Search Results (5,714)

Silk fibroin (SF) has evolved from a traditional biopolymer to a leading regenerative medicine material. Its combination of mechanical strength, biocompatibility, tunable degradation, and molecular adaptability makes SF a unique matrix that is both bioactive and intelligent. Advances in hydrogel engineering have transformed SF from a passive scaffold into a smart, living hydrogel. These systems can instruct cell fate, sense microenvironmental signals, and deliver therapeutic signals as needed. By incorporating stem cells, progenitors, or engineered immune and microbial populations, SF hydrogels now serve as synthetic niches for organoid maturation and as adaptive implants for tissue regeneration. These platforms replicate extracellular matrix complexity and evolve with tissue, showing self-healing, shape-memory, and stimuli-responsive properties. Such features are redefining biomaterial–cell interactions. SF hydrogels are used for wound healing, musculoskeletal repair, neural and cardiac patches, and developing scalable organoid models for disease and drug research. Challenges remain in maintaining long-term cell viability, achieving clinical scalability, and meeting regulatory standards. This review explores how advances in SF engineering, synthetic biology, and organoid science are enabling SF-based smart living hydrogels in bridging the gap between research and clinical use. Full article

Understanding the feeding mechanisms and interspecific coexistence of sharks is crucial for effective conservation. This study conducted stable isotope analysis on muscle and liver samples from 449 individuals of eight common bycatch shark species collected via bottom trawling in the northern South China Sea (NSCS). Results revealed significant differences in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values among species and tissue types. Scoliodon laticaudus exhibited the highest trophic position (TP_muscle = 4.60 ± 0.33; TP_liver = 4.53 ± 0.29), while Apristurus platyrhynchus had the lowest (TP_muscle = 2.97 ± 0.44; TP_liver = 2.75 ± 0.53). Muscle and liver isotopic signals were consistent, but δ¹³C differences indicated distinct carbon sources, with Carcharhinus sorrah linked to deep-sea organic matter and S. laticaudus to coastal inputs. Significant correlations between δ¹³C/δ¹⁵N and body length in A. platyrhynchus and Cephaloscyllium fasciatum suggest ontogenetic shifts in diet and habitat toward deeper waters. Trophic niche analysis using corrected standard ellipse area (SEAc) showed Halaelurus burgeri with the widest trophic niche (SEAc > 1.7‰²), reflecting a broad diet, while C. fasciatum had the narrowest (SEAc < 0.3‰²), indicating specialized feeding. Additionally, H. burgeri and C. sarawakensis exhibited significant niche differentiation, reducing interspecific competition, whereas C. fasciatum and Squalus megalops showed high niche overlap, suggesting intense resource competition. The narrower liver niche of C. sarawakensis may reflect recent habitat constriction due to bottom trawling. This study elucidates the feeding ecology and habitat resource utilization of NSCS sharks, providing a scientific basis for effective conservation strategies for shark populations in the region. Full article

Animal welfare education requires pedagogical models that bridge conceptual knowledge with practice. This study presents GamifyWELL, a biomimetic, gamified learning environment for students, farmers, and veterinary technicians. Grounded in ecological principles of adaptation, diversification, and niche specialization, the design emulates how living systems evolve through feedback and cooperation. These principles were translated into an instructional model that integrates a core pathway (Pre-Test, Levels 1–4, Post-Test) with optional enrichment tasks and a role-specific Reward Marketplace. Question formats are constant across levels (MCQ, image-based, video-based) while cognitive difficulty increases, culminating in Positive Welfare scenarios. We describe the learning design structure and report preliminary implementation observations using a mixed-methods evaluation plan (pre/post knowledge assessments and engagement indicators). Results from early deployment indicate strong usability and engagement, with high voluntary uptake of enrichment tasks and positive learner feedback on role-tailored rewards; full empirical testing is in progress. Findings support the feasibility and pedagogical promise of biomimetic gamification to enhance knowledge, motivation, and intended practice in animal welfare education. GamifyWELL offers a replicable framework for nature-inspired instructional design that can be extended to allied sustainability domains. Full article

Plants inhabiting arid regions often harbor microbial communities that contribute to their resilience under extreme conditions. Yet, the genomic diversity and functional potential of bacterial endophytes associated with desert-adapted plants, particularly in Africa, remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated Microbacterium endophytes from the xerophytic cucurbit Citrullus colocynthis L. (Cucurbitaceae), collected in a semi-arid environment in central Morocco. Using culture-based isolation, phenotypic characterization, and whole-genome sequencing, we analyzed three representative isolates from leaf and root tissues. Genome-based taxonomy combined with polyphasic analyses identified two novel species, Microbacterium xerophyticum sp. nov. and Microbacterium umsixpiens sp. nov., with genome sizes of approximately 4.0 Mb and 3.9 Mb, respectively. Functional annotation revealed traits consistent with endophytism in water-limited ecosystems, including oxidative and osmotic stress responses, metal homeostasis, and high-affinity phosphate uptake. Differences in siderophore acquisition and nitrogen metabolism suggest niche partitioning between the two species. These findings document two novel bacterial species from a medicinal plant native to arid ecosystems, broaden the known diversity of plant-associated Microbacterium, and provide region-specific genomic references with adaptive traits relevant to host resilience under arid conditions. Full article

The microbial communities of desert-dwelling reptiles, such as lizards, are vital for their health and adaptation, yet remain poorly understood. This study provides the first detailed analysis of the microbiome of the Turpan Wonder Gecko (Teratoscincus roborowskii), using 16S rRNA sequencing on samples from its gut, oral cavity and environment in China’s Turpan Depression. The results showed distinct microbial profiles across these niches. Key findings include a highly diverse gut microbiota, primarily belonging to the phyla Bacteroidota and Bacillota, as well as thermophilic Thermodesulfobacteriota, which may enhance heat tolerance. The oral microbiota was rich in Pseudomonadota, likely aiding its omnivorous diet. Environmental samples were mostly Cyanobacteriota, typical of desert soils. Gut microbes appear to be specialized in carbohydrate metabolism, while oral microbes may assist in xenobiotic degradation. These results emphasize the important role that the gecko’s microbial communities play in its survival in harsh desert conditions. Full article

Radiotherapy (RT) remains a cornerstone of cancer treatment, offering spatially precise cytotoxicity against malignant cells. However, emerging evidence reveals that ionizing radiation (IR) exerts biological effects beyond the targeted tumor volume, manifesting as radiation bystander effects (BEs) and other non-targeted effects (NTEs). These phenomena challenge the traditional paradigm of RT as a localized intervention, highlighting systemic and long-term consequences in non-irradiated tissues. This comprehensive review synthesizes molecular, cellular, and clinical insights about BEs, elucidating the complex intercellular signaling networks gap junctions, cytokines, extracellular vesicles, and oxidative stress that propagate damage, genomic instability, and inflammation. We explore the role of mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic reprogramming, immune modulation, and stem cell niche disruption in shaping BEs outcomes. Clinically, BEs contribute to neurocognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary fibrosis, gastrointestinal toxicity, and secondary malignancies, particularly in pediatric and long-term cancer survivors. The review also evaluates countermeasures including antioxidants, COX-2 inhibitors, exosome blockers, and FLASH RT, alongside emerging strategies targeting cfCh, inflammasomes, and senescence-associated secretory phenotypes. We discuss the dual nature of BEs: their potential to both harm and heal, underscoring adaptive responses and immune priming in specific contexts. By integrating mechanistic depth with translational relevance, this work posits that radiation BEs are a modifiable axis of RT biology. Recognizing and mitigating BEs is imperative for optimizing therapeutic efficacy, minimizing collateral damage, and enhancing survivorship outcomes. This review advocates for a paradigm shift in RT planning and post-treatment care, emphasizing precision, personalization, and systemic awareness in modern oncology. Full article

Amid mounting calls for socio-ecological transition, many social sciences studies have been exploring the processes of societal change. The well-known Science Technology Society studies (STS) approach focuses on the diffusion of innovation niches as an open-ended process ultimately leading to the stabilization of a new regime. Other works have suggested reversing the perspective, i.e., ‘thinking about transitions from the end’. This is a defining characteristic of system building perspectives, which are inherently goal- and sustainability-oriented. This paper presents the state of the art in the social sciences based on a review of international academic journals in English. We use both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Using Web of Science data collected for a period of ten years and the free software IRaMuTeQ (version 2), we have conducted statistical, similarity, and textual analyses of a corpus of 151 texts, following the PRISMA methodology. We discuss the findings of the lexicometric analysis by looking at the content of the article abstracts. While system building is not always mentioned as such, this new perspective is reflected in the literature, especially in research on the energy and food transition, in two main ways: (i) the procedural and substantive dimensions of sustainability transition are both taken into account; (ii) the issue of governance occupies a central place—involving the definition of appropriate instrument mixes and policy mixes—given the need to deal with stakeholders with diverging interests and values rather than only focusing on technological innovations. Full article

Adult neurogenesis is well established in canonical niches—the dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone, where aerobic exercise reliably enhances progenitor proliferation, survival, and synaptic integration via increased cerebral blood flow, neurotrophins (e.g., BDNF, IGF-1), neurotransmitter regulation, and reduced neuroinflammation. Nutraceuticals (e.g., polyphenols, omega-3, creatine, vitamins) further support neuroplasticity and neuronal survival through convergent trophic, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic pathways. By contrast, the hypothalamus, a metabolically pivotal, non-canonical niche, remains comparatively understudied. Here, we synthesize anatomical and functional features of hypothalamic neural stem cells, primarily tanycytes (α1, α2, β1, β2), which line the third ventricle and differentially contribute to neuronal activity regulation, metabolic signaling, and cerebrospinal fluid–portal vasculature coupling, thereby linking neurogenesis to endocrine control. Notably, tanycytes can form neurospheres in vitro, enabling mechanistic interrogation. Although evidence for adult hypothalamic neurogenesis in humans is debated due to methodological constraints, animal data suggest potential relevance to disorders characterized by neuronal loss, metabolic dysregulation, and impaired neuroendocrine function. We propose that an integrative framework is timely: exercise and diet likely interact in the hypothalamic niche through shared mediators (BDNF, IGF-1, CNTF, GPR40) and exercise-derived signals (e.g., lactate, IL-6) that may be complemented by defined nutraceuticals. Yet critical uncertainties persist, including the extent of bona fide hypothalamic neurogenesis, nucleus-specific responses (arcuate nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus), and the mechanistic integration of lifestyle signals in this region. To address these gaps, we outline actionable priorities: (i) single-cell and lineage-tracing studies of tanycyte subtypes under distinct training modalities (aerobic, high-intensity interval training, resistance); (ii) combinatorial interventions pairing structured exercise with nutraceuticals to test synergy on progenitor dynamics and inflammation; and (iii) multi-omics and translational studies to identify biomarkers and establish clinical relevance. Clarifying these interactions will determine whether lifestyle and supplementation strategies can synergistically modulate hypothalamic neurogenesis and inform therapies for neurological, neuropsychiatric, and metabolic disorders. Full article

The rising global demand for renewable energy and the urgency of mitigating climate change have positioned biofuels, particularly sugarcane ethanol, at the forefront of sustainability and conservation debates. Although promoted as a renewable alternative, sugarcane cultivation can cause habitat loss, biodiversity decline, soil degradation, and water contamination. This study presents a bibliometric assessment of 217 publications addressing the biodiversity impacts of sugarcane production, based on searches in the Web of Science Core Collection for papers published between 1998 and 2023. Using the bibliometrix package in R, we identified key publication trends, collaboration networks, and thematic structures. Between 1998 and 2006, no studies were returned by our searches, after which research activity increased substantially, peaking in 2021. Brazil, the world’s largest sugarcane producer, was the most frequent contributor to scientific output, while other major sugarcane producers, such as Thailand and India, showed limited engagement. Thematic mapping of the studies returned by our searches revealed three clusters: (1) cross-cutting themes linking sugarcane, biodiversity, and sustainability; (2) niche themes on pest and soil dynamics; and (3) emerging themes on the ecological role of bats in sugarcane landscapes. Overall, the findings highlight the growing academic engagement in reconciling bioenergy development with biodiversity conservation. Full article

The soil microbiome is an essential component of agroecosystems. However, managing it remains a challenge due to our limited knowledge of how various environmental factors interact and shape its spatial distribution. This study presents a hierarchical ecological model to explain the assembly of the microbiome in sloping agricultural landscapes. Through a comprehensive analysis of bacterial and fungal communities, as well as the examination of metabolic and phytopathogenic profiles across a topographic gradient, we have demonstrated that topography acts as the main filter, structuring bacterial communities. Land use, on the other hand, serves as a secondary filter, refining fungal functional guilds. Our results suggest that hydrological conditions in floodplains favor the growth of stress-tolerant bacterial communities with low diversity, dominated by Actinomycetota. Fungal communities, on the other hand, are directly influenced by land use. Long-term fallow periods lead to an enrichment of arbuscular mycorrhiza, while agroecosystems shift towards pathogenic and saprotrophic niches. Furthermore, we identify specific topographic positions that may be hotspots for phytopathogenic pressure. These hotspots are linked to certain taxa, such as Ustilaginaceae and Didymellaceae, which may pose a threat to plant health. The derived hierarchical model provides a scientific foundation for topography-aware precision agriculture. It promotes stratified management, prioritizing erosion control and soil restoration on slopes, customizing nutrient inputs in fertile floodplains, and implementing targeted phytosanitary monitoring in identified risk areas. Our research thus offers a practical framework for harnessing soil spatial variability to improve soil health and proactively manage disease risks in agricultural systems. Full article

Paenibacillus, a plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium, exhibits broad-spectrum biocontrol activity through the production of diverse antibacterial metabolites, competitive niche colonization, induction of systemic resistance, and enhancement of nutrient uptake. The review summarizes recent advances in elucidating the synergistic interactions among its biocontrol mechanisms and their responses to environmental factors. Subsequently, it outlines gene editing and regulatory technologies applicable to Paenibacillus. Next, key synthetic biology strategies employed to enhance biosynthetic capabilities are examined. Finally, future prospects and challenges associated with advancing Paenibacillus toward precision engineering and high-efficiency applications are discussed. Notably, its role in industrial biotechnology—particularly in the scalable production of industrial enzymes and high-value chemicals—is increasingly recognized as a focal point of growing scientific and commercial interest. Full article

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic immune-mediated disorders characterized by mucosal injury, cycles of inflammation and repair, and tissue damage. Persistent inflammation accelerates epithelial turnover, generates oxidative and replication stress, and remodels the stromal niche, contributing to the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Systematic dysplasia surveillance remains essential. Cellular senescence has emerged as a unifying mechanism linking inflammation, impaired epithelial repair, fibrosis, and neoplasia. In UC, p16/p21 upregulation, telomere erosion, and loss of lamin B1 accumulate and adopt a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that perpetuates barrier dysfunction. In CD, senescence within stem and stromal compartments limits regeneration, promotes pro-fibrotic remodeling, and sustains cycles of injury and repair via chronic SASP signaling. IBD prevalence continues to rise from environmental factors, dietary changes, antibiotic exposures, and gut microbiota alterations. Pathogenesis integrates genetic factors (e.g., NOD2, IL23R, HLA, and ATG16L1 mutations), environmental modifiers, dysbiosis characterized by loss of short-chain fatty-acid-producing Gram-positive bacteria and expansion of Proteobacteria, and a dysregulated immune system. Therapeutic strategies have shifted toward targeted biologics and small molecules to promote mucosal healing. In this review, we recapitulate the mechanistic axes of inflammation, oxidative stress, and senescence in IBD and then critically evaluate emerging targeted therapies. Topics include anti-TNFα, integrin blockade, IL-12/23 and IL-23 inhibition, JAK inhibitors, S1P receptor modulators, microRNA modulation, senomorphics, mesenchymal cell therapy, and microbiome interventions. We endorse biomarker-guided therapy and propose future directions to break the SASP-driven inflammatory loop and mitigate long-term carcinogenic risk. Full article

The elevated needs for high-performance energy storage, dictated by electrification, renewable sources integration, and the global increase in interconnected devices, have placed batteries to the forefront of technological research. Additive manufacturing is increasingly recognized as a compelling approach to advance battery research and application by enabling tailored control over design, pore geometry, materials, and integration. This perspective work examines the opportunities and challenges associated with utilizing additive manufacturing as an enabling battery manufacturing technology. Recent advances in the additive fabrication of electrodes, electrolytes, separators, and integrated devices are examined, exhibiting the potential to acheive electrochemical performance, design adaptability, and sustainability. At the same time, key challenges—including materials formulation, reproducibility, economic feasibility, and regulatory uncertainty—are discussed as limiting factors that must be addressed for achieving the expected results. Rather than being viewed as a replacement for conventional gigafactory-scale production, additive manufacturing is positioned as a complementary fabrication technique that can deliver value in niche, distributed, and application-specific contexts. This work concludes by outlining research and policy priorities that could accelerate the maturation of 3D-printed batteries, stressing the importance of hybrid manufacturing, multifunctional printable materials, circular economy integration, and carefully phased timelines for deployment. Moreover, by enabling customized form factors, improved device–user interfaces, and seamless integration into smart, automated environments, additive manufacturing has the potential to significantly enhance user experience across emerging battery applications. In this context, this perspective provides a grounded assessment of how additive fabrication methods may contribute to next-generation battery technologies that not only improve electrochemical performance but also enhance user interaction, reliability, and seamless integration within automated and control-driven systems. Full article

Bacteria utilize chemotaxis to sense the surrounding chemical signals to seek a more favorable survival environment. The chemotaxis process includes signal sensing, signal transduction, and signal response (i.e., regulating flagellar rotation to control motility). Agrobacterium fabrum, as a soil-born facultative phytopathogen, can survive in diverse environments from bulk soil, the rhizosphere, to the plant-associated niches, and needs to cope with diverse challenges from various survival environments. It must recognize a variety of environmental signals and thus has evolved a chemosensory signaling system more complicated than the prototypical chemotaxis system. The chemosensory system of A. fabrum possesses one histidine kinase, but more chemoreceptors, coupling proteins (2 CheWs), and response regulators (2 CheYs and 1 CheB) than the well-studied prototypical system in the model bacterium Escherichia coli, which has only one CheW, one CheY, and fewer chemoreceptors. More response regulators imply that the chemosensory system may involve other physiological functions beyond chemotaxis. In this review, we outline the recent advances in the prototypical chemosensory signaling system and discuss the functions of protein components in A. fabrum’s chemosensory system by comparing those proteins with the homologous proteins observed in the paradigm and other closely related species. Meanwhile, we place particular emphasis on reviewing the data about the chemosensory system of A. fabrum, propose a “one-system two-pathways” model depicting that A. fabrum possibly utilizes one histidine kinase to assemble two chemosensory signaling pathways, and envision future directions for studying this system. The insights provided will aid in understanding the diversity of chemosensory signaling pathways in other organisms and the molecular mechanism mediating the signal crosstalk among chemosensory signaling pathways. Full article

The mechanisms of nutritional niche differentiation among sympatric Schizothoracinae fishes play an important role in their adaptive evolution and should be considered in conservation strategies. To date, there have been no reports about the role of different feeding strategies in nutritional niche differentiation among five Schizothoracinae species (Ptychobarbus leptosomus, PL; Gymnodiptychus pachycheilus, GP; Schizothorax kozlovi, SK; Schizopygopsis malacanthus, SM; and S. wangchiachii, SW). This study explored the role of feeding strategy differences in nutritional niche differentiation among sympatric Schizothoracinae fishes. We analyzed feeding/digestive organ morphology, diet composition, intestinal digestive enzyme activity, and microbial diversity in five species from the middle Yalong River. The results revealed dietary divergence: PL consumed small fish, invertebrates, and algae; GP/SK fed on invertebrates and algae; and SM/SW primarily ate algae. Additionally, α-amylase activity was lower in PL/GP/SK than in SM/SW (p < 0.05), while lipase activity was lower in SM/SW than in PL/GP/SK (p < 0.05), and PL exhibited the highest trypsin activity (p < 0.05). The intestinal microbial composition/diversity also varied: the PL group differed significantly from the GP + SK and SM + SW groups (p < 0.05), with Cetobacterium being dominant in the PL group and Clostridium being dominant in the other groups; the α diversity was highest in the SM + SW group and lowest in the PL group. PICRUSt2 predictions revealed significant differences in nutrient metabolism pathways between the PL group and the other groups (p < 0.05). Overall, the morphological differences in feeding/digestive organs and recent food intake may drive the dietary divergence, inducing adaptive changes in digestive enzymes and microbial diversity and ultimately promoting nutritional niche differentiation among sympatric Schizothoracinae species. Full article