Emulsifier-Free Emulsion Polymerization-Based Copper-Mediated Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Vitamin B1 Extraction.

Here, we present a copper-mediated magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (Cu-mMIP) as dispersive solid-phase extracting material (dSPE) for fast, selective, and specific extraction of a metabolic biomarker vitamin B1 (VB1) in complex biological matrices. With emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization using styrene and itaconic acid as functional co-monomers, Cu as central atom, and FeO nanoparticles (NPs) as core, the resulted Cu-mMIP addresses VB1's structural challenges (conformational flexibility, hydrophilicity) while enabling rapid magnetic separation (< 10 s). The Cu-mMIP demonstrates exceptional specificity for VB1, achieving an imprinting factor of 5.

Dose-escalation studies of mesenchymal stromal cell therapy for decompensated liver cirrhosis: phase Ia/Ib results and immune modulation insights.

Decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC) is characterized by severe liver dysfunction and immune dysregulation, posing significant treatment challenges. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy has shown promise in DLC treatment, but the optimal dosing strategies and dose-dependent therapeutic mechanisms in humans remain unclear, limiting its clinical application. We conducted sequential Phase Ia/Ib trials using a single-arm, dose-escalation design to evaluate the safety and tolerability of MSC therapy in DLC patients while also exploring its immunomodulatory effects and gathering preliminary therapeutic signals.

The Influence of Physical, Social, and Organizational Environments on Recreational Activities in Long-Term Care for Residents With Dementia: A Scoping Review.

Background: This scoping review explores how physical, social, and organizational factors influence recreational activity engagement for residents with dementia in long-term care settings.

Methods: A literature search in AgeLine, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Medline, and Web of Science identified studies on environmental factors affecting recreational activities for long-term care residents with dementia. A narrative approach was used to collate and summarize the findings from peer-reviewed English studies available until June 30, 2024.

Pre-Relocation Evaluation of the Physical Environment of a Traditional Care Home Before Transitioning to a Dementia Village.

Background And Objectives: The physical environment in long-term care homes is a critical component for providing quality care and support to residents with dementia. The first publicly funded "dementia village" model inspired care home in Canada, will offer a neighborhood environment for the residents. This study provides a baseline assessment of the physical environment's influence in a traditional dementia care unit before residents relocate to the new care village, as part of a pre and post transfer evaluation project.

Regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and liver injury by hydroxysafflor yellow a through mir-222-3p-pten-wnt axis.

Introduction: Liver injuries are life-threatening conditions accompanied by endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), an active ingredient in the Chinese herbal medicine safflower, has demonstrated protective effects against acute liver injury. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which HSYA alleviates liver damage by regulating ERS through the miR-222-3p-PTEN-Wnt axis.

The longitudinal bidirectional association between cardiovascular disease and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly adults: evidence from a nationwide cohort study in China.

Background: Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depressive symptoms frequently co-occur, their temporal directional relationship remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the bidirectional association between depression and CVD in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults through longitudinal analyses.

Method: This longitudinal cohort study included 12792 participants from the China Health Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), 2015-2020.

Stem cells therapies for liver diseases: for current practice and future goals.

Background: Stem cell therapy has emerged as a promising approach for treating severe chronic liver diseases, including decompensated liver cirrhosis (DLC) and liver failure(LF), with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) being the most extensively investigated cell type in both preclinical and clinical trials.

Objective: To summarize the research progress in clinical studies of stem cells therapy for chronic liver diseases, providing a comprehensive overview of current knowledge.

Methods: Research on stem cell therapy for liver diseases was searched from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.

Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Reductions of not Less Than 60 mg/dL Prevent Hemorrhagic Stroke in Hypertensive Populations: A Meta-analysis.

Background: The association between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (HS) detected through different blood pressure statuses remains unclear. Hence, we systematically evaluated the association between LDL-C and HS in populations with and without hypertension.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases for articles written in English.

Association of sdLDL-C/LDL-C ratio with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: a case-control study.

Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL-C) are key drivers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. This study aims to investigate the correlation between sdLDL-C/LDL-C ratio and ASCVD to provide new ideas for accurate prediction of ASCVD and identifying high-risk groups.

Methods: The data were derived from patients who visited the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2019 to July 2023.

DEMO-EMol: modeling protein-nucleic acid complex structures from cryo-EM maps by coupling chain assembly with map segmentation.

Atomic structure modeling is a crucial step in determining the structures of protein complexes using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). This work introduces DEMO-EMol, an improved server that integrates deep learning-based map segmentation and chain fitting to accurately assemble protein-nucleic acid (NA) complex structures from cryo-EM density maps. Starting from a density map and independently modeled chain structures, DEMO-EMol first segments protein and NA regions from the density map using deep learning.

Comparison of fluorescence in situ hybridization and cytology for the accurate detection of malignant biliary strictures, with emphasis on unusual results.

Introduction: Biliary brushing cytology is the standard diagnostic approach for evaluating biliary strictures, but it has low sensitivity and a high rate of atypical diagnoses. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has become an increasingly valuable adjunct to cytology. Therefore, the aim of this retrospective quality improvement study was to evaluate the relative diagnostic performance of traditional cytology and FISH for correctly determining malignant versus benign biliary strictures from biliary brushing samples and to evaluate whether adding FISH to the diagnostic pipeline improves diagnostic accuracy over relying on cytology alone.

Structural and Catalytic Characterization of β-1,3-Glucan Synthases of Mushroom Ganoderma lucidum.

β-Glucans are regarded as the key contributors to nutritional and supplementary credits of well-known edible/medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum. However, the biosynthesis pathways of β-glucans and the involved key enzymes/genes in G. lucidum are still not well investigated.

CRISPR-Cas9/Safe Harbor-Targeted Overexpression of Glucan Synthase Gene in Edible Mushroom .

The membrane-integrated β-1,3-glucan synthase is the key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of the core component β-1,3-glucan of the fungal cell wall. To date, the precise and targeted insertion of the β-1,3-glucan synthase gene into the genomes of edible fungi for safe and predictable overexpression has been extremely difficult due to the large DNA sequences (>5.0 kb) encoding the multitransmembrane domains and large molecular weights.

Organochlorine pesticides: occurrence, spatial distribution of residues, toxicity, and toxic mechanisms.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are a class of synthetic, broad-spectrum insecticides that have been widely used for plant pest control over the last century. OCPs are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic properties. Although most OCPs are banned to use now, they are ubiquitous in the environment and food, and identified in the serum and urine of humans.

Fitting Atomic Structures into Cryo-EM Maps by Coupling Deep Learning-Enhanced Map Processing with Global-Local Optimization.

With the breakthroughs in protein structure prediction technology, constructing atomic structures from cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) density maps through structural fitting has become increasingly critical. However, the accuracy of the constructed models heavily relies on the precision of the structure-to-map fitting. In this study, we introduce DEMO-EMfit, a progressive method that integrates deep learning-based backbone map extraction with a global-local structural pose search to fit atomic structures into density maps.

Protective effects of indole-3-propionic acid against TCP-induced hearing loss in mice by mitigating oxidative stress and promoting neutrophil recruitment.

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) poses a significant global health challenge with substantial socioeconomic and medical implications. The pathophysiology involves excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cochlea, inflammation, cellular apoptosis, etc. Tryptophan metabolite indole-3-propionic Acid (IPA), produced by gut microbiota, may offer therapeutic benefits by modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune responses.

Safety and efficacy of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in COVID-19 patients: A real-world observation.

Background: The effects of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) treatment on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have been preliminarily characterized. However, real-world data on the safety and efficacy of intravenous transfusions of MSCs in hospitalized COVID-19 patients at the convalescent stage remain to be reported.

Methods: This was a single-arm, multicenter, real-word study in which a contemporaneous external control was included as the control group.

Bone Metastasis Mediates Poor Prognosis in Early-Onset Gastric Cancer: Insights Into Immune Suppression, Coagulopathy, and Inflammation.

Background: The increasing incidence of gastric cancer (GC) in younger populations, coupled with population aging, has highlighted distinct age-related subtypes with unique clinical characteristics and outcomes. Although younger patients tend to have more aggressive tumors, the prognostic factors for early-onset gastric cancer (EOGC) remain underexplored. This study is dedicated to providing a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of prognostic factors in EOGC, aiming to refine personalized treatment strategies under the precision medicine paradigm.

Long-term outcomes of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in severe COVID-19 patients: 3-year follow-up of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: The long-term effects and outcomes of human mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy in patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the extended safety and efficacy of MSC treatment in severe patients with COVID-19 who participated in our earlier randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, with follow-up conducted over 3 years.

Methods: One hundred patients with severe COVID-19 were randomized to receive either an MSC infusion (n = 65, 4 × 10 cells/dose, on days 0, 3, and 6) or a placebo, with both groups receiving the standard of care.

Regulation of closed pores in hard carbon for enhanced electrochemical sodium storage.

The development of hard carbon materials with high plateau capacity as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) is crucial to improving the energy density of SIBs, while the closed pores are closely related to the low-voltage (<0.1 V) plateau capacity of hard carbon anodes. Herein, through a simple ZnO template method and acid treatment, a wealth of closed pores were created in the hard carbon material derived from camellia shells.

Metformin Induces Apoptosis and Ferroptosis of Ovarian Cancer Cells Under Energy Stress Conditions.

As ovarian cancer progresses, increased glucose use causes a glucose shortage in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, it is crucial to find drugs that can effectively kill cancer cells in this energy stress setting. Here, we propose an effective therapeutic strategy that combines nutrient restriction with metformin to combat tumors.

Gboxin Induced Apoptosis and Ferroptosis of Cervical Cancer Cells by Promoting Autophagy-Mediated Inhibition of Nrf2 Signaling Under Low-Glucose Conditions.

Cervical cancer poses a substantial threat to women's health, underscoring the necessity for effective therapeutic agents with low toxicity that specifically target cancer cells. As cancer progresses, increased glucose consumption causes glucose scarcity in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Consequently, it is imperative to identify pharmacological agents capable of effectively killing cancer cells under conditions of low glucose availability within the TME.

The impact of working night shifts on cardiac autonomic nervous regulation during the six-minute walk test in nurses.

Background: Clinical nurses frequently face the necessity of working night shifts, often with insufficient opportunities for timely sleep recovery, which may negatively impact autonomic nervous system regulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in heart rate variability (HRV) after the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in nurses post-night shift and to explore the impact of night shift work on cardiac autonomic regulation.

Methods: Thirty-five female nurses, with a mean age of 28.