Identification of RAV transcription factors (B3-domain-containing) and functional analysis of OsRAV2 in rice blast and drought stress.

RAV transcription factors play roles in a variety of diverse biological processes. However, their role in rice's response to drought and blast stress remains largely unexplored. In this study, we performed a genome-wide characterization and identification of rice RAV transcription factor family genes.

Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1B mimicking gitelman syndrome: diagnostic pitfalls and molecular insights.

Objective: Pseudohypoparathyroidism type 1B (PHP1B), caused by abnormal methylation of the gene leading to parathyroid hormone (PTH) resistance, lacks Albright hereditary osteodystrophy features and is often misdiagnosed. PHP1B and Gitelman syndrome (GS) share overlapping features, including hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and metabolic alkalosis, posing challenges in clinical differentiation. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics, diagnostic strategies, and therapeutic responses of PHP1B presenting with hypokalemia and to explicitly address the diagnostic challenge of differentiating it from GS.

Thermal conductivity of individual single-crystalline FCuPc nanoribbons.

Organic semiconductors are widely used in flexible electronics, optoelectronic devices, and thermoelectric systems. Among them, copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (FCuPc), an n-type organic semiconductor, exhibits excellent chemical and thermal stability, making it suitable for a range of device applications. As device architectures scale down to the nanoscale, understanding the intrinsic thermal transport properties of such materials becomes critical for effective thermal management.

Ultra-low thermal conductivity induced by significant anharmonic phonon scattering in two-dimensional graphitic metal (Sb and Bi) carbides.

Two-dimensional (2D) thermoelectric (TE) materials have attracted much attention in recent years. One major factor that limits the TE performance of 2D materials is their relatively high thermal conductivity. Searching for 2D materials with low thermal conductivity is therefore one of the central goals in theoretical and computational studies of 2D TE materials.

Carbon emissions hotspots in the aquatic-terrestrial transition zone of boreal shallow lakes in arid semi-arid regions.

Lakes are important sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs), but the drivers of CO and CH emissions in the aquatic-terrestrial transition zone (ATTZ) of boreal lakes remain poorly understood. This study investigates CO and CH fluxes in the flooding (A), transition (B), and dry areas (C) of a boreal lake ATTZ. The results showed that CO fluxes peaked in the lake ATTZ during summer (85.

Quantum-Embedded Graph Neural Network Architecture for Molecular Property Prediction.

Accurate prediction of molecular properties is crucial for accelerating the development of new drugs, and quantum machine learning (QML) holds great promise in this domain. A typical QML pipeline comprises two core stages: encoding classical data into quantum representations followed by training and prediction using quantum computing-based machine learning (ML) models. In this article, we focus on the initial encoding stage and propose an effective quantum feature extraction approach for molecular graph data, introducing quantum node embedding and quantum edge embedding methods.

Integrated multi-omics analysis and machine learning identify G protein-coupled receptor-related signatures for diagnosis and clinical benefits in soft tissue sarcoma.

Background: G protein-coupled receptors (GPRs) are associated with tumor development and prognosis. However, there were fewer reports of GPR-related signatures (GPRSs) in soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), and we aim to combine GPR-related genes with cellular landscape to construct diagnostic and prognostic models in STSs.

Methods: Based on AddModuleScore, single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), GPR-related genes (GPRs) were screened at both the single-cell and bulk RNA-seq levels based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases.

Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Preschool Children Associated with the Longitudinal Trajectory of Phthalates during Pregnancy: Potential Mechanisms Based on Metabonomics of Cord Blood.

Phthalate exposure during pregnancy may result in neurotoxicity to offspring, but no studies have investigated the effects of longitudinal phthalate trajectories during pregnancy on children. Therefore, exposure trajectories were constructed by using urine concentrations of phthalates at different times. Similarly, 3220 children were screened for symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) via multiple measures between the ages of 1.

Toward the Thermoelectric ZT Limit via the Quantification of Interface-Driven Carrier Sorting.

Interfacial engineering is a promising strategy to enhance thermoelectric performance, but identifying and optimizing the interfacial carrier transport mechanisms required to approach the theoretical ZT limit remains challenging. Here, a unified, quantitative framework is presented to describe and correlate cross-interface transport with thermoelectric properties in heterostructures. Using SnSe/GeSe superlattices as a model, an effective interfacial energy-sorting potential (Φ) is introduced, defined as Φ = ΔE - δ, where ΔE is the valence band offset and δ accounts for interface-induced barrier softening.

Adjuvant HAIC combined with anlotinib and TQB2450 for resected high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma.

In this single-arm, phase 2 study, we explored the efficacy and safety of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with anlotinib and TQB2450 (an anti-PD-L1 antibody) as a postoperative adjuvant treatment in patients at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence. Patients with high-risk recurrence of HCC were treated with HAIC, anlotinib (4 or 8 cycles), and TQB2450 after curative surgery. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS), and the secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and safety.

SZ168 alleviates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting podoplanin-induced platelet activation.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a serious chronic lung disease characterized by progressive dyspnea and deterioration of lung function. According to existing observations, platelet activation and fibroblast-myofibroblast differentiation plays an important role in the development of IPF. This study aimed to investigate the role of podoplanin (PDPN) in this differentiation process during IPF progression.

Monoclonal antibody SZ168 targeting Podoplanin alleviates neuroinflammation by suppressing microglial Pyroptosis in cerebral Hemorrhage.

Background: Neuroinflammation drives secondary brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Podoplanin (PDPN), a transmembrane glycoprotein linked to inflammatory responses, is hypothesized to exacerbate neuroinflammation in ICH. We aimed to investigate whether targeting PDPN with the monoclonal antibody SZ168 mitigates neuroinflammation and brain injury via modulating microglial pyroptosis.

Development of a novel Cu (I) -complexation adsorbent for ultra-deep desulfurization from a carbon dioxide stream.

Desulfurization technology is rather difficult and urgently needed for carbon dioxide (CO) utilization in industry. A new Cu(I)-based adsorbent was synthesized and examined for the capacity of removing carbonyl sulfide (COS) from a CO stream in an effort to solve the competitive adsorption between CO and COS and to seek opportunity to advance adsorption capacity. A wide range of characterization techniques were used to investigate the physicochemical properties of the synthesized Cu(I) adsorbent featuring -complexation and their correlations with the adsorption performance.

Optimization-Free Smooth Control Barrier Function for Polygonal Collision Avoidance.

Polygonal collision avoidance (PCA) is short for the problem of collision avoidance between two polygons (i.e., polytopes in planar) that own their dynamic equations.

Efficacy and prognostic analysis of venetoclax combined with hypomethylating agents for induction therapy in acute myeloid leukemia: a multi-center real-world study on indication-specific stratification, molecular markers, and hematologic toxicities.

The combination of venetoclax and hypomethylating agents (VEN + HMAs) has shown significant progress in treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially for patients not suitable for intensive chemotherapy. However, outcomes for relapsed/refractory AML remain uncertain, and factors influencing VEN + HMAs efficacy are not yet conclusively determined. A retrospective analysis of 181 AML patients treated with VEN + HMAs from October 2020 to January 2024 revealed a CR rate of 39.

Discovery of novel fluorescent amino-pyrazolines that detect and kill Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MDR-TB) necessitates novel therapeutics with distinct mechanisms. Here, we report amino-pyrazoline derivatives as a new class of dual-functional antimycobacterial agents, integrating potent bactericidal activity with fluorescence-based bacterial imaging. Initial screening identified AP-07 as a promising hit compound (MIC: 40 μM against Mycobacterium smegmatis, 49 μM against Mycobacterium bovis BCG).

Gut vs. vaginal microbiome in diabetes Progression: Key microbial shifts and implications.

Background: Dysiosis in gut and vaginal microbiome is implicated in type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathogenesis, but their contributions remain unclear. This study aims to compare their alterations and clinical relevance in diabetes development.

Methods: Metagenomic sequencing was performed on vaginal and fecal samples from T2D patients.

Normotensive primary aldosteronism in a patient with myasthenia gravis: a localization diagnostic conundrum unraveled by Ga-pentixafor PET/CT - a case report with review of literature.

Purpose: While primary aldosteronism (PA) is typically screened in hypertensive patients, normotensive PA remains underrecognized, especially in complex cases where standard diagnostic approaches fail. We present a challenging case of normotensive PA complicated by myasthenia gravis (MG) requiring chronic glucocorticoids, which interfere with conventional cortisol-based adrenal venous sampling (AVS) interpretation. This case highlights the pivotal role of Ga-pentixafor PET/CT as an innovative alternative for subtype differentiation in such complex scenarios.

ALG3 as a prognostic biomarker and mediator of PD-1 blockade resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death globally, characterized by high heterogeneity and drug resistance, which significantly impacts clinical outcomes. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in HCC initiation and progression, with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression closely linked to tumor prognosis. N-glycosylation of proteins modulates immune responses within the TME.

Validation, Key Pharmacophores, and X-ray Cocrystal Structures of Novel Biochemically and Cellularly Active WRN Inhibitors Derived from a DNA-Encoded Library Screen.

A novel class of selective and potent WRN helicase antagonists identified via a DNA-encoded library screen was rigorously validated by various biophysical assays including ASMS, TSA, and SPR. Preliminary structure-activity-relationship studies identified the key pharmacophores and advanced the biochemical potency to single digit nanomolar. Potent analogs demonstrated anti-proliferative activities specifically in cell lines with a WRN genetic dependency.

Distinct Activation and Functional Features of CD307c T Lymphocytes in Peripheral Blood as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers in Breast Cancer.

This study aims to investigate the expression and role of CD307c in the breast cancer (BC) microenvironment, T lymphocytes of peripheral blood, particularly in BC patients at various stages, and assess its potential as a clinical diagnostic biomarker. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to investigate CD307c expression. As experimental validation, a total of 54 BC patients and 44 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled.

Research Status of Agricultural Nanotechnology and Its Application in Horticultural Crops.

Global food security is facing numerous severe challenges. Population growth, climate change, and irrational agricultural inputs have led to a reduction in available arable land, a decline in soil fertility, and difficulties in increasing crop yields. As a result, the supply of food and agricultural products is under serious threat.

Guideline-driven clinical decision support for colonoscopy patients using the hierarchical multi-label deep learning method.

Background: Over 20 million colonoscopies are performed in China annually. An automatic clinical decision support system (CDSS) with accurate semantic recognition of colonoscopy reports and guideline-based is helpful to relieve the increasing medical burden and standardize the healthcare. In this study, the CDSS was built under a hierarchical-label interpretable classification framework, trained by a state-of-the-art transformer-based model, and validated in a multi-center style.

Purification of Recombinant Histones and Mononucleosome Assembly.

The nucleosome is the basic unit of chromatin. Each nucleosome is composed of a little less than two turns of DNA wrapped around a set of eight proteins called histones, which are known as a histone octamer. Each histone octamer is composed of two copies each of the histone proteins H2A, H2B, H3, and H4.