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Solar cells that combine multiple perovskite layers surpass 30% efficiency
Polyacrylic acid, but not polyethylene glycol, induces metabolic reprogramming linked to pulmonary fibrosis in rats
Abstract Polyacrylic acids are widely used in industrial and consumer products, yet increasing evidence indicates that they can induce severe lung injury and rapidly progressing fibrosis. The underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the pulmonary toxicity of polyacrylic acid (A45) in comparison with polyethylene glycol (PEG, negative control) in a rat intratracheal instillation model. Lung inflammation and fibrosis were assessed up to 6 months. To explore systemic responses to pulmonary injury, serum metabolomics was performed using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOFMS). A45 exposure caused marked neutrophil infiltration, elevated inflammatory markers, and persistent fibrotic remodeling, while PEG induced no significant pulmonary changes. Metabolomic profiling detected 249 metabolites, of which 182 passed quality filtering. A45 significantly altered amino acid, energy, and redox pathways, whereas PEG showed minimal changes. Differential metabolites included valine, leucine, alanine, glutamine, malate, carnitine, cysteine, and methionine sulfoxide. Pathway analysis revealed enrichment of amino-acid/collagen-related and energy-demanding pathways. These findings demonstrate that polyacrylic acid induces systemic metabolic reprogramming linked to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and fibrosis, highlighting serum metabolomics as a valuable tool for mechanistic toxicology and biomarker discovery.
Rapid and efficient labeling by a selective organic fluorophore probe highlights heterogeneity of mycobacterial populations and persister resuscitation
Stress tolerant slow- or non-growing bacterial subpopulations represent a key factor for chronic, recurrent, antibiotic-tolerant infections and necessitate prolonged antibiotic therapy. Consequently, new tools that facilitate investigation of these small subpopulations are highly needed. To characterize slow-/non-growing populations of mycobacteria, we here utilized Vybrant DiD, a lipophilic, fluorescent organic probe that detected pathogenic and non-pathogenic species in a rapid, specific and non-invasive manner. It enabled accurate, direct quantification of mycobacterial replication rate in vitro and in murine macrophages at the population and single-cell level, providing insight into population heterogeneity. We determined the preexisting slow-/non-growing fraction of mycobacteria during exponential growth, which increased upon stress. Monitoring mycobacterial resuscitation after antibacterial treatment and after low-oxygen-induced dormancy revealed the stochastic and heterogeneous nature of the resuscitation process. We anticipate that this method will be widely utilized in basic research on bacterial persistence and may also be included in applied settings, e.g., high-throughput drug characterization.
Sub-acute toxicity profiles of Rhoicissus tridentata as used in the traditional prostate cancer managment in the Elgon in Wistar albino rats
Assessing fish welfare in small-scale commercial fixed-net fisheries off the Southern Portuguese coast
Despite a growing interest in animal welfare in production systems, research on fish welfare remains limited, particularly in commercial fisheries. Fish caught in fixed-net fisheries experience multiple stressors from the time of capture to mortality on deck considered detrimental to their welfare. We examined the impact of bottom-set gill nets and on-board handling on catch welfare using behavioural and physiological indicators. Vitality assessments were performed on four commercially important fish species on-board fishing vessels through a devised vitality scale that included behaviours, morphological condition and reflexes as indicators of welfare. Physiological stress parameters (Cortisol, Glucose, Lactate and Osmolality) were evaluated in blood collected on deck and analysed in relation to the vitality scores. The vitality at arrival on deck as well as the rate of decrease in vitality differed significantly amongst the tested species. Furthermore, Generalised Linear Models predicted that several biological, operational, and environmental variables significantly affect the extent of time the fish shows activity, and hence, on the welfare. Elevated average cortisol levels were found at all the vitality stages highlighting the stress experienced by fish due to the fishing process. The findings of this study enable us to recommend welfare-friendly methods in set-net fisheries to promote better fishing standards.
3D-MINFLUX nanoscopy reveals distinct allosteric mechanisms for activation and modulation of PIEZO1 by Yoda1
Abstract The small molecule Yoda1 has become an indispensable tool for dissecting the role of the mechanically activated ion channel PIEZO1 in physiological and pathological contexts. Previous studies proposed that Yoda1 first binds to a hydrophobic pocket at the interface of the transmembrane helical units 8 and 9 close to the inner leaflet of the membrane to induce conformational flattening and thus channel activation and then transitions to a deeper located binding site with higher affinity in the open conformation. Here, using site-directed mutagenesis, electrophysiology, computational modelling and 3D-MINFLUX nanoscopy, we refine this model by demonstrating that mutation of the previously proposed Yoda1 binding site-I, solely abolishes Yoda1-induced activation and channel flattening but preserves modulation of mechanically-evoked PIEZO1 currents, whereas mutation of F1715, which lines a transient binding cavity accessible only in the flattened PIEZO1 conformation, eliminated modulation without affecting Yoda-induced calcium entry. Thus, our data support a revised model for Yoda’s mode of action that distinguishes discrete allosteric pathways for PIEZO1 activation versus modulation and provides a framework for the design of next-generation use-dependent PIEZO1 modulators.
Neural entrainment to visual rules in infant and adult brain
Jerk, a promising tool for early warning of volcanic eruptions
Integrating geochemical analysis and geospatial techniques to assess groundwater quality and health risks in Wadi Feiran Basin, Southwestern Sinai, Egypt
Abstract This study evaluates groundwater quality in the Wadi Feiran Basin, Southwestern Sinai, by integrating hydrochemical analysis, pollution assessment, and human health risk assessment (HHRA) with morphometric characterization of surface runoff. Morphometric analysis shows that sub-basins vary in runoff potential, reflecting differences in size and topography. Groundwater quality exhibits significant variability, with pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, and total hardness exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) limits in several samples. Hydrochemical facies analysis indicates that silicate weathering, evaporite dissolution, ion exchange, saline intrusion, and anthropogenic contamination are the dominant processes shaping groundwater chemistry. Pollution assessment using Nemerov’s Pollution Index identifies nitrate and iron as key contaminants, with nitrate exceeding WHO standards in nearly half of the samples. HHRA reveals substantial non-carcinogenic risks, particularly for children, due to elevated nitrate levels, while long-term exposure also suggests potential carcinogenic effects. Overall, 60% of the sampled groundwater is unsuitable for drinking, underscoring the urgent need for monitoring and management strategies to protect public health and ensure sustainable groundwater use in the basin.
De-solvation of heteroalkali cations enabling stable solid electrolyte interphase for dendrite-free lithium metal batteries
The effects of VR-based multi-task sensorimotor intervention on motor performance in children with ADHD and DCD comorbidity
Ataxin-2-like promotes translation of nonpolyadenylated reovirus mRNA
Large-scale experimental assessment of coyote behavior across urban and rural landscapes
ER degradation for ER+/HER2– advanced or metastatic breast cancer: a phase 1 trial
Edge-AI integrated secure wireless IoT architecture for real time healthcare monitoring and federated anomaly detection
Early favorable prostate-specific antigen response prediction in metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer
The lived experience of mask wearing among patients with chronic illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic
Spatial correlation at the boson peak frequency in amorphous materials
Carbon dynamics of a controlled peatland rewetting experiment in the Norwegian boreal zone
Abstract A controlled peatland rewetting experiment was conducted on two adjacent drained peatland sites in southeastern Norway. Eddy covariance monitoring of CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes at both sites began in 2019. In 2021, the Treatment Site was rewetted while the Control Site remained drained. Using nine environmental variables and the processed flux data as training data, Bayesian Additive Regression Tree (BART) models were used to generate annual flux balances for CO 2 and CH 4 . The 4-year mean annual flux at the Control Site was 17.3 ± 10 g CO 2 -C m − 2 yr − 1 and 4.6 ± 0.1 g CH 4 -C m − 2 yr − 1 . At the Treatment Site, the 2-year mean annual flux before the rewetting was 12.2 ± 3.8 g CO 2 -C m − 2 yr − 1 and 1.8 ± 0.04 g CH 4 -C m − 2 yr − 1 . In the first year after rewetting the annual flux was 53.3 ± 13 g CO 2 -C m − 2 yr − 1 and 3.8 ± 0.3 g CH 4 -C m − 2 yr − 1 , and in the second year after rewetting the annual flux was 41.2 ± 18 g CO 2 -C m − 2 yr − 1 and 3.4 ± 0.4 g CH 4 -C m − 2 yr − 1 . BART counterfactual modeling was able to estimate the effect of the rewetting on CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes. Two years after the rewetting, the BART counterfactual modeling estimated that the cumulative fluxes had increased by 80.3 ± 49 g CO 2 -C m − 2 and 3.4 ± 0.47 g CH 4 -C m − 2 because of the rewetting. Carbon flux monitoring of both sites is ongoing as the Control Site remains drained and the soil and vegetation at the Treatment Site continues to adjust to the altered hydrological regime after rewetting.