Sex disparities in the association between rare earth elements exposure and genetic mutation frequencies in lung cancer patients.

The ubiquitous use of rare earth elements (REEs) in modern living environments raised concern about their impact on human health. With the detrimental and beneficial effects of REEs reported by different studies, the genuine role of REEs in the human body remains a mystery. This study explored the association between REEs and genetic mutations in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Synthetic photorespiratory bypass improves rice productivity by enhancing photosynthesis and nitrogen uptake.

Photorespiration, often considered as a wasteful process, is a key target for bioengineering to improve crop yields. Several photorespiratory bypasses have been designed to efficiently metabolize 2-phosphoglycolate and increase the CO2 concentration in chloroplasts, thereby reducing photorespiration. However, the suppression of primary nitrate assimilation remains an issue when photorespiration is inhibited.

Calycosin‑7‑O‑β‑D‑glucoside downregulates mitophagy by mitigating mitochondrial fission to protect HT22 cells from oxygen‑glucose deprivation/reperfusion‑induced injury.

Calycosin‑7‑O‑β‑D‑glucoside (CG), a major active ingredient of Astragali Radix, exerts neuroprotective effects against cerebral ischemia; however, whether the effects of CG are associated with mitochondrial protection remains unclear. The present study explored the role of CG in improving mitochondrial function in a HT22 cell model of oxygen‑glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R). The Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed to investigate the effects of CG on mitochondrial function.

Shift work, thyroid function and liver function among subway workers.

Background: Shift work is associated with an increased risk of liver injury. However, whether and how shift work alters liver function remains unclear.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the associations between shift work and the liver function parameters, and further explore the mediating roles of thyroid function indicators.

Selectivity control by zeolites during methanol-mediated CO hydrogenation processes.

The thermocatalytic conversion of CO with green or blue hydrogen into valuable energy and commodity chemicals such as alcohols, olefins, and aromatics emerges as one of the most promising strategies for mitigating global warming concerns in the future. This process can follow either a CO-modified Fischer-Tropsch synthesis route or a methanol-mediated route, with the latter being favored for its high product selectivity beyond the Anderson-Schulz-Flory distribution. Despite the progress of the CO-led methanol-mediated route over bifunctional metal/zeolite catalysts, challenges persist in developing catalysts with both high activity and selectivity due to the complexity of CO hydrogenation reaction networks and the difficulty in controlling C-O bond activation and C-C bond coupling on multiple active sites within zeolites.

Acoustic frequency comb generation on a composite diamond/silicon microcantilever in ambient air.

Acoustic frequency combs (AFCs) contain equidistant coherent signals with unconventional possibilities on metrology. Previously, implementation of AFCs on mechanical microresonators with large air damping loss is difficult, which restricted their atmospheric applications. In this work, we explore the potentials of a composite diamond/silicon microcantilever for parametric generation of AFCs in ambient air.

Export competitiveness network of Chinese provincial agricultural products: E volution, performance, and influencing factors.

The development of top-tier agricultural product bases and demonstration zones aims to propel Chinese agriculture into the global market, form international competitiveness, and advance to the high end of the global industrial and value chain. This study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the performance and factors influencing the competitiveness of Chinese agricultural product exports at the provincial level, using a complex network perspective, and offers recommendations for improvement. In this regard, the article uses agricultural product export data from 2015 to 2022 to create export competitiveness networks of Chinese provincial agricultural products.

Application of advanced quantum dots in perovskite solar cells: synthesis, characterization, mechanism, and performance enhancement.

Quantum dots have garnered significant interest in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to their stable chemical properties, high carrier mobility, and unique features such as multiple exciton generation and excellent optoelectronic characteristics resulting from quantum confinement effects. This review explores quantum dot properties and their applications in photoelectronic devices, including their synthesis and deposition processes. This sets the stage for discussing their diverse roles in the carrier transport, absorber, and interfacial layers of PSCs.

Time-resolved spectroscopy uncovers deprotonation-induced reconstruction in oxygen-evolution NiFe-based (oxy)hydroxides.

Transition-metal layered double hydroxides are widely utilized as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), undergoing dynamic transformation into active oxyhydroxides during electrochemical operation. Nonetheless, our understanding of the non-equilibrium structural changes that occur during this process remains limited. In this study, utilizing in situ energy-dispersive X-ray absorption spectroscopy and machine learning analysis, we reveal the occurrence of deprotonation and elucidate the role of incorporated iron in facilitating the transition from nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe LDH) into its active oxyhydroxide.

Comparative study of arthroscopic autologous cancellous bone grafting and medial malleolar osteotomy combined with autologous periosteal iliac bone grafting for the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus.

Background: Surgical management methods for Hepple IV-V osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) are diverse. This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of arthroscopic autologous cancellous bone grafting and medial malleolar osteotomy combined with autologous periosteal iliac bone grafting in the treatment of medial Hepple IV-V OLT.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical data from patients who underwent surgical treatment for Hepple IV-V OLT (2020-2023) was conducted.

Risk factors for the mortality of hemodialysis patients with COVID-19 in northern Hunan province, China.

Purpose: Exploring the risk factors for mortality of hemodialysis patients undergoing COVID-19 and the changes in mortality before and after the opening of the epidemic in northern Hunan province, China.

Methods: We analyzed 230 hemodialysis patients with COVID-19 in the Yiyang Central Hospital from November 01, 2022 to February 28, 2023. Demographic data, laboratory data and public diseases were collected.

Probiotic administration aggravates dextran sulfate sodium salt-induced inflammation and intestinal epithelium disruption in weaned pig.

Background: A. muciniphila (AKK) has attracted extensive research interest as a potential next-generation probiotics, but its role in intestinal pathology is remains unclear. Herein, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of A.

Studies on the treatment of anaerobically digested sludge by white-rot fungi: evaluation of the effect of Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor.

Background: The composition of anaerobically digested sludge is inherently complex, enriched with structurally complex organic compounds and nitrogenous constituents, which are refractory to biodegradation. These characteristics limit the subsequent rational utilization of resources from anaerobically digested sludge. White-rot fungi (WRF) have garnered significant research interest due to their exceptional capacity to degrade complex and recalcitrant organic pollutants.

The molecular prognostic scoring system for normal karyotype myelodysplastic syndromes.

Background: Molecular-clinical prognostic models for Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) offer more accurate prognosis predictions, yet existing models often overlook the heterogeneity of mutational profiles against the cytogenetic background. Moreover, how to apply these models in regions where large panel NGS is unaffordable remains a significant challenge to be addressed.

Methods: A total of 237 NK MDS patients from our center were used as the training set to screen for key variables and develop a prognostic model with overall survival (OS) as the endpoint.

Optimization of Fermentation Conditions in Ergothioneine Biosynthesis from Ganoderma resinaceum (Agaricomycetes) and an Evaluation of Their Inhibitory Activity on Xanthine Oxidase.

Ganoderma resinaceum is a traditional mushroom that contains natural products, including ergothioneine (EGT), which has powerful antioxidant properties in the human body. To increase EGT yield from G. resinaceum, the optimal carbon and nitrogen sources in the culture medium were determined as 20 g/L sucrose and 4 g/L NH4Cl, respectively.

Structure Characterization and Antioxidant Properties of a Triple Helix Galactoglucomannan from the Fruiting Bodies of Russula virescens (Agaricomycetes).

RVP, a water-soluble triple-helix galactoglucomannan, was successfully extracted from the fruiting body of Russula virescens using an alkali extraction method. Physicochemical properties analysis showed that the protein content of RVP was low (0.95%).

The influence of body mass index on efficacy and outcomes of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic surgery (PTES) for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: To investigate and quantify the influence of body mass index (BMI) on the efficacy and outcomes of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic surgery (PTES), a novel minimally invasive surgical technique in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

Methods: A total of 55 patients suffering from single-level LDH with or without high iliac crest, scoliosis or calcification, who underwent PTES in our department from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to BMI.

Excessive activation of JAK-STAT signaling contributes to inflammation induced by acute infection in shrimp.

Uncontrolled immune responses resulting from overactivated cellular signaling pathways, leading to inflammation and tissue injury, are a major cause of death in pathogen-infected individuals. This phenomenon has been well studied in mammals but is less explored in invertebrates. Bacteria of the genus are among the most harmful pathogens to humans and aquatic animals.

Value of combining lung ultrasound score with oxygenation and functional indices in determining weaning timing for critically ill pediatric patients.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the predictive effectiveness of bedside lung ultrasound score (LUS) in conjunction with rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI) and oxygenation index (P/F ratio) for weaning pediatric patients from mechanical ventilation.

Methods: This was a retrospective study. Eighty-two critically ill pediatric patients, who were admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and underwent mechanical ventilation from January 2023 to April 2024, were enrolled in this study.

A Hydrogel for Nitric Oxide Sensitization Chemotherapy Mediated by Tumor Microenvironment Changes in 3D Spheroids and Breast Tumor Models.

Background: Nitric oxide (NO) is a low-toxicity and high-efficiency anticancer treatment that can augment the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin (DOX) towards breast cancer cells, thereby exhibiting a favorable effect on chemotherapy sensitization.

Objective: The study aimed to establish a hydrogel that sensitizes chemotherapy by inducing local inflammatory stimulation to change the tumor microenvironment and promote NO production. The purpose of the study was to examine the anti-tumor effect in vivo and in vitro.

Dietary carotenoid intakes and biological aging among US adults, NHANES 1999-2018.

Background: Carotenoids have been shown to have multiple health benefits, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. The data for the effect of dietary specific carotenoids on biological aging is limited. Our study aims to examine the association between dietary carotenoid intake levels and biological aging.

Efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation with modern rehabilitation techniques in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke patients with post-motor dysfunction.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) refers to a sudden loss of blood flow in a region of the brain, which leads to a loss of neurological function.

Purpose: To unveil the efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with modern rehabilitation techniques in AIS patients with post-motor dysfunction.

Material And Methods: A total of 200 AIS patients with post-motor dysfunction were divided into groups A, B, C, and D (n = 50).

Direct Observation of Dipole Interlocking Effect Occurrence in Two-Dimensional Ferroelectricity.

The electric dipole in materials is closely associated with their electronic transport, optical properties, and mechanical behavior. Here, we have employed the differential phase contrast (DPC) technique of the scanning transmission electron microscopy technique (STEM) to directly analyze the local electric dipole at the sub-Angstrom scale. By utilizing DPC-STEM technology, we successfully visualized the ferroelectric polarization of van der Waals material 3R α-InSe and directly confirmed the dipole interlocking effect (DIE) between in-plane (IP) and out-of-plane (OOP) polarizations.

Lignin-Based Nanoparticles Stabilized Pickering Emulsion for Enhanced Catalytic Hydrogenation.

The development of green and easily regulated amphiphilic particles is crucial for advancing Pickering emulsion catalysis. In this study, lignin particles modified via sulfobutylation were employed as solid emulsifiers to support Pd nanoparticles (NPs), thereby enhancing the catalytic efficiency of biphasic reactions. Sulfobutylation of lignin effectively adjusted the hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance, resulting in controlled emulsion types and droplet sizes.

Stiffness Tunable Magnetic Actuators Based on Shape Memory Polymer/NdFeB Composite for Segmental Controllable Motion.

Soft magnetic robots have attracted extensive research interest recently due to their fast-transforming ability and programmability. Although the inherent softness of the matrix materials enables dexterity and safe interactions, the contradiction between the easy shape transformation of the soft matrices and load carrying capacity, as well as the difficulty of independently controllable motion of individual segments, severely limits its design space and application potentials. Herein, we have proposed a strategy to adjust the modulus of shape memory polymer composite embedded with hard magnetic particles by Joule heating of printed circuit, which can reversibly change the stiffness from 4.