The Association Between Triglyceride Glucose-Body Mass Index and Kidney Impairment in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Purpose: Insulin resistance is associated with kidney impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI), which combines the TyG index with body mass index (BMI), has received significant attention as a tool for evaluating insulin resistance. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the association between TyG-BMI and kidney impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients and Methods: The cross-sectional analysis included 1080 patients with T2DM, and data were collected retrospectively. TyG-BMI was calculated by fasting blood glucose, triglyceride, and body mass index. Results: TyG-BMI was significantly higher in T2DM patients with albuminuria than those without albuminuria (232.16 [206.52-268.02] vs 229.83 [206.11-255.64], p =0.023). T2DM patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) showed a significantly higher value of TyG-BMI compared with those without CKD (232.23 [206.46-268.28] vs 229.73 [206.11-255.49], p=0.014). Correlation analysis showed a significantly positive association between TyG-BMI and metabolic parameters including BMI (r = 0.866, p < 0.001), TG (r = 0.630, p < 0.001), TC (r = 0.119, p < 0.001), HDL-C (r = -0.374, p < 0.001), FBG (r = 0.297, p < 0.001), and HbA1c (r = 0.116, p < 0.001) in patients with T2DM. The binary logistic regression analysis found that TyG-BMI was an independent factor for albuminuria (OR = 1.004, 95% CI: 1.001-1.008, p = 0.010) and CKD (OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 1.001-1.008, p = 0.005) in patients with T2DM respectively. Conclusion: The study suggests that TyG-BMI is associated with kidney impairment in patients with T2DM. Given that TyG-BMI is a novel parameter of insulin resistance, the study results indicates that clinicians should pay close attention to screening for kidney impairment in T2DM patients with insulin resistance.

Target-promoted activation of DNAzyme walker for in situ assembly of hemin/G-quadruplex nanowires enable ultrasensitive and label-free electrochemical myocardial microRNA assay.

The concentration elevation of myocardial microRNA (miRNA) biomarker is associated with the pathogenic process of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and sensitive quantification of myocardial miRNA biomarker plays an important role for early AMI diagnosis and its treatment. In response, this work describes an ultrasensitive and non-label electrochemical biosensor for the assay of myocardial miRNA based on cascade signal amplifications integrated by DNAzyme walker and hemin/G-quadruplex nanowires. The DNAzyme walker is activated by presence of target miRNAs to move along the electrode surface to cyclically cleave the substrate hairpins to release G-quadruplex segments, which further trigger the in situ formation of many hemin/G-quadruplex nanowires. The large amounts of hemin intercalated into the DNA nanowires subsequently generate drastically magnified electrochemical current signals for highly sensitive label-free assay of myocardial miRNAs down to 15.7 fM within dynamic range of 100 fM to 10 nM. Such a biosensor also has high selectivity and can monitor myocardial miRNAs in diluted serums at low levels, providing a sensitive and reliable platform for diagnosing infarct-associated cardiovascular diseases.

Relieving effect of jiao-tune of 5-element music on negative emotions in patients with decompensated hepatitis B virus cirrhosis: A randomized and controlled experiment study.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are common in patients with decompensated hepatitis B virus (HBV) cirrhosis. This study aimed to evaluate the relieving effects of the jiao-tune of 5-element music on negative emotions in patients with decompensated HBV cirrhosis. METHODS: The patients were randomly allocated into the control group (standard nursing care) and the jiao-tune group (standard nursing care plus a 2-month course of music therapy with the jiao-tune of 5-element music). The negative emotions of patients were assessed before intervention treatment and at the end of the 2-month follow-up using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). RESULTS: The analysis included 209 patients, with 102 in the control group and 107 in the jiao-tune group, all of whom returned their completed questionnaires. Baseline clinical characteristics and length of hospital stay were comparable between 2 groups. Before intervention treatment, there were no significant differences in SAS score (55.78 ±â€…5.64 vs 56.47 ±â€…3.28) and SDS score (65.13 ±â€…3.12 vs 64.48 ±â€…4.47) between the jiao-tune group and control group. After 2-month follow-up, the jiao-tune group had a significantly lower SAS score (53.17 ±â€…5.61) and SDS score (61.28 ±â€…1.52) compared with the control group (55.49 ±â€…3.37 and 63.08 ±â€…2.76), there were significant differences between 2 groups (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The jiao-tune of 5-element music can relieve the negative emotions in patients with decompensated HBV cirrhosis.

A sensitive tobramycin electrochemical aptasensor based on multiple signal amplification cascades.

The residue of tobramycin, a broad spectrum antibiotic commonly used in animal husbandry, has evitable impact on human health, which may cause kidney damage, respiratory paralysis, neuromuscular blockade and cross-allergy in humans. Sensitive monitoring of tobramycin in animal-derived food products is therefore of great importance. Herein, a new aptamer electrochemical biosensor for sensing tobramycin with high sensitivity is demonstrated via exonuclease III (Exo III) and metal ion-dependent DNAzyme recycling and hybridization chain reaction (HCR) signal amplification cascades. Tobramycin analyte binds aptamer-containing hairpin probe to switch its conformation to expose the toehold sequence, which triggers Exo III-based catalytic digestion of the secondary hairpin to release many DNAzyme strands. The substrate hairpins immobilized on the Au electrode (AuE) are then cyclically cleaved by the DNAzymes to form ssDNAs, which further initiate HCR formation of lots of long methylene blue (MB)-tagged dsDNA polymers on the AuE. Subsequently electro-oxidation of these MB labels thus exhibit highly enhanced currents for sensing tobramycin within the 5-1000 nM concentration range with an impressive detection limit of 3.51 nM. Furthermore, this strategy has high selectivity for detecting tobramycin in milk and shows promising potential for detect other antibiotics for food safety monitoring.

Core biomarkers analysis benefit for diagnosis on human intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis were at high risk of fetal distress, preterm birth and unexpected stillbirth. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) was mainly caused by disorder of bile acid metabolism, whereas the specific mechanism was obscure. METHODS: We performed proteomics analysis of 10 ICP specimens and 10 placenta specimens from patients without ICP through data-independent acquisition (DIA) technique to disclose differentially expressed proteins. We executed metabolomic analysis of 30 ICP specimens and 30 placenta specimens from patients without ICP through UPLC-MS/MS to identify differentially expressed metabolites. Enrichment and correlation analysis was used to obtain the direct molecular insights of ICP development. The ICP rat models were constructed to validate pathological features. RESULTS: The heatmap of proteomics analysis showed the top 30 up-regulated and 30 down-regulated proteins. The metabolomic analysis revealed 20 richer and 4 less abundant metabolites in ICP samples compared with placenta specimens from patients without ICP, and enrichment pathways by these metabolites included primary bile acid biosynthesis, cholesterol metabolism, bile secretion, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, purine metabolism and metabolic pathways. Combined analysis of multiple omics results demonstrated that bile acids such as Glycohyocholic acid, Glycine deoxycholic acid, beta-Muricholic acid, Noncholic acid, cholic acid, Gamma-Mercholic Acid, alpha-Muricholic acid and Glycochenodeoxycholic Aicd were significantly associated with the expression of GLRX3, MYL1, MYH7, PGGT1B, ACTG1, SP3, LACTB2, C2CD5, APBB2, IPO9, MYH2, PPP3CC, PIN1, BLOC1S1, DNAJC7, RASAL2 and ATCN3 etc. The core protein ACAT2 was involved in lipid metabolic process and animal model showed that ACAT2 was up-regulated in placenta and liver of pregnant rats and fetal rats. The neonates had low birth weight and Safranin O-Fast green FCF staining of animal models showed that poor osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of fetal rats. CONCLUSION: Multiple metabolites-alpha-Muricholic acid, beta-Muricholic acid, Glycine deoxycholic acid and Glycochenodeoxycholic Acid etc. were perfect biomarkers to predict occurrence of ICP. Bile acids were significantly associated with varieties of protein expression and these proteins were differentially expressed in ICP samples. Our study provided several biomarkers for ICP detection and potential therapeutic targets for ICP development.

Polar Localization Analysis of Anionic Phospholipids and Their Binding Proteins in Arabidopsis Pollen Tubes.

Pollen tubes are typical polarized growth cells whose elongation occurs only in tip regions and is highly dependent on precise and ordered exocytosis/endocytosis in the top regions of the tubes. Although anionic phospholipids have been proven to be involved in regulating vesicle trafficking and the proper localization and functions of proteins in pollen tubes, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. To further understand how anionic phospholipids are involved in vesicle trafficking and in the control of protein localization and functions, assay methods to analyze the polar localization of anionic phospholipids and their binding proteins, and identifying phospholipid-protein interactions, should be developed. Here, we describe detailed protocols for analyzing anionic phospholipid polar localization and colocalization with their binding proteins in Arabidopsis pollen tubes and examining phospholipid-protein interactions in vitro.

Discovery of antibacterial diketones against gram-positive bacteria.

The rapid rise of antibiotic resistance calls for the discovery of new antibiotics with distinct antibacterial mechanisms. New target mining is indispensable for developing antibiotics. Plant-microbial antibiotics are appealing to underexplored sources due to a dearth of comprehensive understanding of antibacterial activity and the excavation of new targets. Here, a series of phloroglucinol derivatives of plant-root-associated Pseudomonas fluorescens were synthesized for structure-activity relationship analysis. Notably, 2,4-diproylphloroglucinol (DPPG) displayed efficient bactericidal activity against a wide range of gram-positive bacteria. Importantly, mechanistic study exhibits that DPPG binds to type II NADH dehydrogenase (NDH-2), an essential enzyme catalyzing the transfer of electrons from NADH to quinones in the electron transport chain (ETC), blocking electron transfer in S. aureus. Last, we validated the efficacy of DPPG in vivo through animal infection models. Our findings not only provide a distinct antibiotic lead to treat multidrug resistant pathogens but also identify a promising antibacterial target.

Impact of High Sodium Diet on Neovascularization and Osseointegration around Titanium Implant: An in Vivo and in Vitro Study.

Objective: A high sodium (HS) diet is believed to affect bone metabolism processes. Clarifying its impact on osseointegration of titanium (Ti) implants holds significant implications for postoperative dietary management of implanted patients. Methods: This investigation probed the impact of sodium ions (Na +) on neovascularization and osteogenesis around Ti implants in vivo, utilizing micro-computed tomography, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunohistochemical analyses. Concurrently, in vitro experiments assessed the effects of varied Na + concentrations and exposure durations on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and MC3T3-E1 cells. Results: In vivo, increased dietary sodium (0.8%-6.0%) led to a substantial decline in CD34 positive HUVECs and new bone formation around Ti implants, alongside an increase in inflammatory cells. In vitro, an increase in Na + concentration (140-150 mmol/L) adversely affected the proliferation, angiogenesis, and migration of HUVECs, especially with prolonged exposure. While MC3T3-E1 cells initially exhibited less susceptibility to high Na + concentrations compared to HUVECs during short-term exposure, prolonged exposure to a HS environment progressively diminished their proliferation, differentiation, and osteogenic capabilities. Conclusion: These findings suggest that HS diet had a negative effect on the early osseointegration of Ti implants by interfering with the process of postoperative vascularized bone regeneration.

The moderating role of information processing speed in the relationship between brain remodeling and episodic memory in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

INTRODUCTION: The role of information processing speed (IPS) on relationships between episodic memory (EM) and central remodeling features in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) was investigated. METHODS: Neuropsychological evaluations and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging were performed on 48 patients diagnosed with aMCI and 50 healthy controls (HC). Moderation models explored the moderating effect of IPS on associations between EM and imaging features at single-region, connectivity, and network levels. RESULTS: IPS significantly enhanced the positive correlations between recall and cortical thickness of left inferior temporal gyrus. IPS also notably amplified negative correlations between recognition and functional connectivity (FC) of left inferior parietal lobe and right occipital, as well as between recall/recognition and nodal clustering coefficient of left anterior cingulate cortex. DISCUSSION: IPS functioned as a moderator of associations between recall and neuroimaging metrics at the "single region-connectivity-network" level, providing new insights for cognitive rehabilitation in aMCI patients. HIGHLIGHTS: aMCI patients exhibited brain functional and structural remodeling alterations. IPS moderated relations between episodic memory and brain remodeling metrics. Therapy targeted at IPS can be considered for improving episodic memory in aMCI.

Bibliometric analysis of Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials in China since 2000.

Aim of the study: To analyze the progress in Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials and to highlight its development process, emerging trends, and hotspots. Materials and methods: Papers on Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials from January 2000 to May 2022 were retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database. Using the collaboration network analysis of CiteSpace V and VOSviewer software, the cooperation among individuals and institutions in the field of scientific research was analyzed. The functions of frequency analysis, cluster analysis, and burst analysis were employed to conduct bibliometric analysis on research hotspots and trends in the field of Mongolian medicine research. Furthermore, the data visualization function was utilized to clearly display data trends and changes. Results: A total of 8362 papers on Mongolian medicine medicinal materials from CNKI were identified and analyzed.The research on Mongolian medicine has gone through three stages: the initial stage, the exploratory stage, and the developmental stage. The top two institutions in the number of papers are Inner Mongolia Medical University and Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities. Bagenna from Inner Mongolia Medical University is the author with the most papers. "clinical efficacy", "clinical research", and "quality standards" were the most frequently used keywords. Research in the field of Mongolian medicine has focused on several diseases, including skeletal system disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and digestive system disorders. Conclusion: Since 2000, there have been growing attention and efforts made in the field of Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials. The research in the field of Mongolian medicine had undergone three stages, namely the initial stage, the exploratory stage, and the developmental stage. The focus shifted from basic research such as the analysis of medicinal ingredients in Mongolian herbs to the application-oriented directions of traditional treatment techniques and advantageous diseases in Mongolian medicine. To make breakthroughs in this field, further research is needed to improve the persuasiveness and authority of Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials in terms of mechanism, standardization, and safety, to promote the development of Mongolian medicine and medicinal materials.

Mechanistic insights into phosphoactivation of SLAC1 in guard cell signaling.

Stomata in leaves regulate gas (carbon dioxide and water vapor) exchange and water transpiration between plants and the atmosphere. SLow Anion Channel 1 (SLAC1) mediates anion efflux from guard cells and plays a crucial role in controlling stomatal aperture. It serves as a central hub for multiple signaling pathways in response to environmental stimuli, with its activity regulated through phosphorylation via various plant protein kinases. However, the molecular mechanism underlying SLAC1 phosphoactivation has remained elusive. Through a combination of protein sequence analyses, AlphaFold-based modeling and electrophysiological studies, we unveiled that the highly conserved motifs on the N- and C-terminal segments of SLAC1 form a cytosolic regulatory domain (CRD) that interacts with the transmembrane domain(TMD), thereby maintaining the channel in an autoinhibited state. Mutations in these conserved motifs destabilize the CRD, releasing autoinhibition in SLAC1 and enabling its transition into an activated state. Our further studies demonstrated that SLAC1 activation undergoes an autoinhibition-release process and subsequent structural changes in the pore helices. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the activation mechanism of SLAC1 and shed light on understanding how SLAC1 controls stomatal closure in response to environmental stimuli.

Specific reference interval for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I among healthy children in Wuhan, China.

Background: Troponin (Tn) is of an important biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of myocardial injury and for evaluating the severity of cardiac involvement due to other systemic diseases in children. Unfortunately, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) specific reference intervals (RIs) are extremely limited. This study aimed to establish a preliminary pediatric hs-cTnI RI for newborns, children, and adolescents in Wuhan, China. Methods: A total of 1,355 healthy participants (1 day to 19 years) were recruited from a cross-sectional study implemented in Wuhan Children's Hospital from September 2022 to August 2023. Serum hs-cTnI levels were detected via the Mindray automated chemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer (CL-6000i). Specific serum hs-cTnI RIs were established according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. The RIs were defined by the nonparametric median (P50), and 2.5th, 97.5th [P50 (P2.5-P97.5)] intervals. Results: Of the 1,355 pediatric participants, serum hs-cTnI concentrations of 1,332 children were measured. The serum overall P50 and 95% interval range (P2.5-P97.5) of serum hs-cTnI was 0.41 (0.00, 44.31) ng/L. This was higher in males of 0.47 (0.00, 44.90) ng/L than in females of 0.36 (0.00, 44.17) ng/L (P<0.01). Age- and sex-specific differences in hs-cTnI levels were observed. The levels were highly variable in children under 1 year of age (especially in newborns), deriving a P50 (P2.5-P97.5) of 22.06 (1.04, 154.22) ng/L, and gradually narrowed and decreased with increasing age, with a markedly lower established P50 (P2.5-P97.5) of 0.36 (0.00, 2.16) ng/L. However, the levels began to increase slightly at the age of 9-12 years and reached a small peak at the age range of 15 to 18 years in males with 0.71 (0.03, 3.29) ng/L, while females were less affected by puberty. Sex- and age-specific RIs for hs-cTnI were established: 5 age-specific RIs in males, 1 day-1 month: 30.16 (8.67, 171.81) ng/L; >1-12 months: 13.20 (0.63, 61.91) ng/L; >1-15 years: 0.36 (0.00, 1.86) ng/L; >15-18 years: 0.71 (0.03, 3.29) ng/L; >18-19 years: 0.52 (0.00, 1.92) ng/L; and 4 age-specific RIs in females, 1 day-1 month: 43.93 (18.82, 146.38) ng/L; >1-12 months: 5.22 (0.92, 42.54) ng/L; >1-6 years: 0.54 (0.00, 2.74) ng/L; >6-19 years: 0.23 (0.00, 1.56) ng/L. Conclusions: This study preliminarily established age- and sex-specific serum hs-cTnI RIs using the Mindray CL-6000i system in healthy children in Wuhan, China.

Salvage surgery and conversion surgery for patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A narrative review.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. With the development of screening, patient selection and treatment strategies, patients' survival outcomes and living quality significantly improved. However, some patients still have local recurrence or residual tumors after receiving definitive therapies. Salvage surgery has been regarded as an effective option for recurrent or residual NSCLC, but its effectiveness remains undetermined. Furthermore, conversion surgery is a special type of salvage surgery for tumors converted from "initially unresectable" to "potentially resectable" status due to a favorable response to systemic treatments. Although conversion surgery is a promising curative procedure for advanced NSCLC, its concept and clinical value remain unfamiliar to clinicians. In this narrative review, we provided an overview of the safety and efficacy of salvage surgery, especially salvage surgery after sublobar resection in early-stage NSCLC. More importantly, we highlighted the concept and value of conversion surgery after systemic treatment in advanced NSCLC to gain some insights into its role in the treatment of lung cancer.

Exploring the Impact of Visual Heat Conduction Paths on Thermal Conductivity of Polymer Composites and the Practical Applications.

The theory of heat conduction paths has been widely recognized and widely studied in the research about the thermal conductivity of thermal conductive polymer composites at present. Encapsulating polymer pellets with thermally conductive fillers and processing them into thermally conductive polymer composites is a simple and effective method for constructing heat conduction paths. It is meaningful to investigate the related heat conduction mechanism of this method. Otherwise, this approach can significantly preserve the performance of the polymer substrate, making it highly valuable for practical material applications. In this work, polyethylene-octene elastomer (POE) pellets were encapsulated with thermal conductive fillers by physical absorption. Subsequently, the composite films containing heat conduction paths were fabricated using the encapsulated POE pellets through a heating press. Alumina (Al2O3), boron nitride (BN), and alumina/boron nitride hybrid (Al2O3/BN) fillers were used to prepare Al2O3@POE, BN@POE, and BN/Al2O3@POE composite films to investigate the influence of filler shapes on heat conduction path construction. The influence of the constitute and density of heat conduction paths on the thermal conductivity of composite films was analyzed by infrared thermal imaging, finite element analysis, and thermal resistance theory in detail. Owing to the reserved good adhesion and flexibility of the POE substrate, the composite films could be directly used as thermal interface materials for chip cooling, which presented a good heat dissipation effect. Furthermore, a series of integrated composite materials were prepared by the combination of encapsulated pellets with various functional films (copper foil, aluminum foil, and graphite sheet) through a one-pot heating press, exhibiting a good electromagnetic shielding effect. The performance of the composites and the corresponding preparation method demonstrate the strong significance of this research for practical applications.

The severity of preoperative bone marrow oedema negatively influences short-term clinical outcomes following arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation for osteochondral lesions of the talus.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to study the effects of the severity of preoperative bone marrow oedema (BME) on the postoperative short-term outcomes following bone marrow stimulation (BMS) for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) and to propose a new metric that combines volume and signal density to evaluate BME. METHODS: Sixty-five patients with symptomatic OLTs (<100 mm2) and preoperative BME, who received BMS in our institution from April 2017 to July 2021 with follow-ups of 3, 6 and 12 months, were analysed retrospectively. The area, volume and signal value of the BME were collected on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. The enroled patients were divided into two groups according to the BME index (BMEI), which was defined as the product of oedema relative signal intensity and the relation of oedema volume to total talar volume. Visual analogue scale, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), Tegner, Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM)-activities of daily living (ADL) and Sports scores were assessed before surgery and at each follow-up. The relationship between the scores and the volume, relative signal intensity and BMEI was explored. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients with preoperative BME were divided into the mild (n = 33) and severe (n = 32) groups based on the BMEI. A significant difference was found for each score with the general linear model for repeated measures through all follow-up time points (p < 0.001). For the preoperative and 12-month postoperative changes of the enroled patients, 53 patients (81.5%) exceeded the minimal clinically important difference of AOFAS and 26 (40.0%) exceeded that of FAAM-sports in this study. The mild group showed significantly more improvement in AOFAS scores at 12 months (89.6 ± 7.0 vs. 86.2 ± 6.2) and FAAM-ADL scores at 6 months (83.6 ± 7.6 vs. 79.7 ± 7.7) and 12 months (88.5 ± 8.5 vs. 84.4 ± 7.7) than the severe group (p < 0.05). No significant difference of all the scores between the groups was found at 3 months. No significant correlation was found in each group between BMEI and clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: The severity of the preoperative BME negatively affected short-term clinical outcomes following arthroscopic BMS for OLTs. Worse clinical outcomes were shown at postoperative 6 and 12 months in patients with a high preoperative BMEI, which could be a favourable parameter for assessing the severity of BME and assist in developing personalised rehabilitation plans and determining the approach and timing of surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Suppression of GATA3 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and simultaneous cellular senescence in human extravillous trophoblasts.

The regulatory mechanism of the transcription factor GATA3 in the differentiation and maturation process of extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) in early pregnancy placenta, as well as its relevance to the occurrence of pregnancy disorders, remains poorly understood. This study leveraged single-cell RNA sequencing data from placental organoid models and placental tissue to explore the dynamic changes in GATA3 expression during EVT maturation. The expression pattern exhibited an initial upregulation followed by subsequent downregulation, with aberrant GATA3 localization observed in cases of recurrent miscarriage (RM). By identifying global targets regulated by GATA3 in primary placental EVT cells, JEG3, and HTR8/SVneo cell lines, this study offered insights into its regulatory mechanisms across different EVT cell models. Shared regulatory targets among these cell types and activation of trophoblast cell marker genes emphasized the importance of GATA3 in EVT differentiation and maturation. Knockdown of GATA3 in JEG3 cells led to repression of GATA3-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as evidenced by changes in marker gene expression levels and enhanced migration ability. Additionally, interference with GATA3 accelerated cellular senescence, as indicated by reduced proliferation rates and increased activity levels for senescence-associated ß-galactosidase enzyme, along with elevated expression levels for senescence-associated genes. This study provides comprehensive insights into the dual role of GATA3 in regulating EMT and cellular senescence during EVT differentiation, shedding light on the dynamic changes in GATA3 expression in normal and pathological placental conditions.

Ultra-high Performance Thermochromic Polymers via a Solid-solid Phase Transition Mechanism and Their Applications.

Thermochromic materials are substances that change color in response to temperature variations. Today, sustainability concerns are the main drivers of thermochromic research, with smart, energy-efficient windows being one of the primary applications. While vanadium oxides and leuco dyes are traditionally the main thermochromic materials, hydrogels operating based on change of solvation have risen as some of the most promising materials due to their high optical transparency and good solar modulating abilities. In this work, a distinct mechanism for thermochromism arising from the crystalline solid to amorphous solid polymer transition, with a corresponding transition from an opaque state to a transparent state is disclosed. Both ultra-high optical transparency (Tlum up to 99%) and ultra-high solar modulation (ΔTsolar up to 87%) are observed. The transition temperature is tunable from 11 to 61 °C by tuning the polymer structure. When incorporated into applications such as greenhouse materials and thermoelectric devices, significant performance enhancement is observed, due to the thermochromic material functioning as a thermal valve, speeding up solar heat absorbance while inhibiting the cooling process via its phase transition.

Peripheral nerve transfers for dysfunctions in central nervous system injuries: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The review highlights recent advancements and innovative uses of nerve transfer surgery in treating dysfunctions caused by central nervous system (CNS) injuries, with a particular focus on spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, traumatic brain injury, and cerebral palsy. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted regarding nerve transfer for restoring sensorimotor functions and bladder control following injuries of spinal cord and brain, across PubMed and Web of Science from January 1920 to May 2023. Two independent reviewers undertook article selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment with several appraisal tools, including the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist, and SYRCLE's ROB tool. The study protocol has been registered and reported following PRISMA and AMSTAR guidelines. RESULTS: Nine hundred six articles were retrieved, of which 35 studies were included (20 on SCI and 15 on brain injury), with 371 participants included in the surgery group and 192 in the control group. These articles were mostly low-risk, with methodological concerns in study types, highlighting the complexity and diversity. For SCI, the strength of target muscle increased by 3.13 of Medical Research Council grade, and the residual urine volume reduced by more than 100 ml in 15 of 20 patients. For unilateral brain injury, the Fugl-Myer motor assessment (FMA) improved 15.14-26 score in upper extremity compared to 2.35-26 in the control group. The overall reduction in Modified Ashworth score was 0.76-2 compared to 0-1 in the control group. Range of motion (ROM) increased 18.4-80° in elbow, 20.4-110° in wrist and 18.8-130° in forearm, while ROM changed -4.03°-20° in elbow, -2.08°-10° in wrist, -2.26°-20° in forearm in the control group. The improvement of FMA in lower extremity was 9 score compared to the presurgery. CONCLUSION: Nerve transfer generally improves sensorimotor functions in paralyzed limbs and bladder control following CNS injury. The technique effectively creates a 'bypass' for signals and facilitates functional recovery by leveraging neural plasticity. It suggested a future of surgery, neurorehabilitation and robotic-assistants converge to improve outcomes for CNS.

Traditional Chinese medicine for post-viral olfactory dysfunction: A systematic review.

Background: Post-viral olfactory dysfunction (PVOD) is the common symptoms of long COVID, lacking of effective treatments. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is claimed to be effective in treating olfactory dysfunction, but the evidence has not yet been critically appraised. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TCM for PVOD. Methods: We searched eight databases to identified clinical controlled studies about TCM for PVOD. The Cochrane risk of bias tools and GRADE were used to evaluate the quality of evidence. Risk ratio (RR), mean differences (MD), and 95 % confidence interval (CI), were used for effect estimation and RevMan 5.4.1 was used for data analysis. Results: Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (545 participants), two non-randomized controlled trials (non-RCTs) (112 participants), and one retrospective cohort study (30 participants) were included. The overall quality of included studies was low. Acupuncture (n = 8) and acupoint injection (n = 3) were the mainly used TCM therapies. Five RCTs showed a better effect in TCM group. Four trials used acupuncture, and three trials used acupoint injection. The results of two non-RCTs and one cohort study were not statistically significant. Two trials reported mild to moderate adverse events (pain and brief syncope caused by acupuncture or acupoint injection). Conclusions: Limited evidence focus on acupuncture and acupoint injection for PVOD and suggests that acupuncture and acupoint injection may be effective in improving PVOD. More well-designed trials should focus on acupuncture to confirm the benefit. Protocol registration: The protocol of this review was registered at PROSPERO: CRD42022366776.

Target-promoted autocatalytic hairpin assembly of bivalent DNAzymes for sensitive and label-free electrochemical metallothionein assay.

Metallothionein (MT) has shown to be an important biomarker for environmental monitoring and various diseases, due to its significant binding ability to heavy metal ions. On the basis of such a characteristic and the Hg2+-stabilized DNA duplex (Hg2+-dsDNA) probe, as well as a new autocatalytic hairpin assembly (aCHA)/DNAzyme cascaded signal enhancement strategy, the construction of a highly sensitive and label-free electrochemical MT biosensor is described. Target MT molecules bind Hg2+ in Hg2+-dsDNA to disrupt the duplex structure and to release ssDNA sequences, which trigger subsequent aCHA for efficient production of mimic aCHA triggering strands and many bivalent DNAzymes. The signal hairpins on the electrode are then cyclically cleaved by DNAzyme amplification cascade to liberate plenty G-quadruplex sequences, which bind hemin and yield largely enhanced currents for sensitive assay of MT with a detection limit of 0.217 nM in a label-free approach. Such sensor also shows selective discrimination capability to MT against other interfering proteins and assay of MT in normal serums with dilution has also been verified, indicating its potential for highly sensitive detection of different heavy metal ion binding molecules for various application scenarios.