Functionalized covalent organic frameworks for catalytic conversion of biomass-derived xylan to furfural.

A direct synthesis strategy was employed to prepare functionalized COFs enriched with acidic sites, using various precursor monomers. The functionalized COFs were applied in the catalytic conversion of biomass-derived xylan to furfural in the liquid phase. The study further assessed the recyclability and reusability of these COFs, explored the relationship between their structural features and catalytic performance, and investigated the reaction mechanism underlying the COF-catalyzed conversion of xylan to furfural.

Effect of Seed Hydropriming on the Elongation of Plumule and Radicle During the Germination Process and Changes in Enzyme Activity Under Water-Deficient Conditions.

Hydropriming rice seeds effectively improve the germination percentage, shortens the germination period, and promotes seedling growth. The impact of seed hydropriming is to speed up growth under dry soil conditions, thereby avoiding drought damage. This study analyzes the effect of hydropriming on morpho-physiological changes in the water uptake of rice seeds using "Kasalath" and "Nipponbare" under water-deficit conditions.

A Combined Extract from and Mitigates PM-Induced Respiratory Damage by NF-κB/TGF-β1 Pathway.

This research evaluated the protective role of a combined extract of and (DBZO) against respiratory dysfunction caused by particulate matter (PM) exposure in BALB/c mice. The bioactive compounds identified in the DBZO are catechin, astragalin, 6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, and 6-shogaol. DBZO ameliorated cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in PM-stimulated A549 and RPMI 2650 cells.

The association between residing in regions with population decline and receiving management education or treatment in patients with hypertension.

Background: Many districts in rural areas of Korea are facing population decline due to the aging population phenomenon. This study examined the associations of rural residency with the likelihood of receiving hypertension management education and nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatment.

Methods: Data from the 2022 Korea Community Health Survey were used to identify individuals aged 19 years or above diagnosed with hypertension.

MtrAB two-component system is crucial for the intrinsic resistance and virulence of Mycobacterium abscessus.

Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab) poses serious therapeutic challenges, largely due to its intrinsic resistance to many antibiotics. The development of targeted therapeutic strategies necessitates the identification of bacterial factors that contribute to its reduced susceptibility to antibiotics and/or to the killing by its host cells. In this study, we discovered that Mab strains with disrupted mtrA, mtrB or both, or a gene-edited mtrA encoding MtrA with Tyr102Cys mutation, exhibited highly increased sensitivity to various drugs compared to the wild-type Mab.

Physicochemical properties of surimi made from edible insects using washing and pH shift methods.

Edible insects, characterized by their eco-friendly nature and high nutrient value, are promising protein sources. Therefore, we aimed to assess the suitability of insects as source ingredients for surimi, a widely-used, intermediate food material. Mealworm ( L.

Efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus famitinib in patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer: a single-arm, phase II trial.

Background: For non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who progressed after first-line chemotherapy, immunotherapy targeting programmed cell death (ligand) 1 has shown promising activity. However, the activity is relatively limited in patients harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus famitinib in previously treated patients with locally advanced and metastatic NSCLC.

Diminished attention network activity and heightened salience-default mode transitions in generalized anxiety disorder: Evidence from resting-state EEG microstate analysis.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry and physical symptoms such as difficulty concentrating and sleep disturbances. Although functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have reported aberrant network-level activity related to cognition and emotion in GAD, its low temporal resolution restricts its ability to capture the rapid neural activity in mental processes. EEG microstate analysis offers millisecond-resolution for tracking the dynamic changes in brain electrical activity, thereby illuminating the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the cognitive and emotional dysfunctions in GAD.

Surface enzyme-polymerization endows Janus hydrogel tough adhesion and regenerative repair in penetrating orocutaneous fistulas.

Penetrating orocutaneous or oropharyngeal fistulas (POFs), severe complications following unsuccessful oral or oropharyngeal reconstruction, remain complex clinical challenges due to lack of supportive tissue, contamination with saliva and chewed food, and dynamic oral environment. Here, we present a Janus hydrogel adhesive (JHA) with asymmetric functions on opposite sides fabricated via a facile surface enzyme-initiated polymerization (SEIP) approach, which self-entraps surface water and blood within an in-situ formed hydrogel layer (RL) to effectively bridge biological tissues with a supporting hydrogel (SL), achieving superior wet-adhesion and seamless wound plugging. The tough SL hydrogel interlocked with RL dissipates energy to withstand external mechanical stimuli from continuous oral motions like chewing and swallowing, thus reducing stress-induced damage.

STLBRF: an improved random forest algorithm based on standardized-threshold for feature screening of gene expression data.

When the traditional random forest (RF) algorithm is used to select feature elements in biostatistical data, a large amount of noise data and parameters can affect the importance of the selected feature elements, making the control of feature selection difficult. Therefore, it is a challenge for the traditional RF algorithm to preserve the accuracy of algorithm results in the presence of noise data. Generally, directly removing noise data can result in significant bias in the results.

RNF5 exacerbates steatotic HCC by enhancing fatty acid oxidation via the improvement of CPT1A stability.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is expected to become the leading risk factor for liver cancer, surpassing viral hepatitis. Unlike viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the role of excessive nutrient supply in steatotic HCC is not well understood, hindering effective prevention and treatment strategies. Therefore, it is crucial to identify key molecules in the pathogenesis of steatotic HCC, investigate changes in metabolic reprogramming due to excessive fatty acid (FA) supply, understand its molecular mechanisms, and find potential therapeutic targets.

Development of a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry based targeted metabolomics method for discovering diagnostic biomarkers in Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease (KD) has emerged as the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children, primarily due to the absence of highly sensitive and specific biomarkers for early and accurate diagnosis. To address this issue, a simple and comprehensive targeted metabolomics method employing ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q-TRAP mass spectrometry has been developed to identify new metabolite biomarkers for KD. This method enables the simultaneous quantification of 276 metabolites, covering 60 metabolic pathways, with a particular emphasis on metabolites relevant to KD.

Unveiling the complexities of economic, development and governance factors in belt and road countries: A leap forward towards environmental management.

Ecological footprint (EF) is a useful tool for benchmarking environmental performance and monitoring progress toward a sustainable future. The influence of economic, developmental, and governance factors on EF poses a significant threat to ecological balance. However, existing studies have largely overlooked the interactive relationships among these factors and their impacts on the EF across different regions.

Exploring fatty acid metabolism in Alzheimer's disease: the key role of CPT1A.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a severe neurodegenerative disease, and the most common type of dementia, with symptoms of progressive cognitive dysfunction and behavioral impairment. Studying the pathogenesis of AD and exploring new targets for the prevention and treatment of AD is a very worthwhile challenge. Accumulating evidence has highlighted the effects of fatty acid metabolism on AD.

High-performance supercapacitors based on coarse nanofiber bundle and ordered network hydrogels.

Most of the developed flexible hydrogel supercapacitors struggle to maintain their electrochemical stability and structural integrity under tensile strain. Therefore, developing a flexible supercapacitor with excellent mechanical properties and stable electrochemical performance under different strains remains a challenge. Based on the previous cartilage-like structure, we designed a new coarse nanofiber bundle and ordered network.

Core-Shell Magnetic Particles: Tailored Synthesis and Applications.

Core-shell magnetic particles consisting of magnetic core and functional shells have aroused widespread attention in multidisciplinary fields spanning chemistry, materials science, physics, biomedicine, and bioengineering due to their distinctive magnetic properties, tunable interface features, and elaborately designed compositions. In recent decades, various surface engineering strategies have been developed to endow them desired properties (e.g.

Cadmium biphasically impacts the adaptive immune system via regulating mitochondrial activation of hematopoietic stem cells in mice.

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic metal in human body, and therefore understanding the immunotoxicity of Cd is significant for public health. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in regulating the immunotoxicity of Cd. After exposure to 10 ppm Cd via drinking water for up to 9 months, C57BL/6 mice had a suppressed adaptive immune system at day 135 but had an enhanced adaptive immune system at day 270 during Cd exposure.

Novel approach to achieving net-zero carbon emissions for development and utilization of coal: Principle, methods, and cost estimation.

China's energy mix is coal-dominated; therefore, it is unrealistic for the country to achieve carbon neutrality through complete decarbonization. As the world's largest carbon emitter, achieving global carbon reduction targets necessitates that China develops low-carbon, clean, safe, and efficient coal development and utilization technologies. This study proposes a new low-carbon coal development and utilization method that integrates in-situ conversion mining and mineral carbonation (ICMMC) to realize coal mining and separation, in-situ backfilling, in-situ conversion, energy storage, and carbon sequestration.

Association between personality and cognitive bias in adults with and without depression.

Background: Cognitive bias plays a crucial role in the onset and persistence of depression. Research has established a link between personality traits and cognitive bias; however, most of them focused on the general population, overlooking individuals with depression. We aim to explore the relationship between personality and cognitive bias in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and compare the results with healthy controls (HCs) to identify potential patterns.

Long-term effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in variant histology locally advanced colon cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis.

Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has proven valuable in treating locally advanced colon cancer (LACC) and is included as a treatment option for patients with clinical T4b colon cancer by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. However, the long-term survival benefit of NAC in LACC remains debated, due to a lack of conclusive clinical trial results identifying the patients who would benefit most from NAC. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of NAC in patients with LACC based on histological subtype.

Water Microdroplets Promote Spontaneous Oxidation of Amino Acid- and Peptide-related Thiols to Disulfide Bonds.

Disulfide bonds (S-S) play a critical role in modern biochemistry, organic synthesis and prebiotic chemistry. Traditional methods for synthesizing disulfide bonds often rely on oxygen, alkali, and metal catalysts. Herein, thiol groups involved in amino acids and peptides were spontaneously converted into symmetrical and unsymmetrical disulfide bonds within water microdroplets, without the need for catalysts or oxygen, and under room temperature.

VvCCD7, a novel strigolactone synthesis gene in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), increases sensitivity to drought and low-phosphorus stress in transgenic Arabidopsis.

As a new plant hormone, strigolactone not only promotes leaf senescence, inhibits plant branching and regulates root structure, but also plays an important role in abiotic stress resistance. However, little is known about the function of VvCCD7 under abiotic stress, a key gene for the synthesis of strigolactone in grapevine. In this study, VvCCD7 gene was cloned from grape leaves of 'Cabernet Sauvignon'.