Search Results (926)

The proliferation of rumors on social media has grown exponentially in recent years. Existing approaches focus on training models on single-domain datasets, resulting in limited generalization in cross-domain scenarios. Additionally, multi-domain rumor detection faces two critical challenges: bridging semantic gaps across heterogeneous domains and addressing modality-dependent dependencies across them. To address these issues, we propose a Multi-domain Aware Network (MDAN) specifically for multimodal rumor detection. MDAN synergizes adaptive domain embeddings with a domain self-augmentation mechanism to dynamically select expert knowledge while incorporating a multi-level knowledge fusion module that hierarchically integrates domain-shared and domain-specific representations via gated attention networks. These dual knowledge optimization strategies effectively address the aforementioned challenges, significantly enhancing model robustness in multi-domain detection scenarios. Extensive experiments on two public datasets demonstrate that MDAN outperforms state-of-the-art methods in accuracy and cross-domain generalization. Full article

With the advent of the new definition, fatty liver disorders have been reframed into metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), and the mixed phenotype referred to as MetALD (MASLD and increased alcohol intake). This change reflects the real-world clinical practice, where metabolic dysfunction and alcohol frequently coexist and synergize to increase risks of steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While conventional non-invasive tests (NITs) remain the backbone of risk stratification, lipidomics and metabolomics can capture biological information on disease mechanisms and may improve early detection and prognosis. Here, we summarize the current evidence on circulating and tissue lipidomic and metabolomic signatures across MASLD, ALD and MetALD, discuss how the new definitions affect clinical risk assessment, and highlight recent studies which partially distinguish molecular fingerprints for mixed etiology disease. Full article

Directed cell migration orchestrates embryonic development, wound repair, immune surveillance and malignant tumor invasion. Viscotaxis—directed cell migration along spatial gradients of extracellular fluid viscosity or matrix loss modulus—has emerged as a candidate mechanotaxis modality that may guide cells through heterogeneous viscoelastic tissues; however, its biological functions and molecular underpinnings remain largely uncharacterized, and direct evidence in mammalian systems is still limited to a small number of studies. This mini-review first defines viscotaxis and distinguishes it from the related but physically different mechanical quantities with which it is frequently conflated—substrate stiffness, matrix viscoelasticity, and stress relaxation—and then summarizes its physiological and pathological relevance across development, tissue homeostasis, immunity, and cancer. We outline the putative multi-step mechanosensory cascade governing viscotactic responses, examine how viscotaxis may synergize or compete with durotaxis, haptotaxis, chemotaxis, electrotaxis, and phototaxis under mixed microenvironmental cues, and compare the distinct hydrodynamic and steric-exclusion mechanisms proposed across spiral microbes, flagellated eukaryotes, mammalian cells, and embryonic tissues. Throughout, we explicitly distinguish evidence obtained under viscosity gradients from that obtained under uniformly elevated viscosity and established findings from working hypotheses. Finally, we discuss current methodological bottlenecks and unresolved conceptual debates and propose biomaterial tools and therapeutic strategies to advance viscotaxis from a biophysical curiosity toward a core principle of cellular mechanobiology. Full article

Cistanche deserticola polysaccharide (CDP) exhibits pleiotropic bioactivities, yet its splenic-protective profile remains incompletely defined. Here, male ICR mice were challenged with cyclophosphamide (CTX) to establish an immunosuppressed model and concurrently treated with CDP. By integrating functional assays, splenic histopathology, and transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we show that CDP dose-dependently restores splenic mass, rescues white-pulp atrophy, and suppresses megakaryocytic hyperplasia. Functionally, CDP rebalances pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokines, scavenges splenic ROS/MDA, and potentiates GSH-Px/SOD antioxidant capacity versus CTX alone. Multi-omics convergence (3103 DEGs; 1387 DEPs) delineated a CDP-distinctive signature related to innate immune recognition, oxidative stress buffering, and protease/ion-transport modules. Notably, transcriptional enrichment of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET)-associated proxies—synergized with NOD-like receptor/IL-17 signaling—suggests a putative innate-priming mechanism warranting functional validation, rather than confirmed pathway activation. Collectively, CDP mitigates CTX-induced splenic injury primarily through coupled redox restoration and transcriptional-level immune modulation. Full article

Biochar has been used to improve soils and promote sustainable agricultural development. The effects of applying different doses of biochar on soil aggregate structure and stability, aggregate-associated microbial communities, aggregate carbon fractions, and underlying mechanisms in planted forest soil ecosystems remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of biochar amendment (7 years) on carbon stabilization in plantation soils. The effects of biochar application (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2%, 4%, and 6%) on water-stable aggregate distribution, stability indices such as mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), and fractal dimension (D), aggregate-associated microbial communities (fungal and bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs)), and carbon fractions such as soil organic carbon (SOC), easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), recalcitrant organic carbon (ROC) and black carbon (BC) were investigated based on a seven-year in situ field experiment in a Eucalyptus plantation in northern Guangxi. The results showed that after 7 years, biochar application significantly increased the proportion of macroaggregates (≥0.25 mm). The MWD and GMD increased significantly with increasing biochar application rates, whereas D decreased significantly, indicating enhanced soil structural stability. Biochar significantly increased the abundance of fungi and bacteria across all aggregate size classes and changed the microbial community structure towards conditions that promoted increased carbon stabilization. Additionally, biochar application significantly increased both recalcitrant (ROC and BC) and labile carbon (EOC, POC, DOC, and MBC) in all aggregate fractions, with the largest increments in macroaggregates. Based on correlation analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM), we speculated that biochar might enhance the physical protection and chemical sequestration of organic carbon by optimizing the physical structure of the aggregates and synergizing with the microbial carbon pump. The 7-year application of biochar significantly enhanced the SOC content in plantation soils, primarily by increasing recalcitrant organic carbon, demonstrating that biochar application constitutes a viable approach to augmenting persistent soil carbon stabilization in plantation ecosystems. The 4% and 6% treatments produced the largest responses for most of the measured indicators, underscoring the importance of biochar application. Full article

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major factor governing peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) productivity, and the physiological mechanisms by which different genotypes (with contrasting photosynthetic capacities) coordinate carbon assimilation and photoprotection remain elusive. This study elucidated the strategic divergence among different peanut genotypes in their foliar photosystems to perform physiological homeostasis under low-phosphorus (LP) conditions. Based on a peanut mini-core collection, six representative accessions with contrasting photosynthetic capacities were selected and categorized into high- and low-photosynthetic functional groups. We integrated leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, the trans-thylakoid proton gradient (ΔpH), and antioxidant enzyme assays to evaluate their adaptive responses to low-P stress relative to the high-P (HP) control. Our results demonstrated that LP stress induced widespread photosynthetic inhibition across all accessions; this suppression was primarily driven by non-stomatal limitations. Under LP stress, high-Pn accessions exhibited superior cyclic electron flow (CEF) plasticity synergized with highly plastic guaiacol peroxidase (POD) activity, suppressing the leaf-level ROS burst and maintaining a substantial ΔpH for ATP synthesis and PSI stability. Conversely, low-Pn accessions suffered from severe oxidative overload and relied heavily on passive thermal dissipation, characterized by elevated non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) values and restricted CEF engagement. Principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed that while baseline biochemical impairments were universal, the capacity to dynamically modulate this ΔpH-dependent regulatory network—which integrates CEF, cytochrome b6f photosynthetic control, and antenna-level NPQ—served as the decisive determinant underlying genotypic variations in photosystem resilience under P deficiency. This study demonstrated that peanut genotypes deploy divergent, ΔpH-centered strategies to balance light energy distribution under P-limited conditions. These findings provide a novel and plausible mechanistic framework for selecting and breeding P-efficient peanut cultivars in poor soils with enhanced photosystem resilience. Full article

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal cancers, with a five-year survival rate of less than 12%. Oncolytic viruses are considered a promising immunotherapeutic approach, but their effectiveness is often limited by the innate interferon response, which is the main antiviral barrier in resistant tumors. A combination of an oncolytic virus with JAK/STAT pathway inhibitors has been proposed to overcome this resistance. Methods: In this study, we investigated the oncolytic and immunotherapeutic potential of the attenuated yellow fever vaccine strain YFV 17D in combination with the JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in a panel of six PDAC cell lines with diverse genetic profiles and JAK/STAT signaling activities and in a syngeneic immunocompetent PAN02 mouse model. Results: In vitro, we identified three distinct response patterns: synergistic enhancement of viral replication and cytopathic effect, lack of synergism due to absent interferon signaling, and increased viral replication without cytopathic effect. Despite different cell mutation profiles, the cell response patterns were determined by the basal JAK/STAT activity of each cell line rather than by specific KRAS or TP53 mutation. In vivo, the combination therapy significantly extended median survival compared to YFV 17D monotherapy and the control group and induced tumor regression in 62.5% of animals. Since no difference in intratumoral viral RNA was detected between the combination and monotherapy groups, we suggest that the antitumor effect in vivo was mediated not by enhanced viral replication, but by activation of adaptive immunity. This is indirectly suggested by increased intratumoral IL-12, a fourfold increase in CD8⁺ T cell infiltration, a reduction in CD4⁺ cells, and the generation of virus-neutralizing antibodies. No systemic cytokine surge, neurovirulence, or viral dissemination was observed, suggesting the safety of the proposed regimen. Conclusions: These findings clarify the immune mechanisms determining the efficacy of YFV 17D combined with ruxolitinib and establish the basis for personalized patient stratification by tumor interferon signaling status. Full article

Conventional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based antifouling coatings, despite their inherent fouling-release capability, exhibit critically insufficient antifouling performance under static seawater conditions. Inspired by the synergistic physical–chemical defense strategy of sessile marine organisms, specifically sea anemones, which combine a physical mucus barrier with antimicrobial peptide secretion, the present work develops a multi-mechanism hybrid coating—designated as sea anemone-inspired fluorosilicone polyurethane—that integrates low-surface-energy physical antifouling and cationic antibacterial chemical antifouling. This coating system is constructed from silicone polyurethane (PDMS-PU), a cationic antibacterial moiety (PDMS-N⁺), and fluorinated functional monomers. Through systematic compositional optimization, an optimal formulation (P-4) is identified, which achieves a fracture elongation of 78.19%, a normal adhesion strength of approximately 2.5 MPa, a water contact angle of 120°, and a surface energy of 12.86 mN/m. Notably, its antibacterial rates against both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) exceed 95%. The resultant coating uniquely synergizes low surface energy, potent antibacterial activity, excellent mechanical properties, and thermal stability, thereby enabling long-term and stable antifouling performance in static seawater environments. This work provides a crucial technological foundation for the engineering application and industrialization of green, durable marine antifouling coatings. Full article

To address the difficulty of synergizing multi-source spatial data with geological text and the limited spatial reasoning of large language models (LLMs), this paper proposes an intention-driven hybrid semantic–spatial retrieval–augmented generation (RAG) method and a corresponding GIS visualization system. The method uses intent routing to direct queries to spatial parsing or text retrieval, extracts target entities, attribute constraints, and spatial relations from natural language via an LLM, and dynamically generates parameterized PostGIS (PostgreSQL Spatial Extension) queries through a rule-based parser, achieving deep coupling of semantic understanding and spatial computation. A spatial proximity verification module computes the minimum distances between target and reference entities, producing a verifiable target-reference list that provides precise spatial support for answers. The system implements a multi-source dynamic data management mechanism supporting unified heterogeneous data import, ArcGIS layer style parsing, adaptive point visualization, and user-defined mappings from data tables to geological entity types. It further integrates prospectivity prediction, geochemical association analysis, and intelligent QA into an end-to-end interactive GIS environment. Experimental results show that semantic filtering raises Precision@5 (Precision at rank 5) from 0.171 to 0.829, rule-based ranking improves NDCG@5 (Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain at rank 5) by about 16%, and the spatial proximity verification module increases the spatial citation rate (distance coverage ratio) from 24.2% to 47.8% when computed over the 17 spatial-relation queries for which distance citations are applicable. Adding textual knowledge further boosts answer relevance to 0.863 while maintaining a comparable spatial citation rate (47.2% vs. 47.8%). To mitigate potential self-preference bias in the LLM-as-Judge setup, an independent evaluation using DeepSeek-V4-Flash was conducted, yielding high inter-evaluator agreement (Pearson r = 0.951 for faithfulness, 0.988 for relevance). These results suggest the method’s potential for query understanding, ranking optimization, and spatial interpretability, while also highlighting the need for larger-scale benchmarks and blinded expert evaluation. Full article

Cryptococcosis is a severe fungal infection affecting immunocompromised individuals, with treatment limited to FLZ, AMB, and FC. This study investigated the antifungal potential of fluconazole (FLZ)-, amphotericin B (AMB)-, 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ)-, and clioquinol (CQ)-based combinations against Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii. Drug interactions were assessed by checkerboard assay, followed by time–kill curves, irritability, toxicity, and virulence factors inhibition tests. The FLZ + AMB combination showed weak synergism, whereas FLZ combined with CQ or 8HQ exhibited strong synergistic effects (p < 0.001) at low concentrations (0.125–0.25 µg/mL), up to three times greater than those of FLZ + AMB. This effect persisted across other strains, including less FLZ-susceptible isolates. Moreover, FLZ + CQ inhibited melanin production in both species without causing significant irritability or toxicity in the tested models. These results indicate that combining drugs with distinct mechanisms of action can enhance antifungal efficacy while potentially reducing treatment doses. The FLZ + CQ/8HQ combinations represent promising candidates for future in vivo models for therapeutic evaluation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Neuropathic pain (NP) after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is highly prevalent, markedly impairs quality of life, and remains difficult to treat because available therapies show limited efficacy and may cause relevant adverse effects. Because oxidative stress and glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity contribute to central sensitization after SCI, this study evaluated the antinociceptive and antioxidant effects of dapsone (DDS), N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and their combination in rats with SCI. An isobolographic analysis was also performed to determine the pharmacodynamic interaction between the two drugs. Methods: Female Wistar rats with SCI that developed stimulus-dependent hypersensitivity from day 15 after injury were treated once daily for 7 days with DDS (1.5–12.5 mg/kg, i.p.), NAC (9.3–75 mg/kg, i.p.), or 1:1 fixed-ratio combinations. Mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia were assessed with Von Frey filaments, whereas lipid peroxidation (LP) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were quantified in injured spinal cord tissue. Results: DDS and NAC produced dose-dependent antinociceptive effects, with DDS being more potent than NAC in both endpoints. The individual ED₅₀ values were 4.92 and 33.47 mg/kg for allodynia, and 4.06 and 27.74 mg/kg for hyperalgesia, for DDS and NAC, respectively. The DDS/NAC combination showed synergistic interactions in allodynia (ED₅₀ = 7.45 mg/kg vs. Zadd = 19.19 mg/kg; γ = 0.388) and hyperalgesia (ED₅₀ = 4.21 mg/kg vs. Zadd = 15.90 mg/kg; γ = 0.265), with stronger synergism in hyperalgesia. Combined treatment also improved LP and GSH levels. Conclusions: These findings indicate that DDS and NAC exert complementary actions and that their combination produces a synergistic antinociceptive effect associated with diminished oxidative stress after SCI. Full article

Algal cultivation has attracted significant attention due to CO₂ biocapture and potential for biofuel generation. Enormous generation of waste polymer often poses an environmental problem due to non-biodegradability. This study comprehensively analyses the thermal degradation characteristics of blue–green alga, Leptolyngbya subtilis JUCHE1 (LS) and waste textile polyester (WTP) and their mixtures (LS1P3 (1:3); LS1P1 (1:1); LS3P1 (3:1)) during co-pyrolysis. The interaction between LS and WTP during co-pyrolysis has been assessed through the verification of synergism using different blending ratio and through the comparison of the corresponding values of the Comprehensive Pyrolysis Index (CPI). The composite, LS1P3, exhibited the highest synergism and the maximum value of CPI. Isoconversional models (FWO, Starink, Bosewell and Tang) have been used to predict the activation energies (E_a). Thermodynamic parameters, namely, heat of reaction (ΔH), Gibbs free energy change (ΔG) and entropy change (ΔS), have also been determined for all. The average value of E_a for LS1P3 is also the lowest (96.015 kJ/mol) among all composites. The Master plot method identifies that there is a shift of reaction mechanism from phase boundary type (R2 and R3) for LS and WTP to a P2-type acceleratory reaction rate mechanism for LS1P3. The lowest average value of ΔH and the highest values of ΔG and ΔS for LS1P3 co-pyrolysis also support the least consumption of energy and the highest favorability under present conditions. The product yield distribution of co-pyrolysis in the isothermally operated conditions (450 °C) also establishes the superiority of LS1P3. Yields of pyro-oil and pyro-gas are the highest among all composites. The study ensures the future application prospects of co-pyrolysis of LS and WTP as a means for generation of energy resources (pyro-oil and pyro-gas) and chemicals (pyro-char). Full article

Alpha-enolase (ENO1) is a multifunctional protein frequently overexpressed in solid tumors, where elevated levels are associated with aggressive behavior and poor prognosis. Beyond its canonical glycolytic role, ENO1 participates in immunoregulatory processes through distinct subcellular pools. Intracellular ENO1 shapes tumor-associated metabolic programs, while surface-exposed ENO1 functions as a plasminogen receptor and can engage innate immune signaling pathways. Post-translational modifications—particularly citrullination and phosphorylation—generate structurally altered epitopes that expand ENO1 antigenicity and enable adaptive immune recognition, including coordinated humoral and T-cell responses in cancer patients. These determinants of ENO1 immunogenicity have downstream consequences within the tumor microenvironment: immune-accessible ENO1 modulates myeloid cell recruitment, dendritic cell maturation, and macrophage polarization, while ENO1-dependent metabolic and signaling programs contribute to immune suppression and escape through multiple interconnected axes. Together, these mechanisms position ENO1 at the interface between tumor metabolism and immune regulation. Preclinical evidence demonstrates that ENO1-directed strategies—including antibody-based targeting, DNA vaccination, and vaccines incorporating post-translationally modified ENO1 peptides—can generate productive antitumor immunity and synergize with checkpoint blockade, supporting the rationale for ENO1 as an immunotherapeutic target. This review synthesizes current evidence within an integrated framework linking ENO1 dysregulation to its immunological consequences in cancer and discusses translational implications for ENO1-centered immunotherapy and immunoprevention. Full article

Objective: The usefulness of available wound debridement strategies, including endogenous autolysis and enzymatic, larval, and surgical approaches, is often limited by poor wound bed biology, availability, and invasiveness. Although copper oxide-containing dressings (CODs) have demonstrated broad wound-healing activity in basic science and clinical studies, their potential to modulate debridement has not been specifically characterized. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of five severe clinical cases (six limbs) characterized with extensive necrosis, impaired perfusion, and frequently compromised systemic conditions. Sequential clinical imaging and detailed follow-up were used to assess wound bed dynamics. All cases demonstrated a period of clinical stagnation prior to COD initiation under standard wound care, ranging from 1–4 weeks in the acute cases to approximately 8 years in the chronic venous ulcer, allowing within-case temporal comparison of wound behavior before and after COD introduction, during which no other major changes in local wound management were made. Observations were interpreted in the context of relevant published basic science. Results: In five of the six limbs, major amputation or revision to a higher level had been indicated prior to COD initiation. In all cases, application of COD was associated with rapid and extensive clearance of devitalized tissue, with major wound-bed changes observed within 2–6 weeks, consistent with activation of endogenous autolytic mechanisms. Relevant published literature identifies copper-dependent pathways (CDPs), including the MMP–TIMP axis, inflammatory signaling via NF-κB, and macrophage polarization, that may provide a biologically plausible explanation for these clinical observations. Analysis of serial photographs demonstrated concurrent emergence of granulation tissue and vascularization, supporting synergism among angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation, and debridement, all induced by COD. Conclusions: The observations support the hypothesis that copper ions and CODs may amplify autolytic tissue clearance through CDPs, with concurrent synergistic interaction between angiogenesis and debridement. Full article

The study aimed to enhance the interchain entanglement between tapioca starch (TS) and hydrocolloids by partially weakening starch structure and promoting chain reassociation, using critical melting combined with freeze-thawing treatment (CMFT). Compared to simple blends (SBL), CMFT induced partial structural disruption and facilitated soluble starch release, likely promoting chain entanglement with hydrocolloids to form large reorganized clusters with a rough granular surface. The observed structural and functional changes support this interpretation. CMFT reduced relative crystallinity from 25.88% (TS) to ~20%, while preserving granular integrity, and increased gelatinization temperatures by ~3 °C. The CMFT-prepared composite showed significantly improved pasting properties, with PV and FV rising from 2526.50 and 2087.00 (TS) to ~2700 and ~2400 mPa·s, respectively. CMFT transformed the weak, elongated TS paste into a cohesive, structurally integrated network with ~3-fold higher gel hardness and substantially reduced digestibility (RS content increased from 43.3% to approximately 60%). The study provides an effective strategy to enhance TS-hydrocolloid interaction by partially weakening starch structure and chain reassociation for designing starch-based ingredients with tailored functional properties. Full article