Multinational cost-effectiveness analysis of pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer.

Background: Immunotherapy is a promising treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer. However, the cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin remains unclear across different healthcare systems. This study evaluates its international cost-effectiveness in four countries.

Development of a hybrid algal population prediction (HAPP) model by algae growth potential estimation and time series regression and its application in one reservoir in China.

Algal blooms in eutrophic lake and reservoir water sources deteriorate the water quality and severely compromise water supply safety. Predicting algal population dynamics is essential for developing effective water source control and management strategies. This study proposes a hybrid prediction model for algal population by algae growth potential (AGP) estimation and time series regression.

An overview of the formation mechanisms of endogenous and exogenous N-nitrosamines in human diets.

There are two formation routes of dietary N-nitrosamines: exogenous and endogenous formation. The formation of N-nitrosamines from either source requires precursors with a dialkylamine functional group and a nitrosating agent. Precursors are supplied primarily by amine-rich foods and nitrosating agents are nitrite or its reaction products (NO and NO).

Atomic-Level Design and Understanding of Hydroxyl-Mediated Ag Sites with Catalytic Versatility.

Regulating the size of active centers in catalysts exerts a profound effect on their activity and selectivity. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for precise control over the size of Ag species on AlO, enabling the 2%Ag/AlO catalyst to be tailored for various catalytic reactions. Building on the mechanism wherein hydroxyl groups serve as anchoring sites for Ag, we synthesized hydroxyl-rich AlO supports and subsequently reduced the hydroxyl content through roasting.

Robust Self-Healing Polyurethane-Based Solid-State Ion-Conductive Elastomers with Exceptional Strength and Ionic Conductivity for Multifunctional Strain Sensors and Triboelectric Nanogenerators.

Flexible ionic conductors hold potential for wearable sensors and energy harvesting. However, most gel-based conductors suffer from solvent evaporation and liquid leakage, limiting practical applications. Although solid-state ionic conductors mitigate these issues, achieving strong mechanics, high conductivity, self-healing, and stability remains challenging.

Optimization of Interfacial Electrons and Compressive-Tensile Strains at Lignin-Derived Carbon-Supported Multiphase Ni/Cu/MoO Interfaces for Boosting Large Current-Density HER.

Developing efficient pH-universal hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts is critically needed yet challenged by pH-dependent. Here, a lignin-derived carbon-supported Ni/Cu/MoO heterostructure (Ni/Cu/MoO@LC) through multiphase interfaces design is engineered, which displays excellent electrochemical activity, featuring low potentials of -14.4/-201.

High-Strength, Self-Healing, and Conductive Polyurethane Enabled by Double Crosslinking Network for Advanced Multifunctional Strain Sensors.

Flexible and stretchable conductive elastomers have broad application prospects in health monitoring, wearable flexible sensor, and information encryption. However, the current electronic conductors have conductive fillers easily fall off, conductive performance is unstable, and other problems limit their practical applications. Therefore, developing a conductive elastomer that combines high mechanical properties, good compatibility of the conductive filler with the substrate, and stable conductivity remains a significant challenge.

ChpR-displaying bacteria for bioremediation of chlorpyrifos and TCP: A whole-cell biosorbent approach.

The extensive use of chlorpyrifos (CPF) has led to significant water contamination, posing severe threats to aquatic ecosystems. This study presents a proof-of-concept for using surface-engineered bacteria as whole-cell biosorbents to remediate organophosphorus pesticide pollution and enhance water quality. We tested three outer membrane anchor motifs to display ChpR homologs on engineered bacteria.

Application of Elastic networks and Bayesian networks to explore influencing factors associated with arthritis in middle-aged and older adults in the Chinese community.

Bayesian networks (BNs) are an excellent machine learning algorithm for extensively exploring the influencing factors associated with many diseases. However, few researchers have used BNs to examine the influencing factors associated with arthritis in older adults in the Chinese community. Our aim has been to use BNs to construct a complex network of relationships between arthritis and its related influencing factors and to predict arthritis through Bayesian inference, thereby providing scientific references for its control and prevention.

Assessing the monthly performance of daily precipitation products over Southeast Asia using the gauge-based analysis.

Accurate precipitation data is essential for understanding land surface processes and the hydrological cycle, particularly in Southeast Asia (SEA), where precipitation patterns are influenced by complex climatic interactions. This study evaluates the monthly performance of five widely-used daily precipitation products-CPC, CHIRPS, IMERG, ERA5, and PERSIANN-against the benchmark SAOBS dataset over SEA from January 2001 to December 2017. By aggregating daily data into monthly values, we identify the strengths and weaknesses of each product in capturing the spatial and temporal characteristics of precipitation in the tropical region.

Unraveling the Cause of Strong Metal-Support Interaction Formation: Disparities in Metal Nanoparticle Anchoring Mechanisms.

Strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) can be normally induced by the surface free energy differences between metal nanoparticles and supports. To gain deeper insights into the effect of SMSI on heterogeneous catalysis, we use prototype Pt, Pd/TiO(anatase) systems to demonstrate different reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction activity changes, especially with increasing the metal nanoparticle (NP) loading. Our experiments show that the conventional surface-free-energy change law regarding the incremental NP size is no longer applicable to these systems due to the overlook of the change of support properties owing to the disparities of the metal anchoring mechanisms.

Coriander microgreens and baby greens: Comparison of volatile and non-volatile metabolites and potential therapeutic effects on type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity.

In this study, to improve the understanding of aroma characteristics, functional components, and nutritional variations in coriander at different growth stages, metabolomic approaches were employed to evaluate the profiles of volatile and non-volatile metabolites in coriander microgreens (CM) and coriander baby greens (CBG), focusing on their types and quantities. A comprehensive analysis identified 1,000 volatile and 1,799 non-volatile metabolites, among which 257 volatile and 597 non-volatile differential metabolites were recognized as key metabolites associated with coriander at various stages of maturity. Notably, key volatile organic compounds (VOCs) 1-p-menthen-8-thiol, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone and β-ionone were identified as the primary odor determinants during the CM and CBM stages.

PRMT3 and CARM1: Emerging Epigenetic Targets in Cancer.

The family of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) occupies an important position in biology, especially during the initiation and development of cancer. PRMT3 and CARM1(also known as PRMT4), being type I protein arginine methyltransferases, are key in controlling tumour progression by catalysing the mono-methylation and asymmetric di-methylation of both histone and non-histone substrates. This paper reviews the functions and potential therapeutic target value of PRMT3 and CARM1 in a variety of cancers.

The generation and evaluation of TKO/hCD55/hTM/hEPCR gene-modified pigs for clinical organ xenotransplantation.

Introduction: Genetically edited pigs, modified using CRISPR-Cas9 technology, hold promise as potential sources for xenotransplantation. However, the optimal combination of genetic modifications and their expression levels for initial clinical trials remains unclear. This study investigates the generation of TKO/hCD55/hTM/hEPCR (6GE) pigs and evaluates their compatibility with human immune and coagulation systems.

NEAT1 regulates BMSCs aging through disruption of FGF2 nuclear transport.

Background: The aging of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) impairs bone tissue regeneration, contributing to skeletal disorders. LncRNA NEAT1 is considered as a proliferative inhibitory role during cellular senescence, but the relevant mechanisms remain insufficient. This study aims to elucidate how NEAT1 regulates mitotic proteins during BMSCs aging.

Single-Cell Peptide Profiling to Distinguish Stickleback Ecotypes with Divergent Breeding Behavior.

Variation in parenting behavior is widespread across the animal kingdom, both within and between species. There are two ecotypes of the three-spined stickleback fish () that exhibit dramatic differences in their paternal behavior. Males of the common ecotype are highly attentive fathers, tending to young from eggs to fry, while males of the white ecotype desert offspring as eggs.

Targeted SPP1 Inhibition of Tumor-Associated Myeloid Cells Effectively Decreases Tumor Sizes.

Secreted phosphosprotein 1 (SPP1) tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are abundant tumor myeloid cells that are immunosuppressive, pro-tumorigenic, and have a highly negative prognostic factor. Despite this, there is a lack of efficient TAM-specific therapeutics capable of reducing SPP1 expression. Here, on a phenotypic screen is reported to identify small molecule SPP1 modulators in macrophages.

Vitamin C Alleviates Heat-Stress-Induced Damages in Pig Thoracic Vertebral Chondrocytes via the Ubiquitin-Mediated Proteolysis Pathway.

Heat stress can impair organismal growth by inducing ubiquitination, proteasome-mediated degradation, and subsequent cellular damage. Vitamin C (VC) has been shown to potentially mitigate the detrimental effects of abiotic stresses on cells. Nevertheless, the impact of heat stress on growth plate chondrocytes remains unclear, and the underlying protective mechanisms of VC in these cells warrant further investigation.

Injectable self-healing alginate/PEG hydrogels cross-linked via thiol-Michael addition bonds for hemostasis and wound healing.

In this study, an alginate/PEG hydrogel was developed via a thiol-Michael addition reaction between oxidized quinone of catechols on dopamine-grafted sodium alginate (SA-DA) and sulfhydryl groups of 4-arm polyethylene glycol tetra-thiol (4-arm PEG-SH) under mildly basic conditions. Through the formation of thiol-terminated catechol groups, the accompanying oxidized catechols are reduced, significantly strengthening the internal network structure of the hydrogel and improving tissue adhesion. Meanwhile, the hydrogels have excellent self-healing properties due to the dynamic non-covalent bonds between the groups.

Research progress and the prospect of using single-cell sequencing technology to explore the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment.

In precision cancer therapy, addressing intra-tumor heterogeneity poses a significant obstacle. Due to the heterogeneity of each cell subtype and between cells within the tumor, the sensitivity and resistance of different patients to targeted drugs, chemotherapy, , are inconsistent. Concerning a specific tumor type, many feasible treatments or combinations can be used by specifically targeting the tumor microenvironment.

Visual signal transduction for environmental stewardship: A novel biosensing approach to identify and quantify chlorpyrifos-related residues in aquatic environments.

The pervasive presence of organophosphate pesticides (OPs), such as chlorpyrifos (CPF), in aquatic ecosystems underscores the urgent need for sensitive and reliable detection methods to safeguard environmental and public health. This study addressed the critical need for a novel biosensor capable of detecting CPF and its toxic metabolite, 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), with high sensitivity and selectivity, suitable for field applications in environmental monitoring. The study engineered a whole-cell biosensor based on E.

Serum amyloid A for predicting prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed Crohn's disease.

Objective: Serum amyloid A (SAA) was found to be positively correlated with the activity of Crohn's disease (CD); however, its prognostic value remains uncertain. Here, we examined its predictive ability in newly diagnosed CD and explored genetic association.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients newly diagnosed as CD at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between June 2010 and March 2022.

Acute effects of TLR3 agonist Poly(I:C) on bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells in mice.

Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in bone marrow with limited abilities for self-renewal and differentiation continuously supply hematopoietic cells through life. When suffering infection or inflammation, HPCs will actively proliferate to provide differentiated hematopoietic cells to maintain hematopoietic homeostasis. Poly(I:C), an agonist of TLR3, can specifically activate Type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling which exerts anti-inflammatory effects and influence hematopoiesis after infection.

Unsupervised Learning of Eye State Prototypes for Semantically Rich Blinking Detection.

Blinking contributes to the health and protection of the eye and also holds potential in the context of muscle or nerve disorder diagnosis. Traditional methods of classifying eye blinking as open or closed are insufficient, as they do not capture medical-relevant aspects like closure speed, duration, or percentage. The issue could be solved by reliably detecting blinking intervals in high-temporal recordings.