Body composition changes and influencing factors of phase angle in maintenance hemodialysis patients with diabetic nephropathy.

Objective: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study aimed to compare the clinical differences between patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and non-diabetic nephropathy (NDN) undergoing maintenance hemodialysis and to investigate the influencing factors and clinical significance of phase angle (PhA) in DN patients.

Materials And Methods: Hemodialysis patients (n = 48), including 23 with DN and 25 with NDN, were enrolled in this study. Body composition parameters were assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and various biochemical indices were collected.

Multifunctional, enzyme/pH-responsive gelatin microspheres with aptamer-targeted antibacterial and ionic-mediated dual therapy for infected bone defects.

The treatment of infectious bone defects requires simultaneous resolution of bacteria-associated antibiotic resistance, inflammatory microenvironment dysregulation, and impaired bone regeneration. Here, we developed an injectable, self-assembling designed gelatin micro-/nano-sphere system (GHMs@G1-N-A/T) that addresses the tripartite challenges of infectious bone defects through innovative material engineering: Antibacterial module featuring aptamer-conjugated gelatin nanospheres (AGN-Apt/Te) for MRSA-specific targeting, coupled with dual enzyme/pH-responsive release mechanisms (gelatinase-triggered nanosphere detachment and MgO-derived ROS generation); A self-assembling microsphere scaffold (GHMs) constructed through vanillin-mediated crosslinking and nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA)/MgO incorporation, enabling sequential release of Mg/Ca; and A gelatinase-sensitive peptide (G-1) interface that dynamically links these components, ensuring microenvironment-responsive functionality. Results demonstrated that gelatinase-triggered AGN-Apt/Te nanospheres detachment enabled bacteria-specific antibiotic delivery, achieving greater than 95 % eradication of S.

Impact of the Fungicide picoxystrobin on earthworm health: insights from antioxidant responses and DNA integrity in Eisenia fetida.

Picoxystrobin, a widely used strobilurin fungicide, has raised concerns regarding its environmental impact, particularly its effects on non-target organisms in recent years. The present study investigates the toxicological effects of picoxystrobin on earthworms (Eisenia fetida), focusing on oxidative stress biomarkers and DNA damage over a 28-day exposure period. Earthworms were exposed to soil containing picoxystrobin at concentrations of 0, 0.

A 3D-printed chitosan-based pH-responsive dual functional scaffold for osteomyelitis: synergistic antibacterial and osteogenic treatment.

Despite advances in osteomyelitis treatment, achieving spatiotemporal coordination of infection control and bone regeneration remains challenging due to bacterial-induced acidic microenvironments and toxin-mediated osteoblast dysfunction. Herein, a novel 3D-printed chitosan-based composite scaffold (VM@n-HA/CS/DM) was developed. The scaffold strategically integrates two functional components: (1) Vancomycin-loaded chitosan microspheres (VM) conjugated with scaffold via pH-sensitive Schiff base bonds formed between aldehyde and amine groups, selectively breaking down in the acidic microenvironment of bacterial infections, thereby enabling on-demand release of vancomycin (Van) to target and eliminate Staphylococcus aureus (S.

Association between 1400 metabolites and IgA nephropathy: A Mendelian randomization analysis.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, although its mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Previous studies have identified metabolites associated with IgAN, but their causal relationships require further investigation. This study employed a 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to assess the causal relationships between 1400 serum metabolites and IgAN.

The mechanoresponsive chromosomal passenger complex sustains furrow ingression under confinement.

Cells sense and respond to forces from neighbouring cells and the extracellular matrix during growth and division. When cells undergo mitosis in a confined environment like in tumour environment, high compressive stress causes unstable cell cortex and prolonged mitosis. Confined mitotic cells frequently experience chromosome loss and multipolar division.

Physiological characteristics and volatile organic compound dynamics in bruising sweetpotatoes during short-term storage: Insights from GC-MS and GC-IMS.

During harvesting and transportation, sweetpotatoes often suffer from mechanical damage like extrusion and collision, which affects their marketability and revenue. This study found that bruising significantly impacted sweetpotatoes quality, especially hardness, which decreased by 21.08 % under 180 N force at 6 d compared to control.

The impact of air pollution exposure on adverse pregnancy outcomes: a time-series study.

This study aimed to explore the connections between six categories of atmospheric pollutants (PM, PM, SO, NO, CO, and O) and adverse pregnancy outcomes (low birth weight, LBW; preterm birth, PTB) in Hefei, China, using a combination of Distributed Lag Nonlinear Models and Generalized Additive Models to evaluate the nonlinear exposure-response associations and the lag effects of air pollutants on the risk of LBW and PTB. Stratified and sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the robustness of our findings. Among 44,727 live births from 2016 to 2020, 1,335 (2.

Microwave-mediated formation of lotus-seed starch-palmitic acid complexes and their multi-scale structural changes.

Recent studies have revealed that starch-lipid complexation can significantly impact gut health via the formation of V-type resistant starch. This study used varying microwave (MW) power levels (600, 700, 800, 900, 1000 W) to prepare V-type lotus-seed starch (LS)-palmitic acid (PA) complexes and investigates their multi-scale structural and thermal properties. The results indicate that MWs promote hydrophobic LS-PA complexation to form a B + V-type crystalline structure, with the V-type complexation rate found to positively correlate with MW power.

Changes of perioperative cognitive function and its effect on quality of life in laryngeal cancer.

Background: Few studies have been published on the cognitive function and its relationship with quality of life (QoL) in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) undergoing surgery.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association between changes in cognitive function perioperatively with QoL among patients with LSCC.

Methods: This was a prospective study.

Construction, characterization, and properties of a probiotic delivery system based on oxidized high amylose starch.

This study demonstrates the preparation of oxidized high amylose starch (OHAS) and its effect on the survival and release of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in the gastrointestinal tract when combined with sodium alginate (SA). OHAS with different degrees of oxidation was combined with SA, and through rheological analysis, an SA/OHAS composite with good viscoelasticity, stable structure, and favorable for probiotic colonization was selected as the probiotic carrier. Specifically, SA/OHAS showed a good encapsulation efficiency of 46.

Exploring disparities in depressive symptoms between rural and urban middle-aged and elderly adults in China: evidence from CHARLS.

The study was to investigate the relevant factors that were associated with differences in depressive symptoms between urban and rural middle-aged and elderly population in China, measuring the contribution of related influencing factors. We constructed binary logistic regression models to investigate the primary factors influencing depressive symptoms and employed Fairlie models to examine these factors contributing to the differences in depressive symptoms between urban and rural middle-aged and elderly individuals. The proportion of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older individuals in China was 38.

Zinc finger protein 593 promotes breast cancer development by ensuring DNA damage repair and cell-cycle progression.

Breast cancer, a common malignancy and top cause of female cancer deaths globally, urgently requires new biomarkers and insights into its progression and chemoresistance. In this study, we identify ZNF593, a member of the zinc finger protein family, as an understudied oncogene in breast cancer. ZNF593 is significantly upregulated in breast cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, which is linked to poor prognosis and advanced clinicopathological features.

Enhancing Bone Regeneration and Osteogenic Quality by -HA Internalized Osteoblasts Synergized with ON Protein: Mechanistic Insights.

Bone scaffolds offer hope for oral jawbone repair, yet improving their osteogenic performance remains a clinical challenge. This study investigates a novel approach to enhance early bone formation and osteogenic quality by coloading hydroxyapatite (HA)─internalized osteoblasts (OHA) and osteonectin (ON) onto various scaffolds. Our findings demonstrated that the OHA could effectively facilitate the early bone regeneration by providing rapid calcium and phosphorus ion release via lysosome-mediated HA degradation, while the ON protein helps in ion deposition, cell proliferation, and matrix mineralization.

Dynamic/static pressure-induced copolymerization and property changes of lotus seed starch with chlorogenic acid.

Pressure promotes the formation of starch-polyphenol complexes, but their classification and properties are still unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of dynamic high-pressure homogenization (10-50 MPa) and static hydrostatic pressure (100-500 MPa) on the copolymerization behavior and properties of lotus seed starch (LS)-endogenous polyphenol chlorogenic acid (CA) complexes. The results showed that both pressures induced LS-CA to form stable inclusion-type complexes and easily destructible noninclusion-type complexes.

Valorization of Food Waste: Utilizing Natural Porous Materials Derived from Pomelo-Peel Biomass to Develop Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Energy Harvesting and Self-Powered Sensing.

Food waste is an enormous challenge, with implications for the environment, society, and economy. Every year around the world, 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted or lost, and food waste-associated costs are around $2.

All-RNA-mediated targeted gene integration in mammalian cells with rationally engineered R2 retrotransposons.

All-RNA-mediated targeted gene integration methods, rendering reduced immunogenicity, effective deliverability with non-viral vehicles, and a low risk of random mutagenesis, are urgently needed for next-generation gene addition technologies. Naturally occurring R2 retrotransposons hold promise in this context due to their site-specific integration profile. Here, we systematically analyzed the biodiversity of R2 elements and screened several R2 orthologs capable of full-length gene insertion in mammalian cells.

Heterologous survey of 130 DNA transposons in human cells highlights their functional divergence and expands the genome engineering toolbox.

Experimental studies on DNA transposable elements (TEs) have been limited in scale, leading to a lack of understanding of the factors influencing transposition activity, evolutionary dynamics, and application potential as genome engineering tools. We predicted 130 active DNA TEs from 102 metazoan genomes and evaluated their activity in human cells. We identified 40 active (integration-competent) TEs, surpassing the cumulative number (20) of TEs found previously.

Parkinson's disease patients with absence of normal dipping status were more vulnerable to cognitive impairment from the early stages.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of cognitive function in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with different dipping statuses.

Methods: Consecutive PD patients were recruited for this study. All participants underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitor (ABPM).

Portable visual and electrochemical detection of hydrogen peroxide release from living cells based on dual-functional Pt-Ni hydrogels.

It is important to monitor the intra-/extracellular concentration of hydrogen peroxide (HO) in biological processes. However, miniaturized devices that enable portable and accurate HO measurement are still in their infancy because of the difficulty of developing facile sensing strategies and highly integrated sensing devices. In this work, portable HO sensors based on Pt-Ni hydrogels with excellent peroxidase-like and electrocatalytic activities are demonstrated.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing for diagnosis of infectious encephalitis and meningitis: a retrospective study of 90 patients.

Background: Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are potentially life-threatening and can cause serious morbidity. We evaluated the clinical value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of infectious encephalitis and meningitis and explored the factors affecting the results of mNGS.

Methods: Patients with suspected cases of encephalitis or meningitis who presented in Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from 1 March 2018 to 30 September 2022 were collected.

Decreasing the Carrier Concentration of ZrNiSn: An Opposite Way to the Best N-Type Half-Heusler Thermoelectrics.

N-type ZrNiSn-based alloys reach a record thermoelectric figure of merit zT ≈1.2 by increasing the carrier concentration to 4-5 × 10 cm . In this work, It is reported that a comparable zT can also be realized in trace Ru-doped ZrNiSn-based alloy at even lower temperature by decreasing the carrier concentration.

High-efficiency targeted transgene integration via primed micro-homologues.

Due to the difficulties in precisely manipulating DNA repair pathways, high-fidelity targeted integration of large transgenes triggered by double-strand breaks is inherently inefficient. Here, we exploit prime editors to devise a robust knock-in (KI) strategy named primed micro-homologues-assisted integration (PAINT), which utilizes reverse-transcribed single-stranded micro-homologues to boost targeted KIs in different types of cells. The improved version of PAINT, designated PAINT 3.

High-Strength Cell Sheets and Vigorous Hydrogels from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Natural cell derivates, including cell sheets (CSs) and matrix gels, have opened new opportunities to probe questions in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, the potential of CSs and hydrogels generated by current protocols is still limited by the challenges of heterogeneity and weak mechanical properties. Here, we developed a 21 day long-term serum-free culture system for human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived immunity-and-matrix-regulatory cells (IMRCs).