A serial case study of the combined use of intraoperative CT and surgical navigation system for the removal of small foreign bodies in the maxillofacial region.

PURPOSE: The removal of small foreign bodies embedded within the deep soft tissues of the maxillofacial region is a complex and challenging task for maxillofacial surgeons. The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of the combination of intraoperative CT and surgical navigation for the removal of small foreign objects in the maxillofacial region. METHODS: A serial case study was conducted involving all consecutive patients who underwent surgical removal of small foreign bodies in the maxillofacial region. The combination of intraoperative CT and a surgical navigation system was used at a single medical institution from January 2018 to December 2022. Comprehensive data, including patient demographics, characteristics of the foreign bodies, previous surgical interventions, duration of the surgical procedure, and removal success rate were collected for this study. Relevant data were recorded into Microsoft Excel sheet and analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. RESULTS: Nine patients (6 males and 3 females) were included in this study, with an average age of 37 years. Each patient had previously undergone an unsuccessful removal attempt utilizing conventional surgical methods based on preoperative CT imaging or C-arm guidance at a local healthcare facility. Four patients also experienced unsuccessful attempts with preoperative CT image-based navigation systems. However, by employing the combined approach of intraoperative CT and surgical navigation, the foreign bodies were successfully removed in all 9 patients. The mean duration of the surgical procedure was 59 min, and the average size of the foreign bodies was approximately 26 mm³. Postoperative follow-up exceeding 6 months revealed no complications. CONCLUSION: The combined use of a surgical navigation system and intraoperative CT represents a potent and effective strategy for the precise localization and subsequent removal of small foreign bodies from the soft tissue structures of the maxillofacial region. This integrative approach appears to increase the success rate of surgical interventions in such cases.

The Value of Intraoperative Computed Tomography in the Treatment of Zygomatic Complex Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Due to the complex anatomical morphology and lack of anatomic markers on the surface of zygomatic complex (ZMC), the treatment results of ZMC fractures are often suboptimal. PURPOSE: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of intraoperative computed tomography (ICT) in the treatment of unilateral ZMC fractures, and further study the feasibility of ICT to replace early postoperative Computed Tomography (CT). STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, AND SAMPLE: The investigators designed a retrospective cohort study. Adult patients who underwent surgery with unilateral ZMC fractures were enrolled. PREDICTOR VARIABLE: According to whether intraoperative CT was used, the subjects were divided into the ICT group and the control group (without ICT). MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLES: Five distances and 3 angles representing bilateral ZMC symmetry were main outcome variables. The differences of outcome variables were compared between the 2 groups and the indices of ICT group were further compared with their postoperative indices. COVARIATES: Demographics (eg age), etiology (eg traffic injury), dysfunction (eg diplopia), and surgical approach (eg vestibular incision) were collected as covariates while we conducted clinical investigation, examination, and implementation. ANALYSES: The data were analyzed using independent-samples t test, paired-samples t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ2 test. P value < .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients (18 to 59 years) were enrolled in this study. All median values of the measurements in the ICT group were smaller than those in the control group, and the differences of horizontal displacement distance (0.56 vs 1.02 mm), anteroposterior displacement distance (1.69 vs 2.34 mm, 0.90 vs 2.35 mm), horizontal angle of bilateral zygomatic arch (2.31 vs 4.19°), and horizontal angle of bilateral zygomatic process (1.77 vs 2.94°) were significantly different between the 2 groups with P value < .05. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference in all indices between the intraoperatively and postoperatively injured sides in the ICT group. CONCLUSIONS: ICT can improve the treatment outcomes of ZMC fractures by evaluating the fracture reduction adequacy during surgery. Moreover, ICT can replace early postoperative CT.

Rhodobacter azotoformans supplementation improves defense ability of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis against citrobacteriosis.

Rhodobacter probiotics are considered as good alternatives to antibiotics for aquaculture. Yet the beneficial effects of Rhodobacter on Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis are still unclear, and more functions of Rhodobacter supplementation need to be clarified. In this study, a 60-day feeding trial was performed to investigate the protective effects of R. azotoformans against citrobacteriosis in E. sinensis by growth performance, serum immunity, hepatopancreatic antioxidant capability, intestinal flora, and resistance to Citrobacter freundii challenge assays. The results showed that R. azotoformans supplementation significantly and dose-dependently increased weight gain and specific growth rate as well as activities of serum immune and hepatopancreatic antioxidant enzymes, leading to notable improvement in the growth performance, serum immunity and hepatopancreatic antioxidant status of E. sinensis. Besides, R. azotoformans supplementation significantly enhanced intestinal microbial abundance and diversity in E. sinensis, and conferred significant protection of the crabs against C. freundii challenge with seven-day survival rates of 70.0%-100.0%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the protective effects of R. azotoformans against citrobacteriosis in E. sinensis.

The evaluation of fecal microbiota transplantation vs vancomycin in a Clostridioides difficile infection model.

Vancomycin is the preferred treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) but has been associated with a high recurrence rate of CDI in treated patients. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a remarkably successful treatment for recurrent CDI (rCDI). Herein, we present a mouse model of CDI to further define the changes in intestinal inflammation, flora, and metabolites following FMT versus vancomycin treatment and to find the potential therapy to restore colonization resistance. Both FMT and vancomycin treatment could ameliorate CDI-induced clinical features and intestinal tissue damage, with decrease in the levels of inflammatory mediators like IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, G-CSF, and MCP-1 in the colon and plasma. Observing the fecal gut microbiome profile revealed that unlike vancomycin, FMT could replenish intestinal microbiota by augmenting the relative abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes and eliminating the abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria. FMT also reduced the levels of several carbohydrates, such as raffinose and fructose-6-phosphate, and amino acids, including tryptophan and glutamyl-valine, in the gut metabolome, thus suppressing C. difficile germination and growth. Our results suggest that the FMT-induced reconstruction of a specific gut community structure and restoration of metabolites promote the recovery of colonization resistance in mice better than vancomycin, thus offering new insights for the prevention of rCDI. KEY POINTS: • Both FMT and vancomycin ameliorate CDI-induced inflammatory response. • FMT restores a specific community structure and gut metabolites. • Mice treated with FMT may promote the recovery of colonization resistance and has a better outcome.

Highly Strained Au-Ag-Pd Alloy Nanowires for Boosted Electrooxidation of Biomass-Derived Alcohols.

Although strain engineering is effective in boosting the activities of noble metal catalysts, it remains desirable to construct fully strained catalysts to push the activity to even higher levels. Herein, we report a novel route to strong lattice strains of a Pd-based catalyst by radial growth of a Pd-rich phase on Au-Ag alloy nanowires that are no thicker than 1.5 nm. It creates not only tensile strains in the Pd-rich sheath due to the core-sheath lattice mismatch but also distortion and twinning of the lattice, producing nonhomogeneous local strains as hotspots for the catalysis. Toward the electrochemical oxidation of biomass-derived alcohols including ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol, the highly strained nanowires outperformed their less strained counterparts and reached up to 13.6, 18.2, and 11.1 A mgPd-1, respectively. This strain engineering strategy may open new avenues to highly efficient catalysts for direct alcohol fuel cells and many other applications.

Spatial and temporal characteristics of air pollutants and their health effects in China during 2019-2020.

This work presents the temporal and spatial characteristics of the major air pollutants and their associated health risks in China from 2019 to 2020, by using the monitoring data from 367 cities. The annual average PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3 concentrations decreased by 10.9%, 13.2%, 9.3%, 10.1%, 9.4%, and 5.5% from 2019 to 2020. National average PM2.5 concentration in 2020 met the standard of 35 µg/m3, and that of O3 decreased from 2019. COVID-19 lockdown affected NO2 level dramatically, yet influences on PM2.5 and O3 were less clear-cut. Positive correlations between PM2.5 and O3 were found, even in winter in all five key regions, e.g., Jing-Jin-Ji (JJJ), FenWei Plain (FWP), Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Pearl River Delta (PRD) and Chengdu-Chongqing Region (CCR), indicating importance of secondary production for both PM2.5 and O3. Large seasonal variability of PM2.5-SO2 correlation indicates a varying role of SO2 to PM2.5 pollution in different seasons; and generally weak correlations in winter between PM2.5 and NO2 or SO2 reveal the complexity of secondary formation processes to PM2.5 pollution in winter. Multilinear regression analysis between PM2.5 and SO2, NO2 and CO demonstrates that PM2.5 is more sensitive to the change of NO2 than SO2 in JJJ, FWP, PRD and CCR, suggesting a priority of NOx emission control for future PM2.5 reduction. Furthermore, the new World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines (WHO AQG2021) were adopted to calculate the excess health risks (ER) as well as the health-risk based air quality index (HAQIWHO) of the pollutants. Such assessment points out the severity of air pollution associated health risks under strict standards: 40.0% of days had HAQIWHO>100, while only 14.4% days had AQI>100. PM2.5 ER was generally larger than O3 ER, but O3 ER in low PM2.5 region (PRD) and during summer became more serious. Notably, NO2 ER became even more important than PM2.5 due to its strict limit of WHO AQG2021. Overall, our results highlight the increasing importance of O3 in both air quality evaluation and health risk assessment, and the importance of coordinated mitigation of multiple pollutants (mainly PM2.5, O3 and NO2) in protecting the public health.

The Application of Intraoperative Computed Tomography in Surgical Management of Temporomandibular Joint Ankylosis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the application and value of intraoperative computed tomography (CT) in the surgical management of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery of TMJ ankylosis with the aid of intraoperative CT scan from July 2016 to December 2018 were retrospectively studied. Demographics, type of ankylosis, surgical method, intraoperative CT scan time, radiographic evidence, the CT-directed revision rate, and clinical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Four patients (5 sides) were successfully operated with the aid of intraoperative CT imaging, and CT-directed revisions were made in 3 of them during surgery. The average time spent in CT scanning was (10.2 ± 3.3) minutes. No surgical complications were noted, and a good satisfaction rate (with an average maximum mouth opening of 38.8 mm and no recurrence during the follow-up period) was obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative CT scanning is a helpful tool in the evaluation of the radiographic result of TMJ ankylosis, and a real-time revision could be made. It increased the precision and safety of the surgery of TMJ ankylosis.

Genome-wide analysis of the abiotic stress-related bZIP family in switchgrass.

The large basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor family is conserved in plants. These proteins regulate growth, development, and stress response. Here, we conducted a genome-wide analysis to identify the bZIP genes associated with stress resistance in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). We identified 178 PvbZIPs unevenly distributed on 18 switchgrass chromosomes. An evolutionary analysis segregated them into 10 subfamilies. Gene structure and conserved motif analyses indicated that the same subfamily members shared similar intron-exon modes and motif compositions. This finding corroborated the proposed PvbZIP family grouping. A promoter analysis showed that PvbZIP genes participate in various stress responses. Phylogenetic and synteny analyses characterized 111 switchgrass bZIPs as orthologs of 70 rice bZIPs. A protein interaction network analysis revealed that 22 proteins are involved in salt and drought tolerance. An expression atlas disclosed that the expression patterns of several PvbZIPs differ among various tissues and developmental stages. Online data demonstrated that 16 PvbZIPs were significantly downregulated and five were significantly upregulated in response to heat stress. Other PvbZIPs participated in responses to abiotic stress such as salt, drought, cold, and heat. Our genome-wide analysis and identification of the switchgrass bZIP family characterized multiple candidate PvbZIPs that regulate growth and stress response. This study lays theoretical and empirical foundations for future functional investigations into other transcription factors.

Comparative genome-wide characterization leading to simple sequence repeat marker development for Nicotiana.

BACKGROUND: Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are tandem repeats of DNA that have been used to develop robust genetic markers. These molecular markers are powerful tools for basic and applied studies such as molecular breeding. In the model plants in Nicotiana genus e.g. N. benthamiana, a comprehensive assessment of SSR content has become possible now because several Nicotiana genomes have been sequenced. We conducted a genome-wide SSR characterization and marker development across seven Nicotiana genomes. RESULTS: Here, we initially characterized 2,483,032 SSRs (repeat units of 1-10 bp) from seven genomic sequences of Nicotiana and developed SSR markers using the GMATA® software package. Of investigated repeat units, mono-, di- and tri-nucleotide SSRs account for 98% of all SSRs in Nicotiana. More complex SSR motifs, although rare, are highly variable between Nicotiana genomes. A total of 1,224,048 non-redundant Nicotiana (NIX) markers were developed, of which 99.98% are novel. An efficient and uniform genotyping protocol for NIX markers was developed and validated. We created a web-based database of NIX marker information including amplicon sizes of alleles in each genome for downloading and online analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The present work constitutes the first deep characterization of SSRs in seven genomes of Nicotiana, and the development of NIX markers for these SSRs. Our online marker database and an efficient genotyping protocol facilitate the application of these markers. The NIX markers greatly expand Nicotiana marker resources, thus providing a useful tool for future research and breeding. We demonstrate a novel protocol for SSR marker development and utilization at the whole genome scale that can be applied to any lineage of organisms. The Tobacco Markers & Primers Database (TMPD) is available at http://biodb.sdau.edu.cn/tmpd/index.html.

Solid-to-Hollow Conversion of Silver Nanocrystals by Surface-Protected Etching.

Although hollow silver nanocrystals possess unique plasmonic properties, there is a lack of robust strategies to synthesize such nanocrystals with high efficiency and controllability. To solve this problem, a new surface-protected etching strategy to convert solid Ag nanocrystals, which are widely available from conventional syntheses, into their hollow counterparts, producing a family of hollow Ag nanocrystals is reported. Hollow Ag nanospheres and nanotubes were prepared conveniently in this way. The key was the surface modification of Ag nanocrystals by a minor amount of Pt prior to a controllable etching process, which accounts for enhanced stability of the Ag surface and subsequent etching of Ag from the inner part of the nanocrystals while retaining the overall crystal morphology. These hollow Ag nanocrystals showed distinctive optical properties, as demonstrated by the enhanced optical transmittance of flexible electrodes fabricated with Ag nanotubes, compared to nanowires. These hollow Ag nanocrystals hold promise in different plasmonic and electronic applications.

Aqueous Synthesis of Ultrathin Platinum/Non-Noble Metal Alloy Nanowires for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Activity.

Although aqueous synthesis of nanocrystals is advantageous in terms of the cost, convenience, environmental friendliness, and surface cleanness of the product, nanocrystals of Pt and non-noble metal alloys are difficult to obtain with controlled morphology and composition from this synthesis owing to a huge gap between the reduction potentials of respective metal salts. This huge gap could now be remedied by introducing a sulfite into the aqueous synthesis, which is believed to resemble an electroless plating mechanism, giving rise to a colloid of Pt-M (M=Ni, Co, Fe) alloy nanowires with an ultrasmall thickness (ca. 2.6 nm) in a high yield. The sulfite also leads to the formation of surface M-S bonds and thus atomic-level Pt/M-S(OH) interfaces for greatly boosted hydrogen evolution kinetics under alkaline conditions. An activity of 75.3 mA cm-2 has been achieved with 3 µg of Pt in 1 m KOH at an overpotential of 70 mV, which is superior to previously reported catalysts.

[Regulation of sporulation by two-component system YvcPQ in Bacillus thuringiensis].

Objective: To study the regulation of sporulation controlled by two-component system (TCS) YvcPQ. Methods: ß-galactosidase experiment was used to verify the regulation of YvcP on kapD expression; bacterial one-hybrid assay, EMSA and RT-qPCR were applied to study the regulation of AbrB on yvcPQ expression; markerless gene deletion coupled with spore count was used to reveal the influence of yvcPQ and kapD expressions on sporulation. Results: transcriptional regulator AbrB up-regulated the expression of yvcPQ; YvcP promoted the expression of kapD to inhibit sporulation. Conclusion: AbrB up-regulated the transcription of yvcPQ operon, then the increased YvcP strengthened the transcriptional acitivation of sporulation inhibitor gene kapD, and subsequently inhibited sporulation.

The two-component signal transduction system YvcPQ regulates the bacterial resistance to bacitracin in Bacillus thuringiensis.

YvcPQ is one of the two-component signal transduction systems that respond to specific stimuli and enable cells to adjust multiple cellular functions. It consists of a histidine kinase YvcQ and a response regulator YvcP. In this study, through searching the consensus sequence recognized by YvcP, we found four YvcP-binding motifs in the promoter regions of genes yvcR (BMB171_C4100), BMB171_C4385, kapD (BMB171_C4525) and BMB171_C4835 in Bacillus thuringiensis BMB171 which is a representative of Bacillus cereus group, and confirmed that these genes are regulated by YvcP. We compared the sequence of yvcPQ and its downstream genes in genus Bacillus, and found two different kinds of yvc locus, one was the yvcPQ-RS in B. subtilis species and the other was the yvcPQ-R-S1S2 in B. cereus group. Furthermore, we found that YvcP activates the transcription of yvcS1S2 (downstream of yvcR) to promote bacterial resistance to bacitracin and deletion of either yvcPQ operon or yvcS1S2 operon renders the bacterial cells more sensitive to bacitracin. This study enriched our understanding of both the YvcPQ's function and the mechanism of bacterial resistance to bacitracin.

Cell block samples from malignant pleural effusion might be valid alternative samples for anaplastic lymphoma kinase detection in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical value of cell block samples from malignant pleural effusion (MPE) as alternative samples to tumour tissue for anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) detection in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-two matched samples were eligible for analysis. ALK status was detected by Ventana immunohistochemistry (IHC) (with the D5F3 clone), reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) in MPE cell block samples, and by FISH in tumour tissue block samples. In total, ALK FISH results were obtained for 52 tumour tissue samples and 41 MPE cell block samples. Eight cases (15.4%) were ALK-positive in tumour tissue samples by FISH, and among matched MPE cell block samples, five were ALK-positive by FISH, seven were ALK-positive by RT-PCR, and eight were ALK-positive by Ventana IHC. The ALK status concordance rates between tumour tissue and MPE cell block samples were 78.9% by FISH, 98.1% by RT-PCR, and 100% by Ventana IHC. In MPE cell block samples, the sensitivity and specificity of Ventana IHC (100% and 100%) and RT-PCR (87.5% and 100%) were higher than those of FISH (62.5% and 100%). CONCLUSIONS: Malignant pleural effusion cell block samples had a diagnostic performance for ALK detection in advanced NSCLC that was comparable to that of tumour tissue samples. MPE cell block samples might be valid alternative samples for ALK detection when tissue is not available. Ventana IHC could be the most suitable method for ALK detection in MPE cell block samples.

Two-component system YvqEC-dependent bacterial resistance against vancomycin in Bacillus thuringiensis.

YvqEC is one of the two-component signal transduction systems that may respond to cell envelope stress and enable cells to adjust multiple cellular functions. It consists of a histidine kinase YvqE and a response regulator YvqC. In this study, we separately constructed a single gene mutant ΔyvqE and a double gene mutant ΔyvqEC in Bacillus thuringiensis BMB171 through a homing endonucleases I-SceI mediated markerless gene deletion method. We found that the deletion of either yvqE or yvqEC weakened the resistance of B. thuringiensis against vancomycin. We also identified nine operons that may be involved in the cellular metabolism regulated by YvqC. This study not only enriches our understanding of bacterial resistance mechanisms against vancomycin, but also helps investigate the functions of YvqEC.

Structural basis for the distinct core-antenna assembly of cryptophyte photosystem II.

Photosystem II (PSII) catalyzes the light-driven charge separation and water oxidation reactions of photosynthesis. Eukaryotic PSII core is usually associated with membrane-embedded light-harvesting antennae, which greatly increase the absorbance cross-section of the core. The peripheral antennae in different phototrophs vary considerably in protein composition and arrangement. Photosynthetic cryptophytes possess chlorophyll a/c binding proteins (CACs) that serve as their antennae. How these CACs assemble with the PSII core remains unclear. Here, we report the 2.57-Å resolution structure of cryptophyte PSII-CAC purified from cells at nitrogen-limited stationary growth phase. We show that each monomer of the PSII homodimer contains a core complex, six chlorophyll a/c binding proteins (CACs) and a previously unseen chlorophyll-binding protein (termed CAL-II). Six CACs are arranged as a double-layered arc-shaped non-parallel belt, and two such belts attach to the dimeric core from opposite sides. The CAL-II simultaneously interacts with a number of core subunits and five CACs. The distinct organization of CACs and the presence of CAL-II may play a critical role in stabilizing the dimeric PSII-CAC complex under stress conditions. Our study provides mechanistic insights into the assembly and function of the PSII-CAC complex as well as the possible adaptation of cryptophytes in response to environmental stresses.

The overexpression of the switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) genes PvTOC1-N or PvLHY-K affects circadian rhythm and hormone metabolism in transgenic Arabidopsis seedlings.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a perennial C4 warm-season grass known for its high-biomass yield and wide environmental adaptability, making it an ideal bioenergy crop. Despite its potential, switchgrass seedlings grow slowly, often losing out to weeds in field conditions and producing limited biomass in the first year of planting. Furthermore, during the reproductive growth stage, the above-ground biomass rapidly increases in lignin content, creating a significant saccharification barrier. Previous studies have identified rhythm-related genes TOC1 and LHY as crucial to the slow seedling development in switchgrass, yet the precise regulatory functions of these genes remain largely unexplored. In this study, the genes TOC1 and LHY were characterized within the tetraploid genome of switchgrass. Gene expression analysis revealed that PvTOC1 and PvLHY exhibit circadian patterns under normal growth conditions, with opposing expression levels over time. PvTOC1 genes were predominantly expressed in florets, vascular bundles, and seeds, while PvLHY genes showed higher expression in stems, leaf sheaths, and nodes. Overexpression of PvTOC1 from the N chromosome group (PvTOC1-N) or PvLHY from the K chromosome group (PvLHY-K) in Arabidopsis thaliana led to alterations in circadian rhythm and hormone metabolism, resulting in shorter roots, delayed flowering, and decreased resistance to oxidative stress. These transgenic lines exhibited reduced sensitivity to hormones and hormone inhibitors, and displayed altered gene expression in the biosynthesis and signal transduction pathways of abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), 3-indoleacetic acid (IAA), and strigolactone (SL). These findings highlight roles of PvTOC1-N and PvLHY-K in plant development and offer a theoretical foundation for genetic improvements in switchgrass and other crops.

Epigenetic therapy: Research progress of decitabine in the treatment of solid tumors.

Decitabine's early successful therapeutic outcomes in hematologic malignancies have led to regulatory approvals from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for addressing myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These approvals have sparked keen interest in exploring the potential of decitabine for treating solid tumors. Continuous preclinical and clinical trials have proved that low doses of decitabine also bring benefits in treating solid tumors, and various proposed mechanisms attempt to explain the potential efficacy. It is important to note that the application of decitabine in solid tumors is still considered investigational. This article reviews the application mechanism and current status of decitabine in the treatment of solid tumors.

Growth phase-dependent reorganization of cryptophyte photosystem I antennae.

Photosynthetic cryptophytes are eukaryotic algae that utilize membrane-embedded chlorophyll a/c binding proteins (CACs) and lumen-localized phycobiliproteins (PBPs) as their light-harvesting antennae. Cryptophytes go through logarithmic and stationary growth phases, and may adjust their light-harvesting capability according to their particular growth state. How cryptophytes change the type/arrangement of the photosynthetic antenna proteins to regulate their light-harvesting remains unknown. Here we solve four structures of cryptophyte photosystem I (PSI) bound with CACs that show the rearrangement of CACs at different growth phases. We identify a cryptophyte-unique protein, PsaQ, which harbors two chlorophyll molecules. PsaQ specifically binds to the lumenal region of PSI during logarithmic growth phase and may assist the association of PBPs with photosystems and energy transfer from PBPs to photosystems.

Role of sex steroids in colorectal cancer: pathomechanisms and medical applications.

Given that the colon represents the most extensive hormone-responsive tissue in the human body, it prompts a compelling inquiry into whether the progression of its cancer is intimately linked to hormonal dynamics. Consequently, the interplay between sex steroids - a pivotal constituent of hormones - and colorectal cancer has increasingly captivated scientific interest. Upon a comprehensive review of pertinent literature both domestically and internationally, this study delineates the present landscape of three pivotal steroids - estrogen, progestin, and androgen - in the context of colorectal cancer. More specifically, this investigation probes into the potential utility of these steroids in providing therapeutic interventions, diagnostic insights, and prognostic indicators. Furthermore, this study also delves into the mechanistic pathways through which sex steroid interventions exert influence on colorectal cancer. It was discovered that the trio of sex steroid hormones partakes in an array of biological processes, thereby influencing the onset and progression of colorectal cancer. In conclusion, this study posits that a profound interconnection exists between colorectal cancer and sex steroids, suggesting that elucidating the targets of their action mechanisms could unveil novel avenues for the diagnosis and prevention of colorectal cancer.