Highly efficient amino-functionalized ionic liquid membrane contactor coupled system for low-concentration carbon dioxide absorption and desorption.

Carbon dioxide (CO) capture and storage (CCS) technology is crucial for rapid decarbonization within the fossil energy system, yet capturing low-concentration CO poses technical challenges due to high energy demands and limited durability. To address these obstacles, we developed four amino-functionalized ionic liquids (AFILs) targeting low CO concentrations (7 %, 11 % and 15 % by volume in the gas mixture, respectively). This study evaluated these AFILs in combination with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hollow fiber membrane contactor for CO absorption.

Improved YOLO-Based Pulmonary Nodule Detection with Spatial-SE Attention and an Aspect Ratio Penalty.

The accurate identification of pulmonary nodules is critical for the early diagnosis of lung diseases; however, this task remains challenging due to inadequate feature representation and limited localization sensitivity. Current methodologies often utilize channel attention mechanisms and intersection over union (IoU)-based loss functions. Yet, they frequently overlook spatial context and struggle to capture subtle variations in aspect ratios, which hinders their ability to detect small objects.

Mapping the global research landscape and trends of older people living alone: a bibliometric analysis.

Background: The global aging trend is becoming increasingly severe, leading to a rise in the number of older adults living alone. As research on this population grows, a comprehensive analysis is essential.

Objective: This study examines the current state of research on older adults living alone, identifies key trends and emerging topics, and provides a foundation for future investigations.

SlXTH1, a xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase in halophyte Suaeda liaotungensis, negatively regulates Arabidopsis seed germination under salt stress.

Seed germination is accompanied by cell wall remodeling. Cell wall remodeling proteins, xyloglucan endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTHs), play a crucial role in embryo cell growth and endosperm weakening during seed germination. Nonetheless, the function of XTHs in seed germination under salt stress has not been reported.

Optimizing pilot plant flux by harnessing loach metabolism to overcome biocake steric hindrance.

Reservoir water, characterized by its superior quality, represents a valuable water resource. However, the release of metal-organic matter complexes such iron and manganese, induced by rainfall, typhoons, and similar events, constrains its utilization. In this study, gravity-driven membrane (GDM) was employed to treat deep reservoir water, and it was observed that metal-organic matter complexes adversely affected the stable flux of the system (by approximately 5 %), leading to a "steric hindrance" phenomenon during the maturation of the biocake layer.

Structural Identification of Major Molecular Determinants for Phosphotyrosine Recognition in Tyrosine Kinases Reveals Tumour Promoting and Suppressive Functions.

Protein tyrosine kinases activate signaling pathways by catalyzing the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in their substrates. Mounting evidence suggests that, in addition to recognizing phosphorylated tyrosine (pTyr) residues through specific phosphobinding modules, many protein kinases selectively recognize pTyr directly adjacent to the tyrosine residue they phosphorylate and catalyze the formation of twin pTyr-pTyr sites. Here, we demonstrate the importance of this phosphopriming-driven twin pTyr signaling in promoting cell cycle progression through the cell cycle-inhibitory protein p27.

Vitamin D receptor agonists inhibit liver fibrosis by disrupting the interaction between hepatic stellate cells and neutrophil extracellular traps.

Liver fibrosis is a progressive condition driven by the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), with neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) playing a crucial role in exacerbating this process. Recent research has highlighted the vitamin D receptor (VDR) as a critical regulator in fibrosis, offering a potential therapeutic target. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms by which the novel non-steroidal VDR agonist 16i inhibits liver fibrosis.

Recent advances in NIR-II photothermal and photodynamic therapies for drug-resistant wound infections.

Bacterial infection can delay wound healing, while drug resistance further complicates the treatment of wound infection. Phototherapy, including photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), is a non/mini-invasive and efficient antibacterial strategy that rarely induces bacterial resistance. This treatment relies on specific wavelengths of light to activate photothermal agents (PTAs) or photosensitizers, killing bacteria by generating local heats or reactive oxygen species (ROS), respectively.

Active Site-Mediated Photo-Thermo Catalysis for Methane Conversion.

Transformation of methane, an increasingly sustainable feedstock rich in carbon and hydrogen, into various valuable chemicals is a crucial option contributing to achieving global carbon neutrality but chemically restricted to high energy of the C─H bond. Photo-thermo catalysis offers a promising approach to activate the C─H bond and thus facilitate methane conversion even under mild conditions upon an effective arrangement of the active site on the reaction interface of catalysts. Despite significant progress, the insufficient mechanistic understanding of how active sites function in the photo-thermo catalytic system remains a fundamental challenge.

Melatonin in cancer treatment.

Rationale: Preserving health-related quality of life is an aspect of care that requires constant attention from the time of cancer diagnosis. Melatonin has been used to diminish treatment-related side effects and cancer symptoms, and as a medication to regulate circadian rhythm. An up-to-date systematic review is needed to investigate the current evidence concerning possible beneficial effects of melatonin on quality of life and sleep in cancer patients.

ESR1-dependent suppression of LCN2 transcription reverses autophagy-linked ferroptosis and enhances sorafenib sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sorafenib resistance is a significant hurdle in the treatment landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Lipocalin 2 (LCN2), a secretory glycoprotein that transports lipophilic molecules across cell membranes, is thought to affect the s therapeutic efficacy of sorafenib. Despite its importance, the detailed regulatory pathways involving LCN2 are still being deciphered.

Spatial estimation of veterinary antibiotics from husbandry to soil to river with resistance risk assessment in urban agglomerations.

The rapid development of husbandry has increased veterinary antibiotic pollution risks, making emission reduction essential for sustainable growth. This study presents a novel method to quantitively explore antibiotic pathways from livestock to soils and then to rivers at grid scale in the Shandong Peninsula urban agglomeration. Validation demonstrated the method can relatively precisely and accurately estimate the spatial distributions and transports of veterinary antibiotics compared to previous methods and observations.

Functionalized biomimetic nanoparticles loaded with salvianolic acid B for synergistic targeted triple-negative breast cancer treatment.

The therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is unsatisfactory. The immune "cold" microenvironment caused by tumor-associated fibroblasts (TAFs) has an adverse effect on the antitumor response. Therefore, in this study, mixed cell membrane-coated porous magnetic nanoparticles (PMNPs) were constructed to deliver salvianolic acid B (SAB) to induce an antitumor immune response, facilitating the transition from a "cold" to a "hot" tumor and ultimately enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Design, synthesis, and anti-liver fibrosis activity of novel non-steroidal vitamin D receptor agonists based on open-ring steroid scaffold.

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) has emerged as a crucial target for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis, a condition characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components leading to impaired liver function. Activation of VDR has been shown to inhibit the transformation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which play a key role in the development of liver fibrosis, thus reducing ECM production. In this study, a series of 37 non-steroidal VDR agonists with novel scaffold were designed and synthesized utilizing the scaffold hopping strategy.

Sakuranetin Prevents Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury via Nrf2-Induced Inhibition of Hepatocyte Ferroptosis.

Introduction: Oxidative stress is an important cause of acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury (AILI). Sakuranetin (Sak) is an antitoxin from the cherry flavonoid plant with good antioxidant effects. However, whether sakuranetine has a protective effect on APAP-induced liver injury is not clear.

External versus internal pancreatic duct drainage for early efficacy after laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy in the early stages of the low-flow center learning curve: a retrospective comparative study.

Background: There is no uniform conclusion as to whether internal or external drainage of the supporting duct is more clinically effective, especially in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) which has not yet been reported in clinical studies. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of external versus internal pancreatic duct drainage during LPD performed in a low-flow center at the beginning of the learning curve.

Methods: The clinical data of a total of 73 cases of patients who underwent LPD between January 2022 and June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.

Understanding of Plant Salt Tolerance Mechanisms and Application to Molecular Breeding.

Soil salinization is a widespread hindrance that endangers agricultural production and ecological security. High salt concentrations in saline soils are primarily caused by osmotic stress, ionic toxicity and oxidative stress, which have a negative impact on plant growth and development. In order to withstand salt stress, plants have developed a series of complicated physiological and molecular mechanisms, encompassing adaptive changes in the structure and function of various plant organs, as well as the intricate signal transduction networks enabling plants to survive in high-salinity environments.

Vertical distribution and migration of heavy metals in soil of green stormwater infrastructure receiving roof runoff.

In order to achieve effective management of urban stormwater runoff, green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) has been widely used worldwide. However, the problem of heavy metal contamination in GSI soils has gradually become a limiting factor for their development. In this paper, concentrations of 6 heavy metals were detected in soils from 0 to 80 cm depth in the GSI receiving roof runoff.

Enhancing cancer immunotherapy: Nanotechnology-mediated immunotherapy overcoming immunosuppression.

Immunotherapy is an important cancer treatment method that offers hope for curing cancer patients. While immunotherapy has achieved initial success, a major obstacle to its widespread adoption is the inability to benefit the majority of patients. The success or failure of immunotherapy is closely linked to the tumor's immune microenvironment.

Development Trends and Prospects of Technology-Based Solutions for Health Challenges in Aging Over the Past 25 Years: Bibliometric Analysis.

Background: As the global population ages, we witness a broad scientific and technological revolution tailored to meet the health challenges of older adults. Over the past 25 years, technological innovations, ranging from advanced medical devices to user-friendly mobile apps, are transforming the way we address these challenges, offering new avenues to enhance the quality of life and well-being of the aging demographic.

Objective: This study aimed to systematically review the development trends in technology for managing and caring for the health of older adults over the past 25 years and to project future development prospects.

Pressure-Induced Enhancement in Chemical Looping Reforming of CH: A Thermodynamic Analysis with Fe-Based Oxygen Carriers.

Chemical looping reforming of methane (CLRM) with Fe-based oxygen carriers is widely acknowledged as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach for syngas production, however, sintering-caused deactivate of oxygen carriers at elevated temperatures of above 900 °C is a longstanding issue restricting the development of CLRM. Here, in order to reduce the reaction temperature without compromising the chemical-looping CH conversion efficiency, we proposed a novel operation scheme of CLRM by manipulating the reaction pressure to shift the equilibrium of CH partial oxidation towards the forward direction based on the Le Chatelier's principle. The results from thermodynamic simulations showed that, at a fixed reaction temperature, the reduction in pressure led to the increase in CH conversion, H and CO selectivity, as well as carbon deposition rate of all investigated oxygen carriers.

A combined AIMD and DFT study of the low-energy radiation responses of GaN.

Although GaN is a promising candidate for semiconductor devices, degradation of GaN-based device performance may occur when the device is bombarded by high-energy charged particles during its application in aerospace, astronomy, and nuclear-related areas. It is thus of great significance to explore the influence of irradiation on the microstructure and electronic properties of GaN and to reveal the internal relationship between the damage mechanisms and physical characteristics. Using a combined density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (AIMD) study, we explored the low-energy recoil events in GaN and the effects of point defects on GaN.