Metabolomics analysis of gut metabolites in patients with colorectal polyps and in healthy individuals.

The aim of the present study was to characterize the metabolomic signatures associated with colorectal polyps (CPs) in the gut. A metabolomics analysis was conducted on fecal samples collected from patients diagnosed with CPs as well as from healthy participants. A total of 60 participants were selected for analysis, including 30 patients diagnosed with CPs (CP group) and 30 healthy individuals serving as controls [healthy control (HC) group].

Metal-phenolic encapsulation of carbon monoxide releasing molecule for enhanced gas therapy of periodontitis.

Periodontitis is an infectious disease caused by plaque-associated microorganisms. The condition is characterized by the activation of oxidative stress and immune responses, which contribute to tissue destruction. Carbon monoxide (CO)-based gas therapy, utilizing CO releasing molecules (CORMs), presents a promising therapeutic strategy; however, its efficacy is constrained by the short half-life and limited cellular uptake of CORMs.

Tribological Properties of Diamond/Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) Composite Coating in a Dry Environment.

In this study, a diamond/diamond-like carbon (DLC) composite coating was designed and fabricated utilizing a combination of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and magnetron-sputtering-assisted ion beam deposition. This was designed to cope with severe problems such as high wear due to insufficient lubrication under dry sliding conditions with a single diamond. The tribological properties of the fabricated coatings under dry conditions were comparatively evaluated.

How ESG accelerates the industrial robot applications in manufacturing.

With the advancement of global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), corporate performance in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) has increasingly attracted attention. Industrial robots, as a pivotal technology, play an essential role in driving digitalization and facilitating the green transformation of manufacturing. This study provides new empirical evidence regarding how ESG promotes the application of industrial robots in the unique institutional and environmental context of China.

Muscle strength and mass as predictors of pancreatic cancer: insights from the UK biobank.

Background: While sarcopenia is associated with adverse pancreatic cancer (PC) outcomes, prospective evidence linking muscle health to PC risk remains limited. This study aimed to prospectively investigate the associations of grip strength and muscle mass with incident PC risk in the UK Biobank cohort.

Methods: Among 363,693 UK Biobank participants, grip strength (kg) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived muscle mass (weight-normalized) were measured.

Phenotypic characterization and genetic factor identification of starch content-related traits in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.).

Twenty-two QTL controlling starch synthesis were identified in foxtail millet, and 14 potential candidate genes were predicted. The content of starch, including amylose and amylopectin, is an essential trait for foxtail millet quality, but its complexity and genetic basis are still poorly understood. Here, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, comprising 215 foxtail millet lines, was employed to analyze the variation in three starch content-related traits and to identify the associated quantitative trait loci (QTL) in six environments.

Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on the distribution and drug resistance of pathogens in patients with bloodstream infection.

Background: The pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) significantly impacted healthcare systems worldwide, especially improving awareness of infection prevention and control in medical institutions. However, it remains unclear to what extent COVID-19 influenced the occurrence of bloodstream infection (BSI). This study aimed to analyze the distribution and antibiotic resistance patterns of pathogens responsible for BSI before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary hospital.

Au-Decorated NbO Featuring Unsaturated Niobium Centers and Photoinduced Oxygen Vacancies for Photocatalytic Oxidative Coupling of Methane to C Hydrocarbons.

Photocatalytic oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) holds considerable potential for producing value-added chemicals. However, this technology currently faces two major challenges: low methane conversion and significant overoxidation. Herein, we report a gold (Au) decorated niobium pentoxide (NbO) featuring unsaturated Nb centers and photoinduced oxygen vacancies (O), which achieved a CH conversion rate of 3.

Responses of Different Temperature-Acclimated Diatom Species, Smaller and Larger , to Increased Ambient Temperature.

The acute rise in temperature due to marine heatwaves has a strong impact on marine phytoplankton. To determine whether these effects depend on ambient temperature and cell size, we acclimated two diatom species, smaller (Hasle and Heimdal, 1970) and larger (Meunier, 1910), at low (LAT), medium (MAT) and high ambient temperatures (HAT) and examined their physiochemical and transcriptional responses to temperature rise (AT + 6 °C). The specific growth rate (µ) of smaller cells was increased by 32% due to temperature rise at LAT, but decreased by 13% at HAT, with the stimulatory and inhibitory extent being ~50% less than that of larger cells.

Beyond biologics: fungal polysaccharides as dual-function materials for nanomedicine.

Fungal polysaccharides exhibit a unique dual role in nano-delivery systems as both bioactive agents and functional carrier materials. Their intrinsic biocompatibility, biodegradability, and immunomodulatory properties enable applications in cancer therapy, immunoregulation, inflammation control, and nutrient delivery. As active components, their therapeutic efficacy is often limited by poor solubility and low bioavailability - issues that can be overcome via nanotechnology strategies such as encapsulation in nanoparticles, nanogels, and nanoemulsions.

Prognostic Role of Inflammatory Hematologic Indices in Predicting Acute Coronary Syndrome in Elderly Patients with Chronic Coronary Syndrome.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with inflammation playing a central role in the transition from Chronic Coronary Syndrome (CCS) to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study investigates the predictive value of multiple inflammatory indices in assessing the risk of ACS.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study included 1, 116 patients aged 60 and older diagnosed with CCS or ACS between June 2018 and June 2023.

Interfacial electron transfer triggered reversible hydrogen spillover effect boosts high-efficient hydrogen evolution.

The mechanistic role of interfacial electron transfer in enabling reversible hydrogen spillover for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics remains fundamentally unexplored. Herein, we report a lattice-matched PtCoNiCuZn/ WCN heterostructure electrode, where interfacial electron transfer triggers reversible hydrogen spillover, thereby achieving exceptional HER performance. Advanced characterization reveals coherent and semicoherent interfaces that induce charge redistribution, creating electron-deficient Pt sites with optimally downshifted d-band centers.

Finding the link of acculturation: the impact of perceived neighbourhood-level residential environment on mental health among rural-to-urban migrants in China.

Background: The mental health of migrants living in the post-migration urban environment poses a significant public health challenge in both developed and developing economies. Few empirical studies attempted to disentangle the influence pathways that acculturation might produce the link between the residential environment and health effects.

Methods: Data from 385 migrants was collected using a multi-stage stratified sampling method from 25 communities in Yiwu, China.

Cantharidin Induces Pyroptosis in triple-negative breast cancer cells via vitamin D receptor-targeted inhibition and activation of ROS/caspase/GSDME axis.

Cantharidin, a natural small-molecule compound with anticancer activity, has been reported to induce programmed cell death in various cancers. However, its molecular targets in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain unclear. This study explored the mechanism and potential target of Cantharidin in TNBC.

Viruses hijack FPN1 to disrupt iron withholding and suppress host defense.

Viruses rely on intracellular materials, including iron, to complete their life cycles and iron withholding may limit viral infections. However, the mechanisms through which viruses disrupt host iron homeostasis and the impact of intracellular iron on the host's antiviral defense aren't well studied. Here we show that viral infections facilitate the polyubiquitination and degradation of ferroportin (FPN1, the only cellular iron exporter) by upregulating the host E3 ubiquitin ligase DTX3L, leading to an elevation in cellular iron levels.

Uric acid and related disorders in the risk of pancreatic diseases: A UK Biobank prospective study.

Background: Pancreatic diseases, such as acute pancreatitis (AP), chronic pancreatitis (CP), and pancreatic cancer (PC) present major clinical challenges with significant health impacts. Serum uric acid (SUA), resulting from purine metabolism, is a significant biomarker reflecting metabolic health. Defined as SUA >7.

Non-coding RNAs regulating programmed cell death and its implications in cancer chemotherapy resistance.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs)-including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs), and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) -have emerged as master regulators of cancer biology. Beyond their established roles as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, aberrant ncRNAs expression intricately modulates programmed cell death (PCD) processes such as apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis, thereby shaping tumor responses to chemotherapy. This review presents a unified framework that links six classes of ncRNAs to the four different modalities of PCD modalities in the context of chemoresistance.

Nuclear respiratory factor-1 promotes CFLAR transcription in H9C2 cardiomyocytes, protecting them against hypoxia-induced apoptosis.

Background: Inhibition of hypoxia-induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes is crucial for heart failure treatment. Previous research suggests that nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) protects hypoxic cardiomyocytes against apoptosis. In the present study, we hypothesized that NRF-1 regulates the expression of Caspase 8 and FADD-like apoptosis regulator (CFLAR) and thus contributes to the regulation of apoptosis in hypoxic cardiomyocytes.

A review on the microtubule inhibitory effects of active ingredients extracted from TCMs and ethnic medicines in cancer treatment.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Microtubules are important components of the cytoskeleton. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), including Chinese ethnic medicines, such as Uighur medicines, Li ethnic medicines, Dong ethnic medicines, Lisu ethnic medicines, and Tujia ethnic medicines, can act on microtubules and tubulin, inhibit microtubule polymerization or promote microtubule depolymerization. In this paper, we review the microtubule-binding sites, summarize the mechanisms by which the active TCM and ethnic medicine ingredients and their derivatives inhibit microtubules, and look forward to applying TCMs and ethnic medicines to inhibit microtubules for cancer treatment.

Deciphering salt stress adaptation in octoploid broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.): For sustainable agricultural development in saline-alkaline soils.

Saline-alkali soil is one of the major challenges in global agricultural production, significantly affecting crop growth and yield. Polyploid plants often exhibit stronger salt tolerance. However, the specific mechanisms by which polyploid broomcorn millet adapts to salt stress remain unclear.

Targets and promising adjuvants for improving breast tumor response to radiotherapy.

Breast cancer ranks among the most common cancers globally, with significant mortality rates in advanced stages. Despite progress in treatment, therapy resistance, particularly to radiotherapy, remains a major challenge. Radiosensitization offers a promising solution to enhance radiotherapy effectiveness.

Design and 3D Printing of Soft Orthokeratology Lenses.

The effectiveness of hard orthokeratology (OK) lenses in controlling myopia has been confirmed in clinical practice. However, there exist defects including wear discomfort, limited regulation of mechanical properties and geometry, and effectiveness inconsistency with the expected efficacy. Herein, we analyze the relationship between the mechanical properties of OK lenses and the vertex displacement of the human cornea through the finite element model.

Effects of Gastric Juice Exposure on Structure and Function of Rat Eustachian Tube.

Objective: A rat model of reflux-induced secretory otitis media was constructed by injecting artificial gastric juice to investigate the effects of acidic reflux fluid on the structure and function of the mucosa of the rat eustachian tube (ET), and to explore the pathogenesis of reflux-induced secretory otitis media.

Methods: The ET pharyngeal orifice of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was exposed to the artificial gastric juice in the experimental groups. Then optical and electron microscopic examinations were performed to observe the differences in the histological structure of the rat ET, and high-speed video microscopy analysis was used to observe the beating frequency of the mucosal cilia.

Exploring the active ingredients of Banzhilian and its mechanism of action on diabetic Gastric cancer based on network pharmacology.

The incidence of Gastric cancer (GC) has shown a sharp upward trend, and patients with GC complicated by diabetes exhibit significantly worse clinical outcomes and prognosis compared to those without diabetes. Traditional Chinese medicine has played a crucial role in the treatment of both GC and diabetes. Currently, Banzhilian(Scutellaria barbata D.