The underexplored pulmonary toxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids: Emerging hazard from food contamination.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are the most widespread plant-derived toxins globally. Humans are frequently exposed to PAs through ingestion of PA-contaminated food products, with chronic dietary exposure estimated at up to 48.4 ng/kg body weight/day, posing a significant global health threat.

Enabling 1200-km optical DNANF transmissions via the space-time coded digital subcarrier modulation.

We fabricated 100-km double nested antiresonant nodeless fibers (DNANFs) and demonstrated their potential for long-haul hollow-core transmissions. We measured a PMD coefficient at 0.7 ps/ of the 100-km span.

Defenestration of Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells: The Trigger of Liver Fibrosis.

Liver fibrosis is a common pathological manifestation of various chronic liver diseases, distinguished by the excessive accumulation of the extracellular matrix. If unresolved, liver fibrosis can progress to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Fenestrae are important structures of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) regulating hepatic substance exchange, immune response and hemodynamics.

Chronic stress enhances neuropathic pain through activation of the anterior cingulate cortex-spinal dorsal horn pathway in rats.

Chronic stress is known to exacerbate neuropathic pain, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study investigates the role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and its descending projections to the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) in mediating stress-induced pain facilitation. Using a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model combined with a chronic constriction injury (CCI) model in male Sprague-Dawley rats, we assessed behavioral changes, neuronal activity, and molecular alterations.

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction developed from valvular surgery: Risk factors and therapeutic effects of sacubitril valsartan.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for heart failure developed from cardiac valvular surgery and the efficacy of sacubitril valsartan (ARNI).

Methods: Clinical data from patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50 % who consecutively underwent cardiac valvular (mitral/aortic valve) surgery in 2021 were collected. Pre - and intra - operative variables were analyzed to explore risk factors for HFrEF (LVEF ≤ 40 %).

GADD45α is a direct target of TFEB and contributes to tacrolimus-induced chronic nephrotoxicity.

Tacrolimus-induced chronic nephrotoxicity (TICN) hinders long-term use of tacrolimus, but its mechanism remains unclear. Tacrolimus exerts its pharmacological effect by inhibiting calcineurin and its substrate nuclear factor of activated T cells. Whether the inhibition of other calcineurin substrates is related to TICN remains to be explored.

A surgical orthotopic xenograft approach with immune response for colorectal cancer research.

The high morbidity and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major challenge in clinical practice. Although a series of alternative research models of CRC have been developed, appropriate orthotopic animal models that reproduce the specific clinical response as well as pathophysiological immune features of CRC are still lacking. In the current study, we constructed a CRC orthotopic xenograft model by implanting the tumor tubes at the colorectum of mice and monitored the model development using bioluminescence imaging.

Drug-induced hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome: current advances and future perspectives.

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS) has gained recognition as a rare form of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in recent years. Although extensively studied in the context of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the applicability of this knowledge to drug-induced HSOS remains limited due to distinct etiological factors. The primary causes of drug-induced HSOS include the ingestion of pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA)-containing plants, as well as the use of chemotherapeutic agents and immunosuppressive drugs.

Optimization of Filling Material Ratio in Yellow Phosphorus Slag Mine.

Yellow phosphorus slag has been considered as a potential cement substitute for mine filling material due to its cementing activity; however, its slow setting and low early strength have limited broader use. This study investigates the grading, compactness, and strength of yellow phosphorus slag combined with tailing sand. Using yellow phosphorus slag as an aggregate, cement as a binder, and mixing tailing sand in different ratios, this study evaluates its feasibility as a coarse aggregate in mine backfill.

Coexistence of 11 Tbps (110×100 Gbps) classical optical communication and quantum key distribution based on single-mode fiber.

Integrating quantum key distribution (QKD) with classical optical communication is a deployment-friendly and cost-effective approach to advancing QKD network implementation. However, the noise introduced by intense classical signals into the quantum channel severely impacts the performance of the QKD system, presenting challenges for long-distance coexistence transmission. In this paper, we successfully demonstrate the simultaneous propagation of QKD and optical transport network (OTN) in the C-band over distances exceeding 100 km.

In-situ online investigation of biogenic volatile organic compounds emissions from tropical rainforests in Hainan, China.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted by tropical plants represent a significant proportion of global emissions, but the in-situ BVOC measurements in tropical rainforests are extremely sparse. Herein, a vehicle-mounted mobile monitoring system was developed for in-situ online investigations of BVOC emissions from thirty representative tree species in the tropical rainforests of Hainan Island, southern China. The results showed that monoterpenes were the primary BVOCs emitted from most broadleaf trees.

Early B lymphocyte subsets in blood predict prognosis in sepsis.

Background: B lymphocytes play a key role in immunosuppression. This study investigated the prognostic value of B cell subsets in sepsis.

Methods: Flow cytometry was used to assess peripheral B cell subsets from patients with sepsis on the first and seventh days following admission, as well as 111 healthy controls.

PDIA3 defines a novel subset of adipose macrophages to exacerbate the development of obesity and metabolic disorders.

Adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) play important roles in maintaining adipose tissue homeostasis and orchestrating metabolic inflammation. Given the extensive functional heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity of ATMs, identification of the authentically pathogenic ATM subpopulation under obese setting is thus necessitated. Herein, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and unraveled a unique maladaptive ATM subpopulation defined as ATF4PDIA3ACSL4CCL2 inflammatory and metabolically activated macrophages (iMAMs), in which PDIA3 is required for the maintenance of their migratory and pro-inflammatory properties.

Reversible Giant Barocaloric Effect with Broad Working Temperature Range in an Amorphous Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer.

The barocaloric effect of a solid material is an intense research topic due to its potential application in solid-state refrigeration. Among the proposed candidates, elastic polymers are distinctive because their barocaloric responses are independent from a pressure-induced phase transition which makes it possible to realize a broad working temperature range in principle. However, the barocaloric performance of most elastic polymers diminishes significantly as temperature decreases.

Huaier relieves oxaliplatin-induced hepatotoxicity through activation of the PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 signaling pathway in C57BL/6 mice.

Hepatotoxicity caused by the anticancer medication oxaliplatin (OXA) significantly restricts its clinical use and raises the risk of liver damage. Huaier, a fungus found in China, has been demonstrated to have various beneficial effects in adjuvant therapy for cancer. However, the preventive impact of Huaier against OXA-induced hepatotoxicity is still unknown.

Sorption of Iodine on Biochar Derived from the Processing of Urban Sludge and Garden Waste at Different Pyrolysis Temperatures.

The United Nations proposed the Sustainable Development Goals with the aim to make human settlements in cities resilient and sustainable. The excessive discharge of urban waste including sludge and garden waste can pollute groundwater and lead to the emission of greenhouse gases (e.g.

Drug disposition in cholestasis: An important concern.

Cholestasis, a chronic liver condition, disrupts bile acid homeostasis and complicates drug disposition, posing significant challenges in medicating cholestatic patients. Drug metabolism enzymes and transporters (DMETs) are pivotal in drug clearance. Research indicates that cholestasis leads to alterations in both hepatic and extrahepatic DMETs, with changes in expression and function documented in rodents and humans.

SHH induces macrophage oxidative phosphorylation and efferocytosis to promote scar formation.

Excessive scar formation such as hypertrophic scars and keloids, resulting from trauma or surgical procedures, present a widespread concern for causing disfigurement, discomfort, and functional limitations. Macrophages play pivotal roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis, orchestrating tissue development, repair, and immune responses, and its transition of function and phenotype plays a critical role in regulating the balance between inflammation and tissue regeneration, which is central to cutaneous scar formation. Recent evidence suggests the involvement of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) in the induction of anti-inflammatory M2-like macrophage phenotypes within tumor microenvironments.

Photochemical loss with consequential underestimation in active VOCs and corresponding secondary pollutions in a petrochemical refinery, China.

The photochemical loss of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) significantly alters the capturing source profiles in high-reactivity VOC species and results in an underestimation of secondary pollutants such as ozone (O) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Utilising speciated VOC data from large petrochemical refineries, the research assesses the photochemical loss of various VOC species. Air samples from multiple sites revealed over 99 VOCs, with initial concentrations estimated via a photochemical age-based parameterisation method.

Hemoadsorption and Coagulation Systemic Rebalance in Patients Undergoing Nonelective Cardiac Surgery and Treated with Antithrombotics.

Introduction: Insufficient withdrawal duration of antithrombotics leads to excessive bleeding after major surgery. We hypothesize that intraoperative hemoadsorption (HA) can reduce postoperative allogeneic transfusion requirements and excessive bleeding events (EBE), without an increase in ischemic/thromboembolic events (ITE) in patients who have taken antithrombotics and undergone nonelective cardiac surgery.

Methods: A total of 460 patients admitted to our hospital from 2018 to 2022 were included in this study and divided into two groups: HA and non-HA.

Predictive Model of Oxaliplatin-induced Liver Injury Based on Artificial Neural Network and Logistic Regression.

Background And Aims: Identifying potential high-risk groups of oxaliplatin-induced liver injury (OILI) is valuable, but tools are lacking. So artificial neural network (ANN) and logistic regression (LR) models will be developed to predict the risk of OILI.

Methods: The medical information of patients treated with oxaliplatin between May and November 2016 at 10 hospitals was collected prospectively.