Alteration Trend and Overlap Analysis of Positive Features in Different-Sized Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules: Based on Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the alteration trends and overlaps of positive features in benign and malignant thyroid nodules of different sizes based on the Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (C-TIRADS). Patients and Methods: 1337 patients with 1558 thyroid nodules were retrospectively recruited from November 2021 to December 2023. These nodules were divided into three groups according to maximum diameter: A (≤10 mm), B (10-20 mm), and C (≥20 mm). C-TIRADS positive features were compared between benign and malignant thyroid nodules of different sizes. In addition, the trends of positive features with changes in nodule size among malignant thyroid nodules were analyzed. Results: The incidence of positive features in malignant thyroid nodules was higher than that in benign. As benign nodules grow, the incidence of all positive features showed a linear decreasing trend (Z values were 72.103, 101.081, 17.344, 33.909, and 129.304, P values < 0.001). With the size of malignant thyroid nodules increased, vertical orientation, solid, marked hypoechogenicity, and ill-defined/irregular margins/extrathyroidal extension showed a linear decreasing trend (Z = 148.854, 135.378, 8.590, and 69.239, respectively; P values < 0.05), while suspicious microcalcifications showed a linear increasing trend (Z = 34.699, P<0.001). In terms of overlapping characteristics, group A had a significantly higher overlapping rate than the other two groups, and the overlapping rate of solid indicators remained the highest among all three groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Differences in positive features were observed between thyroid nodules of different sizes. Except for suspicious microcalcifications, the incidence of other four positive features decreased with increasing nodule size. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between the overlap rate and nodule size. These results may provide a basis for sonographers to upgrade or downgrade thyroid nodules based on their own experience.

Biochemical targets of the micropeptides encoded by lncRNAs.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides, which play important roles in regulating various cellular activities by the action of the RNA itself. However, about 40% of lncRNAs in human cells are potentially translated into micropeptides (also referred to as microproteins) usually shorter than 100 amino acids. Thus, these lncRNAs may function by both RNAs directly and their encoded micropeptides. The micropeptides encoded by lncRNAs may regulate transcription, translation, protein phosphorylation or degradation, or subcellular membrane functions. This review attempts to summarize the biochemical targets of the micropeptides-encoded by lncRNAs, which function by both RNAs and micropeptides, and discuss their associations with various diseases and their potentials as drug targets.

Exploring home fall events among infants and toddlers using social media information: an infodemiology study in China.

BACKGROUND: Practical interventions of fall prevention are challenging for infants and toddlers. This study aimed to explore specific details of falls that occurred at home for kids 0-3 years old using key information from social media platforms, which provided abundant data sources for fall events. METHODS: We used internet-based search techniques to collect fall events information from 2013 to 2023. The search was restricted and implemented between 1 and 12 April 2023. Online platforms included Baidu, Weibo, WeChat, TikTok, Toutiao and Little Red Book. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyse the fall events and major factors, including the fall event time, child age, environmental factors and behavioural characteristics of children and caregivers. RESULTS: We identified 1005 fall injury cases among infants and toddlers. Fall mechanisms included falls from household furniture (71.2%), falls from height (21.4%) and falls on the same level (7.4%). Environmental risk factors mainly consisted of not using or installing bed rails incorrectly, a gap between beds, unstable furniture, slippery ground and windows without guardrails. Behavioural factors included caregivers leaving a child alone, lapsed attention, turning around to retrieve something, misusing baby products, inadequately holding the child and falling asleep with children. Child behavioural factors included walking or running while holding an object in hand or mouth and underdeveloped walking skills. CONCLUSION: Interventions for preventing falls should be designed specifically for Chinese families, especially considering family function in the context of Chinese culture. Social media reports could provide rich information for researchers.

Dual stimuli-responsive upconversion nanoparticle-poly-N-isopropylacrylamide/DNA core-shell microgels.

Stimuli-responsive upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP)-poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAM)/DNA core-shell microgels with tunable sizes and programmable functions have been prepared. Thanks to the near-infrared (NIR)-responsive UCNP cores and thermosensitive polymeric shells, functional DNA-incorporated microgels with high DNA activity and loading efficiency are obtained, and the activity of the loaded DNA structures can be smartly regulated by NIR illumination and temperature simultaneously.

Incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of acute liver injury in hospitalized adults with acute kidney injury: a large multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) and acute liver injury (ALI) were associated with poor outcomes during hospitalization, respectively. However, the clinical outcome of AKI combined with ALI (AKI-ALI) remains unknown. The current study aimed to describe AKI-ALI's incidences, risk factors, and outcomes. METHODS: The study population included patients aged 18-99 years with enough serum creatinine and liver testing hospitalized at 19 medical centers throughout China between 2000 and 2021. AKI was defined by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes and ALI was defined by the change of liver enzymes based on Asia Pacific Association of Study of Liver consensus guidelines. Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify risk factors for AKI-ALI, and a time-dependent Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the association between AKI-ALI and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Among the 18,461 patients with AKI, 1689 (9.1%) combined with ALI. Male patients or those who have used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or vasopressors, and who have heart failure or shock, with higher AST or GGT values, were associated with an increased risk of AKI-ALI. Compared with AKI-nonALI, patients with AKI-ALI were at higher risk of in-hospitalized mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54, 2.00). In addition, a stronger association between AKI-ALI and in-hospital mortality was found in those with lower AKI grades (p for interaction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: ALI was not uncommon among patients with AKI, especially in patients who used vasopressors and had shock. This study highlights the association between AKI-ALI and a significantly increased risk of mortality. It suggests that dynamic monitoring of liver function is essential, particularly in patients with AST and GGT exceeding the normal upper limit, to improve the in-hospital prognosis of AKI patients.

Dinuclear gold-catalyzed divergent dechlorinative radical borylation of gem-dichloroalkanes.

The enormous and widespread use of organoboronic acids has prompted the development of innovative synthetic methodologies to meet the demands on structural diversity and functional group tolerance. The existing photoinduced defunctionalization radical borylation, typically focused on the conversion of one C-X bond (X= Br, I, or other leaving group) into only one C-B bond. Herein, we disclose a divergent radical dechloroborylation reaction enabled by dinuclear gold catalysis with visible light irradiation. A wide range of structurally diverse alkyl boronic, α-chloroboronic, and gem-diboronic esters can be synthesized in moderate to good yields (up to 92%). Its synthetic robustness is further demonstrated on a preparative scale and applied to late-stage diversification of complex molecules. The process hinges on a C-Cl bond relay activation in readily available gem-dichloroalkanes through inner-sphere electron transfer, overcoming the redox potential limits of unreactive alkyl chlorides.

Feasibility and impact of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology in simulated teaching of congenital malformations.

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing three-dimensional (3D) printing technology in the simulation teaching of congenital malformations. METHODS: We conducted a comparative analysis between an experimental group that received traditional teaching supplemented with 3D printing model demonstrations and hands-on model operation, and a control group that received traditional teaching methods. Various parameters, including classroom interest, classroom interaction, learning enthusiasm, disease awareness, teaching satisfaction, and independent operation confidence, were assessed, along with theoretical and practical tests. RESULTS: The results showed no significant difference in theoretical test scores between the two groups (91.92 ± 15.04 vs. 89.44 ± 14.89), but the practical test revealed a significantly higher number of qualified trainees in the experimental group compared to the control group (23 vs. 8). In terms of classroom engagement, both groups exhibited similar levels of interest (8.08 ± 1.52 vs. 8.74 ± 0.984), classroom interaction (7.88 ± 1.97 vs. 8.7 ± 1.33), learning enthusiasm (8.81 ± 1.021 vs. 8.52 ± 1.189), and disease awareness (8.58 ± 0.99 vs. 8.58 ± 0.99). However, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher teaching satisfaction (8.81 ± 1.06 vs. 9.19 ± 0.96) and greater operation confidence (7.67 ± 2.56 vs. 5.5 ± 2.79) than the control group. CONCLUSION: 3D printing technology can be effectively utilized to create surgical teaching models, enhancing the confidence of standardized training doctors and improving teaching outcomes.

First Report of Exserohilum rostratum Causing Brown Spot on Spartina alterniflora in China.

Spartina alterniflora Loisel, a perennial grass, has become an invasive species in China's coastal wetlands (Zhang et al. 2018). In July 2021, brown spot symptoms were observed on S. alterniflora in a coastal wetland (21°45'48″N, 108°44'00″E) in Beihai City, Guangxi Province, China. The disease affected approximately 50% of the plants in the surveyed area (0.2 ha) and was also observed in other regions of Beihai. It caused brown lesions with a gray or whitish center on the leaves and stems of S. alterniflora. As the disease developed, it ultimately led to leaf shedding and plant death. To isolate the causal agent, 18 fragments (~ 5 mm) from six symptomatic plants (3 leaf pieces per plant) were surface sterilized with 1% NaOCl solution for 2 min and rinsed three times with sterilized water. Subsequently, the tissues were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium supplemented with chloramphenicol (0.1 g/liter) and incubated at 28°C for three days. The hyphal tips were transferred onto fresh PDA to obtain pure cultures. A total of 25 isolates were obtained, 20 of which shared similar morphologies, while the remaining five exhibited distinct morphological characteristics and were non-pathogenic to S. alterniflora. Three isolates (MC16.1.3, MC16.6.2, and MC16.8.3) were randomly selected from the 20 for further investigation. The colonies on PDA were flat with dense aerial mycelia. The colony margins were entire, light brown in the centre, white to grey at the margin; reverse dark brown in the centre, gray at the margin. Conidia were straight to slightly curved, light olive-brown to dark olive-brown, septate, measured 33.5 to 79.1 µm × 10.4 to 18.7 µm (average 52.9 × 14.4 µm, n = 100), with a distinctly protruding hilum swelled from the basal cell. For molecular identification, the genomic DNA was extracted from mycelium on PDA using the CTAB method (Guo et al. 2000). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), and translation elongation factor 1 alpha (TEF1-α) genes were amplified and sequenced with the primer pairs ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), GPD1/GPD2 (Berbee et al. 1999), and EF1-983/EF1-2218 (Rehner et al. 2005), respectively. A BLAST analysis revealed that the ITS (OR516787-9), GAPDH (OR523686-8), and TEF-α (OR523683-5) had 99.1 to 99.7% identity with those of E. rostratum strains BRIP 11417 (LT837836, LT882553, and LT896656) and CBS 128061 (KT265240, LT715900, and LT896658) (Hernández-Restrepo et al. 2018). Based on the concatenated sequences, a phylogenetic tree generated by PhyloSuite software (Zhang et al., 2020) through Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods placed the isolates within E. rostratum. These morphological characteristics and molecular analyses confirmed the pathogen as E. rostratum (Hernández-Restrepo et al. 2018; Kaboré et al. 2022). To confirm pathogenicity, a conidial water suspension (~ 1 × 106 conidia/ml) of each of the three strains was inoculated on nine healthy S. alterniflora plants that had been grown for six months. Control plants were treated with sterile water. All plants were then enclosed in plastic bags and incubated in a greenhouse at 28°C. Six days after inoculation, the plants exhibited symptoms similar to those observed in nature. The control plants developed no symptoms. These experiments were replicated three times with similar results. To fulfill Koch's postulates, E. rostratum was consistently re-isolated from symptomatic tissue and confirmed by morphology and sequencing, whereas no fungus was isolated from the control plants. In recent years, S. alterniflora has posed a serious threat to the indigenous biodiversity of wetland ecosystems (Zhang et al. 2018). To our knowledge, this is the first report of E. rostratum causing brown spot on S. alterniflora worldwide.

Investigating the impact of ultrasound on the structural, physicochemical, and emulsifying characteristics of Dioscorin: Insights from experimental data and molecular dynamics simulation.

This study investigated the impact of ultrasound treatment on dioscorin, the primary storage protein found in yam tubers. Three key factors, namely ultrasound power, duration, and frequency, were focused on. The research revealed that ultrasound-induced cavitation effects disrupted non-covalent bonds, resulting in a reduction in α-helix and ß-sheet contents, decreased thermal stability, and a decrease in the apparent hydrodynamic diameter (Dh) of dioscorin. Additionally, previously hidden amino acid groups within the molecule became exposed on its surface, resulting in increased surface hydrophobicity (Ho) and zeta-potential. Under specific ultrasound conditions (200 W, 25 kHz, 30 min), Dh decreased while Ho increased, facilitating the adsorption of dioscorin molecules onto the oil-water interface. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that at lower frequencies and pressures, the structural flexibility of dioscorin's main chain atoms increased, leading to more significant fluctuations between amino acid residues. This transformation improved dioscorin's emulsifying properties and its oil-water interface affinity.

Diagnostic challenges and proposed classification of myeloid neoplasms with overlapping features of thrombocytosis, ring sideroblasts and concurrent del(5q) and SF3B1 mutations.

Not available.

Clinical and immunologic features of co-infection in COVID-19 patients, along with potential traditional Chinese medicine treatments.

Objectives: With the increasing number of people worldwide infected with SARS-CoV-2, the likelihood of co-infection and/or comorbidities is rising. The impact of these co-infections on the patient's immune system remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the immunological characteristics of secondary infections in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and preliminarily predict potential therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine and their derivatives for the treatment of co-infections. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we included 131 hospitalized patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, of whom there were 64 mild and 67 severe cases. We analyzed clinical characteristics and immunologic data, including circulating immune cell numbers, levels of inflammatory factors and viral load, comparing COVID-19 patients with and without co-infection. Results: Among 131 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 41 (31.3%) were co-infection positive, with 33 (80.5%) having severe disease and 14 (34.1%) of them resulting in fatalities. Co-infected patients exhibited significantly higher severity and mortality rates compared to non-co-infected counterparts. Co-infected patients had significantly lower absolute counts of lymphocytes, total T lymphocytes, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells and B lymphocytes, while levels of hs-CRP, PCT and IL-6 were significantly elevated compared to non-co-infected patients. Additionally, the viral load of co-infected patients was significantly higher than non-co-infected patients. Conclusion: Co-infection emerges as a dangerous factor for COVID-19 patients, elevating the risk of severe pneumonia and mortality. Co-infection suppresses the host's immune response by reducing the number of lymphocytes and increasing inflammation, thereby diminishing the antiviral and anti-infective effects of the immune system, which promotes the severity of the disease. Therefore, it is crucial to implement infection prevention measures to minimize the spread of co-infections among COVID-19 hospitalized patients. Additionally, changes in these biomarkers provide a theoretical basis for the effective treatment of co-infections with traditional Chinese medicine.

Cervical Sagittal Alignment and Related Factor Analysis and Prediction Model in Patients Undergoing Revision Surgery After Anterior Cervical Fusion.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with myelopathy or radiculopathy commonly undergo anterior cervical fusion surgery (ACFS), which has a notable failure rate on occasion. The goal of this study was to compare revision and nonrevision surgery patients in cervical sagittal alignment (CSA) subsequent to ACFS; additionally, to identify the best CSA parameters for predicting clinical outcome after ACFS; and furthermore, to create an equation model to assist surgeons in making decisions on patients undergoing ACFS. METHODS: The data of 99 patients with symptomatic cervical myelopathy/radiculopathy who underwent ACFS were analyzed. Patients were divided into group A (underwent revision surgery after the first surgery failed) and group B (underwent only the first surgery). We measured and analyzed both preoperative and postoperative CSA parameters, including C2 slope, T1 slope, cervical lordosis C2-C7 (CL), C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (C2C7 SVA), occiput-C2 lordosis angle (C0-C2), and chin brow vertical angle, and we further computed the correlation between the CSA parameters and created a prediction model. RESULTS: The (T1S-CL)-C2S mismatch differed significantly between groups A and B ([9.95 ± 9.95]0, [3.79 ± 6.58]0, P < 0.05, respectively). A significant correlation was observed between C2 slope and T1CL in group B relative to group A postoperatively (R2 = 0.42 versus R2 = 0.09, respectively). Compared with group B, patients in group A had significantly higher C2C7SVA values, more levels of fusion, and more smokers. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and discrimination of the model were, respectively, 73.5%, 84%, 78.8%, and 85.65%. CONCLUSION: The causes of revision surgery in cervical myelopathic patients after anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion/anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion are multifactorial. (T1S-CL)-C2S mismatch and high C2C7SVA are the best cervical sagittal parameters that increase the odds of revision surgery, and the effect is more enhanced when comorbidities such as smoking, low bone-mineral density, and increased levels of fusion are taken into account.

Variation in placentophagy in golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana) reflects nutritional constraints.

Golden snub-nosed monkeys show inconsistent frequency of placentophagy between wild and captive populations, with almost all births in the wild but around half of the births in captivity accompanied by the female's consumption of placenta. This aligns with nutritional demands-driven placentophagy, as captive populations are generally under less nutritional constraints for breeding females than the wild population. Placentophagy is probably adaptive in the wild and under positive selection due to nutritional benefits to both mothers and infants.

Response of plants and soils to inundation duration and construction of the plant‒soil association mode in the hydro‒fluctuation belt of the reservoir wetland.

Hydro-Fluctuation Belt (HFB), a periodically exposed bank area formed by changes in water level fluctuations, is critical for damaging the reservoir wetland landscape and ecological balance. Thus, it is important to explore the mechanism of hydrological conditions on the plant-soil system of the HFB for protection of the reservoir wetland and landscape restoration. Here, we investigated the response of plant community characteristics and soil environment of the HFB of Tonghui River National Wetland Park (China), is a typical reservoir wetland, to the duration of inundation, as well as the correlation between the distribution of dominant plants and soil pH, nutrient contents, and enzyme activity by linear regression and canonical correlation analyses. The results show that as the duration of inundation decreases, the vegetation within the HFB is successional from annual or biennial herbs to perennial herbs and shrubs, with dominant plant species prominent and uneven distribution of species. Soil nutrient contents and enzyme activities of HFB decreased with increasing inundation duration. Dominant species of HFB plant community are related to soil environment, with water content, pH, urease, and available potassium being principle soil environmental factors affecting their distribution. When HFB was inundated for 0-30 days, soil pH was strongly acidic, with available potassium content above 150 mg kg-1 and higher urease activity, distributed with Arundo donax L., Polygonum perfoliatum L., Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., and Daucus carota L. communities. When inundated for 30-80 days, soil pH was acidic, with lower available potassium content (50-150 mg kg-1) and urease activity, distributed with Beckmannia syzigachne (Steud.) Fern.+ Polygonum lapathifolium L., Polygonum lapathifolium L., Medicago lupulina L. + Dysphania ambrosioides L. and Leptochloa panicea (Retz.) Ohwi communities. Using the constructed HFB plant-soil correlation model, changes in the wetland soil environment can be quickly judged by the succession of plant dominant species, which provides a simpler method for the monitoring of the soil environment in the reservoir wetland, and is of great significance for the scientific management and reasonable protection of the reservoir-type wetland ecosystem.

Global burden of self-harm and interpersonal violence and influencing factors study 1990-2019: analysis of the global burden of disease study.

INTRODUCTION: Widespread concern exists in today's world regarding self-harm and interpersonal violence. This study to analyze the changes in temporal trends and spatial patterns of risk factors and burdens of self-harm and interpersonal violence using the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. METHODS: Temporal trends in self-harm and interpersonal violence were initially summarized using the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Data were compiled and visualized to delineate changes in disease burden and factors influencing self-harm and interpersonal violence from 1990 to 2019, stratified by gender, age and GBD region. RESULTS: In 2019, the DALY rates of self-harm were 424.7(95% UI 383.25, 466.93). Over the period from 1999 to 2019, self-harm exhibited an overall decreasing trend, with the EAPC of -1.5351 (95% CI -1.6194, -1.4507), -2.0205 (95% CI -2.166, -1.8740) and -2.0605 (95% CI -2.2089, -1.9119), respectively. In contrast, the incidence rate of interpersonal violence was significantly higher than self-harm, with a rate of 413.44 (95% UI 329.88, 502.37) per 100,000 population. Mortality and DALYs of interpersonal violence were lower than those of self-harm, at 5.22 (95% UI 4.87, 5.63) and 342.43 (95% UI 316.61, 371.55). Disease burden of self-harm and interpersonal violence varied by gender, age groups and region. Specific risk factors showed that alcohol use, high temperature and drug use were the main risk factors for self-harm, while alcohol use, intimate partner violence and high temperature were associated with interpersonal violence. Low temperature was a common protective factor for both self-harm and interpersonal violence. The burden of self-harm and interpersonal violence was attributed to different factors influences in different SDI regions. CONCLUSIONS: The study explored temporal trends and spatial distribution of the global disease burden of self-harm and interpersonal violence, emphasizing the significant impact of factors such as alcohol use, temperature, and drug use on disease burden. Further research and policy actions are needed to interpret recent changes of disease burden of self-harm and interpersonal violence, and dedicated efforts should be implemented to devise evidence-based interventions and policies to curtail risk factors and protect high-risk groups.

Tumor-suppressive miR-4732-3p is sorted into fucosylated exosome by hnRNPK to avoid the inhibition of lung cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant fucosylation observed in cancer cells contributes to an augmented release of fucosylated exosomes into the bloodstream, where miRNAs including miR-4732-3p hold promise as potential tumor biomarkers in our pilot study. However, the mechanisms underlying the sorting of miR-4732-3p into fucosylated exosomes during lung cancer progression remain poorly understood. METHODS: A fucose-captured strategy based on lentil lectin-magnetic beads was utilized to isolate fucosylated exosomes and evaluate the efficiency for capturing tumor-derived exosomes using nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and qRT-PCR were performed to determine the levels of miR-4732-3p in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue samples. A co-culture system was established to assess the release of miRNA via exosomes from NSCLC cells. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and miRNA pull-down were applied to validate the interaction between miR-4732-3p and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNPK) protein. Cell functional assays, cell derived xenograft, dual-luciferase reporter experiments, and western blot were applied to examine the effects of miR-4732-3p on MFSD12 and its downstream signaling pathways, and the impact of hnRNPK in NSCLC. RESULTS: We enriched exosomes derived from NSCLC cells using the fucose-captured strategy and detected a significant upregulation of miR-4732-3p in fucosylated exosomes present in the serum, while its expression declined in NSCLC tissues. miR-4732-3p functioned as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC by targeting 3'UTR of MFSD12, thereby inhibiting AKT/p21 signaling pathway to induce cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase. NSCLC cells preferentially released miR-4732-3p via exosomes instead of retaining them intracellularly, which was facilitated by the interaction of miR-4732-3p with hnRNPK protein for selective sorting into fucosylated exosomes. Moreover, knockdown of hnRNPK suppressed NSCLC cell proliferation, with the elevated levels of miR-4732-3p in NSCLC tissues but the decreased expression in serum fucosylated exosomes. CONCLUSIONS: NSCLC cells escape suppressive effects of miR-4732-3p through hnRNPK-mediated sorting of them into fucosylated exosomes, thus supporting cell malignant properties and promoting NSCLC progression. Our study provides a promising biomarker for NSCLC and opens a novel avenue for NSCLC therapy by targeting hnRNPK to prevent the "exosome escape" of tumor-suppressive miR-4732-3p from NSCLC cells.

CXXC5 drove inflammation and ovarian cancer proliferation via transcriptional activation of ZNF143 and EGR1.

CXXC5, a zinc-finger protein, is known for its role in epigenetic regulation via binding to unmethylated CpG islands in gene promoters. As a transcription factor and epigenetic regulator, CXXC5 modulates various signaling processes and acts as a key coordinator. Altered expression or activity of CXXC5 has been linked to various pathological conditions, including tumorigenesis. Despite its known role in cancer, CXXC5's function and mechanism in ovarian cancer are unclear. We analyzed multiple public databases and found that CXXC5 is highly expressed in ovarian cancer, with high expression correlating with poor patient prognosis. We show that CXXC5 expression is regulated by oxygen concentration and is a direct target of HIF1A. CXXC5 is critical for maintaining the proliferative potential of ovarian cancer cells, with knockdown decreasing and overexpression increasing cell proliferation. Loss of CXXC5 led to inactivation of multiple inflammatory signaling pathways, while overexpression activated these pathways. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, we confirmed ZNF143 and EGR1 as downstream transcription factors of CXXC5, mediating its proliferative potential in ovarian cancer. Our findings suggest that the CXXC5-ZNF143/EGR1 axis forms a network driving ovarian cell proliferation and tumorigenesis, and highlight CXXC5 as a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer treatment.

SifiNet: a robust and accurate method to identify feature gene sets and annotate cells.

SifiNet is a robust and accurate computational pipeline for identifying distinct gene sets, extracting and annotating cellular subpopulations, and elucidating intrinsic relationships among these subpopulations. Uniquely, SifiNet bypasses the cell clustering stage, commonly integrated into other cellular annotation pipelines, thereby circumventing potential inaccuracies in clustering that may compromise subsequent analyses. Consequently, SifiNet has demonstrated superior performance in multiple experimental datasets compared with other state-of-the-art methods. SifiNet can analyze both single-cell RNA and ATAC sequencing data, thereby rendering comprehensive multi-omic cellular profiles. It is conveniently available as an open-source R package.

Developing Plant Exosomes as an Advanced Delivery System for Cosmetic Peptide.

Peptides are a promising skincare ingredient, but due to their inherent instability and the barrier function of the skin's surface, they often have limited skin absorption and penetration, which can significantly hinder their skincare benefits. To address this, a novel technique called NanoGlow has been introduced for encapsulating peptide-based cosmetic raw materials into engineered nanosized plant-derived exosomes (pExo) to achieve the goal of a healthier and more radiant skin state. In this approach, pExo served as carriers for cosmetic peptides across the intact skin barrier, enhancing their biological effectiveness in skin beauty. The NanoGlow strategy combines chemical activation and physical proencapsulation, boasting a high success rate and straightforward and stable operation, making it suitable for large-scale production. Comprehensive analysis using in vitro cellular absorption and skin penetration models has demonstrated that the nanosized pExo carriers significantly improve peptide penetration into the skin compared to free peptides. Furthermore, in vivo tissue slice studies have shown that pExo carriers efficiently deliver acetyl hexapeptide-8 to the skin's dermis, surpassing the performance of free peptides. Cosmetic skincare effect analysis has also indicated that pExo-loaded cosmetic peptides deliver superior results. Therefore, the NanoGlow technique harnesses the natural size and properties of pExo to maximize the bioavailability of cosmetic peptides, holding great promise for developing advanced peptide delivery systems in both the cosmetic and medical drug industries.

Wind Aggregation Enhanced Triboelectric-Electromagnetic Hybrid Generator with Slit Effect.

It is of great significance to establish a low-cost, high-efficiency, self-powered micrometeorological monitoring system for agriculture, animal husbandry, and transportation. However, each additional detection element in the meteorological monitoring system increases the power consumption of the whole system by about 0.7 W. As a renewable energy technology, a triboelectric nanogenerator has the advantages of low price and self-powered sensing. To reduce the power consumption of the micrometeorological monitoring system, this work introduces an innovative solution: the wind-gathering enhanced triboelectric-electromagnetic hybrid generator (WGE-TEHG). Coupling the thin-film vibrating triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and electromagnetic generator (EMG), the TENG is used to monitor wind direction and the EMG is used to monitor wind speed and provide energy needed by the system. In particular, the TENG can be used as a self-powered sensor to reduce the power consumption of the sensing system. Besides, the TENG is used to produce slit effect to enhance the output performance of EMG. The experimental results show that the WGE-TEHG can build a self-powered natural environment micrometeorological sensing system. It can monitor the wind direction, wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity. This research has great application value for the self-powered sensing implementation of a hybrid TENG and EMG.