E2F1-autophagy-ALDH1A1 axis enhances self-renewal and drug resistance of lung cancer stem-like cells in a p53-dependent manner.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a predominant subtype of non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma (NSCLC). It is typically asymptomatic and associated with high mortality rates. Despite recent advancements in screening technologies and therapeutic approaches, its pathogenesis still remains elusive.

Distinct Phosphorylation Patterns of AT1R by Biased Ligands and GRK Subtypes.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) transmit through G proteins upon agonist activation, followed by phosphorylation by GPCR kinases (GRKs) to initiate β-arrestin signaling. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying GPCR signaling regulation by distinct agonists, GRK subtypes, and phosphorylation patterns remain poorly understood. The angiotensin II (AngII) type 1 receptor (AT1R), a prototypical GPCR, serves as an ideal model for studying biased ligands and signaling.

Application of artificial intelligence-based stemness index in cancer.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit self-renewal and multidirectional differentiation capacities. The stemness of CSCs is the fundamental cause of tumor progression and treatment resistance. The stemness index, evaluating the number and activity of CSCs, is a crucial indicator predicting various aspects of tumor behavior such as growth, metastasis, and prognosis.

Nano hollow carbon sphere buffering design to address volume expansion in micro-silicon anodes of lithium-ion batteries.

Silicon-based materials are known as promising anodes for new-generation lithium-ion batteries due to their high theoretical capacity and various properties, but the huge volume expansion of silicon-based electrodes greatly limits their development. Herein, this study designs an integrated co-carbonized layer (CCL) silicon-based anode with nano hollow carbon sphere (HCS) buffer materials (HCSs/Si/G-CCL) to regulate the volume expansion of electrodes and effectively increase the content of active materials. As a result, the HCSs/Si/G-CCL electrode with buffer materials offered a good buffer effect, and the electrode expansion degree was only 4.

Pathological regression patterns following neoadjuvant chemo-immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a pilot study.

Introduction: Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NACI) has drawn considerable attention in Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) owing to its potential in functional preservation and treatment-failure reduction. Yet whether the surgical extent can be narrowed following NACI is largely debatable due to a potential non-centripetal tumor regression may result in scattered microfoci residing beyond the narrowed margin.

Methods: In this pilot study, we characterized the tumor regression pattern in a post-NACI HNSCC cohort using a whole-mount histopathological approach.

Brain-to-text decoding with context-aware neural representations and large language models.

Decoding attempted speech from neural activity offers a promising avenue for restoring communication abilities in individuals with speech impairments. Previous studies have focused on mapping neural activity to text using phonemes as the intermediate target. While successful, decoding neural activity directly to phonemes ignores the context dependent nature of the neural activity-to-phoneme mapping in the brain, leading to suboptimal decoding performance.

Aspirin is associated with a reduction in mortality rate for patients with sepsis-induced coagulopathy: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: This study aimed to examine whether aspirin reduces mortality in patients with sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC).

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 1,194 patients with SIC were identified from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)-IV database. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality.

Revealing region-specific drivers of tire and road wear particle composition and sources in road dust from two western Chinese cities.

Tire and road wear particles (TRWP) accumulate in urban road dust, forming a potential exposure pathway for citizens. However, the driving factors for the generation and distribution of road TRWP with regional characteristics require more in-depth and comprehensive exploration. This study developed a comprehensive TRWP analysis framework based on a weight-of-evidence approach, which aided in exploring tire wear behavior.

Role of Charge Density of Polycations in DNA Complexation and Condensation.

Polycationic gene vectors have been studied extensively for gene delivery, and the charge density of polycations plays a pivotal role in condensing nucleic acids. Recently, we have synthesized two kinds of polycations with varied charge densities: poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (denoted as A100) and a copolymer of 2-(tetramethyleneimino)ethyl methacrylate and 2-(diisopropyl-amino)ethyl methacrylate with a 3:1 feed ratio (denoted as B75D25). Despite its lower charge density, B75D25-based vectors exhibit higher transfection efficiency than A100-based vectors, prompting the hypothesis that hydrophobic interactions, rather than solely high charge density, enhance DNA complexation and gene delivery.

Hard Yet Flexible Anti-Icing Coatings with Superior Wear Resistance and Anti-Corrosion Properties.

Anti-icing coatings are increasingly being used in aerospace applications, polar expeditions, and offshore wind power. However, their mechanical strength and corrosion resistance often decrease in harsh environments, limiting their long-term durability. In this study, we developed a hard yet flexible anti-icing coating that demonstrated exceptional wear resistance and anticorrosion properties.

Clinical efficacy and radiological changes of proximal fibular osteotomy for medial compartment knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: We aimed to analyze the clinical efficacy, safety, and radiological changes of proximal fibular osteotomy (PFO) for medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (MKOA).

Methods: Since the establishment of the databases, we searched all studies involving proximal fibular osteotomy in PubMed, Proquest, Scopus, and Web of Science. The outcomes of interest were visual analog scale (VAS), knee function scores, radiological results, and complication rates.

DnaK of Parvimonas micra extracellular vesicles interacts with the host fibroblasts BAG3-IKK-γ axis to accelerate TNF-α secretion in oral lichen planus.

Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is one of the most frequent oral mucosal diseases associated with chronic inflammation, despite a profoundly limited understanding of its underlying pathogenic mechanisms.

Results: The microbiome analysis was conducted on buccal and lip mucosae, tongue dorsum, and saliva in nonerosive/erosive OLP patients and healthy individuals. Significant variations were observed in the oral microbiome of OLP patients, particularly in the buccal mucosa.

Human urine-derived stem cells from different donor sources ameliorate diabetic nephropathy in mice by activating autophagy and restoring mitochondrial function of podocyte.

Background: Human urine-derived stem cells (hUSCs) are a novel type of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) originating from the kidney, with promising potential for personalized therapies. However, it remains unclear whether hUSCs can be successfully isolated from individuals of different ages and disease states-including healthy young individuals, healthy elderly individuals, and patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN), as well as their therapeutic potential and mechanism in DN.

Methods: hUSCs were isolated from healthy young men (hUSC-HY), healthy elderly men (hUSC-HE), and male DN patients (hUSC-DN), and their biological characteristics were systematically evaluated.

Phenomenological Model for the Efficient General Regulatory Role of Metabolites.

There is growing awareness of the potential regulatory role of metabolites and their relevance in metabolic therapy. For example, the metabolites ATP and arginine can regulate the stability of a wide spectrum of proteins. Interestingly, their effective concentrations (millimolar scale) coincide with their physiological concentrations, while they are significantly lower than those of the cosolvents required.

Long-Range Water Ordering between Intrinsically Disordered Proteins and Its Impact on Protein Diffusion.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) play a critical role in the formation of membraneless organelles. The reduced diffusion of IDPs is associated with the stability of condensates and the related biological processes including phase separation and molecular recognition. Here we employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the diffusion dynamics of the LAF-1 RGG domains as well as their interplay with the solvent environment.

A Tiered Quantification and Source Mapping Framework for Tire Wear Particle Analysis in Environmental Matrices.

Tire wear particles (TWPs) are a major source of microplastic emissions, accurate quantification of TWPs remains challenging due to tread composition heterogeneity and inconsistent methods. To improve the quantification accuracy under scarce tire composition data, a novel method was established based on real treads to establish more accurate quantitative curves using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For the first time, the rubber content of three types of treads was quantified using a comprehensive group of pyrolysis monomers and derivatives.

Salt-Tolerant Structure Features of Mussel Adhesive Proteins.

Mussel adhesive proteins have strong salt-tolerant adhesion ability and can assist marine mussels to firmly fix themselves on underwater structures. In our previous study, the adhesion ability of mussel adhesive proteins was largely attributed to the pair structure of Tyr/Dopa with basic residues (i.e.

TIDGN: A Transfer Learning Framework for Predicting Interactions of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins with High Conformational Dynamics.

Interactions between intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are crucial for biological processes, such as intracellular liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Experiments (e.g.

Abnormal alterations in neurodevelopment in preterm children with very low birth weight during the adolescence.

Background: Preterm infants with very low birth weight are at high risk for long-term neurocognitive deficits. However, whether these neurocognitive deficits are improved or worsened in adolescence remains unclear.

Methods: We took advantage of the large sample from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development dataset to investigate alterations in brain structure, behavior, including cognitive function and mental health symptoms, and in puberty among preterm children with very low/normal birth weight (Pre_VLBW/Pre_NBW) and full-term children with normal birth weight (Con_NBW) from baseline to 2-year follow-up.

Ameliorated lipid distribution in prediabetes - Effects of 12 weeks traditional Chinese YiJinJing exercise plus TheraBand: A randomized controlled trial.

Background/objective: Lipid distribution plays a crucial role in glucose metabolism, and this study aimed to investigate the effects of 12 weeks traditional Chinese YiJinJing exercise on specific lipid distributions in patients with prediabetes.

Methods: Sixty participants with prediabetes were randomly allocated to either a control group (Con, n = 30) or an exercise group (Ex, n = 30). The Ex group underwent YiJinJing exercise plus Theraband, engaging in 1-h sessions, 3 times per week, over a total period of 12 weeks.

Functions of Tomato ( L.) Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) in Seed Germination and Low-Temperature Stress Response.

Tomato ( L.) is one of the major vegetable crops worldwide. Research on the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway in tomatoes and other plant systems is extremely limited.

Nanosized Shikonin Disrupts Tumor-Cell Mismatch Repair and Synergizes with Manganese to Sensitize Squamous Carcinoma to Immunotherapy.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) frequently develops resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, resulting from an immune-excluded microenvironment. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) can increase tumor immunogenicity and further augment immune-cell infiltration by releasing immunogenic molecules. Hence, inducing ICD within tumors might be a promising strategy to restore antitumor immunity and sensitize HNSCC to ICB.

Screening of Vibrational Spectroscopic Voltage Indicator by Stimulated Raman Scattering Microscopy.

Genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs) have significantly advanced voltage imaging, offering spatial details at cellular and subcellular levels not easily accessible with electrophysiology. In addition to fluorescence imaging, certain chemical bond vibrations are sensitive to membrane potential changes, presenting an alternative imaging strategy; however, challenges in signal sensitivity and membrane specificity highlight the need to develop vibrational spectroscopic GEVIs (vGEVIs) in mammalian cells. To address this need, a vGEVI screening approach is developed that employs hyperspectral stimulated Raman scattering (hSRS) imaging synchronized with an induced transmembrane voltage (ITV) stimulation, revealing unique spectroscopic signatures of sensors expressed on membranes.

Colorectal Cancer: Pathogenesis and Targeted Therapy.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the most prevalent malignant neoplasms globally. A growing body of evidence underscores the pivotal roles of genetic alterations and dysregulated epigenetic modifications in the pathogenesis of CRC. In recent years, the reprogramming of tumor cell metabolism has been increasingly acknowledged as a hallmark of cancer.

Regulation of histone H3K27 methylation in inflammation and cancer.

Inflammation is a multifaceted defense mechanism of the immune system against infection. Chronic inflammation is intricately linked to all stages of tumorigenesis and is therefore associated with an elevated risk of developing serious cancers. Epigenetic mechanisms have the capacity to trigger inflammation as well as facilitate tumor development and transformation within an inflammatory context.