Exploring the association between vitamin D levels and dyslipidemia risk: insights from machine learning and generalized additive models.

Introduction: Vitamin D is a necessary nutrient that is important for calcium homeostasis and bone health. Dyslipidemia is thought to be a risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic illnesses. Recent research suggests that vitamin D may influence lipid metabolism, specifically the levels of circulating lipids in the blood.

Predictive Value of Fat-Related Body Composition in Early Pregnancy for Macrosomia Using Propensity Score Matching.

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the predictive capacity of fat-related body composition in early pregnancy for macrosomia and facilitate early screening. We analyzed 949 women who delivered at Suzhou Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University (Suzhou Municipal Hospital) between March 2021 and March 2022, categorized into 54 macrosomia, 869 normal-weight, and 26 low-weight deliveries. At 13 weeks gestation, adiposity indices including fat mass index (FMI) and percent body fat were measured.

A Framework Integrating GWAS and Genomic Selection to Enhance Prediction Accuracy of Economical Traits in Common Carp.

Common carp () is one of the most significant fish species worldwide, with its natural distribution spanning Europe and Asia. To conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and compare the prediction accuracy of genomic selection (GS) models for the growth traits of common carp in spring and autumn at 2 years of age, a total of 325 carp individuals were re-sequenced and phenotypic measurements were taken. Three GWAS methods (FarmCPU, GEMMA, and GLM) were applied and their performance was evaluated in conjunction with various GS models, using significance levels based on -values.

Respiratory microphysiological system in respiratory research: recent advances and future prospects.

Respiratory diseases encompass a broad range of conditions that affect the airways, alveolus, and other structures involved in breathing. With respiratory viruses emerging and spreading rapidly, and factors like air pollution, smoking, occupational hazards, and genetics as major risk contributors, respiratory diseases have emerged as a primary cause of illness and mortality around the globe. The development of in vitro respiratory microphysiological systems (MPS), like lung organoids and lung-on-a-chip models, is essential for preventing and treating these diseases effectively.

The miR156u/v-MhDIV3 Module Modulates Cadmium Uptake and Damage via Enhancing MhNRAMP1 Expression in Malus hupehensis.

Cadmium (Cd), a toxic heavy metal, threatens crop production and human health, and its uptake by Malus hupehensis is regulated by MhNRAMP1. The role of the DIVARICATA (DIV) transcription factor (TF) in Cd stress remains largely unclear. Here, nine DIVs were isolated from M.

Effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound combined with aerobic exercise on patients with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled study.

Background: The present study aimed to investigate whether the combination of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) and aerobic exercise (AE) exerts an enhanced therapeutic benefit for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: Participants were allocated into a LIPUS treatment group, an AE treatment group, and a LIPUS combined with AE (LIPUS + AE) treatment group. Numerical rating scale (NRS) and Lequesne index were determined, and gait analysis was performed before treatment and after 12 weeks of treatment.

Parenchymal and Dyshoric Fibrillar Amyloid Pathology in the rTg-D Rat Model of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy Type-2.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common disorder of elderly individuals, is a prominent comorbidity of Alzheimer disease (AD), and causes vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Previously, a novel transgenic rat model (rTg-D) was generated that produces human familial CAA Dutch E22Q mutant amyloid β-protein in brain, and hemizygous (HEM) animals develop arteriolar CAA type-2. Presented here, homozygous (HOM) rTg-D rats develop more extensive CAA type-2, accumulating abundant fibrillar amyloid pathology, including parenchymal congophilic plaques and dyshorrhic vascular amyloid.

Causal relationship between physical activity and common gynecologic conditions: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Objective: While physical activity (PA) patterns are epidemiologically linked to gynecologic pathologies, establishing causality remains uncertain. This Mendelian randomization (MR) study evaluated causal relationships between PA phenotypes and gynecologic disorders.

Methods: Using European-ancestry female genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, we analyzed eight gynecologic disorders and four PA instruments.

Elucidating the tumor microenvironment interactions in breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer through single-cell RNA sequencing.

This study aimed to identify the key cell types and their interactions in gynecological oncology of breast cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer. Single-cell RNA sequencing was performed on tumor samples of gynecological oncology from the GEO database. Cell types were identified using SingleR and cell composition was analyzed to understand the tumor microenvironment (TME).

From knowledge silos to integrated insights: building a cardiovascular medication knowledge graph for enhanced medication knowledge retrieval, relationship discovery, and reasoning.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are diverse, intersecting, and characterized by multistage complexity. The growing demand for personalized diagnosis and treatment poses significant challenges to clinical diagnosis and pharmacotherapy, increasing potential medication risks for doctors and patients. The Cardiovascular Medication Guide (CMG) demonstrates distinct advantages in managing cardiovascular disease, serving as a critical reference for front-line doctors in prescription selection and treatment planning.

Integrated analyses of the transcriptome and metabolome revealed the coloring mechanism of red-pericarp wampee (Clausena lansium).

Wampee (Clausena lansium), a tropical evergreen fruit from the Rutaceae family renowned for its rich nutrient profile and bioactive compounds, presents a fascinating case study in fruit coloration. However, changes in anthocyanins, and expressions of metabolism-associated genes during fruit maturation of red-pericarp wampee ('ZR') are not documented. In this study, metabolic and gene expression profiles of anthocyanin across different fruit developmental stages of red and yellow-pericarp wampees were analyzed.

Specificity landscapes of 40 R2R3-MYBs reveal how paralogs target different -elements by homodimeric binding.

Paralogous transcription factors (TFs) frequently recognize highly similar DNA motifs. Homodimerization can help distinguish them according to their different dimeric configurations. Here, by studying R2R3-MYB TFs, we show that homodimerization can also directly change the recognized DNA motifs to distinguish between similar TFs.

Advancing cardiac MRI multi-structure segmentation: A semi-supervised multidimensional consistency constraint learning network.

Background: Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) have been proposed for medical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) segmentation, but their effectiveness is often limited by challenges in semantic discrimination, boundary delineation, and spatial context modeling.

Purpose: To address these challenges, we present the Multidimensional Consistency Constraint Learning Network (MDCC-Net) for multi-structure segmentation of cardiac MRI using a semi-supervised approach.

Methods: MDCC-Net incorporates a shared encoder, multiple differentiated decoders, and leverages pyramid boundary consistency features and spatial consistency constraints.

A neuroimmune circuit mediates cancer cachexia-associated apathy.

Cachexia, a severe wasting syndrome associated with inflammatory conditions, often leads to multiorgan failure and death. Patients with cachexia experience extreme fatigue, apathy, and clinical depression, yet the biological mechanisms underlying these behavioral symptoms and their relationship to the disease remain unclear. In a mouse cancer model, cachexia specifically induced increased effort-sensitivity, apathy-like symptoms through a cytokine-sensing brainstem-to-basal ganglia circuit.

Effects of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Neuroimaging Biomarkers and Cognition in Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cognitive impairment. The effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on neuroimaging biomarkers and cognitive performance among middle-aged patients with OSA and normal cognition remain unclear. To investigate the effects of CPAP therapy over 12 months on neuroimaging biomarkers and cognitive performance.

Accessible moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea screening tool using multidimensional obesity indicators as compact representations.

Many obesity indicators have been linked to adiposity and its distribution. Utilizing a combination of multidimensional obesity indicators may yield different values to assess the risk of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We aimed to develop and validate the performances of automated machine-learning models for moderate-to-severe OSA, employing multidimensional obesity indicators as compact representations.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Sugar and Hormone Signaling Pathways Mediating Flower Induction in Pitaya ().

Flower induction in pitaya () is regulated by complex gene networks involving multiple signaling pathways that ensure flower bud (FB) formation, but its molecular determinants remain largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to identify key genes and pathways involved in pitaya flower induction by analyzing transcriptomics profiles from differentiating buds. Our results indicate that the flower induction process is driven by a combination of sugar, hormone, transcription factor (TF), and flowering-related genes.

Cell signaling communication within papillary craniopharyngioma revealed by an integrated analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing.

Objective: This study aims to elucidate the primary signaling communication among papillary craniopharyngioma (PCP) tumor cells.

Methods: Five samples of PCP were utilized for single-cell RNA sequencing. The most relevant ligand and receptor interactions among different cells were calculated using the CellChat package in R software.

Gibberellin-3 induced dormancy and suppression of flower bud formation in pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus).

Background: Flowering is a complex, finely regulated process involving multiple phytohormones and transcription factors. However, flowering regulation in pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) remains largely unexamined. This study addresses this gap by investigating gibberellin-3 (GA3) effects on flower bud (FB) development in pitaya.

Aβ40 Fibril Assembly on Human Cerebral Smooth Muscle Cells Impairs Cell Viability.

Cerebral vascular deposition of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), is associated with intracerebral hemorrhaging and contributes to disease progression in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). Familial mutations at positions 22 and 23 within the Aβ peptide lead to early onset and severe CAA pathology. Here, we evaluate the effects of fibrillar Aβ peptides on the viability of primary-cultured human cerebral smooth muscle (HCSM) cells, which are the major site of amyloid deposition in cerebral blood vessel walls.

The joint effects of inflammation and renal function status on in-hospital outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with intravenous thrombolysis.

Objective: We aimed to determine the predictive value of renal function status [estimating glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)] in conjunction with inflammatory biomarkers [white blood cell(WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP)] for in-hospital outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT).

Methods: We retrospectively screened a total of 409 AIS patients treated with IVT. The study participants were classified into two groups according to post-stroke pneumonia or functional outcome.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the Alfalfa ( L.) U-Box Gene Family in Response to Abiotic Stresses.

E3 ubiquitin ligases known as plant U-box (PUB) proteins regulate a variety of aspects of plant growth, development, and stress response. However, the functions and characteristics of the PUB gene family in alfalfa remain unclear. This work involved a genome-wide examination of the alfalfa U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase gene.

Negative Conductivity Induced Reconfigurable Gain Metasurfaces and Their Nonlinearity.

The past decades have witnessed the rapid development of metamaterials and metasurfaces. However, loss is still a challenging problem limiting numerous practical applications, including long-range wireless communications, superscattering, and non-Hermitian physics. Recently, great effort has been made to minimize the loss, however, they are too complicated for practical implementation and still restricted by the theoretical limit.

Overcoming bubble formation in polydimethylsiloxane-made PCR chips: mechanism and elimination with a high-pressure liquid seal.

The thermal expansion of gas and the air permeability of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were previously thought to be the main causes of bubbles and water loss during polymerase chain reaction (PCR), resulting in a very complex chip design and operation. Here, by calculating and characterizing bubble formation, we discovered that water vapor is the main cause of bubbling. During PCR, heat increases the volume of the bubble by a factor of only ~0.

Abscisic acid regulates Cl efflux via the ABI5-ZAT10-SLAH3 module in chloride-stressed .

The overload of Cl typically causes cell damage and death in plants, especially in Cl-sensitive crops. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a stress-induced phytohormone that can alleviate chloride stress by reducing Cl accumulation; however, the mechanism is not clear. Here, we found that the application of ABA elevated Cl efflux from roots and reduced membrane damage and cell death in chloride-stressed .