Lactate Dehydrogenase C4 Accelerates Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Progression by Promoting Acetyl-CoA Acyltransferase 2 Lactylation to Increase Free Fatty Acid Accumulation.

Lactate-induced protein lysine (K) lactylation is inherently connected to cellular metabolism and is implicated in oncogenesis. As a crucial glycolytic enzyme in lactate metabolism, lactate dehydrogenase C4 (LDHC4) has undefined yet potentially significant biological functions and mechanistic roles in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) that warrant further investigation. This study aims to determine whether and how LDHC4 affects TNBC progression by regulating protein lactylation.

A Novel Approach to Explore Internal Cardiac Electrophysiological Pattern under Emotional Stress.

Numerous psychological and clinical studies have confirmed a correlation between mental and cardiac health. We aim to explore this relationship further by examining how emotions influence cardiac health. By collecting body surface potential and utilizing the electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) model, we can noninvasively and continuously reconstruct internal cardiac electrical activity.

Bifidobacterium boosts anti-PD-1 effectiveness through JAK pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent and deadly cancer. Gut microbiota affect tumor immunity and immunotherapy efficacy, but the exact mechanisms are unclear. A study compared gut microbiota in HCC patients and healthy controls (HC) using 16S rDNA analysis and metabolomics.

Polystyrene microplastics induces the injury of human corneal epithelial cells through ROS-mediated p53 pathway.

Objective: To investigate the effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) on human corneal epithelial cells (HCEP).

Methods: The cytotoxicity of PS-MPs on HCEP cells was evaluated using a CCK-8 assay to measure cell viability, flow cytometry to analyze cell cycle and status, immunofluorescence to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) and γ-H2AX levels, and western blotting to assess protein expression.

Results: The effects of PS-MPs on HCEP cell morphology and viability were particle size- and concentration-dependent.

AI-Powered Noninvasive Electrocardiographic Imaging Using the Priori-to-Attention Network (P2AN) for Wearable Health Monitoring.

The rapid development of smart wearable devices has significantly advanced noninvasive, continuous health monitoring, enabling real-time collection of vital biosignals. Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI), a noninvasive technique that reconstructs transmembrane potential (TMP) from body surface potential, has emerged as a promising method for reflecting cardiac electrical activity. However, the ECG inverse problem's inherent instability has hindered its practical application.

Optimizing tobacco quality and yield through the scientific application of organic-inorganic fertilizer in China: a meta-analysis.

China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco ( L.) in the world, and the cultivation and production of tobacco have extremely high economic value and social influence. Applying organic-inorganic fertilizer is a key strategy for boosting tobacco yield and quality.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Prognostic Implications and Biological Function of HDACs in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The prognostic significance and biological functions of the histone deacetylases (HDACs) gene family in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) have not been fully investigated. Using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis, this study determined if HDAC genes were relevant for prognosis in LIHC. A regression model utilizing HDAC genes and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was created to foretell LIHC risk.

Optimizing single-cell RNA sequencing methods for human colon biopsies: droplet-based vs. picowell-based platforms.

Background & Aims: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA) has empowered many insights into gastrointestinal microenvironments. However, profiling human biopsies using droplet-based scRNA (D-scRNA) is challenging since it requires immediate processing to minimize epithelial cell damage. In contrast, picowell-based (P-scRNA) platforms permit short-term frozen storage before sequencing.

Iron-modified biochar effectively mitigates arsenic-cadmium pollution in paddy fields: A meta-analysis.

The escalating problem of compound arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils necessitates the urgency for effective remediation strategies. This is compounded by the opposing geochemical behaviors of As and Cd in soil, and the efficacy of biochar treatment remains unclear. This pioneering study integrated 3780 observation pairs referred from 92 peer-reviewed articles to investigate the impact of iron-modified biochar on As and Cd responses across diverse soil environments.

PhaseFIT: live-organoid phase-fluorescent image transformation via generative AI.

Organoid models have provided a powerful platform for mechanistic investigations into fundamental biological processes involved in the development and function of organs. Despite the potential for image-based phenotypic quantification of organoids, their complex 3D structure, and the time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of immunofluorescent staining present significant challenges. In this work, we developed a virtual painting system, PhaseFIT (phase-fluorescent image transformation) utilizing customized and morphologically rich 2.

Comparison of the early clinical efficacy of the SuperPath approach versus the modified Hardinge approach in total hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures in elderly patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical efficacy and advantages of the SuperPath approach for total hip arthroplasty in the treatment of femoral neck fractures in the elderly population.

Methods: From February 2018 to March 2019, 120 patients were randomly divided into two groups with 60 patients each: the SuperPath group and the conventional group. The results evaluated included the general operation situation, serum markers, blood loss, pain score, hip function and prosthesis location analysis.

Ultra-Narrow Linewidth Photo-Emitters in Polymorphic Selenium Nanoflakes.

Photoluminescence (PL) in state-of-the-art 2D materials suffers from narrow spectral coverage, relatively broad linewidths, and poor room-temperature (RT) functionality. The authors report ultra-narrow linewidth photo-emitters (ULPs) across the visible to near-infrared wavelength at RT in polymorphic selenium nanoflakes (SeNFs), synthesized via a hot-pressing strategy. Photo-emitters in NIR exhibit full width at half maximum (Γ) of 330 ± 90 µeV, an order of magnitude narrower than the reported ULPs in 2D materials at 300 K, and decrease to 82 ± 70 µeV at 100 K, with coherence time (τ ) of 21.

Constructing an Polymer Electrolyte and a Na-Rich Artificial SEI Layer toward Practical Solid-State Na Metal Batteries.

Sodium is one of the most promising anode candidates for the beyond-lithium-ion batteries. The development of Na metal batteries with a high energy density, high safety, and low cost is desirable to meet the requirements of both portable and stationary electrical energy storage. However, several problems caused by the unstable Na metal anode and the unsafe liquid electrolyte severely hinder their practical applications.

Converting inert AlOOH into efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction via structural/electronic modulation.

Efficient and stable water-splitting electrocatalysts play a key role to obtain green and clean hydrogen energy. However, only a few kinds of materials display an intrinsically good performance towards water splitting. It is significant but challengeable to effectively improve the catalytic activity of inert or less active catalysts for water splitting.

Rewiring of the Liver Transcriptome across Multiple Time-Scales Is Associated with the Weight Loss-Independent Resolution of NAFLD Following RYGB.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery potently improves obesity and a myriad of obesity-associated co-morbidities including type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Time-series omics data are increasingly being utilized to provide insight into the mechanistic underpinnings that correspond to metabolic adaptations in RYGB. However, the conventional computational biology methods used to interpret these temporal multi-dimensional datasets have been generally limited to pathway enrichment analysis (PEA) of isolated pair-wise comparisons based on either experimental condition or time point, neither of which adequately capture responses to perturbations that span multiple time scales.

Mechanoscopy: A Novel Device and Procedure for in vivo Detection of Chronic Colitis in Mice.

Background: Gut stiffening caused by fibrosis plays a critical role in the progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colon cancer. Previous studies have characterized the biomechanical response of healthy and pathological gut, with most measurements obtained ex vivo.

Methods: Here, we developed a device and accompanying procedure for in vivo quantification of gut stiffness, termed mechanoscopy.

Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of TNP-2198, a Dual-Targeted Rifamycin-Nitroimidazole Conjugate with Potent Activity against Microaerophilic and Anaerobic Bacterial Pathogens.

TNP-2198, a stable conjugate of a rifamycin pharmacophore and a nitroimidazole pharmacophore, has been designed, synthesized, and evaluated as a novel dual-targeted antibacterial agent for the treatment of microaerophilic and anaerobic bacterial infections. TNP-2198 exhibits greater activity than a 1:1 molar mixture of the parent drugs and exhibits activity against strains resistant to both rifamycins and nitroimidazoles. A crystal structure of TNP-2198 bound to a RNA polymerase transcription initiation complex reveals that the rifamycin portion of TNP-2198 binds to the rifamycin binding site on RNAP and the nitroimidazole portion of TNP-2198 interacts directly with the DNA template-strand in the RNAP active-center cleft, forming a hydrogen bond with a base of the DNA template strand.

Fish Capsules: A System for High-Throughput Screening of Combinatorial Drugs.

Large-scale screening of molecules heavily relies on phenotyping of small living organisms during preclinical development. However, deep profiling candidate therapeutics on whole animals typically requires laborious manipulations and anesthetic treatment using traditional techniques or automated tools. Here, a novel fish capsule system that combines automated zebrafish encapsulating technology and droplet microarray strategy for in vivo functional screening of mono/polytherapies is described.

Cellular mechanics of wound formation in single cell layer under cyclic stretching.

Wounds can be produced when cells and tissues are subjected to excessive forces, for instance, under pathological conditions or nonphysiological loading. However, the cellular behaviors in the wound formation process are not clear. Here we tested the behaviors of wound formation in the epithelial layer with an in-suit uniaxial stretching device.

A theoretical model of collective cell polarization and alignment.

Collective cell polarization and alignment play important roles in tissue morphogenesis, wound healing and cancer metastasis. How cells sense the direction and position in these processes, however, has not been fully understood. Here we construct a theoretical model based on describing cell layer as a nemato-elastic medium, by which the cell polarization, cell alignment and cell active contraction are explicitly expressed as functions of components of the nematic order parameter.

In vitro activity of TNP-2092 against periprosthetic joint infection-associated staphylococci.

Staphylococci are the most common causes of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). TNP-2092 is an investigational hybrid drug composed of rifamycin and quinolizinone pharmacophores conjugated via a covalent linker. We determined minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and minimum biofilm bactericidal concentration (MBBC) values of TNP-2092 against 80 PJI-associated Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates compared to ciprofloxacin and rifampin alone and in combination, alongside daptomycin and vancomycin.