Biomimetic heat-localized and solar absorption-enhanced hollow structural nanofibrous membrane for clean water production from saline water and dye wastewater.

The rational design of material structures can be an effective approach to enhance the performance of solar-driven clean water production. In this study, a hollow structural nanofibrous membrane was developed by mimicking the hollow structure of polar bear hair using coaxial electrospinning. The shell layer consisted of carbon nanoparticles (C NPs) decorated CuO nanosheets (C@CuO), that exhibited photothermal conversion capacity. Meanwhile, the core layer containing hydrophilic polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was eliminated to generate the hollow structure. The C NPs enhanced the membrane's light absorption to increase thermal energy harvesting, while the CuO nanosheets improved the membrane's wettability enhancing the water supply. Furthermore, the hollow structure limited air convection, prevented heat conduction, and minimized heat radiation, enabling heat localization to be achieved inside the membrane to suppress heat loss during evaporation. For 3.5 wt% saline water and actual dye wastewater, the C@CuO nanofibrous membrane achieved high evaporation rates of 1.36 kg·m-2·h-1 and 1.31 kg·m-2·h-1, respectively, under 1 sun illumination. Moreover, even after continuous 6-h evaporation tests, the evaporation rate of the C@CuO membrane remained virtually unchanged, highlighting its long-term stability with regard to salt resistance in real-world applications. Additionally, the remarkable flexibility of the C@CuO membrane offers convenience during operation and guarantees dimensional stability when it is subjected to external stresses. These discoveries should inspire subsequent research on developing delicate architectural materials and exploring their potential applications in various fields, including energy generation, clean water production, and thermal insulation.

Risk Factors of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation After Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery in the Recent 10 Years: Clinical Analysis of 6229 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) that prolongs hospitalization and increases expenses. HYPOTHESIS: Perioperative risk factors may predict POAF. METHODS: From March 2015 to January 2023, 6229 patients who underwent isolated CABG and were in sinus rhythm before CABG were included in this retrospective study. The preoperative and postoperative variants of patients were collected and analyzed by univariate analyses between the patients with and without POAF. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then used to study the independent risk factors for POAF. RESULTS: The incidence of POAF in this group of patients was 30.94%. Univariate analyses demonstrated that age (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.05), cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (p < 0.01), and ejection fraction (EF, p < 0.01) were the risk factors for POAF. Multivariate logistic regression analysis determined the independent risk factors associated with POAF were old age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.062, p = 0.000) and low EF (OR = 0.980; p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: In the current era, after isolated CABG surgery, there is still a quite high incidence of POAF (30.94% in this group of CABG patients). The main risk factors correlating to POAF include age, hypertension, smoking, CPB time, and EF. Among these factors, multivariate analysis identified old age and low EF as the independent risk factors associated with POAF. Particular care should be taken in the perioperative period for these patients in the prevention of POAF.

An One-step Triple Enhanced weakly supervised semantic segmentation using image-level labels.

Weakly supervised semantic segmentation, based on image-level labels, abandons the pixel-level labels relied upon by traditional semantic segmentation algorithms. It only utilizes images as supervision information, thereby reducing the time cost and human resources required for marking pixel data. The prevailing approach in weakly supervised segmentation involves two-step method, introducing an additional network and numerous parameters, thereby complicating the model structure. Furthermore, image-level labels typically furnishes only category information for the entire image, lacking specific location details and accurate target boundaries during model training. We propose an innovative One-Step Triple Enhanced weakly supervised semantic segmentation network(OSTE). OSTE streamlines the model structure, which can accomplish both pseudo-labels generation and semantic segmentation tasks in just one step. Furthermore, we augment the weakly supervised semantic segmentation network in three key aspects based on the class activation map construction method, thereby enhancing segmentation accuracy: Firstly, by integrating local information from the activation map with the image, we can enhance the network's localization and expansion capabilities to obtain more accurate and rich location information. Then, we refine the seed areas of the class activation map by exploiting the correlation between multi-level feature. Finally, we incorporate conditional random field theory to generate pseudo-labels with higher confidence and richer boundary information. In comparison to the prevailing two-step weakly supervised semantic segmentation schemes, the segmentation network proposed in this paper achieves a more competitive mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) score of 58.47% on Pascal VOC. Additionally, it enhances the mIoU score by at least 5.03% when compared to existing end-to-end schemes.

Carbon sink of forest ecosystems: Concept, time effect and improvement approaches.

The widespread utilization of fossil fuels has emitted large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution, leading to climate warming and frequent occurrence of extreme climate events. To effectively alleviate climate change, the international community has made various efforts to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate CO2 from the atmosphere. In 2020, the Chinese government announced that carbon emission peaking and carbon neutrality will be achieved by 2030 and 2060, respectively. According to the current forecast, by the time carbon neutrality is achieved in 2060, even under the minimum conditions of fossil energy use, production, and living emissions, China will still have to emit about 1/4 of the current total emissions. These carbon must primarily be absorbed by ecosystems. Furthermore, approximately 140 ppm increase in CO2 in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution still needs to be removed by ecosystems. Forests are the main component of terrestrial ecosystems, contributing more than 80% of the carbon sequestration capacity of all terrestrial ecosystems. However, due to the long periodicity, complexity and dynamic variability of forests, the basic concepts of ecosystem carbon sink and its time effect are still unclear, leading to problems, such as lacking technologies for improving carbon sink capacity and disorganized rules in the carbon sink trading market. In this review, we introduced carbon sink concept according to the processes of absorbing and fixing CO2 by plant photosynthesis in forest ecosystems. Then, we analyzed the processes of time-scale-dependent carbon sinks of forest ecosystems, discussed the time effects of forest carbon sinks, and suggested using "t-year" as the unit of carbon sink (taking 3-6 months as the minimum measurement time, i.e., the beginning of carbon sequestration). Third, we proposed the approaches to improve the carbon sink capacity of forest ecosystems. One way is to improve the carbon sink capacity (expanding forest area, improving forest quality, and increasing forest soil carbon storage) of forest ecosystems. Another approach is to maintain the carbon sink of forest ecosystems as long as possible, i.e., to reduce temporary carbon sink (definition: carbon in the forest ecosystems emit into the atmosphere for a certain period) and to increase persistent carbon sink (definition: carbon in the forest ecosystems no longer emit into the atmosphere for a certain period; according to the relevant provisions of the Paris Agreement, the upper time limit for carbon sink measurement can be considered to be the year 2100. In order to maintain the persistent carbon sink, strateges such as efficient use of wood products (replace steel, cement, plastic with wood), control of forest fires or other disturbances-induced emissions, and turning forest biomass into biochar should be taken. Finally, we proposed to develop climate-smart forestry driven by artificial intelligence (AI), which would provide new theoretical and technical support for improving the carbon sink of forest ecosystems and facilitating sustainable forest management.

Current status and research prospects of terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink in Northeast China.

Increasing the carbon sink capacity of terrestrial ecosystems is a primary strategy to mitigate climate change and achieve the "carbon neutrality" goal. Clarifying the status and future dynamics of carbon sink of terrestrial ecosystems in Northeast China is crucial for achieving "carbon neutrality" as this region is a core contributor to carbon sink in China's terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we systematically summarized current research on carbon sink of terrestrial ecosystems across Northeast China, including the measurements and spatial-temporal patterns of carbon sinks, driving mechanisms of carbon sinks, the assessments of carbon sink potential, and technologies for increasing carbon sequestration. There are substantial uncertainties in quantifying terrestrial ecosystem carbon sink in Northeast China due to differences in data sources and methods, especially for forest carbon sink measurements, ranging from 0.020 to 0.157 Pg C·a-1. Carbon sink function depends on carbon exchange processes across plant-soil-atmosphere interfaces. The key pathways to enhance carbon sequestration in Northeast China under different temporal and spatial scales remains unclear. Improving terrestrial ecosystem quality is the key and core of carbon sequestration and sink enhancement. However, there is an urgent need to develop a multi-ecosystem collaborative carbon sequestration and sink enhancement technology system for the "dual carbon" goal. Future research needs to develop an accurate carbon sink measurement system that integrates multi-source data and multi-scale technologies to accurately assess the function and potential of carbon sink in Northeast China, focus on the multi-scale driving mechanism of carbon sink functions, develop new technical systems for coordinated enhancement of carbon sink for the Northeast terrestrial ecosystems, and carry out demonstrations of carbon sink enhancement technologies. These efforts will provide the scientific and technological supports for achieving the "carbon neutrality" goal.

Therapeutic potential of resveratrol through ferroptosis modulation: insights and future directions in disease therapeutics.

Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound, has captivated the scientific community with its promising therapeutic potential across a spectrum of diseases. This review explores the complex role of resveratrol in modulating ferroptosis, a newly identified form of programmed cell death, and its potential implications for managing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders, cancer, and other conditions. Ferroptosis is intricately linked to the pathogenesis of diverse diseases, with resveratrol exerting multifaceted effects on this process. It mitigates ferroptosis by modulating lipid peroxidation, iron accumulation, and engaging with specific cellular receptors, thereby manifesting profound therapeutic benefits in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions, as well as oncological settings. Moreover, resveratrol's capacity to either suppress or induce ferroptosis through the modulation of signaling pathways, including Sirt1 and Nrf2, unveils novel therapeutic avenues. Despite resveratrol's limited bioavailability, advancements in molecular modification and drug delivery optimization have amplified its clinical utility. Future investigations are poised to unravel the comprehensive mechanisms underpinning resveratrol's action and expand its therapeutic repertoire. We hope this review could furnish a detailed and novel insight into the exploration of resveratrol in the regulation of ferroptosis and its therapeutic prospects.

Biological conversion of lignin-derived ferulic acid from wheat bran into vanillin.

Lignin is a promising feedstock for producing vanillin, one of the most extensively used flavor enhancers. However, the biotransformation performance of lignin derivatives into vanillin is still unsatisfactory. In this study, an efficient conversion strategy of lignin into vanillin was established by employing engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a whole-cell biocatalyst. Optimization of cell culture media and whole-cell bioconversion improved the production efficiency of vanillin. The vanillin titer reached 15.3 mM with a molar yield of 71 % in fed-batch fermentation mode, while incorporating in-situ product separation, demonstrated a remarkable 2.6-fold increase. The whole-cell bioconversion, coupled with in-situ separation, successfully converted real lignin hydrolysate into a record vanillin titer of 21.1 mM, equivalent to 1.8 mg of vanillin per gram of wheat bran biomass. The whole-cell bioconversion process integrated in-situ product separation, represents a sustainable approach for vanillin production and offers a promising pathway for lignin valorization.

Macro-micro fracture mechanism and acoustic emission characteristics of brittle rock induced by loading rate effect.

The deterioration and deformation of brittle rock generally appear in railway tunnels with the operation of large buried deep tunnel. To investigate the macro-micro fracture and acoustic emission evolution characteristics of brittle rock, this paper conducted the uniaxial compression, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and acoustic emission (AE) signal monitoring under different loading rates. The results showed that the loading rate has an obvious enhancement effect on mechanical parameters. The increased loading rate extends the elastic deformation and improves the bearing strength, elastic modulus and deformation modulus. The fracture patterns include shear fracture, composite fracture, and tension fracture. The oblique shear fracture is transformed into composite fracture and tension fracture with the loading rate increasing. The microscopic fracture shows that increasing loading rate inhibits the evolution of oblique shear fractures and promotes the expansion of tensile fractures. The roughness level of tensile fractures is significantly lower than that of oblique shear fracture and composite fracture. The AE parameters and deformation behavior are characterized by simultaneous evolution. The AE amplitude changes from low-level and low-density distribution to high-level and high-density distribution as the loading rate increases. The AE activity intensity of tensile fracture is significantly greater than that of oblique shear fracture and composite fracture. The warning timeliness of cumulative AE events and cumulative AE energy is generally earlier than the AE b-value under the same loading rate, and the early warning timeliness of cumulative AE events is similar to that of cumulative AE energy.

Understanding and mitigating dimensional collapse of Graph Contrastive Learning: A non-maximum removal approach.

Graph Contrastive Learning (GCL) generates graph-level embeddings by maximizing Mutual Information between different augmented views of the same graph (positive pairs), and shows promising performance in graph representation learning (GRL) without the supervision of manual annotations. However, GCL suffers from a dimensional collapse problem, i.e., embedding vectors reside in a restricted low-dimensional subspace, curtailing the expressiveness of certain embedding dimensions. In this paper, we present a theoretical analysis identifying the smoothing effect of graph pooling and graph convolution's implicit regularization as principal causes of dimension collapse in graph contrastive learning. To mitigate the above effects, we propose a Non-Maximum Removal Graph Contrastive Learning (nmrGCL) approach, which removes "prominent" dimensions (those significantly contributing to the similarity measure) for positive pairs within the pretext task. Comprehensive experiments on multiple benchmark datasets are conducted and the results show that the proposed nmrGCL outperforms the state-of-the-art methods.

Antigenicity elimination of ovalbumin by cold plasma-induced covalent binding with Gallic acid.

The effect of cold plasma (CP) treatment in promoting the covalent grafting of ovalbumin (OVA) with gallic acid (GA) were investigated, along with identifying the binding sites in the OVA-GA complex and exploring its potential for reducing the antigenicity of OVA. The results showed that the GA content of 22.97 ± 1.27 mg/g in OVA-GA complex was obtained following 60 s of CP treatment. Using LC-MS/MS, four regions (T52-R59, V201-K207, I279-R285, and V281-K291) were identified, containing 12 GA binding sites in the OVA-GA complex. Additionally, a significant reduction in IgE binding capacity (70.83 ± 0.90 %) was observed, as confirmed by ELISA analysis. The masking/steric-hindrance effect on linear epitopes and the disruption of conformational epitopes of OVA as a result of GA grafting may be the key factors leading to the reduction in OVA antigenicity. This study highlights that promoting the grafting of polyphenols onto proteins using CP treatment is an effective strategy for reducing the antigenicity of protein allergens.

Adjustment of the main biosynthesis modules to enhance the production of l-homoserine in Escherichia coli W3110.

l-homoserine is an important platform compound of many valuable products. Construction of microbial cell factory for l-homoserine production from glucose has attracted a great deal of attention. In this study, l-homoserine biosynthesis pathway was divided into three modules, the glucose uptake and upstream pathway, the downstream pathway, and the energy supply module. Metabolomics of the chassis strain HS indicated that the supply of ATP was inadequate, therefore, the energy supply module was firstly modified. By balancing the ATP supply module, the l-homoserine production increased by 66% to 12.55 g/L. Further, the results indicated that the upstream pathway was blocked, and increasing the culture temperature to 37°C could solve this problem and the l-homoserine production reached 21.38 g/L. Then, the downstream synthesis pathways were further strengthened to balance the fluxes, and the l-homoserine production reached the highest reported level of 32.55 g/L in shake flasks. Finally, fed-batch fermentation in a 5-L bioreactor was conducted, and l-homoserine production could reach to 119.96 g/L after 92 h cultivation, with the yield of 0.41 g/g glucose and productivity of 1.31 g/L/h. The study provides a well research foundation for l-homoserine production by microbial fermentation with the capacity for industrial application.

CDK8/19 inhibition triggers a switch from mitosis to endomitosis in cord blood megakaryocytes.

Neonatal and adult megakaryocytes differ in proliferative capacity and ploidy levels, and neonatal and adult platelets differ in function, gene expression, and protein content. The mechanisms underlying these differences are incompletely understood. CDK8 and CDK19 are transcriptional kinases part of the CDK-mediator complex, which regulates gene transcription in a cell-specific manner. We discovered that cortistatin A, a potent highly selective inhibitor of CDK8/CDK19, significantly reduced cell expansion and increased ploidy in cord blood-derived megakaryocytes. These phenotypic changes were associated with gene expression changes that partially overlapped developmentally regulated genes. These findings might have relevance for the management of developmental megakaryocyte disorders.

Linker-Mediated Delocalized Excited States in Dimeric Acceptors Enable Efficient Exciton Dissociation with Negligible Energy-level Offsets.

Efficient exciton dissociation at low energy offsets is key to overcoming voltage losses in organic solar cells. In this work, we developed two dimeric acceptors, i-YT and o-YT, by precisely controlling the position of an asymmetric electron-donating linker. It induced the foldamer conformation of i-YT with a para linkage (relative to the dicyano groups), while retaining the unfold conformation for o-YT. This subtle structural modification influenced the molecular assembly properties, enabled near-zero energy offset exciton dissociation and power conversion efficiencies exceeding 18% for i-YT based organic solar cells. Detailed excitonic dynamics further revealed that the linker position critically influences three processes: the formation of delocalized singlet excited states, ultrafast charge transfer (~5 ps) in solid blends, and the suppression of exciton recombination. Additionally, devices based on i-YT demonstrated outstanding long-term stability, retaining over 85% of their initial efficiency after 1,400 hours of continuous illumination. These findings introduce a new class of dimeric acceptors that combine high efficiency with exceptional stability, offering a promising pathway toward low-energy-loss organic photovoltaics.

Phase Ib study of anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody socazolimab in combination with nab-paclitaxel as first-line therapy for advanced urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated activity in the post-platinum and platinum-ineligible settings for advanced urothelial carcinoma (aUC). As only around 50% of patients with aUC can tolerate platinum-containing treatment, treatments combining first-line ICIs with non-platinum drugs are urgently needed. Therefore, we assessed the safety and efficacy of the anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody Socazolimab in combination with nab-paclitaxel as first-line therapy in aUC (NCT04603846). METHODS: This was a multi-center, single-arm, phase Ib study that enrolled patients with treatment-naive aUC. Patients received Socazolimab (5 mg/kg) and nab-paclitaxel (260 mg/m2) Q3w. The primary endpoint was safety and tolerability of the combination regimen. Second endpoints were the objective response rate (ORR) and progression-free survival. RESULTS: Between September, 2020 and September, 2021, 20 patients with urothelial carcinoma were enrolled, arising from renal pelvis (5), bladder (8), and ureter (7). After a median follow-up of 17 months, the median number of treatment cycles was 12. No patients had dose limiting toxicity. All patients had treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), most of which were grade 1 or 2. The common TRAEs (≥20%) were peripheral neurotoxicity, alopecia, rash, increased ALT, weight loss, weakness, pruritus, increased AST, increased γGT, increased ALP, neutropenia, emesis, and anorexia. Nine patients (45%) developed grade 3 TRAEs including peripheral neurotoxicity (30.0%), increased ALT (10.0%), and increased γGT (5.0%). Two patients (10%) discontinued treatment because of grade 3 mouth ulcer (n = 1) and grade 2 lung fibrosis (n = 1). No grade 4-5 TRAEs were observed. Among the 17 patients who had received at least one tumor assessment, ORR was 58.8% (95% CI, 32.9%-81.6%) and the median progression-free survival was 8.3 months (95% CI, 5.2-19.5). The median duration of response was 13.3 months (95% CI, 2.0-20.1), and the overall survival was 19.5 months (95% CI, 11.2-not reached). CONCLUSION: Socazolimab combined with nab-paclitaxel has shown good safety and promising antitumor activity as first-line therapy in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma.

Androgen deprivation therapy, neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy, and adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer: a multi-center real-world retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Determining the potential benefit of neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and adjuvant ADT in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer (LAPC) undergoing complete resection. METHODS: 139 patients diagnosed with cT3-4, or cN+ LAPC in Xiangya Hospital and The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China from 2010 to 2021 were collected. Cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) of patients were assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional risk analysis. We also analyzed the functional outcomes of two subgroups of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP). RESULTS: Of the 182 patients with cT3-4, or cN+ LAPC, 139 patients (76.4%) were enrolled in the study with a 5-year survival rate of 82.3%. 45 patients (32.4%) received ADT alone, 46 patients (33.1%) received neoadjuvant ADT before surgery, and the remaining 48 patients (34.5%) received surgery with adjuvant ADT. Neoadjuvant ADT before surgery and surgery with adjuvant ADT were associated with significantly improved survival compared with ADT alone. Multivariate Cox models showed that neoadjuvant ADT before surgery (hazard ratio [HR], 0.29; 95% CI 0.13-0.92) or surgery with adjuvant ADT (HR, 0.26; 95% CI 0.16-0.78) was associated with improved CSS compared with ADT alone. Regional lymph node metastasis, positive lymphovascular invasion, and Gleason score 9 + were independent predictors of LAPC CSS and OS. More patients in the neoadjuvant ADT before surgery group achieved final continence status within 12 months after surgery (93.48% v 77.08%). CONCLUSION: CSS and OS were significantly prolonged in cT3-4, or cN+ LAPC patients who received neoadjuvant ADT before surgery and surgery with adjuvant ADT compared to ADT alone.

Machine learning model to predict early recurrence in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma planned treatment with curative resection: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Early recurrence is the leading cause of death for patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) after surgery. Identifying high-risk patients preoperatively is important. This study aimed to construct a preoperative prediction model for the early recurrence of patients with pCCA to facilitate planned treatment with curative resection. METHODS: This study ultimately enrolled 400 patients with pCCA after curative resection in 5 hospitals between 2013 and 2019. They were randomly divided into training (n = 300) and testing groups (n = 100) at a ratio of 3:1. Associated variables were identified via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. Four machine learning models were constructed: support vector machine, random forest (RF), logistic regression, and K-nearest neighbors. The predictive ability of the models was evaluated via receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curves, precision-recall curve (PRC) curves, and decision curve analysis. Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival curves were drawn for the high-/low-risk population. RESULTS: Five factors: carbohydrate antigen 19-9, tumor size, total bilirubin, hepatic artery invasion, and portal vein invasion, were selected by LASSO regression. In both the training and testing groups, the ROC curve (area under the curve: 0.983 vs 0.952) and the PRC (0.981 vs 0.939) showed that RF was the best. The cutoff value for distinguishing high- and low-risk patients was 0.51. K-M survival curves revealed that in both groups, there was a significant difference in RFS between high- and low-risk patients (P < .001). CONCLUSION: This study used preoperative variables from a large, multicenter database to construct a machine learning model that could effectively predict the early recurrence of pCCA in patients to facilitate planned treatment with curative resection and help clinicians make better treatment decisions.

Bismuth-based mesoporous nanoball carrying sorafenib for synergistic photothermal and molecularly-targeted therapy in an orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma xenograft mouse model.

Sorafenib (SOR), a multi-kinase inhibitor for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has limited clinical application due to severe side effects and drug resistance. To overcome these challenges, we developed a bismuth-based nanomaterial (BOS) for thermal injury-assisted continuous targeted therapy in HCC. Initially, the mesoporous nanomaterial was loaded with SOR, forming the BOS@SOR nano-carrier system for drug delivery and controlled release. Notably, compared to targeted or photothermal therapy alone, the combination therapy using this nano-carrier system significantly impaired cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. In vivo efficacy evaluations demonstrated that BOS@SOR exhibited excellent biocompatibility, confirmed through hemolysis and biochemical analyses. Additionally, BOS@SOR enhanced contrast in computed tomography, aiding in the precise identification of HCC size and location. The photothermal therapeutic properties of bismuth further contributed to the synergistic anti-tumor activity of BOS@SOR, significantly reducing tumor growth in an orthotopic xenograft HCC model. Taken together, encapsulating SOR within a bismuth-based mesoporous nanomaterial creates a multifunctional and environmentally stable nanocomposite (BOS@SOR), enhancing the therapeutic effect of SOR and presenting an effective strategy for HCC treatment.

Loss of Lateral suppressor gene is associated with evolution of root nodule symbiosis in Leguminosae.

BACKGROUND: Root nodule symbiosis (RNS) is a fascinating evolutionary event. Given that limited genes conferring the evolution of RNS in Leguminosae have been functionally validated, the genetic basis of the evolution of RNS remains largely unknown. Identifying the genes involved in the evolution of RNS will help to reveal the mystery. RESULTS: Here, we investigate the gene loss event during the evolution of RNS in Leguminosae through phylogenomic and synteny analyses in 48 species including 16 Leguminosae species. We reveal that loss of the Lateral suppressor gene, a member of the GRAS-domain protein family, is associated with the evolution of RNS in Leguminosae. Ectopic expression of the Lateral suppressor (Ls) gene from tomato and its homolog MONOCULM 1 (MOC1) and Os7 from rice in soybean and Medicago truncatula result in almost completely lost nodulation capability. Further investigation shows that Lateral suppressor protein, Ls, MOC1, and Os7 might function through an interaction with NODULATION SIGNALING PATHWAY 2 (NSP2) and CYCLOPS to repress the transcription of NODULE INCEPTION (NIN) to inhibit the nodulation in Leguminosae. Additionally, we find that the cathepsin H (CTSH), a conserved protein, could interact with Lateral suppressor protein, Ls, MOC1, and Os7 and affect the nodulation. CONCLUSIONS: This study sheds light on uncovering the genetic basis of the evolution of RNS in Leguminosae and suggests that gene loss plays an essential role.

Advances in nucleic acid aptamer-based detection of respiratory virus and bacteria: a mini review.

Respiratory pathogens infecting the human respiratory system are characterized by their diversity, high infectivity, rapid transmission, and acute onset. Traditional detection methods are time-consuming, have low sensitivity, and lack specificity, failing to meet the needs of rapid clinical diagnosis. Nucleic acid aptamers, as an emerging and innovative detection technology, offer novel solutions with high specificity, affinity, and broad target applicability, making them particularly promising for respiratory pathogen detection. This review highlights the progress in the research and application of nucleic acid aptamers for detecting respiratory pathogens, discussing their selection, application, potential in clinical diagnosis, and future development. Notably, these aptamers can significantly enhance the sensitivity and specificity of detection when combined with detection techniques such as fluorescence, colorimetry and electrochemistry. This review offers new insights into how aptamers can address the limitations of traditional diagnostic methods and advance clinical diagnostics. It also highlights key challenges and future research directions for the clinical application of nucleic acid aptamers.

Research progress of exosomes from different sources in myocardial ischemia.

Ischemic heart disease refers to the imbalance between the supply and demand of myocardial blood; it has various causes and results in a class of clinical diseases characterized by myocardial ischemia (MI). In recent years, the incidence of cardiovascular disease has become higher and higher, and the number of patients with ischemic heart disease has also increased year by year. Traditional treatment methods include drug therapy and surgical treatment, both of which have limitations. The former maybe develop risks of drug resistance and has more significant side effects, while the latter may damage blood vessels and risk infection. At this stage, a new cell-free treatment method needs to be explored. Many research results have shown that exosomes from different cell sources can protect the ischemic myocardium via intercellular action methods, such as promoting angiogenesis, inhibiting myocardial fibrosis, apoptosis and pyroptosis, and providing a new basis for the treatment of MI. In this review, we briefly introduce the formation and consequences of myocardial ischemia and the biology of exosomes, and then focus on the role and mechanism of exosomes from different sources in MI. We also discuss the role and mechanism of exosomes pretreated with Chinese and Western medicines on myocardial ischemia. We also discuss the potential of exosomes as diagnostic markers and therapeutic drug for MI.