Macrophage MST1 protects against schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis by promoting the PPARγ-CD36 pathway and suppressing NF-κB signaling.

Schistosomiasis is characterized by egg-induced hepatic granulomas and subsequent fibrosis. Monocyte-derived macrophages play critical and plastic roles in the progression and regression of liver fibrosis, adopting different polarization phenotypes. Mammalian STE20-like protein kinase 1 (MST1), a serine/threonine kinase, has been established to act as a negative regulator of macrophage-associated inflammation.

Evolution of Plant Genome Size and Composition.

The rapid development of sequencing technology has led to an explosion of plant genome data, opening up more opportunities for research in the field of comparative evolutionary analysis of plant genomes. In this review, we focus on changes in plant genome size and composition, examining the effects of polyploidy, whole-genome duplication, and alternations in transposable elements on plant genome architecture and evolution, respectively. In addition, to address gaps in the available information, we also collected and analyzed 234 representative plant genome data as a supplement.

Integrated mental stress smartwatch based on sweat cortisol and HRV sensors.

Mental stress, a human's common emotion that is difficult to recognize and describe, can give rise to serious psychological disorders. Skin and sweat are easily accessible sources of biomarkers and bio-signals that contain information about mental stress. It is challenging for current wearable devices to monitor psychological stress in real-time with a non-invasive manner.

The geology and evolution of the Near-Earth binary asteroid system (65803) Didymos.

Images collected during NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission provide the first resolved views of the Didymos binary asteroid system. These images reveal that the primary asteroid, Didymos, is flattened and has plausible undulations along its equatorial perimeter. At high elevations, its surface is rough and contains large boulders and craters; at low elevations its surface is smooth and possesses fewer large boulders and craters.

are ubiquitous mixotrophic bacteria playing important roles in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling in global oceans.

Mixotrophy is an important trophic strategy for bacterial survival in the ocean. However, the global relevance and identity of the major mixotrophic taxa remain largely elusive. Here, we combined phylogenetic, metagenomic, and metatranscriptomic analyses to characterize ubiquitous based on our deep-sea incubations and the global data.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-degrading bacteria in the pelagic deep-sea sediments of the Pacific Ocean.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic pollution is widely found in deep-sea sediments. Despite being an international environmental issue, it remains unclear whether PET can be degraded through bioremediation in the deep sea. Pelagic sediments obtained from 19 sites across a wide geographic range in the Pacific Ocean were used to screen for bacteria with PET degrading potential.

Design of Inhibitors Targeting Chitin-Degrading Enzymes by Bioisostere Substitutions and Scaffold Hopping for Selective Control of .

Chitin-degrading enzymes are critical components in regulating the molting process of the Asian corn borer and serve as potential targets for controlling this destructive pest of maize. Here, we used a scaffold-hopping strategy to design a series of efficient naphthylimide insecticides. Among them, compound exhibited potent inhibition of chitinase from Chi-h and ChtI at low nanomolar concentrations (IC = 1.

The levels of IL1RN is a factor influencing the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

With the improvement of global dietary conditions, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has gradually become prevalent. As the number of NAFLD patients increases, the coexistence of diseases associated with it has come into focus. In this study, based on immune phenotypes, intercellular communication activities, and clinical manifestations of NAFLD patients, IL1RN was identified as a central pro-inflammatory factor.

Intermolecular interactions in mixed dye systems and the effects on dye wastewater treatment processes.

Dye wastewater discharge is a critical concern across textiles, paper, cosmetics, and other industries. This study explores the impact of dye-dye interactions on chemical coagulation and ultrafiltration process. Using basic and reactive dyes, representing cationic and anionic compounds, the intricate interplay between these dyes was examined through spectroscopic analysis.

Progress in the treatment of drug-loaded nanomaterials in renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common urinary tract tumor that arises from the highly heterogeneous epithelium of the renal tubules. The incidence of kidney cancer is second only to the incidence of bladder cancer, and has shown an upward trend over time. Although surgery is the preferred treatment for localized RCC, treatment decisions should be customized to individual patients considering their overall health status and the risk of developing or worsening chronic kidney disease postoperatively.

Efficiently Removing Heavy Metals from High-Salinity Wastewater via Ionic Liquid-Based Aqueous Biphasic Systems.

For the separation of metal ions, ionic liquid-based aqueous biphasic systems (IL-ABSs) offer a promising alternative to solvent extraction. However, the incorporation of an extensive quantity of inorganic salts restricts their practical application. Because heavy metal wastewater often contains high concentrations of inorganic salts, it offers good prospects for the application of IL-ABSs in the separation of heavy metals.

Novel mechanisms for the synthesis of important secondary metabolites in seed revealed by multi-omics data.

Although the detailed biosynthetic mechanism is still unclear, the unique secondary metabolites of , including ginkgolic acids (GAs) and terpene trilactones, have attracted increasing attention for their potent medicinal, physiological and biochemical properties. In particular, GAs have shown great potential in the fields of antibacterial and insecticidal activities, making it urgent to elucidate their biosynthetic mechanism. In this study, we systematically revealed the landscape of metabolic-transcriptional regulation across continuous growth stages of seeds (GBS) based on multi-omics mining and experimental verification, and successfully identified all major types of GAs and terpene trilactones along with more than a thousand kinds of other metabolites.

Application of Natural Bioresources to Sustainable Agriculture: A -Glycoside Insecticide Based on -Acetyl-glucosamine for Regulating Insect Molting of .

In order to increase the application of natural bioresources in drug discovery and development, a study on -acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc) derivatives of chitin as green pesticides was necessary. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of novel glycoside naphthalimides using GlcNAc as a starting material. Compound showed high inhibitory activity against Hex1 (IC = 1.

Momentum transfer from the DART mission kinetic impact on asteroid Dimorphos.

The NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission performed a kinetic impact on asteroid Dimorphos, the satellite of the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos, at 23:14 UTC on 26 September 2022 as a planetary defence test. DART was the first hypervelocity impact experiment on an asteroid at size and velocity scales relevant to planetary defence, intended to validate kinetic impact as a means of asteroid deflection. Here we report a determination of the momentum transferred to an asteroid by kinetic impact.

Ejecta from the DART-produced active asteroid Dimorphos.

Some active asteroids have been proposed to be formed as a result of impact events. Because active asteroids are generally discovered by chance only after their tails have fully formed, the process of how impact ejecta evolve into a tail has, to our knowledge, not been directly observed. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission of NASA, in addition to having successfully changed the orbital period of Dimorphos, demonstrated the activation process of an asteroid resulting from an impact under precisely known conditions.

Self-Aware Artificial Coiled Yarn Muscles with Enhanced Electrical Conductivity and Durability via a Two-Step Process.

Muscles are capable of modulating the body and adapting to environmental changes with a highly integrated sensing and actuation. Inspired by biological muscles, coiled/twisted fibers are adopted that can convert volume expansion into axial contraction and offer the advantages of flexibility and light weight. However, the sensing-actuation integrated fish line/yarn-based artificial muscles are still barely reported due to the poor actuation-sensing interface with off-the-shelf fibers.

Nanoparticle-mediated therapeutic management in cholangiocarcinoma drug targeting: Current progress and future prospects.

Patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) often have an unfavorable prognosis because of its insidious nature, low resectability rate, and poor response to anticancer drugs and radiotherapy, which makes early detection and treatment difficult. At present, CCA has a five-year overall survival rate (OS) of only 5%, despite advances in therapies. New an increasing number of evidence suggests that nanoplatforms may play a crucial role in enhancing the pharmacological effects and in reducing both short- and long-term side effects of cancer treatment.

Frequent Occurrence and Metabolic Versatility of Bacteria as Key Players in Organic Matter Mineralization in Global Deep Seas.

Transfer of animal and plant detritus of both terrestrial and marine origins to the deep sea occurs on a global scale. Microorganisms play an important role in mineralizing them therein, but these are yet to be identified . To observe key bacteria involved, we conducted long-term incubation and found that members of the family (MF) occurred as some of the most predominant bacteria thriving on the new inputs of plant and animal biomasses in the deep sea in both marginal and oceanic areas.

Lignin-oxidizing and xylan-hydrolyzing Vibrio involved in the mineralization of plant detritus in the continental slope.

A large amount of terrigenous organic matter (TOM) is constantly transported to the deep sea. However, relatively little is known about the microbial mineralization of TOM therein. Our recent in situ enrichment experiments revealed that Vibrio is especially enriched as one of the predominant taxa in the cultures amended with natural plant materials in the deep sea.

Current Strategies and Potential Prospects for Nanoparticle-Mediated Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a severe microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus (DM), is the most common form of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and a leading cause of renal failure in end-stage renal disease. No currently available treatment can achieve complete cure. Traditional treatments have many limitations, such as painful subcutaneous insulin injections, nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity with oral medication, and poor patient compliance with continual medication intake.

GAUSS - genesis of asteroids and evolution of the solar system: A sample return mission to Ceres.

The goal of Project GAUSS (Genesis of Asteroids and evolUtion of the Solar System) is to return samples from the dwarf planet Ceres. Ceres is the most accessible candidate of ocean worlds and the largest reservoir of water in the inner Solar System. It shows active volcanism and hydrothermal activities in recent history.

Hypertension is associated with osteoporosis: a case-control study in Chinese postmenopausal women.

Background: Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are age-related diseases. It is reported that patients with CVD have a higher risk of bone loss. This retrospective study sought to reveal the association between osteoporosis and CVD in Chinese women.

Total hip arthroplasty for tuberculosis: a case series.

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the optimal surgical options for different kinds of advanced hip tuberculosis, which are still controversial.

Methods: We reviewed seven advanced hip tuberculosis patients received operations from November 2014 to September 2018. All patients received anti-tubercular chemotherapy at least 2 weeks preoperatively and twelve months postoperatively.