Search Results (3,594)

The interaction between microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals and their ecological risks to the soil–plant system has attracted widespread attention. This study explored the effects of polypropylene (PP) alone or combined with cadmium (Cd) pollution on wheat seed germination, plant growth, and the soil environment from multiple perspectives through seed germination experiments and pot experiments. The results of the seed germination experiment showed that the addition of 50 mg L⁻¹ PP could promote the growth of seeds. However, medium and high concentrations of PP had significant inhibitory effects on seeds. For PP + Cd co-pollution, the addition of 50 mg L⁻¹ PP could partially alleviate the stress of Cd alone. However, with the increase in PP concentration, the co-pollution showed stronger toxicity to seeds. Moreover, the synergistic effect of PP and Cd was greater than the antagonistic effect; both of them aggravated the stress on wheat. The results of the pot experiment showed that the soil microenvironment was significantly affected by PP alone or combined with Cd pollution. It was manifested as reducing soil moisture and pH, affecting soil nutrient cycling, and inhibiting the activities of soil enzymes (except for catalase). In addition, the MPs and Cd significantly affected the physiological characteristics of plants. Specifically, the addition of 50 mg L⁻¹ PP alone promoted or had no significant effect on wheat growth. However, with the increase in PP concentration, the biomass and chlorophyll content of plants decreased significantly, while carotenoids, oxidative damage, and antioxidant enzyme activities increased significantly. Moreover, PP + Cd co-pollution led to stronger phytotoxicity. Moreover, PP exposure caused an increase in plant shoot and root Cd concentrations, promoting Cd transport from roots to shoots. Correlation heat maps and RDA analysis revealed that plant Cd concentration was significantly correlated with soil environmental factors and plant physiological indicators. Finally, the results of the linear model (%) of relative importance indicated that pH and MDA content were important soil and plant variables affecting the increase in Cd concentration in plant tissues. This study is of great significance for evaluating the ecological risks of MPs-Cd composite pollution. Full article

The determination of RNA secondary structure (RSS) could help understand RNA’s functional mechanisms, guiding the design of RNA-based therapeutics, and advancing synthetic biology applications. However, traditional methods such as NMR for determining RSS are typically time-consuming and labor-intensive. As a result, the accurate prediction of RSS remains a fundamental yet unmet need in RNA research. Various deep learning (DL)-based methods achieved improved accuracy over thermodynamic-based methods. However, the over-parameterization nature of DL makes these methods prone to overfitting and thus limits their generalizability. Meanwhile, the inconsistency of RSS predictions between these methods further aggravated the crisis of generalizability. Here, we propose TrioFold to achieve enhanced generalizability of RSS prediction by integrating base-pairing clues learned from both thermodynamic- and DL-based methods by ensemble learning and convolutional block attention mechanism. TrioFold achieves higher accuracy in intra-family predictions and enhanced generalizability in inter-family and cross-RNA-types predictions. Additionally, we have developed an online webserver equipped with widely used RSS prediction algorithms and analysis tools, providing an accessible platform for the RNA research community. This study demonstrated new opportunities to improve generalizability for RSS predictions by efficient ensemble learning of base-pairing clues learned from both thermodynamic- and DL-based algorithms. Full article

Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by global climate change, and mass bleaching and mortality events caused by elevated seawater temperature have led to coral loss worldwide. Hainan Island hosts extensive coral reef ecosystems in China, yet seasonal variation in Symbiodiniaceae communities within this region remains insufficiently understood. We aimed to investigate the temperature-driven adaptability regulation of the symbiotic Symbiodiniaceae community in reef-building corals, focusing on the environmental adaptive changes in its community structure in coral reefs between cold (23.6–24.6 °C) and warm (28.2–30.6 °C) months. Symbiodiniaceae shuffling and rare genotype turnover were discovered in adaptability variations in the symbiotic Symbiodiniaceae community between two months. Symbiodiniaceae genetic diversity increased during warm months, primarily due to temporal turnover of rare genotypes within the Cladocopium and Durusdinium genera. Coral Favites, Galaxea, and Porites exhibited the shuffling of Symbiodiniaceae between tolerant Durusdinium and sensitive Cladocopium. Symbiodiniaceae interactions in G. fascicularis and P. lutea exhibited the highest levels of stability with the increase in temperature, whereas the interactions in A. digitifera and P. damicornis showed the lowest levels of stability. Rare genotypes functioned as central hubs and important roles within Symbiodiniaceae communities, exhibiting minimal responsiveness to temperature fluctuations while maintaining community structural stability. The temperature-driven adaptability regulation of symbiotic Symbiodiniaceae could be achieved by Symbiodiniaceae shuffling and rare genotype turnover. The process might be aggravated by concurrent adverse factors, including elevated salinity, pollution, and anthropogenic disturbance. These findings provide insights into how the Symbiodiniaceae community influences the adaptation and resilience of coral hosts to temperature fluctuations in coral reefs. Furthermore, they may contribute to assessing the reef-building coral’s capacity to withstand environmental stressors associated with global climate change. Full article

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder caused by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the presence of Lewy bodies. While PD is most recognized by its motor symptoms (resting tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability), cognitive decline (CD) may become apparent as PD progresses, leading to Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and insulin resistance (IR) are risk factors for dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease; however, their influence on dementia in PD is underexplored. Therefore, we sought to determine the effect of T2DM and IR on dementia in PD. A systematic search of articles from 2005 to March 2025 was undertaken using Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and citation searching. Case–control, cross-sectional, longitudinal, and non-human population studies assessing cognitive outcomes in individuals with PD, with and without T2DM and IR, were included (PROSPERO registration number CRD420251013367). In total, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria, with clinical sample sizes ranging from 23 to 544,162 participants. Among the 23 clinical studies, 15 identified T2DM as a contributor to cognitive decline (CD) in PD, and 4 specifically examined insulin resistance (IR). Elevated HbA1c was consistently associated with poorer cognitive performance and increased risk of Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD); HbA1c ≥ 7% independently predicted cognitive impairment (OR = 4.25, 95% CI: 1.59–11.34). Vascular and inflammatory markers, including elevated LDL-C, fibrinogen, and hs-CRP, further exacerbated CD. MoCA and MMSE scores were the most common cognitive measures, consistently showing worse outcomes in PD patients with T2DM. Preclinical studies supported these associations, showing that high-fat-diet-induced T2DM and IR aggravated dopaminergic neuronal loss by 38–45%, increased α-synuclein by 35%, and heightened microglial activation, providing mechanistic evidence for the observed clinical associations. This systematic review, the first to examine the impact of T2DM and IRs on the occurrence and advancement of CD in PD patients, demonstrates a possible association between the two. However, these results demonstrate the need for larger sample sizes and the inclusion of additional clinical variables, such as HbA1c levels and pharmacological interventions, providing further information about the link between metabolic dysfunction and CD in PD. To further strengthen this link, longitudinal studies with systematic follow-ups are essential to establish causal links and avoid misdiagnosis in clinical practice. Full article

Background: Obesity is clinically known to be associated with an increased risk and aggravated pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A high-fat diet (HFD), the major contributor to obesity, induces neuroinflammation and central insulin resistance, both of which are linked to synaptic dysfunction. Our previous studies demonstrated that avenanthramide-C (Avn-C), a natural oat-derived phenolic compound, exerts anti-inflammatory effects and alleviates synaptic dysfunction in conventional AD models. The present study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of Avn-C in obesity-accelerated AD. Methods: Two-month-old male 5×FAD mice were fed an HFD to induce obesity and then treated with Avn-C. Cognitive performance, synaptic function, and structure were assessed via behavioral tests, electrophysiological recordings, and Golgi–Cox staining, respectively. Cytokine levels were quantified using ELISA and Western blotting. To explore the underlying mechanism, the NOD1 agonist C12-iE-DAP was administered to evaluate its effect on Avn-C-mediated neuroprotection. Results: Avn-C reduced Aβ deposition, enhanced the expression of synapse proteins, and restored synaptic plasticity, thereby improving both spatial and recognition memory in obese 5×FAD mice. Furthermore, Avn-C reduced neuroinflammation by inhibiting the NOD1/RIP2/NF-κB signaling pathway. Co-treatment with C12-iE-DAP abolished the beneficial effects of Avn-C on neuroinflammation, Aβ pathology, and cognitive function. Conclusions: These results suggest that Avn-C mitigates obesity-exacerbated AD-like pathological features by suppressing NOD1/RIP2/NF-κB-mediated neuroinflammation and could be a new potential therapeutic strategy for obesity-associated AD. Full article

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with a significantly elevated mortality rate, primarily due to cardiovascular disease (CVD), highlighting a complex bidirectional relationship between the two conditions. Life-threatening cardiovascular events occur despite control of the traditional risk factors, emphasizing the underlying role of non-traditional risk factors. CKD, causing mineral imbalance and the accumulation of uremic toxins due to a compromised ability to excrete waste products, imposes extra pressure on the cardiovascular system. The retention of mineral and uremic toxins, in turn, aggravates the progression of CKD. This review aims to elucidate the pathophysiological connections between CKD and CVD, with a particular focus on the metabolic regulatory mechanisms influenced by minerals such as calcium and phosphate, as well as uremic toxins. We review how these factors contributed to accelerated multi-organ damage through mechanisms such as inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and vascular calcification. In addition, we discuss the therapeutic strategies for specific uremic toxins and proposed directions for future investigations. This review provides insights into the complex interplay between metabolic dysregulation and cardiovascular outcomes in CKD patients, promoting the development of innovative therapeutic interventions, ultimately improving the prognosis and quality of life for patients affected by these interconnected conditions. Full article

Treating silk with metal salts was a common practice starting in the second half of the 19th century until the early 20th century. It aimed to increase the weight and thickness of the fibres. However, the presence of metal salts is believed to accelerate and aggravate the deterioration of historical silk textiles, and weighted silks are nowadays considered one of the most pressing issues in textile conservation. This paper explores the history of the practice of metal salt weighting of silk: the materials and methods used, the reasons behind weighting, and how this practice developed as the product of a specific historical and economic context. A total of 147 primary textual sources (patents, dyers’ manuals, and books) were investigated and from these 136 weighting methods were collected and reviewed. The results highlighted tin salts as the most commonly mentioned metal salts for weighting silks of any colour. Iron compounds combined with tannins were the method of choice for dark silks, although also in combination with tin in half of the cases. The knowledge gained from this research will help further the study of the degradation pathways of historical silk fabrics, as representative reproductions of weighted silks will be produced based on the findings. Full article

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has brought to light unexpected complications beyond respiratory illness, including effects on kidney function and a potential link to kidney stone disease (KSD). This review proposes a novel framework connecting COVID-19-induced epigenetic reprogramming to disruptions in mitochondrial sulfur metabolism and the pathogenesis of kidney stones. We examine how SARS-CoV-2 interferes with host methylation processes, leading to elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels and impairment of the trans-sulfuration pathway mechanisms particularly relevant in metabolic disorders such as homocystinuria. These epigenetic and metabolic alterations may promote specific kidney stone subtypes through disrupted sulfur and oxalate handling. Additionally, we explore the role of COVID-19-associated gut dysbiosis in increasing oxalate production and driving calcium oxalate stone formation. Together, these pathways may accelerate the transition from acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic KSD, linking viral methylation interference, sulfur amino acid imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and microbiota changes. Unlike earlier reviews that address these mechanisms separately, this work offers an integrated hypothesis to explain post-viral renal lithogenesis and highlights the potential of targeting sulfur metabolism and redox pathways as therapeutic strategies for KSD triggered or aggravated by viral infections such as COVID-19. Full article

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem associated with various health complications. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D supplementation in the Czech Republic, understand reasons for supplementation, and assess participants’ knowledge of vitamin D’s physiological effects. Methods: The study included 1812 participants representing the Czech population aged 15+, stratified by gender, age, and regional distribution. Data analysis was performed using SASD 1.5.8, using chi² independence tests and regression analysis. Results: The results revealed that only 13.5% of the participants maintained regular year-round vitamin D supplementation, while 51.5% never supplemented. A slight increase in supplementation was observed during the pandemic (2020–2021). Supplementation patterns were influenced by socioeconomic factors including age, gender, marital status, income, employment, and education (p > 0.001). Regarding vitamin D knowledge, 67.5% and 65.6% of participants recognized its role in immune system modulation and bone health, respectively. There were minor misconceptions, with 1.4% believing that it aggravates allergies and 1.8% linking it to cancer. Knowledge levels varied with education and residence size. Conclusions: Despite the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the Czech population, regular supplementation remains low, indicating the need for enhanced prevention programs and awareness campaigns. Full article

Peripheral rural coastal areas in Europe face persistent structural challenges, including demographic decline, aging populations, and the collapse of traditional sectors like fishing. These are further aggravated by environmental disasters, which weaken local economies. Public sector intervention is therefore essential, not only to provide an immediate response, but also to guarantee long-term solutions. This study explores the contribution of state-led tourism infrastructures to rural development and post-disaster recovery, taking the Parador Costa da Morte in Galicia as a case study. Based on data from a survey of parador guests, it identifies tourist profiles through factor and cluster motivation analysis. The parador’s impacts on the surrounding region are assessed by examining tourists’ travel patterns and spending behavior, as well as the analysis of secondary data on regional changes in tourism supply and demand. The results show widely differing motivations and, despite varying visitor profiles, the predominance of a tourism typology that generates significant local spillovers. These findings support the potential of high-quality, publicly driven tourism initiatives to stimulate the economy of structurally disadvantaged rural areas. The article ends with recommendations for tourism strategies aligned with local recovery and development goals. Full article

In view of the great need for quality assurance in radiotherapy, this paper proposes a stitching-based detector (SBD) technique and a set of intelligent algorithms that can reconstruct the information of projected particle beams. The reconstructed information includes the intensity, sigma value, and location of the maximum intensity of the beam under test. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed technique and algorithms, this research study adopts the pencil beam scanning (PBS) form of proton beam therapy (PBT) as an example. Through the SBD technique, it is possible to utilize 128 × 128 ionization chambers, which constitute an ionization plate of 25.6 cm², with an acceptable number of 4096 analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and a resolution of 0.25 mm. Through simulation, the proposed SBD technique and intelligent algorithms are proven to exhibit satisfactory and practical performance. By using two kinds of maximum intensity definitions, sigma values ranging from 10 to 120, and two definitions in an erroneous case, the maximum error rate is found to be 3.95%, which is satisfactorily low. Through analysis, this research study discovers that most errors occur near the symmetrical and peripheral boundaries. Furthermore, lower sigma values tend to aggravate the error rate because the beam becomes more like an ideal particle, which leads to greater imprecision caused by symmetrical sensor structures as its sigma is reduced. However, because proton beams are normally not projected onto the border region of the sensed area, the error rate in practice can be expected to be even lower. Although this research study adopts PBS PBT as an example, the proposed SBD technique and intelligent algorithms are applicable to any type of particle beam reconstruction in the field of radiotherapy, as long as the particles under analysis follow a Gaussian distribution. Full article

Dancong tea is a representative type of oolong tea typically stored for over six months before sale to reduce gastrointestinal irritation. The effects and mechanisms of this storage on gastrointestinal damage remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated hydrochloric acid and ethanol (HCl/EtOH)-induced gastric injury in mice. The results indicate that six-month-stored Dancong tea (OldT) alleviated gastric injury at low doses but showed no protective effect at high doses; in fact, high-dose OldT exacerbated injury. In contrast, fresh tea (NewT) aggravated gastric injury at both low and high doses. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining revealed that low-dose OldT significantly attenuated gastric histopathological injury. Mechanistically, low-dose OldT reduced injury via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways (Nrf-2/HO-1 activation and NF-κB inhibition), and inhibiting lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), and inflammatory mediators (iNOS, COX-2, IL-6, TNF-α). These findings suggest that storage reduces the gastrointestinal irritant properties of fresh Dancong tea, providing a scientific basis for industrial practice and guiding consumption. Full article

Introduction: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the most common co-infection among people living with HIV (PLWH), aggravates the associated morbidity and mortality in these individuals; however, the immune-modulatory role of Mtb in the pathogenesis of HIV infection remains incompletely understood. Methods: We investigated the role of Mtb infection in regulating adaptive immune responses with reference to the expression of five immune checkpoint molecules (ICMs) in co-infected individuals in a cross-sectional study conducted on treatment-naïve human cohorts from North India, including PLWH, people with Mtb infection, people with HIV-Mtb co-infection, and healthy volunteers as controls. Results: The data revealed a significantly increased gene expression of TIM-3 (p = 0.0058), LAG-3 (p < 0.0001), PD-1 (p = 0.0090), and CTLA-4 (p = 0.0008). It also revealed a higher frequency of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cells surface-expressing TIM-3⁺, CTLA-4⁺, LAG-3⁺. Finally, it showed cells co-expressing two ICMs together (p < 0.05) in individuals with HIV–Mtb co-infection as compared to HIV mono-infected ones. Interestingly, the frequency of these cells correlated inversely with the absolute CD4⁺ T-cell count and positively with the plasma viral load (p < 0.05), indicating direct association with HIV disease progression. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Mtb co-infection exacerbates immune exhaustion in co-infected individuals. Targeting ICMs with pharmacological immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) offers a promising approach for better clinical management of co-infected individuals. Full article

As obesity and Western diet consumption are key factors contributing to gut dysbiosis, we investigated the relationship between intestinal microbiota, obesity, and psoriasis in an imiquimod-based model. C57BL/6 mice were used as follows: psoriasis-induced groups fed continuously with a standard or Western diet, psoriasis-induced group fed with a Western diet and then returned to a standard diet, and controls. For each group, clinicopathological, immune, and metabolic parameters were integrated with microbiome data. The imiquimod-based models displayed human psoriasis features and significant changes in immune parameters. Hence, psoriatic mice on prolonged high-fat intake presented decreased microbial richness and evenness and a gut microbiome composition resembling that of obese mice. Ruminococcus, Clostridium, Desulfovibrio, and Enterorhabdus were the most abundant genera in the obesity-enhanced psoriasis group. Raoultella abundance was linked with psoriasis. Yet, the same pathobionts over-represented in the obese psoriatic mice displayed positive correlations with metabolic stress indicators and proinflammatory factors, indicating potential biomarkers of disease severity. Conversely, Lactobacillus taiwanensis, Alistipes putredinis, and Eubacterium hadrum might be potential taxa for attenuating the metabolic burden in obesity-enhanced psoriasis. Here, we depict the microbial signatures associated with inflammation and metabolic stress in an obesity-aggravated psoriasis mouse model. Full article

Ozone pollution in densely populated urban regions poses a great threat to public health, due to the intensive anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursors and is further aggravated by global warming and the urban heat island phenomenon. Air quality models have been utilized to formulate and evaluate air pollution control strategies. This study presents a comprehensive modeling assessment of ozone mitigation strategies during an ozone pollution episode in Changzhou, an industrial city in the Yangtze River Delta region. Utilizing the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System (CMAQ), we quantified the contribution of ozone from different emission sectors and counties within Changzhou using the integrated source apportionment method (ISAM). During the pollution period, local emissions within Changzhou account for an average of 41.5% of MDA8 ozone, with particularly notable contributions from Jingkai (11.2%), Wujin (9.5%), and Liyang (7.8%). Upon these findings, we evaluated three sets of emission reduction scenarios: uniform, sector-specific, and county-specific reductions. Results show that industry and transportation are responsible for over 20% of ozone concentrations, and targeted reductions in these sources yielded the most significant decreases in ozone levels. Notably, reducing industrial emissions alone decreased ozone concentrations by 3.2 μg m⁻³ during the pollution episode. County-specific reductions revealed the importance of targeted strategies, with certain counties showing more pronounced responses to emission controls. On a daily basis, emission reductions in Xinbei contributed to a maximum ozone decrease of 4.4 μg m⁻³. This study provides valuable insights into the efficacy of different mitigation measures in Changzhou and offers a practical and useful framework for policymakers to implement strategies while addressing the complexities of urban air quality management. Full article