Asymmetrically PEGylated and amphipathic heptamethine indocyanine dyes potentiate radiotherapy of renal cell carcinoma via mitochondrial targeting.

Enhancing the sensitivity of radiotherapy (RT) towards renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains a challenge because RCC is a radioresistant tumor. In this work, we design and report asymmetrically Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)ylated and amphipathic heptamethine indocyanine dyes for efficient radiosensitization of RCC treatment. They were synthesized by modifying different lengths of PEG chains as hydrophilic moieties on one N-alkyl chain of a mitochondria-targeting heptamethine indocyanine dye (IR-808), and a radiosensitizer 2-nitroimidazole (NM) as a hydrophobic moiety on another N-alkyl chain.

CsLAC4, regulated by CsmiR397a, confers drought tolerance to the tea plant by enhancing lignin biosynthesis.

Drought is a prevalent abiotic stress that commonly affects the quality and yield of tea. Although numerous studies have shown that lignin accumulation holds significant importance in conferring drought tolerance to tea plants, the underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms governing the tea plant's response to drought remain largely elusive. LACCASEs (LACs), which belong to the class of plant copper-containing polyphenol oxidases, have been widely reported to participate in lignin biosynthesis in plants and are implicated in numerous plant life processes, especially in the context of adverse conditions.

Neural Network Methods in the Development of MEMS Sensors.

As a kind of long-term favorable device, the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor has become a powerful dominator in the detection applications of commercial and industrial areas. There have been a series of mature solutions to address the possible issues in device design, optimization, fabrication, and output processing. The recent involvement of neural networks (NNs) has provided a new paradigm for the development of MEMS sensors and greatly accelerated the research cycle of high-performance devices.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of alginate oligosaccharide derivatives.

To discover new potential drug for acute kidney injury (AKI), a series of novel alginate oligosaccharide derivatives were synthesized and characterized by the spectroscopic analysis. By using the controlled experimental method, the target compounds were evaluated preliminarily for therapeutic activity in AKI. The results demonstrated that compounds 2a, 2b, 2c and 3b exhibited notable inhibitory activity against the expression of related proteins at 250 μg/ml in vitro.

Data-driven prediction framework of surrounding rock pressure in a fully mechanized coal face with temporal-spatial correlation.

Surrounding rock pressure prediction for fully mechanized coal face (FMCF) roof management and control is of great significance. The key challenge is to effectively combine various factors to evolve the surrounding rock pressure trend with high temporal-spatial correlation and heterogeneity. The hydraulic support load is an important indicator that reflects the change in the surrounding rock pressure.

Movable surface acoustic wave tweezers: a versatile toolbox for micromanipulation.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) tweezers are a promising multifunctional micromanipulation method that controls microscale targets via patterned acoustic fields. Owing to their device structure and bonding process, most SAW tweezers have limitations in terms of controlling the position and motion of the acoustic traps, as they generate an acoustic field with a fixed region and adjust the manipulation effects via signal modulation. To address this challenge, we propose movable SAW tweezers with a multilayer structure, achieving dynamic control of their wave field and acoustic trap positions; we demonstrate their precise manipulation functions, such as translation, in-plane rotation, out-of-plane rotation, and cluster formation, on a wide spectrum of samples, including particles, bubbles, droplets, cells, and microorganisms.

Scale-independent model based on fractal theory for calculating the adhesion force between a particle and rough surfaces.

The elimination of the scale-dependent statistical parameters is a challenge in the estimation of the van der Waals force between a particle and rough surfaces. Herein, a scale-independent parameter, the fractal dimension, was introduced into the Rabinovich model to calculate the microadhesion force. First, a Weierstrass-Mandelbrot function is proposed to generate a random 2D contour, which has a simplified form and is more reasonable for spectrum analysis.

Genome-wide profiling of long non-coding RNA following ozone exposure: A randomized, controlled exposure trial.

Background: Exposure to ambient ozone has been associated with extrapulmonary health, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be understood. LncRNAs are involved in the regulation of gene expression, but their regulatory mechanisms in ozone-related health effects are scarcely explored.

Objective: To investigate genome-wide lncRNA changes after short-term ozone exposure and their regulatory roles in ozone exposure and gene expression.

Multiomics Combined with Expression Pattern Analysis Reveals the Regulatory Response of Key Genes in Potato Jasmonic Acid Signaling Pathways to Cadmium Stress.

Jasmonic acid (JA) is an endogenous phytohormone that regulates plant physiological metabolism and stress response processes, either independently or through hormone crosstalk. Our phytohormone assay and transcriptome-metabolome analysis revealed the key genes and metabolites involved in the JA pathway in response to 0-250 μM cadmium (Cd) in potato seedlings. Transcriptome gene set enrichment and gene ontology analysis indicated that JA-related genes were significantly enriched.

Metabolic pathway analysis of methane from methanol as substrate in microbial consortium.

Simplified anaerobic digestion (SAD) of substrates facilitates microbial methanogenic pathways. In this study, a methane-producing microbial consortium from cow dung was enriched to determine the metabolism and metabolic pathway in the SAD of methanol. The results showed that methanol as a sole substrate produced 167 mL of methane at 10 days significantly higher than 58 mL, 17.

A Noncationic Biocatalytic Nanobiohybrid Platform for Cytosolic Protein Delivery Through Controlled Perturbation of Intracellular Redox Homeostasis.

Intracellular delivery of proteins has largely been relying on cationic nanoparticles to induce efficient endosome escape, which, however, poses serious concerns on the inflammatory and cytotoxic effects. Herein, a versatile noncationic nano biohybrid platform is introduced for efficient cytosolic protein delivery by utilizing a nano-confined biocatalytic reaction. This platform is constructed by co-immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOx) and the target protein into nanoscale hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs).

Ten-year experience of laparoscopic partial splenectomy for patients with splenic benign lesions.

Background: The increasing comprehension of spleen function has led to the gradual endorsement of laparoscopic partial splenectomy (LPS) as a treatment option for benign spleen lesions. However, it is important to note that the LPS technique remains challenging. This study explores the standardized process and surgical techniques in LPS, aiming to promote the application of this technique.

Artificial selection of mutations in two nearby genes gave rise to shattering resistance in soybean.

Resistance to pod shattering is a key domestication-related trait selected for seed production in many crops. Here, we show that the transition from shattering in wild soybeans to shattering resistance in cultivated soybeans resulted from selection of mutations within the coding sequences of two nearby genes - Sh1 and Pdh1. Sh1 encodes a C2H2-like zinc finger transcription factor that promotes shattering by repressing SHAT1-5 expression, thereby reducing the secondary wall thickness of fiber cap cells in the abscission layers of pod sutures, while Pdh1 encodes a dirigent protein that orchestrates asymmetric lignin distribution in inner sclerenchyma, creating torsion in pod walls that facilitates shattering.

Chronic β3-AR stimulation activates distinct thermogenic mechanisms in brown and white adipose tissue and improves systemic metabolism in aged mice.

Adipose thermogenesis has been actively investigated as a therapeutic target for improving metabolic dysfunction in obesity. However, its applicability to middle-aged and older populations, which bear the highest obesity prevalence in the United States (approximately 40%), remains uncertain due to age-related decline in thermogenic responses. In this study, we investigated the effects of chronic thermogenic stimulation using the β3-adrenergic (AR) agonist CL316,243 (CL) on systemic metabolism and adipose function in aged (18-month-old) C57BL/6JN mice.

Neural signatures of default mode network subsystems in first-episode, drug-naive patients with major depressive disorder after 6-week thought induction psychotherapy treatment.

Evidence indicates that the default mode network (DMN) plays a crucial role in the neuropathology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the neural signatures of DMN subsystems in MDD after low resistance Thought Induction Psychotherapy (TIP) remain incompletely understood. We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 20 first-episode, drug-naive MDD and 20 healthy controls (HCs).

Fine-mapping of LrN3B on wheat chromosome arm 3BS, one of the two complementary genes for adult-plant leaf rust resistance.

The common wheat line 4N0461 showed adult-plant resistance to leaf rust. 4N0461 was crossed with susceptible cultivars Nongda4503 and Shi4185 to map the causal resistance gene(s). Segregation of leaf rust response in F populations from both crosses was 9 resistant:7 susceptible, indicative of two complementary dominant resistance genes.