Aluminum exposure disturbs epigenetic modification and organelle function during early embryo development.

Aluminum is a lightweight and corrosion-resistant metal element that is widely used in industries, construction, food, and pharmaceuticals, and it can adversely affect multiple organ systems including the nervous system, skeletal system, reproductive system, blood system, and immune system. In present study, we investigated the effects of aluminum exposure on mammalian embryo development. Our data demonstrate that aluminum exposure induces mouse early embryo development defects, including those at the zygotes and 2-cell stages, causing a decrease in general transcription activity.

Halogenation-Engineered Acceptor Enables 20.14% Efficiency in Hydrocarbon-Solvent Processed OSCs: From Binary Trade-Offs to Ternary Synergy in Exciton and Energy Loss Management.

Halogenation emerges as a key strategy to enhance the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs) by tuning molecular packing, energy levels, and charge dynamics. Here, we report three new benzo[a]phenazine-core small-molecule acceptors, namely NA5, NA6, and NA7, and systematically evaluate their photovoltaic properties in o-xylene-processed binary and ternary OSCs. Halogenation significantly strengthens intermolecular interactions, improves charge carrier mobility, and facilitates exciton dissociation, leading to a remarkable increase in binary device efficiencies from ∼2% (NA5) to over 17% (NA6, NA7).

Prevalence, diversity, and parasitism of tailed prophages in .

, a pathogenic bacterium, contains prophages that significantly influence its pathogenesis and evolutionary traits. Investigating the prevalence, evolution, and ecological roles of these prophages is of great importance as is responsible for luminous bacteriosis in aquatic organisms. In this study, 13 tailed prophages were identified from 55 globally sourced genomes, with prophage-bacterium junctions precisely annotated.

A virulent phage vB_VpaP_R28Z infecting Vibrio parahaemolyticus with potential for therapeutic application.

Background: Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a major foodborne pathogen, contaminates aquatic products and causes significant economic losses in aquaculture while threatening food security and public health. Given the rising prevalence of multidrug-resistant V. parahaemolyticus strains, phage therapy has emerged as an effective and environmentally sustainable alternative for controlling vibriosis in aquaculture.

Tankyrase activity is essential for asymmetric division and chromosome segregation in oocyte meiosis.

Introduction: Tankyrase (TNKS) is a poly ADP-ribose polymerase which is known to regulate DNA repair, GLUT4-related vesicles transportation, and mitotic sister telomeres resolution.

Objectives: In the present study, we reported the novel roles of TNKS in oocyte meiosis.

Methods: Using specific chemical inhibitors, Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, mass spectrometry, co-immunoprecipitation, and siRNA interference, we disturbed TNKS activity or depleted TNKS expression to investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Simultaneous Bioelectrochemical Detection of Nitrate and Nitrite with a Whole-Cell Hydrogel Electrode.

Bioelectrochemical sensors (BES) are promising to specifically detect nitrate or nitrite but never realize simultaneous detection in a single system. In this study, a novel biosensor using self-assembled hydrogel bioelectrodes with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and genetically engineered electroactive species was designed for the simultaneous detection of nitrate and nitrite. The highly conductive rGO rendered a drastically improved reverse electron transfer from the electrode to , which achieved a sensitive and quantitative response to nitrite/nitrate.

Unveiling Energy Loss Mechanisms to Empower Ternary Organic Solar Cells with over 20% Efficiency: A Systematic Oligomeric Approach.

In organic solar cells (OSCs), the ternary strategy is a mainstream approach to obtaining highly efficient OSCs. A deeper understanding of working mechanisms and the material selection criteria for boosting open-circuit voltage (V) is essential for further OSC breakthrough. Through a modular design principle, a series of oligomeric donors - 5BDD, 5BDD-F, 5BDT-F, and 5BDT-Cl - with similar molecular configurations but varying HOMO levels is systematically designed.

Real-Time Probing of Morphological Evolution and Recrystallization During Solvent Annealing in Blade-Coated All-Polymer Organic Solar Cells Using In Situ X-Ray Scattering.

Optimizing the morphology of the active layer is crucial for achieving high photovoltaic conversion efficiency in all-polymer solar cells (APSCs). Solvent vapor annealing (SVA) is an essential post-treatment strategy for controlling active layer morphology. However, most current SVA are conducted ex situ, limiting their ability to accurately reveal the morphological evolution of active layers of APSCs.

Identification of an individualized immune-related miRNA pair signature for survival prediction of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in esophageal squamous cell cancer.

Background: Immune-related microRNAs (ImiRNAs) have emerged as potential biomarkers owing to their universality and tissue-specificity. Although neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) has been incorporated into standardized guidelines for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), its efficacy is hindered by tumor and individual heterogeneity. This study aimed to develop a specific ImiRNA pair signature to predict the long-term survival benefits of NCRT for ESCCs.

Percentage Amplitude of Fluctuation Alterations in Multiple Frequency Bands in Patients With Transient Ischemic Attack: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

This study aims to investigate functional abnormalities in transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients compared to healthy controls (HCs) using percent amplitude of fluctuation (PerAF) across multiple frequency bands derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). We scanned 48 TIA patients and 41 HCs using rs-fMRI and high-resolution T1-weighted brain images. Both PerAF and modified PerAF (mPerAF) were utilized for comparative analysis across the typical frequency band (0.

Conjugation Pathway of Benzobisoxazoles in Polymer Donors Mediates the Charge Management and Enables Organic Solar Cells with Record Certified Efficiency.

Charge management plays a pivotal role in achieving high-performance bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs). In this study, two efficient polymer donors are designed, P[4,8]BBO and P[2,6]BBO, by regulating the conjugation pathways of benzobisoxazoles (BBO) through 4,8- and 2,6-linkages, respectively. Comparing to P[2,6]BBO, the isomer of conjugation pathway has been proved to enable P[4,8]BBO a shallower highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level of -5.

[Electroacupuncture at "four points of sacral region" for mild-to-moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia with lower urinary tract symptoms: a randomized controlled trial].

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) at "four points of sacral region" for mild-to-moderate benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

Methods: A total of 58 patients with BPH/LUTS were randomly divided into a sacral four-point EA group (29 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a conventional EA group (29 cases, 1 case dropped out). EA was applied at bilateral points 0.

Calix[8]Arene-Tethered Dendritic Octamer Acceptor with Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Enables 20.7% Efficiency Organic Solar Cells with Exceptional Stability.

Increasing the molecular weight of the acceptor is an effective strategy to suppress excessive crystallization and molecular diffusion, thereby addressing morphological challenges in organic solar cells (OSCs). Therefore, designing high-molecular-weight acceptors with well-defined structures is crucial for achieving efficient and stable OSCs towards commercialization. Herein, we report a calix[8]arene-tethered dendritic octameric acceptor with a molecular weight of 14243 g mol and a well-defined structure.

Rab32-based vesicles coordinate mitochondria and actin for spindle migration and organelle rearrangement in oocyte meiosis.

Introduction: Rab32 is a part of the Rab GTPase family, which is known as the regulator of vesicle transport for an array of cellular functions including endosomal transport, autophagy, generation of melanosomes, phagocytosis and inflammatory processes.

Objective: However, the role of Rab32 in oocyte meiosis is still not well-defined.

Methods: We depleted Rab32 expression by knock down approach, and we also disrupted Rab32 function by exogenous Rab32 mRNA injection for mutation.

Deciphering the roles of neddylation modification in hepatocellular carcinoma: Molecular mechanisms and targeted therapeutics.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent type of malignant liver tumor with high morbidity and mortality and severely threatens human health and life quality. Thus, it is of great significance to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of HCC and seek biomarkers for early diagnosis. Neddylation, one of the most conserved post-translational modification types in eukaryotes, plays vital roles in the progression of HCC.

Proteomic Analysis of Marine Bacteriophages: Structural Conservation, Post-Translational Modifications, and Phage-Host Interactions.

Marine bacteriophages, the most abundant biological entities in marine ecosystems, are essential in biogeochemical cycling. Despite extensive genomic data, many phage genes remain uncharacterised, creating a gap between genomic diversity and gene function knowledge. This gap limits our understanding of phage life cycles, assembly, and host interactions.

Electron Extraction Optimization for Carbon-Based Hole-Conductor-Free Perovskite Photovoltaics With Record 1.41 V V.

Carbon-based CsPbIBr perovskite solar cells (PSCs) free of a hole-transport layer (HTL) have emerged as promising photovoltaics due to their low processing cost and superior stability. However, the voltage deficit resulting from inefficient carrier extraction causes insufficient power conversion efficiency (PCE), severely hindering their progress. Here, a gradient electron energy level modulation strategy proves effective in reducing voltage losses through the rapid extraction of photogenerated electrons.

Efficacy and safety of anti-PD-1 versus anti-PD-L1 in perioperative immunotherapy: A comprehensive reanalysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Perioperative anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitors improve outcomes, but optimal selection between agents remains debated. We compared the efficacy and safety of anti-PD-1 versus anti-PD-L1 in neoadjuvant/adjuvant settings.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and major oncology conferences (up to May 20, 2024) were systematically searched for randomized trials comparing anti-PD-1/PD-L1 with standard perioperative therapy.

Buried Interface Regulation with a Supramolecular Assembled Template Enables High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells for Minimizing the V Deficit.

Despite the rapid development of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in the past decade, the open-circuit voltage (V) of PSCs still lags behind the theoretical Shockley-Queisser limit. Energy-level mismatch and unwanted nonradiative recombination at key interfaces are the main factors detrimental to V. Herein, a perovskite crystallization-driven template is constructed at the SnO/perovskite buried interface through a self-assembled amphiphilic phosphonate derivative.

Metagenomic and metabolomic analysis of gut microbiome's role in spinal cord injury recovery in rats.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces profound systemic changes, including disruptions in gut microbiome composition and host metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the impact of SCI on gut microbial diversity and serum metabolites in rats, and to explore potential microbiome-metabolite interactions that may influence recovery. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were assigned to either SCI or sham-operated groups.

Symmetry-Breaking Strategy Yields Dopant-Free Small Molecule Hole Transport Materials for Inorganic Perovskite Solar Cells with 20.58% Efficiency and Outstanding Stability.

Inorganic perovskites are known for their excellent photothermal stability; however, the photothermal stability of all-inorganic n-i-p perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is compromised due to ion diffusion and free radical-induced degradation caused by the use of doped spiro-OMeTAD hole transport materials (HTMs). In this study, two isomeric donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) type small molecules, namely HBT and HiBT, were developed and used as dopant-free HTMs, using 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole or benzo[d][1,2,3]thiadiazole as acceptor moieties. The HiBT molecule, with its symmetry-breaking features, exhibits a large dipole moment, enhanced coordination-active sites, and a well-aligned energy level structure, all of which contribute to passivating perovskite surface defects and improving free charge separation.