The effect of complex prebiotics on quality and functional properties of synbiotic fermented milk.

Prebiotic-probiotic synergy is vital to fermented milk's overall performance. This study investigates the effects of complex prebiotics (CPs) on the quality and functional properties of probiotic-fermented milk. Results indicated that CPs improved the physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of fermented milk.

Finding ancestry-specific chromatin architecture in Alzheimer's disease.

Genetic risk for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) varies across populations. We hypothesized that three-dimensional (3D) genome architecture variations could offer novel epigenetic understanding of ancestry-specific genetic risk. Herein, we performed Hi-C analyses of frontal cortex from ε4/ε4 individuals with African (AF) or European (EU) ancestry who also had single nuclei ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data available.

Genome-Wide Screening Reveals the Oncolytic Mechanism of Newcastle Disease Virus in a Human Colonic Carcinoma Cell Line.

Viral oncolysis is considered a promising cancer treatment method because of its good tolerability and durable anti-tumor effects. Compared with other oncolytic viruses, Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has some distinct advantages. As an RNA virus, NDV does not recombine with the host genome, making it safer compared with DNA viruses and retroviruses; NDV can induce syncytium formation, allowing the virus to spread among cells without exposure to host neutralizing antibodies; and its genome adheres to the hexamer genetic code rule (genome length as a multiple of six nucleotides), ensuring accurate replication, low recombination rates, and high genetic stability.

Pruritic Plaque on the Right Lower Limb: A Rare Case of Kimura Disease and Literature Review.

Kimura disease, though rare in adolescents, should be considered in cases of persistent itchy nodules. Histopathology confirms diagnosis. Surgical excision is effective for localized lesions, with favorable outcomes.

Altered amyloid-β42 and BACE-1 proteins in plasma astrocyte-derived exosomes in hypertensive patients with cerebral microbleeds.

Background: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) have been found to promote Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. Hypertension (HTN) is one of the major etiological factors for CMBs and an important risk factor for AD. However, the association between HTN-related CMBs and AD pathology remains undetermined.

The diagnostic value of combined detection of GBP1, IFN-γ and IL-2 in differentiating NTM from TB infection.

Background: Early differentiation between Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is critical due to distinct treatment protocols. Traditional diagnostic methods, including acid-fast staining, bacterial culture, and nucleic acid assays, often face challenges. This study evaluated the diagnostic value of Guanylate-Binding Protein 1 (GBP1), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin-2 (IL-2) in peripheral blood for distinguishing active TB, NTM infections, and cured TB.

Electroacupuncture suppresses motor impairments via microbiota-metabolized LPS/NLRP3 signaling in 6-OHDA induced Parkinson's disease rats.

Emerging evidence indicates that electroacupuncture (EA) exerts significant therapeutic effects on Parkinson's disease (PD)-related symptoms, with the immune mechanisms of the gut-brain axis playing a pivotal role in PD pathophysiology. This study aimed to explore whether EA mitigated PD-related symptoms and conferred neuroprotection to dopaminergic neurons in a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model by modulating the microbiota-metabolized lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/NLRP3 pathway. EA treatment ameliorated motor and anxiety symptoms in 6-OHDA rats and elevated the levels of TH.

Species-specific identification of pangolin scales using UPLC/Q-TOF-MS with LC-MS/MS validation.

Pangolin scales (PS) are derived from various pangolin species and are commonly subjected to thermal processing. Identifying their species of origin using traditional methods is challenging. Therefore, a reliable approach for species identification of PS and their processed products is urgently needed.

Disturbance Observer-Based Adaptive Synchronization of Heterogeneous Chaotic Systems With Uncertainties via DNA Strand Displacement.

The application of DNA strand displacement (DSD) for synchronizing chaotic systems has made remarkable progress in recent years. However, uncertainty may exist in the systems, and interference is unavoidable during the synchronization process. This article endeavors to tackle the issue of performance degradation in synchronization caused by disturbances and system uncertainties.

Statistics of 3rd-order modal dispersion in mode-division multiplexing optical communication systems.

Based on the group-delay matrix and its frequency derivatives, we study the statistics of modal dispersion (MD) up to 3rd order in randomly perturbed fibers. Particularly, we numerically simulate and analyze the statistical properties of quantities that characterize various aspects of the MD in a randomly perturbed six-mode fiber of sufficiently large length . The results show that, under proper normalization by the group-delay difference, the probability density functions (PDFs) of all 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-order MD are essentially independent of .

Erchen Decoction Offers Health Benefits in Regulating Obesity: Component Analysis, Network Pharmacology, and Experiment Verification.

Erchen Decoction (ECT) is composed of six plants and fruits, with potential for treating metabolic diseases. However, its regulatory effects and material basis on simple obesity have not been reported. In this study, we predicted potential targets and pathways of ECT intervention on simple obesity through component analysis and network pharmacology.

Fear of Disease Progression in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Construction and Validation of a Nomogram Prediction Model.

Objective: This study aimed to understand the current situation of phobia regarding disease progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and identify its influencing factors.

Methods: A convenient sampling method was used to select patients with T2DM who were hospitalized in a tertiary A hospital in Binzhou City, Shandong Province, from September 2024 to February 2025 as the research objects. The evaluation tools included a general information questionnaire, a simple disease perception questionnaire, a chronic disease health literacy scale, a diabetes self-management behavior scale, a family resilience scale, and a simplified scale for fear of disease progression.

Exploratory phase II trial of an anti-PD-1 antibody camrelizumab combined with a VEGFR-2 inhibitor apatinib and chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant therapy for triple-negative breast cancer (NeoPanDa03): efficacy, safety and biomarker analysis.

Chemotherapy serves as the primary therapeutic approach for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), yet its efficacy remains unsatisfactory. This study was a single-arm, open-label, single-center clinical trial (NCT05447702) involving patients with newly diagnosed stage II-III TNBC at West China Hospital. The treatment regimen consisted of camrelizumab (200 mg intravenously every 2 weeks, 12 cycles), apatinib (250 mg orally daily), and alternating chemotherapy [nab-paclitaxel (d1, 8, 15 every 4 weeks) for 4 cycles and epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide (every 2 weeks) for 4 cycles].

Mapping pea seed composition through strategic selection of accessions from the Nordic gene bank.

This study aims to utilise natural variation in pea seed composition from NordGen collections to identify key traits for optimized plant-based ingredients functionality while minimizing refined extraction processes. Given the impracticality of chemically analysing 1942 accessions, an algorithm-assisted approach was employed, using image-derived features and datasets to pre-select 51 accessions. Protein content, thousand kernel weight, perimeter, and G-value were determined as primary criteria via PCA, capturing variations in protein composition and other key components.

Improving Pressure Steam Sterilization Quality Through Healthcare Failure Mode and Effects Analysis: A Pre-Post Intervention Study in Central Sterile Supply Departments.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of Healthcare Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (HFMEA) in reducing quality defects during pressure steam sterilization in the Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD).

Methods: The study followed a structured HFMEA framework: (1) A multidisciplinary team (n=7) with CSSD expertise was established to analyze sterilization workflows, including instrument scanning, sterilization verification, and post-sterilization cooling. (2) Process mapping and risk prioritization were conducted using a 4-level severity/occurrence matrix (adapted from Australian clinical risk criteria) to calculate Risk Priority Numbers (RPN=Severity×Occurrence).

Contact Resistance Modeling Under Complex Wear Conditions Based on Fractal Theory.

The muzzle velocity of electromagnetic rail launchers approaches 1550 m/s, exhibiting typical hypervelocity electrical contact characteristics. During the electromagnetic launching process, extreme conditions, such as high current density, high temperature rise, and strong strain can cause wear on the surfaces of the armature and rail. Electromagnetic launch tests are conducted to study the wear conditions of the rail surface and the relationship between the wear state and contact resistance.

Therapeutic Potential of Ginsenosides in the Treatment of Endocrine Diseases: Roles and Mechanisms.

Endocrine diseases continue to surge as a global health concern, posing a serious threat to human health and placing a tremendous burden on society. The pathophysiology of endocrine diseases is intricate and multifactorial, often associated with dysregulation in feedback mechanisms or malfunctions within the endocrine system. Numerous studies have been conducted to develop pharmacological agents that prevent or alleviate endocrine disorders.

Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Seropositive Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

Background: Observational studies indicated potential associations between primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the causal relationship between RA and PBC remains unclear and controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the causal relationships among seropositive RA (SPRA), seronegative RA (SNRA) and PBC.

Association of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 with metabolic abnormalities among children and adolescents.

Background And Objective: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) play roles in growth and development, but their association with metabolic abnormalities in children and adolescents remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between IGF-1, IGFBP-3, and metabolic abnormalities in Chinese children and adolescents, while assessing the role of age in these associations.

Methods: Participants were categorized into low-risk and high-risk groups based on metabolic abnormality criteria.

An Integrated Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals the Protective Mechanism of Aspirin on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing health concern worldwide. Aspirin has shown potential in ameliorating MASLD, yet its mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study aims to investigate the protective effects of aspirin on MASLD by incorporating transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches.

Improved diagnostic decision making for microvascular invasion in HCC using a novel nomogram incorporating delta radiomics and body composition factors: A multicenter study.

Objective: To develop and validate machine learning(ML) models based on delta-radiomics features and body composition factors for early prediction of microvascular invasion(MVI) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) using a multicenter cohort,and to identify differentially expressed genes(DEGs).

Methods: This retrospective study included pathologically-confirmed HCC patients diagnosed at three centers.Radiomic features were extracted from MRI images,and delta-radiomics features were calculated.

Map functional insulators with cross-platform Hi-C meta-analysis.

CTCF forms the boundaries of topologically associating domains (TADs) but their insulating function in transcription is controversial. Here we report that functional insulators (FINs) shall be determined not only by their ability to form static loops or boundaries, but also by the dynamic context if their flanking sequences form new loops upon boundary loss. We performed a meta-analysis of nine independent Hi-C and micro-C datasets upon acute CTCF- or cohesin protein-depletion and found that only at several hundred loci, newly gained enhancers-promoters (E-P) loops can be reproducibly observed upon CTCF depletion.

Anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects of galactose-rich heteropolysaccharides from Laoshan green tea and its physicochemical properties.

The extraction conditions of Laoshan green tea extracts were optimised by response surface method. , the MDA, NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were significantly inhibited and SOD level was increased after Laoshan green tea polysaccharides (GTPS) administration in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS.

Pd, S co-modified Prussian blue analogues nanocomposites for MRI guided combined mitochondria-targeting cancer therapy with tumor microenvironment remodeling, multienzyme-like catalysis and mild photothermal therapeutic effect.

Developing appropriate nanoplatforms with enhanced properties to increase the efficiency of the nano-based strategies is an urgent challenge for cancer therapy. In this work, a S, Pd modified hollow CoNiMnFe Prussian blue analogue nanocomposite (Pd-S-CNMF) was prepared as multifunctional nanoplatform for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guided for combined cascade catalyzed therapy and low-temperature photothermal therapy. We found that the co-modification of S and Pd on CNMF could enhance the responsive feature the as-prepared nanocomposite to acidic environment, which endowed the Pd-S-CNMF with multiple enzyme mimicking activities and enhanced NIR light absorption.

The 3D genome of plasma cells in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by expanding clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM) that produce monoclonal immunoglobulin. It is an incurable disease, accounting for about 10% of blood malignancies and the second most common hematologic malignancy. Therefore, in-depth research into the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets of the disease is crucial.