Integrating bulk and single-cell sequencing reveals cellular heterogeneity between lung adenocarcinoma in smokers and never-smokers.

Lung cancer in smokers (LCIS) and lung cancer in never-smokers (LCINS) are different entities with distinct molecular features. However, their cellular heterogeneity still requires further investigation. Through an integrated analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and bulk sequencing data, we identified cell subpopulations associated with smoking and non-smoking patients.

The application of KI.C57-ras2.0 mouse in the carcinogenicity evaluation of medical devices-carcinogenicity evaluation of a novel hemodialyzer.

Introduction: Alternative transgenic mouse models, such as rasH2, have been developed as to replace the traditional 2-year rodent carcinogenicity study. However, due to high cost, reliance on imports, and unpredictable supply chains, these transgenic mouse models have not yet been widely adopted for carcinogenicity evaluations of medical devices in China.

Methods: KI.

Integrating single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to reveal the Glycolysis-related gene GPRC5A as a potential biomarker for gastric cancer by machine learning.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths due to late diagnosis. Altered glycolytic metabolism, notably the Warburg effect, plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, offering potential for early detection and targeted therapy.

Methods: We combined single-cell omics and computational modeling to map and validate glycolytic biomarkers in GC.

Novel insights into heat tolerance via metabolomic analysis in Tibetan sheep.

Tibetan sheep are highly adaptable to cold and hypoxic environments, allowing them to thrive on the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau. Although many studies have investigated the mechanisms underlying their cold tolerance and hypoxia adaptation, it is still unclear how Tibetan sheep cope with the challenges of heat stress (HS) when raised in southern China. In this study, Tibetan sheep and heat-tolerant breeds (Hu sheep and Huanghuai sheep) were selected, and we conducted physiological observations, biochemical measurements, and metabolomic analysis on serum from a nonheat stress (NH) group, where the temperature-humidity index (THI) was 59.

EXPRESS: Development of Orthographic, Phonological and Semantic Parafoveal Processing in Chinese Reading.

Parafoveal preprocessing of upcoming words is a key aspect of fluent reading. A comparative analysis of how children's orthographic, phonological and semantic parafoveal processing changes with age has not been investigated to date. In the present study, three eye movement experiments used the boundary paradigm to characterize the nature of change in orthographic, phonological and semantic parafoveal processing across children in Grades 2-5 (n = 366, Tianjin Primary School) and adults (n = 90, Tianjin Normal University) during natural Chinese reading.

Association of microtubule-based processes gene expression with immune microenvironment and its predictive value for drug response in oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

Objective: The development of acquired endocrine resistance and reduced chemosensitivity in oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer presents significant challenges. Microtubule-based process-related genes (MBPRGs) play essential biological roles in the cell cycle and the development of migration. This study aimed to establish a novel prognostic signature based on MBPRGs to improve patient outcomes and offer additional treatment options for those with ER+ breast cancer.

Comparison of Gastric Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma From Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Protein Expressions.

Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) exhibit distinct characteristics, yet a comprehensive comparison is lacking. In this retrospective study from 2020 to 2024, we analyzed 568 gastric cancer cases, including 216 SRCC and 352 ADC. In SRCC, MMR deficiencies were 3.

Association of ambient fine particulate matter (PM) and its constituents with risk of pulmonary nodules in a lung cancer screening project.

Background: Ambient fine particulate matter (PM) is a significant global public health concern. However, large-scale research has yet to explore the effects of long-term PM exposure on the pulmonary nodule characteristics.

Methods: A lung cancer screening project involving 19,414 adults who underwent chest CT scans was conducted as part of the Integrating Artificial Intelligence and Serum Protein Biomarkers cohort between 2019 and 2020.

Effects of vegetation restoration on soil fungi community structure and assembly process in a semiarid alpine mining region.

Introduction: Understanding responses of soil fungal community characteristics to vegetation restoration is essential for optimizing artificial restoration strategies in alpine mining ecosystems. Despite its ecological significance, current comprehension regarding the structure composition and assembly mechanisms of soil fungal communities following vegetation restoration in these fragile ecosystems remains insufficient.

Methods: We used the high-throughput sequencing and null model analysis to determine the variations and environmental drivers of soil fungal community structures and assembly processes across different restoration chronosequences (natural plant sites, unrestored sites, 2-year restoration sites, and 6-year restoration sites) in a semiarid alpine coal mining region.

Prognostic Value of Inflammatory Indices in Papillary Gastric Carcinoma with Different Proportions of Papillary Components.

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic significance of peripheral inflammatory indices in patients with advantage papillary gastric carcinoma (APGC) and non-advantage papillary gastric carcinoma (NAPGC).

Methods: The study retrospectively analyzed 270 patients who underwent radical surgery. Patients were stratified into APGC (n=133) and NAPGC (n=137) cohorts based on papillary component proportion (≥50% papillary histology for APGC, <50% for NAPGC).

Asynchronous mouse embryo polarization leads to heterogeneity in cell fate specification.

The first lineage allocation in mouse and human embryos separates the inner cell mass (ICM) from the outer trophectoderm (TE). This symmetry breaking event is executed through polarization of cells at the 8-cell stage and subsequent asymmetric divisions, generating polar (TE) and apolar (ICM) cells. Here, we show that embryo polarization is unexpectedly asynchronous.

From Single-Cancer to Pan-Cancer Prognosis: A Multimodal Deep Learning Framework for Survival Analysis with Robust Generalization Capability.

Accurate prognosis represents a critical component in oncology research, enabling personalized treatment planning and optimized health care resource use. Although existing prognostic models demonstrate promising performance on restricted data sets, they remain constrained by two limitations: modality-specific architectural designs and cancer type-specific training paradigms that hinder cross-domain generalization. To address these challenges, the Unified Multimodal Pan-Cancer Survival Network (UMPSNet) is introduced, which integrates histopathology images, genomic expression profiles, and four metadata categories through structured text templates.

Functional Modification and Applications of Rice Starch Emulsion Systems Based on Interfacial Engineering.

Rice starch, as one of the most abundant and renewable polysaccharide resources in nature, holds great potential for applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and industrial fields due to its wide availability, low cost, and biodegradability. However, its inherent limitations-such as susceptibility to retrogradation and poor emulsifying capacity-have hindered its development into high-value-added products. Emulsion technology presents a promising strategy to overcome these challenges by constructing stable oil-water interfacial systems using various stabilizers.

Standardized aqueous extract of Medic. ameliorates oxidative stress and inflammatory responses against hydrochloric acid/ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats.

Background: The herb Medic. (AT, in Chinese), a widely distributed medicinal plant in various regions worldwide, is commonly used in China for treating inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as dysentery. However, the pharmacological basis of this herb for treating peptic ulcer, also an inflammatory condition in the GI tract, remains insufficiently understood.

Preliminary study on changes in volume and functional connectivity of hippocampal subregions in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

The aim of this study is to investigate the disparities in volumes of hippocampal subfields and alterations in whole-brain functional connectivity among individuals diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study comprised a total of 32 diabetic patients with retinopathy (DR group, n = 32) and 38 healthy adults (HC group, n = 38), who underwent psychological cognitive testing along with structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging. The FreeSurfer software was utilized for the extraction and computation of hippocampal subfield volumes, as well as the overall volumes of the left and right hippocampus.

Comprehensive Characterization of Somatic Mutation Timing Reveals the Evolutionary Trajectory of Lung Adenocarcinoma in Chinese Patients.

Unlabelled: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a heterogeneous disease with substantial genomic differences between individuals of Chinese and European ancestries. Deciphering the timing of driver mutations may lead to insights into tumor evolution that can inform diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for LUAD. In this study, we conducted whole-genome sequencing on LUAD samples from 251 patients with Chinese ancestry to reconstruct the evolutionary trajectories of somatic alterations, especially those across the noncoding regions.

Different pathways in promoting humic acid formation of multi-source biochar addition between fiber and livestock manure type solid waste composting.

This study selected fruit wood biochar (FWB), walnut shell biochar (WSB) and corncob biochar (CB) to compare and explore the humic acid (HA) formation mechanism differences added to the Chinese herbal residue (CHR) and Sheep manure (SM) composting. The results showed that the addition of multi-source biochar could improve carbon stability. Organic matter (OM) loss rates of CK, FWB, WSB and CB during SM composting were 25.

Co-exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics and mercury synergistically exacerbates toxicity in rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) compared to individual exposures.

Nanoplastics (NPs) and mercury (Hg) are ubiquitous pollutants that co-occur in aquatic ecosystems. However, the interaction between NPs and Hg, particularly whether NPs affect the accumulation and in vivo biotransformation of Hg in aquatic organisms, remains unclear. The toxicity of NPs and mercuric chloride (HgCl), both individually and in combination at environmentally relevant concentrations, on rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) were investigated in this study.

Brain white matter microstructural alterations in patients with diabetic retinopathy: an automated fiber-tract quantification study.

Background: Cognitive decline may occur in patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR), yet the mechanism underlying the relationship between cognitive decline and DR remains unclear. This study applied an automated fiber-tract quantification (AFQ) technique based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to identify alterations in specific segments of brain white matter fiber tracts in patients with DR, and analyze their correlation with cognitive test scores and clinical biochemical indicators.

Methods: A total of 19 patients with DR and 20 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included.

Compressive force-induced succinate production via metabolic reprogramming in periodontal ligament cells promotes orthodontic tooth movement.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate metabolic alterations in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and investigate the role of the succinate-SUCNR1 axis in bone resorption and tooth movement.

Results: OTM was accompanied by the change of TCA cycle and increase of succinate in the human GCF. Succinate accumulation was observed in periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) under compressive force, accompanied by increase of glycolysis and decrease of succinic dehydrogenase activity.

Mechanism study on the treatment of ulcerative colitis by Gegen Qinlian nano-preparation through promoting M2 macrophage polarization.

Objective: To address the core pathological features of intestinal barrier disruption and immune imbalance in ulcerative colitis (UC), we developed a nano-targeted formulation (GGQL nano-preparation) based on berberine, puerarin, baicalin, and glycyrrhizin by combining traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and nanotechnology in this study. We aimed to investigate whether GGQL nano-preparation could promote M2 macrophage polarization, correct intestinal inflammation, and treat UC.

Methods: We used databases to identify M2 macrophage-related gene targets for GGQL nano-preparation in UC.

Regulatory element map of sheep reproductive tissues: functional annotation of tissue-specific strong active enhancers.

Introduction: Comprehensive functional annotation of the genome is crucial for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying complex traits and diseases. Although functional annotation has been partially completed in sheep, a systematic annotation focused on reproductive tissues remains absent.

Methods: In this study, we integrated 60 transcriptomic and epigenomic datasets from five reproductive tissues.

Invisible Foes: How Air Pollution and Lifestyle Conspire in the Rise of Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Air pollution is a recognized risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC), but its specific impact in China, especially among older populations, remains underexplored.

Methods: We used multivariable Cox models with restricted cubic splines (RCS) to assess the dose-response relationship between air pollution and CRC risk. Subgroup analyses by sex, residence (urban vs.

Genetic susceptibility to lung squamous cell carcinoma: new insights on 9q33.2 variants and tobacco smoking.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 60 susceptibility loci for lung cancer, yet the biological mechanisms underlying these associations remain largely unknown, particularly for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). Here, we integrated data from 3890 LUSC cases and 13 328 controls of Chinese descent, and performed a conditional analysis to explore independent genetic variants and analyzed the interaction between the genetic variants and smoking. Our study was the first to identify a specific association between genetic variants in the 9q33.

Dynamic Balance of Non-collagenous Proteins in Dentine Mineralisation.

Dentine, the predominant structural element of the tooth, exhibits varying structural components, properties and mineralisation patterns across different regions. During dentinogenesis, diverse non-collagenous proteins (NCPs) play essential and varied roles in the mineralisation process. This paper systematically reviews the spatial distribution of NCPs across different dentine substructures and highlights their multifarious functions and collaborative interplay in governing the intricate mineralisation process.