Macrophage Nogo-B drives liver fibrosis.

Background & Aims: Liver fibrosis is characterized by sustained injury stress, chronic inflammation, and repeated cell death and repair, all of which promote the progression of end-stage liver diseases (e.g., liver cirrhosis and carcinoma).

Assessing the Prognostic Accuracy of the PSS, pSOFA, and SIRS for In-Hospital Mortality in Children with Suspected Infection in Non-ICU Settings: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Objectives: To systematically compare the predictive accuracy of the Phoenix Sepsis Score (PSS), the Pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA), and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in assessing in-hospital mortality risk among pediatric sepsis patients in non-ICU wards, thereby providing evidence-based support for clinical risk stratification.

Design: This study employed a multicenter retrospective cohort design, enrolling non-ICU pediatric patients with suspected infections (excluding preterm infants and neonates hospitalized immediately after birth), to construct an overall cohort and a neonatal subgroup cohort. Clinical parameters were collected through a data acquisition system, with parallel calculations of PSS, pSOFA, and SIRS scores.

Modular multi-enzyme cascades enable green and sustainable synthesis of non-canonical amino acids from glycerol.

Non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) bearing diverse functional groups hold transformative potential in drug discovery, protein engineering, and biomaterial science. However, their industrial-scale production remains constrained by the inefficiency, high cost, and environmental burden of conventional chemical and enzymatic methods. Here, we present a modular multi-enzyme cascade platform that leverages glycerol-an abundant and sustainable byproduct of biodiesel production-as a low-cost substrate for ncAAs synthesis.

Impact of Knowledge Access on Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Chinese Youths to Improve HIV Prevention: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: HIV infection significantly challenges Chinese youth, with most infections resulting from risky sexual behaviors. Health communication is critical in preventing risky behaviors. Different HIV-related information sources exhibit unique characteristics, affecting young adults' perception of HIV and sexual behaviors.

Restore the Activity and Stability of Nicotinamide Riboside Kinase by α-Helix Reconstruction and Semi-Rational Design.

Nicotinamide riboside kinase (NRK) is an important enzyme in the nicotinamide riboside (NR) metabolic pathway, converting NR to nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), which has promising industrial applications. However, structural collapse in many NRKs reduces their activity and thermal stability, limiting their industrial potential. Herein, we developed an α-helix reconstruction method on a Kag-NRK from Kluyveromyces marxianus for restore its activity and stability together.

DNA Methylation-Activated LaCOMT1 Expression Promotes Cluster Root Formation of White Lupin via a Mechanism Involving the Melatonin Synthesis.

White lupin exhibits remarkable adaptability to phosphorus (P)-deficient soil through the development of cluster roots (CR), thereby enhancing P use sufficiency. Despite its crucial role, the underlying mechanism governing CR formation remains elusive. Here, we reveal an elevated DNA methylation level through whole-genome bisulfite sequencing in CR in response to P deficiency, particularly in gene and flanking regions, suggesting a responsive epigenetic mechanism.

Economic Evaluation of Intraocular Lens Targeting Cataract Patients: A Review and Future Directions.

Purpose: Cataracts remain the leading global cause of blindness, disproportionately affecting aging populations and imposing substantial economic burdens. With the widespread adoption of intraocular lens (IOLs) implantation in cataract surgery, rigorous health economic evaluations are imperative to inform clinical decision making and resource allocation across diverse healthcare systems.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, encompassing PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, and other databases, alongside reports from international health technology assessment agencies (May 2024).

Plasma FSTL-1 as a noninvasive diagnostic biomarker for patients with advanced liver fibrosis.

Background And Aims: Reliable novel noninvasive biomarkers for the diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis are urgently needed in clinical practice. We aimed to investigate the accuracy of plasma Follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL-1) in the diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases.

Approach And Results: We collected cross-sectional clinical data for a derivation cohort (n = 86) and a validation cohort (n = 431), totaling 517 subjects with liver biopsy.

Perceptions of coastal dwellers about the effects of extreme temperature and saline water on human health: evidence from Bangladesh.

Background: Climate change disproportionately affects coastal communities worldwide, increasing exposure to extreme temperature and saline water intrusion. Understanding these impacts is critical for public health planning and intervention. This study aims to examine the perceptions about the effects of climate change-induced phenomena, specifically extreme temperature and water salinity, on the overall human health of coastal communities residing in Ramgati, Lakshmipur, Bangladesh.

Hierarchical Modulation in Cu-Aerogel Enables Breakthrough CO Electroreduction for Combating Stability-Efficiency-Selectivity Tradeoff.

Design of electrocatalyst combining low overpotential, high selectivity and stability for combating the stability-efficiency-selectivity tradeoff in CO electroreduction remains a crucial challenge. Herein, a hierarchical modulation strategy is proposed for the precise assembly of Boron (B) and Tin (Sn), resulting in novel copper (Cu)-aerogel (BSnCu3) structures with both structural and functional hierarchies for advanced CO electroreduction. Superficial assembled Tin creates Cu protective layer for high stability, the body assembled Boron improves the binding affinity to intermediates and shifts Cu d-band upward for enhanced charge transfer.

Deep learning radiomics of elastography for diagnosing compensated advanced chronic liver disease: an international multicenter study.

Accurate, noninvasive diagnosis of compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) is essential for effective clinical management but remains challenging. This study aimed to develop a deep learning-based radiomics model using international multicenter data and to evaluate its performance by comparing it to the two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) cut-off method covering multiple countries or regions, etiologies, and ultrasound device manufacturers. This retrospective study included 1937 adult patients with chronic liver disease due to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Quercetin attenuates chondrocyte anoikis via modulation of mesenchymal stromal cell-derived small extracellular vesicles to promote cartilage repair in osteoarthritis.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage degeneration and impaired repair. Current therapies are unable to effectively slow its progression, and there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies.

Methods: This study investigated the effects of quercetin-treated mesenchymal stromal cell-derived small extracellular vesicles (QT-MSC-sEV) on chondrocytes.

Multifunctional bacterial cellulose-based hydrogel with tannic acid (TA)-modified MXene for antibacterial photothermal therapy and accelerated wound healing.

This work reports the development of an advanced multifunctional hydrogel system designed to address the challenges of infectious wound healing and tissue regeneration. We constructed a polyvinyl alcohol-borax/GelMA hybrid hydrogel matrix, endowing the photocurable hydrogel with excellent mechanical properties and self-healing capability. Bacterial cellulose (BC), a naturally derived biopolymer synthesized by specific microbial strains, was incorporated into the hydrogel matrix to enhance its mechanical properties, structural stability, and biocompatibility, while also serving as a scaffold for cellular adhesion and proliferation.

Mendelian Randomization Study of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin and Its Influence on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.

Background: The relationship between sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) remains controversial. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was performed to clarify the causality of SHBG on the risk of APO.

Methods: Significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with SHBG levels were obtained from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) in the European population.

Screening and identification of muscle pericyte selective markers.

Pericytes, which share markers with smooth muscle cells (SMCs), are heterogenous cells. Pericytes in the brain and skeletal muscle have different embryonic origins, representing distinct subpopulations. One challenge in the field is that there are no subpopulation-specific pericyte markers.

Bridging the mental health gap in oncology: A pharmacist-led stepped care model for China.

Cancer patients in China face a significant mental health care gap due to systemic underprioritization and limited psychiatric resources. This comment proposes a pharmacist-led stepped care model (SCM) to bridge this disparity. The model stratifies patients by distress severity, offering tiered interventions from psychoeducation (mild symptoms) to specialist referrals (severe cases), coordinated by oncology pharmacists.

Antithrombotic therapy for lower limb peripheral arterial disease: A deep dive into guideline quality and recommendation diversity.

Background: This study systematically evaluates clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) addressing antithrombotic management in lower limb peripheral arterial disease (PAD), aiming to synthesize evidence-based insights for clinical decision-making.

Methods: We systematically identified CPGs published between January 2020 and January 2025 from electronic databases, guideline repositories, and professional association websites. Guideline quality and recommendation validity were assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE II) and the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation-Recommendation Excellence (AGREE-REX), respectively.

Species Diversification in the Sky Islands of Southwestern China Revealed by Genomic, Introgression and Demographic Analyses of Asian Shrew Moles.

The Mountains of Southwest China, a global biodiversity hotspot, have a unique "sky island" landscape with high diversity of both ancient and recent-formed species. While their distribution patterns offer significant insights into diversification processes, the complex geological and climatic history, combined with dynamic histories of gene flow in endemic taxa, make unravelling this history challenging. This study focuses on Asian shrew moles (genus Uropsilus), an ancient group endemic to this region with an unresolved taxonomic system.

Mechanistic Insights into Enzyme Gate Engineering of ω-Transaminase for Regulating Organic Solvent Resistance.

ω-Transaminases (ω-TAs) catalyze the synthesis of chiral amines in high-concentration organic solvents, enabling the sustainable production of agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food additives. Previously, we developed an "enzyme gate engineering" strategy to enhance the organic solvent resistance of ω-TAs, although the underlying gating mechanism remained unclear. Herein, molecular dynamics simulations combined with multi-scale analyses of ATA (an ω-TA from ) revealed that substrate ketone interactions with switch residues Ile157 and Phe136 trigger hinge movements in loops 1-3, promoting contact between Gln155 and Phe56 to close the substrate-binding pocket entrance.

Risk factors and prognostic analysis of endometrial cancer with para-aortic lymph node metastasis.

Background: Assessment of lymph node involvement plays a pivotal role in the surgical staging of endometrial cancer (EC), offering essential prognostic information. In this study, we aimed to identify predictors of para-aortic lymph node metastasis, assess survival outcomes, and refine surgical strategies for lymphadenectomy in patients with EC.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 713 patients with endometrial cancer who underwent comprehensive staging surgery between July 2016 and July 2019.

Metalloenzyme-Catalyzed Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation for the Synthesis of Chiral Amines.

Chiral amines are prevalent in natural products, pharmaceuticals, and organic catalysts. Their increasing demand has driven the advancement of synthetic methods. In this study, we developed a metalloenzyme-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation method for the synthesis of chiral amines.

Delayed surgery for more than 9 weeks induces worse survival outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancer patients with poor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a propensity score matched cohort study.

Background: The association between delayed surgery and survival outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancer patients with a poor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the optimal timing of surgery following nCRT in these patients and to explore the association between delayed surgery and survival outcomes.

Methods: Restricted cubic spline curves were used to determine the optimal timing of surgery for patients with a poor response to nCRT (ypT2-4N0 or ypTxN+).

PLGA-based herb Toosendanin delivery system for efficient therapy of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a significant public health issue worldwide. Conventional chemotherapeutic agents do not adequately meet the treatment demands because of their low efficacy and adverse side effects. Toosendanin (TSN) is a natural extract with potential anticarcinogenic activity.

Determination of 20 fluoroquinolones in milk based on magnetic molecularly imprinted microsphere and aggregation induced emission luminongen.

The residues of fluoroquinolones in foods of animal origin posed many threats to the consumer's health. The aim of this study was to developed a magnetic molecularly imprinted microsphere and aggregation induced emission luminogen based semi-homogeneous method for determination of fluoroquinolones in milk. Results showed the limits of detection for determination of 20 fluoroquinolones in milk were in the range of 0.