMs feature organized all-DNA cytoplasm-mimic and membrane-mimic compartments.

Designing polymersomes with surface-integrated nanoparticles through hierarchical phase separation.

Polymersomes with surface-integrated nanoparticles, in which a smaller sphere is attached to a larger capsule, are typically formed through complex processes like membrane deformation, polymerization, or membrane functionalization. This complexity restricts facile application of this unusual topology, for example in drug delivery or nanomotor science. Our study introduces a robust method for crafting polymersomes with surface-integrated nanoparticles using a hierarchical phase separation approach.

Major depressive disorder on a neuromorphic continuum.

The heterogeneity of major depressive disorder (MDD) has hindered clinical translation and neuromarker identification. Biotyping facilitates solving the problems of heterogeneity, by dissecting MDD patients into discrete subgroups. However, interindividual variations suggest that depression may be conceptualized as a "continuum," rather than as a "category.

In-situ adsorption-coupled-oxidation enabled mercury vapor capture over sp-hybridized graphdiyne.

Developing efficient and sustainable carbon sorbent for mercury vapor (Hg) capture is significant to public health and ecosystem protection. Here we show a carbon material, namely graphdiyne with accessible sp-hybridized carbons (HsGDY), that can serve as an effective "trap" to anchor Hg atoms by strong electron-metal-support interaction, leading to the in-situ adsorption-coupled-oxidation of Hg. The adsorption process is benefited from the large hexagonal pore structure of HsGDY.