Chemistry and Biology of Ustiloxin Analogs as Mycotoxins.

Ustiloxin analogs, including ustiloxins and phomopsins, are a group of cyclopeptide mycotoxins produced by fungi. They are a 13-membered macrocyclic ring and an ether linkage between tyrosine and isoleucine as the core structure. They are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides.

Multifocal intra-cranial masses: Late presentation of an uncommon histiocytic disorder.

We present a case of a 59-year-old female with headaches and memory loss. Her history includes surgeries for hydronephrosis and a mediastinal mass initially diagnosed as retroperitoneal fibrosis. Imaging performed a few years later revealed multiple bilateral supratentorial masses.

A Functional Regulatory Variant of Gene Affected the Body Weight in Hu Sheep.

Body weight (BW) is a critical economic trait closely linked to livestock meat production performance and producer profitability. In the present study, we measured individual BW of 1070 male Hu sheep at six growth stages (80, 100, 120, 140, 160, and 180 days of age) and conducted descriptive statistical analyses. Results showed that the coefficient of variation (CV) for BW at each stage was higher than 13%.

Crosstalk Between N6-Methyladenosine and Other Epigenetic Mechanisms in Central Nervous System Development and Disorders.

A variety of epigenetic mechanisms-such as DNA methylation, histone alterations, RNA chemical modifications, and regulatory non-coding RNAs-collectively influence gene regulation and cellular processes. Among these, N6-methyladenosine (mA) represents the most widespread internal modification in eukaryotic mRNA, exerting significant influence on RNA metabolic pathways and modulating mRNA function at multiple levels. Studies have shown that mA modification is highly enriched in the brain and regulates central nervous system development and various physiological functions.

Distinct Effects of PFOS and OBS on Neurotoxicity via PMK-1 Mediated Pathway in .

Sodium p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzenesulfonate (OBS) has been proposed as a substitute for perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), yet it has garnered increasing attention due to its environmental persistence and potential toxicity. Despite these concerns, the neurotoxic mechanisms of OBS remain unclear. This study investigates and compares the neurotoxic effects and mechanisms of OBS and PFOS in .

LDLR H3K27ac in PBMCs: An Early Warning Biomarker for Hypercholesterolemia Susceptibility in Male Newborns Treated with Prenatal Dexamethasone.

Dexamethasone, widely used as an exogenous glucocorticoid in clinical and animal practice, has recently been recognized as an environmental contaminant of concern. Existing evidence documents its ability to induce persistent dyslipidemia in adult offspring. In this study, plasma cholesterol levels in male rats exposed to dexamethasone prenatally (PDE) were increased.

Evaluating the associations and predictive performance of triglyceride-glucose index and related indicators for chronic diseases in a Chinese cohort.

Background: Triglyceride and glucose (TyG) indices have been used as predictors of several chronic diseases. However, there is currently a lack of research that can comprehensively reflect the impact of TyG-related indicators on chronic diseases in middle-aged and elderly populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of TyG and its related indicators with chronic diseases and their time-dependent predictive ability in the elderly.

Learning Heterogeneous Mixture of Scene Experts for Large-Scale Neural Radiance Fields.

Recent Neural Radiance Field (NeRF) methods on large-scale scenes have demonstrated promising results and underlined the importance of scene decomposition for scalable NeRFs. Although these methods achieved reasonable scalability, there are several critical problems remaining unexplored in the existing large-scale NeRF modeling methods, i.e.

Complete genome sequence of SJ-1, a marine bacterium capable of degrading -chloro--xylenol.

We report the complete genome sequence of SJ-1, the first marine-derived bacterial strain capable of degrading the antibacterial agent -chloro--xylenol. The genome consists of one chromosome (5,438,782 bp) and three plasmids (197,992 bp, 59,967 bp, and 41,343 bp), with an average GC content of 70.4%.

Expression of homeobox B13 gene and metabolomics study in placental tissues of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Our study aimed to investigate the expression characteristics of the homeobox B13 (HOXB13) gene in placental tissues of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and its impact on placental metabolic function. Placental tissues from 30 GDM patients and normal pregnancy cases were collected. The expression of HOX family genes (including HOXB13 and HOXA2 among seven genes) was screened using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and the protein expression of HOXB13 was validated by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.

In vitro axotomy models regulated by ROCK inhibitor for studying neuroregeneration and growth cone morphology.

Current complex models of human nerve injury hinder the identification of cellular responses and the screening of therapies. As a solution, simpler in vitro axotomy models utilizing embryonic rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal motor neuron aggregates (SMNAs) have been introduced. To ensure model consistency, DRG or SMNA was placed in a cross-shaped channel for axotomy, performed microscopically with a razor.

What influences older people to join a community hub to engage in healthy ageing programs? An exploratory study.

Objectives: Most people seek to stay connected to their community as they age; this has been a major focus in the development of innovative community programs in Australia. This study aimed to explore what influences older people to join a community hub to engage in healthy ageing programs.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews (n = 29) were conducted during an Open Day in early 2023 at an urban community hub in Western Australia, followed by telephone interviews (n = 9) of a purposive sample of older individuals, community hub facilitators and coordinators of national community hubs.

Emerging research insights and future perspectives on the advancement of eccDNA: A comprehensive review.

Extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) is a class of chromosome-independent circular DNA molecules found in diverse organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. Recent research has highlighted its roles in gene regulation, genome stability, and disease pathogenesis, with growing recognition of eccDNA as a valuable biomarker for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring in precision medicine. Studies have also linked eccDNA to non-neoplastic diseases and normal tissue biology, broadening its biological significance beyond malignancies.

Deciphering the enzymatic responses, composition, network complexity, and functional degraders of the marine sediment bacterial community in response to 2-methyl-4-isothiazoline-3-one exposure.

2-Methyl-4-isothiazoline-3-one (MIT) is a widely employed antimicrobial agent frequently detected in environments; however, current documentation regarding its impacts on microbial communities and biodegradation processes remains limited. Herein, marine sediment systems were established to investigate the MIT impacts under tiered concentrations (CK, 0 μg/L; LC, 5 μg/L; MC, 50 μg/L; HC 5 mg/L). The extracellular polymeric substance contents increased in the LC and MC groups, but not in the HC group, after one day of exposure.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Isoform-Selective Akt3 Degraders.

Akt3, a serine/threonine kinase within the PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway, is overactivated in various cancers, making it a promising therapeutic target. The research aimed to create compounds that selectively degrade Akt3, sparing Akt1 and Akt2, to enhance the clinical benefits. A series of compounds with different linkers and E3 ligands were synthesized and evaluated for their degradation potencies and selectivity.

Elucidating the metabolic pathway and initial degradation gene for -chloro--xylenol biodegradation in DMU114.

Unlabelled: The antimicrobial agent -chloro--xylenol (PCMX), an emerging environmental pollutant, poses ecological risks; however, its biodegradation mechanisms remain unresolved. Here, we elucidate the metabolic pathway and functional genes involved in the initial catabolic step of PCMX in a newly isolated bacterium, DMU114. Pure-culture and synthetic consortium assays confirmed the pivotal role of in PCMX degradation, despite its relatively low abundance in the PCMX-enriched consortium.

Clinical characteristics and economic burden of hospitalized patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the Chinese Yi population.

Purpose: The study aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and economic burden of Yi and Han hospitalized patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

Patients And Methods: The patients hospitalized for AECOPD were retrospectively enrolled at the Hospital of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China, from January 2020 to October 2022. Data regarding the characteristics, treatment, clinical outcomes, and economic burden of Yi and Han AECOPD patients included in the cohort were compared and analyzed.

Effects of oat flour on rice flour and fermented rice cake: Processing properties, quality attributes, and starch digestive characteristics.

The rising incidence of diet-related chronic and celiac diseases underlines the demand for high-quality, functional gluten-free products that improve health. This study systematically evaluated the impact of oat flour (OF) substitution at different levels on the mixed flour and the final FGCs (OF 0%, OF 10%, OF 20%, OF 30%, OF 40%), along with underlying mechanisms. OF substitution enhanced the system's water-binding capacity, the integrity of starch granules, and viscoelasticity, while inhibiting gelatinization and promoting short-term retrogradation, as evidenced by reduced pasting enthalpy and increased pasting temperature and setback value.

Research note: Application of convolutional neural networks for feather classification in chickens.

Feather color plays a crucial role in distinguishing various poultry breeds. However, the reliability of conventional manual classification methods is debated due to the intricate nature of feather color traits. To address this issue, we applied Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to extract the feather texture features of 300 images each of Golden Meihua (GM) and Silver Meihua (SM) feathers.

Equivalent Self-Noise Suppression of Distributed Hydroacoustic Sensing System Using SDM Signals Based on Multi-Core Fiber.

To address the demand of equivalent self-noise suppression in a distributed hydroacoustic sensing system, this study proposes a method to enhance the acoustic sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) using space division multiplexed (SDM) technology based on multi-core fiber (MCF). Specifically, a dual-channel demodulation system for distributed acoustic sensing is designed using MCF. The responses of different cores in MCF are almost consistent under external acoustic pressure, while their self-noise is inconsistent.

Disulfiram Protects Against Multiorgan Injuries and Cell Pyroptosis via Inhibiting GSDMD in Severe Acute Pancreatitis Mice.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is distinguished by an uncontrolled systemic pro-inflammatory response caused by the activation of trypsin within the pancreatic tissue, leading to the occurrence of multiple organ failure (MOF). Gasdermin D (GSDMD)-induced pyroptosis represents a form of programmed cell death characterised by robust inflammatory responses. This indicates that directing efforts towards pyroptosis could potentially offer a remedy for SAP and its related MOF.

The association between the serum fat-soluble vitamins (A, D and E) and the intake of live microbes: a national population based cross-sectional study.

Objective: Fat-soluble vitamins (FSVs) play essential roles in numerous physiological processes and are involved in the onset and progression of chronic diseases. However, limited research has investigated whether dietary intake of live microbes correlates with circulating FSVs levels. This study aims to explore the relationship between the dietary intake of live microbes and the serum levels of FSVs.

Protection of parathyroid function during thyroid surgery with a complete intermediate approach: a retrospective multicenter observational study.

Background: Iatrogenic injury of the parathyroid gland during thyroid surgery cannot be completely avoided. The lateral approach is the most commonly used surgical approach in traditional thyroid surgery, whereas the complete intermediate approach has become common in endoscopic surgery and has been applied in traditional open surgery. In this study, the primary aim was to compare the effects of two surgical approaches on postoperative parathyroid function.

Boron-Containing Nanoenzyme for Effective Treatment of Melanoma through Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Combined with Catalytic Therapy.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a re-emerging field to achieve precision treatment of malignant tumors with its unique biotargeting and heavy-ion effects, and combination therapy could effectively improve the therapeutic efficacy of BNCT. Herein, a tumor-targeted boron-containing nanozyme was prepared to achieve the combination of BNCT and catalytic therapy for the effective treatment of melanoma. Notably, the boron-containing nanoenzyme exhibited strong peroxidase-like catalytic activity, had skin melanoma cell selectivity, and could undergo a catalytic reaction within the tumor cells to induce apoptosis.

Aspirin is associated with a reduction in mortality rate for patients with sepsis-induced coagulopathy: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: This study aimed to examine whether aspirin reduces mortality in patients with sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC).

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 1,194 patients with SIC were identified from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality.