Impact of telomere length on autoimmune thyroid disease in Europeans: insights from Mendelian randomization.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between Telomere Length (TL) and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease (AITD) in Europeans using Mendelian Randomization (MR).

Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with TL and AITD were obtained from genome-wide association studies. MR analysis was conducted using inverse variance weighted as the primary method.

Multi-omics investigation of spontaneous T2DM macaque emphasizes gut microbiota could up-regulate the absorption of excess palmitic acid in the T2DM progression.

Although gut microbiota and lipid metabolites have been suggested to be closely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the interactions between gut microbiota, lipid metabolites, and the host in T2DM development remains unclear. Rhesus macaques may be the best animal model to investigate these relationships given their spontaneous development of T2DM. We identified eight spontaneous T2DM macaques and conducted a comprehensive study investigating the relationships using multi-omics sequencing technology.

Empirical Assessment of Sequence-Based Predictions of Intrinsically Disordered Regions Involved in Phase Separation.

Phase separation processes facilitate the formation of membrane-less organelles and involve interactions within structured domains and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) in protein sequences. The literature suggests that the involvement of proteins in phase separation can be predicted from their sequences, leading to the development of over 30 computational predictors. We focused on intrinsic disorder due to its fundamental role in related diseases, and because recent analysis has shown that phase separation can be accurately predicted for structured proteins.

Adaptive Differentiated Parrot Optimization: A Multi-Strategy Enhanced Algorithm for Global Optimization with Wind Power Forecasting Applications.

The Parrot Optimization Algorithm (PO) represents a contemporary nature-inspired metaheuristic technique formulated through observations of Pyrrhura Molinae parrot behavioral patterns. PO exhibits effective optimization capabilities by achieving equilibrium between exploration and exploitation phases through mimicking foraging behaviors and social interactions. Nevertheless, during iterative progression, the algorithm encounters significant obstacles in preserving population diversity and experiences declining search effectiveness, resulting in early convergence and diminished capacity to identify optimal solutions within intricate optimization landscapes.

A Novel Artificial Eagle-Inspired Optimization Algorithm for Trade Hub Location and Allocation Method.

Aiming for convenience and the low cost of goods transfer between towns, this paper proposes a trade hub location and allocation method based on a novel artificial eagle-inspired optimization algorithm. Firstly, the trade hub location and allocation model is established, taking the total cost consisting of construction and transportation costs as the objective function. Then, to solve the nonlinear model, a novel artificial eagle optimization algorithm (AEOA) is proposed by simulating the collective migration behaviors of artificial eagles when facing a severe living environment.

Clinical value of dual detector spectral CT in predicting risk of femoral head necrosis.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is an ischemic bone necrosis affecting young adults; early-stage ONFH often presents with nonspecific symptoms, and delayed diagnosis may necessitate total hip arthroplasty, severely impairing quality of life and increasing healthcare costs. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for early detection, its use in multi-center screening is constrained by cost, scan duration, and contraindications. Dual-layer spectral CT (DLSCT) has emerged as a promising alternative, providing quantitative assessment of bone microarchitecture and perfusion.

Identification of a novel gene cluster responsible for 2-isopropylphenol degradation in strain sp. D-6.

Isoprocarb (IPC), a widely used carbamate insecticide, causes environmental contamination and poses risks to humans and ecosystems. sp. D-6, capable of utilizing IPC as the sole growth substrate, was isolated by our lab.

Study of the average short-exposure modulation transfer function in the presence of atmospheric turbulence.

The ensemble average of the transfer function of an optical system that corrects wavefront tilt in real time is termed the average short-exposure modulation transfer function (SEMTF). Most of the previous studies regarding this topic neglect the influences of type of tilt. The difference between Zernike tilt (Z-tilt) and gradient tilt (G-tilt) is introduced in SEMTF.

Zero Dollar Co-pay Pharmacy Benefit Decreases Healthcare Expenditures among Type 2 Diabetes Members of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana.

Objective: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) implemented the Zero Dollar Co-payment (ZDC) program on July 1, 2020. This study aims to evaluate if the ZDC program can reduce total healthcare expenditures.

Methods: BCBSLA's medical and pharmacy claims from January 2019 - December 2021 was used in this study and the index date was July 1, 2020.

ACIVY: An Enhanced IVY Optimization Algorithm with Adaptive Cross Strategies for Complex Engineering Design and UAV Navigation.

The Adaptive Cross Ivy (ACIVY) algorithm is a novel bio-inspired metaheuristic that emulates ivy plant growth behaviors for complex optimization problems. While the original Ivy Optimization Algorithm (IVYA) demonstrates a competitive performance, it suffers from limited inter-individual information exchange, inadequate directional guidance for local optima escape, and abrupt exploration-exploitation transitions. To address these limitations, ACIVY integrates three strategic enhancements: the crisscross strategy, enabling horizontal and vertical crossover operations for improved population diversity; the LightTrack strategy, incorporating positional memory and repulsion mechanisms for effective local optima escape; and the Top-Guided Adaptive Mutation strategy, implementing ranking-based mutation with dynamic selection pools for smooth exploration-exploitation balance.

Comprehensive fragmentation of cell-free repetitive DNA for enhanced cancer detection in plasma.

Background: Repetitive elements account for a large proportion of the human genome and undergo alterations during early tumorigenesis. However, the exclusive fragmentation pattern of DNA-derived cell-free repetitive elements (cfREs) remains unclear.

Methods: This study enrolled 32 healthy volunteers and 112 patients with five types of cancer.

Manual acupuncture for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The benefits and risks of manual acupuncture for treating chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) remain unclear. To address this gap, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of manual acupuncture for treating CSU.

Methods: Seven major databases were searched for relevant literature published up to 1 January 2025.

Extracellular LCN2 Binding to 24p3R in Astrocytes Impedes α-Synuclein Endocytosis in Parkinson's Disease.

The spread or transmission of pathologic α-synuclein (α-Syn) is emerging as potentially important driver of Parkinson's disease (PD) pathogenesis. Emerging evidence suggests that astrocytes play an important role in uptake/clearance of extracellular α-Syn. However, underlying mechanisms and molecular entities responsible for uptake/clearance of extracellular α-Syn by astrocytes are not known.

Trends in prevalence of health and cardiovascular risk factors based on Life's Essential 8 among US adults, 2007-2020.

Objective: This study aimed to determine trends in the prevalence of health factors and risk factors based on Life's Essential 8 (LE8) among US adults.

Methods: The present study included 26,548 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2007-2008 to 2017-2020. Crude weighted prevalence and 95% CI values of individual risk and health factors based on LE8 were estimated by cycle, and their trends were assessed in logistic regression models.

Species and Phylogenetic Diversity of Woody Plants Shift With the Elevational Gradient in Subtropical Forests in South China.

The distribution of biodiversity along elevational gradients and the drivers of these patterns are research hotspots in community ecology; nonetheless, these aspects remain insufficiently understood. To address this, we established 24 plots along an elevational gradient from 300 to 1400 m on Daming Mountain, Guangxi, China, and examined the patterns and drivers of species and phylogenetic diversity along this gradient via polynomial regression, generalized linear mixed model, correlation analysis, and redundancy analyses. With increasing elevation, species and phylogenetic diversity showed a hump-shaped trend, and the phylogenetic structures exhibited clustering at both low and high elevations, whereas at mid-elevations, a coexistence of clustered and overdispersed structures was observed.

Prevalence of Clinical Obesity in US Adults, 2017-2020.

Objective: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of clinical obesity among US adults using the newly proposed definition and evaluate differences across demographic subgroups.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2020 cycle. The analysis included 8037 adults aged 20 years or older with complete data.

Association Between Polymorphisms and Cancer Risk: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

A growing number of studies are exploring the association between HOTAIR rs920778 polymorphisms and cancer risk, but to date, there has been controversy and uncertainty. Preliminary evidence suggests that this polymorphism may influence cancer susceptibility, particularly in Asian populations and specific cancer types such as cervical cancer (CC) and breast cancer (BC). We therefore conducted an updated meta-analysis to accurately assess the association of the HOTAIR rs920778 polymorphism with cancer risk.

B-BOX22 isoforms activate expression of MYBs and elicit blue light-induced flavonoid biosynthesis in soybean.

Soybean (Glycine max) accumulates a substantial amount of flavonoids, including anthocyanins and flavonols, which play essential roles in both plant growth and human health. While blue light promotes flavonoid biosynthesis, the regulatory circuitry governing this process remains poorly characterized. Here, we demonstrate that blue light stimulates flavonol and anthocyanin accumulation in soybean hypocotyls by inducing the B-box transcription factor GmBBX22.

Dynamic phenotypes of preclinical and clinical obesity in relation to new-onset cancer risk: A longitudinal analysis from the UK biobank.

Aim: The definition of clinical obesity was newly announced. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between different states of obesity and dysfunctions due to obesity with cancer incidence and mortality.

Methods: The prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank included 220 016 participants.

Real-world defocus deblurring via score-based diffusion models.

Defocus blur commonly arises from the cameras' depth-of-field limitations. While the deep learning method shows promise for image restoration problems, defocus deblurring requires accurate training data comprising pairs of all-in-focus and defocus images, which can be difficult to collect in real-world scenarios. To address this problem, we propose a high-resolution iterative deblurring method for real scenes driven by a score-based diffusion model.

Comprehensive analysis of imprinted genes in citrus endosperm and their contributions to seed development.

Interploidy hybridization between diploid and tetraploid has been an important approach to develop triploid hybrids in horticultural plants including citrus for seedless breeding. However, dysregulation of imprinted genes can lead to the failure of endosperm cellularization, resulting in abortion of triploid embryos before seed maturity, thereby impeding the efficiency of triploid generation. The identification of imprinted genes is essential for comprehending the impact of imprinting on endosperm cellularization and mitigating embryo abortion in interploidy hybridization.

Impact of Maternal Hyperglycemic and Hypertensive Disorders on Perinatal Outcomes Across the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the joint associations of maternal hyperglycemic and hypertensive disorders with adverse pregnancy outcomes across the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Methods: This retrospective study included 110,447 Louisiana Medicaid pregnant women with first-time delivery from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2021. Associations between hyperglycemic as well as hypertensive disorders and adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnancy during prepandemic, early pandemic, and late pandemic were assessed by binary logistic regression.

Altitude-Related Variation in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents and Their Stoichiometry of Woody Organs in the Subtropical Mountain Forests, South China.

Altitude-induced variations in hydrothermal conditions and vegetation affect plant nutrients and induce tradeoffs in survival strategies. However, nutrient allocation to different plant organs along altitudinal gradients remains unclear. Here, 24 plots were established across eight altitudinal gradients (300, 500, 700, 900, 1100, 1200, 1300, and 1400 m) in subtropical forests on Daming Mountain, South China.