The role of 1-Deoxysphingolipids and Polyamines in the pathogenesis of placental syndrome.

Background: Placental syndrome, mainly composed of preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction, has an impact on the health of mother and baby dyads. While impaired placentation is central to their pathophysiology, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study investigates the association between placental syndrome and metabolic alterations in 1-deoxysphingolipids (1-deoxySLs) and polyamines, along with their regulatory enzymes.

Prescribing rate, healthcare utilization, and expenditure of older adults using potentially inappropriate medications in China: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

Background: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) is a major concern for medication safety as it may entail more harm than potential benefits for older adults. This study aimed to explore the prescribing rate, healthcare utilization, and expenditure of older adults using PIMs in China.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using a national representative database of all medical insurance beneficiaries across China, extracting ambulatory visit records of adults aged 65 years and above between 2015 and 2017.

Individuals' Food Preferences can be Influenced by the Music Styles: An ERP Study.

Studies have shown that a cross-modal association between listening to music and eating. This study aims to explore the influence of music style on individuals' food preferences and provide evidence for understanding multi-sensory research. Twenty-seven participants participated in the experiment which consisted of two parts.

Double-sided van der Waals epitaxy of topological insulators across an atomically thin membrane.

Atomically thin van der Waals (vdW) films provide a material platform for the epitaxial growth of quantum heterostructures. However, unlike the remote epitaxial growth of three-dimensional bulk crystals, the growth of two-dimensional material heterostructures across atomic layers has been limited due to the weak vdW interaction. Here we report the double-sided epitaxy of vdW layered materials through atomic membranes.

Blue photoluminescence from active carboxyl adatoms on nanoporous anodic alumina films.

Nanoporous anodic alumina (nPAA) films formed on aluminum in lower aliphatic carboxylic acids exhibit blue self-coloring and characteristic properties such as photoluminescence (PL), electroluminescence, and electron spin resonance. The blue colors are seemingly originated from the adsorbed radicals incorporating into the oxide during the aluminum anodization. However, there is lack of reports revealing the detailed activation mechanism of the adatoms in the complexes.

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.

Purinergic inhibitory regulation of esophageal smooth muscle is mediated by P2Y receptors and ATP-dependent potassium channels in rats.

Purines such as ATP are regulatory transmitters in motility of the gastrointestinal tract. The aims of this study were to propose functional roles of purinergic regulation of esophageal motility. An isolated segment of the rat esophagus was placed in an organ bath, and mechanical responses were recorded using a force transducer.

Dantrolene is an HDL-associated paraoxonase-1 activator with immunosuppressive and atheroprotective properties.

Human paraoxonase 1 (PON1), an enzyme bound to high-density lipoprotein (HDL), hydrolyzes oxidized lipids and contributes to HDL atheroprotective functions. Decreased serum paraoxonase and arylesterase activities of PON1 have been reported in patients at increased atherosclerosis risk, such as rheumatoid arthritis patients, and associated with arthritis severity and cardiovascular risk. Agents that can modulate PON1 activity and HDL-mediated effects have not been discovered.

The role of the jasmonate signalling transcription factors MYC2/3/4 in circadian clock-mediated regulation of immunity in Arabidopsis.

Plants are exposed to pathogens at specific, yet predictable times of the day-night cycle. In Arabidopsis, the circadian clock influences temporal differences in susceptibility to the necrotrophic pathogen . The jasmonic acid (JA) pathway regulates immune responses against .

Rescue-like behavior in a bystander mouse toward anesthetized conspecifics promotes arousal via a tongue-brain connection.

Prosocial behaviors are advantageous to social species, but the neural mechanism(s) through which others receive benefit remain unknown. Here, we found that bystander mice display rescue-like behavior (tongue dragging) toward anesthetized cagemates and found that this tongue dragging promotes arousal from anesthesia through a direct tongue-brain circuit. We found that a direct circuit from the tongue → glutamatergic neurons in the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN) → noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) drives rapid arousal in the anesthetized mice that receive the rescue-like behavior from bystanders.

A periplasmic protein modulates the proteolysis of peptidoglycan hydrolases to maintain cell wall homeostasis in .

Bacterial cell wall assembly and remodeling require activities of peptidoglycan (PG) hydrolases as well as PG synthases. In particular, the activity of DD-endopeptidases, which cleave the 4-3 peptide crosslinks in PG, is essential for PG expansion in gram-negative bacteria. Maintaining optimal levels of DD-endopeptidases is critical for expanding PG without compromising its integrity.

Therapeutic Black Phosphorus Nanosheets Elicit Neutrophil Response for Enhanced Tumor Suppression.

Black phosphorus (BP) has demonstrated potential as a drug carrier and photothermal agent in cancer therapy; however, its intrinsic functions in cancer treatment remain underexplored. This study investigates the immunomodulatory effects of polyethylene glycol-functionalized BP (BP-PEG) nanosheets in breast cancer models. Using immunocompetent mouse models-including 4T1 orthotopic BALB/c mice and MMTV-PyMT transgenic mice, it is found that BP-PEG significantly inhibits tumor growth and metastasis without directly inducing cytotoxicity in tumor cells.

Meeting report - Alpine desmosome disease meeting 2024: advances and emerging topics in desmosomes and related diseases.

Desmosomes are adhesive cell contacts abundant in tissues exposed to mechanical strain, such as the stratified and simple epithelia of the epidermis and mucous membranes, as well as the myocardium. Besides their role in mechanical cell cohesion, desmosomes also modulate pathways important for tissue differentiation, wound healing and immune responses. Dysfunctional desmosomes, resulting from pathogenic variants in genes encoding desmosomal components, autoantibodies targeting desmosomal adhesion molecules or inflammation, cause the life-threatening diseases arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and pemphigus and contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Update on the treatment navigation for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B: expert consensus 2.0.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements.

Sargassum Nanocellulose-Based Fully Ingestible Supercapacitor.

Small high-performance energy modules have significant practical value in the biomedical field, such as painless diagnosis, alleviation of gastrointestinal discomfort, and electrical stimulation therapy. However, due to performance limitations and safety concerns, it is a formidable challenge to design a small, emerging ingestible power supply. Here, a fully ingestible supercapacitor (FISC) constructed of sargassum cellulose nanofiber is presented.

Comparative analysis of deep learning and radiomic signatures for overall survival prediction in recurrent high-grade glioma treated with immunotherapy.

Background: Radiomic analysis of quantitative features extracted from segmented medical images can be used for predictive modeling of prognosis in brain tumor patients. Manual segmentation of the tumor components is time-consuming and poses significant reproducibility issues. We compare the prediction of overall survival (OS) in recurrent high-grade glioma(HGG) patients undergoing immunotherapy, using deep learning (DL) classification networks along with radiomic signatures derived from manual and convolutional neural networks (CNN) automated segmentation.

Endothelial cells under disturbed flow release extracellular vesicles to promote inflammatory polarization of macrophages and accelerate atherosclerosis.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from endothelial cells (ECs) are increasingly recognized for their role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. ECs experience varying degrees and types of blood flow depending on their specific arterial locations. In regions of disturbed flow, which are predominant sites for atherosclerotic plaque formation, the impact of disturbed flow on the secretion and function of ECs-derived EVs remains unclear.

Atomically resolved imaging of radiation-sensitive metal-organic frameworks via electron ptychography.

Electron ptychography, recognized as an ideal technique for low-dose imaging, consistently achieves deep sub-angstrom resolution at electron doses of several thousand electrons per square angstrom (e/Å) or higher. Despite its proven efficacy, the application of electron ptychography at even lower doses-necessary for materials highly sensitive to electron beams-raises questions regarding its feasibility and the attainable resolution under such stringent conditions. Herein, we demonstrate the implementation of near-atomic-resolution ( ~ 2 Å) electron ptychography reconstruction at electron doses as low as ~100 e/Å, for metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are known for their extreme sensitivity.

Methyltransferase-like 3 mediates m6A modification of heme oxygenase 1 mRNA to induce ferroptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells in acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) involves a series of syndromes characterized by a rapid increase in creatinine levels. Ferroptosis, as an iron-dependent mode of programmed cell death, reportedly participates in the pathogenesis of AKI. Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3)-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been recently associated with various kidney diseases; however, the mechanism of METTL3 crosstalk with the molecules involved in ferroptosis is not clearly understood.

Reversible Ferroelectric Polarization Modulation of Chiral Molecular Ferroelectrics by Circularly Polarized Light.

The optical modulation of ferroelectric polarization constitutes a transformative, non-contact strategy for the precise manipulation of ferroelectric properties, heralding advancements in optically stimulated ferroelectric devices. Despite its potential, progress in this domain is constrained by material limitations and the intricate nature of the underlying mechanisms. Recent studies have achieved efficient regulation of ferroelectric polarization and thermal conductivity in chiral ferroelectric thin films through the application of left- and right-handed circularly polarized light (LCP and RCP).

Paternal Cyanidin-3-O-Glucoside Diet Improved High-Fat, High-Fructose Diet-Induced Intergenerational Inheritance in Male Offspring's Susceptibility to High-Fat Diet-Induced Testicular and Sperm Damage.

High-fructose and high-fat diet (HFHFD) has been associated with impaired spermatogenesis, leading to decreased sperm quality and increased male infertility, with similar effects observed in offspring. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G), a recognized food antioxidant, has shown promise in protecting in male reproduction and modulating epigenetic modifications. However, its potential role in ameliorating intergenerational inheritance induced by HFHFD remains underexplored.

The tissue-plasminogen activator-challenged thromboelastography provides a comprehensive assessment of fibrinolysis in the severely injured.

Background: Tissue-plasminogen activator-challenged thromboelastography (tPA-TEG) predicts massive transfusion and mortality better than conventional rapid thromboelastography (rTEG), with little concordance between their lysis values (LY30). We hypothesized that the main fibrinolytic inhibitors plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and α-2 antiplasmin (A2AP), as well as markers of fibrinolytic activation (plasmin-antiplasmin [PAP], tPA-PAI-1 complex, tPA activity), would correlate more strongly with tPA-TEG versus rTEG LY30 and may explain the recent findings of four distinct fibrinolytic phenotypes in trauma based on these two TEG methodologies.

Methods: Adult trauma patients (n = 56) had tPA-TEG, rTEG, and plasma obtained on arrival to the emergency department with institutional review board approval.

The Role of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Neonatal and Fetal Brain Research.

The biochemical composition and structure of the brain are in a rapid change during the exuberant stage of fetal and neonatal development. H-MRS is a noninvasive tool that can evaluate brain metabolites in healthy fetuses and infants as well as those with neurological diseases. This review aims to provide readers with an understanding of 1) the basic principles and technical considerations relevant to H-MRS in the fetal-neonatal brain and 2) the role of H-MRS in early fetal-neonatal development brain research.