Participant Perspectives in an HIV Treatment Interruption Study in San Francisco, United States.

HIV cure-related clinical research studies often include analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs), in which participants pause antiretroviral treatment (ART). During ATIs, researchers closely monitor laboratory values and adverse events. We assessed and compared the perspectives of two distinct groups of participants: HIV noncontrollers and controllers in a San Francisco-based ATI study focused on identifying biomarkers predicting HIV viral rebound.

Roadmap for Next-Generation Electrochemical Energy Storage Technologies: Secondary Batteries and Supercapacitors.

The transition from fossil fuels to environmentally friendly renewable energy sources is crucial for achieving global initiatives such as the carbon peak and carbon neutrality. The use of secondary batteries and supercapacitors based on electrochemical energy storage principles provides high energy density, conversion efficiency, and rapid response times, offering essential solutions for stabilizing and ensuring the reliability of energy supply from renewable sources despite their intermittency. In recent years, increased demands for higher energy density, improved rate performance, longer cycle life, enhanced safety, and cost-effectiveness have driven researchers to delve deeper into electrode materials, electrolytes, and storage mechanisms in secondary batteries.

Electroacupuncture improves cerebral blood flow in vascular cognitive impairment mice by activating the locus coeruleus - prefrontal cortex circuit.

The locus coeruleus (LC) - prefrontal cortex (PFC) circuit is critical for maintaining cognitive function. Our previous studies have shown that acupuncture effectively improves cognitive function in vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). However, the mechanisms of acupuncture in treating VCI, especially its effect on neural circuits, remain poorly understood.

MiR-125b-5p ameliorates ventilator-induced lung injury in rats by suppressing ferroptosis via the regulation of the Keap1/Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway.

Ventilator induced lung injury (VILI) is caused by improper use of mechanical ventilation, and its pathogenesis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to establish animal and cell models of VILI, and to explore the mechanism of miR-125b-5p in alleviating VILI by inhibiting ferroptosis through targeted regulation of Keap1/Nrf2/GPX4 axis. Firstly, ferrostain-1(Fer-1), a ferroptosis inhibitor, was used to confirm that ferroptosis was involved in the progression of VILI.

Suppressing the Precursor Aging for Efficient Formamidinium-Based Dion-Jacobson Two-Dimensional Perovskite Solar Cells.

For the quasi-two-dimensional (Q-2D) perovskites containing formamidinium cations (FA), the chemical reaction between FA and amine-based organic spacers deteriorates the phase purity and repeatability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs), but it has attracted little attention so far. In this work, the aging process of the 1,3-propanediamine- (PDA-) and FA-based Dion-Jacobson (DJ) type Q-2D perovskite precursor has been investigated. The deprotonated PDA interacts with the FA via its two terminal amines successively to form a ring molecule, giving rise to a highly insoluble complex with lead iodide and causing reversible precursor aging.

Insights into the Effects of Organic Electrolyte Additives on Proton Insertion for Low-Temperature Aqueous Zinc Batteries.

The further development of aqueous zinc batteries is restricted by their low-temperature performance. At present, introducing organic additives into aqueous electrolytes is a universal strategy to reduce the freezing point and improve the low-temperature performance. However, the effect of organic additives on charge carriers is neglected, and the corresponding impact on low-temperature performance is not clear.

Synergistic effects and mechanism of recombinant viral vector-mediated STAT1 overexpression and STAT3 silencing on glioma U251 apoptosis.

Background: In the present study, the synergistic effects and mechanism of recombinant viral vector-mediated co-expression plasmids stat1 and stat3-siRNA on glioma were investigated in vivo and in vitro.

Methods: Co-expression plasmids for stat1/stat3-siRNA were constructed and packaged into lentivirus and adenovirus for cell and animal experiments. Real-time PCR and Western blot analyses were used to detect the expression of STAT1 and STAT3 at gene and protein levels in U251 cells.

Surgery scheduling based on large language models.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown remarkable potential in various fields. This study explores their application in solving multi-objective combinatorial optimization problems-surgery scheduling problem. Traditional multi-objective optimization algorithms, such as the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), often require domain expertise for designing precise operators.

AHR Agonist ITE Boosted PD1 Antibody's Effects by Inhibiting Myeloid-Derived Cells Suppressive Cells in an Orthotopic Mouse Glioma Model.

Glioblastoma is "cold". Consequently, immune checkpoint blockade therapy has failed to improve patients' survival, which is negatively correlated with patients' peripheral MDSC counts. AHR is known to mediate immune-suppressive functions of certain tryptophan metabolites such as kynurenine; yet, there lack of reports on how AHR agonists affect glioma immunity.

Risk Factors for Totally Implantable Access Ports Associated Complications in Breast Cancer Patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors for complications in breast cancer patients with totally implantable access ports (TIAPs).MethodsThis retrospective case-control study involved 471 breast cancer (BC) patients who received TIAPs during chemotherapy. We compared the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with complications to those without, analyzed independent risk factors using binary logistic regression, and identified differences in complication rates based on catheterization site.

Engineered PD-L1 co-expression in PD-1 knockout and MAGE-C2-targeting TCR-T cells augments the cytotoxic efficacy toward target cancer cells.

Expression of the PD-1 protein by tumor cells is relatively common and has been shown to exert proliferation-inhibitory effects across various tumor types, including T-cell malignancies, non-small cell lung cancer, and colon cancer. However, harnessing this tumor suppressor pathway is challenging because PD-1 activation by PD-L1 also suppresses normal T-cell function. We hypothesized that cancer antigen-specific TCR-T cells engineered to express PD-L1 could selectively activate the PD-1 pathway in tumor cells while simultaneously preventing self-inhibition by knocking out intrinsic PD-1 expression in TCR-T cells.

Rapid and efficient microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis of NaV(PO)F and exploration of the synthesis process.

We develop a microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis (MASS) for NaV(PO)F (NVPF) using NHF, NHVO, and NaCO precursors, achieving ultrafast synthesis (40 minutes) and a fractal microstructure with uniform carbon coating. The NVPF cathode delivers near-theoretical capacity (127.41 mA h g at 0.

Hesperidin alleviates pulmonary fibrosis by regulating EI24-mediated autophagy.

Background: Etoposide-induced protein 2.4 (EI24), an essential component of autophagy, is lowly expressed in pulmonary fibrosis. Hesperidin (Hes), a flavonoid, can regulate autophagy in various diseases.

Electroacupuncture mitigates cognitive impairments in chronic hypoxia-induced mice by modulating neuroinflammation.

This study investigates the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) on cognitive impairment induced by chronic hypoxia (CH) in mice. Chronic hypoxia was simulated by exposing mice to a 10 % oxygen environment for 8 hours daily over 3 months. The cognitive functions of the mice were assessed through behavioral tests, including the open field test (OFT), Y-maze, and Morris water maze (MWM).

Decidual Disrupting Effects of Low-Dose Benzophenone-Type UV Filters in Human Endometrial Stromal Cells via ER/PR/FOXO1 Signaling.

Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), particularly benzophenone (BP)-type UV filters, has been epidemiologically linked to endometrium-related reproductive risks in women. However, their effects on hormone-driven endometrial events and key receptor signaling at the human cellular level remain unexplored. Herein, using human primary endometrial stromal cells (HESCs), we investigated the disrupting effects of five BP congeners and deciphered the underlying mechanism on decidualization, a functional change of the endometrium preparing for pregnancy.

Two-dimensional layered CoO/CoSe heterostructure modified separator for high-capacity and long-cycle lithium-sulfur battery.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are promising for energy storage due to their high theoretical energy density and specific capacity. However, the polysulfide shuttle effect severely limits their performance. In this study, two-dimensional (2D) CoO/CoSe heterostructures were synthesized to enhance polysulfide adsorption and catalysis through synergistic effects.

MBD2 promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and ARDS-related pulmonary fibrosis by modulating FZD2.

Objective: To investigate the role and underlying mechanism of Methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) in the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)-related pulmonary fibrosis.

Methods: Murine models for ARDS-related pulmonary fibrosis were established in wildtype or MBD2 knockout mice, expressions of MBD2 were determined with immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence, and western blot. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was detected with determined with decreased expression of E-cadherin and increased expressions of N-cadherin, Vimentin, and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA).

Stem cell theory: A new horizon for the treatment of endometriosis by targeting mesenchymal stem cell.

Endometriosis is a prevalent chronic gynecological disease that poses significant challenges for treatment due to its extensive lesions, diverse morphology, unknown etiology, and tendency for recurrence. In the early 21st century, the stem cell theory of endometriosis pathogenesis has offered new insights into its diagnosis and treatment. The stem cell theory posits that the terminal cells in the ectopic lesions are unable to sustain the long-term development of the lesions.

Hierarchical AttentionShift for Pointly Supervised Instance Segmentation.

Pointly supervised instance segmentation (PSIS) remains a challenging task when appearance variances across object parts cause semantic inconsistency. In this article, we propose a hierarchical AttentionShift approach, to solve the semantic inconsistency issue through exploiting the hierarchical nature of semantics and the flexibility of key-point representation. The estimation of hierarchical attention is defined upon key-point sets.

Sculponeatin A induces mitochondrial dysfunction in non-small cell lung cancer through WWP2-mediated degradation of mitochondrial STAT3.

Background And Purpose: The phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) monomer at S727 promotes its mitochondrial localisation and regulates mitochondrial function, thus exerting a protective effect on tumour cells. However, no inhibitor drugs targeting mitochondrial STAT3 (mitoSTAT3) or S727-STAT3 phosphorylation have been identified. Here, we report a novel diterpenoid extracted from Isodon sculponeatus, sculponeatin A (sptA), induces mitochondrial dysfunction in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by targeting mitoSTAT3 degradation.

Regulating cation-solvent interactions in PVDF-based solid-state electrolytes for advanced Li metal batteries.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) have been considered promising candidates for advanced Li metal batteries due to their adequate mechanical strength and acceptable thermal stability. However, the poor compatibility between residual solvent and Li metal inevitably leads to fast capacity decay. Herein, we propose a multifunctional cation-anchor strategy to regulate solvation chemistry in PVDF-based SSEs to boost the electrochemical performance of Li metal batteries.

Constructing a Homogeneous Medium Layer To Promote the Direct Regeneration of Spent Lithium Iron Phosphate.

With the massive application of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, spent lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries have accumulated in recent years, inducing an urgent requirement in recycling technology. Direct repair technology has been considered as a promising approach for recycling spent LFP. However, the traditional solid-phase repair technology is limited by the heterogeneous contact between the lithium source and spent LFP.

PBScreen: A server for the high-throughput screening of placental barrier-permeable contaminants based on multifusion deep learning.

Contaminants capable of crossing the placental barrier (PB) adversely affect female reproduction and fetal development. The rapid identification of PB-permeable contaminants is urgently needed due to the inefficiencies of conventional cell-based transwell assays for the screening of large quantities of chemicals. Herein, we construct a PBScreen server using a multifusion deep learning (DL) model for the accurate and rapid screening of PB-permeable chemicals.

Lessons Learned in Eliciting Systematic Participant Perspectives in a Combination HIV Cure Research Trial.

Current trials toward an HIV cure involve combination strategies aimed at achieving durable antiretroviral treatment (ART)-free viral control or HIV elimination, many relying on analytical treatment interruptions (ATIs) to evaluate efficacy. Given the physical, psychosocial, and interpersonal risks associated with ATIs, it is critical to monitor participants' experiences so that support can be provided when needed. While qualitative approaches have been used in similar settings, we designed and implemented a series of short, closed-ended participant surveys in the University of California, San Francisco-amfAR trial, a single-arm multi-intervention HIV cure-related trial with an extended ATI.

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for hypertension complicated by anxiety or sleep disorders: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Hypertension is often accompanied by anxiety and sleep disorders, which further complicate the disease. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) in patients with hypertension and anxiety or sleep disorders.

Methods: Eligible participants were randomly assigned to the 10 Hz TEAS, 2 Hz TEAS, or routine treatment groups in a 1:1:1 ratio.