Hierarchically Reinforcing Hydrogel for Multidimensional Bone Homeostasis Modulation to Regenerate Osteoporotic Defect.

To balance the requirement of high mechanical properties and convenient injectability for the hydrogel design of osteoporotic bone defects (OBD) repair, a hierarchical hydrogel stiffening strategy is proposed through the synergetic utilizing of rapidly formed dynamic hydrazone crosslinking, high-strength double-bond chemical crosslinking, and contraction of activated shape-memory short fibers (SMSFs). In detail, the Schiff Base reaction mediated first network enabled stable precursor retention at the injection site without compromising injectability. Subsequent radical polymerization by photocrosslinking enhanced the hydrogel stiffness from 9.

Remediation of sulfamethoxazole contaminated soil using sulfidated zero-valent iron: The overlooked size and sulfur content effects.

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) contamination in farmland disrupts soil micro-ecological functions, posing a risk to soil health and productivity. Sulfidated zero-valent iron (SZVI), a promising green material known for its good reactivity, had been used for soil remediation. However, existing studies often overlooked the effects of particle size and sulfur content on the long-term performance of SZVI and its impact on soil micro-ecological safety.

Unraveling the Constrained Cell Growth in Engineered Living Materials.

Engineered living materials (ELMs) leverage the integrative advantages of materials science and synthetic biology for advanced functionalities. Predicting and controlling cellular behavior are essential for designing and building ELMs, requiring a fundamental understanding of the growth dynamics of encapsulated cells. Here, we interrogate the interference of constrained growth with the engineered functionalities and cellular physiology of cyanobacteria and unveil the dynamic interaction between cell growth and spatial confinements within photosynthetic ELMs.

Pathway crosstalk enables degradation of aromatic compounds in marine clade bacteria.

Aromatic compounds are essential raw materials for almost all sectors of human societies but also persistent environmental pollutants recalcitrant to biodegradation. The ocean serves as a significant sink for these compounds, while their biological conversion routes remain poorly understood, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the marine carbon cycle and advancements in bioremediation and biological carbon upcycling. Here, we report the degradation pathway of aromatic molecules in the marine clade bacteria through multi-omics analysis and CRISPR-Cas-based genome editing.

Tie2-mediated CBL ubiquitination of EGFR underlies ultrasound-responsive silk fibroin/graphene oxide hydrogel-troxerutin therapy for intervertebral disc degeneration.

An ultrasound-responsive silk fibroin (SF)-graphene oxide (GO)-based hydrogel (SF/GO-gel) was created in this study to facilitate the sustained delivery of troxerutin (Trox) in order to alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). The SF/GO-gel@Trox system exhibited exceptional biocompatibility, mechanical robustness, and controlled drug release. In vivo, X-ray and MRI demonstrated that SF/GO-gel@Trox substantially preserved disc height index and hydration in comparison to IDD.

Rooting mechanism of Dendrocalamus brandisii branch and main differences in rooting ability in three different bamboo species.

Adventitious root (AR) growth is vital for mass propagation of bamboo, and there is a significant difference in the rooting ability among different bamboo species. The differences of AR differentiation from the bamboo branch were undefined. In this study, it was found that the thickness and lignification degrees of the cortex were closely related to the degree of rooting difficulty of the branch base in different bamboo species.

Infrared Detection Achieved by Controlling Thermionic Emission in Organic Transistors.

Commercial inorganic infrared (IR) photodetectors have important applications in night vision, medical imaging, remote sensing, and other fields, but still face the challenges of operating at low temperatures and high costs. Organic semiconductor (OSC)-based IR detectors can operate at room temperature and have the advantages of flexibility and large-area processing. Consequently, they have important application prospects.

Benchmarking single-cell multi-modal data integrations.

Recent advances have enabled the generation of both unpaired (separate profiling) and paired (simultaneous measurement) single-cell multi-modal datasets, driving rapid development of single-cell multi-modal integration tools. Nevertheless, there is a pressing need for a comprehensive benchmark to assess algorithms under varying integrated dataset types, integrated modalities, dataset sizes and data quality. Here we present a systematic benchmark for 40 single-cell multi-modal integration algorithms involving modalities of DNA, RNA, protein and spatial omics for paired, unpaired and mosaic datasets (a mixture of paired and unpaired datasets).

Targeting Ferroptosis With Natural Products to Treat Diabetes and Its Complications: Opportunities and Challenges.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common chronic metabolic disorder, and the recommended pharmacotherapies in DM guidelines can effectively alleviate symptoms of DM, but some drugs may have certain side effects. In contrast, natural products and their derivatives have shown promising therapeutic effects on DM with fewer side effects. Additionally, ferroptosis, as a form of cell death, is involved in the normal physiological and pathological regulation of the body.

Development of hydroxyapatite-enhanced membrane for nanoplastics removal: Multiple scenarios and mechanism exploration.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are widespread in wastewater systems and more toxic than microplastics (MPs), necessitating effective removal techniques. Although membranes can effectively remove MPs, their efficiency and mechanisms for NPs removal require further study. A novel hydroxyapatite functionalized PVDF (HAPF) membrane was developed for NPs removal.

Ellipsometric Surface Oxidation Model of ALD-Grown Vanadium Oxide Mixed-Valence System.

Vanadium and oxygen form a complex system of vanadium oxides with multiple phases and mixed valency, increasing the difficulty of characterization. In this work, amorphous vanadium oxide thin films with mixed valence states were fabricated by atomic layer deposition, and then post-annealing was conducted for crystalline films. For the surface analysis of this mixed-valence system, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) were employed.

Anoxygenic photoautotrophy driven by humus and microplastics in a photosynthetic bacterium.

Humus and microplastics are recalcitrant organics in soils and aquatic systems, and their role in the geochemical cycling of elements remains elusive. Herein, we have identified a new mechanism by which humus and microplastics participate in anoxic carbon cycling. We demonstrated that the photoexcitation of 5-30 mg/l of humic acid or fulvic acid, two major fractions of humus, can drive CO fixation and enable the photoautotrophic growth of a photosynthetic bacterium, .

Exploration of novel dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitory tetrapeptide from walnut (Juglans sigillata) protein and its effect on diabetes-like phenotypes induced by high-sugar diet in Drosophila melanogaster.

Walnut protein was hydrolyzed by different enzymes, and bromelain protein hydrolysate (W-Bromelain) showed the highest dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory activity. W-Bromelain was fractionated, and three novel tetrapeptides (LPQF, LPSF, and VPFP) were identified. In vitro evaluation showed that LPQF exhibited the highest DPP-IV inhibitory activity with an IC value of 99.

Seasonal characteristics, source apportionment and ecological risk assessment of priority and emerging contaminants using passive samplers in the coastal water.

The presence of priority and emerging contaminants in aquatic environments is a worldwide concern. This study utilized the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) technique for in situ monitoring of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and synthetic musks (SMs) in coastal waters over a year. DGT provided time-integrated and reliable pollutant measurements, outperforming grab sampling in terms of repeatability and stability.

A novel functionalized nitrogen- and sulfur-co-doped nanocarbon dots for the fluorescence detection and photocatalysis degradation of tetracycline antibiotics.

Monitoring and eliminating pollutants are critical for environmental remediation. In this study, nitrogen- and sulfur-co-doped nanocarbon dots (NS-NCDs) were synthesized via a hydrothermal method using ascorbic acid and thiosemicarbazide as precursors. The introduction of nitrogen and sulfur atoms through doping altered the electron configuration and nanostructure of the carbon dots, resulting in strong blue fluorescence (quantum yield: 11.

Silicon Deposition and Phytolith Morphological Variation in Culm Sheaths of at Different Growth Stages.

Bamboo is an efficient silicon accumulator with diverse phytolith morphotypes and composition. The bamboo culm sheath, traditionally considered as a modified leaf, plays a key role in bamboo taxonomy and provides significant mechanical and physiological support for shoot development, but its silicon deposition and phytolith morphological variation remain underexplored. We investigated silicon variation and phytolith morphology in culm sheaths at different growth stages.

Absorption, transport, blood-brain barrier penetration, and neuroprotection of walnut peptides LR and LPI.

The prerequisite for neuroprotective peptides to exert physiological effect is that they can across intestinal epithelial barrier and blood-brain barrier (BBB). The study was aimed to investigate the absorption, transportation and BBB permeability of walnut neuroprotective peptides LR and LPI using Caco-2 cell monolayer and in vivo imaging, and further to evaluate their underlying mechanisms through transcriptome sequencing analysis of zebrafish brain. Results showed that LR and LPI improved learning and memory impairment in scopolamine-induced zebrafish.

Development of an EOR-produced petroleum wastewater treatment system through integrated polyacrylonitrile membrane and ZrO/sericin technologies: revelation of interactive mechanism based on synchrotron and XDLVO analyses.

Ultrafiltration technology is one of the most efficient methods to address the issues of enhanced oil recovery-produced petroleum wastewater (EOR-PW) treatment. However, membrane fouling significantly impairs the efficiency of PW treatment. Moreover, the impacts of the complex components (e.

Injectable organic-inorganic hybrid hydrogels for bone defect repair.

Bone defects caused by trauma, tumor resection, and surgery present significant clinical challenges, often resulting in complications such as delayed union, nonunion, and even long-term functional impairment. Current treatments, including autografts and allografts, are limited by donor site morbidity, immune rejection, and pathogen transmission, highlighting the need for developing reliable synthetic alternatives. To address these challenges, we report a binary composite hydrogel combining gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and κ-Carrageenan, reinforced with calcium phosphate cements (CPC).

KRT80, Regulated by RNF8-Mediated Ubiquitination, Contributes to Glucose Metabolic Reprogramming and Progression of Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly malignant and aggressive brain tumor with a remarkably poor prognosis and is one of the greatest challenges in the field of neurosurgery. Keratin 80 (KRT80) is primarily expressed in epithelial cells and is involved in the stability and integrity of cellular structures. Although it plays a role in skin and hair follicle development, its function in bridging cancer cells with metabolic pathways is gradually being revealed, such as its activation of glycolysis pathways to promote tumor proliferation.

Physiological resistance of Dendrocalamus brandisii culms to alcohol stress during living bamboo wine production process.

Background: Currently, living bamboo wine has gained immense popularity in China. However, the effects of alcohol on the physiological processes of bamboo during the production of living bamboo wine have not yet been investigated.

Methods: To investigate the resistance of bamboo culms to the alcohol-induced stress, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including changes in cell wall chemical components, antioxidant defense systems, endogenous plant hormones and transcriptomics, both before and after the alcohol injection.

Precision engineering of the probiotic Nissle 1917 with prime editing.

CRISPR-Cas systems are transforming precision medicine with engineered probiotics as next-generation diagnostics and therapeutics. To promote human health and treat disease, engineering probiotic bacteria demands maximal versatility to enable non-natural functionalities while minimizing undesired genomic interferences. Here, we present a streamlined prime editing approach tailored for probiotic Nissle 1917 utilizing only essential genetic modules, including Cas9 nickase from , a codon-optimized reverse transcriptase, and a prime editing guide RNA, and an optimized workflow with longer induction.

Abnormalities in male gametophytes development responsible for low seed set of Peudosasa subsolida.

Pseudosasa subsolida belongs to the Pseudosasa genus within the Poaceae family. Due to its unique flowering cycle and the physiological traits associated with asexual reproduction, acquiring floral material from P. subsolida is particularly challenging.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease: a key frontier for future targeted therapies.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder, accounting for approximately 70% of dementia cases worldwide. Patients gradually exhibit cognitive decline, such as memory loss, aphasia, and changes in personality and behavior. Research has shown that mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in the onset and progression of AD.

One-for-all gene inactivation via PAM-independent base editing in bacteria.

Base editing is preferable for bacterial gene inactivation without generating double-strand breaks, requiring homology recombination, or highly efficient DNA delivery capability. However, the potential of base editing is limited by the adjoined dependence on the editing window and protospacer adjacent motif. Herein, we report an unconstrained base-editing system to enable the inactivation of any genes of interest in bacteria.