ClPS1 gene-mediated manipulation of 2n pollen formation enables the creation of triploid seedless watermelon.

Seedless watermelons are increasingly dominating the consumer market due to their convenience and high quality. However, traditional triploid watermelon breeding faces challenges such as long breeding cycles and low survival rates of triploid F progeny, severely hindering both breeding and production. In this study, we identified the ClPS1 gene as being associated with the formation of 2n gametes in watermelon.

Automated microvascular invasion prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma via deep relation reasoning from dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global health concern, with microvascular invasion (MVI) being a critical prognostic factor linked to early recurrence and poor survival. Preoperative MVI prediction remains challenging, but recent advancements in dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging combined with artificial intelligence show promise in improving prediction accuracy. CEUS offers real-time visualization of tumor vascularity, providing unique insights into MVI characteristics.

Childhood obesity directly increases age-related macular degeneration risk: the role of physiobiological and immune-metabolic function.

Background: Childhood obesity is a growing global concern and is associated with cardiometabolic comorbidities in adulthood. However, the association between childhood body size and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in late life remains to be investigated. We aimed to explore the association between childhood obesity and incident AMD and the underlying anatomical and physiobiological mechanisms.

Ion exchange: an essential piece in the fabrication of zeolite adsorbents.

Adsorptive separation, which relies on the size, polarity, and affinity of guest molecules, is an efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method. Zeolite-based adsorbents, known for their uniform pore size and regenerability, have exhibited exceptional performance in many challenging adsorption processes, such as the separation of -paraffin/-paraffin and xylene isomers. Ion exchange, as an essential piece in the fabrication of zeolite-based adsorbents, significantly affects overall performance.

Imaging-based lean mass distribution and diabetic nephropathy in the US population.

Aims: The present study aims to investigate the association between lean body mass (LBM) distribution and diabetic nephropathy (DN) in the US population with diabetes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized the 2011 to 2018 data from the NHANES. Body composition was assessed using DXA.

ADCNet: a unified framework for predicting the activity of antibody-drug conjugates.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have revolutionized the field of cancer treatment in the era of precision medicine due to their ability to precisely target cancer cells and release highly effective drugs. Nevertheless, the rational design and discovery of ADCs remain challenging because the relationship between their quintuple structures and activities is difficult to explore and understand. To address this issue, we first introduce a unified deep learning framework called ADCNet to explore such relationship and help design potential ADCs.

Semaphorin 6A phase separation sustains a histone lactylation-dependent lactate buildup in pathological angiogenesis.

Ischemic retinal diseases are major causes of blindness worldwide and are characterized by pathological angiogenesis. Epigenetic alterations in response to metabolic shifts in endothelial cells (ECs) suffice to underlie excessive angiogenesis. Lactate accumulation and its subsequent histone lactylation in ECs contribute to vascular disorders.

Foundation Model-Guided Gaussian Splatting for 4D Reconstruction of Deformable Tissues.

Reconstructing deformable anatomical structures from endoscopic videos is a pivotal and promising research topic that can enable advanced surgical applications and improve patient outcomes. While existing surgical scene reconstruction methods have made notable progress, they often suffer from slow rendering speeds due to using neural radiance fields, limiting their practical viability in real-world applications. To overcome this bottleneck, we propose EndoGaussian, a framework that integrates the strengths of 3D Gaussian Splatting representations, allowing for high-fidelity tissue reconstruction, efficient training, and real-time rendering.

Longer recreational screen time contributes to the risk of age-related macular degeneration: a UK Biobank cohort study and two-sample Mendelian randomisation.

Background: Recreational screen time (RST) has been found to be associated with cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the association between RST and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an ocular neurodegenerative disease, is still unclear. We aimed to elucidate the association between RST and AMD.

Frailty and the Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Prospective Cohort and Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Both frailty and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are related to aging and may share some common mechanisms. We aimed to examine the observational and causal association between frailty and the risk of AMD.

Methods: We included 320 810 participants free of AMD at baseline from the UK Biobank.

The tumor suppressor SALL2 opposes chemotherapeutic resistance in breast cancer.

Chemotherapy continues to be the primary treatment for certain types of breast cancer. However, despite an initial positive response to chemotherapeutic agents, the development of resistance is inevitable. The exact molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain unclear.

The rice genome annotation project: an updated database for mining the rice genome.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major cereal crop that provides calories across the world. With a small genome, rice has been used extensively as a model for genetic and genomic studies in the Poaceae.

Cell-type-aware regulatory landscapes governing monoterpene indole alkaloid biosynthesis in the medicinal plant Catharanthus roseus.

In plants, the biosynthetic pathways of some specialized metabolites are partitioned into specialized or rare cell types, as exemplified by the monoterpenoid indole alkaloid (MIA) pathway of Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar Periwinkle), the source of the anticancer compounds vinblastine and vincristine. In the leaf, the C. roseus MIA biosynthetic pathway is partitioned into three cell types with the final known steps of the pathway expressed in the rare cell type termed idioblast.

RNA-binding protein LSM7 facilitates breast cancer metastasis through mediating alternative splicing of CD44.

Aims: The RNA-binding protein LSM7 is essential for RNA splicing, acting as a key component of the spliceosome complex; however, its specific role in breast cancer (BC) has not been extensively investigated.

Materials And Methods: LSM7 expression in BC samples was evaluated through bioinformatics analysis and immunohistochemistry. The impact of LSM7 on promoting metastatic tumor characteristics was examined using transwell and wound healing assays, as well as an orthotopic xenograft model.

Loneliness and social isolation are associated with an increased risk of glaucoma: a UK Biobank cohort study.

Background: Loneliness and social isolation have been found to be associated with various health-related outcomes. Our study aimed to evaluate the association of loneliness and social isolation with the risk of glaucoma.

Methods: A total of 373,330 participants from the UK Biobank without glaucoma at recruitment were included in this study.

The differences of metabolic profiles, socioeconomic status and diabetic retinopathy in U.S. working-age and elderly adults with diabetes: results from NHANES 1999-2018.

Aims: Controlled metabolic factors and socioeconomic status (SES) was crucial for prevention of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The study aims to assess the metabolic factors control and SES among working-age adults (18-64 years) with diabetes compared to older adults (65 years and older).

Methods: Totals of 6738 participants with self-reported diagnosed diabetes from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included, of whom 3482 were working-age and 3256 were elderly.

Imaging-based body fat distribution and diabetic retinopathy in general US population with diabetes: an NHANES analysis (2003-2006 and 2011-2018).

Background: Limited studies have investigated the correlation between fat distribution and the risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the general population with diabetes. The relationship between obesity and DR remains inconclusive, possibly due to using simple anthropometric measures to define obesity. This study investigates the relationships between the android-to-gynoid fat ratio (A/G ratio, measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) and DR within the US population with diabetes.

RANKL/RANK signaling recruits Tregs via the CCL20-CCR6 pathway and promotes stemness and metastasis in colorectal cancer.

TNF receptor superfamily member 11a (TNFRSF11a, RANK) and its ligand TNF superfamily member 11 (TNFRSF11, RANKL) are overexpressed in many malignancies. However, the clinical importance of RANKL/RANK in colorectal cancer (CRC) is mainly unknown. We examined CRC samples and found that RANKL/RANK was elevated in CRC tissues compared with nearby normal tissues.

Immunotherapy efficacy prediction through a feature re-calibrated 2.5D neural network.

Background And Objective: Lung cancer continues to be a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with immunotherapy emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite its potential, not all patients experience benefits from immunotherapy, and the current biomarkers used for treatment selection possess inherent limitations. As a result, the implementation of imaging-based biomarkers to predict the efficacy of lung cancer treatments offers a promising avenue for improving therapeutic outcomes.

Enhancement of PRMT6 binding to a novel germline mutation associated with congenital anemia.

Mutations in the master hematopoietic transcription factor GATA1 are often associated with functional defects in erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis. In this study, we identified a novel GATA1 germline mutation (c.1162delGG, p.

Modifiable lifestyle, mental health status and diabetic retinopathy in U.S. adults aged 18-64 years with diabetes: a population-based cross-sectional study from NHANES 1999-2018.

Background: The relationship between integrated lifestyles, mental status and their impact on overall well-being has attracted considerable attention. This study aimed to evaluate the association between lifestyle factors, depression and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in adults aged 18-64 years.

Methods: A cohort of 3482 participants diagnosed with diabetes was drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning the years 1999-2018.