DNA methylation cooperates with genomic alterations during non-small cell lung cancer evolution.

Aberrant DNA methylation has been described in nearly all human cancers, yet its interplay with genomic alterations during tumor evolution is poorly understood. To explore this, we performed reduced representation bisulfite sequencing on 217 tumor and matched normal regions from 59 patients with non-small cell lung cancer from the TRACERx study to deconvolve tumor methylation. We developed two metrics for integrative evolutionary analysis with DNA and RNA sequencing data.

Chalasoergodimers A-E, heterodimers with multiple polymerization modes from a marine-derived Chaetomium sp. fungus.

Five new heterodimers, chalasoergodimers A-E (1-5), and three known heterodimers (6-8), along with four chaetoglobosin monomers (9-12), were isolated from a marine-derived Chaetomium sp. fungus. The structures of new compounds 1-5 were elucidated by HRESIMS, NMR, chemical calculated C NMR and ECD methods.

Automated Facial Aesthetics Evaluation: Performance of the Beauty Scanner-Face Analyzer in Measuring Symmetry and Proportions.

Background: The integration of digital tools in aesthetic medicine has enhanced the precision of facial feature analysis. Using concepts like the Golden Ratio, these technologies enable more objective assessments of facial proportions and symmetry. The beauty scanner-face analyzer (BS-FA) app offers a digital approach to evaluate geometric proportions and facial alignment, providing valuable data for preoperative planning in plastic surgery and aesthetic treatments.

Evaluating the Long-term Effects of Microfocused Ultrasound on Facial Tightening Using Quantitative Instruments: Efficacy and Safety.

Background: Microfocused ultrasound (MFU) is a non-invasive technique used for facial rejuvenation, yet there is limited quantitative data on its long-term effects. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of MFU for facial rejuvenation. We utilized standardized photography along with advanced skin assessment technologies to analyze the impact of MFU on facial morphology, skin function, and patient satisfaction over a 12-month period.

Development of smartphone-based AIE fluorescence-quenching immunochromatographic sensors for the detection of illicit drugs in various complex sample matrices.

Illicit drug abuse poses a significant global threat to public health and social security, highlighting the urgent need for rapid, sensitive, and versatile detection technologies. To address the limitations of traditional chromatographic techniques-such as high costs and slow response times-and the drawbacks of conventional immunochromatographic sensors (ICS), including low sensitivity and non-intuitive signal outputs, a fluorescence-quenching ICS (FQICS) was developed. This sensor leverages fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between aggregation-induced emission fluorescent microspheres (AIEFMs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).

Ultrasensitive and specific electrochemical detection of Escherichia coli via functionalized magnetic nanoparticles by time-frequency analysis.

The prompt and accurate identification of pathogenic bacteria is crucial for mitigating the transmission of infections. Conventional detection methods face limitations, including lengthy processing, complex sample pretreatment, high instrumentation costs, and insufficient sensitivity for rapid on-site screening. To address these challenges, an aptamer (Apt)-sensor based on functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) was developed for detecting Escherichia coli.

RNF128 regulates the adaptive metabolic response to fasting by modulating PPARα function.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is a crucial transcriptional factor that regulates fatty acid β-oxidation and ketogenesis in response to fasting. However, the mechanisms underlying PPARα function remain unclear. This study identified a novel PPARα-binding protein-RING finger protein 128 (RNF128)-that facilitates PPARα polyubiquitination, resulting in the degradation and suppression of PPARα function during fasting.

Tissue bridges offer valuable insights into bladder and bowel outcomes in chronic cervical spinal cord injury.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between tissue bridges and bladder and bowel outcomes in chronic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: Between July 2020 and January 2024, 44 patients with chronic cervical SCI were retrospectively included in this cross-sectional study at a specialized SCI center. Lesion severity was assessed by tissue bridges, lesion length, lesion width, and lesion area.

Comparison of oblique lumbar interbody fusion with pedicle screw fixation versus stress endplate augmentation and anterolateral screw fixation for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis in osteoporotic patients.

Purpose: This study aims to assess the outcomes of combining oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) with anterolateral screw fixation (ASF) and stress endplate augmentation (SEA) in comparison to OLIF combined with pedicle screw fixation (PSF) for the treatment of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) in patients with osteoporosis (OP).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with DLSS who underwent OLIF in conjunction with either SEA and ASF (SEA-ASF group) or PSF (PSF group). Clinical outcomes, including the visual analog scale (VAS) scores for lumbar and leg pain, as well as the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), were assessed at various postoperative intervals and compared to preoperative values.

Letter to the editor concerning "Efficacy of two opportunistic methods for screening osteoporosis in lumbar spine surgery patients" by T.-T. Xu, et al. (Eur Spine J [2023]: doi: 10.1007/s00586-023-07938-4).

Purpose: To write a letter to editors concerning "Efficacy of two opportunistic methods for screening osteoporosis in lumbar spine surgery patients" by T.-T. Xu, et al.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy in conversion therapy for stage IV gastric cancer: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of combining PD-1 inhibitors with chemotherapy in conversion therapy for patients with stage IV gastric cancer and to determine the populations most likely to benefit from this regimen.

Methods: Data from patients with stage IV gastric cancer who received conversion therapy with PD-1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy between January 2018 and December 2022 at multiple centers were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who underwent conversion surgery were categorized into a surgery group, while those who did not were placed into a palliative group.

Dietary lignan intake and body fat distribution in U.S. adolescents.

Background: Body fat distribution patterns impact adolescent health, yet research on dietary lignans' influence remains limited. This study investigated their association among U.S.

Senescent-like border-associated macrophages regulate cognitive aging via migrasome-mediated induction of paracrine senescence in microglia.

Aging is a major risk factor for various neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, and is associated with the accumulation of senescent cells, which can themselves propagate the senescence process through paracrine signaling. Migrasomes are organelles that form during cellular migration, detach from parent cells and mediate intercellular communication. Here we demonstrate that border-associated macrophages (BAMs) acquire senescence-associated properties during early brain aging, possibly due to prolonged exposure to amyloid beta.

Mitochondria-associated condensates maintain mitochondrial homeostasis and promote lifespan.

Membraneless organelles assembled by liquid-liquid phase separation interact with diverse membranous organelles to regulate distinct cellular processes. It remains unknown how membraneless organelles are engaged in mitochondrial homeostasis. Here we demonstrate that mitochondria-associated translation organelles (MATOs) mediate local synthesis of proteins required for structural and functional maintenance of mitochondria.

Efficient sequence alignment against millions of prokaryotic genomes with LexicMap.

The size of microbial sequence databases continues to grow beyond the abilities of existing alignment tools. We introduce LexicMap, a nucleotide sequence alignment tool for efficiently querying moderate-length sequences (>250 bp) such as a gene, plasmid or long read against up to millions of prokaryotic genomes. We construct a small set of probe k-mers, which are selected to efficiently sample the entire database to be indexed such that every 250-bp window of each database genome contains multiple seed k-mers, each with a shared prefix with one of the probes.

A rapid imaging-based screen for induced-proximity degraders identifies a potent degrader of oncoprotein SKP2.

Targeted protein degraders hold potential as therapeutic agents to target conventionally 'undruggable' proteins. Here, we develop a high-throughput screen, DEath FUSion Escaper (DEFUSE), to identify small-molecule protein degraders. By conjugating the protein of interest to a fast-acting triggerable death protein, this approach translates target protein degradation into a cell survival phenotype to illustrate the presence of degraders.

The STING/type I interferon axis drives the interplay between marginal zone B cells and T follicular helper cells in Sjögren's disease.

Type I interferon (IFN-I) is highly prevalent in autoimmune disorders and is intricately involved in disease pathogenesis, including Sjögren's disease (SjD), also known as Sjögren's syndrome. Although the T follicular helper (Tfh) cell response has been shown to drive SjD development in a mouse model of experimental Sjögren's syndrome (ESS), the connection between IFN-I and the Tfh cell response remains unclear. As the activation of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) induces IFN-I production, we first demonstrated that mice deficient in STING or IFN-I signaling presented diminished Tfh cells and were completely resistant to ESS development.

Endothelial cell-ILC3 crosstalk via the ET-1/EDNRA axis promotes NKp46ILC3 glycolysis to alleviate intestinal inflammation.

Communication between group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3) and other immune cells, as well as intestinal epithelial cells, is pivotal in regulating intestinal inflammation. This study, for the first time, underscores the importance of crosstalk between intestinal endothelial cells (ECs) and ILC3. Our single-cell transcriptome analysis combined with protein expression detection revealed that ECs significantly increased the population of interleukin (IL)-22 ILC3 through interactions mediated by endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its receptor endothelin A receptor (EDNRA).

Minimally invasive versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD) is used more commonly, but this surge is mostly based on observational data. This meta-analysis aimed to compare the short-term outcomes between MIPD and open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) using data collected from randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science databases for RCTs comparing MIPD and OPD published before December 10, 2024.

Real-world treatment practices and survival outcomes of patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma after chemoimmunotherapy.

Objective: To evaluate the real-world treatment practices and survival outcomes of patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (dnMNPC) after the combination of programmed death-1(PD-1) inhibitors with chemotherapy.

Methods: We retrospectively gathered data from patients with dnMNPC who were treated with a combination of chemotherapy and PD-1 inhibitors between August 2019 and August 2023. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression model were used for statistical analyses.

Monatomic glass formation through competing order balance.

The phase transformation of single-element systems is a fundamental natural process with broad implications, yet many aspects remain puzzling despite their simplicity. For instance, transition metals, Tantalum (Ta) and Zirconium (Zr), commonly form body-centred cubic crystals when supercooled. However, according to large-scale computer simulations, their crystallisation rates can differ by over 100 times.

Pleistocene terrestrial warming trend in East Asia linked to Antarctic ice sheets growth.

How terrestrial mean annual temperature (MAT) evolved throughout the past 2 million years (Myr) remains elusive, limiting our understanding of the patterns, mechanisms, and impacts of past temperature changes. Here we report a ~2-Myr terrestrial MAT record based on fossil microbial lipids preserved in the Heqing paleolake, East Asia. The increased amplitude and periodicity shift of glacial-interglacial changes in our record align with those in sea surface temperature (SST) records.

Active use of latent tree-structured sentence representation in humans and large language models.

Understanding how sentences are represented in the human brain, as well as in large language models (LLMs), poses a substantial challenge for cognitive science. Here we develop a one-shot learning task to investigate whether humans and LLMs encode tree-structured constituents within sentences. Participants (total N = 372, native Chinese or English speakers, and bilingual in Chinese and English) and LLMs (for example, ChatGPT) were asked to infer which words should be deleted from a sentence.

Long-range PM pollution and health impacts from the 2023 Canadian wildfires.

Smoke from extreme wildfires in Canada adversely affected air quality in many regions in 2023. Here we use satellite observations, machine learning and a chemical transport model to quantify global and regional PM (particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter) exposure and human health impacts related to the 2023 Canadian wildfires.