The X-Age Project to construct a Chinese aging clock.

The global surge in the population of people 60 years and older, including that in China, challenges healthcare systems with rising age-related diseases. To address this demographic change, the Aging Biomarker Consortium (ABC) has launched the X-Age Project to develop a comprehensive aging evaluation system tailored to the Chinese population. Our goal is to identify robust biomarkers and construct composite aging clocks that capture biological age, defined as an individual's physiological and molecular state, across diverse Chinese cohorts.

Preparation, characterization, and application of a novel chestnut starch-based bigel as a fat substitute in bread.

This study developed a novel self-assembled bigel by combining a chestnut starch (CS) hydrogel with a γ-oryzanol/β-sitosterol (γ-ORY/β-SIT) oleogel. The influence of the hydrogel to oleogel ratio on the macro and micro structures, mechanical properties and thermal stability of the bigels was examined, and its potential as a healthier solid fat substitute was further explored. The results indicated that as the proportion of hydrogel increased (10 %-50 %), all bigels maintained a consistent semi-solid structure without any phase separation.

The Essence of Nature Can be the Simplest (6)-Lifespan: Determined by Extracellular Fenton Chemistry.

Understanding the determinants of lifespan is a central objective in biology. Lifespan is shaped by dynamic, stage-specific changes in metabolism, energy allocation, and genome integrity. Heart rate serves as a physiological marker that reflects both life stage and metabolic state.

Multigenerational proteolytic inactivation of restriction upon subtle genomic hypomethylation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Restriction-modification (R-M) systems protect against phage infection by detecting and degrading invading foreign DNA. However, like many prokaryotic anti-phage defences, R-M systems pose a major risk of autoimmunity, exacerbated by the presence of hundreds to thousands of potential cleavage sites in the bacterial genome. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains experience the temporary inactivation of restriction endonucleases following growth at high temperatures, but the reason and mechanisms for this phenomenon are unknown.

Ligand Engineering-Driven Visualization of Asymmetric Exchange: Unraveling the Structural Evolution of Ag to Ag.

Precisely structured nanoclusters provide ideal platforms for elucidating structural evolution and structure-activity relationships. However, mechanistic understanding of dynamic core-shell rearrangements has long been impeded by the elusive nature of intermediates during transformation processes. Here, we show that ligand engineering-driven asymmetric thiolate exchange enables atomic-level visualization of structural evolution, thereby overcoming the long-standing challenge of intermediate capture.

Cellulosic Flexible Electronic Materials: Recent Advances in Structural Design, Functionalization, and Smart Applications.

Rapid advancement of flexible electronics has generated a demand for sustainable materials. Cellulose, a renewable biopolymer, exhibits exceptional mechanical strength, customizable properties, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. These attributes are largely due to its hierarchical nanostructures and modifiable surface chemistry.

Ultrafast laser-assisted hybrid fabrication of biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces: strategies, mechanisms, and applications.

Metal matrix composites are widely employed in aerospace and marine engineering due to their excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability. However, their surfaces remain vulnerable to corrosion, icing, and mechanical wear, severely compromising long-term reliability in harsh environments. Inspired by natural superhydrophobic surfaces such as lotus leaves, functional interfaces with high water repellency and interfacial stability can be engineered through the synergistic design of hierarchical micro/nanostructures and low-surface-energy chemical modifications.

Genome topology analysis and transcriptomics of human osteoclasts reveals enhancer-promoter interactions at loci for bone traits and diseases.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) relevant to osteoporosis have identified hundreds of loci; however, understanding how these variants influence the phenotype is complicated because most reside in non-coding DNA sequence that serves as transcriptional enhancers and repressors. To advance knowledge on these regulatory elements in osteoclasts (OCs), we performed Micro-C analysis, which informs on the genome topology of these cells and integrated the results with transcriptome and GWAS data to further define loci linked to BMD. Using blood cells isolated from 4 healthy participants aged 31-61 yr, we cultured OC in vitro and generated a Micro-C chromatin conformation capture dataset.

Trimetallic Au-Ag-Cu Joint Doped Hydroxyapatite: Synergistic Photo-Fenton-Like Catalytic Performance Enhancement.

Photo-Fenton oxidation, as a promising wastewater treatment technology, suffers from double barriers: the sluggish Fenton catalytic rate of transition metal ions and inefficient visible light absorption, both of which severely constrain the performance enhancement of catalytic systems. Therefore, accelerating electron transfer processes and broadening optical absorption spectra have become critical scientific challenges for practical implementation. Herein, a composite catalyst system based on Au-Ag-Cu trimetallic species codoped on hydroxyapatite (HAp) was reported via an ion/ligand impregnation method.

Cancer-metastasis-on-a-chip reveals efficacy of bevacizumab and siRNA in overcoming carboplatin resistance in SKOV3 ovarian cancer within a fibrotic metastatic microenvironment.

Microfluidic platforms have emerged as powerful tools for investigating complex interactions between cells and their microenvironment. Conventional cancer models often fail to accurately replicate the complexities of the tumor microenvironment. In contrast, cancer-metastasis-on-a-chip models integrate the benefits of three-dimensional cell cultures with microfluidic technology, providing more physiologically relevant platforms for studying cancer biology and improving precision of drug screening.

Economic Assessment of Bio-oil Production from Algae: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Introduction: The production of bio-oil from microalgae is gaining attention as an alternative renewable energy source. To generate advances in this field, it is essential to identify the gaps in existing research. Overcoming this barrier necessitates addressing methodologies that can assess the existing work and develop relationships between publications, research groups, and their impact.

Asymmetric Triple Helical Nonbenzenoid Nanographenes with Controllable Helicene Lengths.

Helical nanographenes (NGs) play a crucial role in the development of chiral nanomaterials due to their distinctive optoelectronic and chiroptical properties. Herein, we report the efficient synthesis of two unprecedented azulene-embedded asymmetric triple helical NGs ( and ) with controllable helicene subunit lengths and π-extension. The crystallographic analysis confirms their highly twisted and asymmetric geometries.

PRMT5 encourages cell migration and metastasis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma through methylating ΔNp63α.

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a common oral malignancy prone to metastasis, whose underlying mechanism remains obscure. Here, we report the oncogenic roles of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) in TSCC via inhibiting transcription factor ΔNp63α. We found that PRMT5 physically interacts with ΔNp63α, resulting in impairment of ΔNp63α-mediated transcriptional regulation.

High transposable element expression in sarcomas is associated with increased immune infiltrates and improved outcomes including after immunotherapy.

Background: Response to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) in sarcomas is overall low and heterogeneous. Understanding determinants of ICI outcomes may improve efficacy and patient selection. Thus, we investigated whether the expression of transposable elements (TEs), which are epigenetically silenced and can stimulate antitumor immunity, influence ICI outcomes and immune infiltrates in common sarcoma subtypes.

Prognostic Value of A/T/N Biomarkers: Comparing Plasma and Imaging Modalities in Alzheimer Disease.

Background: Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized by amyloid-β plaques (A), tau tangles (T), and neurodegeneration (N), collectively defining the ATN framework. While imaging biomarkers are well-established, the prognostic value of plasma biomarkers in predicting cognitive decline remains underexplored. This study compares plasma and imaging A/T/N biomarkers in predicting cognitive decline and evaluate the impact of combining biomarkers across modalities.

Efficient Urea Oxidation on MnCO/Ni(OH) Nanoflower Arrays Via Interfacial Coupling.

The electrochemical urea oxidation reaction (UOR) presents an energy-efficient alternative to the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER), operating at a substantially lower thermodynamic potential and thereby reducing the energy input for hydrogen production by approximately 70%. Simultaneously, UOR facilitates wastewater remediation, offering dual environmental and energy benefits. In this work, we report a MnCO/Ni(OH) heterostructured nanoflower array directly grown on conductive carbon cloth that exhibits outstanding UOR catalytic activity and stability.

Association between FDG- and TSPO-PET signals across human and animal studies investigating neurodegenerative conditions: a systematic review.

Background: Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET hypometabolism is considered a biomarker of neurodegeneration. However, recent evidence revealed that glial cells contribute to the FDG-PET signal. In this context, microglial changes have been evaluated with 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO)-PET radiopharmaceuticals.

The tRNA editing complex ADAT2/3 promotes cancer cell growth and codon-biased mRNA translation.

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are subject to various chemical modifications that influence their stability or function. Adenosine to Inosine (A-to-I) editing in the tRNA anticodon at position A34 is an important modification that expands anticodon-codon recognition at the wobble position and is required for normal mRNA translation. The relevance of tRNA editing in cancer remains unexplored.

Environmental Drivers of Phytoplankton Structure in a Semi-Arid Reservoir.

Artificial reservoirs in arid regions provide unique ecological environments for studying the spatial and functional dynamics of plankton communities under the combined stressors of climate change and anthropogenic activities. This study conducted a systematic investigation of the phytoplankton community structure and its environmental drivers in 17 artificial reservoirs in the Ili region of Xinjiang in August and October 2024. The Ili region is located in the temperate continental arid zone of northwestern China.

Deep learning-driven whole-slide image analysis predicts chemo-resistance and motility subtypes in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Background: Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a clinically aggressive and heterogeneous disease with variable treatment responses. Transcriptome-based classifications, such as the Chemoresistance-Motility (CrM) signature, are valuable for understanding therapeutic resistance, but their clinical use is often hindered by high cost and tissue requirements. This study explores an alternative, scalable approach using deep learning analysis of whole slide images (WSIs).

Side-Chain Poly[2]rotaxane-Toughened Graphene Films.

Graphene-based films are highly valued for their superior conductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical strength, yet their brittleness and low ductility limit their full potential. Current toughening strategies for graphene-based composites mainly focus on interfacial reinforcement between polymers and graphene substrates. However, research on energy dissipation arising from the intrinsic properties of polymers remains limited.

Atypical cadherin FAT1 promotes tumorigenesis by suppressing autophagic cell death in glioblastoma under hypoxia or nutrient stress.

Background: Autophagy, a conserved intracellular degradation process, plays dual roles in cancer, promoting survival under stress or mediating cell death through deregulated autophagy. Atypical cadherin FAT1 functions as an oncogene or tumor suppressor in a context-dependent manner. Our previous work identifies the oncogenic role of FAT1 in glioblastoma.

Reproducible single-cell annotation of programs underlying T cell subsets, activation states and functions.

T cells recognize antigens and induce specialized gene expression programs (GEPs), enabling functions like proliferation, cytotoxicity and cytokine production. Traditionally, different T cell classes are thought to exhibit mutually exclusive responses, including T1, T2 and T17 programs. However, single-cell RNA sequencing has revealed a continuum of T cell states without clearly distinct subsets, necessitating new analytical frameworks.

Physiological pH Transition-Driven Protein Corona Dynamics Regulate Cellular Uptake and Inflammatory Responses of Silica Nanoparticles.

Protein corona alters the biological identities and interactions of nanoparticles with cells, needing to be thoroughly scrutinized before in vivo applications. Importantly, protein corona is evolving as nanoparticles cross different microenvironments, leading to unpredictable biological behaviors. Unveiling how physiological conditions change, especially pH changes associated with tumor-targeted delivery, affect protein corona composition and subsequent bio-interactions, is thus essential for understanding the bio-fate and therapeutic efficacy of nanomedicines.