Robust evaluation of vaccine effects based on estimation of vaccine efficacy curve.

The Cox model and its extensions assuming proportional hazards is widely used to estimate vaccine efficacy (VE). However, when VE wanes over time, estimates can become sensitive to study duration and timing of vaccine delivery relative to disease seasonality, and may be biased due to sample attrition. Additionally, estimates of vaccine impact such as number of cases averted (NCA) are sensitive to background disease incidence and timing of vaccine delivery.

Diabetes mellitus exacerbates cardiovascular remodeling in elderly Chinese by affecting aortic diameter and pulsatile load.

Cardiovascular health is negatively impacted by arterial stiffening, which increases pulsatile load and elevates left ventricular workload. Aortic dilatation may compensate for the pulsatile overload resulting from arterial stiffening. Previous studies have shown a negative correlation between diabetes and aortic diameter, suggesting that diabetes may impair aortic dilatation and thereby compromise compensatory buffering capacity.

[Guihuang Formula for type III prostatitis with damp-heat stasis syndrome in the essence chamber: A clinical trial].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of Guihuang Formula (GHF) in the treatment of type III prostatitis with the syndrome of damp-heat stasis in the essence chamber.

Methods: This study included 120 cases of type III prostatitis with damp-heat stasis syndrome in the essence chamber, which were randomly and equally divided into a GHF and a control group, the former treated with GHF and the latter with Tamsulosin Hydrochloride Sustained-Release Capsules, both for 6 successive weeks. We followed up the patients for 4 weeks, recorded the NIH-CPSI, TCM symptom scores, and results of prostatic fluid routine, blood and urine routine, liver and kidney function and electrocardiogram examinations, and compared them between the two groups of patients before and after treatment.

Effects of long-term metformin intake on postoperative clinicopathological characteristics in patients with invasive lung adenocarcinoma and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A retrospective analysis.

Objective: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate whether long-term metformin use is associated with less aggressive clinicopathological characteristics in patients with invasive lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: We reviewed patients with both invasive LUAD and T2DM who underwent curative lung cancer resection and lymph node dissection between January 2012 and August 2022. Patients were divided into a metformin group and a non-metformin group based on their antidiabetic treatment.

Gold Nanocluster-Based Luminescence Microcomposites by Interfacial Polymerization.

Controlled interfacial polymerization in conventional or Pickering emulsions enables the precise fabrication of cavity-like architectures, providing a versatile platform for the composite construction. Fluorescent gold nanoclusters, acting as interfacial stabilizers, not only enhance emulsion stability but also simultaneously impart luminescent properties to the resulting composites. In this study, modified gold nanoclusters were used as one of the monomers in the interfacial polymerization process to prepare emulsions with fluorescent properties.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Predicting the Probability of Postpartum Chronic Hypertension in Women With Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy: A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Study.

Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) have a higher risk of developing chronic hypertension (CHT) postpartum, which can lead to increased cardiovascular events. Therefore, we aimed to develop and validate a nomogram to predict the probability of CHT in HDP women by analyzing traditional characteristics and pregnancy-related indices. A total of 688 HDP women who delivered at the three designated hospitals in China, during the period of January 2011 to June 2021, were randomly divided into 70% (n = 482) as the training set and the remaining 30% (n = 206) as the validation set.

Dissecting the roles of Taiman in pupation and female reproduction of Helicoverpa armigera.

In insects, metamorphosis and reproduction are coordinated by juvenile hormone (JH) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). A transcription factor Taiman (Tai) serves as a coactivator of the functional 20E receptor and heterodimerizes with JH receptor Methoprene-tolerant (Met) to form an active receptor complex, encoding a key modulator of JH and 20E signaling pathways. However, direct evidence for the participation of Tai in metamorphic actions and vitellogenesis is quite limited.

Targeting Decidual Macrophage Polarization through JNK Signaling Pathway Inhibition Alleviates Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Early Spontaneous Abortion.

Early spontaneous abortion (ESA) is associated with abnormal decidual macrophage polarization at the maternal-fetal interface. While JNK signaling is recognized in implantation and immunomodulation, its contribution to decidual macrophage polarization in the ESA is poorly understood. The decidual tissues of ESA patients were collected to detect the polarization status and the expression of JNK1/2 and p-JNK in decidual macrophages (DMs) through flow cytometry assessment.

Early changes in choroidal thickness and ocular biometry in predicting who will achieve full myopia control with repeated low-level red light therapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the early predictors for achieving full myopia control with repeated low-level red light (RLRL) therapy based on two independent randomized clinical trials (RCTs).

Methods: Myopic children undergoing RLRL therapy from a multi-center RCT (training set) and a single-center RCT (validation set) were included. Full myopia control was defined as axial elongation <0.

Association between dietary calcium intake and benign prostatic hyperplasia: a population-based result from NHANES 2003 to 2008.

Background: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), as a cause of various lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), can improve patients' quality of life when effectively controlled. To elaborate on the effect of dietary calcium intake on BPH, we investigated the association between dietary calcium intake and the risk of BPH using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Methods: Data from the NHANES conducted from 2003 to 2008 were utilized.

Two novel trimethoprim resistance genes, and , identified in phage-plasmids.

Phage-plasmids carry a significant burden of clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Intriguingly, the majority of these ARGs are found within plasmids with phage features, with a single exception residing in a phage genome with plasmid features. Therefore, we speculate that phage genomes with plasmid features, whose sequences are highly homologous to bacterial plasmids, may carry novel ARGs.

Loss of nuclear envelope bud formation leads to mitophagy initiation in muscles.

Pavarotti (Pav) and its binding partner Tumbleweed (Tum) are well known for their evolutionarily conserved roles in microtubule-dependent movements during cytokinesis. In post-mitotic muscles, we unexpectedly observed the accumulation of puncta marked by ubiquitin, p62, and Atg8a without an obvious disorganization of the microtubule network. Some of these autophagosomal structures clustered together and colocalized with mitochondria.

[Treatment of erectile dysfunction based on the "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis and the meridian- relationship].

Based on the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction (ED) from the meridian- relationship and the "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis, it proposes that dysfunction of the "brain-heart-kidney-essence chamber" axis is closely related to the occurrence of ED. Among these, brain-heart disharmony is the key pathogenic factor, kidney deficiency and essence depletion constitute an important basis, and essence chamber stasis is a critical mechanism. The treatment approach emphasizes harmonizing the brain and heart, regulating the mind, tonifying the kidney and replenishing , unblocking and blood to harmonize the essence chamber.

Boosting Urea Electrosynthesis via Asymmetric Oxygen Vacancies in Zn-Doped FeO Catalysts.

Urea electrosynthesis from CO and nitrate (NO ) provides an attractive pathway for storing renewable electricity and substituting traditional energy-intensive urea synthesis technology. However, the kinetics mismatching between CO reduction and NO reduction, as well as the difficulty of C─N coupling, are major challenges in urea electrosynthesis. Herein, we first calculated the free energy of *CO, *OCNO, and *NOH formation over defect-rich FeO catalysts with different metal dopants, which showed that Zn dopant was a promising candidate.

Identification and verification of international neuroblastoma staging system (INSS) stage-related genes as potential biomarkers for neuroblastoma prognostic models.

Background: Neuroblastoma (NB), one of the most common malignant extracranial solid tumors in children, is highly invasive and lethal with limited treatment efficacy. This study aimed to establish a prognostic model of advanced-stage NB.

Methods: Differentially expressed genes were screened and validated using two training datasets and one validation dataset from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments and Gene Expression Omnibus databases.

Acceptability, applicability, and cost-utility of artificial-intelligence-powered low-cost portable fundus camera for diabetic retinopathy screening in primary health care settings.

Aims: To evaluate the acceptability, applicability, and cost-utility of AI-powered portable fundus cameras for diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening in Hong Kong, providing a viable alternative screening solution for resource-limited areas.

Methods: This pragmatic trial conducted in an optometric clinic and two optical shops. A self-testing system was used, integrating a portable fundus camera and AI software that automatically identified DR.

Interface control in TiO/BaTiO ferroelectric heterostructures: A bidirectional catalytic pathway toward high-performance Li-S batteries.

Li-S batteries (LSBs), noted for their high energy density and low cost, face challenges due to sluggish lithium polysulfide (LiPS) redox kinetics and complex phase transformations during charge/discharge cycles. Herein, we introduce a novel hollow nanocomposite, a titanium oxide/barium titanate (TiO/BaTiO) heterostructure with an ultrathin carbon coating, designed to act as a bidirectional electrocatalyst, enhancing the sequential conversion of sulfur (S) to LiS and then to lithium sulfide (LiS). The ferroelectric nature of BaTiO enhances LiPS adsorption, reducing the shuttling effect and improving battery performance.

[Rapid and simultaneous determination of 11 ergot alkaloids in cereals and their products by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry combined with Captiva EMR-Lipid column purification].

Ergot alkaloids (EAs) are mycotoxins produced by and are present in cereals and their products; their residues pose significant threats to human health through food consumption, resulting in ergotism and sickness. Herein, a sensitive and rapid method for the determination of 11 EAs in cereals and their products using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) were developed. Eleven EAs were extracted with 20 mL acetonitrile-200 mg/L ammonium acetate solution (80∶20, v/v) for 15 min using the vortex shock method followed by 15 min of ultrasonication.

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles improve excessive autophagy of granulosa cells through .

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder impacting women's fertility. We assessed the effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (UC-MSC-EVs) on PTEN-induced kinase 1 ()/-mediated excessive autophagy of ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) through methyltransferase-like 3 (). Human ovarian GC line KGN was cultured and treated with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and UC-MSC-EVs.

Dopamine D1 receptor agonist alleviates post-weaning isolation-induced neuroinflammation and depression-like behaviors in female mice.

Background: Major depressive disorder is a significant global cause of disability, particularly among adolescents. The dopamine system and nearby neuroinflammation, crucial for regulating mood and processing rewards, are central to the frontostriatal circuit, which is linked to depression. This study aimed to investigate the effect of post-weaning isolation (PWI) on depression in adolescent mice, with a focus on exploring the involvement of microglia and dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) in the frontostriatal circuit due to their known links with mood disorders.

Study on Spatiotemporal Variation in Internal Temperature Field in Quartz Flexible Accelerometer.

Quartz flexible accelerometers (QFAs) are a type of temperature-sensitive sensor, whereby a change in temperature will cause the key parameters of the accelerometer to drift and cause stability errors. Due to the absence of effective methods for sensing the temperature of internal accelerometer components, existing temperature error correction approaches primarily rely on shell temperature measurements to establish correction models. Consequently, most correction methods achieve higher accuracy during the steady-state heat conduction phase of the accelerometer, whereas the correction error markedly increases during the transient heat conduction phase.

Metabolomics combined with network pharmacology reveals the effects of ripening stages and edible parts on bioactive ingredients of Luohan Guo (Siraitia grosvenorii).

Luohan Guo (Siraitia grosvenorii) is a traditional food homologous fruit in China, which is famous owing to its rich natural antioxidant secondary metabolites. However, the impacts of ripening stages and edible parts on high-resolution metabolic profiles of Luohan Guo are poorly understood till now, greatly limiting its comprehensive utilization. In this study, an LC-QTOF/MS-based non-targeted metabolomics approach was carried out to reveal the dynamic accumulation of metabolites in the peel and pulp of Luohan Guo across seven growth stages, and further revelation their potential pharmacological activities and mechanisms in the treatment of oxidative stress using the network pharmacology strategy.

Visualizing Reactive Oxygen Species-Induced DNA Damage Process in Higher-Ordered Origami Nanostructures.

The genetic information on organisms is stored in the cell nucleus in the form of higher-ordered DNA structures. Here, we use DNA framework nanostructures (DFNs) to simulate the compaction and stacking density of nucleosome DNA for precise conformational and structure determination, particularly the dynamic structural changes, preferential reaction regions, and sites of DFNs during the reactive oxygen species (ROS) reaction process. By developing an atomic force microscopy-based single-particle analysis (SPA) data reconstruction method to collect and reanalyze imaging information, we demonstrate that the geometric morphology of DFNs constrains their reaction kinetics with ROS, where local mechanical stress and regional base distribution are two key factors affecting their kinetics.