Generation of alpaca-derived nanobody fragments as potential insecticidal agents against Plutella xylostella via cadherin toxin binding region-based screening.

Background: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins are widely used in pest control owing to their effectiveness as bioinsecticides. However, the extensive use of these toxins has resulted in the development of resistance in various pest populations, including Plutella xylostella, which is a significant pest of cruciferous crops. This increasing resistance highlights the need for alternative insecticidal strategies that can complement or replace traditional methods.

Escherichia coli combination with PD-1 blockade synergistically enhances immunotherapy in glioblastoma multiforme by regulating the immune cells.

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary intracranial malignancy. It is characterized by insufficient infiltration of anti-tumor T lymphocytes within the tumor microenvironment (TME), rendering it an "immune cold" disease. This immune deficiency results in poor responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies.

Ultrasound-responsive nanoparticles for nitric oxide release to inhibit the growth of breast cancer.

Gas therapy represents a promising strategy for cancer treatment, with nitric oxide (NO) therapy showing particular potential in tumor therapy. However, ensuring sufficient production of NO remains a significant challenge. Leveraging ultrasound-responsive nanoparticles to promote the release of NO is an emerging way to solve this challenge.

A study on the correlation between MRI-assessed breast volume asymmetry and patient satisfaction after immediate breast reconstruction in breast cancer patients.

Immediate breast reconstruction provides breast cancer patients with a valuable opportunity to restore breast shape. However, post-reconstruction breast asymmetry remains a common issue that affects patient satisfaction. This study aims to quantify breast asymmetry after surgery using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and assess its impact on both breast satisfaction and overall outcome satisfaction, offering scientific evidence to guide improvements in preoperative evaluation.

Association between major depressive disorder or depressive symptoms and the risk of vascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes, and the mediating role of metabolic biomarkers: an analysis of the UK Biobank cohort.

Background: Depression is a severe mental disorder commonly co-morbid with diabetes, but it remains to elucidate whether depression is associated with the risks of a wide range of vascular complications in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and whether metabolic biomarkers may mediate this pathway.

Methods: We conducted this prospective analysis among the participants of the UK Biobank who were diagnosed with T2DM and free of vascular complications at baseline between March 13, 2006 and September 30, 2010. Major depressive disorder (MDD) was ascertained according to the hospital admission records and self-report of doctor-diagnosed conditions, while the presence of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2.

Evaluation of functional magnetic resonance APT and DKI imaging for breast cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the performance of amide proton transfer-weighted imaging (APTWI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions, evaluate molecular subtypes of breast cancer, and determine the diagnostic efficacy of the quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) parameters in differentiating benign from malignant breast diseases.

Methods: The study included 168 women who underwent breast APTWI and DKI at Yunnan Cancer Hospital between December 2022 and July 2023. The APT signal intensity (SI), apparent kurtosis coefficient (Kapp), non-Gaussian diffusion coefficient (Dapp), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured before surgery.

Impact of diabetes on the association between serum urate levels and incident dementia: a cohort study in the UK biobank.

Objectives: Diabetes was associated with increased serum urate levels and a higher risk of dementia. However, current evidence regarding the association between serum urate and dementia is controversial.The research gap on how to effectively control urate levels in the population with diabetes still remains.

Habitual Coffee, Tea, and Caffeine Consumption, Circulating Metabolites, and the Risk of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity.

Context: Cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM) is an increasing public health concern. Previous observational studies have suggested inverse associations between coffee, tea, and caffeine intake and risks of individual cardiometabolic diseases; however, their associations with CM and related biological markers are unknown.

Methods: This prospective study involved 172 315 (for caffeine analysis) and 188 091 (tea and coffee analysis) participants free of any cardiometabolic diseases at baseline from the UK Biobank; 168 metabolites were measured among 88 204 and 96 393 participants.

Tumor perfusion enhancement by focus ultrasound-induced blood-brain barrier opening to potentiate anti-PD-1 immunotherapy of glioma.

Objective: To demonstrate the feasibility of using focused ultrasound to enhance delivery of PD-1 inhibitors in glioma rats and determine if such an approach increases treatment efficacy.

Methods: C6 glioma in situ rat model was used in this study. Transcranial irradiation with FUS combined with microbubbles was administered to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Causality between migraine and cardiovascular disease: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Background: While growing evidence suggests a relationship between migraine and cardiovascular disease, the genetic evidence for a causal relationship between migraine and cardiovascular disease is still scarce. Investigating the causal association between migraine and cardiovascular disease is vital.

Methods: We carried out a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) study including discovery samples and replication samples using publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary datasets and stringent screening instrumental variables.

A large study of metabolomics reveals common and distinct metabolic biomarkers for type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

We aimed at examining the shared and unique associations of metabolites with multiple cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2D), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke. In this study, a total of 168 plasma metabolites were measured by high-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy among 98 162 participants free of T2D, CHD, and stroke at baseline. Cox proportional hazard models estimated hazard ratios for a 1-SD increase in metabolite concentration levels, and false discovery rate (at 10%) was used to correct for multiple comparisons.

Causal relationship between linoleic acid and type 2 diabetes and glycemic traits: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Objective: To investigate the causal relationships between linoleic acid and type 2 diabetes, and between linoleic acid and glycemic traits in European populations.

Methods: This study employed a two-sample Mendelian randomization approach to infer causality between linoleic acid and type 2 diabetes, as well as between linoleic acid and glycemic traits, leveraging genetic variations. Data were sourced from genome-wide association study summary datasets.

Factors associated with overdiagnosis of benign pulmonary nodules as malignancy: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To establish a preoperative model for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules (PNs), and to evaluate the related factors of overdiagnosis of benign PNs at the time of imaging assessments.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, 357 patients (median age, 52 years; interquartile range, 46-59 years) with 407 PNs were included, who underwent surgical histopathologic evaluation between January 2020 and December 2020. Patients were divided into a training set (n = 285) and a validation set (n = 122) to develop a preoperative model to identify benign PNs.

Integrating microbial community properties, biomass and necromass to predict cropland soil organic carbon.

Manipulating microorganisms to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) in croplands remains a challenge. Soil microbes are important drivers of SOC sequestration, especially via their necromass accumulation. However, microbial parameters are rarely used to predict cropland SOC stocks, possibly due to uncertainties regarding the relationships between microbial carbon pools, community properties and SOC.

Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry and Risks of Macrovascular, Microvascular Complications and Mortality Among Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: The prospective associations of preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) with new-onset macrovascular and microvascular complications and mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and whether PRISm enhances the prediction ability of an established office-based risk score remain to be elucidated.

Research Question: Can PRISm be used as a predictor of poor prognosis in individuals with T2D?

Study Design And Methods: We included 20,047 study participants with T2D and complete data on spirometry at recruitment from the UK Biobank cohort. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the associations of baseline PRISm (FEV to FVC ratio, ≥ 0.

Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry, Metabolomics, and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Context: Whether baseline preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) is associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and if this association could be mediated by circulating metabolites remains to be elucidated.

Objective: To measure the prospective association of PRISm with T2D and potential metabolic mediators thereof.

Methods: This study used data from the UK Biobank and included 72 683 individuals without diabetes at baseline.

Cyclodextrin Metal-Organic Framework as a Broad-Spectrum Potential Delivery Vehicle for the Gasotransmitters.

The important role of gasotransmitters in physiology and pathophysiology suggest employing gasotransmitters for biomedical treatment. Unfortunately, the difficulty in storage and controlled delivery of these gaseous molecules hindered the development of effective gasotransmitters-based therapies. The design of a safe, facile, and wide-scale method to delivery multiple gasotransmitters is a great challenge.

Role of depression in the development of cardiometabolic multimorbidity: Findings from the UK Biobank study.

Background: Depression has been acknowledged as a risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases, but its role in the development of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM) remains unclear. We aimed to prospectively investigate how depression affected the development of CM based on the UK Biobank study.

Methods: We included 459,747 participants with none or one prior cardiometabolic disease.