Search Results (23,562)

This manuscript investigates a biosensor based on a gadolinium (Gd)-doped hafnium oxide (HfO₂) ferroelectric–dielectric (FE-DE) heterostructure for high-sensitivity, low-power biomolecule detection. The sensing cavity consists of a dielectric layer and a biomolecule-filled region, where different filling conditions (0%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) emulate realistic sensing environments. The dielectric properties of the biomolecule changes, which results in changes of the dielectric capacitance, thus improving capacitance matching with the ferroelectric layer and stabilizing the negative-capacitance effect. This intrinsic voltage amplification enhances the electrical response of the biosensor. Electrical characteristics, including charge–voltage, energy–charge, capacitance–voltage, and voltage amplification, were analyzed for biomolecules with dielectric constants ranging from 1 to 12. Higher-dielectric-constant biomolecules exhibited superior sensing performance; for example, gelatin (K = 12) achieved the highest sensitivity of 1.9632 at 100% cavity filling, along with the maximum voltage amplification. To evaluate the impact of amplification, the amplified dielectric voltage was applied to the gate of a 50 nm NMOS transistor. The enhanced gate voltage improved the drain current and transconductance and enabled a subthreshold swing below the conventional thermal limit of 60 mV/dec. A feasible fabrication plan is demonstrated to show the possible realization of the sensor system. These outcomes indicate that the proposed Gd-doped HfO₂-based FE-DE heterostructure is capable of efficiently magnifying the dielectric changes caused by biomolecules, thus offering an encouraging framework for future low-power and high-sensitivity biosensing applications. Full article

The study seeks to develop a multifunctional germanium-enriched nanocomposite coating on titanium and to evaluate its ability to modulate early inflammatory responses while promoting osteogenic differentiation in a dental pulp stem cell (DPSC)-based regenerative model. A multifunctional Ti/Coating composed of nanohydroxyapatite (nHAp) particles, chitosan-oligolactate (ChOL), and germanium (Ge⁻) was developed using a combined anodizing/anaphoretic electrodeposition approach. The Ti/Coating system exhibited good biocompatibility, as confirmed by microscopy, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays, with cell viability consistently exceeding 90% and moderate LDH release across all time points. Annexin V/PI assay demonstrated a predominance of viable cells (>94%), while intracellular ROS analysis indicated moderate oxidative activity. Gene expression analysis revealed significant downregulation of pro-inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, COX-2, and MAPK), suggesting attenuation of inflammatory signalling. Flow cytometry further demonstrated reduced CD120b (TNFR2) expression, while intracellular TNF-α levels remained unchanged, indicating selective modulation at the receptor level. In addition, the Ti/Coating promoted osteogenic differentiation, as evidenced by enhanced mineralization, and upregulation of osteogenic genes (ALP, RUNX2, BMP2). Full article

Pre-transfusion storage of red blood cells (RBCs) induces aging in vitro driven by metabolic and oxidative stress, limiting transfusion efficacy. Unlike nucleated cells where multiple hallmarks characterize aging, proteostasis is expected to play a main role in anucleate RBCs, including proteasomal protein degradation. Although proteasomal activity declines during aging in vitro, its role in generating downstream alterations and post-transfusion clearance remains unclear. We hypothesized that proteasome inhibition accelerates RBC aging in vitro, particularly following re-exposure to physiological conditions. We evaluated the impact of proteasome inhibition (i.e., epoxomicin) on RBC quality during storage and physiological restoration in vitro. Additionally, young and old RBC subpopulations were compared. Proteasome inhibition during storage depleted ATP and altered RBC morphology without immediate oxidative damage. Physiological restoration of proteasome-inhibited RBCs caused accelerated ATP depletion, massive protein aggregation, reduced deformability, hemolysis, and phosphatidylserine exposure, particularly in long-stored RBCs. Strikingly, RBCs aged in vivo also exhibited low proteasomal activity and behaved similarly to stored RBCs following physiological restoration. In conclusion, proteasomal dysfunction is a key hallmark of RBC aging and senescence, driving molecular and cellular modifications that mark RBCs for clearance in vivo. Therefore, enhancing proteasomal function could improve RBC storage quality and transfusion efficacy. Full article

Alcohol consumption is associated with increased breast cancer risk, partly due to the accumulation of toxic aldehydes like acetaldehyde, a carcinogenic byproduct of ethanol metabolism. Acetaldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), a key mitochondrial enzyme, detoxifies acetaldehyde and other reactive aldehydes that drive oxidative stress, DNA damage, and hormonal dysregulation—processes central to carcinogenesis. Although alcohol consumption has been implicated in breast cancer, the role of ALDH2 deficiency itself, in the absence of exogenous alcohol exposure, in mammary gland biology and cancer susceptibility remains unclear. Genetic variants that impair ALDH2 activity are highly prevalent in East Asian populations, where carriers of inactive ALDH2 alleles exhibit impaired aldehyde detoxification. While such individuals are more susceptible to alcohol-related cancers, the effects of ALDH2 deficiency on mammary gland development and homeostasis without alcohol exposure remain unexplored. To investigate the effects of ALDH2 deficiency on mammary proliferation and development, we utilized a C57BL/6-based ALDH2 knockout (Aldh2−/−) mouse model. Our findings revealed that Aldh2−/− mice displayed hyperproliferative mammary glands with increased epithelial cell density, ductal expansion, and increased numbers of Ki67+ cells. Flow cytometry analysis revealed expansion of luminal and basal epithelial subpopulations, accompanied by enhanced mammary epithelial stemness, as indicated by increased mammosphere formation and colony-forming efficiency. At the molecular level, ALDH2 deficiency activated oxidative stress pathways, reflected by elevated 8-OHdG, p38 MAPK, NF-κB, and Nrf2 signaling, along with DNA damage responses involving p53 and H2A.X. We also identified a novel upregulation of RANK and RANKL in Aldh2−/− mammary glands, identifying the RANK/RANKL upregulation associated with NF-κB/p38 MAPK activation and enhanced mammary stemness. Furthermore, hormonal dysregulation was observed, with a significant increase in ERα and PR expression and phosphorylation. Dysregulated ER signaling correlated with enhanced erbB3 activation and downstream signaling, including the cyclin D1–pRb-E2F1 axis. These findings suggest that ALDH2 deficiency, possibly through accumulated endogenous aldehydes, profoundly alters mammary morphogenesis, epithelial repopulation, and stemness. These effects are associated with activation of oxidative stress and DNA damage pathways, together with upregulation of RANKL, estrogen receptor and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling. This study is the first to identify ALDH2 deficiency as a novel factor associated with mammary epithelial alterations that may create a tissue state that could predispose to oncogenic transformation. Full article

Hypoxia represents a pervasive selective pressure in aquaculture systems, prompting aquatic organisms to develop distinct tolerance strategies through diverse physiological and biochemical responses. The common carp (Cyprinus carpio), a species characterized by extensive geographical distribution and a long history of artificial selection, exhibits considerable inter-varietal and inter-population variation in hypoxia tolerance. Nevertheless, the mechanistic basis underlying hypoxia tolerance in the context of domestication remains poorly understood. The present study employed mirror carp (C. carpio var. specularis), a highly domesticated strain with proven hypoxia tolerance, and Hebao red carp (C. carpio var. wuyuanesis), a locally distributed, minimally domesticated variety that is relatively sensitive to hypoxia, to investigate the metabolic responses and underlying mechanisms associated with hypoxia tolerance. Focusing on muscle and liver tissues, we performed separate statistical and bioinformatics analyses of the metabolic profiles derived from the two strains. The results revealed that hypoxia exposure induced only minor perturbations in energy metabolism in mirror carp, whereas Hebao red carp exhibited a profound metabolic depression in muscle, accompanied by signs of insufficient energy production in the liver. Notably, an enhanced nitric oxide (NO) pathway, implicated in vascular tone regulation and oxygen delivery, was observed in the liver of mirror carp but not in that of Hebao red carp. Collectively, these findings delineate distinct metabolic patterns between common carp strains subjected to differing degrees of domestication, which may account for their differential hypoxia tolerance. Moreover, this study offers a theoretical foundation for the selective breeding of hypoxia-resilient fish strains in aquaculture practices. Full article

Cavitation erosion severely limits the service life of marine hydraulic components. Magnetron sputtering was utilized to fabricate TiSiN/AlCrTiVNbN high-entropy nitride nanomultilayer films, whose modulation periods ranged from 4 nm to 23 nm. The effects of modulation period on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and cavitation erosion resistance were systematically investigated. All films exhibited a single-phase face-centered cubic structure with a preferred orientation (200) plane. The film with a 6 nm layer period reached the highest hardness (38.9 GPa) and elastic modulus (214.1 GPa), which is due to the many closely fitting interfaces that effectively stopped line defect movement; in cavitation erosion tests in 3.5% salt water, this film had the lowest mass loss (0.8 mg) and its surface stayed in the best condition. Its superior cavitation erosion resistance originates from the synergistic effects of high-density coherent interfaces that obstructed crack propagation, enhanced mechanical properties that provided excellent resistance to plastic deformation, and the formation of a protective oxide layer during cavitation. As this work shows, optimizing the layer period is an effective strategy; it allows the design of strong protective films for ocean use. Full article

Allium ursinum L. (wild garlic) is a promising source of bioactive compounds for functional foods, nutraceuticals, and clean-label products. This review integrates current evidence on its phytochemical composition, biological activities, and food applications. The species contains sulfur compounds, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and pigments, whose levels vary with plant organ, developmental stage, environmental conditions, and processing. These constituents are associated mainly with antioxidant, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, and cytoprotective effects; however, evidence is derived predominantly from in vitro and animal studies, with limited clinical validation. In food systems, A. ursinum may enhance nutritional value, oxidative stability, sensory properties, and shelf life. Extraction, encapsulation, and stabilization technologies may support its use as a natural alternative to synthetic additives. Nevertheless, compositional variability, processing stability, bioavailability, authenticity, quality control, and raw-material supply remain major barriers to standardization and industrial application. Further research should combine phytochemical characterization with technological, safety, clinical, and sustainability assessments to enable reliable use of A. ursinum in food and nutraceutical products. Full article

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), particularly free radicals involved in type I photodynamic mechanisms, are key mediators of photodynamic therapy. Indocyanine green (ICG), a clinically approved near-infrared dye, is increasingly being considered as a photosensitizer. It has attracted considerable interest due to its photophysical properties and affinity for serum albumin, which enhances its stability, circulation time, and tumor accumulation. This study aimed to characterize the formation of free radicals generated by ICG upon light irradiation, with particular emphasis on oxygen radicals involved in type I photodynamic mechanisms. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy combined with the spin trap DMPO (5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide) was used to identify radicals formed during irradiation with an OSL2 fiber-optic illuminator providing white light. The detected radical species were identified by analysis of their characteristic hyperfine splitting constants and comparison with simulated EPR spectra corresponding to the DMPO-OH, DMPO-OOH, and DMPO-H adducts. Changes in radical concentrations over time were evaluated using the integral intensity of the EPR signals at two ICG concentrations. Differences in EPR signal intensities for samples containing ICG alone and ICG in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) demonstrated the influence of protein binding on radical generation. Additionally, spectral analysis based on a Hamiltonian spin model was applied to support the reliable identification of the observed radical species. These findings provide insight into the free radical pathways of ICG and contribute to a better understanding of its type I photodynamic activity. Full article

Hyperthermophilic composting (HTC) is a promising approach for rapidly stabilizing organic waste and valorizing municipal biological residues; however, the microbial mechanisms underlying biomass conversion under hyperthermophilic conditions remain insufficiently understood. In this study, a pilot-scale HTC process was applied to anaerobically digested sludge, and temporal changes in bacterial communities and predicted functional genes were investigated. The process rapidly exceeded 90 °C within 2 days without external heating and maintained an average of approximately 77 ± 11 °C, demonstrating stable hyperthermophilic conditions. Moisture content concurrently decreased from 46.7% to 31.8% during the 40-day process. Bacillota and Actinomycetota dominated at the phylum level, while thermophilic genera including Thermobifida, Planifilum, Compostibacillus, and Oceanobacillus prevailed at the genus level. Functional prediction indicated increasing abundance of genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism and lignocellulose degradation throughout the process. Predicted gene profiles related to fengycin biosynthesis and oxidative stress responses suggested enhanced microbial adaptation to extreme conditions and potential suppression of pathogenic microorganisms. These findings provide integrated insights into microbial dynamics under hyperthermophilic conditions and highlight the potential of HTC as an efficient sludge stabilization strategy. Full article

Background: Obesity is a multifaceted metabolic disorder characterized by systemic disturbances, particularly impaired energy homeostasis, chronic low-grade inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction across the brain, gut, adipose tissue, and liver axes. Objectives: This review aims to examine the metabolic properties and molecular mechanisms of six key phytochemicals (berberine, resveratrol, catechins, capsaicin, thymoquinone, and phycocyanin) and the exercise-induced myokine irisin, and their roles in mitochondrial signaling and metabolic reprogramming. Sources of Evidence: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across major electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, to identify relevant mechanistic, in vivo, and in vitro studies. Results: Both the selected phytochemicals and irisin act as multi-target regulators that modulate key signaling pathways, including AMPK, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, SIRT1, Nrf2, and PPARγ. These phytochemicals and irisin can drive cell- and tissue-specific metabolic reprogramming, promoting the browning of white adipocytes, suppressing de novo lipogenesis in hepatocytes, and enhancing fatty acid oxidation in skeletal myocytes. This synergistic metabolic reprogramming enhances thermogenesis and increases energy expenditure. Conclusions: Co-targeting redox signaling and metabolic pathways via phytochemicals and irisin offers a powerful strategy against obesity. This integrative framework restores multi-organ homeostasis, laying the groundwork for targeted metabolic therapies. Full article

Background: Hypoxia triggers pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress, leading to endothelial dysfunction, apoptosis and lung injury. Although the flavonoid orientin exhibits potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, its pharmacokinetic behavior remains incompletely characterized. Nanoparticle-based delivery systems may enhance efficacy. This study investigated whether Orientin delivered via chitosan nanoparticles (CNP–orientin) protects against hypoxia-induced pulmonary inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue injury in rats. Methods: A total of 48 female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomized into four normoxic and four hypoxic groups (n = 6 per group). Rats in the hypoxic groups were exposed to intermittent hypoxia (7% O₂, 8 h/day for 7 days). Hypoxic rats were allocated to experimental groups, including an untreated hypoxia group and groups receiving orientin alone, chitosan nanoparticles alone or orientin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CNP–orientin), while normoxic rats served as controls. Hypoxic exposure was conducted using a controlled glove box system. At the end of the protocol, blood samples were collected for serum inflammatory marker analysis, and lung tissues were harvested to assess oxidative stress parameters, hypoxia- and inflammation-related signaling pathways, apoptosis-related gene expression, and histopathological lung injury and fibrosis. Results: Intermittent hypoxia significantly increased pulmonary HIF-1α and iNOS expression, oxidative stress markers (increased malondialdehyde and decreased superoxide dismutase and glutathione), pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β), apoptotic signaling and histopathological lung injury compared with normoxic controls (p < 0.05). Treatment with orientin or chitosan nanoparticles alone attenuated hypoxia-associated biochemical and molecular alterations compared to untreated hypoxic rats (p < 0.05). Notably, CNP–orientin treatment significantly attenuated multiple oxidative stress, inflammatory, and apoptosis-related alterations compared with untreated hypoxic rats (p < 0.05). These protective effects were observed despite the substantially lower orientin-equivalent dose in the CNP–orientin formulation compared with free orientin. NF-κB and TNF-α expression, caspase-3 levels, antioxidant markers, and Bcl-2 expression differed significantly among hypoxic groups (p < 0.05). Histopathological lung injury and Modified Ashcroft fibrosis scores were significantly lower in the CNP–orientin group than in the untreated hypoxic group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Orientin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles effectively mitigate hypoxia-induced pulmonary inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis and fibrotic injury. These findings identify CNP–orientin as a promising nanotherapeutic strategy for hypoxia-associated lung diseases and support further translational investigations. Full article

Selective degradation of antibiotics in complex wastewater is often hindered by the non-selective consumption of reactive oxygen species by coexisting organic matter. In this study, an adsorption-coupled heterogeneous Fenton-like strategy was developed to preferentially enrich tetracycline (TC) at the catalyst interface prior to oxidative degradation. MIL-53(Fe), MIL-101(Fe), and NH₂-MIL-101(Fe) were synthesized using a solvothermal method and systematically compared in terms of TC adsorption, catalytic degradation, and degradation selectivity in binary TC/glucose systems. Although MIL-101(Fe) exhibited the highest overall TC degradation efficiency, NH₂-MIL-101(Fe) showed the highest selectivity toward TC. At a TC/glucose concentration ratio of 2:2, NH₂-MIL-101(Fe) achieved a TC degradation selectivity of 73.1%, compared with 50.2% for MIL-101(Fe). Electron spin resonance and radical scavenging experiments demonstrated that ·OH was the dominant reactive species and that TC oxidation occurred predominantly at or near the catalyst surface. The enhanced selectivity was attributed to preferential TC adsorption followed by surface-localized oxidation and repeated adsorption–degradation cycles. Full-scan LC-MS analysis revealed several transformation-related ions, from which a tentative pathway involving possible N-demethylation, oxidative fragmentation, and ring-cleavage-related transformations was proposed; however, the individual product structures were not definitively identified. After five reuse cycles, the TC degradation efficiency remained above 75%, while the degradation selectivity decreased only from 74.7% to 68.7%. NH₂-MIL-101(Fe) also retained preferential TC removal in a TC-spiked domestic wastewater matrix. These results demonstrate that coupling preferential adsorption with localized Fenton-like oxidation provides an effective strategy for enhancing the selective removal of antibiotics from complex aqueous matrices. Full article

Peripheral nerve injuries are common traumas that are difficult to overcome. Although nerve grafting can quickly recover nearly all sensitivity and function, graft availability remains an issue. Research has focused on ways to directly rebuild and promote the healing of damaged nerves using surgically implanted scaffolds. Nerve regeneration can be further promoted through strategies aimed at enhancing the regenerative microenvironment, such as improving the electrical conductivity of nerve guidance conduits. In this study, composite films of chitosan (Ch) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) nanofibers were prepared. To improve the films’ conductivity, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was added. Structural analysis indicated interactions between Ch and CMC and showed that incorporation of RGO did not produce additional detectable crystalline phases. ChCMCRGO films showed slightly higher conductivity and greater surface hydrophilicity than ChCMC membranes and supported greater neurite outgrowth. Full article

To enhance renewable energy accommodation and operational flexibility under high renewable energy penetration, this study proposes a multi-objective optimal capacity configuration method for an electricity–heat–hydrogen integrated energy system incorporating a reversible solid oxide cell (RSOC). First, considering the bidirectional electricity–hydrogen conversion capability and waste heat recovery of the RSOC, an electricity–heat–hydrogen multi-energy complementary system is constructed, and efficiency correction models are established for key energy conversion devices to characterize their part-load characteristics. Second, representative source–load scenarios are generated using Latin hypercube sampling and K-means clustering, and a multi-objective optimal capacity configuration model is formulated to minimize the annualized total cost and the wind and photovoltaic power curtailment rate. Finally, given the limitations of the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) in complex capacity configuration problems, such as premature convergence to local optima and insufficient population diversity, an adaptive crossover and mutation mechanism, a local search strategy, and a dynamic selection mechanism based on comprehensive crowding distance are introduced to improve its optimization performance. A balanced configuration scheme is then selected based on the knee point of the Pareto front obtained by the algorithm. Case-study results show that the Pareto solution set obtained by the improved NSGA-II (INSGA-II) has better overall quality than those obtained by NSGA-II and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO). The resulting balanced configuration scheme has an annualized total cost of CNY 422.9 million and a wind and photovoltaic curtailment rate of 2.797%. The proposed method effectively coordinates system economic performance and renewable energy accommodation, enhances the coordinated utilization of electricity, heat, and hydrogen energy flows, and provides a reference for capacity planning of integrated energy systems under high renewable energy penetration. Full article

To address the challenge of efficient catalytic elimination of carbon monoxide (CO) generated from spontaneous coal combustion in goaf and blasting operations in underground coal mines under low-velocity laminar flow conditions, we propose a perforated spiral-insert catalytic tube. The design inserts a spiral vane with surface micro-holes into a straight tube; the vane surface and internal pore walls are coated with a CuMnOx catalyst. A porous medium equivalent model describes the flow and catalytic reaction characteristics in the perforated region. A three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model coupling flow, mass transfer, and surface catalytic reactions is developed. After grid independence verification, three sets of L9 orthogonal experiments systematically investigate the effects of inlet velocity, helix pitch, vane height, opening ratio, and pore diameter on CO conversion and flow resistance. Range analysis, variance analysis, and the comprehensive performance factor are used for multi-objective optimization. $PEC$ results show that inlet velocity is the primary factor affecting both conversion and comprehensive performance, and its dominance is independent of the number of vanes. At a low velocity of 0.2 m/s, the four-vane configuration achieves a maximum conversion of 51.07%. For a balanced trade-off between conversion and flow resistance, four vanes with a high opening ratio, large pore diameter, and large helix pitch yield the best comprehensive performance. If low resistance is the primary goal, two vanes with a high opening ratio achieve a resistance of only 0.29 Pa and a per-unit-resistance conversion efficiency of 97.72 Pa⁻¹. A further predicted optimal combination is validated by simulation, achieving a conversion of 64.96%, confirming the effectiveness of the parameter optimization. Under low-velocity conditions, the flow resistance of this design is only about 0.3–1.3 Pa, allowing passive operation using the natural negative pressure of the extraction pipeline. The design offers modular replaceability of the catalyst insert and operates without external power input beyond the natural negative pressure of the pipeline under the simulated low-velocity conditions, providing a theoretical basis and parameter optimization method for in situ CO catalytic elimination in coal mines. Full article