The systematic assessment of completeness of public metadata accompanying omics studies in the Gene Expression Omnibus data repository.

Background: Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have enabled the collection and sharing of a massive amount of omics data, along with its associated metadata-descriptive information that contextualizes the data, including phenotypic traits and experimental design. Enhancing metadata availability is critical to ensure data reusability and reproducibility and to facilitate novel biomedical discoveries through effective data reuse. Yet, incomplete metadata accompanying public omics data may hinder reproducibility and reusability and limit secondary analyses.

Virulence factors and outcomes in bacteremia caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli ST131-H30Rx in a Swedish county.

Background: Escherichia coli ST131 and clade H30Rx are the most prevalent extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli (ESBL-EC) causing bacteremia and urinary tract infections globally and in Sweden. Previous studies have linked ST131-H30Rx with septic shock and mortality, as well as prolonged carriage.

Construction of an Ag-functionalized structural color hydrogel sensor for colorimetric detection of glutathione.

An Ag-functionalized structural color hydrogel (Ag-SCH) sensor is constructed for colorimetric detection of glutathione (GSH). The hydrogel is prepared by using the coordination of Ag and 1-vinylimidazole (1-VI) as cross-linking network. GSH acts as a competitive ligand to break the coordination between Ag and 1-VI, leading to the expansion and structural color change of the hydrogel.

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.

Structure, function and assembly of nuclear pore complexes.

The defining property of eukaryotic cells is the storage of heritable genetic material in a nuclear compartment. For eukaryotic cells to carry out the myriad biochemical processes necessary for their function, macromolecules must be efficiently exchanged between the nucleus and cytoplasm. The nuclear pore complex (NPC) - which is a massive assembly of ~35 different proteins present in multiple copies totalling ~1,000 protein subunits and architecturally conserved across eukaryotes - establishes a size-selective channel for regulated bidirectional transport of folded macromolecules and macromolecular assemblies across the nuclear envelope.

SLC7A11-AS1 contributes to prolonged activation of activin A/Smad signaling by suppressing PPM1A myristoylation in pancreatic cancer.

Background: Activin A/Smad signaling plays an important role in promoting cancer stemness and chemoresistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), however the precise regulation on the termination of this pathway has not been fully understood.

Methods: LncRNA SLC7A11-AS1 interacting proteins were identified through RNA pull-down followed by LC-MS/MS. The protein interaction was analyzed by co-immunoprecipitation.

Intestinal taurine acts as a novel immunometabolic modulator of IBD by degrading redundant mitochondrial RNA.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is hampered by issues of nonresponse and resistance, highlighting the urgent need for alternative or complementary treatments. Our study revealed significant upregulation of taurine in the intestinal tissues of IBD patients, which was inversely related to the severity of the disease. A key discovery was that TNF directly induced taurine synthesis in intestinal epithelial cells and increased the production of angiogenin, a nuclease that degrades mitochondrial RNA, which is known to amplify inflammatory responses.

Antibody-bottlebrush prodrug conjugates for targeted cancer therapy.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are effective targeted therapeutics but are limited in their ability to incorporate less-potent payloads, varied drug mechanisms of action, different drug release mechanisms and tunable drug-to-antibody ratios. Here we introduce a technology to overcome these limitations called 'antibody-bottlebrush prodrug conjugates' (ABCs). An ABC consists of an IgG1 monoclonal antibody covalently conjugated to the terminus of a compact bivalent bottlebrush prodrug that has payloads bound through cleavable linkers and polyethylene glycol branches.

Isotope-dependent Tafel analysis probes proton transfer kinetics during electrocatalytic water splitting.

Proton transfer plays an important role in both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions during electrocatalytic water splitting to produce green hydrogen. However, directly adapting the conventional proton/deuterium kinetic isotope effect to study proton transfer in heterogeneous electrocatalytic processes is challenging. Here we propose using the shift in the Tafel slope between protic and deuteric electrolytes, or the Tafel slope isotope effect, as an effective probe of proton transfer characteristics.

Computational pathology annotation enhances the resolution and interpretation of breast cancer spatial transcriptomics data.

Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease with diverse outcomes, and intra-tumoral heterogeneity plays a significant role in both diagnosis and treatment. Despite its importance, the spatial distribution of intra-tumoral heterogeneity is not fully elucidated. Spatial transcriptomics has emerged as a promising tool to study the molecular mechanisms behind many diseases.

Contrasting contribution of resident and repopulated brain macrophages in sustaining sleep-wake circuitry.

Sleep is a complex behavior regulated by various brain cell types. However, the roles of brain-resident macrophages, including microglia and CNS-associated macrophages (CAMs), particularly those derived postnatally, in sleep regulation remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of resident (embryo-derived) and repopulated (postnatally derived) brain-resident macrophages on the regulation of vigilance states in mice.

Integrated acoustic identification of a petit-spot volcanic field in the oldest Pacific plate.

Petit-spot volcanism plays a critical role in the metasomatism of oceanic plates prior to subduction and in their recycling into the deep mantle. The extent of metasomatism depends on the number and volume of petit-spot volcanic edifices and intrusions, making precise identification of petit-spot volcanic fields essential. However, conventional methods based on seafloor topography and acoustic backscatter intensity alone have limitations in accurately delineating these features.

Scalable Solvent-Free Synthesis of a Linear Heteroaromatic Trimer with Crystallization-Induced Phosphorescence.

The polymerization mechanism and the identification of key oligomer intermediates during the thermal condensation of benzoguanamine (BG) remain unclear. Herein, we report a novel mixed thermal condensation strategy using BG and a pre-synthesized dimer to selectively synthesize the trimer (BG) with a significantly enhanced yield. Comprehensive characterization techniques confirm the formation of a linear molecular structure for (BG).

All-Water-Based Nanofabrication of Multilayer Biopolymer/Inorganic Reflectors with Reconfigurable Structural Color Patterns.

Achieving high performance nanoscale photonic functionalities remains extraordinarily challenging when using naturally derived biomaterials. The ability to manipulate ultrathin films of structural proteins─combined with photolithographic control of their polymorphism─unlocks a compelling route toward engineering biopolymer-based photonic crystals with precisely defined photonic bandgaps and reconfigurable structural colors. In this work, we describe a robust, water-based fabrication process for silk/inorganic hybrid one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystals that overcomes many of the conventional difficulties in ensuring reproducibility, uniformity, and reliability at the nanoscale.

Suspension gravity offloading system with event-triggered ESO-based robust MPC.

For space missions such as extraterrestrial sample collection, robotic rover exploration, and astronaut landings, the complex terrain and diverse gravitational environments make ground-based micro-low-gravity experimental systems essential for testing and validating spacecraft performance as well as supporting astronaut training. The suspended gravity unloading (SGO) system is a key device commonly used to simulate micro-low-gravity environments. However, the SGO system faces challenges due to model uncertainty and external disturbances, which limit improvements in control accuracy.

Effect of methyl DNA adducts on stimulation of human cytoplasmic DNA-sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS).

The immune system uses a variety of DNA sensors, including endo-lysosomal Toll-like receptors 9 (TLR9) and cytosolic DNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS). These sensors activate immune responses by inducing the production of a variety of cytokines, including type I interferons (IFN). Activation of cGAS requires DNA-cGAS interaction.

Mannose-Decorated Stimuli-Responsive Fluorescent Poly(aminoamide) Microgels for Lectin Binding and Sensing.

Development of suitable carbohydrate-decorated, biocompatible, and stimuli-responsive fluorescent microgels that can selectively bind and detect proteins (such as lectins) is an important research topic. Herein, we report the development of mannose-decorated, dual-stimuli (temperature and pH)-responsive fluorescent poly(aminoamide) microgels, which can selectively bind to and thereby detect the presence of concanavalin A (Con A). The resultant stimuli-responsive microgels have a lower critical solution temperature (VPTT) of 37.

Beyond Hemoglobin: A Review of Hemocyanin and the Biology of Purple Blood.

Hemocyanin is dissolved freely in hemolymph, the invertebrate blood substitute, in contrast to haemoglobin, which is encased in red blood cells. When oxygenated, this pigment gives mollusc and arthropod blood its characteristic blue or purple hue. This review article delves into the fascinating biology of hemocyanin, the copper-based oxygen-carrying protein responsible for "purple blood" in many invertebrates, contrasting its characteristics with the more familiar iron-based hemoglobin.

Two-Step Semi-Automated Classification of Choroidal Metastases on MRI: Orbit Localization via Bounding Boxes Followed by Binary Classification via Evolutionary Strategies.

Background And Purpose: The choroid of the eye is a rare site for metastatic tumor spread, and as small lesions on the periphery of brain MRI studies, these choroidal metastases are often missed. To improve their detection, we aimed to use artificial intelligence to distinguish between brain MRI scans containing normal orbits and choroidal metastases.

Materials And Methods: We present a novel hierarchical deep learning framework for sequential cropping and classification on brain MRI images to detect choroidal metastases.

Layer 6 corticothalamic neurons induce high gamma oscillations through cortico-cortical and cortico-thalamo-cortical pathways.

Layer 6 corticothalamic (L6CT) neurons project to both cortex and thalamus, inducing multiple effects including the modulation of cortical and thalamic firing, and the emergence of high gamma oscillations in the cortical local field potential (LFP). We hypothesize that the high gamma oscillations driven by L6CT neuron activation reflect the dynamic engagement of intracortical and cortico-thalamo-cortical circuits. To test this, we optogenetically activated L6CT neurons in NTSR1-cre mice (both male and female) expressing channelrhodopsin-2 in L6CT neurons.

Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Direct Conversion of Carboxylic Acids into Primary Amides and Nitriles Using Bis(trimethylsilyl)amine.

We report Lewis acid-catalyzed direct conversion of carboxylic acids into primary amides and nitriles using bis(trimethylsilyl)amine as an ammonia surrogate. With 1.1 equiv of bis(trimethylsilyl)amine, ytterbium(III) and hafnium(IV) triflates efficiently catalyzed the reaction, affording various primary amides in high yields with a broad substrate scope.

Bioconversion of CO to methane energy by Methanococcus maripaludis in newly-designed bioreactor system: Kinetic characteristics, parameter optimization and grid-quality production.

Carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO-EOR) is widely used for carbon capture, utilization, and storage in Chinese oilfields, but part of injected CO returns with produced oil, reducing carbon-reduction efficiency. Bioconverting this CO to methane energy by methanogens benefits the technology, yet on-site high-efficiency conversion meeting natural-gas grid standards remains challenging. This study used a newly-designed triple-tank bioreactor to investigate CO-to-methane conversion and methanogenic kinetics of Methanococcus maripaludis.

Hybrid nanocomposites of sepiolite with starch and other biopolymers: Enhancing safety in food packaging.

Sepiolite (SP) is a naturally occurring sedimentary silicate clay mineral known for its unique structure, high surface area, and rich surface chemistry, particularly silanol groups (Si-OH), which facilitate strong interfacial interactions in polymer matrices. Its ability to act as a nanofiller has gained attention in the development of advanced biopolymer nanocomposites, especially for food packaging applications where material performance, sustainability, and safety are critical. SP enhances the thermal stability, barrier properties, and mechanical strength of starch and other biopolymer matrices, key factors in extending shelf life.