Fatty acid-binding proteins as potential biomarkers for human cancer prognosis.

Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) play a pivotal role in the malignant progression of numerous human cancers. However, the precise functions of FABP family genes in different cancer types remain incompletely elucidated. The data used in this study were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

The association of bone mineral density with cardiovascular disease and mortality among individuals with/without type 2 diabetes: a population-based retrospective cohort.

Objectives: While type 2 diabetes (T2D) disrupts bone metabolism, T2D individuals often exhibit normal or elevated bone mineral density (BMD), complicating the relationship between BMD and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to clarify the associations of BMD with CVD and mortality (CVM) in individuals with/without T2D.

Study Design: a retrospective cohort study.

Neuroinflammatory mechanism of Volatile oil from Acori graminei Rhizoma in tourette syndrome: GC-MS, network pharmacology and experimental validation.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by tics that significantly impair childhood development. Volatile oil from Acori graminei Rhizoma (VOA), known for its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, holds therapeutic potential for TS, though its molecular mechanisms remain undefined. In this study, VOA was extracted via hydrodistillation (yield: 1.

Daidzein enhances cisplatin sensitivity and inhibits migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma through modulating mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.

Background/purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a prevalent head and neck malignancy, is associated with poor survival rates in advanced stages. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (2023), the 5-year survival rate is 86 % for localized OSCC but drops to 69 % and 40 % for regional and distant metastases, respectively, underscoring the critical role of metastasis in treatment failure. Despite advances, few chemotherapeutic agents effectively target metastatic OSCC.

NHANES 2005-2018 data reveal high albumin-bilirubin scores are associated with depression.

Background: Depression has been recognized as a leading global contributor to disease burden and mortality. While the etiology of depression involves a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors, its precise pathophysiological mechanisms remain incompletely understood. The albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, originally developed as an objective measure of hepatic function, has demonstrated prognostic value in diverse clinical contexts including liver diseases, brain tumors and chronic heart failure.

Evaluating and modifying the PHDI for depression prevention: insights from NHANES 2005-2018.

Background: Depression is a significant focus in mental health research, emerging as a pressing public health concern globally. The Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), recently proposed by The Lancet to balance health and environmental sustainability, remains unclear in its role in preventing depression-our study aims to investigate this association and seeks to optimize this dietary index.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using 2005-2018 NHANES data from 27,868 participants.

Association between arterial stiffness and MASLD in US young adults: base on NHANES 2005-2018.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) impacts >30 % of the world's population, imposing significant societal and familial burdens. Arterial stiffness is a known risk factor for various metabolic disorders, and early-onset MASLD may be linked to heightened arterial stiffness. However, studies investigating the link between arterial stiffness and MASLD are limited.

Selenium speciation in crops from an endemic selenium poisoning area: A case study in Naore village, Shuang'an township, China.

Naore Village in Shuang'an Township, China is a rare high-Se area where incidents of Se poisoning have occurred due to the consumption of locally grown crops with high Se level. To study the content and speciation of Se in crops from Se poisoning area, a total of 95 crops samples, including 11 types of the most commonly consumed local crops, were collected in Naore Village and its surrounding areas. The contents of total Se (tSe), organic Se (orgSe), inorganic Se (inorgSe), and major enzyme-soluble Se species (SeMet, SeCys, MeSeCys, SeEt, Se(IV), and Se(VI)) in crop samples were analyzed.

A novel modified peptide derived from tilapia piscidin 4 with improved cytotoxicity, stability and antibacterial activity against fish pathogens and its underlying antibacterial mechanism.

Tilapia piscidin 4 (TP4) is an amphiphilic cationic antimicrobial peptide derived from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), known for its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, potent anti-tumor effects, and immunomodulatory property. However, its significant toxicity and poor stability pose major challenges for practical applications. In this study, the TP4 sequence was modified by deleting nine amino acids from the N-terminal region and substituting glycine at the 13th position with cysteine, resulting in a modified peptide designated TP4-16G4C (FSACKAIHRLIRRRRR).

Structural insights into thyroid hormone transporter MCT8.

Thyroid hormones (THs), including T4 (3,5,3',5'-tetraiodo-L-thyronine) and T3 (3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine), play critical roles in regulating tissue development and basal metabolism. Monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8) is a key player in TH transport, known for its high specificity and affinity for THs and its direct association with Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS) caused by pathogenic mutations. In this study, we present the cryo-EM structures of human MCT8 bound to the substrate T3 or the inhibitor silychristin, both in an outward-open conformation at resolutions of 3.

Multiple cell-type interactions drive invariant NKT cell hepatitis.

Background: α-Galactosylceramide (α-Galcer), a specific ligand for invariant natural killer T (NKT) cell activation, has been actively investigated in clinical trials such as antitumor therapy; however, treatment with α-Galcer is well known to induce acute hepatitis due to enriched NKT cells in the liver. The molecular mechanisms underlying NKT-mediated hepatitis still remain obscure. The object of this study was to investigate whether and how myeloid cells affect NKT-mediated hepatitis.

Superellipse Equation Describing the Geometries of Tree Rings.

Our previous study using 41 tree rings of one Mill. disc indicated that the superellipse equation can accurately fit its tree-ring shape. This study further used the superellipse equation (xan+yβn=1 ) to model the geometries of 1090 tree rings of discs collected from five sites in Denmark.

MicroRNAs in metabolic dysfunction-associated diseases: Pathogenesis and therapeutic opportunities.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated diseases often refer to various diseases caused by metabolic problems such as glucose and lipid metabolism disorders. With the improvement of living standards, the increasing prevalence of metabolic diseases has become a severe public health problem, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), diabetes and obesity. These diseases are both independent and interdependent, with complex and diverse molecular mechanisms.

Assembly and comparative analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of Fritillaria ussuriensis Maxim. (Liliales: Liliaceae), an endangered medicinal plant.

Background: Fritillaria ussuriensis is an endangered medicinal plant known for its notable therapeutic properties. Unfortunately, its population has drastically declined due to the destruction of forest habitats. Thus, effectively protecting F.

Molecular basis of human noradrenaline transporter reuptake and inhibition.

Noradrenaline, also known as norepinephrine, has a wide range of activities and effects on most brain cell types. Its reuptake from the synaptic cleft heavily relies on the noradrenaline transporter (NET) located in the presynaptic membrane. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the human NET in both its apo state and when bound to substrates or antidepressant drugs, with resolutions ranging from 2.

Oxidative stress promotes liver fibrosis by modulating the microRNA-144 and SIN3A-p38 pathways in hepatic stellate cells.

: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as modulators triggering cellular dysfunctions and organ damage including liver fibrosis in which hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation plays a key role. Previous studies suggest that microRNA-144 (miR-144) acts as a pro-oxidant molecule; however, whether and how miR-144 affects HSC activation and liver fibrosis remain unknown. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl) and bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced experimental liver fibrosis models were used.

Development of a novel fluorescent protein-based probe for efficient detection of Pb in serum inspired by the metalloregulatory protein PbrR691.

Background: The accurate and rapid detection of blood lead concentration is of paramount importance for assessing human lead exposure levels. Fluorescent protein-based probes, known for their high detection capabilities and low toxicity, are extensively used in analytical sciences. However, there is currently a shortage of such probes designed for ultrasensitive detection of Pb, and no reported probes exist for the quantitative detection of Pb in blood samples.

LSAM: L2-norm self-attention and latent space feature interaction for automatic 3D multi-modal head and neck tumor segmentation.

Head and neck (H&N) cancers are prevalent globally, and early and accurate detection is absolutely crucial for timely and effective treatment. However, the segmentation of H&N tumors is challenging due to the similar density of the tumors and surrounding tissues in CT images. While positron emission computed tomography (PET) images provide information about the metabolic activity of the tissue and can distinguish between lesion regions and normal tissue.

Molecular basis for substrate recognition and transport of human GABA transporter GAT1.

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), an important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, is recycled through specific GABA transporters (GATs). GAT1, which is mainly expressed in the presynaptic terminals of axons, is a potential drug target of neurological disorders due to its essential role in GABA transport. Here we report four cryogenic electron microscopy structures of human GAT1, at resolutions of 2.

A novel strategy of engineering genetically encoded probe for ultrasensitive sensing Hg with unusual planar trigonometric coordination configuration.

At present, few genetically encoded fluorescent probes are currently available for the analysis of toxic heavy metal ions, and most have poor performance that cannot meet the requirements of sensitive and dynamic detection in living cells. In this study, we designed a single fluorescent protein-based probe sfGFP-MerBD, which can specifically response to Hg with high binding affinity and wide dynamic range. More importantly, the developing probe can timely and reversibly monitor changes of Hg concentration in living mammalian cells.

New Fructokinase, OsFRK3, Regulates Starch Accumulation and Grain Filling in Rice.

Plant fructokinase (FRK) guarantees the growth and development of higher plants by participating in carbohydrate metabolism. In this study, a new fructokinase, OsFRK3, was identified using bioinformatics analysis, enzyme assay, bacterial growth assay, and yeast complementation test. Then, we created knockout transgenic lines (-1 and -2) by the CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

Automated multi-modal Transformer network (AMTNet) for 3D medical images segmentation.

Over the past years, convolutional neural networks based methods have dominated the field of medical image segmentation. But the main drawback of these methods is that they have difficulty representing long-range dependencies. Recently, the Transformer has demonstrated super performance in computer vision and has also been successfully applied to medical image segmentation because of the self-attention mechanism and long-range dependencies encoding on images.