Relationship of asprosin and diabetes: a meta-analysis.

Background: Diabetes characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, has become a serious hazard to human health in the recent decades. Previous research suggests that asprosin may contribute to the development of diabetes by regulating glucose homeostasis, appetite, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity. Although some studies have shown that asprosin levels are higher in patients with diabetes than in healthy individuals, the association between asprosin levels and diabetes remains controversial.

Potential alternative and novel biomarkers for paediatric MAFLD: exploratory evidence from a Chinese cohort.

Background: While the associations between pediatric non-obese metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and multiple diagnostic biomarkers are well-established, the role of a broader range of blood-based, urine-based, and body composition-based biomarkers for monitoring MAFLD are needed.

Methods: A pediatric cohort was established in Wuxi, China. We measured body composition biomarkers, blood-based and urine-based biomarkers, and liver stiffness in participants to diagnose MAFLD and identify alternative and novel potential biomarkers for MAFLD.

Discovery of Novel Neonicotinoids with Conjugated Diene Enabled by Cascade Allylation/Isomerization Synthetic Methodology.

As one of the most significant insecticides, neonicotinoids have played a pivotal role in crop protection and public sanitation. However, the high resistance and bee toxicity of neonicotinoid insecticides have attracted considerable attention. Herein, a series of neonicotinoid compounds with conjugated diene moieties were synthesized through the cascade allylation/isomerization reaction.

IFN-γ reprograms cardiac microvascular endothelial cells to mediate doxorubicin transport and influences the sensitivity of mice to doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a first-line chemotherapy agent known for its cardiac toxicity. DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) severely limits the use for treating malignant tumors and is associated with a poor prognosis. The sensitivity to DIC varies among patients, but the precise mechanisms remain elusive.

Fine-tuning d-p hybridization in Ni-B cocatalyst for enhanced photocatalytic H production.

The H-evolution kinetics play a pivotal role in governing the photocatalytic hydrogen-evolution process. However, achieving precise regulation of the H-adsorption and H-desorption equilibrium (H/H) still remains a great challenge. Herein, we propose a fine-tuning d-p hybridization strategy to precisely optimize the H/H kinetics in a Ni-B modified CdS photocatalyst (Ni-B/CdS).

Thiophene Copolymer Donors Containing Ester-Substituted Thiazole for Organic Solar Cells.

Organic solar cells have seen significant progress in the past 2 decades with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) exceeding 20% but mostly based on high-cost photovoltaic materials. Polythiophenes (PTs) without a fused-ring structure are good candidates as low-cost donor materials, deserving more attention for studying. In this work, ester-substituted thiazole (E-Tz) was explored as the electron-withdrawing unit to design PTs, and further optimization on the fluorinated/nonfluorinated donor segment contents via copolymerization strategy was simultaneously performed, yielding polymer donors of PTETz-100F, PTETz-80F, and PTETz-0F.

Low emotional contagious behavior induces PTSD susceptibility in observers and is related to the regulation of oxytocin receptor in mice.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious psychiatric disorder that occurs after an individual has witnessed or experienced a major traumatic event. Emotional contagion seems to play an important role in witnessing trauma, highlighting the importance of understanding the neurobiological consequences of psychological or emotional stress and its impact on the individual's mental health. Therefore, understanding the relationship between emotional contagion and PTSD susceptibility and the abnormal neurobiological and behavioral changes behind it could help find effective molecular treatment targets.

Classification of Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer Using Radiomic Features of Preoperative Ultrasound Images.

Radiomics has been used as a non-invasive medical image analysis technique for diagnosis and prognosis prediction of breast cancer. This study intended to use radiomics based on preoperative Doppler ultrasound images to classify four molecular subtypes of breast cancer. A total of 565 female breast cancer patients diagnosed by postoperative pathology in a hospital between 2014 and 2022 were included in this study.

Joint Physical-Psychosocial Frailty and Risks of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Premature Mortality.

Background: The importance of integrating physical and psychosocial factors in assessing frailty -health outcomes has been increasingly acknowledged, while the related evidence is lacking. We sought to investigate the associations of joint physical-psychosocial frailty with risk of premature mortality and evaluate the relative importance of individual physical and psychosocial factors.

Design: A total of 381,295 participants with no history of cancer or cardiovascular disease (CVD) were recruited from the UK Biobank cohort.

Effects of key physiological parameters on cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis risk in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

The essential cause of menopause is ovarian failure, which can cause decline in sex hormones (especially estrogen) that can increase the risk of metabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. This study screened 1511 eligible patients from 2148 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, measuring various physiological and biochemical indicators to analyze differences among age groups (40-44, 45-49, and 50-54 years) with laboratory techniques. The study found no significant difference in the incidence of cardiovascular disease betweenperimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Mechanistic insights into pachymic acid's action on triple-negative breast Cancer through TOP2A targeting.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the absence of estrogen and progesterone receptors, and lack of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demonstrated promising efficacy in treating TNBC. This study explored the mechanisms of pachymic acid (PA) on TNBC by merging network pharmacology with experimental validation.

Direct observation of chiral edge current at zero magnetic field in a magnetic topological insulator.

The chiral edge current is the boundary manifestation of the Chern number of a quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) insulator. The van der Waals antiferromagnet MnBiTe is theorized to be a QAH in odd-layers but has shown Hall resistivity below the quantization value at zero magnetic field. Here, we perform scanning superconducting quantum interference device (sSQUID) microscopy on these seemingly failed QAH insulators to image their current distribution.

Evaluation and comparison of reading man flap based on different designs of angles and central axial lengths using finite element method.

Different angles and central axis length combinations of the reading man flap were studied to determine the optimal angles and central axis length combinations for reducing the stress on the flap tip. First, different models and corresponding finite element models of flaps with different angles and central axial lengths were established by ANSYS software. Then, skin flap transfer was achieved through forced displacement, and the stress distributions of the flap with different angles and central axial lengths under different materials were obtained.

Ion bridging enables high-voltage polyether electrolytes for quasi-solid-state batteries.

Polyether electrolytes have been widely recognized for their favorable compatibility with lithium-metal, yet they are hampered by intrinsically low oxidation thresholds, limiting their potential for realizing high-energy Li-metal batteries. Here, we report a general approach involving the bridge joints between non-lithium metal ions and ethereal oxygen, which significantly enhances the oxidation stability of various polyether electrolyte systems. To demonstrate the feasibility of the ion-bridging strategy, a Zn ion-bridged polyether electrolyte (Zn-IBPE) with an extending electrochemical stability window of over 5 V is prepared, which enables good cyclability in 4.

Data on insect biodiversity in a Chinese potato agroecosystem from DNA metabarcoding.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a staple crop important in global food security. As a leading potato producer, China faces significant challenges from insect pest infestations that compromise yield and quality. However, insect communities within Chinese potato fields remain poorly characterized.

Multichrome encoding-based multiplexed, spatially resolved imaging reveals single-cell RNA epigenetic modifications heterogeneity.

Understanding the heterogeneity of epigenetic modifications within single cells is pivotal for unraveling the nature of the complexity of gene expression and cellular function. In this study, we have developed a strategy based on multichrome encoding and "AND" Boolean logic recognition for multiplexed, spatially resolved imaging of single-cell RNA epigenetic modifications, termed as PRoximity Exchange-assisted Encoding of Multichrome (PREEM). Through the implementation of this strategy, we can now map the expression and nuclear distribution of multiple site-specific RNA N6-methyladenosine (mA) modifications at the single-molecule resolution level in single-cells, and reveal the previously unknown heterogeneity.

Modular access to saturated bioisosteres of anilines via photoelectrochemical decarboxylative C(sp)-N coupling.

In drug development, the substitution of benzene rings in aniline-based drug candidates with saturated bridged bicyclic ring systems often enhances pharmacokinetic properties while preserving biological activity. However, current efforts predominantly focuses on bicyclo[1.1.

Enantioselective Heck/Tsuji-Trost reaction of flexible vinylic halides with 1,3-dienes.

The enantioselective domino Heck/cross-coupling has emerged as a powerful tool in modern chemical synthesis for decades. Despite significant progress in relative rigid skeleton substrates, the implementation of asymmetric Heck/cross-coupling cascades of highly flexible haloalkene substrates remains a challenging and and long-standing goal. Here we report an efficient asymmetric domino Heck/Tsuji-Trost reaction of highly flexible vinylic halides with 1,3-dienes enabled by palladium catalysis.

Neuroimaging stratification reveals the striatal vulnerability to stress as a risk for schizophrenia.

The striatum, a core brain structure relevant for schizophrenia, exhibits heterogeneous volumetric changes in this illness. Due to this heterogeneity, its role in the risk of developing schizophrenia following exposure to environmental stress remains poorly understood. Using the putamen (a subnucleus of the striatum) as an indicator for convergent genetic risk of schizophrenia, 63 unaffected first-degree relatives of patients (22.

Vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxyglutamic acid protein 1 promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression through stabilizing oncoprotein KRAS and tyrosine kinase receptor EGFR.

Background: Vitamin K-dependent γ-glutamic acid carboxylation (Gla) proteins are calcium-binding and membrane-associated, participating in coagulation, bone turnover, and cancer biology. The molecular function of transmembrane proline-rich Gla proteins (PRRGs) remains unexplored.

Methods: Analysis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) datasets, including transcription profiles, clinical data, and tissue microarrays, was conducted to evaluate PRRG1 expression and its clinical relevance.

How Often Does Bacteremia Occur in Patients With Chronic Periprosthetic Joint Infection? A Prospective, Observational Study.

Background: Bacteremia is sometimes observed in patients with prosthetic joint infection (PJI), and it is associated with a lower likelihood of infection control. However, the prevalence and association of bacteremia in chronic PJI remain unknown.

Questions/purposes: (1) What percentage of patients are diagnosed with bacteremia at the time of hospital admission and before surgery for chronic PJI? (2) What clinical factors are associated with positive blood cultures? (3) To what degree are positive blood cultures associated with infection-free implant survival in patients with chronic PJI?

Methods: This prospective study was conducted at a single academic institution from June 2021 to August 2022.

High-throughput screening strategies for plastic-depolymerizing enzymes.

A multitude of plastic-depolymerizing microorganisms and enzymes have been discovered in the plastisphere. Identifying and engineering such microbial strains and enzymes necessitate robust and high-throughput screening strategies for developing effective microbial solutions to counter the plastic accumulation problem and decouple the reliance on fossil resources. This review covers new methods and approaches for the effective high-throughput screening of depolymerizing enzymes for various plastics, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PU), and polylactic acid (PLA).

Impact of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty/Steatotic Liver Disease on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidence and Long-Term Prognosis Post-Liver Resection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: This study investigates the influence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD)/metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among general population and patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). It also explores its implications for the long-term prognosis of HCC patients following hepatic resection.

Methods: Relevant studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, including adherence to diagnostic criteria for MAFLD/MASLD and reporting hazard ratios (HRs) using Cox proportional hazards models.