Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis and prognosis assessment of fetal neck masses.

Objective: This study retrospectively analyzed the prenatal ultrasound features and outcomes of fetal neck masses to improve the understanding of fetal neck masses and provide evidence for prenatal consultation, prognosis assessment, delivery mode selection, and clinical intervention.

Methods: From January 2018 to November 2023, 18 patients who underwent routine prenatal ultrasonography in the ultrasound department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital or who were referred to our hospital for the diagnosis of a fetal neck mass were retrospectively identified. Their prenatal ultrasound characteristics and pregnancy outcomes were examined and follow-up was conducted.

Drought-induced transposon expression reveals complex drought response mechanisms in .

Transposable elements (TEs) are abundant components of plant genomes, yet their transcriptional activity and potential biological roles remain underexplored, especially under environmental stress conditions. This study investigates the transcriptional dynamics of TEs in during drought stress in seed development, aiming to uncover their contributions to stress responses and seed germination. RNA-seq data were analyzed for TE transcriptional activity in wild-type (WT) and CRISPR-edited mutant lines of .

Vagus nerve stimulation ameliorates learning-memory deficits and suppresses neuronal apoptosis via the ERK/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway in epileptic rats.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) on learning, memory and neuronal apoptosis in epileptic rats, and to investigate the involvement of the ERK/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway.

Methods: Epilepsy was induced in rats lithium chloride-pilocarpine. Then they were divided into four groups: epilepsy model, VNS-treated, and sodium valproate-treated (VPA), and sham groups ( = 6/group).

Tobacco exposure and risk of spontaneous abortion, a dose-dependent association: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the dose-dependent association between tobacco exposure (active and passive smoking) and the risk of spontaneous abortion (SA), incorporating subgroup analyses to evaluate the influence of study design.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for English-language observational studies published between 1991 and 2023. Studies were included if they reported on the association between active or passive tobacco exposure during pregnancy and SA risk (defined as pregnancy loss before 20 weeks of gestation).

Study on stage division and evaluation index of microwave deicing technology for pavement concrete.

Microwave deicing technology has received growing attention as one of the deicing solutions for road surface icing in cold climates due to its benefits, such as energy savings, environmental protection, high efficiency, pavement protection, and others. In this study, practical and theoretical research was conducted on the stage division of the physical process of microwave deicing of road surface concrete and the deicing technology assessment index. Based on the experimental results and the characteristics of ice melting, the microwave deicing process can be divided into four stages, respectively: Heat from Concrete Stage (HCS), Heat from Water Stage (HWS), Ice Thinning Stage (ITS), and Ice Breaking and Melting Stage (IBMS).

Discovery of LYA914, An Orally Bioavailable PROTAC Degrader Targeting the DNA Binding Domain of the Androgen Receptor for the Treatment of CRPC.

Prostate cancer is a common male malignancy. Although androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is initially effective, it often leads to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) eventually. Second-generation androgen antagonists are the standard therapy for CRPC.

Parallel-Shaped poly(L-lactic acid) electrospun membrane promotes facial nerve injury regeneration by upregulating miR-451a expression.

Facial nerve injury (FNI) causes devastating sequelae, including impaired eyelid closure, dysphagia, and permanent facial asymmetry, leading to long-term functional deficits and profound psychosocial impacts that pose significant rehabilitation challenges. To address this, neural regenerative scaffolds represent a promising therapeutic alternative. This study engineered poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) electrospun membranes with parallel topographical cues (Align) and functionalized miR-451a-incorporated scaffolds (miR-451a mimics@PLLA) electrostatic spinning, aiming to decipher how topographical cues steer neurogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and their crosstalk with microRNA regulation.

Disruption of Spore Coat Integrity in Enhances Macrophage Immune Activation.

Probiotics play a pivotal role in animal production by promoting growth, enhancing gut health, and modulating immune responses. , a widely utilized probiotic, forms robust spores that exhibit exceptional resistance, making it ideal for feed applications. While spores have been shown to stimulate innate immune signaling, the specific contributions of spore coat proteins to immune modulation remain poorly characterized.

Enhanced Corrosion Resistance and Stability in Seawater Electrolysis via In Situ Generated CeO Layer on the Ce-Co(OH)@FeOOH Electrode, Sustaining 2500 h at 2 A cm.

Seawater electrocatalysis offers a promising pathway for renewable energy generation, yet the issue of chloride-induced electrode corrosion urgently requires resolution. This study presents a highly durable and corrosion-resistant Ce-Co(OH)@FeOOH electrocatalyst, where an in situ generated CeO nanoparticles' layer effectively blocks chloride ions, thereby protecting the catalyst. The system demonstrates remarkable stability, maintaining electrolysis for 2500 h at 2 A cm and for 400 h in high-salinity environments (2 M NaCl).

Substrate topography-induced osteogenesis of bone marrow stem cells by reducing the chromatin accessibility of YBX1.

Stem cell fate is profoundly influenced by a complex interplay of biochemical and biophysical cues, with the latter increasingly recognized for its roles in cellular processes, yet the mechanisms are unclear. Since chromatin accessibility is a critical determinant in the processes of osteogenesis and bone repair, investigating the contributions of open chromatin regions (OCRs) to the intracellular signaling pathways triggered by topographical cues, which lead to osteogenic differentiation is highly valuable. This study explores the impact of the nanotopography of biomaterials on the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs).

Distribution and infestation of Leptotrombidium scutellare (a major vector of scrub typhus) on small mammals across five provincial regions of Southwest China.

The chigger Leptotrombidium scutellare is a major vector of scrub typhus and a potential vector of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in China. Between 2001 and 2022, a field survey was conducted at 114 survey sites in five provincial regions of southwest China, an important focus of scrub typhus and HFRS. A total of 20,254 L.

Acceleration of Carrier Transport in an Individual Microplate of Mixed-Halide Perovskite after Phase Segregation.

The band gap energy of lead mixed bromide-iodide perovskite can be simply tuned by adjusting the ratio between the composing halide anions, which would be segregated again upon continuous light illumination to form the iodide-rich domains. Here, we have employed transient absorption microscopy to investigate the carrier diffusion dynamics in an individual CsPbBrI microplate under the influence of such iodide-rich domains. As expected in the phase-segregated microplate, the lifetime of charge carriers is shortened owing to their migration into the iodide-rich domains with a low band gap energy.

Exploring the role of intestinal pathogenic bacteria in metronidazole-induced bone loss: focus on Klebsiella variicola.

Antibiotic use is known to contribute to the development of osteoporosis, although the exact mechanisms remain poorly understood. Metronidazole (MET), a commonly prescribed antibiotic for treating anaerobic infections, has been linked to alterations in the gut microbiota (GM), which in turn are associated with various adverse side effects in the host. Recent studies have shown that the GM plays a key role in regulating bone homeostasis, though the underlying mechanisms remain under investigation.

Deciphering the genetic interconnection between sarcopenia and osteoporosis: SCD1.

Introduction: Sarcopenia is closely related to osteoporosis, but the causal direction of these associations remains unclear. This study aims to explore these potential causal associations from the perspective of gene regulation.

Materials And Methods: Differentially expressed genes between sarcopenia and control, were identified as exposure factors, with osteoporosis serving as outcome variable, to identify key genes that had potential causal association with osteoporosis.

Signal Compensation Dual-Mode Biosensors Based on Multifunctional Hybrid Nanoflowers for Portable Detection of .

Nanoprobe-based biosensors have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional analytical methods, offering advantages in rapid detection, cost-effectiveness, and no need for professional participation. However, challenges in nanoprobe complexity and instability impede biosensor standardization, frequently resulting in unreliable results. To address these limitations, we present a novel signal-compensated dual-mode biosensor platform utilizing multifunctional hybrid nanoflowers, namely aptamer-sucrase @horseradish peroxidase @nanoflower (Apt-Sucrase@HRP@NFs, NFs), for the detection of ().

Neutral-Exciton Emission from Single Perovskite Nanocrystals Memorizing the Pre-Existence of a Local Electric Field.

Semiconductor lead-halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are associated with a soft ionic lattice interacting strongly with the photogenerated charge carriers, which can bring about very novel photophysical properties in these quantum-confined materials with a large surface-to-volume ratio. Here we have performed high-resolution optical measurements on single perovskite CsPbI NCs at the cryogenic temperature of ∼4 K, with a specific focus on how an extra charge trapped on the surface influences the recombination energies of their neutral and charged excitons. As expected, the surface-trapped charge can impart a local electric field on the charged exciton inside a single CsPbI NC, leading to the shift of its recombination energy mainly by the quantum-confined Stark effect.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Inhibition Promotes Mitophagy via Miro1 Reduction to Rescue Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Protect Dopamine Neurons in Parkinson's Disease.

Both mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms between ERS and mitochondrial dysfunction remain unclear. In the present study, we found that an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease (PD) induced by methyl-4-phenylpyridine (MPP) showed increased intracellular peroxidation, leading to a significant increase in ERS.

Abundance and Infestation of Mites on Bower's White-Toothed Rat () in Southwest China.

Chiggers (chigger mites) and gamasid mites are two groups of ectoparasites on rodents, and they can be the vectors or potential vectors of scrub typhus and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), while Bower's white-toothed rat () can serve as the reservoir host of the diseases. Based on field investigations at 117 survey sites of southwest China, a total of 2512 mites were collected from 55 rats. Under a microscope, these mites were taxonomically identified as 56 distinct species, comprising 37 chigger mite species and 19 gamasid mite species.

Immune-microbiota dysregulation in maintenance hemodialysis: a 16S rRNA sequencing-based analysis of gut flora and T cell profiles.

Background: Maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients frequently exhibit immune dysregulation and gut dysbiosis, both of which contribute to increased infection risk and adverse outcomes. However, the relationship between gut microbial composition and immune competence in this population remains underexplored.

Methods: This study assessed 45 MHD patients and 30 healthy controls, stratifying MHD patients into immunocompetent (HD-NLI, CD4/CD8 ≥ 1) and immunodeficient (HD-LI, CD4/CD8 < 1) groups.

Overexpression of LINC00672 promotes autophagy in Alzheimer's disease by upregulating GPNMB.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative brain disorder, and autophagy crafts a new dawn on AD therapeutics. However, whether LINC00672 exerts its biological effects involvement in autophagy-mediated mechanisms in AD remain obscure.

Methods: SH-SY5Y cells were treated with Amyloid Beta 1-42 (Aβ1-42, Aβ), while an AD mouse model was established using streptozotocin (STZ).

ABA Enhances Drought Resistance During Rapeseed ( L.) Seed Germination Through the Gene Regulatory Network Mediated by ABA Insensitive 5.

ABA Insensitive 5 (ABI5) is a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor (TF) that plays a critical role in seed dormancy and germination, particularly under stress conditions. This study identified as an important candidate gene regulating seed germination under drought stress during early germination in rapeseed ( L.) seeds through Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS).

Transgenerational effects of Nanoplastics and bisphenol A on Zebrafish lipid metabolism: Disruption of the gut Microbiota-liver axis via mTOR pathway.

The gut-liver axis is vital for organism health. Nanoplastics (NPs) and bisphenol A (BPA) can harm zebrafish intestines and livers, yet their combined impact on the gut-liver axis and transgenerational effects are unknown. In this study, F0 zebrafish were exposed to NPs and/or BPA for 28 days.

The roles, signalling pathways and therapeutic implications of Apoc1 in cancer.

The apolipoprotein C (Apoc) family comprises a group of low-molecular-weight proteins that are essential for modulating lipoprotein metabolism, primarily influencing lipid transport and metabolic pathways. Apoc1, a member of the Apoc family, is consistently overexpressed across various cancers, significantly correlating with poor prognosis. The multifaceted role of Apoc1 includes promoting cancer progression by activating key signalling pathways such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), STAT3 and WNT3 A.