Combining Hard Shell with Soft Core to Enhance Enzyme Activity and Resist External Disturbances.

Immobilizing enzymes onto solid supports having enhanced catalytic activity and resistance to harsh external conditions is considered as a promising and critical method of broadening enzymatic applications in biosensing, biocatalysis, and biomedical devices; however, it is considerably hampered by limited strategies. Here, a core-shell strategy involving a soft-core hexahistidine metal assembly (HmA) is innovatively developed and characterized with encapsulated enzymes (catalase (CAT), horseradish peroxidase, glucose oxidase (GOx), and cascade enzymes (CAT+GOx)) and hard porous shells (zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF), ZIF-8, ZIF-67, ZIF-90, calcium carbonate, and hydroxyapatite). The enzyme-friendly environment provided by the embedded HmA proves beneficial for enhanced catalytic activity, which is particularly effective in preserving fragile enzymes that will have been deactivated without the HmA core during the mineralization of porous shells.

CTB6 Confers Cold Tolerance at the Booting Stage by Maintaining Tapetum Development in Rice.

Rice is highly sensitive to cold stress, particularly at the booting stage, which significantly threatens rice production. In this study, we cloned a gene, CTB6, encoding a lipid transfer protein involved in cold tolerance at the booting stage in rice, based on our previous fine-mapped quantitative trait locus (QTL) qCTB10-2. CTB6 is mainly expressed in the tapetum and young microspores of the anther.

Global Protein Interactome Mapping in Rice Using Barcode-Indexed PCR Coupled with HiFi Long-Read Sequencing.

Establishing the protein-protein interaction network sheds light on functional genomics studies by providing insights from known counterparts. However, the rice interactome has barely been studied due to the lack of massive, reliable, and cost-effective methodologies. Here, the development of a barcode-indexed PCR coupled with HiFi long-read sequencing pipeline (BIP-seq) is reported for high throughput Protein Protein Interaction (PPI)identification.

Self-Immobilizing Fluorogenic Probe for In Situ Labeling of Granzyme B Activity in Host Immune Response to Bacterial Infections.

Bacterial infections, particularly those caused by drug-resistant bacteria, represent a pressing global health challenge. During the interaction between pathogen infection and host defense, bacterial infections initiate the host's immune response, which involves the activation of proteases that play a critical role in antibacterial defense. Granzyme B (GzmB), a key immune-related biomarker associated with cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), plays a pivotal role in this process.

A Homozygous Variant in HSD17B1 Identified in Women With Poor Ovarian Response.

An increasing number of patients utilizing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and assisted reproductive technology (ART) are characterized as impaired or poor ovarian responders (PORs). Owing to its unclear molecular etiology, the management of patients with age-related ovarian characteristics remains a controversial and complex clinical concern. Therefore, it is important to identify and understand the etiological causes behind POR to develop more effective and efficient management strategies for these patients.

Photobiomodulation Combined With Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Modulates the Polarization of Microglia.

Neuroinflammation plays a key role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, with microglia regulating this process through pro-inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 phenotypes. Studies have shown that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) modulate neuroinflammation by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines. Photobiomodulation (PBM), a non-invasive therapy, has demonstrated significant potential in alleviating neuroinflammation.

3D-Printed Myocardium-Specific Structure Enhances Maturation and Therapeutic Efficacy of Engineered Heart Tissue in Myocardial Infarction.

Despite advancements in engineered heart tissue (EHT), challenges persist in achieving accurate dimensional accuracy of scaffolds and maturing human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), a primary source of functional cardiac cells. Drawing inspiration from cardiac muscle fiber arrangement, a three-dimensional (3D)-printed multi-layered microporous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold is created with interlayer angles set at 45° to replicate the precise structure of native cardiac tissue. Compared with the control group and 90° PCL scaffolds, the 45° PCL scaffolds exhibited superior biocompatibility for cell culture and improved hiPSC-CM maturation in calcium handling.

Improved Efficacy of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Immunotherapy via Hydrogel-Based Co-Delivery of CAR-T Cells and Mitophagy Agonist.

Leaky and structurally abnormal blood vessels and increased pressure in the tumor interstitium reduce the infiltration of CAR-T cells in solid tumors, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Furthermore, high burden of tumor cells may cause reduction of infiltrating CAR-T cells and their functional exhaustion. In this study, various effector-to-target (E:T) ratio experiments are established to model the treatment using CAR-T cells in leukemia (high E:T ratio) and solid tumor (low E:T ratio).

ZnFe Layered Double Hydroxide Nanosheets Loaded with Cu Single-Atom Nanozymes with Multi-Enzyme-Like Catalytic Activities as an Effective Treatment for Bacterial Keratitis.

Bacterial keratitis (BK) is a type of corneal inflammation resulting from bacterial infection in the eye. Although nanozymes have been explored as promising materials in corneal wound healing, currently available nanozymes lack sufficient catalytic activity and the ability to penetrate bacterial biofilms, limiting their efficacy against the treatment of BK. To remedy this, ZnFe layered double hydroxide (ZnFe-LDH) nanosheets are loaded with Cu single-atom nanozymes (Cu-SAzymes) and aminated dextran (Dex-NH), resulting in the formation of the nanozyme DT-ZnFe-LDH@Cu, which possesses peroxidase (POD)-, oxidase (OXD)-, and catalase (CAT)-like catalytic activities.

Nanodrugs Targeting Key Factors of Ferroptosis Regulation for Enhanced Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a globally prevalent degenerative joint disease. Recent studies highlight the role of ferroptosis in OA progression. Targeting ferroptosis regulation presents a promising therapeutic strategy for OA; however, current research primarily focuses on single targets associated with ferroptosis.

Advances on Defect Engineering of Niobium Pentoxide for Electrochemical Energy Storage.

The reasonable design of advanced anode materials for electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices is crucial in expediting the progress of renewable energy technologies. NbO has attracted increasing research attention as an anode candidate. Defect engineering is regarded as a feasible approach to modulate the local atomic configurations within NbO.

Carbene-induced ring-opening reactions of five-/six-membered cyclic ethers: expanding the frontiers of functional group introduction and molecular architecture construction.

The multi-component ring-opening reactions of cyclic ethers offer an efficient strategy for the rapid introduction of multiple functional groups and the construction of complex molecular architectures. Despite the minimal ring strain in five- and six-membered rings presenting a significant challenge for ring-opening, advancements have been made. Traditional acid-catalyzed pathways have been complemented by a novel approach involving carbene-induced oxonium intermediate formation, which has emerged in recent years and expanded the selectivity of ring-opening reactions.

Ferroelectric and Optoelectronic Coupling Effects in Layered Ferroelectric Semiconductor-Based FETs for Visual Simulation.

Controlling polarization states of ferroelectrics can enrich optoelectronic properties and functions, offering a new avenue for designing advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, ferroelectric semiconductor-based field-effect transistors (FeSFETs) are fabricated, where the channel is a ferroelectric semiconductor (e.g.

Characterization of the Micro-Morphology and Compositional Distribution of Chang'e-5 Lunar Soil Mineral Surfaces Using TOF-SIMS.

The lunar soil samples returned by China's Chang'e-5 (CE-5) contain valuable information on geological evolutions on the Moon. Herein, by employing high-resolution time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), five rock chip samples from the CE-5 lunar soil are characterized in-depth, which reveal micro-morphological and compositional features. From the elemental/molecular ion distribution images, minerals such as pyroxene, ilmenite, feldspar, K-rich glass, silica, and silicate minerals are identified, along with their occurrence states and distribution results.

Thyroid-Targeted Nano-Bombs Empower HIFU for Graves' Disease.

Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune disorder with a high incidence rate, particularly affecting women of reproductive age. Current treatment modalities for GD carry significant disadvantages, especially for pregnant or nursing women. As a novel extracorporeal therapeutic technique, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) shows great promise for treating GD; however, its low treatment efficacy impedes clinical application.

Drug-Drug Interaction Between Rifampicin and Albuvirtide: A Phase 1, Randomized, Open-Label Study.

Albuvirtide (ABT) is a novel long-acting fusion inhibitor for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), and may be co-administered with rifampicin (RIF) in patients concurrent with tubercle bacillus and HIV-1. This study was conducted to investigate the pharmacokinetic effect of co-administration of the two drugs. In the study, 24 healthy volunteers were randomized to receive ABT alone or with RIF.

Efficient Carbon-Based Optoelectronic Synapses for Dynamic Visual Recognition.

The human visual nervous system excels at recognizing and processing external stimuli, essential for various physiological functions. Biomimetic visual systems leverage biological synapse properties to improve memory encoding and perception. Optoelectronic devices mimicking these synapses can enhance wearable electronics, with layered heterojunction materials being ideal materials for optoelectronic synapses due to their tunable properties and biocompatibility.

Burdens of Tracheal, Bronchus, and Lung Cancer From 1990 to 2021 in China Compared to the Global Projection of 2036: Findings From the 2021 Global Burden of Disease Study.

Background: Tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancers (TBL cancers) pose a significant global health challenge, with rising incidence and mortality rates, particularly in China. Studies from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), 2021, can guide screening and prevention strategies for TBL cancer. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the burden of TBL cancers in China compared to global data.

Nuclear Condensates of WW Domain-Containing Adaptor With Coiled-Coil Regulate Mitophagy via Alternative Splicing.

Biomolecular condensates segregate nuclei into discrete regions, facilitating the execution of distinct biological functions. Here, it is identified that the WW domain containing adaptor with coiled-coil (WAC) is localized to nuclear speckles via its WW domain and plays a pivotal role in regulating alternative splicing through the formation of biomolecular condensates via its C-terminal coiled-coil (CC) domain. WAC acts as a scaffold protein and facilitates the integration of RNA-binding motif 12 (RBM12) into nuclear speckles, where RBM12 potentially interacts with the spliceosomal U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP).

Targeting MAPK14 by Lobeline Upregulates Slurp1-Mediated Inhibition of Alternative Activation of TAM and Retards Colorectal Cancer Growth.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) usually creates an immunosuppressive microenvironment, thereby hindering immunotherapy response. Effective treatment options remain elusive. Using scRNA-seq analysis in a tumor-bearing murine model, it is found that lobeline, an alkaloid from the herbal medicine lobelia, promotes polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) toward M1-like TAMs while inhibiting their polarization toward M2-like TAMs.

"Popping the Ion-Basket": Enhancing Thermoelectric Performance of Conjugated Polymers by Blending with Latently Dissociable Perovskite Quantum Dots.

A novel additive method to boost the Seebeck coefficient of doped conjugated polymers without a significant loss in electrical conductivity is demonstrated. Perovskite (CsPbBr) quantum dots (QDs) passivated by ligands with long alkyl chains are mixed with a conjugated polymer in a solution phase to form polymer-QD blend films. Solution sequential doping of the blend film with AuCl solution not only doped the conjugated polymer but also decomposed the QDs, resulting in a doped conjugated polymer film embedded with separated ions dissociated from the QDs.

Ischemic Area-Targeting and Self-Monitoring Nanoprobes Ameliorate Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Scavenging ROS and Counteracting Cardiac Inflammation.

Precise and effective management of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) is still a formidable challenge in clinical practice. Additionally, real-time monitoring of drug aggregation in the MIRI region remains an open question. Herein, a drug delivery system, hesperadin and ICG assembled in PLGA-Se-Se-PEG-IMTP (HI@PSeP-IMTP), is designed to deliver hesperadin and ICG to the MIRI region for in vivo optical imaging tracking and to ameliorate MIRI.

Electrosynthesis of Fluoroalkenes from Alpha-CF and Alpha-CFH Benzyl Halides.

We have developed an efficient synthesis of fluoroalkenes via tandem electrochemical dehalogenation-elimination protocol. The key step is the generation of carbon anion by electrochemical reductive dehalogenation of alkyl halides. Various gem-difluoroalkenes and monofluoroalkenes were prepared in moderate to good yields from α-difluoromethylated/α-trifluoromethylated benzyl halides.

miR-32533 Reduces Cognitive Impairment and Amyloid-β Overload by Targeting CREB5-Mediated Signaling Pathways in Alzheimer's Disease.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with amyloid-β (Aβ) dysmetabolism, a pivotal factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study unveiled a novel miRNA, microRNA-32533 (miR-32533), featuring a distinctive base sequence identified through RNA sequencing of the APPswe/PSEN1dE9 (APP/PS1) mouse brain. Its role and underlying mechanisms were subsequently explored.