Noncovalently Bridging Cell-Surface Proteins Using Synthetic Peptides to Modulate Cell Apoptosis.

Controlled high-order clustering of cell-surface proteins is an essential but unmatched regulatory mechanism in living systems for the modulation of cell behavior. Here, we present a strategy for generating extended and tunable one-dimensional clusters of death receptors on live cell surfaces by employing synthetic peptides to noncovalently bridging the proteins. The on-cell assembly process is validated through super-resolution fluorescence imaging and fluorescence lifetime imaging analyses.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging of human pancreatic lipase activity using a novel probe for early diagnosis of severe acute pancreatitis.

Severe Acute Pancreatitis, a serious condition caused by factors such as gallstones and chronic excessive alcohol consumption, with a very high mortality rate. Human pancreatic lipase (hPL) is a key digestive enzyme and abnormal activity levels of this enzyme are important indicators for diagnosing and monitoring pancreatic diseases. A fluorescent probe, LPP, has been developed to monitor the activity of hPL, especially in cases of SAP.

The impact of human capital misallocation on green economy efficiency: Empirical analysis of Chinese urban agglomerations.

This paper uses panel data of 260 prefecture-level cities from 2000 to 2019 to explore spatial characteristics such as spatiotemporal divergence and dynamic convergence based on measuring the level of human capital misallocation in Chinese cities and empirically tests the green development effect of human capital misallocation. The study finds that: ① the human capital misallocation levels of the country and the eight major urban agglomerations show a fluctuating downward trend. ② Divergences in human capital misallocation continue to narrow across the country and urban agglomerations, and the difference between inter-urban agglomerations is the primary source of regional difference.

Does exercise adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to improved subjective well-being? A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: This study aims to investigate whether exercise adherence and positive mental character significantly affect subjective well-being among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether positive mental character plays a mediating role.

Methods: The study employed questionnaires, including the Exercise Adherence Scale, the Positive Mental Character Scale, and the Subjective Well-Being Scale, which were administered to students across seven universities in Henan Province, China. A total of 1,001 participants were analyzed in the final sample.

Homocysteine levels are associated with diabetes mellitus in Chinese with H-type hypertension.

Background/objectives: The study examined the association between homocysteine and diabetes mellitus in patients with H-type hypertension and assessed the possible effect modifiers.

Subjects/methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,255 eligible participants in the 'H-type Hypertension Management and Stroke Prevention Strategic International Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Project' among rural Chinese people with H-type hypertension. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between homocysteine and diabetes mellitus.

Construction of a Multifunctional Upconversion Nanoplatform Based on Autophagy Inhibition and Photodynamic Therapy Combined with Chemotherapy for Antitumor Therapy.

Inhibition of autophagy increases the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy and improves the therapeutic effect on tumors. Recently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with chemotherapy has been proven to further improve the efficiency of cancer treatment. As such, combining autophagy inhibition with PDT and chemotherapy may represent a potentially effective new strategy for cancer treatment.

Exploring the protective association between COVID-19 infection and laryngeal cancer: insights from a Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: Viral infections have been implicated as a risk factor for laryngeal cancer. Given the possible effects of Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the laryngeal tissue, we investigated the causal link between COVID-19 and laryngeal cancer using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.

Methods: We utilized genetic data from the 5th Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) edition of the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (published on January 18, 2021) and a large-scale laryngeal cancer GWAS comprising 180 cases and 218,612 controls of European ancestry.

Structural basis of the monkeypox virus mRNA cap N7 methyltransferase complex.

The global outbreak of Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), has attracted international attention and become another major infectious disease event after COVID-19. The mRNA cap N7 methyltransferase (RNMT) of MPXV methylates the N7 position of the added guanosine to the 5'-cap structure of mRNAs and plays a vital role in evading host antiviral immunity. MPXV RNMT is composed of the large subunit E1 and the small subunit E12.

The Structural and Molecular Mechanisms of Translational Elongation Factor Proteins.

Targeting translation factor proteins holds promise for developing innovative anti-tuberculosis drugs. During protein translation, many factors cause ribosomes to stall at messenger RNA (mRNA). To maintain protein homeostasis, bacteria have evolved various ribosome rescue mechanisms, including the predominant trans-translation process, to release stalled ribosomes and remove aberrant mRNAs.

Gastroprotective effects of polysaccharides from purple sweet potato ( (L.) Lam) on an ethanol-induced gastric ulcer regulating immunity and activating the PI3K/Akt/Rheb/mTOR pathway.

The study aimed to investigate the alleviation of an ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in mice by apolysaccharide (PSP) from purple sweet potato ( (L.) Lam) and explore the mechanism. The anti-ulcer activity was determined by histopathological evaluation, total gastric acidity, pepsin activity, gastric ulcer index and gastric ulcer inhibition rate.

A novel near-infrared fluorescent probe for real-time monitoring of leucine aminopeptidase activity and metastatic tumor progression.

This article discusses the importance of early tumor detection, particularly in liver cancer, and the role of leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) as a potential marker for liver cancer diagnosis and prognosis assessment. The article highlights the limitations of current tumor markers and the need for new markers and multi-marker approaches to improve accuracy. The authors introduce a novel near-infrared fluorescent probe, NTAP, designed for LAP detection.

Greenhouse gas emissions of sewage sludge land application in urban green space: A field experiment in a Bermuda grassland.

Sewage sludge land application is recognized as a strategy for recycling resource and replenishing soil nutrients. However, the subsequent greenhouse gas emissions following this practice are not yet fully understood, and the lack of quantitative research and field experiments monitoring these emissions hampers the establishment of reliable emission factors. This study investigated the greenhouse gas emission characteristics of sewage sludge land application through a field experiment that monitoring soil greenhouse gas fluxes.

Perspectives: Light Control of Magnetism and Device Development.

Accurately controlling magnetic and spin states presents a significant challenge in spintronics, especially as demands for higher data storage density and increased processing speeds grow. Approaches such as light control are gradually supplanting traditional magnetic field methods. Traditionally, the modulation of magnetism was predominantly achieved through polarized light with the help of ultrafast light technologies.

Deep Learning-Assisted Automated Multidimensional Single Particle Tracking in Living Cells.

The translational and rotational dynamics of anisotropic optical nanoprobes revealed in single particle tracking (SPT) experiments offer molecular-level information about cellular activities. Here, we report an automated high-speed multidimensional SPT system integrated with a deep learning algorithm for tracking the 3D orientation of anisotropic gold nanoparticle probes in living cells with high localization precision (<10 nm) and temporal resolution (0.9 ms), overcoming the limitations of rotational tracking under low signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) conditions.

Ibrutinib-induced pulmonary angiotensin-converting enzyme activation promotes atrial fibrillation in rats.

The molecular mechanism of ibrutinib-induced atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. We here demonstrate that treating rats with ibrutinib for 4 weeks resulted in the development of inducible AF, left atrial enlargement, atrial fibrosis, and downregulation of connexin expression, which were associated with C-terminal Src kinase (CSK) inhibition and Src activation. Ibrutinib upregulated angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) protein expression in human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) by inhibiting the PI3K-AKT pathway, subsequently increasing circulating angiotensin II (Ang II) levels.

Reaction-Initiated Single-Molecule Tracking of Mass Transfer in Core-Shell Mesoporous Silica Particles.

Understanding the host-guest interactions in porous materials is of great importance in the field of separation science. Probing it at the single-molecule level uncovers the inter- and intraparticle inhomogeneity and establishes structure-property relationships for guiding the design of porous materials for better separation performance. In this work, we investigated the dynamics of host-guest interactions in core-shell mesoporous silica particles under in situ conditions by using a fluorogenic reaction-initiated single-molecule tracking (riSMT) approach.

Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography for Diagnosis of Small Intestinal Leiomyosarcoma with Hepatic Metastasis: A Clinical Report of One Case and Review of the Literature.

Background: Small intestinal leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical symptoms are atypical and can be complicated by gastrointestinal bleeding and intestinal obstruction.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 73-year-old patient with small intestinal smooth muscle sarcoma with hepatic metastasis.

Methionine-CBS axis promotes intracellular ROS levels by reprogramming serine metabolism.

As a non-essential amino acid, cysteine could be obtained through both exogenous uptake and endogenous de novo synthesis pathways. Research has demonstrated that restricting the uptake of cystine could result in a depletion of intracellular cysteine and glutathione, ultimately leading to an increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. However, the role of methionine in regulating intracellular ROS levels is currently unclear.

Coordinates in low-dimensional cell shape-space discriminate migration dynamics from single static cell images.

Cell shape has long been used to discern cell phenotypes and states, but the underlying premise has not been quantitatively tested. Here, we show that a single cell image can be used to discriminate its migration behavior by analyzing a large number of cell migration data in vitro. We analyzed a large number of two-dimensional cell migration images over time and found that the cell shape variation space has only six dimensions, and migration behavior can be determined by the coordinates of a single cell image in this 6-dimensional shape-space.

In situ imaging of signaling molecule carbon monoxide in plants with a fluorescent probe.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a recently discovered gasotransmitter. In animals, it has been found that endogenously produced CO participates in the regulation of various metabolic processes. Recent research has indicated that CO, acting as a signaling molecule, plays a crucial regulatory role in plant development and their response to abiotic stress.

The efficacy and mechanism of vonoprazan-containing triple therapy in the eradication of .

Vonoprazan (VPZ) produces a strong acid-inhibitory effect, which can potentially eradicate . We aimed to assess whether a 14-day VPZ-containing triple therapy was safe and effective in the Chinese population and the potential mechanism. Enrolled patients confirmed to be infected with were randomly divided into four groups: VPZ + doxycycline + furazolidone, VPZ + doxycycline + amoxicillin, esomeprazole (EPZ) + bismuth + doxycycline + furazolidone, and EPZ + colloidal bismuth + doxycycline + amoxicillin for 14 days.

Single Exosome Amperometric Measurements Reveal Encapsulation of Chemical Messengers for Intercellular Communication.

In multicellular organisms, cells typically communicate by sending and receiving chemical signals. Chemical messengers involved in the exocytosis of neuroendocrine cells or neurons are generally assumed to only originate from the fusing of intracellular large dense core vesicles (LDCVs) or synaptic vesicles with the cellular membrane following stimulation. Accumulated evidence suggests that exosomes─one of the main extracellular vesicles (EVs)─carrying cell-dependent DNA, mRNA, proteins, etc.

Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions of typical sewage sludge incineration treatment route based on two case studies in China.

The rapidly increasing amount of municipal sewage sludge generated in China necessitates a thorough examination and evaluation of available treatment options. In recent years, thermal-drying and incineration technology has gained popularity, however, it may lead to significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Nevertheless, the differences in boundary conditions and technological characteristic across various cases may affect emission levels significantly.