Junchen Chen, Ming Xu, Yuan Liu+4 more · 2026 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · National Academy of Sciences · added 2026-04-24
Pathological progression in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD) initiates with an early rise in soluble amyloid-β (Aβ), preceding plaque formation and neurodegeneration. However, the molecular event tr Show more
Pathological progression in sporadic Alzheimer's disease (sAD) initiates with an early rise in soluble amyloid-β (Aβ), preceding plaque formation and neurodegeneration. However, the molecular event triggering this initial accumulation remains unknown. We report that phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), a consistent biomarker of prodromal sAD, drives Aβ production through a previously unrecognized RNA-binding function. Specifically, PHGDH binds the 3'UTR of Show less
Latent structure analysis methods, including latent profile analysis (LPA), latent class analysis (LCA), item response theory (IRT), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis Show more
Latent structure analysis methods, including latent profile analysis (LPA), latent class analysis (LCA), item response theory (IRT), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), are widely used in psychological and educational research to model unobserved constructs and identify heterogeneity across individuals. However, applying these methods often requires advanced statistical expertise and the use of multiple specialized software packages with different workflows, which can limit accessibility and increase analytical complexity. This paper introduces Show less
The design and synthesis of molecular nanoswitches using organic molecules represent a crucial research field within molecular electronics. To understand the switching mechanisms, it is essential to i Show more
The design and synthesis of molecular nanoswitches using organic molecules represent a crucial research field within molecular electronics. To understand the switching mechanisms, it is essential to investigate various factors, such as charge/energy transfer, electron transfer, nonlinear optical properties (NLO), current-voltage (I-V) curves, Joule-like (LJL) and Peltier-like (LPL) intramolecular phenomenological coefficients, as well as the energy levels of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) boundary orbitals. In this Article, a novel approach to designing a molecular nanoswitch and understanding its ON/OFF mechanism is presented, utilizing the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), density functional theory (DFT), and Landauer theory (LT). These analyses contribute significantly to a deep understanding of switching effects within molecular electronic systems. Show less
Variation in facial hair is one of the most conspicuous features of facial appearance, particularly in South Asia and Middle East countries. A genome-wide association study in Latin Americans has iden Show more
Variation in facial hair is one of the most conspicuous features of facial appearance, particularly in South Asia and Middle East countries. A genome-wide association study in Latin Americans has identified multiple genetic variants at distinct loci being associated with facial hair traits including eyebrow thickness, beard thickness, and monobrow. In this pilot study, we have evaluated 16 SNPs associated with facial hair traits in 58 male individuals from the Punjabi population of Pakistan. In our sample, rs365060 in EDAR and rs12597422 in FTO showed significant association with monobrow, rs6684877 in MACF1 showed significant association with eyebrow thickness, and two SNPs in LOC105379031 (rs9654415 and rs7702331) showed significant association with beard thickness. Our results also suggest that genetic association may vary between ethnic groups and geographic regions. Although more data are needed to validate our results, our findings are of value in forensic molecular photofitting research in Pakistan. Show less