Hydroxytyrosol-based natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs): Preparation, Cryoprotective mechanisms and their protective effects on the quality of freeze-thawed minced beef.

To identify the imaging features, clinicopathological characteristics and imaging-pathology correlation, of eosinophilic vacuolar tumor of the kidney (EVT). Pre-operative imaging (2 CT and 2 MRI, both including dynamic contrast imaging) and pathological data were retrospectively analyzed for 4 EVT patients (2 male, 2 female) between January 2022-December 2024. Follow-up was performed for 2-11 months post-partial nephrectomy. All the findings were compared to previous cases in the literature. EVT patients had an average age of 43 years, and average maximum tumor diameter of 3.8cm (range 2.8-5cm). In 2 cases, contrast-enhanced CT showed patterns associated with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and lipid-poor angiomyolipoma, respectively, and in 2 other cases MRI scans showed masses with isointense or hypointense T1 and hyperintense T2 (relative to the renal parenchyma), with contrast enhancement showing abundant vessels similar to those observed for ccRCC. Histologically, EVT cells were arranged in nests and sheets, with abundant highly vacuolar eosinophilic cytoplasm, prominent nucleoli, and rare mitotic figures. IHC found that they were positive for CD117, PAX8, e-cadherin, among others, and negative for cytokeratin 7, carbonic anhydrase IX, and vimentin. Ki67 proliferation index was 5%, and patients were tumor-free at a mean follow-up of 7 months. EVT is a rare renal tumor entity with characteristic imaging features, though its imaging presentation may vary depending on the underlying pathology. Accurate identification of EVT will contribute to improving the classification and diagnosis of renal tumors.

Changes to management influenced by next-generation sequencing of pancreatic duct aspirates among patients with main pancreatic duct dilatation of unclear etiology: a multicenter cohort study.

Genome-wide association study and transcriptome analysis identify candidate genes associated with low nitrogen-induced root plasticity in Zea mays L.

This investigation seeks to determine their potential efficacy in reducing parasite load and mitigating disease progression in immunocompromised hosts. The green synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CNPs) was performed using an extract from Rumex vesicarius. The chronic toxoplasmosis model was developed using the ME49 strain of Toxoplasma gondii. RT in the mice was achieved using dexamethasone (0.25 mg/kg) for 30 days. Then, mice were randomly assigned to 10 distinct groups, which were orally treated with CNP alone (10 and 20 mg/kg) and in combination with pyrimethamine (PM, 5 mg/kg) for 28 days. Next, parasite burden, spleen cell proliferation, and cytokine analysis, molecular analysis of inflammatory and apoptosis gene expression, oxidative/antioxidative biomarkers, and biochemical analysis were evaluated. CNP exhibits a uniform distribution and spherical morphology with an average diameter of 40 nm. CNP, mainly in combination with PM, significantly enhanced the survival rate in RT mice (P < 0.001), whereas it markedly yielded the most substantial reduction in parasite burden across all organs assessed (P < 0.001). The CNP 20 mg/kg + PM 5 mg/kg group demonstrated the highest increases in the gene expression of immune factors (3.78- to 5.79-fold change) (P < 0.001), whereas it reduced the expression of pro-apoptotic markers (P < 0.01). CNP + PM indicated a synergistic interaction in mitigating liver and kidney damage associated with reactivated toxoplasmosis. The combined administration of CNP and PM significantly decreased the parasitic load in cases of reactivated toxoplasmosis, concurrently augmenting antioxidant capacity and innate immune function. These results indicate that CNP holds potential as a valuable adjunctive therapy to enhance treatment efficacy in reactivated toxoplasmosis.

Bicelles stabilize a compact conformation of opsin with enhanced α-helical packing.

The contamination of aquatic environments by pharmaceuticals is a critical global concern, as a consequence of their persistence, bioaccumulation, and adverse effects on ecosystems and public health. To effectively mitigate this issue, it is essential to adopt a preventive approach based on regular monitoring of contaminants. Hence, this study reports the optimization of a green synthesis of silver selenide (AgxSe) quantum dots (QDs) as efficient signal amplifiers via surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectroscopy. The QDs synthesis was performed in water using glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid as the stabilizing and reducing agent, respectively. The synthesis procedure was optimized using a Box-Behnken multivariate design approach, identifying critical parameters that influence the resulting optical response. AgxSe-GSH QDs exhibited an emission maximum around 700nm and an average diameter of 6nm. Total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) confirmed the expected presence and molar proportion of Ag and Se in the non-stoichiometric molar ratio of Ag:Se 7:1. Venlafaxine (VEN) was selected as a model pharmaceutical to evaluate QDs performance in SEIRA following two deposition strategies: (i) layered deposition (LD) and (ii) mixed deposition (MD). The following SEIRA experiments comparing MD and LD QDs resulted in more repeatable signals for the MD-QDs with IR signal amplification of up to 38-fold. The lowest detectable VEN concentration via SEIRA was 0.113mmolL-1, demonstrating the potential of SEIRA, augmented by AgxSe QDs, for monitoring pharmaceutical contaminants in aqueous matrices.

Streptococcus mutans, a key cause of dental caries, is not treated by conventional toothpaste, brushing, flossing, or antiseptic mouthwashes. This necessitates the development of enriched toothpaste. Cyanobacteria-derived phycoerythrin (PE) has antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Magnetic field (MF) treatments are also effective in cyanobacterial metabolism and antioxidant defense. This study aimed to develop toothpaste with Aliinostoc sp. pigment under MFs of 30 and 60 millitesla (mT), along with Oliveria decumbens Vent. oil, to evaluate its antioxidant and antibacterial properties. The findings of several assessments over 45days on 5 varieties of toothpaste indicated that the 30mT MF had the highest wavelength and PE absorption. In addition, the purity of PE in cultures treated with MFs rose considerably compared to the control. The findings of the average diameter of the growth inhibition zone of toothpaste treatments against S. mutans bacteria indicated that the combination of Oliveria decumbens Vent. oil and PE led to a substantial increase in antibacterial activity compared to the control treatment (1.5 times) (p<0.05). The addition of PE and Oliveria decumbens Vent. oil under MFs reduced water loss (1.5 times), enhanced texture uniformity (2 times), increased phenolic content (2 times), boosted antioxidant activity, and lowered pH in toothpaste treatments compared to the control (p<0.05). In addition, the findings of the sensory evaluation of the overall acceptability of various toothpaste treatments revealed that the combination of Oliveria decumbens Vent. oil and PE boosted the overall acceptability of toothpaste treatments compared to the control treatment (p<0.05). In general, the employment of PE under MFs and Oliveria decumbens Vent. oil in toothpaste formulations was particularly beneficial for reducing tooth decay and periodontal illnesses.

Chitooligosaccharide-alginate selenium nanoparticles induce ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma by amplifying redox imbalance.

Incorporating ferulic acid (FA) into a polymeric hydrogel impairs its bioactive properties. The synthesis used in this study involved radical-mediated surface grafting of nanocellulose for 24 h, using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) to oxidize cellulose nanofibers (oCNF) and phosphorylated cellulose nanofibers (pCNF), resulting in total polyphenol contents of 30.6 and 6.3 mg/g, respectively. Spectroscopic analyses of oCNF included solid-state high-power decoupling with magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (13C HPDEC/MAS NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), confirming that FA was successfully grafted onto the backbone through ester linkages on the nanofibril surface. Rheology testing and morphological analysis via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further supported these findings. TEM imaging revealed that the grafting process preserved the nanoscale morphology, yielding fibrils with an average diameter of approximately 28.2 ± 9.3 nm. Key aspects affecting FA grafting include the colloidal stability of the CNF suspension, evaluated by zeta potential, and surface activation via oxidation. In this study, FA was grafted onto oCNF through a radical-induced reaction to enhance their functional performance, enabling the development of functional and sustainable hydrogels with high antioxidant capacity (85.62% ± 1.65%).

Understanding how soil types influence functional traits and growth performance is essential for effective plant cultivation and management. Ardisia gigantifolia (A. gigantifolia) is a rare traditional medicinal plant in China; however, the mechanisms underlying its growth responses remain poorly understood. This study utilized a pot experiment to investigate the effects of different soil types (humus, loam, and sand) on the functional traits and growth performance of one-year-old A. gigantifolia cuttings and to characterize the interrelationships among these factors. Compared to sand, humus soil significantly increased the height, as well as root and stem biomass of A. gigantifolia cuttings. In humus, the specific leaf area, leaf water content, root average diameter, root volume, stem length, and stem average diameter were significantly higher, whereas leaf dry matter content and the tissue density of leaves, roots, and stems were lower. Additionally, loam significantly improved the photosynthetic and pigment traits of the cuttings. Results from RDA and PLS-SEM demonstrated that the growth performance of A. gigantifolia cuttings is primarily and directly governed by root, stem, and leaf morphological traits, which also mediate soil-driven regulation. Root morphological traits, in particular, showed the greatest direct and indirect impacts, highlighting them as key potential indicators for predicting the performance of A. gigantifolia cuttings. This study demonstrates that the growth performance and functional traits of A. gigantifolia cuttings are modulated by soil properties, while organ morphological traits serve as reliable predictors of plant growth performance. Our findings provide a scientific foundation for the conservation of wild A. gigantifolia resources and the advancement of its sustainable industrial development.

ABSTRACT The presence of oil in water can have a devastating impact on the environment, harming wildlife, ecosystems, and water quality. The oil content in industrial wastewater typically varies from 100 to 1000 mg/L, necessitating a reduction to 5 mg/L before discharge. To address the treatment of these oil-water emulsions, tubular membranes were produced using a horizontal extrusion method. The membranes comprised fly ash, quartz, calcium carbonate, and α-alumina in a weight ratio of 70%, 20%, 5%, and 5%, respectively. A solution of 2 wt.% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) sodium salt in water is used as a binder for the ceramic precursors. The sintered membranes at 1100°C (FA_1100) and 1200°C (FA_1200) were found to have average pore diameters of 0.15 and 0.11 μm, porosity of 37.31 and 36.67%, and mechanical stability of 31.65 and 38.53 MPa, respectively. The pure water permeability of FA_1100 and FA_1200 was estimated to be 9.89 × 10−8 and 3.79 × 10−8 m3 /m2.kPa.s, respectively. The separation efficiency of these membranes was evaluated through cross-flow filtration at five different pressure levels, ranging from 69 kPa to 345 kPa for an oil-water emulsion of concentration 100 mg/L. The oil removal efficiency of the membranes increased progressively with increasing pressure, and complete oil removal was observed at a pressure of 345 kPa. The membrane FA_1100 showed the best permeate flux and rejection combination. The permeate produced from these ceramic membranes is fully reusable in the oil industry, which can contribute to addressing the current water scarcity issue. Research highlights A cost-effective tubular ceramic membrane for treating oil-water emulsions has been developed domestically. Increasing the sintering temperature reduces the porosity and pore size of the prepared membrane. Membranes displayed superior compressive strength compared to other clay-based membranes. Complete removal of oil was achieved using the membrane under crossflow mode.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major trigger of asthma exacerbation. This study aimed to improve therapeutic efficacy against RSV-exacerbated asthma using neutrophil membrane (NM)-coated nanoparticles (NPs) for co-delivery of orosomucoid-like 3 (ORMDL3)-targeting small interfering RNA (siRNA) and icariin. A biomimetic dual-drug delivery system (ORMDL3-targeting siRNA [siORMDL3]/Icariin NPs@NM) was developed by coating NM onto poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) NPs co-loaded with icariin and siORMDL3. The physicochemical properties, biosafety, cellular uptake, biodistribution behavior, and RNA interference efficiency of the NPs were evaluated. Their therapeutic efficacy was further assessed in vitro and in vivo. The siORMDL3/Icariin NPs@NM exhibited a core-shell structure with NM camouflage, an average diameter of 141.1nm, and a negatively charged surface. The NPs demonstrated enhanced lung-targeting delivery efficiency with no apparent adverse effects. In vitro, siORMDL3/Icariin NPs@NM significantly improved the viability of BEAS-2B cells treated with interleukin-4 and RSV, while markedly reducing inflammatory cytokine production and oxidative stress markers. In vivo, the siORMDL3/Icariin NPs@NM effectively alleviated airway resistance and improved the inflammatory microenvironment in mice with RSV-exacerbated asthma, with no observable toxicity in major organs. siORMDL3/Icariin NPs@NM demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects and may serve as an effective dual-drug delivery platform for the treatment of RSV-exacerbated asthma through combination therapy.

ABSTRACT The variation in soil quality due to land use change from forest to rainfed agriculture, rainfed agriculture under forest, and irrigated cultivation in the forested region of Lordegan, Iran, was investigated. A total of 240 soil samples from depths of 0–10 cm and slopes of 0–5% gradient across different land uses including 80 samples for chemical and physical analyses, another 80 samples for biological analyses, and 80 soil cores for bulk density measurements were gathered. Eighteen soil quality indices were assessed. The results indicated that the average diameter weight of soil particles was highest in the forest land use (0.40 mm) and lowest in the irrigated cultivation land use (0.29 mm). The highest amount of particulate organic carbon was found in coarse particles under forest land use at 1.01%, whereas the lowest amount was observed in irrigated cultivation at 0.21%. The highest microbial biomass carbon was recorded in the forest land use at 19.26 g/kg of soil, whereas the lowest was in irrigated cultivation at 7.94 g/kg of soil. This study demonstrated that any alteration in forest land use significantly reduces soil quality.

Precise regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) delivery is essential for angiogenesis-oriented tissue engineering, because excessive or poorly controlled VEGF exposure may lead to abnormal and immature vascular structures. In this study, aligned core-shell fibrous threads loaded with deoxycholic acid-modified branched polyethylenimine/plasmid encoding VEGF (bPEI1.8-DA/pVEGF) polyplexes were developed as a scaffold-mediated platform for sustained VEGF gene delivery. The polymer/plasmid DNA weight ratio was first optimized in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and a ratio of 2 was selected based on reporter-gene expression and cytocompatibility. The pVEGF polyplexes were then incorporated into the aqueous core of gelatin/poly(ε-caprolactone) (70:30) fibers using modified coaxial electrospinning equipped with a rotating disk collector. Electron and fluorescence microscopy confirmed the formation of bead-free aligned fibers with a core-shell architecture and successful polyplexes incorporation. The aligned fibers were twisted into cohesive fibrous threads with an average diameter of approximately 148 μm. Genipin crosslinking preserved the fibrous morphology, improved scaffold stability, and increased Young's modulus from 37.13 to 49.81 cN/Tex while reducing extensibility. In vitro release studies showed that the core-shell structure, crosslinking, and compact thread architecture reduced the initial burst release and prolonged polyplex delivery over 33 days. The initial polyplex release from crosslinked threads was 16.59%, approximately 35% lower than that from crosslinked webs, and the released polyplex amount remained below the 100 ng threshold level for up to 16 days. Released polyplexes retained reporter-gene expression capability, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay confirmed prolonged VEGF secretion by HUVECs. The scaffolds also supported cell adhesion and metabolic activity. These findings indicate that aligned core-shell fibrous threads can provide sustained plasmid polyplex availability, prolong downstream VEGF secretion, and serve as a promising platform for localized angiogenic gene delivery, particularly in applications requiring directional fibrous architecture and localized vector delivery.

Extracellular vesicles and EV-enriched extracellular particles are increasingly recognized as potential mediators of intercellular communication. In coral reef ecosystems, dinoflagellate symbionts of the family Symbiodiniaceae play central roles in host metabolism, environmental acclimation, and stress responses; however, the molecular composition of extracellular particles released by cultured Symbiodiniaceae remains poorly understood. In this study, a host-isolated Symbiodiniaceae culture derived from the sea anemone Exaiptasia diaphana was established under host-free laboratory conditions for EV-enriched particle isolation and characterization. Physicochemical analysis of the recovered extracellular particle fraction showed an average diameter of 534.1 ± 63.9nm, a polydispersity index of 0.733 ± 0.08, and an average zeta potential of - 14.57 ± 1.55 mV, indicating a heterogeneous and negatively charged extracellular particle suspension. Small RNA analysis showed that the EV-associated RNA fraction contained multiple RNA biotypes, with rRNA- and tRNA-derived reads representing the dominant annotated components, whereas miRNA-like sequences accounted for only a minor fraction of the annotated small RNA pool. Comparison against an antisense Exaiptasia diaphana CDS dataset further identified retained EV-associated small RNAs showing sequence complementarity to host coding transcripts, including cytohesin-1 and EPG5. These matches are interpreted as candidate sequence-level observations rather than evidence of functional host regulation. In parallel, miRNA-oriented analysis identified candidate miRNA-like sequences after downstream filtering. Proteomic profiling by LC-MS/MS generated 4,086 accession-level matches. After removal of uninformative entries and consolidation of duplicate protein names, 834 non-redundant named proteins were retained and classified into nine functional groups, including proteins involved in metabolism and energy production, transport and membrane trafficking, photosynthesis and chloroplast function, and signal transduction and regulation. Representative annotations included 14-3-3-related proteins, Rab/ARF family proteins, Hsp70, Hsp90, and oxygen-evolving enhancer protein. These results provide an initial qualitative molecular characterization of EV-associated molecules released by a host-isolated Symbiodiniaceae culture and serve as a baseline for future studies of algal extracellular communication and cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis.

The Effect of Reduced Graphene Oxide in Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles on the Enzymatic Properties of the Immobilized Enzyme.

This study aims to address NOX4 (NADPH oxidase 4)-driven oxidative injury in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the poor bioavailability of the natural flavonoid Quercetagetin, we developed an α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR)-targeted, Quercetagetin-loaded PLGA nanocarrier (PLGA@Quercetagetin@α7-nAChR) for receptor-mediated delivery, NOX4 suppression, and neuroprotection. Using the GSE97760 dataset, bioinformatic screening combined with LASSO regression was performed to identify candidate targets. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) with pseudotime analysis was applied to delineate cell type-resolved and trajectory-associated expression patterns. Nanoparticles were fabricated by a double-emulsion method and characterized for physicochemical properties. In an Aβ-induced HT-22 neuronal injury model, genetic perturbation, western blotting, and flow cytometry were used to validate the pathogenic role of NOX4 and to evaluate the pharmacological efficacy of the nanoplatform. NOX4 emerged as the key gene, showing enriched expression in oligodendrocytes and endothelial cells and an increase along the inferred disease-associated trajectory. In vitro, Aβ stimulation upregulated NOX4, whereas NOX4 knockdown or Quercetagetin treatment alleviated Aβ-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis. The nanoparticles exhibited an average diameter and sustained drug release over 72h. α7-nAChR targeting enhanced neuronal uptake by ~ fivefold, markedly reduced NOX4 mRNA levels, and decreased the apoptotic rate from 18.3% to 5.0%. Notably, encapsulation also mitigated the hepatorenal toxicity observed with high-dose free Quercetagetin. These in vitro findings suggest NOX4 as a potential target in AD, and the PLGA@Quercetagetin@α7-nAChR nanoplatform shows improved cellular uptake and reduced short-term toxicity compared to free drug. However, claims regarding brain targeting and translational potential are limited by the absence of in vivo validation, non-targeted controls, drug exposure normalization, and key formulation parameters (e.g., encapsulation efficiency). Future in vivo studies are required to substantiate this targeted strategy for AD.

Sustainable nanomaterial synthesis has emerged as a critical strategy to reduce the environmental burden associated with conventional chemical synthesis method. Microalgae-derived biomolecules offer a promising platform for the green production of metal nanoparticles due to their rich bioactive compounds capable of acting as natural reducing and stabilizing agents. Here, we report the eco-friendly synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using extract of Indonesian microalga Chlorella vulgaris extract. To optimize the synthesis process, the effects of precursor-to-extract ratio, temperature, and incubation time were evaluated. Optimal synthesis of C5-AuNPs was obtained at 37 °C for 20 h with precursor to extract ratio of 6:4, resulting in moderately stable C5-AuNPs characterized by a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak at 541 nm. Furthermore, Fourier-transmission infra-red (FT-IR) analysis revealed the involvement of functional groups of C. vulgaris extract in the interaction with Au+ during the production of C5-AuNPs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated the formation of uniformly spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter of approximately 8.8 nm. Biological evaluation showed that the synthesized C5-AuNPs exerted pronounced dose-dependent cytotoxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells with an IC50 threshold of 21.17 ppm, while no toxicity appears in normal HEK293 cells. Mechanistically, the C5-AuNPs induced early apoptosis and inhibit cell-cycle progression at the stage of G0/G1. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that C. vulgaris-mediated AuNPs represent a promising preliminary in vitro findings for cancer therapy candidate.

Open-pore self-healing toward pitch-based hard carbon with optimized closed nanopores for enhanced sodium-ion battery performance.