A novel acidic polysaccharide from Isatidis Radix: Structural characterization and immunoregulatory effect in zebrafish.

The immune system is the ultimate defense against diseases and its dysregulated homeostasis greatly threatens human health. Natural polysaccharides have a variety of biological activities and show promising applications in immunomodulation. In this study, we characterized the structure of the polysaccharide IRPS-TE-3 from Isatidis Radix using morphological analysis, molecular weight analysis, monosaccharide composition analysis, methylation analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Integrated Pneumatic-Auxiliary Sensing Array for Real-Time Elbow Joint Kinematics Tracking and Anomaly Prevention.

Flexible sensors integrating motion detection and tactile perception capabilities demonstrate significant potential in aerospace biomechanics and medical rehabilitation. Here, we report a biomimetic inflatable chamber sensor that synergistically integrates pneumatic-auxiliary and electronic sensing for elbow joint health monitoring. The device architecture combines multiwalled carbon nanotube-reinforced silicone composites with embedded electrode arrays integrated within the inner lining of inflatable chambers, achieving high sensitivity while maintaining signal stability under electromagnetic interference.

Tungsten Species on Beta Zeolite with Abundant Silanol Nests for Efficient Olefin Metathesis.

Tungstate-based catalysts for olefin metathesis generally suffer from insufficient reaction rates, which require relatively high temperatures for the satisfied activities. This issue is mainly due to the shortage of active WO species related to intrinsic low adsorption and poor activation of olefin molecules. Herein, we found that the silanol nests in dealuminated Beta zeolite (DeAl-Beta) were favorable for high dispersion of tungsten species, forming active WO species on the zeolite, which was helpful for the adsorption and activation of olefin molecules, thus facilitating the generation of metallocycle intermediates.

Fast-Charging and Long-Cycle Sodium-Ion Batteries Enabled by an Ultra-Stable Carbon Anode.

The realization of rapid-charging sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) with exceptional power density represents a pivotal challenge for next-generation electric vehicles. Currently, carbonaceous anodes are considered the most technologically mature yet rate-limited candidate approaching commercialization. To address the bottlenecks of slow ion transport and interfacial instability in conventional carbon architectures, a hierarchical anode material has been designed by incorporating g-CN electronic inert layer onto hollow carbon spheres (CN@HCS).

Impact of cloud-based follow-up exercise prescription on knee function and quality of life in homebound patients post-total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a cloud-based follow-up exercise prescription on knee function and quality of life in patients undergoing home-based rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty (TKA), thereby informing the application of telemedicine in post-TKA home rehabilitation.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted from February 2023 to January 2024. Patients were divided into a control group and an intervention group according to a random number table.

GLP-1 and GIP: Magic bullet for musculoskeletal diseases?

Background: Musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) are prevalent health problems that have a chronic course and are closely related to metabolic disorders. Several incretins, including glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which are secreted by enteroendocrine cells in response to food intake. In animal experiments, more and more evidence showed that there's a potential connection between GLP-1/GIP and musculoskeletal system cells (such as mesenchymal stem cells, osteoblasts and osteoclasts).

A whole slide image-based risk score predicts prognosis and postmastectomy radiotherapy benefit in triple negative breast cancer patients.

There are few tools support postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) decisions for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. This study aimed to develop a whole slide image (WSI)-based risk score to identify PMRT beneficiaries. We analyzed 608 TNBC patients treated at West China Hospital, Sichuan University (WCH) and 182 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), diagnosed between 2011 and 2019.

Investigating the Trichosanthis Pericarpium - Trichosanthis Radix herbal pair's role in alleviating COPD through gut microbiota function, metabolomics analysis and cell validation experiment.

The herbal pair of Trichosanthis Pericarpium - Trichosanthis Radix (TP-TR) is derived from the classic prescription Bei-Mu-Gua-Lou-San in Yixue Xinwu, which is commonly used to treat lung heat and cough. Both originate from Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim, a medicinal plant known for its effects to clear heat, dissolve phlegm, promote salivation, and relieve dryness. However, the compatibility, pharmacological synergy and gut-lung axis regulation mechanisms of TP-TR remain unclear.

Realization of High-Fidelity Perfect Entanglers between Remote Superconducting Quantum Processors.

Superconducting qubit systems, one of the leading candidates for universal quantum computing, face scalability challenges such as frequency crowding, wiring complexity, and packaging problems. Distributed quantum computing offers a viable strategy for constructing larger quantum information processing systems. Yet, direct universal quantum gates between remote qubits-critical to distributed architectures-remain unrealized.

Sampling strategies for digestive system flora studies: current research and perspectives.

Background: The digestive system is significantly associated with the incidence and progression of various diseases. Investigating its microbial community will aid in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognostication of digestive pathologies. Microbial composition varies not only between distinct organs but also within different regions of the same organ.

DNA methylation in chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that affects people on a global scale. After various stages of progression, CKD is finally characterized by renal fibrosis. As the most pervasive and well-studied epigenetic modification, DNA methylation has recently been associated with the development of renal fibrosis.

Paeoniflorin attenuates neuropathic Pain-associated depression by modulating microglial M1 polarization and correcting kynurenine pathway dysregulation.

Neuropathic pain (NP) is increasingly recognized as a chronic stressor contributing to the development of depressive comorbidities through neuroimmune dysregulation. However, the mechanistic interplay between microglial polarization states and kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolism in this process remains incompletely understood. The present study investigated the therapeutic potential of paeoniflorin (PF), a bioactive monoterpene glycoside, in alleviating NP-associated depression by modulating the M1 microglial M1 polarization-kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) pathway.

Development of a prediction model for risk of breakthrough urinary tract infection in children with primary vesicoureteral reflux.

Background: Many factors influence the risk of breakthrough urinary tract infection (BTUTI) in children with primary vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). Distal ureteral diameter ratio (UDR) and VUR index (VURx) have been shown in studies as predictors of BTUTI. We aimed to establish a predictive model through selecting voiding cystourethrography (VCUG)-related parameters in combination with clinical parameters for BTUTI in children with primary VUR.

Development and validation of a health belief model scale for oral health behaviors among adolescents.

Objective: This study aims to develop and validate an Oral Health Beliefs Questionnaire/Scale (OHBQ) based on the Health Belief Model (HBM), focusing on key oral health behaviors such as tooth brushing, dental flossing, and sugar consumption, for measuring adolescents' beliefs related to these behaviors.

Methods: A mixed-method design was employed to validate the OHBQ. Content validity was established by an expert panel who evaluated each item for relevance and clarity.

Machine learning-assisted MALDI-MSI to characterize hippocampal subregion lipid and purine metabolic alterations in depression-related dry eye disease.

Dry eye disease (DED) and depression exhibit high comorbidity, yet lipid and purine diagnostic biomarkers for depression-related DED remain unidentified. In this study, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) was employed to conduct, for the first time, localization analysis of small-molecule substances, within the CA1, CA2, CA3, and DG subregions of the hippocampal tissue in rats with depression-related DED. Our findings indicate that the 9-aminoacridine (9AA) matrix enabled visualization of over 120 diverse metabolites in each hippocampal region.

Wavelet-domain frequency-mixing transformer unfolding network for low-dose computed tomography image denoising.

Background: Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has become clinically essential for reducing radiation risks, but image noise remains a major challenge. Although deep learning methods have shown promise in denoising, they often fail to preserve fine structures while suppressing noise, particularly in orthopedic imaging where subtle bone textures are diagnostically critical. This study aimed to develop a wavelet-domain frequency-mixing transformer (FMT) network that simultaneously addresses noise suppression and structural preservation in orthopedic LDCT images, overcoming the limitations of current spatial-domain methods.

Photoinduced Cation Coupled Electron Transfer for Efficient Ionic Power Harvesting Based on CNT/MoS Heterostructures.

Inspired from the light-driven proton-coupled electron transfer during photosynthesis in green plants, an engineered CNT/MoS biomimetic nanofluidic system has been successfully developed, which achieves photo-activated ion transport in iso-concentration electrolytes through synergistic photothermal-photoelectric coupling. Under light irradiation, localized photothermal effects in CNT generate a temperature gradient, driving thermophoretic ion migration, while the same irradiation triggers a MoS-mediated surface charge gradient via photoexcited carrier redistribution, encompassing both vertical charge transfer and horizontal carrier diffusion. The resultant dual gradients of surface charge asymmetry and temperature differential cooperatively drive autonomous ion pumping.

ConvNTC: convolutional neural tensor completion for detecting "A-A-B" type biological triplets.

Systematically investigating interactions among molecules of the same type across different contexts is crucial for unraveling disease mechanisms and developing potential therapeutic strategies. The "A-A-B" triplet paradigm provides a principled approach to model such context-specific interactions, and leveraging third-order tensor to capture such type ternary relationships is an efficient strategy. However, effectively modeling both multilinear and nonlinear characteristics to accurately identify such triplets using tensor-based methods remains a challenge.

Impact of probiotics on sleep quality and mood states in patients with insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Probiotics have garnered increasing attention for their potential role in managing insomnia. This meta-analysis evaluated the effects of probiotics on sleep quality and mood in patients with insomnia.

Methods: Eight public databases were searched to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before December 2024.

Paternally Expressed Gene 10 Promoter Methylation Level as a Predictor of HBeAg Seroconversion in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients.

The management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) encounters challenges like suboptimal antiviral response and the lack of predictive biomarkers. In this study, the role of paternally expressed gene 10 (PEG10) in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion (HBeAg SC) was explored to identify a therapeutic target and predictive model. In total, 349 participants were recruited, and 141 HBeAg-positive patients were followed up after 48 weeks of antiviral therapy.

Downregulation of ANXA2 suppresses trophoblast cell invasion and migration through β-catenin pathway in preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a multisystem progressive disease unique to pregnancy, the pathogenesis of PE is thought to be linked to inadequate trophoblast invasion. Annexin a2 (ANXA2) has been found to be closely related to tumor metastasis and it may be involved in trophoblast invasion. Evidence from translational oncology research indicates that ANXA2 overexpression drives metastatic progression in malignancies via canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation, particularly through stabilization of cytoplasmic β-catenin and subsequent nuclear translocation.

HIF-independent oxygen sensing via KDM6A regulates ferroptosis.

Ferroptosis, a metabolic cell death process driven by iron-dependent phospholipid peroxidation, is implicated in various pathologies, including cancer. While metabolic factors such as glucose, lipids, and multiple amino acids have all been demonstrated to modulate ferroptosis, the role of oxygen, another fundamental metabolic component, in ferroptosis is not fully understood. Here, we show that cells acclimated to a low oxygen environment develop marked resistance to ferroptosis, and this resistance is independent of canonical oxygen-sensing pathway mediated by prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) and HIF transcription factors.

Hydrophobic Poly(divinylbenzene) Polymer-Supported Ruthenium Catalysts for Efficient Hydrogenation of Pyridines in Water.

Gas-liquid-solid triphase reactions are limited by poor gas solubility and mass transfer, especially in water. The low solubility of hydrogen in water severely hinders the hydrogenation, therefore requiring high temperature and pressure to increase the activity, which have safety and cost concerns. Herein, we report a hydrophobic poly(divinylbenzene) polymer-supported Ru nanoparticle catalyst (Ru/PDVB) with both high activity and excellent stability for the hydrogenation of pyridines in water, even at ambient hydrogen pressure (0.

Local Cation-Ordered Superlattice Stabilizing Ni-Rich Single-Crystalline Cathodes.

Ni-rich single-crystalline cathodes are pivotal for advancing lithium-ion battery technology due to their high energy density and mechanical stability. However, Ni-rich single-crystalline particles face intrinsic structural heterogeneity due to excessively high sintering temperature required to shape micron-sized morphologies─typically over 150 °C above the polycrystalline optimum, leading to rapid electrochemical decay and unsatisfied rate performance that hinder their practical application. Here, we propose a lithium-deficient presintering strategy to synthesize cation-ordered single-crystalline LiNiCoMnO (S-NCM83), effectively minimizing lattice chemical heterogeneity and defect formation.

Multigrain Ruthenium Nanocrystals with Enriched (10 1) Facets for Enhanced Hydrogen Oxidation in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

Ruthenium-based materials are promising alternatives to expensive platinum for the anodic hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), but face stability issues due to the strong oxophilicity. Here, an oxidation-resistant ruthenium multigrain catalyst is reported that exposes rich (10 1) facets for high-performing HOR catalysis in alkaline electrolytes. The catalyst exhibits a high kinetic current density of 61 mA cm at an overpotential of 50 mV, which is 25.