An ultrasensitive biosensor for H1N1 virus coupled with 3D spherical DNA nanostructure and CRISPR-Cas12a.

To achieve ultrasensitive and real-time detection of the H1N1 influenza virus, this study designed a nucleic acid-free fluorescent biosensor based on 3D spherical DNA nanostructure and CRISPR/Cas12a (3D-SDNC). The biosensor constructs a rigid 3D nano-framework via self-assembly of six oligonucleotide chains, with H1N1-specific nucleic acid aptamers and Cas12a activator strands strategically positioned at multi-spined vertices for precise spatial coupling between viral recognition and signal transduction. Upon aptamer-virus binding, the induced conformational change liberates the activator strand, thereby activating the trans-cleavage activity of the Cas12a/crRNA complex to efficiently cleave the HEX/BHQ1 double-labeled fluorescent probe and initiate cascade signal amplification.

Microbial regulation of organic solid waste composting: Lignocellulose degradation (fertilization), process gas emissions, and containment of typical pollutants.

Microbial agents represent a valuable class of additives that can enhance the value and effectiveness of compost products. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the mechanisms and applications of microorganisms in regulating lignocellulose degradation, controlling gas emissions, and managing typical pollutants during the composting of organic solid wastes. Inoculation with microbial agents can significantly improve the degradation efficiency, quality, and environmental friendliness of compost.

Flexibility-Induced Robustness in Molecular Catalysts for Electrocatalytic CO Reduction.

CO electroreduction to produce fuels and chemicals is of great significance. Molecular catalysts offer valuable advantages in light of their well-defined active sites and tunable structural and electronic properties. However, their stability is often compromised by rigid conjugated structures.

In Vitro Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Seaweeds From the Bay of Bengal Coastal Region in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced RAW264.7 Cells.

Seaweeds are marine macroalgae that are rich in various secondary metabolites known to exhibit different biological activities such as anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, etc. This study aimed to determine the bioactive metabolites, as well as the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of two red algae (Ceramium virgatum and Gracilaria corticata) and two green algae (Enteromorpha flexuosa and Ulva fasciata), which are prevalent in the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride methods.

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.

Topology in Thermal, Particle, and Plasma Diffusion Metamaterials.

Diffusion is a fundamental process in the transfer of mass and energy. Diffusion metamaterials, a class of engineered materials with distinctive properties, enable precise control and manipulation of diffusion processes. Meanwhile, topology, a branch of mathematics, has attracted growing interest within the condensed matter physics community.

Stimuli-Responsive Luminescent Properties of Dinuclear Cu(I) Complexes Regulated by Hydrogen-Bonding Donors.

The selection of hydrogen-bonding donors is crucial for the development of stimuli-responsive luminescent materials that rely on weak hydrogen-bonding interactions. In this study, we report two novel dinuclear Cu(I) complexes, [Cu(μ-η(,),η(,)-dpa)(μ-dppm)](ClO) () and [Cu(μ-η(,),η(,)-dpa)(μ-dppa)](ClO)·2CHCOCH (), which differ in their diphosphine linkers (CH in dppm vs NH in dppa). X-ray crystallography reveals weak CH···O hydrogen bonds between dppm-CH and perchlorate-O in and weak NH···O interactions between dppa-NH and acetone-O in .

Optimizing Amphipathic Antimicrobial Peptides via Helical Wheel Rotation.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as promising candidates for combating drug-resistant pathogens and certain cancer types. However, their therapeutic applications are often limited by undesired hemolytic activity, while many AMPs exhibit only moderate potency. Herein, the "helical wheel rotation" strategy as a simple, cost-effective, and modular approach to optimize the pharmacological properties of amphipathic α-helical AMPs without altering their amino acid composition is explored.

N460S in PB2 and I163T in nucleoprotein synergistically enhance the viral replication and pathogenicity of influenza B virus.

Influenza B viruses (IBVs), though often overshadowed by influenza A viruses (IAVs), remain a significant global public health concern, particularly during seasons when they predominate. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying IBV pathogenicity remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified two amino acid substitutions, PB2-N460S and NP-I163T, from IBV clinical isolates with distinct replication and pathogenicity profiles.

Effect of C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A point-of-care testing on antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory-tract infections at village clinics in China: A study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a globally recognised public health threat. In rural China, antibiotic use is common for acute respiratory infections (ARIs), which include symptoms such as coughing and fever that are most likely viral infections but with a small proportion as bacterial infections. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive intervention based on C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A point-of-care testing (CRP&SAA POCT) in reducing the inappropriate use of antibiotics for ARIs in Chinese village clinics.

Ruthenium-Catalyzed Intermolecular [2 + 2] Cycloaddition of Unactivated Allenes and Alkynes with Unusual Regioselectivity.

Described here is an efficient protocol for intermolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition of unactivated and unsymmetrical allenes and alkynes with unusual regioselectivity, counterintuitively favoring the most hindered isomer. CpRu(MeCN)PF served as a uniquely effective catalyst, providing diverse 3-alkylidenecyclobutenes with a broad scope and good functional group compatibility. Both experiments and DFT studies provided important insights into the mechanism, particularly the unusual regioselectivity.

Transcription reshapes RNA hairpin folding pathways revealed by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations.

The divergence in folding pathways between RNA co-transcriptional folding (CTF) and free folding (FF) is crucial for understanding dynamic functional regulation of RNAs. Here, we developed a simplified all-atom molecular dynamics framework to systematically compare the folding kinetics of an RNA hairpin (PDB:1ZIH) under CTF and FF conditions. By analyzing over 800 microseconds of simulated trajectory, we found that despite convergence to identical native conformations across CTF simulations (with varied transcription rates) and FF simulations, they exhibit distinct preferences for the folding pathways defined by the order of base-pair formation.

AI-Driven quality assurance in mammography: Enhancing quality control efficiency through automated phantom image evaluation in South Korea.

Purpose: To develop and validate a deep learning-based model for automated evaluation of mammography phantom images, with the goal of improving inter-radiologist agreement and enhancing the efficiency of quality control within South Korea's national accreditation system.

Materials And Methods: A total of 5,917 mammography phantom images were collected from the Korea Institute for Accreditation of Medical Imaging (KIAMI). After preprocessing, 5,813 images (98.

Healthcare providers' knowledge on sickle cell disease and its management: A pre- and post-training test evaluation outcome.

In resource-limited settings in Africa, which harbour the greatest burden of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) globally, poor care outcomes are driven in part, by a lack of trained healthcare providers (HCP) and an absence of context-specific treatment guidelines appropriate to the level of healthcare facility. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of a structured training program on HCP's knowledge of SCD in Ghana. This was prospective cross-sectional study involving HCPs from 46 health facilities from 4 out of 16 regions in Ghana.

Automated segmentation of retinal vessel using HarDNet fully convolutional networks.

Computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) systems for color fundus images play a critical role in the early detection of fundus diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, and cerebrovascular disorders. Although deep learning has substantially advanced automatic segmentation techniques in this field, several challenges persist, such as limited labeled datasets, significant structural variations in blood vessels, and persistent dataset discrepancies, which continue to hinder progress. These challenges lead to inconsistent segmentation performance, particularly for small vessels and branch regions.

Modelling taxi drop-off decisions in FIFO lanes via survival and discrete choice analysis.

Traffic congestion frequently occurs in the drop-off zones of large integrated passenger hubs, posing significant challenges to the efficient utilization of lane space. This study develops a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) taxi drop-off decision-making model, incorporating both static and dynamic Logit frameworks grounded in panel data analysis. The model accounts for heterogeneity across vehicles, temporal variations, and spatial factors influencing drop-off decisions.

Digital reconstruction of full embryos during early mouse organogenesis.

Early organogenesis is a crucial stage in embryonic development, characterized by extensive cell fate specification to initiate organ formation but also by a high susceptibility to developmental defects. Here, we profiled 285 serial sections from six E7.5-E8.

Nitrogen-Annealed Zinc-Nickel Porous Nanosheets for Electronic State-Enhanced High-Conductivity Anode Energy Storage Mechanism Study.

This study systematically investigates the role of nitrogen annealing in enhancing the structural and electrochemical properties of ZnNiO/NF composite anode materials synthesized via hydrothermal methods. By comparing air-annealed and nitrogen-annealed (400 and 600 °C) samples, it is demonstrated that nitrogen annealing at 400 °C induces the densely stacked nanosheet morphology with optimized lattice regularity, which can significantly improve the charge transport kinetics and the interfacial stability. Electrochemical evaluations reveal an outstanding initial discharge capacity of 1873.

Dual-Analyte Detection of Dopamine and Folic Acid Using a 3D Honeycomb Structured Reduced Graphene Oxide/Polypyrrole-Polyoxometalate Porous Film.

Electrochemical sensors capable of detecting different types of biomolecules using a single electrode are highly desirable for simplifying analytical platforms and expanding their practical applicability. Herein, we develop a multifunctional electrochemical sensor based on a 3D honeycomb-like porous rGO/PPy-POM composite film for the independent detection of dopamine (DA) and folic acid (FA), two chemically distinct and clinically relevant biomolecules. The electrode is fabricated through a facile, low-cost, and environmentally friendly breath figure method to create a 3D porous reduced graphene oxide (rGO) framework, followed by codeposition of polypyrrole (PPy) and polyoxometalates (POMs).

DNA Hydrogel-Interfaced Organic Electrochemical Transistor for the Investigation of Binding-Induced Conformational Change of Small Molecule Aptamers.

Investigation of the small molecule-aptamer interaction is difficult, and it usually lacks information about the conformational change of aptamers that is important for their application. Here, we present the label-free investigation of small molecule-aptamer interactions using a modularized organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) platform. Leveraging the high sensitivity of the OECT, we measured the conformational change of the aptamer encountering its ligand.

Same-day multiplex detection of foodborne bacterial pathogens for clinical diagnostics and food safety.

Aims: This study aims to develop and evaluate a rapid and high-multiplex pathogen detection method for clinical and food specimens to address the ongoing public health threat of foodborne infections and the limitations of conventional culture-based diagnostics.

Methods And Results: The foodborne bacteria (FBB) assay integrates multiplex PCR, T7 exonuclease hydrolysis, and a suspension bead array to simultaneously detect 16 genes from 13 major foodborne bacteria. Analytical performance was evaluated using reference strains, while diagnostic performance was assessed using clinical and food samples.

Validating the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Short Version (RCADS-25) in Chinese Preadolescents.

Youth anxiety and depression are rising rapidly worldwide, highlighting the need for efficient school-based assessment tools across sociocultural contexts. The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) is one of the most widely used screening measures, with demonstrated cross-cultural applicability. However, its psychometric properties have rarely been evaluated in Chinese populations.

Distribution and Relative Size of Protein Binding Domains Cooperatively Influence Phase Separation of Protein-RNA Mixtures.

Multivalent protein-protein interactions play essential roles in mediating liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) that drives biomolecular condensate formation. Here, we systematically investigate how the spatial distribution and relative size of protein binding domains (PBDs) would influence LLPS in a mixture of spherical proteins and RNA single strands by using a patchy-particle polymer model, wherein each protein contains a fixed number of PBDs on the surface distributed closely or sparsely. Intriguingly, we find that LLPS behavior exhibits a nontrivial dependence on the cooperative interplay between PBD distribution and protein size: while sparsely distributed PBDs are more favorable to LLPS for small proteins, closely packed PBDs facilitate LLPS for larger counterparts.