Huangkui capsules for diabetic nephropathy: Comprehensive review of efficacy and molecular mechanisms.

Background: The management of kidney diseases urgently needs additional therapeutic options. Encouraging evidence suggests the efficacy of Huangkui capsules (HKCs), a plant-derived traditional medicine, in treating various subtypes of nephropathy. However, current evidence is fragmented between clinical outcomes and mechanistic insights.

Ultrafast transient s-SNOM nanoscopic measurement of charge transfer between a ruthenium complex and a MoS monolayer.

We studied exciton diffusion and charge transfer between a metal-organic complex and a MoS monolayer using transient s-SNOM nanoscopy. Measuring vibrational ground state bleach dynamics, we found an exciton diffusion rate of ∼8 × 10 cm s. Nanoscale resolution avoids spatial averaging errors, offering insights for optimizing excitonic processes in light-harvesting devices.

Hierarchical WO Nanofibers for Ultrasensitive Gas Detection via Pore-Creating and Inner Anchoring Silver Nanoparticles.

Ultrasensitive detection of triethylamine (TEA), a characteristic volatile in seafood, is particularly important for food safety and human health. The preparation of nanosensing materials with special structures is an important step toward high-performance TEA detection. This study introduces a novel method of loading noble metal catalysts onto the inner walls of WO macroporous nanofibers (MNFs) to prepare high-performance TEA sensing materials by using core-shell nanospheres with glucose-coated Ag particles as sacrificial templates.

Exosomal miR-216a-5p targeting TLR-4 alleviates liver ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating M2 macrophage polarization and neutrophil inflammation.

Macrophages and neutrophil play a key role in the initiation and recovery of liver ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) through transitions in the phenotype and induces inflammation, However, the mechanisms governing these damages have yet to be fully elucidated. Exosomes have emerged as an important mediator of cellular crosstalk in various physiological and pathological processes. This study explored the role of exosomal miRNA in macrophage polarization and liver IRI.

Broad neutralizing antibody response of a monomeric spike-based SARS-CoV-2 bivalent vaccine against diverse variants.

severeacute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) bivalent vaccines show potential against variants but lack a full understanding of the immunological mechanisms that drive broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). This study explored the immunogenicity of a bivalent vaccine in rhesus macaques, containing spike (S) proteins from the prototype (S) and chimeric S protein (S). The vaccine induced bnAbs against multiple variants, including challenging subvariants like EG.

Identification of a stromal immunosuppressive barrier orchestrated by SPP1/C1QC macrophages and CD8 exhausted T cells driving gastric cancer immunotherapy resistance.

Purpose: The heterogeneity of immune cells is a critical manifestation of gastric cancer (GC) heterogeneity and significantly contributes to immune therapy resistance. Although previous studies have focused on the roles of specific myeloid cells and exhausted CD8 T cells in immune resistance, the immune cell interaction network and its spatiotemporal distribution in GC immune resistance remain underexplored.

Methods: This study integrated multiple GC single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, bulk-RNA sequencing, and single-cell immunotherapy datasets of our cohort (NFHGC Cohort).

Comprehension and production of relative clauses in Mandarin-speaking children with and without developmental language disorder.

This study investigates the comprehension and production of relative clauses (RCs) in Mandarin-speaking preschool- and school-age children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD). Twenty-one children with DLD (aged 4;2-8;4) and 42 typically developing (TD) children (aged 3;10-8;0) were tested. The results revealed that children with DLD showed no asymmetry between subject RCs (SRCs) and object RCs (ORCs) in comprehension, but demonstrated an SRC advantage in production.

Research Progress on Varicella-Zoster Virus Vaccines.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) poses significant public health challenges as the etiological agent of varicella (chickenpox) and herpes zoster (HZ), given its high transmissibility and potential for severe complications. The introduction of VZV vaccines-particularly the vOka-based live attenuated and glycoprotein gE-based recombinant subunit vaccines-has substantially reduced the global incidence of these diseases. However, live attenuated vaccines raise concerns regarding safety and immunogenicity, especially in immunocompromised populations, while recombinant subunit vaccines, such as Shingrix, exhibit high efficacy but are associated with side effects and adjuvant limitations.

Nanoparticle Ligand Exchange via Phase Transfer Using Sterically Encumbered -Terphenyl Isocyanides.

Ligand exchange via phase transfer (LEPT) is a highly utilized process for the surface functionalization of colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) across various fields. LEPT involves the displacement of the native ligands on NPs to enhance their solvent dispersibility, colloidal stability, and biocompatibility while enabling the efficient extraction of functionalized NPs by employing immiscible solvents for the exchange process. While LEPT is commonly employed in the postsynthetic processing of NPs where uniform NP passivation is desired, achieving selective NP surface ligation remains a challenge.

Novel adjuvant delivery system constructed by alum-emulsion hybrid nanoparticles with TLR9 agonists boosts vaccine immunity.

Vaccine Adjuvant Delivery Systems (VADSs) that integrate both delivery and adjuvancy constitute a vital strategy in modern vaccine research. Herein, we employed microfluidics to blend nanosized aluminum hydroxide (XA) and a nanoemulsion (XE) in varying proportions. A 2:3 (v/v) mixture produced nanoparticles (XAE) of approximately 220 nm with near-neutral zeta potential, which significantly enhanced antigen uptake in DC2.

Antibodies elicited by hepatitis E vaccination in humans confer cross-genus protection against rat hepatitis E virus.

Background & Aims: Paslahepevirus balayani (bHEV), also known as hepatitis E virus (HEV), encompasses eight genotypes, five of which infect humans. Rats are natural reservoirs of Rocahepevirus ratti genotype 1 (HEV-r-1; rat HEV; rHEV), which has recently been implicated in viral hepatitis. Despite the antigenic divergence between bHEV and rHEV, studies on shared protective antibodies remain rare.

Advancing mRNA vaccines: A comprehensive review of design, delivery, and efficacy in infectious diseases.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the transformative potential of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines in biomedicine, thanks to their rapid design, scalable production, and strong immunogenicity. Nonetheless, their widespread adoption remains hindered by challenges related to sequence optimization, delivery efficiency, thermostability, and safety. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in mRNA vaccine development, including advances in molecular engineering, delivery platforms, adjuvant properties, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven predictive modeling.

NADM: Noise-Aware Diffusion Model for Landscape Painting Video Generation.

Landscape painting is a gem of cultural and artistic heritage that showcases the splendor of nature through the deep observations and imaginations of its painters. Limited by traditional techniques, these artworks were confined to static imagery in ancient times, leaving the dynamism of landscapes and the subtleties of artistic sentiment to the viewer's imagination. Recently, emerging text-to-video (T2V) diffusion methods have shown significant promise in video generation, providing hope for the creation of dynamic landscape paintings.

Socioeconomic development and the rising challenge of depressive disorders: A worldwide examination spanning from 1990 to 2021.

Aims: To analyze the global burden of depressive disorders (1990-2021), examining trends in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and incidence across SDI regions, sex, and during COVID-19, and to assess the contribution of early-life risk factors and the complex socioeconomic-depression relationship.

Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study, we analyzed the global burden of depressive disorders from 1990 to 2021. We examined age-standardized DALYs and incidence rates, assessing temporal changes across regions and socioeconomic contexts defined by the Social Development Index (SDI).

Predicting clinical prognosis in gastric cancer using deep learning-based analysis of tissue pathomics images.

Objective: Evaluate the utility of a machine learning-based pathomics model in predicting overall survival (OS) post-surgery for gastric cancer patients.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 160 gastric cancer patients undergoing radical surgery with continuous follow-up was conducted. Pathomic parameters of the primary lesion and surrounding area were assessed.

Spatio-temporal patterns of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the aboveground parts of plants in alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau: Insights from a multi-faceted analysis.

Uncertainties in spatio-temporal patterns of nitrogen, phosphorus, especially carbon of the aboveground parts of plants limit our predictions of plant carbon sequestration capacity, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. This study quantified the spatio-temporal patterns of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the aboveground parts of plant communities in alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in 2000-2022. The spatially averaged carbon content, nitrogen content, phosphorus content, carbon pool, nitrogen pool, phosphorus pool, carbon-nitrogen ratio, carbon-phosphorus ratio and nitrogen-phosphorus ratio were 29.

Odor memory, but not odor identification, is impaired in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common, highly inheritable childhood-onset psychiatric disorders. Previous research indicated that individuals with ADHD may experience altered olfactory function, but the results were inconsistent. The present study compared odor identification and odor memory abilities between 51 children with ADHD and 51 healthy controls.

Targeting HIV-1 immune escape mechanisms: Key advances and challenges in HIV-1 vaccine design.

Despite numerous efforts, a successful vaccine against HIV-1 remains elusive. An effective vaccine must overcome the virus's sophisticated immune evasion strategies and induce the production of broadly neutralizing antibodies to counteract HIV-1's rapid mutation, replication, and transmission within and between hosts. HIV-1 predominantly evades immune recognition and clearance through mechanisms such as genomic mutations, alterations in envelope protein affinity, the formation of latent viral reservoirs, and interference with major histocompatibility complex class I antigen presentation.

Artificial intelligence in early screening for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains a significant global health burden with high incidence and mortality rates, particularly in developing regions. Early detection is crucial for improving patient survival, yet conventional screening methods such as endoscopy and non-endoscopic techniques face limitations in accuracy, cost, and dependency on clinician expertise. This review explores the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in ESCC screening.

Immunogenicity and cellular response of a herpes zoster virus gEgI fusion protein adjuvanted with CpG-emulsion in mice.

Herpes zoster (HZ), commonly known as shingles, arises from the reactivation of the latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) when VZV-specific cellular immunity declines below a critical threshold necessary for viral suppression. The current leading vaccine, Shingrix, which incorporates the adjuvant AS01 with glycoprotein E (gE), has significantly contributed to HZ prevention but raises concerns regarding safety and accessibility. Addressing the need for safer and more accessible HZ vaccinations, we developed a vaccine comprising a fusion protein of glycoprotein E and I (gEgI), connected via a linker, targeting abundant B cell and CD4 T cell epitopes.

Immunotyping the Tumor Microenvironment Reveals Molecular Heterogeneity for Personalized Immunotherapy in Cancer.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) significantly influences cancer prognosis and therapeutic outcomes, yet its composition remains highly heterogeneous, and currently, no highly accessible, high-throughput method exists to define it. To address this complexity, the TMEclassifier, a machine-learning tool that classifies cancers into three distinct subtypes: immune Exclusive (IE), immune Suppressive (IS), and immune Activated (IA), is developed. Bulk RNA sequencing categorizes patient samples by TME subtype, and in vivo mouse model validates TME subtype differences and differential responses to immunotherapy.

Single-Molecule Vibrational Characterization of Binding Geometry Effects on Isocyanide-Metal Interactions.

Isocyanide-metal binding is governed by σ-donation and π-back-bonding, which affects the isocyanide stretching energy, a characteristic probe for ligand-metal interactions. While extensive correlations exist between structure and spectroscopy in molecular isocyanide-metal systems, interactions of isocyanide with crystalline metallic surfaces, where ligands often bind in various geometries, remain underexplored. Conventional vibrational spectroscopies such as infrared and Raman spectroscopies lack the molecular-scale resolution to distinguish this binding inhomogeneity.

A Matrix-Derived Bioactive Peptide Enhances Epidermal Thickness and Hair Follicle Neogenesis in Grafted Dermal-Epidermal Composites.

Cutaneous wounds can be treated using skin substitutes, but they heal with scarring and absence of skin adnexal structures. We previously demonstrated hair follicle neogenesis in dermal-epidermal composites made of neonatal foreskin human keratinocytes and human dermal papilla cells grafted onto nude mice. A challenge to adapting this approach to graft large areas in humans is that dermal papilla cells lose trichogenicity when expanded in vitro.