Metallothionein 2A-Silencing Antimonene-Based Nanoagonist for Amplifying the Photothermal Immunotherapy of Gynecologic Malignancy.

Gynecologic malignancies are prone to metastasis and recurrence due to the low efficacy and sensitivity of current clinical treatments. Here, we construct ultrasmall Sb@Au nanodots (Sb@Au NDs) as a metallothionein 2A (MT 2A)-silencing nanoagonist for effective photothermal immunotherapy of gynecologic malignancies. Sb@Au NDs show high photothermal conversion efficiency of 56.

Unleashing pyroelectricity enhancement via phase transition-driven defect alignment in KNN-based ferroelectrics.

The pyroelectric effect plays a critical role in thermal imaging and energy harvesting. Despite extensive efforts to enhance performance through doping and composite engineering, the mechanisms underlying defect dipole coupling with phase structures remain poorly understood, impeding the advancement of defect-engineered symmetry modulation. Here, we report an abnormal pyroelectric phenomenon where the pyroelectric coefficient () increases notably when poling temperature exceeds the orthorhombic-to-tetragonal phase transition temperature () in potassium sodium niobate ceramics.

Host Shaping Associated Microbiota in Hydrothermal Vent Snails from the Indian Ocean Ridge.

Snails at hydrothermal vents rely on symbiotic bacteria for nutrition; however, the specifics of these associations in adapting to such extreme environments remain underexplored. This study investigated the community structure and metabolic potential of bacteria associated with two Indian Ocean vent snails, and . Using microscopic, phylogenetic, and metagenomic analyses, this study examines bacterial communities inhabiting the foot and gland tissues of these snails.

Case Report: Pituitary hyperplasia secondary to long-neglected severe primary hypothyroidism: a case of misdiagnosis and lessons learned.

Background: Primary hypothyroidism is characterized by a loss of thyroxine feedback inhibition and an increase in thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) levels, resulting in reactive pituitary hyperplasia. However, it is important to note that pituitary hyperplasia due to primary hypothyroidism (PHPH) is rare, particularly when symptoms of pituitary mass compression are present.

Case Summary: A patient with menstrual irregularities and hyperprolactinemia exhibited pituitary enlargement on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Electrospun PLA-gelatin composite scaffolds loaded with 3D-derived extracellular vesicles for repairing tympanic membrane perforation in rats.

Background: The tympanic membrane is an oval, funnel-shaped, translucent structure that plays a crucial role in the auditory system. Individuals suffering from tympanic membrane perforation often experience symptoms such as a sensation of fullness in the ear, hearing impairment, and other discomforts, all of which significantly diminish the quality of life. Currently, autologous temporalis myofascia is the commonly utilized material for repair; however, it is limited by its scarce availability, the need for secondary surgical intervention, and suboptimal recovery outcomes.

CircZNF418 Prevents Intervertebral Disc Degeneration by Targeting the HuR/SIRT6 Axis to Protect Against Oxidative Stress-Induced Ferroptosis and Senescence.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a common degenerative disorder affecting the spine. Ferroptosis and cellular senescence are key pathological features driving IVDD progression, but the mechanisms involved in their regulation remain incompletely understood. While circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) function, the specific role of circZNF418 in IVDD has not been explored.

CircZNF418 alleviates oxidative stress-induced cartilage endplate degeneration by stabilizing Sox9 through HuR.

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) significantly contributes to back pain, impacting patients' quality of life, and the cartilaginous endplate (CEP) is crucial to the functioning of the disc in both normal and disease states. Furthermore, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in the modulation of a variety of diseases, including IDD. Nonetheless, the specific involvement of circRNAs in the the intervertebral disc CEP degeneration is not yet fully understood.

The Deep Mining Era: Genomic, Metabolomic, and Integrative Approaches to Microbial Natural Products from 2018 to 2024.

Over the past decade, microbial natural products research has witnessed a transformative "deep-mining era" driven by key technological advances such as high-throughput sequencing (e.g., PacBio HiFi), ultra-sensitive HRMS (resolution ≥ 100,000), and multi-omics synergy.

Effects of phthalic acid esters released from long-term agricultural film mulching on soil properties, bacterial communities, and functions in Xinjiang cotton field.

The global use of transparent agricultural films has raised significant concerns about the contamination of phthalate esters (PAEs). Despite these concerns, field studies on PAE accumulation due to long-term agricultural film use remain limited. This study focuses on cotton fields in Xinjiang with varying mulching durations (0-30 years) to explore the accumulation of PAEs and their effects on soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial metabolic functions, and community structure.

Morphological features of platelet-rich plasma on acellular vascular scaffolds.

Background: Materials for small-caliber vascular stents are deficient, with acellular vascular scaffold (AVS) being a promising solution. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) sourced from the recipient augments the biocompatibility of vascular graft materials. Through integration of PRP onto AVS materials, our goal is to bolster AVS biocompatibility within the body, elevate the M2/M1 macrophage ratio toward graft materials for low degradation rate, and foster robust heparin attachment onto the surface of AVS materials.

Core-shell microbead-based 3D vascularized glioma tumor model for effective drug testing.

The 3D hydrogel-based tumor model demonstrates significant potential in replicating the physiological characteristics oftumor environments for mechanistic studies and drug testing. However, the challenge persists in accurately mimicking a vascularized microtumor with a compartmentalized structure in a controlled, heterogeneous, and high-throughput manner. This study introduces a vascularized 3D tumor model that incorporates an endothelial cell (EC) barrier, created by encapsulating glioma cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) within the core (6% gelatin) and shell (10% GelMa) of core-shell microbeads, respectively.

Inflammation-related gene ITGA5 affects the healing of diabetic foot ulcers through PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU), a severe complication of diabetes, are characterized by impaired healing due to chronic inflammation and dysregulated cellular processes. Identifying inflammation-related biomarkers and their mechanisms is critical for improving DFU management.

Methods: Bioinformatics analysis of GEO datasets (GSE7014, GSE29221, GSE147890) identified inflammation-related differentially expressed genes (IRDEGs).

Metabolomic and Proteomic Analyses Unveil That Polyethylene Glycol-Polycaprolactone-Loaded Curcumin Nanoparticles Induce Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Metabolic Reprogramming to Suppress Melanoma Growth.

Melanoma is highly dependent on cellular metabolism, but current treatments show limited effectiveness. Despite the promising antitumor properties of curcumin, its clinical utility is limited by its poor bioavailability and potential systemic toxicity. To address these challenges, we formulated curcumin-loaded polyethylene glycol-polycaprolactone (PEG-PCL) nanoparticles, denoted as PEG-PCL@Cur.

Suppressing the Interface Photodegradation towards Efficient and Stable All Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells.

All perovskite tandem solar cells (PTSCs) were expected to overcome the Shockley-Queisser limit of single-junction perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Nevertheless, wide bandgap (WBG) subcells suffer from large photovoltage loss and device instability due to extensive film defect, interfacial degradation and phase segregation. Herein, a polymeric multi-dentate anchoring (PMDA) strategy by introducing poly(carbazole phosphonic acid) was employed to engineer the bottom interface and suppress phase segregation.

Unraveling the degradation of deoxynivalenol in wheat by sodium bicarbonate assisted cold plasma: A combined reactive molecular dynamics simulation and experimental validation.

This study combined reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulation with experimental verification to investigate the degradation of deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat grains by sodium bicarbonate assisted cold plasma (SB-CP). The results showed that SB-CP treatment increased the degradation rate of DON from 52.88 % to 80.

Quantum-Sized Sb@Au Schottky Heterostructure for Sensitized Radioimmunotherapy.

Radiodynamic therapy (RDT) holds great potential for overcoming radioresistance and enhancing tumor immunogenicity. However, its efficacy is hindered by limited reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation due to insufficient carrier generation and transfer, which often results in tumor metastasis. Here, we report quantum-sized and narrow-bandgap Sb@Au Schottky heterostructures, namely, Sb@Au nanodots (Sb@Au NDs), to improve ROS generation for sensitizing RDT and inhibiting tumor metastasis.

Targeting inflammation with chimeric antigen receptor macrophages using a signal switch.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy has shown great success in clinical cancer, bringing hope to apply CAR strategies to other clinical settings. Here we developed a CAR macrophage (CAR-M) that recognizes the major inflammatory molecule tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and activates an intracellular IL-4 signalling pathway, thereby programming engineered macrophages for an anti-inflammatory function. CAR-M therapy has exhibited efficacy in mouse models of both acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization analysis of iron status and uremia: no evidence of a causal relationship.

Iron status and uremia have been linked, but the causality remains ambiguous. This bidirectional study aimed to explore the causal association between genetically predicted iron status and uremia. Utilizing summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of iron status and uremia, a two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) design was employed.

"The role of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in bone formation during mid-palatal suture expansion".

Purpose: Orthodontic interventions such as maxillary expansion are pivotal in correcting malocclusions; however, the intracellular mechanisms of bone remodeling during this process are not well understood. This study investigated the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in bone remodeling during maxillary expansion and relapse in rats.

Materials And Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: Control (Ctrl), Expansion only (EO), and Expansion with MEK inhibitor U0126 (EO  +  INH).

A high-throughput microfluidic platform for functional hiPSC-derived liver organoids with bile duct- and lobule-like structures.

HiPSC-derived organoids have attracted significant attention in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. However, obtaining functional organoids in sufficient quantities, consistent sizes, and reproducible formats remains a significant challenge. Here, we present an innovative microfluidic platform for the high-throughput production of HAMA core-shell microspheres (HCSM) for the encapsulation and differentiation of hiPSCs.

Factors associated with seizure recurrence in patients undergoing repeat epilepsy surgery: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Epilepsy surgery is a crucial intervention for cases of drug-resistant epilepsy, aiming to achieve seizure freedom. Despite significant success rates, some patients continue to experience seizures post-surgery, leading to the need for repeat interventions.

Methods: This study employed a retrospective observational design, focusing on patients who underwent repeat epilepsy surgery at our hospital.

M2 microglia-derived small extracellular vesicles modulate NSC fate after ischemic stroke via miR-25-3p/miR-93-5p-TGFBR/PTEN/FOXO3 axis.

Background: Endogenous neurogenesis could promote stroke recovery. Furthermore, anti-inflammatory phenotypical microglia (M2-microglia) could facilitate Neural Stem Cell (NSC)-mediated neurogenesis following Ischemic Stroke (IS). Nonetheless, the mechanisms through which M2 microglia influence NSC-mediated neurogenesis post-IS remain unclear.

Discovery of naturally inspired antimicrobial peptides using deep learning.

Non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) are promising lead compounds for novel antibiotics. Bioinformatic mining of silent microbial NRPS gene clusters provide crucial insights for the discovery and de novo design of bioactive peptides. Here, we describe the efficient discovery and antibacterial evaluation of novel peptides inspired by metabolite scaffolds encoded by NRPS gene clusters from 216,408 bacterial genomes.

MED10 Increases Cisplatin Resistance by Promoting PTEN Ubiquitination of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent malignant tumor, ranking as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Despite advances in chemotherapy, many patients exhibit limited therapeutic efficacy, ultimately leading to cisplatin resistance. Thus, an in-depth investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying cisplatin resistance is critically needed.

Surface Passivation and Energy Alignment Modulation of n-i-p Perovskite Solar Cells with Self-Assembled Molecule.

Perovskite's surface defects trigger deep level traps and energy misalignment, resulting in substantial interface recombination and energy loss in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, 9-fluoreneacetic acid (FAA), a self-assembled molecule (SAM), is employed to passivate the interface defects and modulate energy alignment. SAM modification reduces the defect density from 6.