Stacking ensemble learning models diagnose pulmonary infections using host transcriptome data from metatranscriptomics.

The prompt diagnosis of pulmonary infections with unknown etiology in patients in severe condition remains a challenge due to the lack of rapid and effective diagnostic methods. While metatranscriptomic sequencing offers a powerful approach, its clinical utility is often limited by issues of timeliness. In this study, we conducted metatranscriptomic sequencing on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) collected from critically ill, severely ill, and ICU patients.

Root-to-shoot mobile mRNA CmoKARI1 promotes JA-Ile biosynthesis to confer chilling tolerance in grafted cucumbers.

Pumpkin rootstock is commonly used to graft cucurbit crops, improving their ability to withstand stress. While the significance of systemic signals from rootstocks to scions is recognized, the role of root-to-shoot transported mRNAs remains understudied. Cucumber plants often face growth and productivity limitations due to low temperatures.

Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX) induces apoptosis in primary cortical neurons via stimulating ROS production and NF-κB activation.

Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), commonly known as GenX, is a replacement for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which readily accumulates in the brain and exhibits neurotoxic effects. However, the adverse impacts of GenX on neurons and its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, primary cortical neurons isolated from neonatal mice were exposed to varying concentrations of GenX to assess cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and morphological alterations.

Healthy lifestyles and risk of major non-communicable chronic diseases and mortality in individuals with metabolic syndrome.

Objectives: To assess the associations between lifestyle factors and the risk of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) and mortality in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MS), and to evaluate population-attributable risk (PAR) from multiple lifestyle factors.

Methods: The study included 49,891 MS individuals from the UK Biobank. Seven lifestyle factors (smoking, diet, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep duration, psychological stress, and social contact status) were assessed using both unweighted and weighted lifestyle scores.

Discovery of protein arginine methyltransferase 1 inhibitor by structure-based pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening, molecular dynamics simulations, and the enhancement of paclitaxel's antitumor activity.

Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1), a key epigenetic regulator, is implicated in tumor progression and therapy resistance. Here, we identify a novel PRMT1 inhibitor, YH-4, through structure-based pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening, and molecular dynamics simulations. YH-4 demonstrates potent PRMT1 inhibition (IC = 4.

Tandem repeat-induced sexual silencing: A Rid-dependent RNAi mechanism for fungal genome defense via translational repression.

Eukaryotes have evolved defense systems to protect their genomes from invasive genetic elements. We report a fungal defense mechanism, tandem repeat-induced sexual silencing (TRISS), active during sexual stages. TRISS is a unique RNA interference (RNAi) pathway distinct from known mechanisms like quelling and meiotic silencing by unpaired DNA (MSUD).

Arabidopsis MACP2 contributes to autophagy induction by modulating starvation-induced reactive oxygen species homeostasis.

In plants, autophagy is a conserved recycling system essential for development and stress responses by targeting cellular components for massive degradation in the vacuole. Our previous work suggested that autophagy contributes to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) stress responses by modulating NADPH-oxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis; however, the molecular link between extracellular ROS and autophagy remains unknown. We performed a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify components involved in autophagy, using the central autophagy component ATG8e as a bait.

Multifunctional Hydrogel Materials for Advanced Neural Interfaces.

Conventional rigid neural electrodes mismatch the soft, wet nature of neural tissue, hindering long-term stable interfaces. Multifunctional hydrogels, with their tissue-like compliance, ionic conductivity, and biocompatibility, offer a promising solution to bridge bioelectronic systems and neural tissues. This review systematically examines critical hydrogel properties-mechanical compliance, adhesion, biocompatibility, conductivity, and injectability-for neural interfacing.

Mechanical Cell Reprogramming on Tissue-Mimicking Hydrogels for Cancer Cell Transdifferentiation.

Disrupted matrix mechanics have been found to be highly associated with increased risks of many diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. For centuries, the aged tissue matrix has been found to lose its mechanical integrity and exhibit altered biophysical properties. Whether the mechanical properties of matrix serve as a regulator for maintaining the health and function of cells remains unknown.

Simultaneous regulation of both lignin and cellulose biosynthesis modifies xylem fiber properties in .

Introduction: Wood is primarily made up of secondary xylem cell walls, with lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose as the main chemical components. The presence of lignin represents recalcitrance to wood pulping and biofuel conversion. Consequently, reducing lignin content is a key approach to improving wood properties and optimizing its processing.

Scutellarin inhibits ferroptosis by promoting cellular antioxidant capacity through regulating Nrf2 signaling.

Ferroptosis is a lytic form of regulated cell death that is driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and has been implicated in various diseases, including acute kidney injury (AKI). Scutellarin is a flavonoid isolated from (Vant.) Hand.

A Novel Transfer Learning-Based Hybrid EEG-fNIRS Brain-Computer Interface for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Rehabilitation.

Motor imagery (MI)-based neurorehabilitation shows promise for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) recovery, yet conventional unimodal brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) face critical limitations in cross-subject generalization. This study presents a multimodal electroencephalography (EEG)-functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) fusion framework incorporating a Wasserstein metric-driven source domain selection method that quantifies inter-subject neural distribution divergence. Through comparative neuroactivation analysis of 17 normal controls and 13 ICH patients during MI tasks, the transfer learning model achieved 74.

Improving nutritional quality and aflatoxin detoxification of peanut meal by co-fermentation with Weizmannia coagulans, Bacillus subtilis, and supplemented enzymes.

Background: Peanut meal, a high-protein agricultural by-product, faces challenges as animal feed due to anti-nutritional factors, poor protein digestibility, aflatoxin contamination, and imbalanced amino acids. Microbial fermentation is one of the most effective methods to reduce anti-nutritional factors and enhance the nutritional value of peanut meal. Compared to single-strain fermentation, microbial-enzyme co-fermentation exhibits enhanced degradation efficiency, accelerates nutrient release, improves product safety by reducing mycotoxins and anti-nutritional factors, enhances sensory properties, and increases fermentation consistency and stability.

Photoluminescent molecule-boosted metasurface plasmon resonance via nonradiative energy transfer.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology has become a powerful tool for studying molecular interactions due to its label-free, real-time detection capabilities. However, the sensitivity limitations of conventional SPR have restricted its broader application. In response to this challenge, our study introduces an optical optimization, the photoluminescent-boosted Metasurface plasmon resonance (PLMLMSPR), which integrates photoluminescent molecule materials with a multilayer metal-enhanced metasurface plasmon resonance (MLM-MetaSPR) chip.

Identification of quantitative trait loci and candidate genes underlying kernel traits of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in response to drought stress.

Fourteen environmentally stable QTLs for kernel traits were identified and shown to interact significantly with drought-stressed environments. Initial investigation of candidate genes from ten QTL clusters was undertaken, including a KASP marker for TaCYP71E1-A1 on chromosome 5A. Kernel traits, as critical yield components in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.

Covalent Organic Framework Nanohydrogel-Based Oxidase-Mimicking Nanozyme for Photocatalytic Antibacterial Therapy.

Water-soluble nanozymes have the potential to overcome the limitations of low catalytic efficiency of most heterogeneous nanozymes in aqueous solutions and further expand their applications in the biomedical field, but with significant synthetic challenges. Here we report an oxidase-mimicking water-soluble nanozyme based on zinc porphyrin-based covalent organic framework nanohydrogel (Zn-COF-NHG) for photocatalytic antibacterial. The in situ atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) on scaffold of Zn-COF results in the exfoliation of crystalline COF nanosheets and assembly into nanohydrogels in aqueous solution.

Cell-supporting cytoskeletons and phagocytic acquisition of compatible solutes emerge as common strategies for high-salt adaptation in different ciliates.

Understanding the adaptation of organisms to extreme environments is a fascinating topic in biology. Ciliated eukaryotes (ciliates) that inhabit high-salinity environments exhibit remarkable diversity. We revealed various structural and molecular adaptations through a comprehensive investigation of Schmidingerothrix, a ciliate tolerant to salinity levels of up to 25%.

The natural stable isotope index for de novo structural elucidation of phytomolecules with geographical and biological tracing.

Not like the sequencing of genome and proteome that deals with the linear combination of base-pairs or amino acids, identification of unknown natural products has been always challenging due to diverse structures and various isomers. Searching fragment ions generated by mass spectrometers against databases has been the well-recognized approach. Because current searching algorithms generally compare unit masses and associated absolute intensities of ions, long lists of candidates with close similarity matching scores make it very difficult to achieve unambiguous structural identification.

Genome-wide association study reveals novel SNP loci and candidate genes linked to flowering time in upland cotton.

A total of 456 SNPs associated significantly with FT via GWAS and three candidate genes related to flowering were identified via RNA‒seq, qRT‒PCR and VIGS. Flowering time (FT) is one of the main traits associated with early maturity in upland cotton; however, genetic basis and candidate genes underlying FT remain inadequately understood. In this study, 1,574,032 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified on the basis of resequencing data from 619 upland cotton lines, and among them, 418 core germplasms were selected and genome-wide association studies (GWASs) were conducted to identify 456 SNPs that were significantly associated with FT.

Integrated analysis of miRNAs-mRNAs in skeletal muscle development revealed that novel-miR-766 affects myoblast differentiation and myofiber-type formation in sheep.

Background: Various regulators coregulate muscle development in animals. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial regulators that participate in multiple aspects of myofiber formation. Method: To identify key miRNAs and target genes associated with muscle development, embryos or longissimus dorsi of Chinese Merino sheep were collected for whole-transcriptome sequencing across 11 gestation periods: 26 days (D26), D29, D32, D35, D40, D45, D55, D75, D85, D105, and D135.

-Glycerol monolaurate promotes tight junction proteins expression through PKC/MAPK/ATF-2 signaling pathway.

Introduction: This study investigates the effects of -GML on intestinal epithelial tight junction (TJ) protein expression and its molecular mechanisms. Recognizing the critical role of TJ proteins in intestinal barrier function and the potential of -GML to enhance this barrier, we employ the IPEC-J2 cell model. Our aim is to validate the regulatory impact ofα-GML on TJ protein expression and elucidate the underlying signaling pathways, thereby offering new strategies for intestinal health maintenance.

Transcriptomic profiling reveals SARS-CoV-2-infected humanized MHC mice recapitulate human post vaccination immune responses.

Background: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains a critical global health priority, with persistent socioeconomic ramifications despite its reclassification from Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) status. While humanized major histocompatibility complex (hMHC) murine models have been extensively utilized in oncological research, their application in virological studies-particularly for coronavirus pathogenesis-remains underexplored.

Methods: This study systematically characterized immune responses in SARS-CoV-2-challenged hMHC mice lung tissues through comparative transcriptomic profiling, combined with functional enrichment and PPI network analyses.

Antitumor power of oncolytic HSV engineered with IL-12 and IL-15.

Oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) directly targets and destroys tumor cells while selectively infecting surrounding tumor tissue and releasing progeny viruses to continue the attack. We engineered the replicative HSV-1 vector, including the oncolytic HSV-1 (oHSV) with deleted inverted repeat and α47 gene, and then the oHSV expressing interleukin-15 (IL-15) gene and the oHSV expressing IL-15 and interleukin-12 (IL-12) gene. We evaluated the titer and growth characteristics of the oHSV-1 in Vero and cancer cell lines.

Bioinspired Anti-Freezing Hydrogel With Localized Ice Regulation for Subzero Soft Robotics.

Freezing hydrogels at subzero temperatures severely compromises mechanical flexibility, ionic conductivity, and structural integrity, thereby limiting their application in low-temperature environments. Hydrogel freezing involves both ice nucleation and ice growth; however, simultaneously inhibiting these two processes remains a significant challenge. In nature, freeze-tolerant organisms do not rely on completely preventing ice formation to survive freezing conditions.

Rapamycin coated selenium nanoparticles relieve oxidative senescence of vascular endothelium by mitophagy.

Rapamycin (RPM) extends longevity in various species and combats vascular senescence related diseases. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) have attracted attention as a potential therapy for cardiovascular diseases due to their excellent antioxidant and drug-carrying capacity. However, RPM coated SeNPs (RPM-SeNPs) have not been reported and their potential for preventing endothelial oxidative senescence remains unclear.