KIF3C inhibits the progression and proliferation of colorectal cancer.

Background: Evidence indicated that KIF3C, a member of the kinesin superfamily of motor proteins, exhibits significant upregulation across various cancer types. Consequently, its impact on cancer advancement, including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, is evident. Nonetheless, the comprehension of KIF3C's expression and role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains limited.

Fungal Als proteins hijack host death effector domains to promote inflammasome signaling.

High-damaging Candida albicans strains tend to form hyphae and exacerbate intestinal inflammation in ulcerative colitis patients through IL-1β-dependent mechanisms. Fungal agglutinin-like sequence (Als) proteins worsen DSS-induced colitis in mouse models. FADD and caspase-8 are important regulators of gut homeostasis and inflammation.

Weakening Solvent-Solute Interactions for High-Efficiency Screen-Printed Perovskite Solar Cells.

Screen printing has emerged as a leading candidate for industrial-scale fabrication of perovskite photovoltaics. However, strong solvent-solute interaction in conventional formulations accelerates the preferential crystallization of perovskites at points, hindering the progressive phase evolution from point to line to plane. In this work, we introduced halogen ions to weaken solvent-solute interactions, achieving the reduced Pb⋅⋅⋅O coordination strength counterbalanced by enhanced Pb-I bonding interactions.

Curcumin-loaded bioadhesive silk fibroin microsphere improves islet transplantation by mitigating oxidative stress and inhibiting apoptosis.

Islet transplantation, a form of cell therapy involving the injection of healthy islet cells into the recipient's body for curative treatment of T1DM, often fails due to oxidative stress and inflammatory damage experienced by the transplanted islets. Curcumin, a naturally occurring polyphenol with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has been underutilized in islet protection due to challenges associated with its co-delivery and formulation. In this study, we developed bioadhesive curcumin microspheres (PDA/CUR@SF) by incorporating curcumin into a silk fibroin matrix and subsequently coating it with polydopamine to enhance islet adherence.

Robust Fully Screen-Printed Perovskite Solar Cells Based on Synergistic Ostwald Ripening.

Fully screen-printed process for low-cost manufacturing significantly enhances the commercial competitiveness of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the controllable crystallization in screen-printed perovskite thin films using high-viscosity ionic liquids has been suggested to be difficult, which hampers further development of fully screen-printed perovskite devices in terms of application expansion and performance improvement. Here, we report a synergistic ripening strategy to fully control crystallization by employing methylamine propionate (MAPa) ionic liquid and water (HO, moisture in the air).

α-methyltryptophan-mediated protection against diabetic nephropathy in mice as studied with a metabolomics approach.

Introduction: Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a major complication of diabetes, presents with poor clinical outcomes and affects patients throughout their lifetime. α-Methyltryptophan (α-MT) is a blocker of the amino acid transporter. SLC6A14 and also an inhibitor of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1).

Revolutionizing prognosis: Introducing cell death index (CDI) as a powerful prognostic tool for CSCC patients.

Background: Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) threatens the body health of women worldwide. This study aimed to foster a new concept of prognostic indicator named cell death index (CDI).

Methods: RNA-seq and scRNA-seq datasets were downloaded from the GEO and TCGA database as the training and validation cohorts.

Aromatic ring compounds with different conjugation degrees in a boronic acid matrix to realize multicolor phosphorescence for time division colorful multiplexing.

Long lifetime multicolor phosphorescence materials possess excellent optical properties and have important application prospects in the fields of advanced anti-counterfeiting and information encryption. However, realizing long lifetime and color-tunable room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) carbon dot (CD) materials has proved challenging. In this study, the organic precursor molecules 2-phenethylamine (2-Ph), 9-aminophenanthrene (9-Ph) and 1-aminopyrene (1-Py) with different degrees of conjugation were selected to synthesize RTP CD composites: 2-Ph@BA, 9-Ph@BA and 1-Py@BA were synthesized by mixing with a boric acid (BA) matrix under high temperature pyrolysis.

Hybrid Soft Segments Boost the Development of Ultratough Thermoplastic Elastomers with Tunable Hardness.

The hardness of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) significantly influences their suitability for various applications, but traditionally, enhancing hardness reduces toughness. Herein a method is introduced that leverages hybrid soft segments to fine-tune the hardness of TPEs without compromising their exceptional toughness. Through the selective copolymerization of polytetramethylene ether glycols (PTMEGs) at various molecular weights, supramolecular poly(urethane-urea) TPEs are molecularly engineered to cover a wide spectrum of hardness while retaining good toughness.

Attenuating Atherosclerosis through Inhibition of the NF-B/NLRP3/IL-1 Pathway-Mediated Pyroptosis in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells (VSMCs).

Objective: We investigated the effects of resveratrol (Res) and MCC950 on the pyroptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and the potential pathway.

Methods And Results: Compared with the control (Con) group, the atherosclerosis (AS) group showed calcified nodules, which suggested that the calcification medium induced the calcification of VSMCs. VSMCs showed proliferative activity and significantly attenuated calcification under treatment with 10 mol/L Res.

[ Formula improves liver function of mice with acute-on-chronic liver failure by inhibiting excessive activation of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway].

Objectives: To explore the role of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in the therapeutic mechanism of Formula (LXJDHYF) for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in mice.

Methods: Thirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into blank control group, model group, low- and high-dose LXJDHYF groups, and H151 (a specific cGAS-STING pathway inhibitor) group (6). In all but the control group, the mice were treated with CCl to induce liver cirrhosis followed by intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide and D-amino galactose to establish mouse models of ACLF.

Chondrocyte-targeted bilirubin/rapamycin carrier-free nanoparticles alleviate oxidative stress and modulate autophagy for osteoarthritis therapy.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic disease, characterized by the destruction of joint cartilage and synovitis, affects over 7 % of people worldwide. Disease-modifying treatments for OA still face significant challenges. Chondrocytes, as the exclusive cellular component of articular cartilage, play a pivotal role in synthesizing the intricate matrix of cartilage, thereby assuming a critical responsibility in facilitating its renewal and repair processes.

Disulfiram and cancer immunotherapy: Advanced nano-delivery systems and potential therapeutic strategies.

The initial focus of the clinical application of disulfiram was its efficacy in treating alcoholism. However, recent research has revealed its potential as an anti-tumor agent and even as an enhancer of cancer immunotherapy. Disulfiram has received safety approval from the FDA, indicating its safety advantages over other substances used for disease treatment.

Control of thermal uniformity in microwave heating process by BPNN and adaptive particle swarm optimization.

As China advances its green economy, innovative methods are being employed to enhance energy optimization and conservation within energy-intensive industries. Among these methods, microwave heating stands out due to its superior heating efficiency and lack of pollution. Nonetheless, uniform heating remains a challenge because the microwave absorption capacity of the heated medium varies with changes in heating time and temperature.

Cold storage promotes germination and colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal hyphae as propagules.

The inoculants of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) propagated by the culture system is important in scientific research; however, the long-term storage reduces the spore germination rate. The propagules of AMF consist of three components, including spores, hyphae and colonized root fragments. It is well known that cold storage can improve the germination rate of AMF spores, with limited investigations on the germination of other propagules.

The role of the rhizobiome recruited by root exudates in plant disease resistance: current status and future directions.

Root exudates serve as a bridge connecting plant roots and rhizosphere microbes, playing a key role in influencing the assembly and function of the rhizobiome. Recent studies have fully elucidated the role of root exudates in recruiting rhizosphere microbes to enhance plant performance, particularly in terms of plant resistance to soil-borne pathogens; however, it should be noted that the composition and amount of root exudates are primarily quantitative traits regulated by a large number of genes in plants. As a result, there are knowledge gaps in understanding the contribution of the rhizobiome to soil-borne plant disease resistance and the ternary link of plant genes, root exudates, and disease resistance-associated microbes.

Improving Prediction Accuracy of Residual Axillary Lymph Node Metastases in Node-Positive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Radiomics Analysis of Ultrasound-Guided Clip Locations Using the SHAP Method.

Rationale And Objectives: To construct a radiomics nomogram derived from multiparametric ultrasound (US) imaging using the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method for the accurate identification of residual axillary lymph node metastases post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) among patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Methods: A total of 405 consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed TNBC between 2016 and 2023 were recruited in the study and were divided into training (n = 284) and validation cohorts (n = 121). Radiomics features capturing detailed tumor characteristics were extracted from pre-NAC gray-scale US images at the locations of US-guided clip placement.

POLQ knockdown inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion by inducing cell cycle arrest in colorectal cancer.

Background: Polymerase θ (POLQ) is an error-prone translesion synthesis polymerase that participates in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Previous studies have reported that the level of POLQ expression is distinctly upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC), but little attention has been given to its function and regulation of CRC progression. This study aimed to explore the specific function of POLQ in CRC.