Boron Supplementation and Phytohormone Application: Effects on Development, Fruit Set, and Yield in Macadamia Cultivar 'A4' (, ).

Macadamia (), and hybrids, a crop of high economic and nutritional importance, faces challenges with low fruit set rates and severe fruit drop. To address this, we investigated the effects of exogenous plant growth regulators (PGRs) and boron fertilizer on the development, fruit set, and yield of the A4 macadamia variety. The study was conducted in 2024 at the Lujiangba research base (China, Yunnan Province).

Reduction-responsive RNAi nanoplatform for enhanced cancer sonoimmunotherapy via dual inhibition of mitophagy and Nrf2 pathways.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) has emerged as a promising non-invasive modality with deeper tissue penetration than photodynamic or chemodynamic therapies. However, its therapeutic efficacy remains limited due to inadequate reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, largely attributed to tumor-intrinsic antioxidant systems and mitophagy. Existing combinations of SDT with immunotherapy are primarily additive and fail to address the mechanistic interplay between ROS suppression and immune evasion.

Nanoparticle-induced excessive mitophagy combined with immune checkpoint blockade for enhanced cancer immunotherapy.

Tumor microenvironment (TME) is the major obstacle in cancer immunotherapy due to its adverse effects on tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Emerging evidences have revealed that mitophagy plays an important role in regulating cell fate and immune microenvironment. Targeted regulation of mitophagy could be a promising strategy for enhanced cancer immunotherapy, which however remains unexploited due to the absence of robust therapeutic platform.

Ciliated cell-derived IL-17D restrains allergic asthma through controlling monocyte recruitment.

The airway epithelium plays a crucial role in maintaining lung homeostasis, and its dysregulation is often linked to various lung diseases, including asthma. Ciliated cells, abundantly present in the mammalian airway epithelium, have a critical function in clearing inhaled particles and pathogens. We show here that ciliated cells constitutively express IL-17D, which functions as an immune brake in limiting allergic inflammation in murine models of asthma.

Gate-Tunable Highly Linear Bipolar Photoresponse in Se@SWCNT Adaptive Neurons for Dynamically Programmable Neuromorphic Computing.

The development of tunable and highly controllable photoconductive devices for brain-inspired optical neuromorphic systems remains challenging. Previous neuromorphic devices are limited by asymmetric and nonlinear conductive properties, which impose specific restrictions on training tasks and weight learning rules in dynamic and complex visual environments. A programmable synaptic transistor based on a Se@SWCNT 1D van der Waals heterojunction, enabling gate-controlled positive and negative responses is presented.

Interaction between haploinsufficiency of PTPN2 and patient microbiome promotes autoimmune arthritis in mice.

Gut dysbiosis is observed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), however, how it promotes disease in interaction with other environmental and genetic risk factors remains unclear. Here we assessed interactions between gut dysbiosis and RA/JIA-associated loss of function haplotypes of the RA/JIA-associated PTPN2 gene by inducing mannan-induced arthritis in germ-free PTPN2 and PTPN2 haploinsufficient (PTPN2) SKG mice reconstituted with fecal microbiota from six patients with seropositive RA. Mannan-induced arthritis and lymph node T cell immunophenotypes were identical in germ free PTPN2 vs PTPN2 SKG mice.

Interplay between Matrix Viscoelasticity and Integrin Engagement Modulates Cancer-Associated Fibroblast States.

With the recent advent of single-cell transcriptomics, it is increasingly evident that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are heterogeneous and exist as different subsets. These distinct CAF subsets likely harbor unique functions, most of which have not been fully elucidated. Efforts to understand CAF subset function and develop therapeutic strategies are currently hampered by the lack of robust preclinical models that controllably recapitulate CAF heterogeneity in vitro.

Biomaterial Strategies in Osteoarthritis: New Insights Bridging Aging Phenotypes and Hypoxic Microenvironment Pathology.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disease characterized by joint degradation and severe pain, with no effective clinical treatments currently available. Biomaterials, due to their functional and structural diversity, hold significant clinical translation potential to meet various needs in OA management. However, the development of biomaterial scaffold strategies must align closely with advancements in the understanding of OA pathophysiology.

Modulation of the PTPRS proteoglycan switch by antibodies binding to the membrane-proximal fibronectin-type III domain.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) receptor type II A (R2A) are negatively regulated through oligomerization upon binding of their extracellular domains to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) on heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). Inactivation of receptor PTP sigma (PTPRS) by HSPGs promotes the aggressive behavior of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Blocking the binding of its N-terminal, membrane-distal immunoglobulin-like 1 and 2 (Ig1&2) domains to its GAG ligands on the HSPG syndecan-4 (SDC4) promotes PTPRS activity and reverses the pathogenic phenotype of FLS.

Relationship Between Total Cholesterol/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Carotid Artery Plaque in Ischemic Stroke Patients Based on Sex and Age.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC/HDL-C) ratio and carotid artery plaque (CAP) in patients with ischemic stroke (IS), while also examining the influence of different sex and age on CAP presence and quantity. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 12 166 IS patients, dividing them into three groups based on TC/HDL-C tertiles (T1: TC/HDL-C < 3.55, T2: 3.

Matrine Attenuates Virulence by Suppressing Capsular Polysaccharide Synthesis and Host Adhesion Pathways.

(GBS) is a major pathogen causing mastitis in dairy cows while causing oxidative stress. Matrine is an alkaloid compound extracted from the roots of , a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. It possesses antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and pro-apoptotic properties.

Ag/FeO-Catalyzed Fabrication of Flexible Printed Circuits: Integrated UV-Curing and Electroless Plating Process.

The development of a highly adaptable and efficient method for the rapid design and fabrication of durable flexible circuit boards on various substrates, especially heat-sensitive ones, holds great significance for sensors and actuators. Herein, we fabricated a development of high-performance flexible circuits by integrating ultraviolet (UV) curing and electroless plating technologies, utilizing a photocurable layer of the Ag/FeO catalyst deposited onto a thin-film substrate designed for heat-resistant applications. The microstructure, stability, and durability of the fabricated flexible printed circuits (FPCs) were comprehensively characterized.

Injectable Thymosin β4-Modified Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel with Exosomes for Stem Cell Homing and Neuronic-Angiogenic-Osteogenic Coupled Cranial Repair.

Accelerating angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and in situ stem cell recruitment at the site of bone defects is critical for bone regenerative repair. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) exosomes are cell-free therapeutic agents with bone-enhancing effects. Thymosin β4 (Tβ4) is a short peptide known for its key role in tissue repair and angiogenesis.

Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery for pediatric external auditory canal cholesteatoma.

Objective: External auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC) is an uncommon benign disease, which occurs rarely in children. Transcanal endoscopic ear surgery (TEES) has been proved a safe and feasible technique for treating adult EACC, no study has reported TEES in pediatric EACC. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and feasibility of using TEES to treat EACC in children.

Cancer network pharmacology: multi-network regulatory mechanisms and future directions.

Cancer is a medical problem that has been difficult to overcome on a global scale. Owing to the sharing of single or multiple genes or regulatory modules, cancer treatment often faces severe challenges. The core of network pharmacology lies in constructing human disease gene regulation networks and multi-pharmacology network.

The effect of emotion on prospective memory: a three-level meta-analytic review.

Prospective memory (PM), or the ability to remember to perform planned actions in the future, is fundamental in daily life. As a potential influencing factor of prospective memory, emotion has garnered significant attention. However, prior studies examining the impact of emotion on PM yield mixed findings.

Understanding factors influencing the adoption of moxibustion techniques by the population: an extended study based on the UTAUT model.

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine plays a unique role and has proven efficacy in preventing and treating common and chronic diseases. Moxibustion, as a type of traditional Chinese medicine healthcare therapy, has a broad mass, social, and cultural foundation in China. This study analyzes the pathways and influencing factors of residents' acceptance of moxibustion.

Promising Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Plus Immunotherapy in Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma.

Purpose: Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MpBC) is a rare and aggressive subtype of breast cancer that often shows poor response to conventional neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of combining NAC with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in MpBC patients.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of MpBC patients treated with NAC, with or without the addition of immunotherapy, at Sun Yat-sen university Cancer center between 2017 and 2024.

Dual-Responsive Immunomodulatory RNAi Nanoplatform for Effective Immune Checkpoint Blockade and Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has become the first-line treatment for cancer patients. However, the low response rate remains a clinical pain-point. Anti-hyperglycemic drug metformin has shown remarkable anticancer effect with the unique characteristic of modulating tumor immune microenvironment (TIME).

Hydrogel-Mediated Preservation of Live Tumor Explants for Drug Development in Peritoneal Metastases.

Clinically effective treatments for peritoneal metastases (PM) remain a significant unmet need. To expedite drug development in PM, hyaluronan (HA) hydrogel-supported PM patient-derived tumor explants (PDTE) that better preserve histological features, composition, and biological pathways of the original tumor, as compared to conventional PDTE culture methods are developed. Hydrogel modulation shows that stiffness, degradation, three-dimensional embedding, and HA itself are key parameters that enhance PDTE maintenance ex vivo.

Independent and joint effects of volatile organic compounds on pulmonary function in U.S. adults from NHANES: the mediating role of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are known to impair pulmonary function. However, the specific VOC with the main significant impact on pulmonary function and the joint effect of combined VOC exposure on pulmonary health, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We used the of data 1,697 participants aged ≥18 years old from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2012.

Electro-oxidation of lincomycin and human pathogenic bacteria using carbon-supported lanthanide derivatives anodes: Accelerating wastewater remediation.

Lanthanide metal-organic framework derivatives (Ln-MOFs) have emerged as effective conductive catalysts for enhancing the electrochemical performance of electrodes. This study presents a strategic approach to significantly improve the electrocatalytic activity of an anode in electrooxidation by integrating high-valence lanthanide metals into a carboxymethyl-functionalized carbon substrate. The focus is on investigating the degradation property of lincomycin (LIN) and the inactivation of human pathogenic bacteria (HPB, Escherichia coli (E.

A room temperature ammonia sensor based on MoTe nanosheets modified with TiO nanoparticles.

Recently, as a member of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), MoTe and its heterojunctions have gradually become a research hotspot in gas sensing due to their unique properties. In this study, MoTe/TiO heterojunctions were prepared using a simple hydrothermal method, and TiO nanoparticles were uniformly anchored on the surface of flake MoTe. Compared with the single-phase MoTe, the MoTe/TiO heterojunction based sensor demonstrates excellent ammonia detection capabilities at room temperature (22 ± 1℃).

Nonlinear Abundance-Area Relationship Underlying Processes of the American Bullfrog Invasion in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China.

The small-island effect (SIE) has been used to quantify the increase of established non-native species richness with island area but has not yet been applied to explore the dynamics of non-native species abundance, which is important to develop timely mitigation strategies on established populations. Based on field surveys of established populations of the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus = Rana catesbeiana) across 92 permanent water bodies on 31 islands in the Zhoushan Archipelago, China, we explored the abundance-area relationship (AAR) of the invasive bullfrogs at the island and habitat (i.e.

Alveolar macrophages critically control infection by seasonal human coronavirus OC43 to avoid severe pneumonia.

Seasonal coronaviruses, similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), only cause severe respiratory symptoms in a small fraction of infected individuals. However, the host factors that determine the variable responses to coronavirus infection remain unclear. Here, we use seasonal human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) infection as an asymptomatic model that triggers both innate and adaptive immune responses in mice.