Fine-tuning gibberellin improves rice alkali-thermal tolerance and yield.

Soil alkalinization and global warming are predicted to pose major challenges to agriculture in the future, as they continue to accelerate, markedly reducing global arable land and crop yields. Therefore, strategies for future agriculture are needed to further improve globally cultivated, relatively high-yielding Green Revolution varieties (GRVs) derived from the SEMIDWARF 1 (SD1) gene. Here we propose that precise regulation of the phytohormone gibberellin (GA) to optimal levels is the key to not only confer alkali-thermal tolerance to GRVs, but also to further enhance their yield.

Fish active packaging with ZnO/Fe-MMT nanoparticles.

Today, active packaging has become essential to increase food safety and decrease food spoilage. In this study, the aim was to delay spoilage and increase the shelf life of rainbow fish fillets with a new hybrid nanocomposite active packaging. Packaging was fabricated with Ethylene vinyl acetate and active compounds such as rosemary extract, zinc oxide nanoparticles, and modified iron (Fe-MMT).

Convergent evidence for the temperature-dependent emergence of silicification in terrestrial plants.

Research on silicon (Si) biogeochemistry and its beneficial effects for plants has received significant attention over several decades, but the reasons for the emergence of high-Si plants remain unclear. Here, we combine experimentation, field studies and analysis of existing databases to test the role of temperature on the expression and emergence of silicification in terrestrial plants. We first show that Si is beneficial for rice under high temperature (40 °C), but harmful under low temperature (0 °C), whilst a 2 °C increase results in a 37% increase in leaf Si concentrations.

Molecular regulation of mitophagy signaling in tumor microenvironment and its targeting for cancer therapy.

Aberrations emerging in mitochondrial homeostasis are restrained by mitophagy to control mitochondrial integrity, bioenergetics signaling, metabolism, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The mitophagy-accompanied mitochondrial processes that occur in a dysregulated condition act as drivers for cancer occurrence. In addition, the enigmatic nature of mitophagy in cancer cells modulates the cellular proteome, creating challenges for therapeutic interventions.

MuSK regulates neuromuscular junction Nav1.4 localization and excitability.

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the linchpin of nerve-evoked muscle contraction. Broadly, the function of the NMJ is to transduce nerve action potentials into muscle fiber action potentials (MFAPs). Efficient neuromuscular transmission requires both cholinergic signaling, responsible for generation of endplate potentials (EPPs), and excitation, the amplification of the EPP by postsynaptic voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav1.

Suppressive Mechanism of Benzalkonium Chloride-Bactericidal Activity in the Presence of Oil.

Cleaning and sterilization are critical Prerequisite Programs in sanitation management based on HACCP. Most food factories clean and sanitize equipment daily after production using detergents containing benzalkonium chloride (BAC). However, in factories that produce oil and fat-rich foods, it has been discovered that microbes can persist on production equipment.

Experimental and DFT Studies of Intermolecular Interaction-Assisted Oxindole Cyclization Reaction of Di-t-butyl 2-Aminophenyl-2-methyl Malonate.

Density functional theory calculations on the cyclization of di-t-butyl 2-(2-aminophenyl)-2-methyl malonate (1) to t-butyl 3-methyloxindole-3-carboxylate (2) reveal that acetic acid-assisted protonation of the carbonyl oxygen atom reduces the activation Gibbs free energy significantly lower than methanol-assisted pathways. Experimental data confirm that reaction concentration plays a pivotal role in oxindole formation. Experimental results also indicate distinct reaction mechanisms at low and high concentrations.

Distribution and Fasciola infection rates of Lymnaea snails and cattle in high-salinity areas of Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

Fasciola-induced fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease with significant health and economic impacts on humans and livestock. Freshwater Lymnaea snails serve as intermediate hosts, contributing to the increasing prevalence of fascioliasis in cattle in coastal areas. The salinity tolerance of Lymnaea snails was investigated along with their distribution and Fasciola infection rates in both snails and grazing cattle in Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, and Soc Trang provinces in Mekong Delta, Vietnam, where seawater reversely enters into the paddy field during the dry season.

Exploring Manual Therapy in the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Adults: A Scoping Review.

Introduction: IBS is a prevalent gut-brain interaction disorder characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, significantly affecting quality of life (QoL). IBS contributes to substantial work absenteeism and economic burdens and often coexists with other somatic and psychiatric conditions, with psychological well-being being a critical determinant of QoL. IBS sufferers often turn to MT due to dissatisfaction with conventional treatments.

Trehalose decorated nanostructures stabilize combined cross-linked enzyme aggregates (Combi-CLEAs) of β-galactosidase and glucose isomerase.

Combined cross-linked enzyme aggregates (Combi-CLEAs) of β-Galactosidase (β-Gal) and Glucose Isomerase (GI) allow the transformation of d-lactose to lactose-fructose syrup through one-pot cascade biocatalytic reactions. Despite its promise, the low thermostability of β-Gal and high-temperature demands for GI limits this application. Trehalose is a protein-stabilizing disaccharide which has been utilized in immobilized enzyme systems to enhance protein thermostability.

Multifunctional quaternary ammonium-modified TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers and MIL-100 with encapsulated laccase for efficient removal of anionic arund cationic dyes in wastewater.

The increasing prevalence of micropollutants like cationic and anionic dyes in wastewater creates an influential environmental challenge, mainly due to their toxic effects and persistence. Current methods often lack the efficiency and versatility to cope with a wide variety of contaminants. This study explores the modification of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNF) using (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC) to enhance their cationic properties.

Deep eutectic solvent-enabled lignocellulosic biomass valorization: Toward understanding of biomass pretreatment, lignin dissolution, and lignin's antioxidant activity.

A comprehensive study was conducted to determine the effects of water and ethylene glycol (EG) on biomass pretreatment using a binary deep eutectic solvent (DES) containing choline chloride and acetic acid (1ChCl3AC) at a mole ratio of 1:3. Different quantities of water and EG were combined with 1ChCl3AC to pretreat wheat straw, miscanthus, eucalyptus, and sorghum stalk at 130 °C for 6 h. The changes in nanopore structure and surface roughness of wet biomass, as well as biomass crystallinity after 1ChCl3AC-based pretreatment were investigated using XRD and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS).

Phase-separated condensates in autophagosome formation and autophagy regulation.

Biomacromolecules partition into numerous types of biological condensates or membrane-less organelles via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Newly formed liquid-like condensates may further undergo phase transition to convert into other material states, such as gel or solid states. Different biological condensates possess distinct material properties to fulfil their physiological functions in diverse cellular pathways and processes.

PLATZ transcription factors and their emerging roles in plant responses to environmental stresses.

Plant A/T-rich sequence- and zinc-binding (PLATZ) family proteins represent a novel class of plant-specific transcription factors that bind to A/T-rich sequences. Advances in high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analyses have facilitated the identification of numerous PLATZ proteins across various plant species. Over the last decade, accumulating evidence from omics analyses, genetics studies, and gain- and loss-of function investigations has indicated that PLATZ proteins play crucial roles in the complex regulatory networks governing plant development and adaptation to environmental stress.

LG1 promotes preligule band formation through directly activating ZmPIN1 genes in maize.

Increasing plant density is an effective strategy for enhancing crop yield per unit land area. A key architectural trait for crops adapting to high planting density is smaller leaf angle (LA). Previous studies have demonstrated that LG1, a SQUAMOSA BINDING PROTEIN (SBP) transcription factor, plays a critical role in LA establishment.

PathwayPilot: A User-Friendly Tool for Visualizing and Navigating Metabolic Pathways.

Metaproteomics, the study of collective proteomes in environmental communities, plays a crucial role in understanding microbial functionalities affecting ecosystems and human health. Pathway analysis offers structured insights into the biochemical processes within these communities. However, no existing tool effectively combines pathway analysis with peptide- or protein-level data.

Boeravinone C ameliorates lipid accumulation and inflammation in diabetic kidney disease by activating PPARα signaling.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The roots of Oxybaphus himalaicus Edgew. is a traditional Tibetan herbal medicine with kidney reinforcing and tonifying effects, which is commonly applied to treat nephritis. Boeravinone C has been identified as one of the primary constituents of O.

Swarm systems as a platform for open-ended evolutionary dynamics.

Artificial swarm systems have been extensively studied and used in computer science, robotics, engineering and other technological fields, primarily as a platform for implementing robust distributed systems to achieve pre-defined objectives. However, such swarm systems, especially heterogeneous ones, can also be utilized as an ideal platform for creating open-ended evolutionary dynamics that do not converge toward pre-defined goals but keep exploring diverse possibilities and generating novel outputs indefinitely. In this article, we review Swarm Chemistry and its variants as concrete sample cases to illustrate beneficial characteristics of heterogeneous swarm systems, including the cardinality leap of design spaces, multi-scale structures/behaviours and their diversity, and robust self-organization, self-repair and ecological interactions of emergent patterns, all of which serve as the driving forces for open-ended evolutionary processes.

Adult bi-paternal offspring generated through direct modification of imprinted genes in mammals.

Imprinting abnormalities pose a significant challenge in applications involving embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and animal cloning, with no universal correction method owing to their complexity and stochastic nature. In this study, we targeted these defects at their source-embryos from same-sex parents-aiming to establish a stable, maintainable imprinting pattern de novo in mammalian cells. Using bi-paternal mouse embryos, which exhibit severe imprinting defects and are typically non-viable, we introduced frameshift mutations, gene deletions, and regulatory edits at 20 key imprinted loci, ultimately achieving the development of fully adult animals, albeit with a relatively low survival rate.

Transcriptome analysis reveals molecular mechanism of Dosinia corrugata in response to acute heat stress.

This study seeks to explore the molecular regulatory mechanism within Dosinia corrugata in response to extreme high-temperature conditions, aiming to enhance the sustainable development of the D. corrugata aquaculture industry. To identify heat-responsive genes and elucidate adaptive mechanisms, we conducted transcriptional profiling of D.

Rationally manipulating molecular planarity to improve molar absorptivity, NIR-II brightness, and photothermal effect for tumor phototheranostics.

The secondary near-infrared region (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) offers a noninvasive and light-controllable treatment option for deep-seated cancers. However, the development of NIR-II photothermal agents (NIR-II PTAs) that possess the desired properties of high molar absorption coefficient (ε), fluorescence quantum yield (QY), and photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) remain a challenge due to the contradiction between radiative and nonradiative processes. Herein, we propose a novel side-chain heteroatom substitution engineering strategy to simultaneously enhance ε, QY, and PCE by modifying the molecular planarity.

Mitigation of ischemia/reperfusion injury via selenium nanoparticles: Suppression of STAT1 to inhibit cardiomyocyte oxidative stress and inflammation.

Ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/RI) following myocardial infarction, a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, is characterized by detrimental oxidative stress and inflammation. In response, we proposed an I/RI alleviation strategy using the intravenous injection of spherical selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) synthesized by a template method. Single-cell sequencing revealed these proposed SeNPs exhibited exceptional antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, disrupting the STAT1-ROS cycle, therefore preserving mitochondrial respiration and inhibiting caspase-mediated cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Enhancing immunotherapy efficacy in oral cancer through AKB-9778-mediated vascular normalization.

Tumor vasculature exhibit numerous abnormal features distinct from those of healthy vessels, potentially advancing tumor development by establishing an aberrant microenvironment. Therefore, vascular normalization has proven to be an effective tactic for substantially enhancing treatment efficacy across multiple tumors. However, the methods to attain vascular normalization may vary among tumor types.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new dual APN/NEP inhibitors as potent analgesics.

An alternative approach for the management of acute and chronic pains involves prolonging the half-life of endogenous opiates, such as enkephalins that are released in response to nociceptive stimuli. This can be achieved through the inhibition of enzymatic pathways responsible for the hydrolysis of these peptides, particularly targeting Aminopeptidase N (APN) and Neutral Endopeptidase (NEP). In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of dual enkephalinase inhibitors (DENKIs) targeting both APN and NEP as novel analgesic treatments.

Preferences for the ocular region aesthetics and elective double eyelid surgery in Chinese: A nationwide discrete choice experiment.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate preferences for elective double eyelid surgery and explore the psychosocial underpinnings influencing ocular aesthetics and attitudes toward aesthetic surgery.

Method: This nationwide online experiment was conducted throughout four tiers of cities in China using quota sampling, which included self-administered Likert scales for general self-efficacy and modified body image and a set of discrete choice experiments (DCE) that measured the relative value and odds ratio of elective double eyelid surgery surgical options and marginal willingness to pay for procedure attributes.

Results: A total of 554 respondents were included in the final analysis (41.