Environmental factors and microbial interactions drive microbial community succession during solid-state fermentation of corn husk for microbial biomass protein production.

Corn husk, a predominant byproduct derived from intensive corn processing, is characterized by high cellulose content, low protein content, and poor palatability, which makes it difficult to be fully utilized by ruminants. This investigation employed corn husk as substrate for microbial protein production through a two-stage open solid-state fermentation (SSF) system using and yeast strains. The fermentation process yielded a 65.

Recent Advances and Strategies of Metal Sulfides for Accelerating Polysulfide Redox and Regulating Li Plating.

Metal sulfides are emerging as multifunctional mediators to address the shuttle effect and lithium dendrite growth in lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), yet their structure-property-catalysis relationships remain underexplored. This review critically examines the dual functionality of mono-, bi-, and multimetallic sulfides in simultaneously accelerating polysulfide redox kinetics and guiding uniform lithium deposition. By analyzing their mechanisms in sulfur cathodes and Li-metal anodes, we reveal how tailored electronic structures, interfacial engineering, and heterostructure design enhance the catalytic selectivity and cycling stability.

TNF-α Promotes Synovial Inflammation and Cartilage Bone Destruction in Rheumatoid Arthritis via NF-κB/YY1/miR-103a-3p Axis.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) plays important roles in inflammation and bone destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the detailed mechanism is still not fully elucidated. Here, we found that the levels of microRNA (miR)-103a-3p were decreased markedly in the inflamed synovial tissues of patients with RA compared with osteoarthritis (OA) or healthy control subjects. Further studies uncovered that miR-103a-3p was significantly downregulated by TNF-α/IL-1β in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) through an NF-κB-dependent manner via the de novo produced transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1).

Glymphatic dysfunction is related to motor disability fully mediated by gray matter degeneration in early-stage Parkinson's disease.

Background: Glymphatic dysfunction plays a critical role in Parkinson's disease (PD), but its impact on neurodegeneration and clinical symptoms in the early-stage remains unclear. This study investigates the relationship between glymphatic dysfunction, gray matter (GM) degeneration, and clinical deterioration in early-stage PD.

Methods: A total of 249 early-stage PD patients and 114 healthy controls (HC) underwent T1-weighted and DTI scans, along with clinical assessments.

Case Report: Anti-NMDAR encephalitis associated with neurobrucellosis: causality or coexistence?

Human brucellosis, caused by , is an infectious disease with specific endemic regions, especially in pastoral areas, and may affect multiple organ systems. Neurological involvement, namely neurobrucellosis, occurs in very few of these patients. Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is the most frequent type of autoimmune encephalitis and is usually associated with tumors or herpes simplex virus infections.

Bridging the Thermal Divide: Nano-Architectonics and Interface Engineering Strategies for High-Performance 2D Material-Based Polymer Composites.

Polymeric materials play a crucial role in thermal management because of their balanced mechanical and insulating properties. However, when combined with two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets, their low thermal conductivity is limited by interfacial thermal resistance (ITR). Although 2D nanosheets can improve the thermal performance of composites, aggregation and ITR are still major obstacles.

Ubiquitination-mediated upregulation of glycolytic enzyme MCT4 in promoting astrocyte reactivity during neuroinflammation.

One of the histopathological hallmarks of neuroinflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) is the emergence of astrocyte reactivity. Accumulating evidence suggests that excessive glycolysis may lead to astrocyte reactivity and contribute to neuroinflammatory responses. However, the intricate mechanisms underlying astrocyte metabolic reprogramming towards glycolysis remain largely unknown.

Identifying brain degeneration patterns in early-stage Parkinson's disease: a multimodal MRI study.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a highly heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder. This study aimed to identify different patterns of early brain degeneration in PD patients and investigate their clinical relevance. 179 early-stage PD patients and 115 healthy controls were included.

Arterial spin labeling MRI based perfusion pattern related to motor dysfunction and L-DOPA reactivity in Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Identifying intrinsic pattern of Parkinson's disease (PD) helps to better understand of PD and provide insights to disease identification and treatment monitoring. Here we confirmed the PD-related covariance pattern (PDRP) by using arterial spin labelling technology (ASL-PDRP) and explore its potential for predicting motor progression and levodopa (L-DOPA) reactivity reduction.

Methods: Data from an original cohort of 179 PD and 62 normal controls (NC) and a validation cohort including 36 PD and 19 NC to construct and validate the ASL-PDRP.

Gradients of Nigrostriatal Iron Deposition in Healthy Aging and Synucleinopathies.

Aims: To investigate the gradients of nigrostriatal iron deposition in aging, Parkinson's disease (PD), and multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Methods: This study included 100 young healthy controls, 171 old healthy controls (OHC), 231 PD, and 24 MSA patients. The brain iron content was quantified by quantitative susceptibility mapping.

Analysis of Common Genetic Variation of Anxiety Disorders in Essential Tremor.

The objective of this study is to explore the association of common genetic variation of anxiety disorders and essential tremor (ET). We genotyped 25 anxiety-specific risk variants in a cohort of 478 unrelated ET patients and 504 age and gender-matched healthy controls from eastern China using a MassARRAY system. The association between candidate variants and ET patients was evaluated using gene-based analysis.

Aberrant functional connectome gradient and its neurotransmitter basis in Parkinson's disease.

Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) exhibit heterogenous clinical deficits not only in motor function, other deficits in both sensory and higher-order cognitive processing are also involved. Connectome studies have suggested a primary-to-transmodal gradient and a primary-to-primary gradient in functional brain networks, supporting the spectrum from sensation to cognition. However, whether these gradients are altered in PD patients and how these alterations associate with neurotransmitter profiles remain unknown.

Vitrification of 3D-MSCs encapsulated in GelMA hydrogel: Improved cryosurvival, reduced cryoprotectant concentration, and enhanced wound healing.

Compared to traditional 2D-cultured mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), 3D-MSCs offer distinct advantages in disease treatment. However, large-scale culture of 3D-MSCs remains labor-intensive and time-consuming. Thus, developing cryopreservation method for 3D-MSCs is essential for clinical application.

Baicalin ameliorates neuroinflammation by targeting TLR4/MD2 complex on microglia via PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.

This study aims to elucidate the target and mechanism of baicalin, a clinically utilized drug, in the treatment of neuroinflammatory diseases. Neuroinflammation, characterized by the activation of glial cells and the release of various pro-inflammatory cytokines, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including spinal cord injury (SCI). The remission of such diseases is significantly dependent on the improvement of inflammatory microenvironment.

Locus Coeruleus Degeneration in Essential Tremor With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Neuromelanin MRI Study.

Objective: Our aim was to research the neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI) features of the locus coeruleus (LC) in essential tremor (ET) patients of various cognitive states and to explore the relationships between these features and cognition.

Methods: We recruited three groups of participants, including 30 ET patients with mild cognitive impairment (ET-MCI), 57 ET patients with normal cognition (ET-NC), and 105 healthy controls (HCs). All participants underwent MRI scanning and clinical evaluation.

Unlocking Micro-Origami Energy Storage.

Transforming thin films into high-order stacks has proven effective for robust energy storage in macroscopic configurations like cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch cells. However, the lack of tools at the submillimeter scales has hindered the creation of similar high-order stacks for micro- and nanoscale energy storage devices, a critical step toward autonomous intelligent microsystems. This Spotlight on Applications article presents recent advancements in micro-origami technology, focusing on shaping nano/micrometer-thick films into three-dimensional architectures to achieve folded or rolled structures for microscale energy storage devices.

Wider and faster degeneration of white matter in Parkinson's disease with possible REM sleep behaviour disorder.

Background: In Parkinson's disease (PD), rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) signifies a poorer prognosis, yet its impact on white matter (WM) degeneration remains unclear. The study examined the effect of RBD on WM alterations in PD progression.

Methods: The study included 45 PD patients with possible RBD (PD-pRBD), 38 PD patients without possible RBD (PD-npRBD), and 79 healthy controls (HC).

To Post or not to Post? That is the Question. Relationship between Selfie Behavior and Cosmetic Surgery Attitude among Chinese Young Adult Women: Mediation of Negative Physical Self.

Background: Recently, young women have become the primary drivers of the increasing demand for cosmetic surgery. Previous studies have indicated a significant positive correlation between selfies and considering cosmetic surgery. However, limited research has explored the relationship between different types of selfies (i.

Unsupervised definition of two clinical subtypes of Essential tremor and the underlying brain topology.

Background: Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most prevalent neurological diseases varying considerably in clinical manifestations and prognosis, which indicates the existence of subtypes. Identifying ET subtypes is crucial for explaining clinical heterogeneity. This study aimed to identify ET subtypes using unsupervised clustering analysis based on clinical manifestations and explore underlying brain topology within both functional and structural networks.

Spatiotemporal neurodegeneration of the substantia nigra and its connecting cortex and subcortex in Parkinson's disease.

Background And Purpose: Neurodegeneration is uneven in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to investigate spatiotemporal neurodegeneration in functional subregions of the substantia nigra (SN) and their connected cortex and subcortex in people with PD.

Methods: A total of 120 patients with early-stage PD, 45 patients with advanced PD, and 120 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled.

Clinico-sero-pathological characteristics of anti-Ha antisynthetase syndrome.

To define the clinical, serological, and muscle histopathological characteristics, as well as treatment outcomes, of patients with anti-Ha antibody. We performed a retrospective analysis of clinical, serological, and pathological data and long-term treatment outcomes of anti-Ha patients between January 2005 and July 2023 at our center. Anti-Ha antibody was identified by immunoblot and reconfirmed by immunoprecipitation.

Therapeutic efficacy and in vivo distribution of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell spheroids transplanted via B-Ultrasound-guided percutaneous portal vein puncture in rhesus monkey models of liver fibrosis.

Background: Liver fibrosis can progress to end-stage cirrhosis and liver cancer. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were considered the most promising therapeutic strategy, but most of the MSCs injected intravenously traditionally are trapped in the lungs, rapidly reducing their survival ability. MSC spheroids cultured in 3D have shown higher tolerance to fluid shear stress and better survival than dissociated MSCs.