Search

As one of the important members of the family of chemokines and their receptors, the CXCL13/CXCR5 axis is involved in follicle formation in normal lymphoid tissues and the establishment of somatic cavity immunity under physiological conditions, as well as being associated with a wide range of infectious, autoimmune, and tumoral diseases. Here in this review, we focus on its role in tumors. Traditional studies have found the axis to be both pro- and anti-tumorigenic, involving a variety of immune cells, including the tumor cells themselves and those in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the prognostic significance of this axis is clinical context-dependent. With the development of techniques at the single-cell level, we were able to explain in detail the status of the CXCL13/CXCR5 axis in the TME based on real clinical samples and found that it involves a range of crucial intrinsic anti-tumor immune processes in the TME and is therefore important in tumor immunotherapy. We summarize the cellular subsets, physiological functions, and prognostic significance associated with this axis in the most promising immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies of the day and summarize possible therapeutic ideas based on this axis. As with any TME study, the most important takeaway is that the complexity of the CXCL13/CXCR5 axis in TME suggests the importance of personalized therapy in tumor therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

When biological nitrogen removal (BNR) systems shifted from treating simulated wastewater to real wastewater, a microbial succession occurred, often resulting in a decline in efficacy. Notably, despite their high nitrogen removal efficiency for real wastewater, anammox coupled systems operating without or with minimal carbon sources also exhibited a certain degree of performance reduction. The underlying reasons and metabolic shifts within these systems remained elusive. In this study, the simultaneous autotrophic/heterotrophic anammox system demonstrated remarkable metabolic resilience upon exposure to real municipal wastewater, achieving a nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) of 82.83 ± 2.29 %. This resilience was attributed to the successful microbial succession and the complementary metabolic functions of heterotrophic microorganisms, which fostered a resilient microbial community. The system's ability to harness multiple electron sources, including NADH oxidation, the TCA cycle, and organics metabolism, allowed it to establish a stable and efficient electron transfer chain, ensuring effective nitrogen removal. Despite the denitrification channel's nitrite supply capability, the analysis of the interspecies correlation network revealed that the synergistic metabolism between AOB and AnAOB was not fully restored, resulting in selective functional bacterial and genetic interactions and the system's PN/A performance declined. Additionally, the enhanced electron affinity of PD increased interconversion of NO 3 - -N and NO 2 - -N, limiting the efficient utilization of electrons and thereby constraining nitrogen removal performance. This study elucidated the metabolic mechanism of nitrogen removal limitations in anammox-based systems treating real municipal wastewater, enhancing our understanding of the metabolic functions and electron transfer within the symbiotic bacterial community., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Dopamine transporter imaging is routinely used in Parkinson's disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS) diagnosis. While [ 11 C]CFT PET is prevalent in Asia with a large APS database, Europe relies on [ 123 I]FP-CIT SPECT with limited APS data. Our aim was to develop a deep learning-based method to convert [ 11 C]CFT PET images to [ 123 I]FP-CIT SPECT images, facilitating multicenter studies and overcoming data scarcity to promote Artificial Intelligence (AI) advancements., Methods: A CycleGAN was trained on [ 11 C]CFT PET (n = 602, 72%PD) and [ 123 I]FP-CIT SPECT (n = 1152, 85%PD) images from PD and non-parkinsonian control (NC) subjects. The model generated synthetic SPECT images from a real PET test set (n = 67, 75%PD). Synthetic images were quantitatively and visually evaluated., Results: Fréchet Inception Distance indicated higher similarity between synthetic and real SPECT than between synthetic SPECT and real PET. A deep learning classification model trained on synthetic SPECT achieved sensitivity of 97.2% and specificity of 90.0% on real SPECT images. Striatal specific binding ratios of synthetic SPECT were not significantly different from real SPECT. The striatal left-right differences and putamen binding ratio were significantly different only in the PD cohort. Real PET and real SPECT had higher contrast-to-noise ratio compared to synthetic SPECT. Visual grading analysis scores showed no significant differences between real and synthetic SPECT, although reduced diagnostic performance on synthetic images was observed., Conclusion: CycleGAN generated synthetic SPECT images visually indistinguishable from real ones and retained disease-specific information, demonstrating the feasibility of translating [ 11 C]CFT PET to [ 123 I]FP-CIT SPECT. This cross-modality synthesis could enhance further AI classification accuracy, supporting the diagnosis of PD and APS., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Study protocols were approved by the ethics committee of Huashan Hospital, and voluntary informed consent was obtained from each subject or their caregivers after an explanation of the procedures, according to the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication Each subject or their caregivers offered written consent for publication and no personal information was presented in the current paper. Competing interests MB received speaker honoraria from GE healthcare, Roche and LMI and is an advisor of LMI. BS, RF and AS are full-time employees of Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. KS receives research grants from Novartis and Siemens Healthineers, and sponsorships from Novartis, Siemens Healthineers, Hermes Medical Solution, DosiSoft, Varian, THQ Medical Products, QDose, PMOD, Boston Scientific, SIRTEX, MIM Software, and the ICPO Foundation. KS and AR are editors of the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study employed polyoxometalate Co 2 Mo 10 as a precursor and a two-step method to prepare carbon cloth-supported Cu x S-CoS 2 -MoS 2 materials. The morphology and structure of the materials were characterized using XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, and other techniques. Interestingly, changes in the reducing gas during the calcination process could adjust the product morphology, thereby altering catalytic activity. Electrochemical results indicated that the Cu x S-CoS 2 -MoS 2 nanomaterials prepared under an NH 3 atmosphere exhibited unique morphology and structural advantages. They demonstrated significant electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline and acidic electrolytes (overpotentials of 108 and 196 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 , lower than the overpotentials of 143 and 226 mV obtained under a H 2 -Ar atmosphere during calcination) and excellent long-term durability. These findings provide insights and methods for synthesizing multicomponent electrocatalysts with enhanced catalytic performance.

While myofibroblasts are the key cause of abnormal extracellular matrix accumulation, the origin of which has not yet been fully elucidated. Recently, it has been found that macrophage-myofibroblast transformation (MMT) defined by the expression of both macrophage markers (F4/80 or CD68) and myofibroblast markers (α-SMA) is one of its important sources. In the process of MMT, it is unclear whether epor is involved. In this study, when BMDM was induced by tgf-β1, the number of F4/80 + α-SMA + cells increased, the cells polarized toward M2, and the expression of tgf-β1 increased. After the activation of epor, the number of F4/80 +α-SMA + cells and the polarization level of M2 were further increased. At the same time, we found that the conditioned medium from MMT cells could induce the activation of 3T3 cells with increased the expression of α-SMA and col-1. In contrast, the number of F4/80+α-SMA + cells, the polarization of M2, and the expression of Tgf-β1 decreased after epor was inhibited by siRNA. Our results demonstrate that the activation of epor in BMDMs could promote the transformation of macrophage-myofibroblast induced by TGF-β1., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In interspecific competitive interactions at the same trophic level, herbivores are often hypothesized to exhibit a fast life-history strategy characterized by early reproduction and a short lifespan. Here, we analyzed the shift in life history of the psyllid Bactericera gobica when it interacts with the aphid Aphis gossypii, the thrips Frankliniella occidentalis, or the mite Aceria pallida in similar ecological niches because all of them cause damage to goji berry leaves., Results: We found that psyllids displayed a typical fast life history when interacting with aphids and thrips. Psyllids that interacted with mites also reproduced earlier than those without any interactions, but later than those interacting with aphids and thrips. Trophic competition typically led to a loss of fecundity in psyllids. To mitigate this loss, psyllids that interacted with mites allocated more resources to reproduction compared to those interacting with aphids and thrips, resulting in their reproduction being spread over a longer lifespan. This life history can be best described as a bet-hedging strategy., Conclusion: Our study suggests that interspecific interactions cannot be solely explained by invoking faster life histories. Instead, the shift in life history may converge towards a finely-tuned match between interacting species. Interactions between psyllids and mites increase psyllid fecundity, potentially promoting the persistence of both species. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background: Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) commonly exhibits a complex neuropathology, sharing characteristics with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including tau aggregates. However, studies using the 18 F-AV-1451 tau tracer have shown inconsistent findings regarding both the extent and topographical distribution of tau pathology in DLB., Objectives: Our aim was to elucidate the topographical patterns of tau deposition in DLB and to investigate the in vivo pathological distinction between DLB and AD in virtue of the 18 F-Florzolotau positron emission tomography (PET) imaging., Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled patients with DLB (n = 24), AD (n = 43), and cognitively healthy controls (n = 18). Clinical assessments and 18 F-Florzolotau PET imaging were performed. 18 F-Florzolotau binding was quantitatively assessed on PET images using standardized uptake value ratios and voxel-wise analysis., Results: 18 F-Florzolotau PET imaging revealed widespread tau deposition across various cortical regions in DLB, uncovering heterogeneous topographical patterns. Among patients, 54.17% showed patterns similar to AD, whereas 16.67% exhibited distinct patterns. Compared to AD, DLB exhibited a unique in vivo neuropathological profile, characterized by a lower tau protein burden, heterogeneous topographical distributions, and a specific role of the medial temporal lobe in tau pathology., Conclusions: 18 F-Florzolotau PET imaging elucidated tau pathology patterns in DLB, providing valuable insights for future in vivo pathological differentiation and potential disease-modifying therapies. © 2024 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society., (© 2024 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.)

Interfacial solar evaporation-based seawater desalination is regarded as one of the most promising strategies to alleviate freshwater scarcity. However, the solar evaporation rate of real seawater is significantly constricted by the ubiquitous salts present in seawater. In addition to the common issue of salt accumulation on the evaporation surface during solar evaporation, strong hydration between salt ions and water molecules leads to a lower evaporation rate for real seawater compared to pure water. Here a facile and general strategy is developed to reverse this occurrence, that is, making real seawater evaporation faster than pure water. By simply introducing specific mineral materials into the floating photothermal evaporator, ion exchange at air-water interfaces directly results in a decrease in seawater evaporation enthalpy, and consequently achieves much higher seawater evaporation rates compared to pure water. This process is spontaneously realized during seawater solar evaporation. Considering the current enormous clean water production from evaporation-based desalination plants, such an evaporation performance improvement can remarkably increase annual clean water production, benefiting millions of people worldwide., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Based on the experimentally reported stable and conductive two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks with copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) as building block and cyan substituted phenyl as connector (CuCOF-CN) as an electrocatalyst for CO 2 reduction reaction (RR), first principle calculations were performed on CuCOF-CN and its analog with the CN being replaced by H (CuCOF). Comparatively studied on the crystal structures, electronic properties, and CO 2 RR performance of the two catalysts found that CuCOF has reduced crystal unit size, more positive charge on Cu and CuPc segments, smaller band gap, and lower reaction barrier for CO 2 RR than CuCOF-CN. CuCOF is proposed to be good potential electrocatalyst with good environment friendliness. The substituent effect and structure-property-performance relationship would help for designing and fabricating new electrocatalysts., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental pollutants and inherent components of coal and coal gangue. The similarities and differences in PAH characteristics between these two source materials are largely unknown. In this study, raw coal, cleaned coal, slime, middlings, and gangue from the Wangjialing Coal Preparation Plant in China were analyzed to determine the concentration and distribution of extractable PAHs. The total concentrations of 41PAHs (∑ 41 PAH), US EPA 16 priority parent PAHs (∑ 16 PAH), and their alkylated derivatives (∑aPAH) ranged from 18.3 to 89.6, 8.70 to 34.5, and 8.40-48.0 mg/kg, respectively, and were ranked as raw coal > cleaned coal > slime > middlings > gangue. The PAH characteristics of raw coal and its preparation products were consistent, with predominant 2-3-ring PAHs and similar PAH isomer ratio distributions. The distribution of conventional PAH isomer ratios for different ranks of coal and coal gangue from different origins was compiled from the literature. The resulting distribution was consistent and overlapped with both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources defined by the ratios. Therefore, coal and coal gangue should be considered one category and classified as a mixed source (mixture of petrogenic and pyrogenic sources). To accurately identify environmental PAH sources, investigations of aPAHs in the environment and PAH characteristics in coal and coal gangue should be expanded., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ammonium oxidation coupled with Fe(III) reduction, known as Feammox, and nitrate-dependent ferrous oxidation (NDFO) are two processes that can be synergistically achieved through the Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle. This integrated approach enables the simultaneous removal of ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) and nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 - -N) from wastewater, representing a novel method for complete nitrogen removal. This study presents a systematic and exhaustive examination of the Feammox-NDFO coupled process. An initial thorough exploration of the underlying mechanisms behind the coupling process is conducted, highlighting how the Fe(III)/Fe(II) cycle enables the concurrent occurrence of these reactions. Further, the functional microorganisms associated with and playing a crucial role in the Feammox-NDFO process are summarized. Next, the key influencing factors that govern the efficiency of the Feammox-NDFO process are explored. These include parameters such as pH, temperature, carbon source, iron source, nitrogen source, and various electron shuttles that may mediate electron transfer. Understanding the impact of these factors is essential for optimizing the process. The most recent trends and endeavors on the Feammox-NDFO coupling technology in wastewater treatment applications are also examined. This includes examining both laboratory-scale studies and field trials, highlighting their successes and challenges. Finally, an outlook is presented regarding the future advancement of the Feammox-NDFO technology. Areas of improvement and novel strategies that could further enhance the efficiency of simultaneous nitrogen removal from the iron cycle are discussed. In summary, this study aspires to offer a thorough comprehension of the Feammox-NDFO coupled process, with a focus on its mechanisms, influencing factors, applications, and prospects. It is anticipated to yield invaluable insights for the advancement of process optimization, thus sparking fresh ideas and strategies aimed at accomplishing the thorough elimination of nitrogen from wastewater via the iron cycle., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the context of increasing global nitrogen pollution, traditional biological nitrogen removal technologies like nitrification and denitrification are hindered by high energy consumption. Additionally, the deployment of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) technology is constrained due to the slow growth rate of Anammox bacteria and there is a bottleneck in nitrogen removal efficiency. To overcome these technical bottlenecks, researchers have discovered a revolutionary nitrogen removal technology that cleverly combines the redox cycling of manganese with nitrification and denitrification reactions. In this new process, manganese dependent anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Mnammox) bacteria can convert NH 4 + to N 2 under anaerobic conditions, while nitrate/nitrite dependent manganese oxidation (NDMO) bacteria use NO 3 - /NO 2 - as electron acceptors to oxidize Mn 2+ to Mn 4+ . Mn 4+ acts as an electron acceptor in Mnammox reaction, thereby realizing the autotrophic nitrogen removal process. This innovative method not only simplifies the steps of biological denitrification, but also significantly reduces the consumption of oxygen and organic carbon, providing a more efficient and environmentally friendly solution to the problem of nitrogen pollution. The article initially provides a concise overview of prevalent nitrogen removal technologies and the application of manganese in these processes, and discusses the role of manganese in biogeochemical cycles, including its discovery, mechanism of action, microbial communities involved, and its impact on these key factors in the process. Subsequently, metabolic principles, benefits, advantages, and environmental considerations of Mnammox coupled with the NDMO process are analyzed in detail. Finally, this article summarizes the shortcomings of current research and looks forward to future research directions. The goal of this article is to provide a valuable reference for researchers to fully understand the application of manganese in nitrogen removal processes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) assistance may enhance radiologists' performance in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) on MRI. Further validation is needed for radiologists with different experiences., Purpose: To assess the performance of experienced and less-experienced radiologists in detecting csPCa, with and without AI assistance., Study Type: Retrospective., Population: Nine hundred patients who underwent prostate MRI and biopsy (median age 67 years; 356 with csPCa and 544 with non-csPCa)., Field Strength/sequence: 3-T and 1.5-T, diffusion-weighted imaging using a single-shot gradient echo-planar sequence, turbo spin echo T2-weighted image., Assessment: CsPCa regions based on biopsy results served as the reference standard. Ten less-experienced (<500 prostate MRIs) and six experienced (>1000 prostate MRIs) radiologists reviewed each case twice using Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System v2.1, with and without AI, separated by 4-week intervals. Cases were equally distributed among less-experienced radiologists, and 90 cases were randomly assigned to each experienced radiologist. Reading time and diagnostic confidence were assessed., Statistical Tests: Area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, reading time, and diagnostic confidence were compared using the DeLong test, Chi-squared test, Fisher exact test, or Wilcoxon rank-sum test between the two sessions. A P-value <0.05 was considered significant. Adjusting threshold using Bonferroni correction was performed for multiple comparisons., Results: For less-experienced radiologists, AI assistance significantly improved lesion-level sensitivity (0.78 vs. 0.88), sextant-level AUC (0.84 vs. 0.93), and patient-level AUC (0.84 vs. 0.89). For experienced radiologists, AI assistance only improved sextant-level AUC (0.82 vs. 0.91). AI assistance significantly reduced median reading time (250 s [interquartile range, IQR: 157, 402] vs. 130 s [IQR: 88, 209]) and increased diagnostic confidence (5 [IQR: 4, 5] vs. 5 [IQR: 4, 5]) irrespective of experience and enhanced consistency among experienced radiologists (Fleiss κ: 0.53 vs. 0.61)., Data Conclusion: AI-assisted reading improves the performance of detecting csPCa on MRI, particularly for less-experienced radiologists., Evidence Level: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Norway spruce is an important coniferous species in boreal forests. Root and stem rot diseases caused by the necrotrophic pathogen Heterobasidion parviporum threaten the wood production of Norway spruce which necessitates the search for durable control and management strategies. Breeding for resistant traits is considered a viable long-term strategy. However, identification of potential resistant traits and markers remains a major challenge. In this study, short-term disease resistance screening was conducted using 218 Norway spruce clones from 17 families. Disease resistance was evaluated based on the size of necrosis lesion length following infection with the pathogen. A subset of needles/branches from clones with small (partial resistant) or large (susceptible) lesions were used for terpene analysis and transcriptomic profiling. The results revealed that the content of monoterpene linalool and 1,8-cineole and their respective encoded genes were significantly more abundant and highly expressed in the partial resistant group. Furthermore, linalool and 1,8-cineole were demonstrated to have inhibitory effect on the growth of the pathogen H. parviporum, with morphological distortion of the hyphae. RNAseq analysis revealed that transcript of pathogen genes involved in the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism and stress responses were significantly decreased in presence of the terpenes. The results suggest the relevance of monoterpenes together with jasmonic acid precursor and some genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, as constitutive tolerance factors for Norway spruce tolerance against necrotrophic pathogen. The high level of necrosis related cell death gene expression might be factors critical for host susceptibility and disease development., (© 2024 The Author(s). Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Cognitive fusion MRI-guided targeted biopsy (cTB) has been widely used in the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa). However, cTB relies heavily on the operator's experience and confidence in MRI readings. Our objective was to compare the cancer detection rates of MRI artificial intelligence-guided cTB (AI-cTB) and routine cTB and explore the added value of using AI for the guidance of cTB., Methods: This was a prospective, single-institution randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing clinically significant PCa (csPCa) and PCa detection rates between AI-cTB and cTB. A total of 380 eligible patients were randomized to the AI-cTB group (n = 191) or the cTB group (n = 189). The AI-cTB group underwent AI-cTB plus systematic biopsy (SB) and the cTB group underwent routine cTB plus SB. The primary outcome was the detection rate of csPCa. The reference standard was the pathological results of the combination of TB (AI-cTB/cTB) and SB. Comparisons of detection rates of csPCa and PCa between groups were performed using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test., Results: The overall csPCa and PCa detection rates of the whole inclusion cohort were 58.8% and 61.3%, respectively. The csPCa detection rates of TB combined with SB in the AI-cTB group were significantly greater than those in the cTB group at both the patient level (58.64% vs. 46.56%, p = 0.018) and per-lesion level (61.47% vs. 47.79%, p = 0.004). Compared with cTB, the AI-cTB could detect a greater proportion of patients with csPCa at both the per-patient level (69.39% vs. 49.71%, p < 0.001) and per-lesion level (68.97% vs. 48.57%, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic analysis indicated that compared with the cTB, the AI-cTB significantly improved the possibility of detecting csPCa (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: AI-cTB effectively improved the csPCa detection rate. This study successfully integrated AI with TB in the routine clinical workflow and provided a research paradigm for prospective AI-integrated clinical studies., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06362291., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The study was reviewed and approved by the institutional review board of Peking University First Hospital (2023IR27). Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To investigate the impact of various farmland use types on the spatial distribution of microplastics (MPs) and their correlation with microbial communities, 78 soil samples from distinct farmland use types (orchard, paddy field, and vegetable field) in Southern China were examined. Results revealed that the abundance of MPs ranged from 528 to 39,864 items/kg with a mean abundance of 10,562 items/kg, which were primarily 0-30 µm in size. A total of 32 polymer types were identified, with the main polymer being polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 28.8 %), followed by polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 13.5 %) and fluororubber (FKM, 9.5 %). The abundance of MPs was highest in orchard field (8896 ± 5745 items/kg), followed by paddy field (4176 ± 2976 items/kg) and lastly vegetable field (2967 ± 3698 items/kg). Results of 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing showed that the presence of MPs affected the bacterial distribution patterns. Compared with soil bacterial communities, the spatial dispersion and dissimilarity of plasticsphere communities were less variable. Notably, the predicted sequences related to xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism became more abundant, thereby affecting the ecological function of soil. Overall, this study provides important data for further research on MP ecosystem risks associated with farmland use types., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a widely distributed mycotoxin that presents a substantial worldwide health risk to animals. Several natural compounds have shown promise in mitigating the detrimental impacts of ZEA. This study examined the detoxification potential of previously identified compounds by utilizing zebrafish embryos as a model organism. Hydroxytyrosol stands out among these natural compounds. Our findings indicate that hydroxytyrosol effectively mitigated mortality, hatching delay, and phenotypic abnormalities induced by ZEA in the assessed embryos. Furthermore, hydroxytyrosol restored the frequency and intensity of tail coiling (TC) while decreasing the expression of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in the zebrafish embryos. Extended incubation with hydroxytyrosol demonstrated protective effects on zebrafish growth and morphology, muscle birefringence, and touch-evoked escape behavior. Subsequent investigations indicated that hydroxytyrosol reversed the expression of proapoptotic targets (e.g., bax and caspase 8) and cell cycle regulators (e.g., p 21, gadd 45 a , and rbl 2), thereby mitigating apoptosis and G2 cell cycle arrest induced by ZEA in zebrafish embryos. Additionally, hydroxytyrosol decreased staining for senescence associated-β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal). Notably, p53/FoxO pathway plays an important role in detoxification mechanisms. Overall, these novel findings highlight the potential of hydroxytyrosol to reverse ZEA-induced toxicity in multiple aspects. The mitigating effect of hydroxytyrosol on ZEA toxicity may have been underestimated.

Electrochemical energy storage heavily depends on the activity and stability of electrode materials. However, the direct use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as supercapacitor electrode materials poses challenges due to their low electrical conductivity. In this study, pineapple leaf-derived biochar (PLB) was employed as a carrier for bimetallic ZnCo-MOF, resulting in the composite ZnCo-MOF@PLB-800, synthesized through in situ growth and pyrolysis at 800 °C. The highly porous structure of PLB alleviated the aggregation of ZnCo-MOF particles, thereby enhancing the electron transfer rate and improving the conductivity of the electrode material. Electrochemical testing revealed that ZnCo-MOF@PLB-800 achieved a specific capacitance of 698.5 F g -1 at a current density of 1 A g -1 . The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) demonstrated excellent specific capacitance and electrochemical stability, delivering a high energy density of 35.85 W h kg -1 at a power density of 350 W kg -1 , with robust cycle stability, retaining 90.4% capacitance after 8000 cycles. This work offers an effective integration of bimetallic MOFs with waste biomass-derived porous carbon for electrode materials, supporting both energy storage applications and environmental sustainability.

Competing Interests: Competing interests K.A.G.W. owns a consulting firm for nature-friendly farming and biological control. The other authors declare no competing interests.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the primary extrinsic factor in skin aging, contributing to skin photoaging, actinic keratosis (AK), and even squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Currently, the beneficial role of mesenchymal stromal cell-derived small extracellular vesicles (MSC-sEVs) in cutaneous wound healing has been widely reported, but the field of photoaging remains to be explored. Our results suggested that human umbilical cord MSC-derived sEVs (hucMSC-sEVs) intervention could effectively alleviate skin photoaging phenotypes in vivo and in vitro, including ameliorating UV-induced histopathological changes in the skin and inhibiting oxidative stress and collagen degradation in dermal fibroblasts (DFs). Mechanistically, pretreatment with hucMSC-sEVs reversed UVA-induced down-regulation of pregnancy zone protein (PZP) in DFs, and achieved photoprotection by inhibiting matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression and reducing DNA damage. Clinically, a significant decrease in PZP in AK and SCC in situ samples was observed, while a rebound appeared in the invasive SCC samples. Collectively, our findings reveal the effective role of hucMSC-sEVs in regulating PZP to combat photoaging and provide new pre-clinical evidence for the potential development of hucMSC-sEVs as an effective skin photoprotective agent., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Bioremediation has been applied in the treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD), but high levels of sulfate (SO 4 2- ) and ferric iron (Fe 3+ ) in AMD often affect microbial activity. A novel biochar-microorganism composite (I-CMR600) was developed by alginate gel-embedding method to improve the tolerance of microorganisms and the removal effects of SO 4 2- and Fe 3+ in AMD, and its removal mechanism and biological behavior were explored in this study. The removal performance of I-CMR600 under different influencing factors was studied by batch adsorption experiments. The removal mechanisms and biotransformation of SO 4 2- and Fe 3+ were explored through different adsorption models combined with physicochemical characterizations. The results showed that A. ferroxidans secreted extracellular polymers to enhance the removal of contaminants, and high concentrations (>400 mg/L) of SO 4 2- and Fe 3+ inhibited the activity of microorganisms. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacities of I-CMR600 for SO 4 2- and Fe 3+ were 32.85 and 63.53 mg/g, respectively. The effects of A. ferroxidans on SO 4 2- and Fe 3+ were mainly through promoting their biotransformation, the adhesion of A. ferroxidans, and the complexation of secreted extracellular polymers with pollutants. I-CMR600 showed good reusability and promising potential for practical application in actual AMD. This study demonstrates that I-CMR600 is a promising biosorbent, providing a new avenue for removing SO 4 2- and Fe 3+ from AMD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Transition metal-ligand has been explored in the treatment of tumors in photodynamic theray (PDT) or photothermal therapy (PTT) and Osmium complex attracts attentration due to its lower toxicity and longer absorption wavelength. However, there was no report about binuclear Os complex for combined therapy of PDT and PTT which could have a synergistic effect and improve the effectiveness. Herein, we synthesis of mono/dinuclear Os complexes (OsY1, OsY2) with dual PDT/PTT capabilities under a single near-infrared (NIR) excitation wavelength. These features arise from the large π-conjugated structure of our dinuclear Os complex coupled with efficient metal-to-ligand charge transfer, which bring in ultralow energy gaps of 0.733 eV and 0.308 eV for OsY1 and OsY2, respectively. Furthermore, we prepared the Osmium complex-doped, aptamer-conjugated cellulose NPs via the emulsion polymerization method. These NPs exhibit a notable ability to target mitochondria and posse a "protein corona-free" status, showing much higher efficiency in tumor ablation (76 %) than the commercialized indocyanine green (ICG) doped cellulose NPs (24 %) under 808 nm irradiation. Consequently, our designed mono/dinuclear Os complex, featuring a single-molecule dual PDT/PTT effect within doped antifouling NPs, holds promise for potential applications in cancer therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Suxiao Wang reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death from an infectious disease, and is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). More than 1 billion people worldwide are thought to harbor an M.tb infection. The multidrug therapy that represents the current standard of care requires a minimum of four months of dosing and drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis treatment regimens are significantly longer. Inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (GuaB) is the enzyme that performs the rate-limiting step in de novo guanine nucleotide biosynthesis that is critical for growth and viability of bacteria including M.tb. The development of a novel antibiotic that inhibits GuaB could combine with existing therapies in novel ways and thereby contribute to effective therapeutic regimens for the treatment of tuberculosis. Here we describe the discovery of structurally distinct small molecule GuaB inhibitors that are potent against M.tb H37Ra and H37Rv strains and have desirable safety and AMDE profiles., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Y.Z., I. A., S. W., C. B., D. J. B., K. C., T.D., J. F., A. G., H. G., E. H., S. F. H., C. H., S. K., M. K., J. L., X. L., F. M., J. M., J. N., J. S., S. U., G. W., P. W., Y. X., C. W. Y., T. F. E., M. W. T., E. M. K., T. D. C., are either current or former employees of Genentech or Roche and may hold stock in Roche Holding AG. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Organelle genomes serve as crucial datasets for investigating the genetics and evolution of plants and animals, genome diversity, and species identification. To enhance the collection, analysis, and visualisation of such data, we have developed a novel open-source software tool named Organelle Genome Utilities (OGU). The software encompasses three modules designed to streamline the handling of organelle genome data. The data collection module is dedicated to retrieving, validating and organising sequence information. The evaluation module assesses sequence variance using a range of methods, including novel metrics termed stem and terminal phylogenetic diversity. The primer module designs universal primers for downstream applications. Finally, a visualisation pipeline has been developed to present comprehensive insights into organelle genomes across different lineages rather than focusing solely on individual species. The performance, compatibility and stability of OGU have been rigorously evaluated through benchmarking with four datasets, including one million mixed GenBank records, plastid genomic data from the Lamiaceae family, mitochondrial data from rodents, and 308 plastid genomes sourced from various angiosperm families. Based on software capabilities, we identified 30 plastid intergenic spacers. These spacers exhibit a moderate evolutionary rate and offer practical utility comparable to coding regions, highlighting the potential applications of intergenic spacers in organelle genomes. We anticipate that OGU will substantially enhance the efficient utilisation of organelle genomic data and broaden the prospects for related research endeavours., (© 2024 The Author(s). Molecular Ecology Resources published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Depression is common in persons with dementia and is often under-detected and under-treated. It is critical to understand which available tools accurately detect depression in the context of dementia., Methods: We updated our systematic review completed in 2015. The search strategy of our original review was replicated in Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO. Studies describing the use of a tool to identify depression in persons with dementia, compared to a criterion standard, and reporting diagnostic accuracy outcomes were included in the review update. Pooled prevalence estimates of major depression and pooled estimates of diagnostic accuracy outcomes (i.e., sensitivity [SN], specificity [SP]) for tools were calculated., Results: Three studies were included of the 8980 returned from the database search and were added to the prior 20 articles from the 2015 review. The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)-15 item, Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Depression items (NPI-D), and Depression in Old Age Scale (DIA-S) were evaluated in the three studies. Two new studies were added to the existing pooled prevalence estimate of major depression (29%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 21.6%-36.5%, n = 17) and pooled diagnostic accuracy estimate for the CSDD at the best cut-off (SN = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.74-0.90; SP = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.69-0.89). New pooled diagnostic accuracy estimates were completed for the CSDD (cut-off ≥12) (SN = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.42-0.77; SP = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.76-0.88), GDS-15 (best cut-off) (SN = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.40-0.83; SP = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.55-0.85), and Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) (best cut-off) (SN = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.67-0.85; SP = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.60-0.75)., Conclusions: The CSDD continues to have the most evidence for depression case finding in persons living with dementia. The CSDD and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale have the highest sensitivities and may be recommended for use over other common tools like the GDS-15 and MADRS. Newly identified tools like the NPI-D and DIA-S require further study before they can be recommended for use in practice., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Health Science Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has demonstrated potential effects on obesity-induced precocious puberty, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Female mice were randomly assigned into control (CON), EGCG-treated (EGCG), high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD with EGCG treatment (HFDEGCG) groups. Key measurements included body weight, vaginal opening time, and serum sex hormone levels. The gut microbiota was analyzed through 16S rRNA sequencing, fecal metabolites were assessed via metabolomics, and the hypothalamic transcriptome was examined using RNA sequencing. EGCG mitigated weight gain and delayed vaginal opening in mice with obesity-induced precocious puberty. Additionally, it reduced serum estradiol levels and decreased the number of mature ovarian follicles in the HFDEGCG group compared to the HFD group. EGCG treatment partially reversed HFD-induced dysbiosis by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia . Metabolomic analysis revealed significant alterations in tryptophan metabolism, while transcriptome analysis identified genes involved in metabolic pathways. Correlation analyses underscored the importance of the gut-brain axis in mediating EGCG's effects. Overall, EGCG prevents obesity-induced precocious puberty by modulating the gut microbiota, altering metabolic pathways, and regulating hypothalamic gene expression.

It is of great significance to develop an energy-efficient and external oxidant-free strategy for antibiotics removal. In this study, the novel light-dark tandem strategy was established to enhance tetracycline (TC) removal by bifunctional FeCu-doped carbon composites (FeCu@BC) derived from waste cotton fabrics. Interestingly, over 95 % TC was removed by FeCu@BC under light alone and dark alone in 10 min, with the same preferred conditions of pH 7.50 and 0.04 g/L catalyst dosage. Surprisingly, the enhanced mineralization efficiency of TC was achieved by the light-dark tandem without adjusting the parameters as 86.65 %, which was 1.13, 1.46 and 2.12 times higher than those of the dark-light tandem, light alone and dark alone, respectively. The mechanisms were elucidated as that 83.28 % direct degradation and 4.37 % indirect degradation under light while 47.63 % direct degradation and 24.16 % indirect degradation under darkness contributed for TC removal. The synergetic effects of persistent free radicals (PFRs) and FeCu interactions enabled FeCu@BC to work efficiently under both light and darkness, and light enhanced electron transfer between PFRs and FeCu interactions. Furthermore, energetic electrons stored in these active sites under light could be extracted to enhance electron transfer under subsequent darkness and the strongly catalytically active species initiated under light remained in action after cessation of light. Finally, high molecular TC was easily decomposed by energetic photo-catalysis and low molecular intermediates were mineralized under subsequent enhanced dark-catalysis to increase the mineralization efficiency. In general, this study provided an eco-friendly organics removal strategy and mechanisms insights based on the natural day-night cycle., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The (1→3)(1→6)-α-D-dextran (alternating dextran) produced by Leuconostoc citreum SK24.002 is a novel functional exopolysaccharide, and its low molecular weight derivatives have potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. In this work, we used sonication, a green polysaccharide disruption method, to study the degradation process of this dextran by changing the intensity and duration of the sonication treatment and the concentration of the dextran solution. The molecular weight and viscosity of the dextran products were measured with a high-performance size exclusion column chromatography-multi-angle laser light scattering-refractive index system and by rheometry, respectively. The degradation efficiency of dextran was directly affected by the duration and intensity of the ultrasonic treatment and the concentration of the dextran solution. The polydispersity index fluctuated as the duration of the sonication treatment increased. The combination of a high intensity (672 W/cm 2 ) and long (120 min) sonication treatment and a low solution concentration (3 g dextran/100 mL) was most effective for reducing the apparent and complex viscosities of dextran. The storage modulus of dextran was always slightly larger than its loss modulus, indicating that it formed a gel-like structure. The second-order kinetic model (1/Mw t - 1/Mw 0  = kt) was the best fit to explain the degradation dynamics of dextran by sonication at intensities of 168 W/cm 2 -834 W/cm 2 and with dextran solution concentrations of 1 g/100 mL - 7 g/100 mL. Our findings show that sonication is an effective way to reduce the molecular weight of alternating dextran., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Declarations of interest: none. All authors declare that there is no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Accurate preoperative assessment of ureteral length is crucial for effective ureteral stenting., Purpose: Utilize a deep learning approach to measure ureter length on CT urography (CTU) images and compare the obtained results with those derived from other estimation methods., Methods: In a retrospective cohort (cohort A, n = 411), CTU images were collected and used to develop a 3D deep learning model for the segmentation of bilateral ureters. The centerline of the ureters was determined based on the segmentation, and the length of the ureters was automatically obtained (CTU&#95;ai). Another cohort (cohort B, n = 220) was collected as the hold-out test for the model. All patients in cohort B had KUB, non-contrast enhanced CT (CT NoC), and CTU images. Cohort B utilized eight measurement methods, with one annotated by two radiologists serving as the reference standard (CTU&#95;ref) and the remaining seven as the studied methods, including three measurement methods applied to CTU (CTU&#95;ai, CTU&#95;oblique, CTU&#95;slice), two applied to CT NoC (CT&#95;oblique, CT&#95;slice), and two applied to KUB (KUB&#95;short, KUB&#95;long). The results of the seven studied methods were compared to those of the reference in cohort B., Results: Among the 220 patients (96 females, 124 males), 437 ureters were measured for length (218 left, 219 right), with a median length of 24.7 (IQR 23.2-26.2) cm. No significant differences were observed between genders or laterality (both P > 0.05). Moreover, there was no correlation between ureteral length and age (r = -0.027, P = 0.573). The ureteral length measured by CTU&#95;ai was not significantly different from that measured by CTU&#95;ref (P = 0.514), whereas the length measured by the other studied methods was significantly different from that measured by CTU&#95;ref (all P < 0.001). The ICC values with their 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for the comparison between the reference standard (CTU&#95;ref) and the other measurement methods: CTU&#95;ai (ICC = 0.852, 95 % CI 0.825-0.876), CTU&#95;oblique (ICC = 0.351, 95 % CI -0.083-0.689), CTU&#95;slice (ICC = 0.269, 95 % CI -0.095-0.573), CTU&#95;oblique&#95;slice (ICC = 0.059, 95 % CI -0.032-0.218), CTU&#95;slice (ICC = 0.049, 95 % CI -0.028-0.188), KUB&#95;short (ICC = 0.151, 95 % CI 0.051-0.247), and KUB&#95;long (ICC = 0.147, 95 % CI 0.034-0.253). For CTU&#95;ai, in 89.0 % of the ureters, the ureteral length deviation was within 20 mm of the reference standard, which was the highest among all the studied methods (all P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The deep learning model offers a reliable and accurate tool for ureteral length measurement on CTU images, which could enhance the effectiveness of ureteral stenting procedures. Its performance surpasses traditional measurement methods, making it a promising technology for integration into clinical practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: He Wang reports financial support was provided by Peking University First Hospital. Pengsheng Wu, Jialun Li reports a relationship with Beijing Smart Tree Medical Technology Co., Ltd. that includes: employment. The work they did in this study is unrelated to the company's business. Oher author: None Declared., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Artificial bone graft stands out for avoiding limited source of autograft as well as susceptibility to infection of allograft, which makes it the current research hotspot in the field of bone defect repair. However, traditional design and manufacturing method cannot fabricate bone scaffold that well mimics complicate bone-like shape with interconnected porous structure and multiple properties akin to human natural bone. Additive manufacturing, which can achieve implant's tailored external contour and controllable fabrication of internal microporous structure, is able to form almost any shape of designed bone scaffold via the layer-by-layer process. As additive manufacturing is promising in building artificial bone scaffold, only combining excellent structural design with appropriate additive manufacturing process can produce bone scaffold with ideal biological and mechanical properties. In this article, we sum up and analyze state of art design and additive manufacturing methods for bone scaffold to realize shape/properties collaboratuve intelligent manufacturing. Scaffold design can be mainly classified to design based on unit cells and whole structure, while the basic additive manufacturing and 3D bioprinting are the recommended suitable additive manufacturing methods for bone scaffold fabrication. The challenges and future perspectives in additive manufactured bone scaffold are also discussed.&#xD., (© 2024 IOP Publishing Ltd. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

Background: Oral contrast-enhanced ultrasound (OCEUS) is widely used in the noninvasive diagnosis and screening of gastric cancer (GC) in China., Aim: To investigate the clinical application of OCEUS in evaluating the preoperative T staging of gastric cancer., Methods: OCEUS was performed before the operation, and standard ultrasound images were retained. The depth of infiltration of GC (T-stage) was evaluated according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer 8 th edition of the tumor-node-metastasis staging criteria. Finally, with postoperative pathological staging as the gold standard reference, the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and diagnostic value of OCEUS T staging were evaluated., Results: OCEUS achieved diagnostic accuracy rates of 76.6% (T1a), 69.6% (T1b), 62.7% (T2), 60.8% (T3), 88.0% (T4a), and 88.7% (T4b), with an average of 75.5%. Ultrasonic T staging sensitivity exceeded 62%, aside from T1b at 40.3%, while specificity was over 91%, except for T3 with 83.5%. The Youden index was above 60%, with T1b and T2 being exceptions. OCEUS T staging corresponded closely with pathology in T4b (kappa > 0.75) and moderately in T1a, T1b, T2, T3, and T4a (kappa 0.40-0.75), registering a concordance rate exceeding 84%., Conclusion: OCEUS was effective, reliable, and accurate in diagnosing the preoperative T staging of GC. As a noninvasive diagnostic technique, OCEUS merits clinical popularization., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) represents a major route of Na + reabsorption in the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron where the bulk of ENaC activity is considered to occur in the cortical collecting duct (CCD). Relatively, ENaC activity in the medulla, especially the inner medulla, is often neglected. (Pro)renin receptor (PRR), also termed as ATP6AP2, a newly characterized member of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), has emerged as an important regulator of ENaC in the distal nephron. The ENaC regulatory action of PRR is largely mediated by the 28 kDa soluble PRR (sPRR). Although all three subunits of ENaC are under the control of aldosterone, sPRR only mediates the upregulation of α-ENaC but not the other two subunits. Furthermore, sPRR-dependent regulation of α-ENaC only occur in the renal inner medulla but not the cortex. sPRR also rapidly upregulates ENaC activity via Nox4-derived H 2 O 2 . Overall, sPRR has emerged as an important regulator of renal medullary Na + reabsorption in the context of overactivation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS).

Monomethylmercury (MMHg) is a potent neurotoxin that poses a threat to human health. MMHg cycles in all spheres of the Earth but the sources and fate of atmospheric MMHg are unclear. Here, we develop a global model for atmospheric MMHg, which integrates the presently available data and indicates the limitations of the current study. Constrained by the observations in the atmosphere, the global atmospheric MMHg from all sources is 1009 (205-2474 as an uncertainty range) Mg/yr, with the largest sources from the in-cloud methylation of divalent mercury (475 Mg/yr) and MMHg sea spray (395 Mg/yr). MMHg has a short lifetime of 1.9 days in the troposphere due to rapid photo-demethylation. Our model indicates a net loss of marine MMHg to the atmosphere and thus a detoxifying effect on MMHg contamination in marine fish. However, it suggests additional MMHg deposition to the land, particularly in densely populated coastal areas, introducing a new risk pathway that needs to be considered in mercury exposure assessment. The atmosphere plays a non-negligible role in the biogeochemical cycle and human health, which requires further study and consideration in implementing the global Minamata Convention., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Microbial sulfate reduction leads to the formation of various chalcophile trace metal sulfides, thereby immobilizing chalcophile trace metals in sediments. Iron/sulfate-reducing bacteria (ISRB) are ubiquitous in soils and sediments, its ability to reduce Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxides and biogeochemical significance have attracted much attention. This research investigated the effect of the goethite and ISRB induced S cycle on cadmium mobility. The experiment demonstrated that the removal of Cd(II) in coexistence of ISRB19 and goethite was more efficiently than their individual components. Combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), conclusions can be drawn that goethite enhanced Cd(II) retention by ISRB, which was attributed to the formation of metabolism product during interaction between ISRB19 (Enterobacter chengduensis) and goethite. Our results revealed the interaction of goethite and ISRB in S cycling under anaerobic conditions with its implications for Cd(II) remediation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) is an important therapy for patients with oncogene-mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). However, acquired resistance remains a major challenge. The efficacy of TKIs plus thoracic radiotherapy (RT) in oncogene-mutated NSCLC patients is uncertain. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy and safety of thoracic RT plus TKIs in oncogene-mutated NSCLC patients., Methods: The following databases were searched for relevant studies: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. Studies comparing the efficacy and safety of TKIs plus RT with TKIs alone in oncogene-mutated NSCLC patients were included in this analysis. Outcomes were median progression-free survival (mPFS), median overall survival (mOS), and incidence of adverse events (AEs). This analysis performed a subgroup analysis of the efficacy of first-line TKIs in combination with RT., Results: This meta-analysis included 12 studies with 2936 patients (n = 823 patients with TKIs plus thoracic RT, n = 2113 patients with TKIs alone). The results showed that patients who received treatment with TKIs plus thoracic RT were associated with superior mPFS and mOS than those who were treated with TKIs alone (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.42, 95% CI 0.30-0.59, p < 0.00001; HR: 0.56, 95% CI 0.41-0.70, p < 0.00001, respectively). Subgroup analyses showed that TKIs plus thoracic RT as first-line treatment was associated with better mPFS and OS (HR: 0.37, 95% CI 0.26-0.52, p < 0.00001; HR: 0.47, 95% CI 0.31-0.70, p = 0.0002, respectively). Although the combination of TKIs with thoracic RT was associated with an increased risk of total AEs (odds ratio [OR]: 1.17, 95% CI 1.06-1.29, P = 0.002), there was no significant difference in serious AEs (grade ≥ 3) (OR: 1.06, 95% CI 0.58-1.92, P = 0.86). The most frequently occurring radiation-related AEs were radiation pneumonitis, radiation esophagitis, and radiation dermatitis, with overall rates of 41.3%, 15.4%, and 11.1%, respectively. The incidence of severe radiation pneumonitis and radiation esophagitis was 4.5% and 6.2%, respectively., Conclusions: In comparison to TKIs alone, TKIs plus thoracic RT are associated with survival benefits, especially as a first-line treatment option. Although TKIs plus thoracic RT may increase the risk of total AEs, it did not increase the risk of severe AEs. Therefore, TKIs plus thoracic RT may be a promising therapeutic regimen for oncogene-mutated NSCLC patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Dioxygen (O 2 ) activation by iron-containing enzymes and biomimetic compounds generates iron-oxygen intermediates, such as iron-superoxo, -peroxo, -hydroperoxo, and -oxo, that mediate oxidative reactions in biological and abiological systems. Among the iron-oxygen intermediates, iron(III)-peroxo species are less frequently implicated as active intermediates in oxidation reactions. In this study, we present the combined experimental and theoretical investigations on cis -dihydroxylation reactions mediated by synthetic mononuclear nonheme iron-peroxo intermediates, demonstrating the importance of supporting ligands and metal centers in activating the peroxo ligand toward the O-O bond homolysis for the cis -dihydroxylation reactions. We found a significant ring size effect of the TMC ligand in [Fe III (O 2 )( n -TMC)] + (TMC = tetramethylated tetraazacycloalkane; n = 12, 13, and 14) on the cis -dihydroxylation reactivity order: [Fe III (O 2 )(12-TMC)] + > [Fe III (O 2 )(13-TMC)] + > [Fe III( O 2 )(14-TMC)] + . Additionally, we found that only [Fe III (O 2 )( n -TMC)] + , but not other metal-peroxo complexes such as [M III (O 2 )( n -TMC)] + (M = Mn, Co, and Ni), is reactive for the cis -dihydroxylation of olefins. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we revealed that electron transfer from the Fe d xz orbital to the peroxo σ*(O-O) orbital facilitates the O-O bond homolysis, with the O-O bond cleavage barrier well correlated with the energy gap between the frontier molecular orbitals of d xz and σ*(O-O). Further computational studies showed that the reactivity of the synthetic [Fe III (O 2 )(12-TMC)] + complex is comparable to that of Rieske dioxygenases in cis -dihydroxylation, providing compelling evidence of the potential involvement of Fe(III)-peroxo species in Rieske dioxygenases. Thus, the present results significantly advance our understanding of the cis -dihydroxylation mechanisms by Rieske dioxygenases and synthetic nonheme iron-peroxo models.

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an attractive target for regenerative medicine. A powerful driver of stem cell activity and hence tissue regeneration, Wnt signaling can promote fibroblast proliferation and activation, leading to fibrosis, while prolonged Wnt signaling is potentially carcinogenic. Thus, to harness its therapeutic potential, the activation of Wnt signaling must be transient, reversible, and tissue specific. In the lung, Wnt signaling is essential for alveolar stem cell activity and alveolar regeneration, which is impaired in lung fibrosis. Activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in lung epithelium may have anti-fibrotic effects. Here, we used intratracheal adeno-associated virus 6 injection to selectively deliver CasRx into the lung epithelium, where it reversibly activates Wnt signaling by simultaneously degrading mRNAs encoding Axin1 and Axin2, negative regulators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Interestingly, CasRx-mediated Wnt activation specifically in lung epithelium not only promotes alveolar type II cell proliferation and alveolar regeneration but also inhibits lung fibrosis resulted from bleomycin-induced injury, relevant in both preventive and therapeutic settings. Our study offers an attractive strategy for treating pulmonary fibrosis, with general implications for regenerative medicine., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests A patent application has been submitted based on results presented in this manuscript. Y.X. and S.S. are listed as the inventors., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Tailoring physical and chemical properties of biochar enhances its selectivity, treatability, and efficiency in contaminant remediation. Thus, engineered biochar has emerged as a promising remedy for both in-situ and ex-situ remediation of polluted soil and water. Several factors influence the effectiveness of engineered biochar, including feedstock sources, pyrolysis conditions, surface functionalization, mode of application, and site characteristics. The advantages and disadvantages of different modification approaches to engineered biochar and their specific treatability for in-situ and ex-situ remediation are obscure and must be adequately addressed. This review critically evaluates the application of engineered biochar for on/off-spot contamination management, taking into account the long-term stability and biocompatibility prospects. The properties of engineered biochar resulting from modification with clay minerals, nanoparticles, polymers, surfactants, and oxidants/reductants were critically reviewed. Recent progress and advances in remediation mechanisms and modes of application were elaborated for the effective removal of organic and inorganic contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticides, dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, and agrochemicals. Several crucial parameters influence in-situ remediation, including the distribution of contaminants, background electrolytes, hydraulic conductivity, as well as dispersion and stability of adsorbents. Ex-situ remediation of pollutants relies heavily on adsorption or degradation kinetics, background electrolytes, adsorbent dose, and pollutant concentrations. In addition, factors restricting the application of engineered biochar were highlighted for long-term sustainable contaminant management and maintaining low environmental impact. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives of utilizing engineered biochar for field-scale demonstration of contaminated sites are proposed., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Exosomes have emerged as a revolutionary tool for liquid biopsy (LB), as they carry specific cargo from cells. Profiling the metabolites of exosomes is crucial for cancer diagnosis and biomarker discovery. Herein, we propose a versatile platform for exosomal metabolite assay of endometrial cancer (EC). The platform is based on a nanostructured composite material comprising gold nanoparticle-coated magnetic COF with aptamer modification (Fe 3 O 4 @COF@Au-Apt). The unique design and novel synthesis strategy of Fe 3 O 4 @COF@Au-Apt provide the material with a large specific surface area, enabling the efficient and specific isolation of exosomes. The exosomes captured Fe 3 O 4 @COF@Au-Apt can be directly used as the laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) matrix for rapid exosomal metabolic patterns. By integrating these functionalities into a single platform, the analytical process is simplified, eliminating the need for additional elution steps and minimizing potential sample loss, resulting in large-scale exosomal metabolic fingerprints. Combining with machine learning algorithms on the metabolic patterns, accurate discrimination between endometrial patients (EGs) and benign controls (CGs) was achieved, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the blind test cohort was 0.924. Confusion matrix analysis of important metabolic fingerprint features further demonstrates the high accuracy of the proposed approach toward EC diagnosis, with an overall accuracy of 94.1%. Moreover, four metabolites, namely, hydroxychalcone, l-acetylcarnitine, elaidic acid, and glutathione, have been identified as potential biomarkers of EC. These results highlight the great value of the integrated exosome metabolic fingerprint platform in facilitating low-cost and high-throughput characterization of exosomal metabolites for cancer diagnosis and biomarker discovery.

The avermectin derivative doramectin is widely used clinically as an antiparasitic drug and, in addition, doramectin may have a modulatory role in obesity. Adipose tissue macrophage recruitment and polarization play an important role in obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of doramectin on high-fat diet-induced inflammation and macrophage polarization in white adipose tissue of epididymis of obese mice. We found that compared with high-fat diet-fed obese mice, doramectin treatment resulted in a significant decrease in body weight and lipid levels, improved insulin resistance, an increase in the proportion of M2-type macrophages and a decrease in the proportion of M1-type macrophages in the epididymal white adipose tissues, as well as a decrease in the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the adipose tissues. Thus, doramectin can ameliorate high-fat diet-induced obesity and adipose inflammation by affecting macrophage polarization in white adipose tissue., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The main function of erythropoietin (EPO) is to promote hematopoiesis and improve anemia. In addition, EPO also has many non-hematopoietic effects such as anti-inflammation, anti-apoptosis and anti-oxidation. To achieve the protective effects, large doses of EPO are required, so the probability of side effects increases. Previous studies have revealed that EPO can improve pulmonary fibrosis in mice, but it has not been clarified whether the hematopoiesis of EPO contributes to amelioration of pulmonary fibrosis and whether EPO improves overall mortality. Our results show that EPO decreases hydroxyproline content, α-sma and col-1 protein levels in mice with bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. However, compared with the control group, the weight loss and mortality rate of the EPO group were not improved, while the number of red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (Hb), red cell width distribution-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) and hematocrit (HCT) were significantly higher. Furthermore, we observed massive thrombosis in the lung of EPO treated lung fibrosis mice but not in control mice. Therefore, our results show that in the condition of lung fibrosis, the hematopoietic activity of exogenous EPO is not conducive to its tissue protective effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) poses a serious global health threat, with its progression mechanisms not yet fully understood. While several molecular markers for NAFLD have been developed in recent years, a lack of robust evidence hampers their clinical application. Therefore, identifying novel and potent biomarkers would directly aid in the prediction, prevention, and personalized treatment of NAFLD. We downloaded NAFLD-related datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Differential expression analysis and functional analysis were initially conducted. Subsequently, Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and multiple machine learning strategies were employed to screen and identify key genes, and the diagnostic value was assessed using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. We then explored the relationship between genes and immune cells using transcriptome data and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Finally, we validated our findings in cell and mouse NAFLD models. We obtained 23 overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across three NAFLD datasets. Enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were associated with Apoptosis, Parathyroid hormone synthesis, secretion and action, Colorectal cancer, p53 signaling pathway, and Biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. After employing machine learning strategies, we identified one gene, pleckstrin homology like domain family A member 1 (PHLDA1), downregulated in NAFLD and showing high diagnostic accuracy. CIBERSORT analysis revealed significant associations of PHLDA1 with various immune cells. Single-cell data analysis demonstrated downregulation of PHLDA1 in NAFLD, with PHLDA1 exhibiting a significant negative correlation with macrophages. Furthermore, we found PHLDA1 to be downregulated in an in vitro hepatic steatosis cell model, and overexpression of PHLDA1 significantly reduced lipid accumulation, as well as the expression of key molecules involved in hepatic lipogenesis and fatty acid uptake, such as FASN, SCD-1, and CD36. Additionally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) pathway enrichment analysis suggested that PHLDA1 may influence NAFLD progression through pathways such as Cytokine Cytokine Receptor Interaction, Ecm Receptor Interaction, Parkinson's Disease, and Ribosome pathways. Our conclusions were further validated in a mouse model of NAFLD. Our study reveals that PHLDA1 inhibits the progression of NAFLD, as overexpression of PHLDA1 significantly reduces lipid accumulation in cells and markedly decreases the expression of key molecules involved in liver lipogenesis and fatty acid uptake. Therefore, PHLDA1 may emerge as a novel potential target for future prediction, diagnosis, and targeted prevention of NAFLD., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is generally considered to have a high risk of progression to Alzheimer's disease. Our study aimed to investigate the abnormal functional connectivity (FC) in prefrontal cortex (PFC) in patients with MCI and explore the relationship between the observed changes and cognitive function., Methods: Sixty-seven patients with MCI and 71 healthy individuals were recruited for this study. All participants underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) examinations., Results: Compared with healthy controls (HC), the patients with MCI exhibited significantly lower MoCA scores ( p  < 0.001). Through FC analysis, an enhanced subnetwork was observed in the right prefrontal cortex of the MCI group, covering four pairs of channel connections: CH12-CH15, CH12-CH16, CH13-CH15, and CH13-CH16. Moreover, the FC values of these four channel pairs and the education duration were significantly correlated with MoCA scores. Subsequently, a multiple linear regression model was performed to observe the independent factors of cognition decline, serving the education duration and the average FC values of subnetwork as independent variables and the MoCA scores as the dependent variable. The regression model showed a total of 25.7% explanation power (adjusted R 2  = 0.257, F  = 24.723, p  < 0.001)., Conclusion: Our study suggested that the enhanced subnetwork within the right PFC may be involved in the pathophysiology of MCI and serve as a potential target for the treatment of MCI., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Lv, Bi, Li, Chen, Jiang, Pang, Zhao and Jiang.)

Umami peptides have recently gained attention for their ability to enhance umami flavor, reduce salt content, and provide nutritional benefits. However, traditional wet laboratory methods to identify them are time-consuming, laborious, and costly. Therefore, we developed the Umami-gcForest model using the deep forest algorithm. It constructs amino acid feature matrices using ProtBERT, amino acid composition, composition-transition-distribution, and pseudo amino acid composition, applying mutual information for feature selection to optimize dimensions. Compared to other machine learning baseline, umami peptide prediction, and composite models, the validation results of Umami-gcForest on different test sets demonstrated outstanding predictive accuracy. Using SHapley Additive exPlanations to calculate feature contributions, we found that the key features of Umami-gcForest were hydrophobicity, charge, and polarity. Based on this, an online platform was developed to facilitate its user application. In conclusion, Umami-gcForest serves as a powerful tool, providing a solid foundation for the efficient and accurate screening of umami peptides., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Passive shimming is widely used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems due to its excellent efficacy and cost-effectiveness. However, conventional shim tray structures have difficulty in effectively adjusting magnetic field distributions under specific conditions. This limitation can lead to insufficient cancellation of harmonics and result in significant residual forces on the trays, impeding accurate placement of the trays. In this study, instead of using the conventional design of the shim tray slot, we propose a dedicated passive shimming tray tailored for 3T cryogen-free animal MRI superconducting magnets. Passive shimming experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of this novel design, in which we were able to improve the peak-to-peak magnetic field homogeneity within the 180 mm diameter imaging region, reducing peak-to-peak (p-p) variation from 349.35 ppm to 19.08 ppm. Furthermore, the p-p homogeneity of the magnetic field measured at the imaging area with a diameter of spherical volume (DSV) of 160 mm reached 8.67 ppm. In addition, we strictly controlled the residual magnetic force of the shim tray to ensure its accurate placement. The experimental results indicate that the proposed structural optimization method and the residual magnetic force control strategy show potential in high-field MRI instruments requiring high homogeneity and handling of high residual magnetic force., (© 2024 Author(s). Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.)

Background: Autophagy plays an important role in maintaining the stability of intracellular environment, abnormal autophagy is associated with the occurrence and progression of cancer, the role of STIM1 in regulating cancer autophagy remains controversial, and its clinical relevance is unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of STIM1 on cervical cancer, thus to provide new molecular therapeutic targets for cervical cancer in clinic., Methods: We collected CIN III, FIGO IB and IIA fresh Specimens without chemotherapy from patients in Renmin Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine (n = 10). STIM1, TFEB and autophagy related proteins of different stage tissues were detected. In vitro, SKF96365 and AncoA4 were used to inhibit STIM1-administrated Ca 2+ entry of SiHa cells, Cyclosporine A (calcineurin inhibitors) were used to inhibit CaN/TFEB pathway, Ad-mCherry-GFPLC3B was used to detect autophagy flux, shSTIM1 was used to knockdown STIM1 expression., Results: The expression levels of STIM1, TFEB and autophagy related proteins were positively correlated with the progression of cervical cancer. Inhibition of STIM1-mediated SOCE can decrease proliferation and migration, and promoted the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. Knockdown STIM1 can inhibit autophagy and TFEB nuclear translocation., Conclusion: STIM1 can promote autophagy and accelerate cervical cancer progression by increasing TFEB nuclear translocation of cervical cancer cells., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Xi Luo, Mengchan Jian, Ping Wu, Yahua Wu, Yulan Ma, Na Feng, Min Lu, Dandan Shi, Rui Liu, Yan Ding, Wenjun Zhang, Li Fan and Xiju He, they all declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The study aims to investigate the associations of triglyceride glucose (TyG), TyG combined with body mass index (TyG-BMI), metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR), the triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C), and the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in individuals without diabetes aged 45 and above., Methods: The most recent data in this study were from a cohort study, which sourced samples from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, spanning 2011 to 2018. The four indices' associations with MCI risk were analyzed using logistic regression. The predictive capacity was measured using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve., Results: Over a 7-year follow-up, 1,261 individuals (31.34%) of the 4,027 participants developed MCI. Logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations between these surrogate indices and MCI. The findings for the highest quartile compared with the lowest quartile were as follows: TyG: 1.24 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.49); TyG-BMI: 1.38 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.68); METS-IR: 1.50 (95% CI: 1.09, 2.06); TG/HDL-C: 1.34 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.64). ROC analysis revealed that TyG, TyG-BMI, TG/HDL-C, and METS-IR demonstrated excellent discriminatory power for MCI, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.83), 0.82 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.83), 0.83 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.84), and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.84), respectively. The four indices showed stronger ability to predict MCI risk in females compared to males., Conclusion: Elevated levels of four indices are positively correlated with MCI risk. TyG-BMI and METS-IR demonstrate stronger capabilities in identifying MCI across both male and female populations. This suggests that early intervention in patients with elevated IR surrogate indices may help reduce the MCI., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a complex clinical syndrome that significantly impacts patient outcomes, especially in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). The aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio (AST/ALT), has also been reported as a risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. However, few studies investigated the correlations between the AST/ALT ratio and ICU mortality in critically ill patients with CHF. This study investigates the association between the baseline AST/ALT ratio measured within the first 24 h of ICU admission and 28-day ICU all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with CHF. This retrospective cohort study included 4869 critically ill patients with CHF from the eICU Collaborative Research Database. Patients were categorized into tertiles based on their AST/ALT ratio: Tertile 1 (0.13-0.97), Tertile 2 (0.97-1.50), and Tertile 3 (1.50-5.89). Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the association between the AST/ALT ratio and 28-day ICU all-cause mortality. Nonlinear threshold effects and subgroup analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the findings. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to compare survival probabilities across tertiles. Participants with higher AST/ALT ratios were older, had higher illness severity, and experienced worse clinical outcomes. In univariate analysis, the AST/ALT ratio was significantly associated with 28-day ICU mortality (HR: 1.24, 95% CI 1.13-1.37, P < 0.0001). This association remained significant in the fully adjusted multivariate model. The highest tertile of AST/ALT ratio was associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality compared to the lowest tertile across all models (HR: 1.48, 95% CI 1.07-2.03, P = 0.0162 in Model 4). A nonlinear relationship was observed, with a threshold identified at an AST/ALT ratio of 2.08. Below this turning point, the association remained strong (HR: 1.47, 95% CI 1.13-1.91, P = 0.0036), while above it, the association was no longer significant. Subgroup analyses revealed no significant interactions, indicating that the association between AST/ALT ratio and mortality was consistent across various patient characteristics. Survival analysis showed that patients in the highest tertile had the poorest survival outcomes (P < 0.0001). An elevated AST/ALT ratio within the first 24 h of ICU admission is independently associated with increased 28-day ICU all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with CHF., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The Chinese government has, in recent decades, implemented various administrative laws and regulatory policies to expedite cancer therapeutic development, boosting research and development pipelines for domestic pharmaceutical companies and clinical trials; however, China faces unique challenges given the high prevalence of certain cancer types and distinct disease burdens, some of which are frequently overlooked by international pharmaceutical companies. Given the substantial unmet need for China-specific cancer care, it is crucial to promote the development of innovative pharmaceutical and clinical research in China, with a particular emphasis on addressing tumors most prevalent in its population., (©2024 American Association for Cancer Research.)