Changes of photosynthetic characteristics, stomatal microstructure and proline metabolism in wheat seedlings under different combined treatments of zinc, iron and copper.

Heavy metals including iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) pollution in soil is threatening the ecological environment and crop yield. In this experiment, photosynthetic characteristics, stomatal microstructure and proline (Pro) metabolism in wheat variety 'Xihan 3' seedlings were assessed to explore the mechanism of phytotoxicity induced by various combinations of zinc (Zn), Fe and Cu. Compared with the control, Zn + Fe, Zn + Cu, Fe + Cu and Zn + Fe + Cu treatments obviously lowered the shoot and root lengths, reduced leaf area and root number, along with the increases of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion radicals levels and relative conductivity in wheat leaves.

Extracellular matrix dysregulation in PCOS: pathogenesis, therapeutic strategies, and innovative technologies.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common endocrine disease in women of reproductive age, severely impacts female fertility due to chronic anovulation and currently lacks effective clinical treatment strategies. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a three-dimensional, non-cellular framework comprising molecules such as collagens, elastin, and laminin, which support the ovarian structure and provide extracellular signals to cells. Changes in ECM localization and composition can disturb local biochemical pathways, impair folliculogenesis, and reduce the fertility of women.

Optimizing lymph node metastasis imaging in MR-guided radiotherapy for oligometastatic prostate cancer.

MR-guided radiotherapy (MRgRT) using MRI integrated linear accelerator (MR-LINAC) is a critical advancement in prostate cancer (PC) treatment. Leveraging the superior soft tissue contrast of MR imaging (MRI), along with online adaptation capabilities and real-time MRI for advanced motion management, MRgRT has demonstrated efficacy in localized PC irradiation. Recent studies have demonstrated that MRgRT can effectively treat individual lymph node metastasis (LNM), with preliminary results showing excellent patient tolerability and safety as a novel metastasis-directed radiotherapy for oligometastatic PC (omPC).

Integrative Spatial Proteomics and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Unveil Molecular Complexity in Rheumatoid Arthritis for Novel Therapeutic Targeting.

Understanding the heterogeneity of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and identifying therapeutic targets remain challenging using traditional bulk transcriptomics alone, as it lacks the spatial and protein-level resolution needed to fully capture disease and tissue complexities. In this study, we applied Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) coupled with mass spectrometry-based proteomics to analyze histopathological niches of the RA synovium, enabling the identification of protein expression profiles of the diseased synovial lining and sublining microenvironments compared to their healthy counterparts. In this respect, key pathogenetic RA proteins like membrane proteins (TYROBP, AOC3, SLC16A3, TCIRG1, and NCEH1), and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins (PLOD2, OGN, and LUM) showed different expression patterns in diseased synovium compartments.

Exploring the influences of myopia in primary and secondary school students in Xinjiang using propensity score matching.

Objective: Due to the high prevalence of myopia among primary and secondary school students in Shihezi City in recent years, this study was conducted to understand the prevalence and the factors influencing it and to provide a scientific basis for future interventions to improve, protect, and promote the visual health of these students.

Methods: The study population consisted of primary and secondary school students in Shihezi City. Stratified random sampling was employed for participant selection.

Automated vertebral identification and localization for enhanced radiotherapy patient setup.

Background And Purpose: Vertebral bodies are critical landmarks for image-based patient positioning during radiotherapy (RT). However, manual identification of vertebral bodies can be laborious and a source of error, potentially leading to treatment mistakes. This study demonstrated an automated technique for vertebral identification and localization in images with varying quality and field of view (FOV), aiming to streamline the positioning process and minimize the risk of patient misalignment.

Functional characterization of the N assimilation pathways in the mycelium of Laccaria bicolor and the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis.

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi contribute to N, Pi, and water uptake in trees while obtaining carbohydrates from their host plants. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying N assimilation during ECM symbiosis remain unclear. In this study, we used RNA interference (RNAi) to silence the expression of genes encoding glutamine synthetase (GS) and NADP-glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), which are key enzymes involved in N assimilation in the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete, Laccaria bicolor.

A clustering-based approach to address correlated features in predicting genitourinary toxicity from MRI-guided prostate SBRT.

Background: It is common in outcome analysis to work with a large set of candidate prognostic features. However, such high-dimensional input and relatively small sample size leads to risk of overfitting, low generalizability, and correlation bias.

Purpose: This study addresses the issue of correlation bias mitigation in the context of predicting genitourinary (GU) toxicity in prostate cancer patients underwent MRI-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).

Effects of Fe and Zn alone and combined treatment on Triticum aestivum L. seed germination.

Seed germination represents a pivotal phase in crop production, exhibiting pronounced sensitivity to abiotic stresses. In this study, wheat seeds of the 'Ningchun 4' variety were subjected to treatments involving zinc (Zn) chloride and iron (Fe) chloride, both individually and in combination. The impacts of these treatments on Fe and Zn accumulation, starch mobilization, antioxidant responses, and nitric oxide (NO) metabolism during seed germination were thoroughly examined.

Diquat exposure causes brainstem demyelination by upregulating the mitochondrial calcium uniporter.

Diquat (DQ) is a widely used new herbicide that poses a great threat to the environment, ecological systems and human health. Although the central nervous system (CNS) is a sensitive target of DQ exposure, the major brain regions, pathological changes and underlying mechanisms of DQ damage to the CNS remain obscure. We demonstrated that the brainstem was the primary region where DQ damaged the CNS.

Trophic-transferred hierarchical fragmentation of microplastics inducing distinct bio-adaptations via a microalgae-mussel-crab food chain.

Microplastics (MPs) are alarming social issues owing to their detrimental influences on both ecology and human health. Although MPs retained in low-trophic organisms are assumed to be transferred to high-trophic organisms via the food chain, concrete knowledge about the physical-chemical alterations of MPs via trophic transfer and the impact of trophic-transferred MPs on organisms remains scarce. Here, we established a three-tiered (microalgae-mussel-crab) trophic-transfer model to systematically investigate the bio-accumulation and distribution of polyethylene MPs (PE-MPs, 10-45 μm), and subsequent induction of antioxidant defenses in marine organisms with pivotal ecological and economic status at each trophic level.

Systemic protection through enhanced immunity and antioxidant defenses in immune-primed Mytilus coruscus: Insights from cell/tissue-specific analyses.

Marine mussels are constantly exposed to pathogens and have to evolve robust immune systems to recognize, tolerate and clear infections. Recent studies have highlighted the phenomenon of 'immune priming' and its role in enhanced immunity in invertebrate. Yet, there is still a lack of experimental evidence on mussels of economic value.

Exogenous nitric oxide relieves iron-inhibitory effect on wheat seed germination.

Seed germination is critical for crop production and is sensitive to abiotic stresses. Considering that nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to ameliorate the negative effects of abiotic stress in several plants, we investigated the effect and mechanisms of exogenous NO in wheat seed germination under Fe stress, focusing on oxidative stress. Specifically, seeds of the wheat cultivar 'Ningchun 4' were treated with 1 mM FeCl (Fe) or with the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and/or the specific NO scavenger 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO).

Function of N-acetyltransferase in the biotransformation of aniline in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Phytoplankton plays a crucial role in the fate of pollutants in aquatic ecosystems by biotransformation and bioaccumulation. Aniline was listed in priority pollutants due to its toxicity and widespread distribution in the aquatic environment. This study focused on investigating the capacity and mechanism of eukaryotic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in transforming aniline.

Novel Integration of Spatial and Single-Cell Omics Data Sets Enables Deeper Insights into IPF Pathogenesis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive lung disease characterized by repetitive alveolar injuries with excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. A crucial need in understanding IPF pathogenesis is identifying cell types associated with histopathological regions, particularly local fibrosis centers known as fibroblast foci. To address this, we integrated published spatial transcriptomics and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) transcriptomics and adopted the Query method and the Overlap method to determine cell type enrichments in histopathological regions.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Versus Computed Tomography Guidance for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy in Prostate Cancer: 2-year Outcomes from the MIRAGE Randomized Clinical Trial.

It has been shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance versus computed tomography (CT) guidance for aggressive margin-reduction (AMR) for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in prostate cancer reduces acute toxicity, but the longer-term benefits are unknown. We performed a secondary analysis of MIRAGE, a phase 3 randomized clinical trial of MRI-guided SBRT for prostate cancer, to determine whether AMR with MRI guidance significantly reduced 2-yr physician-scored or patient-reported toxic effects in comparison to CT guidance. The cumulative incidence of 2-yr physician-scored toxicity, defined as grade ≥2 genitourinary (GU) and gastrointestinal (GI) toxic effects according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.

N-(4-methoxyphenyl) quinoline-8-sulfonamide reduces the inflammatory response of fibroblast-like synoviocytes by targeting receptor (calcitonin) activity modifying protein 1 in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the synovium of joints. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) play an important role in RA pathogenesis. We aimed to investigate the effect of N-(4-methoxyphenyl) quinoline-8-sulfonamide (QS-3g) on the inflammatory response of FLS and explore the potential underlying mechanisms.

Chemical constituents from the rhizomes of Paris xuefengshanensis.

Five new steroidal saponins, xuefengshanosides A-E; one new stilbene trimer, xuefengshansin; and 16 known compounds were isolated from the rhizomes of Paris xuefengshanensis (Melanthiaceae). The chemical structures of the compounds were elucidated by MS and NMR data analyses, ECD calculations, and acidic hydrolysis experiments. The cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activities of the selected compounds were evaluated.

MRI-based habitat imaging in cancer treatment: current technology, applications, and challenges.

Extensive efforts have been dedicated to exploring the impact of tumor heterogeneity on cancer treatment at both histological and genetic levels. To accurately measure intra-tumoral heterogeneity, a non-invasive imaging technique, known as habitat imaging, was developed. The technique quantifies intra-tumoral heterogeneity by dividing complex tumors into distinct sub- regions, called habitats.

Rab11b promotes M1-like macrophage polarization by restraining autophagic degradation of NLRP3 in alcohol-associated liver disease.

Macrophage polarization is vital to mounting a host defense or repairing tissue in various liver diseases. Excessive activation of the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is related to the orchestration of inflammation and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) pathology. Rab GTPases play critical roles in regulating vesicular transport.

Comparative study of integrated bio-responses in deep-sea and nearshore mussels upon abiotic condition changes: Insight into distinct regulation and adaptation.

Deep-sea mussels, one of the dominant species in most deep-sea ecosystems, have long been used as model organisms to investigate the adaptations and symbiotic relationships of deep-sea macrofauna under laboratory conditions due to their ability to survive under atmospheric pressure. However, the impact of additional abiotic conditions beyond pressure, such as temperature and light, on their physiological characteristics remains unknown. In this study, deep-sea mussels (Gigantidas platifrons) from cold seep of the South China Sea, along with nearshore mussels (Mytilus coruscus) from the East China Sea, were reared in unfavorable abiotic conditions for up to 8 days.

Agonistic anti-DCIR antibody inhibits ITAM-mediated inflammatory signaling and promotes immune resolution.

DC inhibitory receptor (DCIR) is a C-type lectin receptor selectively expressed on myeloid cells, including monocytes, macrophages, DCs, and neutrophils. Its role in immune regulation has been implicated in murine models and human genome-wide association studies, suggesting defective DCIR function associates with increased susceptibility to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Sjögren's syndrome. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying DCIR activation to dampen inflammation.

Polyhydroxylated Spirostanol Saponins from the Rhizomes of Paris dulongensis.

Three new polyhydroxylated spirostanol steroidal saponins, dulongenosides B-D (2-4), along with 14 known compounds, dulongenoside A (1), padelaoside B (5), parisyunnanoside G (6), polyphyllin D (7), ophiopogonin C' (8), formosanin C (9), dioscin (10), paris saponin VII (11), paris H (12), parisyunnanoside I (13), protodioscin (14), proprotogracillin (15), crustecdysone (16), and stigmasterol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (17), were isolated from the rhizomes of Paris dulongensis (Melanthiaceae). Their chemical structures were elucidated based on extensive analyses of NMR and MS data and acidic hydrolyses. The isolates were evaluated for their cytotoxicity to five human cancer cell lines (HL-60, SW480, MDA-MB-231, A549, and A549/Taxol) and the normal human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B by the MTS test.

Intra-fractional geometric and dose/volume metric variations of magnetic resonance imaging-guided stereotactic radiotherapy of prostate bed after radical prostatectomy.

Background And Purpose: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-guided Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) treatment to prostate bed after radical prostatectomy has garnered growing interests. The aim of this study is to evaluate intra-fractional anatomic and dose/volume metric variations for patients receiving this treatment.

Materials And Methods: Nineteen patients who received 30-34 Gy in 5 fractions on a 0.

Radiomics-enhanced early regression index for predicting treatment response in rectal cancer: a multi-institutional 0.35 T MRI-guided radiotherapy study.

Purpose: The accurate prediction of treatment response in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients undergoing MRI-guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) is essential for optimising treatment strategies. This multi-institutional study aimed to investigate the potential of radiomics in enhancing the predictive power of a known radiobiological parameter (Early Regression Index, ERI) to evaluate treatment response in LARC patients treated with MRIgRT.

Methods: Patients from three international sites were included and divided into training and validation sets.