Discordance between knee and hand-wrist bone age in adolescents: implications for skeletal maturity assessment and its association with thyroid-stimulating hormone levels.

Background: Hand-wrist radiographs may not fully reflect skeletal bone age (BA) during mid-to-late puberty. Knee magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non-radiative imaging technique, may provide detailed evaluation of the lower limbs.

Objective: To validate the San Diego MRI-based knee BA atlas in a Chinese adolescent cohort presenting with growth deceleration, evaluate the concordance between knee and hand-wrist BA, and explore factors influencing potential discrepancies.

Serum levels of leucine-rich α-2 glycoprotein 1 (LRG1), pro-neurotensin (PNT), fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) and furin in pediatric growth hormone deficiency before and after 1-year growth hormone replacement therapy.

Objective: To investigate serum levels of leucine-rich α-2 glycoprotein 1 (LRG1), pro-neurotensin (PNT), fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), and furin in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) compared to idiopathic short stature (ISS) and healthy children, and to evaluate their changes and clinical relevance after 1-year growth hormone replacement therapy (GHRT).

Methods: The prospective cohort study was conducted in 32 idiopathic GHD, 32 ISS and 32 healthy children. Serum LRG1, PNT, FABP4, furin and clinical parameters were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 months of GHRT.

Growth plate continuity on knee MRI predicts growth hormone effect in mid-to-late puberty with idiopathic short stature.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy in adolescents with idiopathic short stature during mid-to-late puberty, using knee MRI to predict therapeutic response.

Methods: This one-year prospective cohort study included 50 idiopathic short stature adolescents and 100 healthy controls. Participants underwent knee MRI to classify growth plates into "continuous" and "discontinuous" subgroups.

GLUT3 enhances chemosensitivity in glioblastoma by transporting temozolomide and capecitabine.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive brain cancer, is highly resistant to chemotherapy, which profoundly affects patient survival and prognosis. Temozolomide (TMZ), the sole first-line chemotherapeutic agent for GBM, faces substantial challenges in overcoming this resistance. Despite the belief that TMZ is well-absorbed in the small intestine and can effectively cross the blood-brain barrier due to its small molecular size, emerging evidence suggests that its uptake is not merely through passive diffusion across the lipid bilayer but is regulated by Wnt signaling.

An Animal Model of Liuzijue Based on Kinematic Features Exploration: A Pilot Study Conducting in COPD.

Background: Liuzijue is an essential nonpharmacological intervention within the comprehensive management strategies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. However, the absence of an animal model for Liuzijue presents methodological limitations in its basic research. This study aimed to apply interventions with kinematic characteristics of Liuzijue to COPD mice, with the objective to explore an animal model of Liuzijue suitable for experimental studies.

Multi-scale mechanisms of Zn coordination by humic substances from different bio-stabilized sludge: insights from structure-based modeling and molecular dynamics simulations.

The structural features of humic substances (HS) critically determine their interactions with heavy metal ions, playing a significant role in heavy metal immobilization during sludge bio-stabilization processes and subsequent land applications. However, the specific effects of chain structure and acidic functional group distribution within HS molecules on metal coordination remain insufficiently understood. Here, representative molecular models of HS derived from vermicomposted sludge (VCS), aerobically composted sludge (ACS) and anaerobically digested sludge (ADS) were constructed based on structural characterization.

Family History of Hypertension Predicts Thyroid Cancer Risk in Women: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study With Integrative Machine Learning and Genomic Analyses.

Introduction: Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine malignancies globally, with a markedly higher incidence in women. Although pregnancy-induced hypertension is recognized as a risk factor, the underlying mechanisms linking hypertension and thyroid cancer remain poorly understood. This study explores the gender-specific associations between family history of hypertension and thyroid cancer, integrating clinical characteristics with genetic insights.

Genetic Characteristics of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Cattle from Hebei Province, China.

Purpose: Enterocytozoon bieneusi (E. bieneusi) is a microsporidium that causes intestinal disease in animals and humans, and transmits person to person and/or animals to people. A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence and genetic diversity E.

Femtosecond Laser Irradiation Induced Heterojunctions Between Graphene Oxide and Silver Nanowires.

In this article, femtosecond laser scanning was used to create heterojunctions between silver nanowire (Ag NW) and graphene oxide (GO), resulting in a mechanical and electrical interconnection. Surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) were generated on the nanowire surface by using femtosecond laser irradiation, producing a periodically excited electric field along the Ag NWs. This electric field then interfered with the femtosecond laser field, creating strong localized heating effects, which melted the Ag NW and GO, leading to mechanical bonding between the two.

Characteristic activation of respiratory muscles in Liuzijue practice: a preliminary study based on surface electromyography in healthy individuals.

Purpose: Liuzijue, a traditional Chinese Qigong, is effective for respiratory rehabilitation, yet its underlying mechanisms remain largely theoretical due to complex movement patterns. This study aimed to record respiratory muscle surface electromyography (EMG) during Liuzijue practice, analyze muscle activation characteristics, and provide a scientific basis for its clinical application.

Methods: Thirty-two proficient Liuzijue practitioners underwent calm breathing, deep breathing, and Liuzijue training with surface EMG recordings.

-derived polysaccharides alleviate DSS-induced colitis in mice by suppressing inflammation, enhancing intestinal barrier integrity, and restoring gut microbiota homeostasis.

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC), is characterized by disturbances in the intestinal barrier, immune system dysfunction, and an altered gut microbiota composition. , a medicinal mushroom known for its bioactive polysaccharides, has shown potential anti-inflammatory properties. However, its therapeutic effects on ulcerative colitis have not been studied.

Evaluation of a Novel Tantalum Oxide-Based Contrast Agent for Liver Imaging and Tumor Detection in Dual-Energy CT: A Preclinical Proof-of-Concept Study.

Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate an experimental intravascular carboxybetaine zwitterionic tantalum oxide (TaCZ) nanoparticle CT contrast agent versus iopamidol for hepatic imaging and tumor detection using a multiphase dual-layer spectral CT (DLCT).

Materials And Methods: Rabbits with small (0.6 - 0.

The host genes influencing infection and the potential role of intestinal Lactobacillus acidophilus: a Mendelian randomization and animal model study.

Introduction: infection (CDI) poses a significant clinical burden due to its high recurrence rate and life-threatening complications. While gut dysbiosis is central to CDI pathogenesis, mechanisms underlying microbiota-mediated host defense remain underexplored.

Methods: This study integrated summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) of cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTLs) from blood, transverse colon, and sigmoid colon tissues with CDI genome-wide association study (GWAS) data to identify host genes influencing CDI susceptibility.

Diabetes and periodontitis: the role of a high-glucose microenvironment in periodontal tissue cells and corresponding therapeutic strategies.

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that leads to the destruction of periodontal tissues and diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia. Both of these diseases affect many people worldwide. Epidemiological data have revealed a close relationship between periodontitis and diabetes.

Effect of ultrasound-assisted pH-shifting treatment on the physicochemical properties of mung bean protein/milk protein concentrate hybrid protein systems and its application in hybrid yogurt gels.

This study aimed to explore the impact of ultrasound-assisted pH-shifting on the physicochemical characteristics of a mung bean protein/milk protein concentrate (MBP/MPC) hybrid protein system and assess its applicability in hybrid yogurt gels. The results indicated that ultrasound and pH-shifting synergistically improved the physicochemical properties of hybrid protein system, increasing solubility (86.92 %-91.

Evaluation of an AI facial recognition system for Turner Syndrome screening and facial complexity: a prospective cohort.

Purpose: Artificial intelligence-based facial recognition (AI-FR) is promising in diagnosis of diseases with distinct facial features. Our team has retrospectively constructed an AI-FR system for Turner Syndrome (TS) based on 1295 facial photographs in previous research. This study aims to evaluate this AI-FR system for TS screening in a prospective cohort in real-world clinic setting.

Novel High-Resolution Lipidomes Could Serve as New Biomarkers for Diabetic Retinopathy: A Bidirectional and Mediated Mendelian Randomization Study.

Although lipid metabolism is a critical factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR), the connection between lipidome and DR is still a subject of debate. We aimed to demonstrate that lipidome could serve as novel biomarkers for DR and elucidate the mediating role of inflammatory factors. Data for our investigation are available from the GWAS catalogue and FinnGen Biobank.

Spleen Volume Dynamics and Survival Outcomes in HCC Patients Undergoing Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Retrospective Analysis.

Purpose: The spleen serves as an important immune organ which influences the anti-tumor immune response by modulating the immune microenvironment. This study investigated the prognostic impact of spleen volume (SV) on the survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study included 224 HCC patients treated with ICIs, categorized into Higher and Lower SV groups by median SV and further into SV increased and Non-SV increased groups based on changes in SV at 3 months after ICIs.

Enantioselective accumulation and trophodynamics of p-phenylenediamine antioxidants and their quinones in the mangrove ecosystem.

p-Phenylenediamines (PPDs) and their quinones (PPDQs) are contaminants of emerging concern. Nevertheless, scarce information exists on their bioaccumulation and biomagnification in food web. Moreover, chiral signatures of 6PPD and its quinone (6PPDQ) have not been studied in the field.

Effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on rumination and post-traumatic growth in patients with acute cerebral infarction: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: The prevention and management of cerebrovascular diseases, particularly cerebral infarction - the most prevalent type of cerebrovascular disease - pose significant challenges, severely affecting patients' physical and mental health. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been shown to be effective in treating various mental and chronic conditions. However, there is limited evidence on its effectiveness for treating rumination in patients with acute cerebral infarction (ACI).

The Key Role and Mechanism of Oxidative Stress in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Exploration Based on Multi-Omics Analysis and Experimental Validation.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), characterised by abnormal ventricular thickening, involves complex mechanisms including gene mutations, calcium dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress. Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the progression of HCM by mediating cardiomyocyte injury and remodelling. This study systematically analysed HCM transcriptomic data using differential gene expression, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and unsupervised consensus clustering to identify key genes and classify HCM subtypes.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Metabolic Model of Accelerated Aging - Multi-Organ Mechanisms and Intervention Approaches.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by chronic high blood sugar levels and insulin resistance (IR). Modern medicine has shown that diabetes plays a role in speeding up the aging process of the body independently of age, making it an age-related aging disease. The oxidative stress caused by chronic high blood sugar and IR can lead to dysfunctional mitochondria, which in turn promotes changes in epigenetic regulation, shortening of telomeres, and cellular senescence.

Sex-related differences and associated transcriptional signatures in the brain ventricular system and cerebrospinal fluid development in full-term neonates.

Background: The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is known to serve as a unique environment for neurodevelopment, with specific proteins secreted by epithelial cells of the choroid plexus (CP) playing crucial roles in cortical development and cell differentiation. Sex-related differences in the brain in early life have been widely identified, but few studies have investigated the neonatal CSF system and associated transcriptional signatures.

Methods: This study included 75 full-term neonates [44 males and 31 females; gestational age (GA) = 37-42 weeks] without significant MRI abnormalities from the dHCP (developing Human Connectome Project) database.

Eu-doped nickel oxide for low-temperature direct decomposition of nitrous oxide.

Nitrous oxide (NO) is a potent greenhouse gas with high global warming potential. It is urgent to develop active and stabile catalysts for NO direct catalytic decomposition (deNO) in industrial exhaust gas. In this study, a series of Eu-doped NiO catalysts were synthesized by co-precipitation method.