Hepatotoxicity induced by polylactic acid microplastics: The mediating role of gut microbiota and uric acid metabolism.

Introduction: The increasing use of biodegradable plastics has led to the inevitable human consumption of biodegradable microplastics (MPs). These MPs can be degraded and absorbed into various organs and tissues via the gastrointestinal tract, with the liver being the primary target for digestion and absorption.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects and mechanisms of biodegradable MPs on the liver following gastrointestinal degradation.

Tactile-Transparent Wearable Sensor for Clinician-Friendly Pulse Wave Velocity Monitoring and Cardiovascular Risk Profiling.

Arterial stiffening is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, particularly affecting organs with low vascular resistance, such as the brain and kidneys. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the clinical gold standard for arterial stiffness assessment; however, conventional equipment requires complex setups and trained operators, limiting real-world and point-of-care monitoring. Here, we introduce a tactile-transparent wearable (TTW) sensor that preserves physicians' tactile pulse palpation abilities while providing quantitative cardiovascular risk assessment by integrating flexible Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) electrodes and ultrathin graphene oxide dielectric films.

Tunable Optical Metamaterial Enables Steganography, Rewriting, and Multilevel Information Storage.

In the realm of secure information storage, optical encryption has emerged as a vital technique, particularly with the miniaturization of encryption devices. However, many existing systems lack the necessary reconfigurability and dynamic functionality. This study presents a novel approach through the development of dynamic optical-to-chemical energy conversion metamaterials, which enable enhanced steganography and multilevel information storage.

Functional diversity of Arabidopsis late embryogenesis abundant proteins in response to changes in the physicochemical environment.

Some desiccation-tolerant organisms accumulate intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), such as Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins, which help protect other proteins from inactivation and/or aggregation during desiccation. Like other IDPs, LEA proteins adopt ensembles of extended conformations that shift in response to environmental changes. Desiccation causes dramatic changes in the cellular environment, but it is unclear how the structural malleability of LEAs is related to their protective function.

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) O-serotype distribution and antibiotic resistance profiles among the aging population in China: A longitudinal, multi-center study.

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is a leading cause of community-acquired bacteremia and sepsis, which contributes to the substantial burden of invasive E. coli disease (IED) in older adults. This study aimed to estimate the O-serotype distribution of blood and sterile site ExPEC among older adults in China and the characteristics of antimicrobial resistance, O-serotypes, and O genotypes.

Treatment of a pediatric recurrent dissecting middle cerebral artery aneurysm with a flow diverter: A case report.

Intracranial aneurysms are rare in the pediatric population, while fusiform middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms are more common. Although surgical clipping is the generally preferred treatment strategy for aneurysms, occasional recurrence may still occur after successful clipping. As expertise in the use of flow diverters in adults has developed, they have also been applied in the management of aneurysms in children.

Ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvent extraction of polysaccharides from Cercis chinensis bark: Optimization, kinetics and antioxidant activities.

This study pioneers a green, efficient ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technique using a deep eutectic solvent (DES) to isolate polysaccharides from Cercis chinensis bark, overcoming limitations of conventional methods. Through systematic screening of 15 DES systems, DES-11 (L-proline:ethylene glycol, 1:2 M ratio) was identified as optimal, achieving a polysaccharide yield of 64.7 mg/g-3.

Enhancing CRISPR/Cas-mediated detection of nucleic acids using PNIPAM-based reporters.

Currently most conventional reporters in CRISPR/Cas system, including fluorophore-quencher (FQ) and magnetic bead (MB)-based reporters, encounter limitations in terms of sensitivity and compatibility. To overcome these challenges, we developed novel reporters for CRISPR/Cas systems based on thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM). Below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), PNIPAM-based reporters exhibited a liquid state and can be cleaved by Cas proteins in a homogeneous reaction, preserving function and structure of Cas proteins while effectively accelerating the reaction kinetics.

Unexpected metastasis of thyroid cartilage involvement from lung adenocarcinoma: A case report.

Background: Thyroid cartilage noncontiguous metastatic involvement is an extremely rare entity due to the absence of vessels within the cartilaginous tissue. A literature review revealed that metastasis from lung cancer is even rarer.

Case Summary: A 51-year-old male smoker presented with progressive, painful left upper neck lumps for 8 months, accompanied by 10 kg weight loss, poor appetite, and mentation.

Do Social Relationships Influence Moral Judgment? A Cross-Cultural Examination.

This study examines whether social relationships influence moral judgment across different types of moral violations and cultural contexts. Drawing on Relationship Regulation Theory, which outlines four relational models-communal sharing, authority ranking, equality matching, and market pricing-we investigate whether moral evaluations vary depending on the relationship between the actor and the victim. Unlike previous research that primarily adopts a third-party perspective, this study uses a first-person approach, focusing on judgments made by individuals directly involved in the moral interaction.

Developing an effective pretreatment process for hot-air drying of Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) slices: Drying characteristics, efficiency, and quality.

This study evaluated the effects of both thermal (microwave, hot water, steam) and non-thermal (cold plasma, ultra-high pressure) pretreatments of Chinese yam. The results showed that the time of hot-air drying 70 °C was shortened by 20.83 %, 13.

Artificial light-harvesting dendritic system with sequential energy transfer and ultrahigh antenna effect for efficient photocatalysis in aqueous solution.

An efficient two-step sequential supramolecular artificial light-harvesting system has been successfully constructed using self-assembled nanoparticles of cyanostilbene-cored dendrimers (CS-1 and CS-2) as donors, along with the fluorescent dye Nile red (NiR) and near-infrared (NIR) emitter MTSIC as acceptors in aqueous media. Through supramolecular interactions, the dendritic assemblies efficiently transfer energy in a sequential manner, first to NiR and then to MTSIC, resulting in an exceptionally high antenna effect (up to 97.7) and near-quantitative energy transfer efficiencies (reaching 99.

Deep learning-based quantitative assessment of renal chronicity indices in lupus nephritis.

Renal chronicity indices (CI) have been identified as strong predictors of long-term outcomes in lupus nephritis (LN) patients. However, assessment by pathologists is hindered by challenges such as substantial time requirements, high interobserver variation, and susceptibility to fatigue. This study aims to develop an effective deep learning (DL) pipeline that automates the assessment of CI and provides valuable prognostic insights from a disease-specific perspective.

Disrupted betaine metabolism drives Th17 cell differentiation, mediating methamphetamine-induced depressive behaviors in male mice.

Unlabelled: Methamphetamine (METH) abuse, a global public health concern, is closely linked to neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression. Although the central nervous system (CNS) damage induced by METH is well documented, the role of peripheral immune mechanisms remains underexplored. To investigate this, we establish a depressive-like mouse model in male mice using repeated intraperitoneal METH injections.

Altered Immune Profiles in Non-Failing Heart Donors With Induced Long QT Syndrome: A Potential Risk Factor for Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy.

Introduction: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) develops more aggressively in recipients of hearts from brain-dead (BD) donors with induced long QT syndrome (iLQTS), yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we employ a multi-omics and experimental framework to explore the role of neuro-immune interactions in non-failing donor hearts affected by iLQTS.

Methods: Single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) compared four iLQTS and four non-arrhythmic non-failing donor hearts.

Three-dimensional hierarchical porous P,O co-doped pinecone biochar for tetracycline removal: behavior and mechanism.

Tetracycline (TC) presents significant risks to the human health and has the potential to cause substantial harm to ecological systems due to its excessive utilization. However, carbon-based materials have attracted considerable interest for their efficacy in removing TC from aquatic environments. In this study, phosphorus and oxygen co-doped pinecone biochar (po-PBC) with a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous architecture was synthesized and employed for the adsorption of TC.

Signatures of magnetism in zigzag graphene nanoribbons embedded in a hexagonal boron nitride lattice.

Zigzag edges of graphene are predicted to host magnetic electronic states, critical for spintronics, but an experimental confirmation of these magnetic conduction channels remains elusive. Here we report the signatures of magnetism in zigzag graphene nanoribbons (zGNRs) embedded in hexagonal boron nitride. Hexagonal boron nitride provides crucial edge stabilization, enabling the direct probing of this intrinsic magnetism.

Wogonin modulates macrophage polarization and inflammatory signaling through the LSD1-p65 axis to alleviate osteoarthritis.

Background: The study elucidates wogonin's therapeutic mechanisms in osteoarthritis (OA) induced by medial meniscus destabilization (DMM), focusing on macrophage polarization regulation, inflammatory signaling modulation, and cellular crosstalk within OA joints.

Methods: A DMM-induced OA mouse model received intra-articular injection of wogonin for 8 weeks. In vitro analyses utilized LPS-stimulated Raw264.

Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation modulates fear memory extinction and neural responses in humans.

Previous research has shown that transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) promotes declarative fear extinction, but its neural mechanisms in this process are still unclear. This study aimed to explore tVNS's impacts on physiological (skin conductance response [SCR]) and neural (event-related potentials, ERP) fear-related responses. Forty healthy participants were randomly assigned to the tVNS or Sham group.

Dual-function electrodes for photo-rechargeable batteries: mechanisms, designs, and applications.

Photo-rechargeable batteries emerge as an integrated solution for simultaneous solar energy harvesting and storage. Central to these systems are dual-function electrode materials that intrinsically combine photoactivity and ion storage capabilities. Through synergistic interactions with electrolytes, these materials enable efficient energy conversion and storage, demonstrating significant potential for next-generation energy technologies.

Glycyrrhizic acid inhibited inflammatory response in LPS-stimulated microglial BV2 cells via MAPK, Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Activation of microglia plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation-mediated neurodegenerative diseases. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA), a principal triterpenoid saponin in , has been reported to exhibit a range of biological activities. Nevertheless, the function of GA in microglia activation remains unclear.

Neuronal Endothelin a Receptor Mediates Experimental and Clinical Vascular Pain through an Endothelial-Neural Axis.

Vascular dysfunction causes vascular pain (VP), the most common clinical manifestation of prevalent vascular diseases, while the mechanisms remain elusive. Mouse models are developed by mimicking peripheral vascular diseases and combining multiple strategies to demonstrate that primary sensory neuronal endothelin A receptor (ETAR) mediates experimental and clinical VP through an endothelial-neural axis. Endothelial cells (ECs), but not macrophages or smooth muscle cells (SMCs), release endothelin-1 (ET-1) and directly activate primary sensory neurons by binding to ETAR on sensory neurons, resulting in VP.

Mitochondrial Metabolism in T-Cell Exhaustion.

T cells play a vital role in resisting pathogen invasion and maintaining immune homeostasis. However, T cells gradually become exhausted under chronic antigenic stimulation, and this exhaustion is closely related to mitochondrial dysfunction in T cells. Mitochondria play a crucial role in the metabolic reprogramming of T cells to achieve the desired immune response.