Enhancing Biodegradation of Insoluble High Molecular Weight Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Macroemulsion (ME) Bioreactors with a Liquid-Liquid Interface.

Due to the low bioavailability and insolubility of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAHs) in aqueous solutions, their degradation efficiency is significantly limited in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation. To address this challenge, we designed oil-in-water (O/W) macroemulsion (ME) bioreactors with mixed surfactants (Tween-80 and Triton X-100), -butanol, corn oil, and () to enhance the degradation efficiency of pyrene. Owing to the higher solubility of pyrene in MEs, it could be easily adsorbed onto hydrophobic groups on the cell surface.

Urolithin B suppresses phenotypic switch in vascular smooth muscle cells induced by PDGF-BB via inhibiting the PI3K-AKT pathway.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a prevalent cardiovascular condition, and the growth and phenotypic switch of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play a crucial role in its development. Studies have revealed that the activation of certain transcription factors and signaling pathways can trigger these cellular changes. Consequently, targeting these pathways and pivotal molecules has emerged as a promising strategy for AS treatment.

The Roles of DMT1 in Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases.

Iron homeostasis is critical for multiple physiological and pathological processes. DMT1, a core iron transporter, is expressed in almost all cells and organs and altered in response to various conditions, whereas, there is few reviews focusing on DMT1 in diseases associated with aberrant iron metabolism. Based on available knowledge, this review described a full view of DMT1 and summarized the roles of DMT1 and DMT1-mediated iron metabolism in the onset and development of inflammatory and degenerative diseases.

Enhanced removal of sulfonamide antibiotics in water using high-performance S-nZVI/BC derived from rice straw.

Sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs) are widely used in the biomedical field but pose an environmental risk as ecotoxic pollutants. Developing eco-friendly methods to degrade SAs into harmless compounds is crucial. In this work, biochar (BC) was prepared from rice straw via pyrolysis and used to support S-nZVI, thereby forming the S-nZVI/BC composites.

TET3-facilitated differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into oligodendrocyte precursor cells for spinal cord injury recovery.

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) inflicts a severe burden on patients and lacks effective treatments. Owing to the poor regenerative capabilities of endogenous oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) following SCI, there is a growing interest in alternative sources, such as human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSCs). TET3 is a key DNA demethylase that plays an important role in neural differentiation, but its role in OPC formation is not well understood.

Systematic insight into the dual COX-2/5-LOX inhibitory mechanism of Duhuo Jisheng decoction for treatment of osteoarthritis based on in silico and bioassay.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is frequently used to treat osteoarthritis (OA). Duhuo Jisheng decoction (DHJSD), a Chinese patent medicine, was commonly used Chinese herbal formula for the treatment of OA. In Western medicine, dual inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) enzyme has been proved to be a promising strategy to treat inflammatory diseases with reduced side effects.

Insights into biofilm architecture and maturation enable improved clinical strategies for exopolysaccharide-targeting therapeutics.

Polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA), an exopolysaccharide composed of poly-N-acetyl glucosamine (PNAG), is an essential component in many pathogenic biofilms. Partial deacetylation of PNAG is required for biofilm formation, but limited structural knowledge hinders therapeutic development. Employing a new monoclonal antibody (TG10) that selectively binds highly deacetylated PNAG and an antibody (F598) in clinical trials that binds highly acetylated PNAG, we demonstrate that PIA within the biofilm contains distinct regions of highly acetylated and deacetylated exopolysaccharide, contrary to the previous model invoking stochastic deacetylation throughout the biofilm.

Non-compaction of the ventricular myocardium associated with large patent ductus arteriosus: primary or secondary?

Background: The absence of other structural heart disease is a prerequisite for the diagnosis of non-compaction of the ventricular myocardium (NVM). We also observed that the phenomenon of non-compaction in ventricular muscle in some large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) patients in children. This study was aimed to explore the prognosis of NVM associated with large PDA in children and provide a better understanding of the interplay between genetic and hemodynamic factors that lead to the phenotype of NVM.

Compact multi-port multi-wavelength laser source with Tbps transmission for optical I/O technology.

In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel compact multi-port multi-wavelength laser source (MP-MWL) for the optical I/O technology. The multi-wavelength DFB laser array is used for realizing the simultaneous emission of multiple wavelengths. The reconstruction equivalent chirp technique is used to design and fabricate the π-phase shifted DFB laser array to achieve precise wavelength spacing.

Low-loss, single-polarization, anti-bending, anti-resonant fiber applicable to the small flexibility field.

In this paper, a novel hollow-core anti-resonant optical fiber is proposed. We confirm that the U-shaped nested tubes can better compress the fiber core compared with the circular and semi-circular nested tubes to further reduce the loss and improve the single polarization characteristics. The proposed optical fiber has an ultra-low loss of 0.

Exploring the effects of cellulose sources on silver reduction and the bacterial removal of nanocellulose-based hydrogel beads.

With water access challenged, there is a need to develop efficient and sustainable alternatives for water purification. Here, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) isolated from three source materials (softwood, soybean hulls and oat straw) were compared for the generation of hydrogels beads, and compared as support and reducing agent for silver nanoparticles formation. The silver-functionalized hydrogel beads (Ag-CNFs) were characterized, and the surface energy and specific surface area were evaluated.

Meta-analysis of the effects of probiotics on hyperlipidemia.

Background: The potential role of probiotics in mitigating hyperlipidemia has garnered increasing evidence, yet the specific mechanisms warrant further investigation.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the alterations in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), a hypothesized lipid-lowering mechanism of probiotics, in animal models and to evaluate the lipid-lowering effects of probiotics on hyperlipidemic animal models through a meta-analysis of preclinical experiments. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar up to June 2024 yielded nine studies that met the inclusion criteria (INPLASY registration number: No.

The Predictive Value of PKC and ET-1 Levels in Cerebrospinal Fluid for Vasospasm and Prognosis in Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Objective: To analyze the predictive value of protein kinase C (PKC) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in cerebrospinal fluid for vasospasm and prognosis in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (ASH).

Methods: One hundred and forty-eight ASH patients hospitalized in our hospital during February 2019 to February 2022 were optioned as observation subjects. These subjects were graded into good prognosis group (mRS score 0-2, n = 102) and poor prognosis group (mRS score 3-6, n = 46) according to the Rankin Revised Scale Score (mRS) after 6 months of follow-up.

PLK2-mediated phosphorylation of SQSTM1 S349 promotes aggregation of polyubiquitinated proteins upon proteasomal dysfunction.

Dysregulation in protein homeostasis results in accumulation of protein aggregates, which are sequestered into dedicated insoluble compartments so-called inclusion bodies or aggresomes, where they are scavenged through different mechanisms to reduce proteotoxicity. The protein aggregates can be selectively scavenged by macroautophagy/autophagy called aggrephagy, which is mediated by the autophagic receptor SQSTM1. In this study, we have identified PLK2 as an important regulator of SQSTM1-mediated aggregation of polyubiquitinated proteins.

Automated High-Throughput Atomic Force Microscopy Single-Cell Nanomechanical Assay Enabled by Deep Learning-Based Optical Image Recognition.

Mechanical forces are essential for life activities, and the mechanical phenotypes of single cells are increasingly gaining attention. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been a standard method for single-cell nanomechanical assays, but its efficiency is limited due to its reliance on manual operation. Here, we present a study of deep learning image recognition-assisted AFM that enables automated high-throughput single-cell nanomechanical measurements.

Association between serum neurofilament light chains and depression: A cross-sectional study based on NHANES 2013-2014 database.

Background: Serum neurofilament light chain (sNfl), identified as a promising biomarker, is a protein released into the bloodstream post-axonal damage. Studies on its correlation with depression, however, remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between sNfL levels and risk of depression among a representative segment of the U.

Structural and virologic mechanism of the emergence of resistance to M inhibitors in SARS-CoV-2.

We generated SARS-CoV-2 variants resistant to three SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M) inhibitors (nirmatrelvir, TKB245, and 5h), by propagating the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 in VeroE6 cells with increasing concentrations of each inhibitor and examined their structural and virologic profiles. A predominant E166V-carrying variant (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged when passaged with nirmatrelvir and TKB245, proved to be resistant to the two inhibitors. A recombinant SARS-CoV-2 was resistant to nirmatrelvir and TKB245, but sensitive to 5h.