Copper Depletion in Tumors Boosts Immunotherapy.

Copper depletion is being billed as a viable approach for cancer treatment. Vittorio and co-workers successfully demonstrated that Cuprior, an FDA-approved drug that binds with copper, effectively enhances anti-GD2 immunotherapy and improves the responses for neuroblastoma patients. These findings highlight the important role of copper chelation in modulating the tumor microenvironment.

Solar-Driven Conversion of Nitrogen and Water to Solid Fertilizer in an Outdoor 1 m Panel Reactor.

Harnessing solar energy to convert molecular N into nitrogen-rich chemicals (e.g., ammonia) provides a potential pathway for the manufacture of "solar fertilizers".

Design of an injectable magnetic hydrogel with porous structure and electrocatalytic activity for the sensitive electrochemical detection of nitrite in foods.

Herein, we synthesized a novel injectable porous magnetic hydrogel (MHG) at room temperature using carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), polydopamine (PDA), sodium alginate (SA), polyethyleneimine (PEI) and copper ferrite (CuFeO) as building blocks. The CMCS and SA as monomers provided good film-forming and anti-fouling properties for MHG. The PDA-coated CuFeO as a cross-linking agent improved the homogeneity, adsorption and electrocatalytic performance of MHG, but also generated a macroporous hydrogel structure which was beneficial for sensing applications.

The atypical proteome of mitochondria from mature pollen grains.

To propagate their genetic material, flowering plants rely on the production of large amounts of pollen grains that are capable of germinating on a compatible stigma. Pollen germination and pollen tube growth are thought to be extremely energy-demanding processes. This raises the question of whether mitochondria from pollen grains are specifically tuned to support this developmental process.

Fatty acid oxidation-induced HIF-1α activation facilitates hepatic urate synthesis through upregulating NT5C2 and XDH.

Dyslipidemia affects approximately half of all people with gout, and prior Mendelian randomization analysis suggested a causal role for elevated triglycerides in hyperuricemia (HU), but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We hypothesize that dyslipidemia promotes hepatic urate biosynthesis in HU and gout and fatty acid (FA) oxidation (FAO) drives this process. Here we developed a targeted metabolomics to quantify major metabolites in purine metabolic pathway in the sera of a human cohort with HU, gout, and normaluricemic controls.

Cost-effective production of meaty aroma from porcine cells for hybrid cultivated meat.

Cultivated meats are typically hybrids of animal cells and plant proteins, but their high production costs limit their scalability. This study explores a cost-effective alternative by hypothesizing that controlling the Maillard and lipid thermal degradation reactions in pure cells can create a meaty aroma that could be extracted from minimal cell quantities. Using spontaneously immortalized porcine myoblasts and fibroblasts adapted to suspension culture with a 1 % serum concentration, we developed a method to isolate flavor precursors via freeze-thawing.

Was extinction of New Zealand's avian megafauna an unavoidable consequence of human arrival?

Human overexploitation contributed strongly to the loss of hundreds of bird species across Oceania, including nine giant, flightless birds called moa. The inevitability of anthropogenic moa extinctions in New Zealand has been fiercely debated. However, we can now rigorously evaluate their extinction drivers using spatially explicit demographic models capturing species-specific interactions between moa, natural climates and landscapes, and human colonists.

Arabidopsis Calcium Dependent Protein Kinase 3, and Its Orthologues OsCPK1, OsCPK15, and AcCPK16, Are Involved in Biotic and Abiotic Stresses.

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) are plant proteins that directly bind calcium ions before phosphorylating substrates involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses, as well as development. CPK3 () is involved with plant signaling pathways such as stomatal movement regulation, salt stress response, apoptosis, seed germination and pathogen defense. In this study, and its orthologues in relatively distant plant species such as rice (, monocot) and kiwifruit (, asterid eudicot) were analyzed in response to drought, bacteria, fungi, and virus infections.

Modulating the Coordination Environment of Atomically Dispersed Nickel for Efficient Electrocatalytic CO Reduction at Low Overpotentials and Industrial Current Densities.

Electrocatalytic CO-to-CO conversion with a high CO Faradaic efficiency (FE) at low overpotentials and industrial-level current densities is highly desirable but a huge challenge over non-noble metal catalysts. Herein, graphitic N-rich porous carbons supporting atomically dispersed nickel (NiN-O sites with an axial oxygen) were synthesized (denoted as O-Ni-N-GC) and applied as the cathode catalyst in a CORR flow cell. O-Ni-N-GC showed excellent selectivity with a FE over 92% at low overpotentials ranging from 17 to 60 mV, and over 99% at 80 mV.

Historical cultures provide insights into the taxonomy of .

Species morphologically typical of the genus are phylogenetically diverse, spread throughout . Phylogenetic studies based on DNA sequences have revealed the polyphyletic nature of the morphologically defined genus, the type species forming a clade phylogenetically distinct from all other sequenced species that had been placed in the genus. Some of the phylogenetic clades containing species can be distinguished on the basis of their asexual morphs.

Accuracy and distribution of baseline categorical variables and -values in spine randomized controlled trials.

Levayer and colleagues assessed integrity issues in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in four spine journals using baseline -values from categorical variables, concluding that there was no evidence of 'systemic fraudulent behaviour'. We used their published dataset to assess the accuracy of reported -values and whether observed and expected distributions of frequency counts and -values were consistent. In 51 out of 929 (5.

Efficient Photocatalytic Propane Direct Dehydrogenation to Propylene Over PtO Clusters.

The direct dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins under mild conditions is challenging due to the inert nature of alkyl C─H bonds. Herein, an efficient photocatalytic system is developed for propane direct dehydrogenation (PDH) to propylene, consisting of ≈1.30 nm sized PtO clusters immobilized on a layered double hydroxide -derived ZnO/AlO support (LD-Pt).

Structure-activity relationship expansion and microsomal stability assessment of the 2-morpholinobenzoic acid scaffold as antiproliferative phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C inhibitors.

Dysregulation of choline phospholipid metabolism and overexpression of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) is implicated in various cancers. Current known enzyme inhibitors include compounds based on a 2-morpholino-5--benzylamino benzoic acid, or hydroxamic acid, scaffold. In this work, 81 compounds were made by modifying this core structure to explore the pharmacophore.

Ultralight flexible 3D nickel micromesh decorated with NiCoP for high stability alkaline zinc batteries.

Rechargeable alkaline zinc batteries are emerging as promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems, owing to their affordability, eco-friendliness and high energy density. However, their widespread application is hindered by stability challenges, particularly in alkaline environments, due to cathode corrosion and deformation, as well as dendrite formation and unwanted side reactions at the Zn anode. To address these issues, we successfully developed a 3D nickel micromesh-supported NiCoP (3D NM@NiCoP) electrode.

Mixotrophic anammox bacteria outcompete dissimilatory nitrate reduction and denitrifying bacteria in propionate-containing wastewater.

Organic carbon can influence nitrogen removal during the anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) process. Propionate, a common organic compound in pretreated wastewater, its impacts on mixotrophic anammox bacteria and the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study investigated the core metabolism and shift in behavior patterns of mixotrophic Candidatus Brocadia sapporoensis (AMXB) under long-term propionate exposure.

regulates melanocortin 4 receptor transcription and energy homeostasis.

Disruption of hypothalamic melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4Rs) causes obesity in mice and humans. Here, we investigated the transcriptional regulation of in the hypothalamus. In mice, we show that the homeodomain transcription factor Orthopedia (OTP) is enriched in MC4R neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus and directly regulates transcription.

Dietary patterns and cardiovascular diseases among Chinese high-risk population aged 35 years and older: A 6-year cohort study.

This study aims to investigate the dietary patterns of Chinese individuals aged 35 years and older who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to explore the correlation between these dietary patterns and the risk of CVD. A total of 28,747 high-risk participants in China PEACE in Zhejiang Province from 2014 to 2019 were included in the analysis Dietary data were obtained using the Food Frequency Questionnaire, and dietary patterns were extracted through factor analysis. Cox regression was used to examine the relationship between the dietary patterns and CVD risk in the high-risk groups.

Land-derived metals impact the survival and settlement of larval mussels.

Global declines in wild mussel populations and production have been linked to the impacts of climate change and pollution. Summer die-offs of mussels (Perna canaliculus), spat retention issues, and a severe decline in mussel spat settlement have been reported in the Marlborough Sounds, an important area for mussel farming in New Zealand. Preliminary evidence suggests that naturally occurring contaminants and changing land use in the surrounding areas, could contribute to the decline of this species.

Resource recovery from wastewater by directing microbial metabolism toward production of value-added biochemicals.

Dynamic oxygen fluctuations in activated sludge were investigated to enhance valuable biochemical production during wastewater treatment. Batch experiments compared constant aeration with rapid cycling between oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor states. Fluctuating oxygen concentrations (0-2 mg/L) significantly increased production of valuable biochemicals compared to constant oxygen concentration (2 mg/L).

Bee reasonable: Do bumblebees reason by exclusion?

In a clever adaptation of the two-cups task, a recent paper tested for reasoning by exclusion in bees. Although further work is necessary to rule out competing hypotheses, this study advances our ability to test cognitive capacities in invertebrates.

Bacillus velezensis A-27 as a potential biocontrol agent against Meloidogyne incognita and effects on rhizosphere communities of celery in field.

Meloidogyne incognita, a highly destructive plant-parasitic nematode, poses a significant threat to crop production. The reliance on chemical nematicides for nematode control has been crucial; however, the banning of many effective nematicides due to their adverse effects has necessitated the exploration of alternative solutions. Rhizosphere biocontrol bacteria, particularly strains of Bacillus, have demonstrated promising results in managing plant-parasitic nematodes.

Survey of foodborne pathogenic Vibrio species in commercial Tasmanian bivalve shellfish and predictors of risk at harvest.

There has been an increase in foodborne vibriosis outbreaks globally, with Vibrio parahaemolyticus emerging as a foodborne issue in temperate commercial shellfish growing regions, including southern Australia. The food safety concerns associated with these microorganisms have led to the need for specific guidance on potential risk management strategies for their control. This is the first Australian multi-seasonal survey of V.

Discovery of a Potent and Selective GSPT1 Molecular Glue Degrader for the Treatment of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

The treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains a significant challenge, necessitating the development of new and promising therapeutic strategies. Utilizing molecular glue to degrade previously intractable cancer drivers represents an emerging and promising therapeutic approach to cancer treatment. In this study, we developed a novel CRBN-interacting molecular glue, (XYD049), which exhibits potent and selective degradation of G1 to S phase transition 1 (GSPT1), a well-known untargetable cancer driver in diverse cancer cells.

Practical considerations for the optimization of in situ mineralization of perfluorocarboxylic acids and polyfluoroalkyl substances using persulfate oxidation.

Military bases and airports are often contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) due to the repeated use of aqueous film forming foams (AFFFs) from decades of training exercises, equipment testing, and extinguishing of fuel- and solvent-based fires. Pump-and-treat systems combined with sorption processes are common ex situ remediation strategies; however, they can be expensive and may require decades of operation, particularly at sites where long-term diffusion and desorption of contaminants are the primary release processes. Alternatively, in situ chemical oxidation is an effective remediation strategy in which oxidants (e.