The plant-like protein phosphatase PPKL regulates parasite replication and morphology in Toxoplasma gondii.

Background: The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii encodes dozens of phosphatases, among which a plant-like phosphatase absent from mammalian genomes named PPKL, which is involved in regulating brassinosteroid signaling in Arabidopsis, was identified in the genome. Among the Apicomplexa parasites, T. gondii is an important and representative pathogen in humans and animals.

Synthesis of the AgS/PANI@PES Composite Membrane and Its Antipollution Properties.

Membrane separation technology offers a sustainable and efficient solution to wastewater management; however, membrane fouling significantly impedes its application. Photocatalytic membranes, integrating photocatalytic and membrane separation technologies, enhance membrane separation efficacy while effectively mitigating organic and biological contaminations. In this work, AgS/PANI@PES composite membranes were prepared via a facile in situ polymerization and successive layer adsorption technique.

Singlet oxygen induces cell wall thickening and stomatal density reducing by transcriptome reprogramming.

Singlet oxygen (O) has a very short half-life of 10 s; however, it is a strong oxidant that causes growth arrest and necrotic lesions on plants. Its signaling pathway remains largely unknown. The Arabidopsis flu (fluorescent) mutant accumulates a high level of O and shows drastic changes in nuclear gene expression.

Immunogenic Radiation Therapy for Enhanced Antitumor Immunity via a Core-Shell Nanosensitizer-Mediated Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment Modulation.

Due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and weak radiation absorption, the immune response triggered by radiation therapy (RT) is limited. Herein, a core-shell nanosensitizer UiO@MnS (denoted as UM) was genuinely constructed for the amplification of RT efficacy and induction of immunogenicity via integrating MnS-reprogrammed TME with Hf-based UiO-sensitized RT. The acid-sensitive MnS would produce HS under acidic TME to improve oxygenation through inhibition mitochondrial respiration and reducing metabolic oxygen consumption, leading to decreased HIF-1α expression and enhanced radiosensitization.

Functional screening reveals prenylated proteins required for endocytic trafficking and rhoptry protein sorting.

In the apicomplexans, endocytosed cargos (e.g., hemoglobin) are trafficked to a specialized organelle for digestion.

Marijuana use is inversely associated with liver steatosis detected by transient elastography in the general United States population in NHANES 2017-2018: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The impact of marijuana on the general population is largely unknown. The present study aimed to assess the association between marijuana use and liver steatosis and fibrosis in the general United States population utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed with data from the 2017-2018 cycle of NHANES.

Optimized protocol for analysis of neural stem proliferation in human-pluripotent-stem-cell-derived cerebral organoids.

Cerebral organoids represent an optimal experimental system for studying human cortical development, evolution, physiology, function, and disease mechanisms. Here, we describe a simple protocol for the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into cerebral organoids. We describe steps for hPSC maintenance, neural induction of embryoid bodies, and patterning of cerebral organoids.

Human organoids in basic research and clinical applications.

Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) miniature structures cultured in vitro produced from either human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) or adult stem cells (AdSCs) derived from healthy individuals or patients that recapitulate the cellular heterogeneity, structure, and functions of human organs. The advent of human 3D organoid systems is now possible to allow remarkably detailed observation of stem cell morphogens, maintenance and differentiation resemble primary tissues, enhancing the potential to study both human physiology and developmental stage. As they are similar to their original organs and carry human genetic information, organoids derived from patient hold great promise for biomedical research and preclinical drug testing and is currently used for personalized, regenerative medicine, gene repair and transplantation therapy.

Abnormal mitochondria in Down syndrome iPSC-derived GABAergic interneurons and organoids.

Down syndrome (DS) is caused by trisomy 21, and it is characterized by developmental brain disorders and neurological dysfunction. Clinical studies and basic research have revealed that defects in mitochondrial function contribute to the pathogenesis of DS. However, the underlying mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction in DS remain unclear.

Shade Avoidance 3 Mediates Crosstalk Between Shade and Nitrogen in Arabidopsis Leaf Development.

After nitrogen treatments, plant leaves become narrower and thicker, and the chlorophyll content increases. However, the molecular mechanisms behind these regulations remain unknown. Here, we found that the changes in leaf width and thickness were largely compromised in the () mutant.

Salicylate and glutamate mediate different Cd accumulation and tolerance between Brassica napus and B. juncea.

Most hyperaccumulator plants have little economic values, and therefore have not been widely used in Cd-contaminated soils. Rape species are Cd hyperaccumulators with high economic values. Black mustard seed (Brassica juncea) has a higher accumulation ability and a higher tolerance for Cd than oilseed rape (Brassica napus), but its biomass is relatively low and its geographical distribution is limited.

Connectivity Replication of Neutral Eu- and Tb-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) from Anionic Cd-Based MOF Crystallites.

Neutral three-dimensional Eu- and Tb-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with 4-fold interpenetration can be produced by seeding with anionic Cd-based MOF crystallites of identical connectivity. In the absence of these crystallites, two-dimensional networks are formed.

CT Radiomics Model for Predicting the Ki-67 Index of Lung Cancer： An Exploratory Study.

Objective: To establish a radiomics signature and a nomogram model based on enhanced CT images to predict the Ki-67 index of lung cancer.

Methods: From January 2014 to December 2018, 282 patients with lung cancer who had undergone enhanced CT scans and Ki-67 examination within 2 weeks were retrospectively enrolled and analyzed. The clinical data of the patients were collected, such as age, sex, smoking history, maximum tumor diameter and serum tumor markers.

Heterobimetallic Cluster-Based Coordination Polymers: Assembly, Structures and Third-Order Nonlinear Optical Properties.

Reactions of (NH ) WS with CuCN, CuCN/1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bppa) or [Cu(MeCN) ]PF /bppa under different reaction conditions afforded a set of two- or three-dimensional W/Cu/S cluster-based coordination polymers including {[Et N] [WS Cu (μ-CN) (μ-I) ]} (1), [WS Cu (μ-CN) (bppa) ] (2) and {[WS Cu (bppa) ](PF ) } (3), respectively. Compound 2 can be readily formed from reaction of 1 with bppa under solvothermal conditions. Compounds 1 and 2 feature two-dimensional networks with a "sql" topology, while 3 possesses a two-fold interpenetrated three-dimensional net with a rare "reo" topology.

DSCAM/PAK1 pathway suppression reverses neurogenesis deficits in iPSC-derived cerebral organoids from patients with Down syndrome.

Down syndrome (DS), caused by trisomy of chromosome 21, occurs in 1 of every 800 live births. Early defects in cortical development likely account for the cognitive impairments in DS, although the underlying molecular mechanism remains elusive. Here, we performed histological assays and unbiased single-cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) analysis on cerebral organoids derived from 4 euploid cell lines and from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from 3 individuals with trisomy 21 to explore cell-type-specific abnormalities associated with DS during early brain development.

Extracellular vesicular Wnt7b mediates HPV E6-induced cervical cancer angiogenesis by activating the β-catenin signaling pathway.

Background: The E6 oncoproteins of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 are the critical drivers of cervical cancer (CC) progression. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as critical mediators of cancer-tumor microenvironment (TME) communication. However, whether EVs contribute to HPV 16/18 E6-mediated impacts on CC progression remains unclear.

Human cerebral organoids establish subcortical projections in the mouse brain after transplantation.

Numerous studies have used human pluripotent stem cell-derived cerebral organoids to elucidate the mystery of human brain development and model neurological diseases in vitro, but the potential for grafted organoid-based therapy in vivo remains unknown. Here, we optimized a culturing protocol capable of efficiently generating small human cerebral organoids. After transplantation into the mouse medial prefrontal cortex, the grafted human cerebral organoids survived and extended projections over 4.

Vitamin E Is Superior to Vitamin C in Delaying Seedling Senescence and Improving Resistance in Arabidopsis Deficient in Macro-Elements.

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are three essential macro-elements for plant growth and development. Used to improve yield in agricultural production, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers often leads to increased production costs and ecological environmental pollution. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants that play an important role in alleviating abiotic stress.

Nitrate reductase is a key enzyme responsible for nitrogen-regulated auxin accumulation in Arabidopsis roots.

Nitrate reductase (NR) is one of the key enzymes for plant nitrogen assimilation and root architecture remodeling. However, crosstalk between NR-mediated signaling and auxin-mediated root development in nitrogen-status responses has not been investigated in details before. In this study, root phenotype and auxin distribution in nia1/nia2 (nitrate reductase) double mutant and chl1-5 (nitrate transporter NRT1.

Highly efficient Cu(ii)-pyrazoledicarboxylate heterogeneous catalysts for a base-free aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohol to benzaldehyde with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant.

A new Cu(ii) pyrazoledicarboxylate coordination polymer [Cu(Hpdc)(ImH)] (1) (Hpdc = 3,4-pyrazoledicarboxylic acid; ImH = imidazole) has been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. In 1, the tetradentate Hpdc anion coordinated to three Cu(ii) ions in a μ-κO: κN, O': κN' mode, forming a two-dimensional (2D) (4,4) network; the other ImH ligand acted as a terminal ligand. Cu(ii)-MOF 1 displayed high activity and selectivity in the base-free aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde combined with the green oxidant HO.

[Extraintestinal manifestations and intestinal complications in children with Crohn's disease: an analysis of 54 cases].

Objective: To summarize the extraintestinal manifestations and intestinal complications in children with Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: The clinical data of 54 children who were diagnosed with CD in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2008 to December 2018 were collected for retrospective analysis of extraintestinal manifestations and intestinal complications. According to the location of the lesion, the children were divided into ileocolonic group (30 cases), colonic group (6 cases), and ileal group (18 cases).

Extracellular vesicle-mediated transfer of the lncRNA-TC0101441 promotes endometriosis migration/invasion.

Extracellular vesicular long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) to influence recipient cells is emerging as a novel mechanism for disease progression. TC0101441 is a newly identified metastasis-related lncRNA involved in cancer. Since endometriosis exhibits prometastasis behavior similar to those observed in cancer, we aimed to investigate whether TC0101441 is involved in endometriosis and, if so, whether extracellular vesicular TC0101441 contributes to the migration/invasion of endometriotic cyst stromal cells (ECSCs).