Search Results (1,677)

Neutrophils are among the early responders of the innate immune system and play a key role in host defense against viral infections. Beyond their classical antimicrobial functions, neutrophils can engage in a specialized defense mechanism by releasing web-like extracellular DNA known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). These extracellular traps are a mesh-like network of chromatin DNA decorated with cellular components, including histones, proteases, and antimicrobial enzymes, that function to contain and limit the spread of pathogens. While NET formation contributes to antiviral immunity, accumulating evidence indicates that excessive or dysregulated NET formation can significantly contribute to immunopathology during viral infections. Thus, depending on the context and outcome, NET formation may be viewed as a double-edged sword. Therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanisms governing NET formation and its harmful effects is critical for developing therapeutic strategies that enhance antiviral defense while minimizing tissue damage. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms that drive NET formation and clearance, with a particular focus on how viruses modulate these processes to influence disease outcome. We also discuss the pathways underlying NET formation and subsequent neutrophil cell death (NETosis), including canonical and non-canonical pathways, and highlight key signaling axes involving SYK, MAPKs, and NF-κB. Using SARS-CoV-2 and hepatitis B virus as representative models, we examine how different viral components trigger, exploit, or evade NET targeting and how persistent accumulation of NETs can contribute to hyperinflammation, progressive tissue injury, and post-viral syndromes. We further explore emerging evidence linking impaired NET clearance and neutrophil heterogeneity, particularly low-density neutrophils (LDNs), to chronic inflammation and post-viral sequelae such as long COVID and autoimmune hepatitis. Finally, we summarize current and emerging therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating NET formation or enhancing NET clearance. Altogether, this review underscores the dual nature of NETs in viral infections, highlighting their potential roles in antiviral defense and tissue injury, and provides a framework for the development of targeted interventions to limit virus-induced immunopathology. Full article

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a globally important legume crop valued as a major source of plant-based protein and edible oil. Understanding the transcriptional programs underlying tissue-specific development is essential for improving seed quality and agronomic performance. Here, we present an integrative transcriptomic analysis of soybean based on 12 samples representing key seed developmental stages—including globular, heart, cotyledon, embryo, dry seed, mid-mature, and late-mature—and vegetative and reproductive tissues, including leaf, root, stem, flower bud, and seedling at 6 days after imbibition (6 DAI). Following data preprocessing and filtering, 54,880 genes were retained for downstream analysis. Principal component analysis revealed clear separation between seed and non-seed tissues, indicating that tissue identity is the dominant driver of transcriptomic variation. Analysis of the top 100 most variable genes further highlighted distinct expression modules associated with seed maturation and vegetative growth. Differential expression analysis identified 9785 genes exhibiting significant expression differences between seed and non-seed tissues, including 1139 upregulated and 8646 downregulated genes under relaxed statistical thresholds. Functional characterization of seed-upregulated genes revealed enrichment of biological processes related to storage metabolism, embryo development, and stress protection mechanisms associated with desiccation tolerance. In addition, co-expression network and correlation analyses demonstrated strong transcriptional coherence among seed tissues and distinct clustering of vegetative organs. Together, these results provide a comprehensive systems-level overview of transcriptional organization across soybean tissues and identify candidate gene sets relevant to seed biology, functional genomics, and crop improvement. Full article

Exogenous glucose functions not only as a carbon source but also as a key signaling molecule involved in regulating root development and metabolism in plants. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this response in cherry rootstock (Prunus cerasus), we performed RNA-seq on lateral roots collected at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after glucose treatment. Transcriptome profiling revealed a dynamic and sustained transcriptional reprogramming, with a total of 461 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) consistently altered across all post-treatment time points relative to the control (T0). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified five modules strongly correlated with glucose exposure, notably enriched for genes involved in nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur metabolism. Functional enrichment analyses further revealed a pronounced overrepresentation of pathways associated with nutrient utilization, as well as carbon fixation, glycolysis, amino acid biosynthesis, and stress-responsive processes such as glutathione metabolism and MAPK signaling. Intriguingly, key transcription factors and signaling components were consistently co-enriched across multiple functional categories, suggesting the presence of a tightly coordinated regulatory network that links sugar sensing to metabolic reprogramming, redox homeostasis, and developmental plasticity. Notably, glucose treatment induced both activation and repression of nitrogen-related genes in distinct co-expression modules, indicating fine-tuned modulation of nutrient uptake in response to carbon availability. Together, these findings suggest that exogenous glucose triggers a systems-level shift in root physiology, coordinating primary metabolism with stress adaptation and growth regulation through tightly interconnected carbon–nitrogen–sulfur metabolic circuits. Full article

Walnut (Juglans regia) is an economically significant woody oil tree species widely cultivated in China. However, its production is increasingly threatened by extreme low-temperature events, such as unseasonal frosts and late-spring cold. Salicylic acid (SA) is a key phytohormone known to enhance cold tolerance in plants, yet its underlying mechanism in walnut remains unclear. In this study, we present the first integrated analysis combining physiological measurements, transcriptomics, and metabolomics to investigate how exogenous SA improves cold tolerance in walnut leaves. Our results showed that SA treatment significantly increased the accumulation of soluble sugars, chlorophyll, and proline, enhanced peroxidase (POD) activity, and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels under cold stress. Multi-omics analysis revealed that SA modulated the expression of genes involved in multiple hormone signaling pathways, including those of SA, auxin, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid, and altered corresponding hormone levels. Notably, carbohydrate metabolism emerged as a central pathway mediating SA-induced cold adaptation. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) further identified several core candidate genes, such as JrTGA, JrPP2C, JrTPS, and JrBAM, which may play key roles in this process. Collectively, this study provides the first multi-omics perspective on the regulatory network underlying SA-enhanced cold tolerance in walnut. These findings offer both a theoretical and technical foundation for applying SA in cold-resistant walnut cultivation and contribute to the development of stress-resilient production strategies. Full article

Virtualization is the building block of modern cloud computing infrastructure. However, it remains vulnerable to a range of security threats, including malicious co-located tenants, hypervisor vulnerabilities, and side-channel attacks. These threats are generally mitigated by developing and deploying advanced and complex security solutions that incur significant performance overhead. Prior work on virtual machines (VMs) and containers has mainly evaluated basic security solutions, such as firewalls, using narrow performance metrics and synthetic models within limited evaluation frameworks. These studies often overlook advanced security modules in both user and kernel space, lack the flexibility to incorporate emerging features, and fail to capture detailed system-level impacts. We address these gaps with HyperShield, an open-source framework for unified security evaluation across VMs and containers that mimics a realistic cloud infrastructure. HyperShield supports advanced security modules in both user and kernel space, providing rich system-level performance metrics for comprehensive evaluation. Our performance evaluation shows that containers generally outperform VMs due to their lower virtualization overhead, achieving a throughput of 9.38 Gb/s compared to 1.98 Gb/s for VMs for our benchmarks. However, VMs’ performance is comparable for kernel-space deployments, as Docker uses the shared kernel space of the Docker bridge, which can result in packet congestion. In latency-sensitive workloads, VM access latency of 14.91 ms is comparable to Docker’s 12.86 ms. In storage benchmarks, FIO, however, VMs outperform Docker due to the overhead of Docker’s layered, copy-on-write file system, whereas VMs leverage optimized virtual block devices with near-native I/O performance. These results highlight performance dependencies on benchmark choice, trade-offs in deploying security workloads between user and kernel space, and the choice of containers and virtual machines as virtualization environments. Therefore, HyperShield provides a comprehensive evaluation toolkit for exploring an optimal security-module deployment strategy. Full article

Diapause is a vital overwintering strategy for many insects, yet its comprehensive molecular architecture remains elusive. In the polyphagous pest Helicoverpa armigera, facultative pupal diapause is key to its ecological success. To elucidate the complex diapause regulatory network, we conducted a transcriptomic analysis of diapause (DP) versus non-diapause (NP) pupal brains across early pupal development (days 2, 5, and 10). Integrated analyses, including differential expression, persistent gene identification, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and multiscale embedded network analysis (MEGENA), were employed to define core regulatory modules and hubs. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) increased over time, with 1781 genes persistently regulated across all time points, enriched in mitochondrial metabolism, hormone signaling, and chromatin remodeling. WGCNA revealed a diapause-associated module (red) linked to RNA processing/transcription and a development-associated module (blue) enriched for translation and mitochondrial metabolism. Network analyses pinpointed three central hub genes: DDX5 and PLK4 (downregulated in diapause, upregulated upon 20E treatment) and TAF5L (upregulated in diapause, downregulated after 20E). This study provides a systems-level view of the transcriptional landscape governing pupal diapause in H. armigera and identifies novel candidate regulators for future functional studies. Full article

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising for large-scale grid storage due to inherent safety, low cost, environmental compatibility, high theoretical capacity (820 mAhg⁻¹), and suitable redox potential (−0.763 V vs. SHE). However, practical deployment is hindered by coupled challenges at the zinc anode–hydrogen evolution, dendrite growth, and corrosion/passivation, which severely limit cycle life and coulombic efficiency. This review systematically summarizes key advances in AZIB research. It first elucidates working principles and four cathode energy storage mechanisms: Zn²⁺ insertion/extraction, H⁺/Zn²⁺ co-insertion, chemical conversion, and dissolution/deposition. Second, it examines four mainstream cathodes (manganese-based, vanadium-based, Prussian blue analogs, and organic compounds), analyzing performance bottlenecks and corresponding optimization via structural modification. Third, it explores functional mechanisms of advanced separators (polymer, inorganic/ceramic composite, MOF-based, and cellulose-based) in regulating uniform Zn²⁺ deposition and suppressing dendrites. Fourth, it summarizes anode optimization strategies: artificial protective layers for interface stabilization, electrolyte additives to modulate Zn²⁺ solvation/deposition, and 3D porous structures to reduce local current density and provide nucleation sites. Finally, key scientific challenges and future directions are discussed—multi-strategy synergy, in situ characterization, practical battery construction, and sustainable technological development, offering theoretical guidance for advancing AZIBs toward large-scale applications. This review aims to provide a comprehensive perspective spanning from materials to systems, and from mechanisms to applications. Its core objective is not merely to list the types of cathode materials, but to establish a logical bridge directly connecting “key challenges” to “optimization strategies,” with a particular emphasis on the issues and solutions related to the cathode side. Full article

In this study, we dissect the genetic effects of two major rice heading date genes, Heading date 1 (Hd1) and Grain number, plant height, and heading date 7 (Ghd7), in the regulation of six photosynthesis-related traits: the chlorophyll a/b contents, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci), and transpiration rate (Tr). Using two sets of near-isogenic lines (Z43 and Z44) derived from a Zhenshan97/Milyang46 cross, functional Hd1 increased the chlorophyll contents but decreased the photosynthesis-related parameters; however, functional Ghd7 consistently inhibited all six traits. More importantly, there is a significant epistatic interaction between them: Hd1 only enhances the photosynthetic capacity under the non-functional background of ghd7 but intensifies its photosynthesis inhibition under the functional background of Ghd7. Transcriptome analysis showed that functional Ghd7 mainly down-regulated the expression of genes related to photosynthesis and chloroplast development, and the inhibitory effect was significantly enhanced in the presence of functional Hd1. GO enrichment analysis further confirmed that the chlorophyll synthesis, photosystem assembly, and electron transfer pathways were downregulated in the bifunctional allele combination. Although Hd1 promotes chlorophyll accumulation, it reduces the actual photosynthetic efficiency, indicating that it has different regulatory paths for chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthetic function. Both physiological and molecular evidence showed that the Hd1-Ghd7 module coordinated the regulation of the heading date and photosynthetic capacity, forming a trade-off relationship between “early heading–high photosynthesis” and “late heading–low photosynthesis”. This study reveals the pleiotropy of genes at the heading stage and provides a theoretical basis for the optimization of the source–sink balance in high-yield rice breeding. Full article

Fish host complex intestinal bacterial communities that contribute to a wide range of functions, from nutrient assimilation to modulation of the immune system. Understanding how environmental and host-related factors shape the fish gut microbiota is essential for advancing sustainable aquaculture practices. This study compared the intestinal microbiota of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) between wild and aquaculture populations in western Greece using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing targeting the V3–V4 region, combined with culture-based methods. The analysis was based on a 97% similarity threshold and included 141 gastrointestinal samples of fish collected at two aquaculture facilities and two wild fisheries, representing two different growth phases (150 g and 300 g body weight). High-throughput sequencing data revealed a clear separation of gut microbial communities according to origin (wild vs. aquaculture), geographic location, and body growth phase, with most wild fish groups exhibiting higher microbial diversity than their farmed counterparts, except for group MES_150 which showed similar or lower values. The gut microbiota was dominated by Pseudomonadota (53%), Bacillota (29%), Actinomycetota (7%), Deinococcota (5%), and Bacteroidota (4%). A shared core microbiome, comprising Psychrobacter, Staphylococcus, Geobacillus, Aeromonas, Enterobacter, Pantoea, Bacillus, and Acinetobacter, was detected across all populations. Wild fish were enriched in Psychrobacter, Aeromonas, and Photobacterium, while aquaculture fish displayed higher abundances of Vibrio, Allomeiothermus, and Staphylococcus. Network analysis revealed mostly mutually exclusive interactions in both groups but distinct patterns of co-occurrence, driven mainly by Paenibacillus, Enterobacter, and Staphylococcus in wild samples, and by Vibrio, Aeromonas, and Pseudomonas in farmed fish. Culture-based assays demonstrated greater diversity in wild fish, dominated by Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, and Vibrio strains, in contrast to the frequent occurrence of Staphylococcus and Psychrobacter in aquaculture samples. The findings suggest that aquaculture practices significantly alter gut microbial community structure and reduce diversity, with potential implications for fish health and disease resistance. The identified core and differentially abundant taxa provide candidates for probiotic development to improve aquaculture sustainability. Full article

To address global carbon reduction demands, oxy-fuel combustion in circulating fluidized beds (oxy-CFB) has emerged as a highly promising carbon capture technology, offering extensive fuel flexibility and facilitating bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). However, its commercialization is hindered by significant energy penalties and complex scale-up challenges. This review comprehensively analyzes the fundamental multiphase mechanisms, heat transfer behaviors, and multi-pollutant emission characteristics of oxy-CFB systems, drawing upon multiscale modeling advancements and operational data from pilot to 30 MW_th industrial demonstrations. Replacing air with an O₂/CO₂/H₂O mixture fundamentally alters gas–solid hydrodynamics and char conversion pathways, necessitating active fluidization state re-specification. Despite shifting optimal desulfurization temperatures and introducing recarbonation risks, the technology demonstrates inherent advantages in synergistic pollutant control, including the complete elimination of thermal NO_x. While atmospheric oxy-CFB is technically viable, transitioning to pressurized operation is critical to minimizing system efficiency penalties. Furthermore, integrating oxygen carrier-aided combustion (OCAC) and developing advanced predictive control strategies are essential to managing multi-module thermal inertia and enabling rapid dynamic responsiveness for modern power grids. Full article

Obesity is considered a chronic disease that co-occurs with other disorders, including type 2 diabetes; therefore, the prevention and treatment of obesity are of utmost importance. The present review analysed the effects of bioactive compounds found in culinary herbs on the regulation of inflammatory processes through the modulation of inflammation and microbiota-dependent metabolic pathways. A total of 137 publications from 2010 to 2025 were reviewed. Few studies address the impact of culinary herbs on the gut microbiota in relation to obesity; however, analysing data on the effects of active compounds present in various herbs allows an assessment of their potential role in obesity prevention. This is a significant issue, as obesity is widespread, and the introduction of readily usable everyday food products may represent an important element of preventive strategies. Plant secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols, saponins, alkaloids, and flavonoids, exert strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, thus contributing to their beneficial effects on human health. Effective weight loss depends on the consistent maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, a requirement that can often be highly challenging. The daily use of herbs in meal preparation may reduce the risk of developing obesity or mitigate its severity. Herbs enhance the flavour of dishes and, additionally, help to reduce salt intake, thereby lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is also an integral component of a healthy lifestyle. Full article

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide and is driven by complex pathophysiological processes, including oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, complement dysregulation, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated neovascularization. Nutritional interventions—particularly supplementation with carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, and essential micronutrients—have demonstrated clinical benefits in slowing disease progression, as evidenced by landmark trials such as AREDS and AREDS2. However, many AMD-relevant bioactives exhibit poor aqueous solubility, low chemical stability, and limited gastrointestinal bioavailability, which significantly constrain their therapeutic efficacy. Food-grade microgels have emerged as versatile colloidal delivery platforms capable of addressing these limitations through rational structural and physicochemical design. This review provides a systematic roadmap for developing food-grade microgels, organized into: (1) the molecular design of protein- and polysaccharide-based networks; (2) advanced fabrication strategies such as microfluidics and atomization; (3) spatiotemporal release programming within the gastrointestinal tract; and (4) multi-nutrient synergy for retinal protection. This approach highlights how controlled crosslinking, interfacial assembly, and tunable network architectures enhance nutrient stabilization. Particular emphasis is placed on spatiotemporal release programming within the gastrointestinal tract, including diffusion-limited gastric retention, pH- and bile-responsive swelling in the small intestine, and microbiota-triggered degradation in the colon. These mechanisms collectively enable region-specific release, improved micellar incorporation, enhanced systemic absorption, and more consistent retinal delivery. Furthermore, we discuss co-encapsulation strategies that accommodate both hydrophilic and lipophilic bioactives, thereby minimizing antagonistic interactions and enabling synergistic nutritional modulation of oxidative and inflammatory pathways implicated in AMD. A central novelty of this review is the integration of the gut–eye axis, framing microgel-based oral delivery as a systemic pathway to modulate retinal health via the intestinal environment. By bridging retinal disease biology with food colloid science, this review proposes food-grade microgels as a translational platform for next-generation nutraceutical interventions. The integration of programmable release behavior with clinically validated nutrient regimens offers a promising pathway toward more effective and mechanistically informed dietary management of AMD. Full article

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive lung disease characterized by the pathological accumulation of collagen-rich extracellular matrix, resulting in irreversible lung remodeling and respiratory failure. The incomplete understanding of IPF pathogenesis has hindered the development of effective therapeutics. Here, we investigate the mechanism by which the actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 2 (ARPC2) contributes to the fibrotic response in lung fibroblasts. Modulating of ARPC2 expression levels altered the expression of profibrotic genes, including α-smooth muscle actin (ACTA2), in TGF-β1-treated MRC-5 cells at the transcriptional level. We further show that ARPC2 regulates the TGF-β1-mediated nuclear translocation of myocardin-related transcription factor-A (MRTFA), a central driver of fibrotic gene induction. Our data indicate that ARPC2 plays a distinct role in profibrotic gene expression and MRTFA nuclear localization, distinguishing its function from other components of the actin-related protein 2/3 (ARP2/3) complex. Furthermore, ARPC2 appears to modulate the TGF-β1-dependent formation of MRTFA/G-actin complexes. Finally, transcriptomic analysis of cells depleted of ARPC2, ACTR2, or MRTFA revealed that ARPC2 and MRTFA co-regulate a specific repertoire of fibrotic genes. These observations support a profibrotic function for ARPC2 during fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT), highlighting it as a potential therapeutic target for IPF. Full article

Accurate and stable measurement of carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations in industrial flue gases is critical for emissions monitoring and carbon management. The present study developed a wavelength-modulated tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (WMS-TDLAS) system for measuring high-concentration carbon dioxide (CO₂) in flue gases, covering a range of 3–20% (by volume). To mitigate optical intensity fluctuations caused by particle scattering and detector gain drift in harsh flue gas environments, a normalized second harmonic (2f/1f) detection scheme based on a single-harmonic peak was employed. A digital phase-locked amplification algorithm replaces the conventional hardware lock-in amplifier, enabling simultaneous demodulation of multiple harmonic components and enhancing system integration. A comparison of the digital locking method with a commercial lock-in amplifier reveals that the former demonstrates comparable or superior stability, with relative standard deviations of 0.04% for the 2f signal and 0.02% for the first-harmonic signal. In order to address the sensitivity degradation of WMS-TDLAS at elevated CO₂ concentrations, a pressure control strategy was introduced. Maintaining the measurement cell pressure at 70 ± 0.005 kPa resulted in a 2.74-fold enhancement in system sensitivity at 13.01% CO₂ and a more than one-order-of-magnitude increase at 20.01% CO₂ compared to operation at atmospheric pressure. Concentration measurement error under reduced pressure also decreased from 1.101% to 0.075%. The system exhibited 0.6% repeatability in high-concentration CO₂ measurements, signifying its aptitude for industrial flue gas monitoring applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: Floral bud morphogenesis is a critical developmental process determining yield potential in blueberry, yet the molecular regulatory mechanisms in leaves during this phase remain poorly understood. Methods: In this study, we employed a time-series transcriptomic approach to investigate leaf gene expression dynamics during floral bud morphogenesis in rabbiteye blueberry. Leaves were sampled at six time points spanning the critical developmental window from the cessation of summer shoot growth to bud swell and dormancy onset. Results: RNA-seq analysis generated 121.68 Gb of clean data, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified four stage-specific modules (brown, red, blue, turquoise) significantly associated with distinct morphogenetic phases. The brown module (0–6W) was enriched in photosynthesis and hormone signaling pathways, while the red (9W) and blue (12W) modules featured protein processing, stress and hormone signaling, and carbohydrate metabolism. The turquoise module (15W) was dominated by carbon metabolism and flavonoid biosynthesis genes. Key flowering-related genes exhibited dynamic expression patterns: FT was specifically upregulated at the late stage (15W), AP2 genes peaked at mid-stage (9–12W), and COL9 showed early high expression (0–3W). Hormone-related gene analysis revealed extensive involvement of multiple pathways, with brassinosteroid (BR) signaling comprising the largest number of genes (101). Co-expression networks further identified hub genes, including FT, COL9, AP2, ERF1, SR160, LOX3-1, and transcription factor genes like MYB-related, as potential central regulators. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that blueberry leaves undergo a phased functional transition from a photosynthetic source to a hub for signal integration and metabolic support during floral bud morphogenesis, actively contributing to reproductive development through systemic signaling. This study provides novel insights into flowering regulation in woody perennials and establishes a foundation for marker-assisted breeding and cropping season management in blueberry. Full article