UuPGRP, a peptidoglycan recognition protein of Urechis unicinctus, promotes immune defense against bacterial infection.

Hustlers and tricksters: Colonialism, the war on drugs, and survival strategies of people who inject drugs.

Malignancy has traditionally been viewed as a genetic disease driven by mutation and clonal selection. However, growing evidence indicates that tumors also exploit conserved developmental and immunological programs that predate cancer development. Among these, placentation stands out as a prominent biological analogy. During pregnancy, trophoblast cells exhibit rapid growth, controlled invasion, angiogenesis, metabolic adaptability, and localized immune tolerance, features that closely resemble those of aggressive tumors. This review revisits the trophoblastic theory of cancer and suggests that a specific biologically defined subset of solid tumors may evolve through a placentation-like system rather than directly from a trophoblastic lineage. We examine evidence showing that progesterone, acting via nuclear progesterone receptors and membrane-associated mediators such as PGRMC1, can induce immune-regulatory effectors, including progesterone-induced blocking factors (PIBF) and HLA-G, in preclinical models. We also discuss important caveats: HLA-G and metabolic reprogramming are not unique to placentation but can also be triggered by hypoxia, inflammatory cytokines, and epigenetic plasticity. Therefore, we do not argue for a trophoblastic origin but for the convergent activation of conserved survival strategies, which, when sustained and protected from immune attack, create a tumor-permissive environment. Finally, we propose a biomarker-driven, ethically guided clinical framework to evaluate the use of progesterone receptor antagonists or modulators in cancer treatment. The trophoblastic model, as a systems-level hypothesis, provides testable predictions that combine endocrine biology with modern immuno-oncology and may uncover previously unrecognized therapeutic vulnerabilities in cancers.

Direct interspecies electron transfer-based methanogenic aggregate: A survival strategy to overcome defensive attack from type VI secretion system during syntrophic cooperation.

Hypoxia-driven phase separation of the PABP1/eIF4B complex forms stress granules and activates ChaC2 translation to promote polyunsaturated lipids-supported peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer.

Protozoan encystment constitutes a pivotal survival strategy against environmental stressors; however, the molecular architecture governing this transition remains enigmatic, owing to limited genomic resources and a scarcity of integrated multi-omics investigations. Here, we elucidate the mechanisms underlying encystment in Oxytricha granulifera by reporting the first macronuclear genome assembly and conducting a comprehensive integration of transcriptomic, proteomic, and morphological analyses across vegetative and cyst stages. Morphological restructuring, typified by ciliary dedifferentiation and cyst wall formation, is molecularly supported by the downregulation of microtubule dynamics-associated genes and the concurrent upregulation of vesicle transport machinery. Furthermore, expanded gene families linked to carbohydrate metabolism and cellular acidification coincide with observed autophagic clearance and mucocyst activity, highlighting a coordinated metabolic shift essential for cyst formation. Elevated expression of the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy pathways, which mediate protein turnover, along with upregulation of antioxidant enzyme genes, contributes to alleviating oxidative damage. Notably, we identified rewired post-transcriptional regulation that increases spliceosome activity and alternative splicing frequency, with each trend validated at the protein level. Concurrently, we observed a distinct epigenetic signature characterized by the significant downregulation of DNA N6-adenine methylation (6mA) methyltransferases (homologs of AMT1 and AMT6/7), suggesting a potential repressive role of methylation during the cyst stage. Collectively, these findings provide a multidimensional atlas of the encystment process, revealing that O. granulifera accomplishes cellular structural remodeling through a multilayered regulatory network spanning morphological, genetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic levels.IMPORTANCEOxytricha species are widely distributed in freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, playing significant ecological roles in microbial communities. Their ability to undergo encystment provides a powerful model for studying cellular differentiation and stress adaptation in microbial eukaryotes. This study presents the first multi-omics analysis of encystment in Oxytricha granulifera, revealing microbial survival strategies through enhanced protein turnover, autophagy, alternative splicing, and DNA methylation reprogramming. These findings offer fundamental insights into dormancy mechanisms and environmental adaptation in protists, advancing our understanding of microbial resilience, evolutionary innovation, and ecological success in fluctuating environments.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains a significant health concern worldwide, traditionally attributed to inappropriate antibiotic use. Emerging experimental and observational evidence suggests that non-antibiotic medications, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), may influence microbial behavior and adaptive responses associated with reduced antibiotic susceptibility. Beyond their analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, certain NSAIDs have been shown to modulate bacterial stress responses, efflux pump activity, biofilm dynamics and horizontal gene transfer under specific experimental conditions. This review examines the interplay between NSAIDs and the microbial ecosystem, focusing on resistance-associated mechanisms in antibiotic resistance and discusses implications for microbiome homeostasis and therapeutic outcomes. An extensive literature review was conducted using electronic databases “Google Scholar,” “PubMed,” and “Scopus” to identify relevant studies published between 1990 and 2025. The search strategy employed predefined keywords, including “non-antibiotic drug resistance,” “NSAIDs,” “microbial adaptation,” and “biofilm modulation.” Retrieved records were screened at the title and abstract level, followed by full-text evaluation of eligible studies. Experimental, clinical and mechanistic studies examining NSAID–microbe interactions in relation to antimicrobial resistance were included, while non-English articles and studies lacking microbiological relevance were excluded. The selected literature was qualitatively synthesized to inform the thematic analysis of the mechanisms, clinical consequences and research gaps highlighted in this paper. Preclinical research suggests that NSAIDs including ibuprofen, diclofenac and salicylic acid may modulate microbial survival strategies by reducing antibiotic susceptibility, enhancing biofilm-associated tolerance and altering pathogen behavior. These effects appear to assist adaptive responses associated with resistance-related phenotypes, rather than directly causing antimicrobial resistance. Given the predominantly experimental nature of current evidence, their inclusion in AMR surveillance and stewardship should be approached cautiously and supported by further research.

It is well-known that momilactones are diterpenoids that play important roles in the survival strategy of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa). Momilactones serve not only as phytoalexins against pathogens but also as allelopathic substances against other plant species. It has been reported that several wild rice species also produce momilactones. Among them, the CC genome species Oryza officinalis possesses two homologs of the diterpene synthase OsKSL4, which is responsible for momilactone biosynthesis; OoKSL4-1 and OoKSL4-2. Diterpene synthases have a role in constructing specific carbon skeletons in diterpenoid biosynthetic pathways. Previously, it was reported that OoKSL4-2, but not OoKSL4-1, converts syn-copalyl diphosphate to 9β-pimara-7,15-diene, the biosynthetic intermediate diterpene of momilactones. We herein identified residues that are required for the production of 9β-pimara-7,15-diene by comparing the sequences of OoKSL4-1 and OoKSL4-2. Amino acid substitution experiments reveal that the product profile of the triple substitution mutant OoKSL4-1-I592L/R700G/I702T was almost identical to that of OoKSL4-2, with converse mutagenesis further indicating that 585L, 693G and 695T in OoKSL4-2 are important for the production of 9β-pimara-7,15-diene. Protein-ligand structure predictions suggest that the OoKSL4-1 triple mutant and OoKSL4-2 bind the substrate in a similar orientation within the binding pocket, positioning the two carbon atoms involved in the cyclization reaction close together. In contrast, wild-type OoKSL4-1 binds the substrate in a different orientation, resulting in a greater distance between the two carbons. This difference in the distance is well correlated with more efficient production of 9β-pimara-7,15-diene by OoKSL4-2 compared with OoKSL4-1.

Molecular and hormonal regulation of plant responses to waterlogging stress: From fundamental mechanisms to potential strategies of crop tolerance engineering.

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan (2020–2025) represents one of the most complex operational environments for international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) globally. Following the Taliban takeover in August 2021, INGOs faced a critical juncture characterized by economic collapse, diplomatic isolation, and severe restrictions on civil liberties, particularly for women. Objectives . This study investigates the institutional adaptation mechanisms employed by INGOs to sustain operations under the de facto authorities (DFA) and examines the “legitimacy-humanitarian imperative paradox”. Method s. A systematic literature review was conducted using SCOPUS-indexed journals from 2020 to 2025, synthesizing findings from 58 peer-reviewed articles through a mixed-methods thematic analysis rooted in Institutional Theory and Resource Dependency Theory. Key Findings . Results indicate that INGOs utilize “strategic decoupling” to navigate the conflict between donor compliance requirements (nonrecognition) and operational necessities (engagement with DFA). While localization has accelerated as a survival strategy, the December 2022 ban on female NGO workers created an existential threat to principled humanitarian action, particularly in the health and protection sectors. Conclusions . The study concludes that the current operational model relies on a fragile equilibrium of pragmatic negotiation that risks eroding humanitarian principles. Sustainable intervention requires a recalibration of donor risk thresholds and a distinct separation of humanitarian engagement from political recognition. Sustainable intervention requires a recalibration of donor risk thresholds and a distinct separation of humanitarian engagement from political recognition

Elastic adjustment enables turgor maintenance under drought, yet its potential as a reliable predictor of species-level drought resistance remains controversial due to the static nature of traditional metrics. This study investigates the variation in cell wall elastic properties across a global dataset, introducing the "Elasticity Safety Range"-defined as [Ln (εmax/εmean)]-as a dynamic functional indicator, where εmax and εmean represent the maximum and mean elastic modulus, respectively. Unlike the εmax, this index captures the capacity for reversible elastic modulation required to maintain turgor under stress. We found that the Elasticity Safety Range was more strongly correlated with climate aridity than traditional εmax and εmean, revealing a fundamental divergence in survival strategies. Specifically, evergreen species exhibited a widened safety range under aridity, reflecting a "Persistence Strategy" to protect expensive foliage through active cell wall softening. In contrast, deciduous species showed a diminished or negligible range in arid conditions, consistent with a "Phenological Avoidance" strategy (leaf shedding). Our findings demonstrate that the Elasticity Safety Range offers novel insights into the trade-off between structural investment and physiological regulation, providing a robust tool for assessing plant vulnerability to climate intensification.

ABSTRACT This study traces the trajectory of a borderland regime and the roles of key actors in bordering and infrastructuring within the diaspora of female defectors – turned entrepreneurs – from North Korea. While previous research has explored the coexistence of bordering and infrastructuring in borderlands, the roles of actors, particularly in the Global East, have been less studied. This research conceptualises actors such as informal markets, multiple nation-states, brokers, churches and families – identified through interviews, observations and document analysis – as part of a borderland regime in the North Korean diaspora to South Korea. Women developed networks among these actors during defection from North Korea and settlement – networks that were constantly renegotiated in a shifting geopolitical environment. In the repurposing of infrastructure, the line between formal and informal networks often becomes blurred, with some actors fulfilling both roles and the defectors themselves becoming integral links in the circularity of these networks. This research highlights these networks’ interconnectedness and offers a relational approach to debordering in the Global East, contributing to the understanding of survival and empowerment strategies.

Softness-Weakness constitutes a core category in Laozi’s philosophy, while in Yan Zun’s Laozi zhigui of the Western Han dynasty, Harmony-Weakness becomes the key concept for interpreting Laozi’s thought. This conceptual transformation from Softness-Weakness to Harmony-Weakness both reflects the intellectual background of Confucian–Daoist synthesis in the Han dynasty and marks the creative development of Daoist philosophy during this period. Building upon complete inheritance of Laozi’s Softness-Weakness thought, Yan Zun achieved a theoretical reconstruction of Daoist philosophy through introducing Harmony—this Confucian core category. At the cosmological level, Yan Zun creatively incorporated Supreme-Harmony into the sequence of the Dao’s generation, establishing its ontological position as the “progenitor” of the myriad things. Through the proposition “Harmony is its destination, Weakness is its function”, Yan Zun endowed Harmony-Weakness with a clear teleological dimension and value orientation, elevating Harmony-Weakness from a survival strategy to a fundamental principle of cosmic generation. At the practical level, through the Harmony-Weakness concept, Yan Zun constructs a complete system integrating self-cultivation and politics, developing Daoist thought from relatively dispersed wisdom discourse into systematic theory. This conceptual transformation transcends the simple opposition between Softness-Weakness and hardness-strength, achieving a unity in which hardness and Softness mutually assist each other under Harmony’s regulation. However, while the introduction of Harmony deepened the theory, it may also have somewhat weakened the critical edge of Softness-Weakness thought, and the substantialization of Supreme-Harmony may have departed from Laozi’s nihilistic spirit. This theoretical tension precisely demonstrates the theoretical dilemmas and historical choices that Daoist thought faced in its Han dynasty development.

Abstract This article examines how the commodification of urban space is reshaping popular urbanization in Lima. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in two neighbourhoods, I propose the concept of ‘speculative auto‐production of urban space’. This concept captures how vulnerable households meet housing needs while also engaging in speculation as a survival strategy—what I call ‘speculation from below’. The analysis reveals three interrelated dimensions. First, land serves as both a commodity and a form of social insurance. Second, discretionary legality allows for the instrumental use of regulations. Third, everyday practices help legitimize speculative relations. Critically, for‐profit intermediaries exploit households’ needs, operating through both formal and informal institutions. Residents do not resist speculation; instead, they integrate into it because land addresses both labour precarity and state retrenchment. The novel framework, which connects structural factors to lived experiences, informs comparative discussions where informality, commodification and speculation intertwine.

This study uncovers a unique survival strategy in Trichoderma. By lacking a carbohydrate-binding module, Trichoderma's chitinase can effectively degrade host cell walls while minimizing self-damage. The protective protein QID74 further safeguards the cell wall by binding to the chitinase. This research offers novel insights into fungal biology and ecology, with potential applications in developing sustainable biocontrol agents.

The meta-analysis integrates transcriptomic data from two independent datasets (GSE8732 and GSE84554) to elucidateMycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb)'s transcriptional response to iron limitation, a key host defense mechanism. The study identifies a core set of consistently differentially expressed genes (DEGs) critical forMtb's survival under iron-restricted conditions. Key upregulated genes include those involved in siderophore biosynthesis (mbtA,mbtB,mbtE,mbtI), which are essential for iron acquisition, and components of the ESX secretion system (esxG,esxH,esxR,esxS), linking iron scavenging to virulence. Additionally, PE/PPE family genes (PPE37,PE5), implicated in immune evasion, were consistently upregulated, suggesting their role in host-pathogen interactions during iron scarcity. Conversely, downregulated genes included iron storage proteins (bfrA), regulatory factors (ideR,sigB,rpoC), and metabolic enzymes (aspC,frdA), reflecting a strategic shift away from iron-dependent processes to conserve resources. Temporal analysis revealed a dynamic adaptation process: early-phase responses prioritized iron acquisition, while prolonged starvation induced metabolic restructuring (e.g., upregulation offadD33,kasB) and stress responses (grpE). The iron-dependent regulator IdeR emerged as a central player, derepressing iron acquisition genes under low iron but also revealing additional regulatory layers. The consistent DEGs across datasets validate their biological significance and highlight potential therapeutic targets, such as siderophore biosynthesis and ESX systems, to disruptMtb's adaptation during infection. This study advances insights intoMtb's pathogenicity and survival strategies under host-imposed iron restriction, offering a framework for novel anti-tuberculosis interventions.

ABSTRACT This article sheds light on the unauthorised activities of visiting medical staff in Soviet Lithuania. Mainly, female Soviet medical staff were supposed to take care of women’s and children’s health in the suburban and rural parts of Soviet Lithuania. They had to carry out doctors’ prescriptions and provide social monitoring. However, an analysis of extensive archival, published, and oral history sources reveals that, while fulfilling the roles assigned to them by the authorities, they also assumed a distinct function as providers of alternative health and social services, as well as practical knowledge—resources that were in high demand, but unavailable through official channels in everyday Soviet life. Visiting medical staff often acted as social intermediaries between different agents of society, creating a network of women’s self-help services and supplies that existed alongside the formal system. This research shows that activities of feldshers and visiting sisters often assumed an illegal character and were incompatible with their official duties. In addressing the needs of society, they became important agents in the public’s survival strategies.

ABSTRACT Graduate school is often framed as a space for intellectual growth and professional development; however, for many Black students at historically White colleges and universities, it becomes a site of racial harm, isolation, and cumulative trauma. This qualitative study examines the compounded effects of racialized stress on Black graduate students in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd—a catalytic moment that intensified anti-Black rhetoric and exposed the limits of institutional support. Grounded in the framework of cumulative racial trauma, the study draws on Zoom-based video diaries and reflexive thematic analysis to explore students’ lived experiences in real time. Findings reveal five interrelated themes: racialized academic encounters, psychological and emotional toll, political climate and safety, navigating racial identity, and strategies of resistance and survival. Participants described navigating interpersonal, institutional, and societal racism that collectively shaped their well-being and academic experiences. The findings highlight the relational and systemic nature of racial trauma and call for trauma-informed, equity-driven approaches in graduate education. This study contributes to social work education by emphasizing the need for structural transformation to ensure Black graduate students can thrive—not merely survive—in higher education.

This article argues that Public Anthropology is the only major possible approach for Indian anthropology to reimprint its relevance in society and academia. To support this, we draw on historical and empirical studies, both from India and abroad, to show how the discipline of anthropology can serve as a troubleshooter for societal problems. The roles and opportunities for anthropologists are critically discussed, alongside a deeper analysis of teaching and training in Indian anthropology departments. Reorientation and relook approaches are suggested to disseminate anthropological insights for public benefit. This article suggests that engaging in public discourse and activism, along with the ability to reflect, understand, analyze, and communicate research outcomes to the general public in layman’s terms, is the only viable path for Indian anthropology to revive its glory and ensure its survival.

This qualitative study is a buildup inquiry on “In the Quiet Hum of Small Ateliers, Off-Cuts, Threads, and Forgotten Scraps Whisper their Untold Stories” that explores the ecological and practical implications of fabric scraps among small-scale garment manufacturers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana. This research explores co-design method that transform generated fabric scraps into textile artifacts, serving as innovative materials for art and décor while shaping disposal practices for these scraps, all grounded in the circular economy theoretical framework (3 R principle) and employing an interpretivist-constructivist paradigm. Through purposive sampling, face-to-face interviews with thirty-five (35) artisans (tailors, dressmakers, embroiderers, and milliners), and sustained ethnographic observations across four neighborhoods, the study reveals that fabric scraps disposal within Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis should not be seen as a nuisance, however, as an artistic rendition of implementing a circular economy model (Reuse) that is crucial for ensuring sustainability and minimizing environmental effects in the textile and clothing sector and recycling textile waste. The alchemization narrative of transforming fabric scraps into creative artifacts emerges as both a practical survival strategy and a culturally embedded practice with significant potential for sustainable development.