MicroRNA-126-3p as a predictive biomarker for patients with primary biliary cholangitis refractory to ursodeoxycholic acid.

Background: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the first-line therapeutic agent for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, a subset of patients exhibit a suboptimal response to UDCA, and reliable predictive biomarkers remain elusive. Studies have implicated plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) in the pathophysiological progression of PBC, with certain miRNAs demonstrating potential as diagnostic and disease progression biomarkers.

Current status of nurses' public health emergency response capacity for emerging infectious disease: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the current status of nurses' public health emergency response capacity for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in tertiary hospitals in Beijing, explore the deficiencies of nurses' emergency response capacity, and analyze the influencing factors in the post-epidemic era.

Methods: A convenience sampling method was utilized to recruit registered nurses in 3 tertiary hospitals in Beijing from 27 August and 2 September 2024. The research team designed a questionnaire that included basic information section and a section of questionnaire on public health emergency response capacity for EIDs.

Dose-escalation studies of mesenchymal stromal cell therapy for decompensated liver cirrhosis: phase Ia/Ib results and immune modulation insights.

Decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC) is characterized by severe liver dysfunction and immune dysregulation, posing significant treatment challenges. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy has shown promise in DLC treatment, but the optimal dosing strategies and dose-dependent therapeutic mechanisms in humans remain unclear, limiting its clinical application. We conducted sequential Phase Ia/Ib trials using a single-arm, dose-escalation design to evaluate the safety and tolerability of MSC therapy in DLC patients while also exploring its immunomodulatory effects and gathering preliminary therapeutic signals.

Induction of a neurotoxin in diatoms by iron limitation via cysteine synthase.

The β--methylamino--alanine (BMAA) is an emerging neurotoxin associated with human neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Here, we report the prevalence of BMAA synthesis in protein forms by marine diatoms and reconstruct its tentative biosynthesis pathway. Remarkably, the BMAA production is strongly induced by iron limitation.

Cadonilimab, a PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a real-world study.

Objective: This study retrospectively evaluated the safety and efficacy of cadonilimab combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC).

Patients And Methods: Seventy-eight patients who received cadonilimab + TKI were included; 42 and 36 received it as first-line (1 L) and second-line and above (≥ 2 L) systemic treatment, respectively. Besides, ninety-five patients who received PD-1 inhibitor + TKI as first-line treatments were included.

Diatom Chaetoceros calcitarans MZB-1 for degrading propylbenzenes in seawater: Cultivation conditions, degradation kinetics, and influencing factors.

Accidental leakage of petrochemical products (such as C9 aromatics) containing propylbenzenes (PBZs) during maritime transport poses severe threats to marine ecosystems. In this study, a PBZs-degrading diatom, Chaetoceros calcitrans MZB-1, was isolated from the seawater close to Quangang Port, Fujian Province, China, where a serious spill of C9 aromatics previously occurred several years ago. The optimal growth conditions for this alga were pH 8.

Biodegradation of 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene in seawater using Rhodomonas sp. JZB-2: Performance, kinetics, and mechanism.

Recently, marine ecosystems have been threatened by an accidental spill of C9 aromatics, particularly 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (1,2,4-TMB), due to its high proportion in C9 aromatics. Microalgae-mediated bioremediation is a promising approach for pollutant removal owing to its eco-friendliness and carbon sequestration potential. In this study, the marine Cryptophyta Rhodomonas sp.

Safety and efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors plus tyrosine kinase inhibitors combination therapy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma combined with hyperbilirubinemia: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors plus tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) combination therapy are considered as a first-line treatment recommendation for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, patients with hyperbilirubinemia are excluded from this therapeutic option due to limitations in indications. There is a notable absence of published studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of the PD-1 inhibitors plus TKIs combination therapy in patients with HCC combined with hyperbilirubinemia.

MB based RT-qPCR increase the clinical application of cfEBV DNA for NPC in non-endemic area of China.

To compare the performance of magnetic bead (MB) and the concentrated precipitation (CP) based RT-qPCR to qualify cell free EBV DNA (cfEBV DNA) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in non-endemic area of China. From January 2014 to June 2024, a retrospective analysis of 2 cohort studies on cfEBV DNA in NPC patients was conducted to assess the diagnostic value, positive detection rate and clinical application. cfEBV DNA detection with CP based RT-qPCR in cohort 1 and MB based RT-qPCR method in cohort 2.

Microplastics in marine systems: A review of sources and sinks, typical environmental behaviors, and biological effects.

Marine microplastics (MPs), whether originating from household and industrial production or stemming from the degradation of larger plastic fragments, have currently attracted significant global attention among the scientific community. The transport and deposition of MPs, characterized by their small size and large quantity, under oceanic hydrodynamics result in the contamination of a wide range of areas. Furthermore, MPs are capable of carrying metals and organic pollutants that constitute composite pollutants.

Therapeutic potential of Inonotus obliquus polysaccharide-induced tolerogenic bone marrow-derived dendritic cells via regulation of CD4 T cell differentiation in a colitis mouse model.

Over-proliferation, activation, or aberrant CD4 T cell differentiation causes various immune-related diseases. DCs are significant professional APCs that regulate the differentiation of CD4 T cells to participate in an inflammatory response. IOP is an edible fungal polysaccharide with immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory bioactivities, however, the cellular mechanisms by which they regulate the immune system to exert their anti-inflammatory effects remain unclear.

Early Alpha-Fetoprotein Response Predicts Sustained Tumor Response Following Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Combined with Targeted Therapy in Liver Cancer.

Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have revolutionized liver cancer treatment, some patients experience early tumor progression after therapy, missing the window for other potential treatments, such as neoadjuvant therapy. Therefore, identifying the predictive factors for early progression is critical for timely therapeutic adjustment and the optimization of patient outcomes. This retrospective study enrolled patients with liver cancer who received their first ICI combined with targeted therapy at the Fifth Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital between June 2022 and December 2023.

Metabolic variation and oxidative stress responses of clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) perturbed by ofloxacin exposure.

Ofloxacin (OFL), one of the most widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotics, has been frequently detected in marine environments. Nonetheless, researchers are yet to focus on the effects of OFL on the benthos. In the present study, marine clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) were exposed to OFL (0.

T-Cell Epitope Mapping of SARS-CoV-2 Reveals Coordinated IFN-γ Production and Clonal Expansion of T Cells Facilitates Recovery from COVID-19.

Background: T-cell responses can be protective or detrimental during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection; however, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood.

Methods: In this study, we screened 144 15-mer peptides spanning the SARS-CoV-2 spike, nucleocapsid (NP), M, ORF8, ORF10, and ORF3a proteins and 39 reported SARS-CoV-1 peptides in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from nine laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients (five moderate and four severe cases) and nine healthy donors (HDs) collected before the COVID-19 pandemic. T-cell responses were monitored by IFN-γ and IL-17A production using ELISA, and the positive samples were sequenced for the T cell receptor (TCR) β chain.

Activation of CD14+ Monocytes via the IFN-γ Signaling Pathway Is Associated with Immune-Related Adverse Events in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Receiving PD-1 Inhibition Combination Therapy.

(1) Background: Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are a series of unique organ-specific inflammatory toxicities observed in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing PD-1 inhibition combination therapy. The specific underlying mechanisms remain unclear. (2) Methods: We recruited 71 patients with HCC undergoing PD-1 inhibition combination therapy.

Omicron neutralization character in patients with breast cancer and liver cancer after the nationwide omicron outbreak.

Background: The surge in omicron variants has caused nationwide breakthrough infections in mainland China since the December 2022. In this study, we report the neutralization profiles of serum samples from the patients with breast cancer and the patients with liver cancer who had contracted subvariant breakthrough infections.

Methods: In this real-world study, we enrolled 143 COVID-19-vaccinated (81 and 62 patients with breast and liver cancers) and 105 unvaccinated patients with cancer (58 and 47 patients with breast and liver cancers) after omicron infection.

Multi-Time-Scale Optimal Scheduling Strategy for Marine Renewable Energy Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithm.

Surrounded by the Shandong Peninsula, the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea possess vast marine energy resources. An analysis of actual meteorological data from these regions indicates significant seasonality and intra-day uncertainty in wind and photovoltaic power generation. The challenge of scheduling to leverage the complementary characteristics of various renewable energy sources for maintaining grid stability is substantial.

Preclinical and phase I studies of an antisense oligonucleotide drug targeting in liver cancer.

To evaluate a novel antisense oligonucleotide drug targeting human IGF-1R in preclinical and phase I studies of liver cancer. The tolerability and safety of an investigational new drug were evaluated in a dose-escalation trial involving 17 patients with advanced liver cancer after preclinical assessment of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The drug exposure levels in the phase I trial were determined by the efficacy with pharmacokinetics evaluation in rats and rhesus monkeys.

Adsorption, natural attenuation, and microbial community response of ofloxacin and oxolinic acid in marine sediments.

The pollution of quinolone antibiotics in the marine environment has attracted widespread attention, especially for ofloxacin (OFL) and oxolinic acid (OXO) due to their frequent detection. However, few studies have been conducted to assess the behaviors and microbial community response to these antibiotics in marine sediments, particularly for potential antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In this work, the adsorption characteristics, natural attenuation characteristics, and variation of microbial communities of OFL and OXO in marine sediments were investigated.

Emergency response to ecological protection in maritime phenol spills: Emergency monitor, ecological risk assessment, and reduction.

Recently, hundreds of maritime accidental spills of hazardous chemicals have raised public concerns, especially for phenol due to its potential of spills and highly toxicity. Therefore, for marine ecological protection, this article prepared specific strategies of emergency response to phenol spills. Through the identification for phenol behavior at sea, migration prediction, emergency monitor, as well as their new methods were reviewed.

Deriving seawater quality criteria of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate for ecological risk assessment in China seas through species sensitivity distributions.

Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), one of the widely used organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs), has been frequently detected in the marine environment in the seas off China. The existing freshwater biotoxicity data are not suited to derivation of the seawater quality criteria of TCEP and evaluating the associated ecological risks. This study aimed at deriving water quality criteria (WQC) of TCEP for marine organisms based on species sensitivity distribution (SSD) approach using the acute toxicity data generated from multispecies bioassays and chronic toxicity data by converting acute data with the acute-to-chronic ratios (ACRs); the derived WQC were then used to evaluate the ecological risk for TCEP in China Seas.