Unveiling the hidden impact: metabolomic changes in children undergoing VSD repair.

Background: We analyzed the perioperative metabolomic alterations in children undergoing ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), identified evidence of postoperative injury, and explored strategies to mitigate such injuries.

Methods: We conducted an untargeted metabolomic analysis of serum at three distinct time points (preoperative (Tp), immediate postoperative (T0), and 24 h postoperative (T24)) in eight children undergoing VSD repair under CPB. Subsequently, we identified the key enzymes associated with perioperative injury for molecular docking prediction studies.

SZC-6 Promotes Diabetic Wound Healing in Mice by Modulating the M1/M2 Macrophage Ratio and Inhibiting the MyD88/NF-χB Pathway.

: The prolonged M1-like pro-inflammatory polarization of macrophages is a key factor in the delayed healing of diabetic ulcers (DU). SIRT3, a primary mitochondrial deacetylase, has been identified as a regulator of inflammation and represents a promising new therapeutic target for DU treatment. Nonetheless, the efficacy of existing SIRT3 agonists remains suboptimal.

Novel coumarin derivative SZC-6 as an allosteric activator of SIRT3 alleviates diabetic kidney disease via the SIRT3-Foxo3a signaling axis.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), with mitochondrial dysfunction playing a crucial role in its progression. Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is an important mitochondrial deacetylase that maintains mitochondrial homeostasis and represents a promising therapeutic target for DKD. In this study, we developed a novel allosteric activator of SIRT3, SZC-6, a 3-aryl coumarin derivative, which exhibits stronger activation of SIRT3 compared to the currently most effective agonist, C12(7-Hydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2H-benzopyran-2-one).

Research on the Correlation between BDNF Val76Met Polymorphism and Susceptibility to Changes of Cognitive Function in Rats Induced by Microwave Radiation.

Microwave radiation is extremely sensitive to the brain and has been shown in animal models to affect memory and learning. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is essential for neural function and brain development, with many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in gene. Several neuropathological disorders have been linked to the BDNF Val66Met variation.

Influence of Initial Velocity and Lateral Sliding Angle on Coalescence-Induced Jumping of Nanodroplets on Superhydrophobic Surfaces.

This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to comprehensively investigate nanoscale droplet coalescence-induced jumping dynamics on superhydrophobic surfaces, focusing on the coupled effects of initial Weber numbers () and lateral sliding angles (). The research systematically analyzes dimensionless jumping velocity, jumping time, droplet centroid trajectories, droplet deformation (length-to-height ratio), and average liquid bridge growth rates under varying conditions. Results reveal that smaller lateral angles (0°, 30°) favor higher vertical jumping velocities and stable droplet trajectories at lower Weber numbers, with clear adherence to inertia-capillary scaling laws.

Site-Selective C-H Annulation Reaction via Thianthrenium Salts of Arenes.

This work presents a site-selective C-H annulation strategy for dihydrobenzoisoxazole synthesis using readily accessible thianthrenium salts as aryne precursors. The process involves base-mediated generation of reactive aryne intermediates from thianthrenium salts followed by regioselective [3 + 2] cycloaddition with nitrone 1,3-dipoles, exhibiting excellent functional group tolerance and exceptional regiocontrol. The synthetic utility of this protocol is highlighted by the successful annulation of commercially available drug molecules, providing expedient access to novel scaffolds with potential bioactivity.

Physical exercise activates a PVN-NAc oxytocin circuit to relieve stress-induced depressive-like behaviors.

Physical exercise is known to reduce depression, but the underlying brain mechanisms remain unclear. Based on a chronic restraint stress model in mice, we showed that 4-wk treadmill exercise profoundly maintained normal neural activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), in association with the prevention of depressive-like behaviors. Microarray analysis conducted in the NAc revealed that the oxytocin (OT) receptor displayed the most significant differential expression, implying a crucial involvement of OT signaling in exercise-induced antidepressant effects.

Effect of energy back transfer from Er to Yb ions on the upconversion luminescence of Er:NaYb(MoO) and Yb,Er:NaBi(MoO).

Under the excitation of a 980 nm laser, the visible upconversion (UC) luminescence of Er ions doped Yb ions self-activated NaYb(MoO) phosphor and crystal, as well as the Yb/Er ions codoped NaBi(MoO) crystal were investigated comprehensively. The results indicate that all three samples exhibit two significant green emission bands and a weak red emission band in the visible band corresponding to the transitions of H/S → I and F → I of Er ions, respectively. Through the variable power density spectra of three different samples, the relationship between the energy back transfer (EBT) process of Yb-Er ions and the power density point and Yb ion concentration was investigated.

Four guidelines to identify bona fide protease-substrate pairs.

Plant proteases are an important class of enzymes, with proposed involvement in various aspects of the plant life cycle. However, pinpointing authentic protease-substrate interactions remains challenging, which hinders a comprehensive understanding of the biological function of proteases. Moreover, a structured set of guidelines to validate protease substrates is lacking.

A deeper evaluation of cytokeratin fragment 21-1 as a lung cancer tumor marker and comparison of different assays.

Studies show CYFRA 21-1 fragments of cytokeratin 19 (CK19) to be promising biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although previous literature identifies specific CYFRA 21-1 antibody binding epitopes, the exact molecular weight of the CK19 fragment being detected by current assays is not well-documented. Serum samples from 58 patients (lung cancer (N = 36), control (N = 22)) were used to measure CYFRA 21-1 across four different quantification assays: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chemiluminescent assay (ChLIA), electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA), and compensated interferometric reader (CIR).

Mechanism-Data Collaboration for Characterizing Sea Clutter Properties and Training Sample Selection.

Multi-feature-based maritime radar target detection algorithms often rely on statistical models to accurately characterize sea clutter variations. However, it is a big challenge for these models to accurately characterize sea clutter due to the complexity of the marine environment. Moreover, the distribution of training samples captured from dynamic observation conditions is imbalanced.

Factors Associated With Initial Failure in Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Thrombin Injection for Iatrogenic Femoral Pseudoaneurysms.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate factors associated with the initial failure of ultrasound-guided percutaneous thrombin injection in the treatment of iatrogenic femoral pseudoaneurysms (FPA).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 60 patients who developed iatrogenic FPA following transfemoral procedures at Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University between January 2015 and December 2023. All patients received ultrasound-guided percutaneous thrombin injection.

From energy metabolism to mood regulation: The rise of lactate as a therapeutic target.

Background: Disruption of cerebral energy metabolism is increasingly recognized as a key factor in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Lactate, beyond its role as a metabolic byproduct, is now understood to be a critical player in brain energy homeostasis and a modulator of neuronal function. Recent advances in understanding lactate shuttling between astrocytes and neurons have opened new avenues for exploring its multifaceted roles in mood regulation.

Chaotic time series classification by means of reservoir-based convolutional neural networks.

We propose a novel Reservoir Computing (RC) based classification method that distinguishes between different chaotic time series. Our method is composed of two steps: (i) we use the reservoir as a feature extracting machine that captures the salient features of time series data; (ii) the readout layer of the reservoir is subsequently fed into a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to facilitate classification and recognition. One of the notable advantages is that the readout layer, as obtained by randomly generated empirical hyper-parameters within the RC module, provides sufficient information for the CNN to accomplish the classification tasks effectively.

Pt(IV)-PROTAC Complexes with Synergistic Antitumor Activity and Enhanced Membrane Permeability.

A class of Pt(IV)-PROTAC complexes was designed and synthesized with dual aims of inducing DNA strand damage and inhibiting DNA repair. These complexes showed good antiproliferative activity against a range of cancer cell lines. Enhanced intracellular uptake of platinum and PROTAC was observed.

Microwaves Activate Immune Response and Promote Lymphocytes Proliferation of Wistar Rats.

The potential effects of microwave radiation have gained increasing attention due to its widespread application in daily life. This study aimed to investigate its effects on rat immune function. Male Wistar rats were subjected to 2.

Optimizing Biomarker Models for Biologically Heterogeneous Cancers: A Nested Model Approach for Lung Cancer.

Background: The heterogeneous biology of cancer subtypes, especially in lung cancer, poses significant challenges for biomarker development. Standard model building techniques often fall short in accurately incorporating various histologic subtypes because of their diverse biological characteristics. This study explores a nested biomarker model to address this issue, aiming to improve lung cancer early detection.

Mechanistic insights into microwave radiation induced cognitive impairments: The role of mA epigenetic modifications and HNRNPA2B1 in TrkB regulation.

Microwave radiation, a prevalent environmental stressor, significantly impacts human health. Based on previous studies, we hypothesize that microwave-induced cognitive impairments and vulnerability in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region are due to abnormal synaptic plasticity regulated by both newborn and mature neurons derived from neural stem cells (NSCs). Epigenetics links external factors to organisms, offers insights into the health effects of environmental influences.

Impact of Microwave Exposure on Cynomolgus Monkeys: EEG and ECG Analysis.

The annual increase of microwave exposure in human environments continues to fuel debates regarding its potential health impacts. This study monitored the EEG and ECG responses of three Cynomolgus monkeys before and at 0, 3, 7, 14, and 30 days after exposure to 50 mW/cm² microwave radiation for 15 min. The findings revealed no significant differences in the power spectral densities (PSDs) of the whole brain, frontal, and temporal lobes across various frequency bands (δ, θ, α, β, low-γ, and high-γ) immediately and up to 30 days postexposure.

Proximity Labeling and Genetic Screening Reveal that DSG2 is a Counter Receptor of Siglec-9 and Suppresses Macrophage Phagocytosis.

Cancer cells present sialylated glycoconjugates that modulate the activity of various immune cells within the tumor microenvironment through trans interaction with immunosuppressive Siglec receptors. Identifying counter receptors for Siglecs can provide valuable targets for cancer immunotherapy, but it presents significant challenges. Here, the identification of DSG2 (Desmoglein 2) as a dominant counter receptor of Siglec-9 in melanoma cells is reported, using a workflow that combines the strength of proximity labeling and the advantage of CRISPR knockout screening.

ATG8 delipidation is not universally critical for autophagy in plants.

Intracellular recycling via autophagy is governed by post-translational modifications of the autophagy-related (ATG) proteins. One notable example is ATG4-dependent delipidation of ATG8, a process that plays critical but distinct roles in autophagosome formation in yeast and mammals. Here, we aim to elucidate the specific contribution of this process to autophagosome formation in species representative of evolutionarily distant green plant lineages: unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, with a relatively simple set of ATG genes, and a vascular plant Arabidopsis thaliana, harboring expanded ATG gene families.

Shrimp structure as a test bed for ordinal pattern measures.

Identifying complex periodic windows surrounded by chaos in the two or higher dimensional parameter space of certain dynamical systems is a challenging task for time series analysis based on complex network approaches. This holds particularly true for the case of shrimp structures, where different bifurcations occur when crossing different domain boundaries. The corresponding dynamics often exhibit either period-doubling when crossing the inner boundaries or, respectively, intermittency for outer boundaries.

High-Mode Coupling Yields Multicoherent-Phase Phenomena in Nonlocally Coupled Oscillators.

Capturing the intricate dynamics of partially coherent patterns in coupled oscillator systems is vibrant and one of the crucial areas of nonlinear sciences. Considering higher-order Fourier modes in the coupling, we discover a novel type of clustered coherent state in phase models, where inside the coherent region oscillators are further split into q dynamically equivalent subgroups with a 2π/q phase difference between two neighboring subgroups, forming a multicoherent-phase (MUP) chimera state. Both a self-consistency analysis and the Ott-Antonsen dimension reduction techniques are used to theoretically derive these solutions, whose stability are further demonstrated by spectral analysis.

Transcriptomics profiling of the non-small cell lung cancer microenvironment across disease stages reveals dual immune cell-type behaviors.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, with poor survival despite recent therapeutic advances. A better understanding of the complexity of the tumor microenvironment is needed to improve patients' outcome.

Methods: We applied a computational immunology approach (involving immune cell proportion estimation by deconvolution, transcription factor activity inference, pathways and immune scores estimations) in order to characterize bulk transcriptomics of 62 primary lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) samples from patients across disease stages.

Comparative Chloroplast Genome Study of in China Sheds Light on Plastome Characterization and Phylogenetic Relationships.

Background: Mill., a morphologically diverse herbaceous perennial genus of Zingiberaceae, is distributed mainly in tropical to warm-temperate Asia. In China, species of have crucial medicinal, edible, and horticultural values; however, their phylogenetic relationships remain unclear.