Pulmonary hypertension, inhaled nitric oxide, and retinopathy of prematurity: evidence from the U.S. national database.

Background: The study aimed to examine the association of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the use of inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.

Methods: Utilizing the United States National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, VLBW infants were identified. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to calculate unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the presence of ROP in relation to PH and iNO therapy.

Macropore absorbent with bihydrophilic layers for the recovery of low-sulfur fuel oil.

Conventional absorbent pads are widely employed for oil spill cleanup; however, their microporous structures face challenges in absorbing low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO), especially at lower temperatures when LSFO solidifies owing to its high-viscosity shear stress. In this study, we developed a macroporous absorbent with bihydrophilic layers (MABL), i.e.

Boosting tumor homing of endogenous natural killer cells via therapeutic secretomes of chemically primed natural killer cells.

Background: Natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in modulating immune responses by secreting soluble factors, including chemotactic cytokines. Our previous study demonstrated the potent antitumor activity of Chem_NK, referring to NK cells chemically primed with 25 kDa branched polyethyleneimine. However, the potential of Chem_NK secretomes to educate other NK cells and enhance their tumor-homing ability remains unexplored.

ELK3-CYFIP2 axis-mediated actin remodeling modulates metastasis and natural killer cell responses in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive, highly metastatic disease with a poor prognosis. E26 transformation-specific transcription factor (ELK3) is highly expressed in TNBCs, and functions as a regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and immune responses. Because metastatic migration and immune evasion by TNBC cells are critical factors for successful metastasis, unravelling the underlying mechanisms and developing effective immunotherapeutic strategies is urgent.

Hierarchically-structured ratchet skimmer with superhydrophilicity for continuous recovery of high-viscosity oil.

Oil spill accidents have series environmental and economic impacts, increasing the demand for efficient technologies to recover oil from contaminated waters. In this study, a hierarchically structured ratchet surface with superhydrophilicity was presented as a novel oil skimming mechanism for the recovery of high-viscosity oil, particularly low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO), which has recently been used as marine fuel in open water environments. The interaction between the superhydrophilic ratchet and oil provides favorable conditions for oil retention at the water surface.

Capillary Skimming of Floating Microplastics via a Water-Bridged Ratchet.

Floating microplastics (MPs) have recently become a major concern in marine pollution; however, current filter-based technology is hardly effective for directly removing such MPs from the water surface because of specific mesh size and clogging issues. This paper introduces a new skimming concept for removing floating MPs utilizing capillary force mediated by the elevation of a hydrophilic ratchet at the air-water interface. MPs floating near the ratchet surface are spontaneously forced toward the ratchet with a concave water meniscus, driven by the Cheerios effect.

Nano-chemical priming strategy to enhance TGF-β resistance and anti-tumor activity of natural killer cells.

Immunotherapy based on adoptive transfer of natural killer (NK) cells is a promising strategy for circumventing the limitations of cancer treatments. However, components of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), compromise the therapeutic efficacy of NK cells significantly. To address these limitations, we developed a novel method of engineering NK cells for adaptive transfer.

Abdominal hernia as a rare manifestation of feline mammary gland carcinoma: a case report.

A 15-year-old, spayed female, Scottish Straight cat without any traumatic history was presented with swollen abdomen and diagnosed as an abdominal wall hernia. Abdominal ultrasound revealed thickened, irregular, and hypoechoic change of abdominal wall muscle adjacent to defect. During the herniorrhaphy, multiple nodules were identified in the subcutaneous tissue around the defect.

Slippery, Water-Infused Membrane with Grooved Nanotrichomes for Lubricating-Induced Oil Repellency.

Water, abundant and ubiquitous in nature, is an easy yet powerful resource for the creatures to survive by putting together with their topologies interfacing their living environment. Here, a slippery, water-infusing surface (SWIS) that retains a thick and stable water layer on the membrane is presented, robustly maintaining the oil repellency against the pressure and friction of immiscible liquids. Inspired by the plant trichome structures and their function, grooved nanotrichome, formed on the fibrous membrane by the oxygen plasma etching, induces robust water lubrication on the SWIS.

Direct recovery of spilled oil using hierarchically porous oil scoop with capillary-induced anti-oil-fouling.

The pitcher plant has evolved its hierarchically grooved peristome to enhance a water-based slippery system for capturing insects with oil-covered footpads. Based on this, we proposed a hierarchically porous oil scoop (HPOS) with capillary-induced oil peel-off ability for repeatable spilled oil recovery. As the HPOS scoops oil-water mixture, water passes through the hole while the oil is confined within a curved geometry.

Proximal recolonization by self-renewing microglia re-establishes microglial homeostasis in the adult mouse brain.

Microglia are resident immune cells that play critical roles in maintaining the normal physiology of the central nervous system (CNS). Remarkably, microglia have an intrinsic capacity to repopulate themselves after acute ablation. However, the underlying mechanisms that drive such restoration remain elusive.

Recent applications of hydantoin and thiohydantoin in medicinal chemistry.

Hydantoin, imidazolidine-2,4-dione, is a non-aromatic five-membered heterocycle, which is considered a valuable, privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry. The importance of the hydantoin scaffold in drug discovery has been reinforced by several medicines in clinical use, such as phenytoin, nitrofurantoin, and enzalutamide. Hydantoin has five potential substituent sites, including two hydrogen bond acceptors and two hydrogen bond donors.

SIRT1 deficiency in microglia contributes to cognitive decline in aging and neurodegeneration via epigenetic regulation of IL-1β.

Aging is the predominant risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. One key phenotype as the brain ages is an aberrant innate immune response characterized by proinflammation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying aging-associated proinflammation are poorly defined.

Sirtuins in neurodegenerative diseases: an update on potential mechanisms.

Silent information regulator 2 proteins (sirtuins or SIRTs) are a group of deacetylases (or deacylases) whose activities are dependent on and regulated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)). Compelling evidence supports that sirtuins play major roles in many aspects of physiology, especially in pathways related to aging - the predominant and unifying risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we highlight the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of sirtuins in neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on protein homeostasis, neural plasticity, mitochondrial function, and sustained chronic inflammation.

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 modulates microglial responses to amyloid β.

Background: Amyloid β (Aβ) accumulates in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Microglial activation also occurs in AD, and this inflammatory response may contribute to disease progression. Microglial activation can be induced by Aβ, but the mechanisms by which this occurs have not been defined.

CX3CR1 protein signaling modulates microglial activation and protects against plaque-independent cognitive deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease.

Aberrant microglial activation has been proposed to contribute to the cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease (AD), but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain enigmatic. Fractalkine signaling, a pathway mediating the communication between microglia and neurons, is deficient in AD brains and down-regulated by amyloid-β. Although fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1) on microglia was found to regulate plaque load, no functional effects have been reported.

Acetylation of tau inhibits its degradation and contributes to tauopathy.

Neurodegenerative tauopathies characterized by hyperphosphorylated tau include frontotemporal dementia and Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Reducing tau levels improves cognitive function in mouse models of AD and FTDP-17, but the mechanisms regulating the turnover of pathogenic tau are unknown. We found that tau is acetylated and that tau acetylation prevents degradation of phosphorylated tau (p-tau).

Alpha-synuclein induces migration of BV-2 microglial cells by up-regulation of CD44 and MT1-MMP.

Although there is known to be a marked concentration of reactive microglia in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), a disorder in which alpha-synuclein plays a key pathogenic role, the specific roles of alpha-synuclein and microglia remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of alpha-synuclein and the mechanisms of invasive microglial migration into the SNpc. We show that alpha-synuclein up-regulates the expressions of the cell adhesion molecule CD44 and the cell surface protease membrane-type 1 matrix metalloproteinase through the extracellular regulated kinases 1/2 pathway.

Cystatin C-cathepsin B axis regulates amyloid beta levels and associated neuronal deficits in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease.

Impaired degradation of amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides could lead to Abeta accumulation, an early trigger of Alzheimer's disease (AD). How Abeta-degrading enzymes are regulated remains largely unknown. Cystatin C (CysC, CST3) is an endogenous inhibitor of cysteine proteases, including cathepsin B (CatB), a recently discovered Abeta-degrading enzyme.

Alpha-synuclein induces apoptosis by altered expression in human peripheral lymphocyte in Parkinson's disease.

Though the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unclear, alpha-synuclein (alpha-SN) is regarded as a major causative agent of PD. Several lines of evidence indicate that immunological abnormalities are associated with PD for unknown reasons. The present study was performed to assess whether peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) show altered alpha-SN expression in PD patients and to identify its functions, which may be related to peripheral immune abnormalities in PD.

Retinoic acid inhibits chondrogenesis of mesenchymal cells by sustaining expression of N-cadherin and its associated proteins.

Retinoic acid (RA) is a well-known regulator of chondrocyte phenotype. RA inhibits chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal cells and also causes loss of differentiated chondrocyte phenotype. The present study investigated the mechanisms underlying RA regulation of chondrogenesis.