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MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which were initially discovered in Caenorhabditis elegans , can regulate gene expression by recognizing cognate sequences and interfering with the transcriptional or translational machinery. The application of bioinformatics tools for structural analysis and target prediction has largely driven the investigation of certain miRNAs. Notably, it has been found that certain miRNAs which are widely involved in the inflammatory response and immune regulation are closely associated with the occurrence, development, and outcome of bacterial pneumonia. It has been shown that certain miRNA techniques can be used to identify related targets and explore associated signal transduction pathways. This enhances the understanding of bacterial pneumonia, notably for “refractory” or drug-resistant bacterial pneumonia. Although these miRNA-based methods may provide a basis for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease, they still face various challenges, such as low sensitivity, poor specificity, low silencing efficiency, off-target effects, and toxic reactions. The opportunities and challenges of these methods have been completely reviewed, notably in bacterial pneumonia. With the continuous improvement of the current technology, the miRNA-based methods may surmount the aforementioned limitations, providing promising support for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of “refractory” or drug-resistant bacterial pneumonia.

Tree peony ( Paeonia section Moutan DC.) produce strikingly large, vibrant blooms that exhibit remarkable morphological diversity, ranging from single petals to complex double forms, making them highly prized for ornamental horticulture. While auxin response factors (ARFs) are well-established as crucial regulators of organogenesis in model plants, the functional characterization of PoARF genes in tree peony remains largely unexplored. Genome-wide analysis identified 17 PoARF genes ( PoARF1 - PoARF17) in tree peony ( Paeonia ostii ). Their encoded proteins vary in length (420–993 aa) and molecular weight (47.2–109.8 kDa), with isoelectric points of 5.19–9.48 (mostly weakly acidic) and all predicted to localize to the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the PoARFs into three clades (Groups I-III). All members contained eight conserved motifs (Motif1-7,9), indicating structural and functional conservation within this gene family. Gene architecture analysis revealed that most PoARF genes feature untranslated regions (UTRs) flanking both termini, while subgroup members exhibited remarkably similar exon–intron organizational patterns. Conserved sequence analysis result showed that the motif arrangement is relatively conserved within each subfamily. The promoter region of PoARF genes in tree peony contains four types of cis-regulatory elements, suggesting that it may be involved in biological processes such as light response, hormone regulation, and tissue-specific expression. The results of the instantaneous transformation test of tree peony showed that PoARF7 promotes petal development while inhibiting stamens development, whereas PoARF10 exhibits opposing functions. These results elucidate ARF-mediated control of floral organ ratios and provide a foundation for studying ARF genes family functions in woody angiosperms.

Optimizing the process of flow boiling and improving heat transfer efficiency require preventing the onset of flow instability (OFI) during the operation. The aim of this work was to examine the instability of upward flow in a rectangular mini-channel with a cross-section of 2 × 2 mm when the heat flux and mass flux were gradually increased. The study examined the periodic transition of flow patterns during OFI, calculated the impact of bubble coalescence on OFI using the growth rate of bubbles with the potential to form gas columns, and introduced entropy generation to assess the irreversibility and disorder of the system. The findings revealed that the formation of gas columns during OFI is the main cause of the periodic transition of flow patterns. When the inlet subcooling Δ T sub is 12.1  K , the average number of bubble coalescences during OFI is 240% higher than during stable flow. Pressure drop fluctuations are significantly impacted by bubble coalescence, which also contributes to the formation of gas columns and an increase in system instability. The pressure drop and the heat transfer coefficient are inversely related. Lowering the inlet subcooling and reducing mass flux are like to cause OFI. Entropy generation analysis indicates that reducing inlet subcooling and increasing fluid velocity can reduce the system's irreversibility. When OFI occurs, entropy generation rises sharply.

This research explores the characteristics of boiling in inclined pipes, a domain of great importance in engineering. Employing an experimental visualization technique, the boiling dynamics of deionized water are examined at varying inclination angles, paying special attention to the emerging flow patterns. The findings demonstrate that the inclination angle significantly impacts flow pattern transitions within the 0° to 90° range. As the heat flux rises, bubbles form in the liquid. The liquid’s inertia extends the bubble-wall contact time, thereby delaying the onset of bulk bubble flow. Beyond a 90° inclination, however, the patterning behavior is more influenced by the fluid velocity. At low speeds, incomplete pipe filling results in a large liquid plug hindering flow, while high speeds lead to full pipe filling. In general, gravity, inertia, buoyancy forces, and capillary forces are the main influential factors in the considered problem. However, an analysis of the heat transfer coefficient and boiling curve for different inclination angles reveals that the observed variations are essentially due to corresponding changes in the flow pattern. Finally, an optimal mass flux and inclination angle, able to minimize total entropy generation and improve heat transfer efficiency, are determined by means of an entropy generation analysis.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is an aggressive tumor with high metastatic potential and therapeutic resistance, yet the role of folate metabolism in its pathogenesis and immune evasion remains unclear. This study aims to develop and validate a folate metabolism-related gene (FMRG) scoring system to stratify patients by prognostic risk and immune phenotypes, and to explore the functional role of key FMRGs in ccRCC progression. Using transcriptomic and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we developed a folate metabolism-related gene (FMRG) scoring system via integrative machine learning and validated it in an external cohort. We analyzed associations of the FMRG score with clinicopathological features, biological pathways, immune infiltration, therapeutic responsiveness, and drug sensitivity. Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics mapped candidate gene expression, and in vitro experiments validated the functional role of NGF. A ten-gene prognostic model based on the FMRG score stratified ccRCC patients into groups with distinct clinical outcomes, immune profiles, and therapeutic responses. NGF was upregulated in ccRCC, with heterogeneous spatial expression. Functional assays showed that NGF enhances proliferation, migration, and invasion. This folate metabolism-based scoring framework facilitates prognostic stratification, tumor microenvironment characterization, and prediction of immunotherapy response in ccRCC. NGF is identified as a functional mediator of tumor progression, offering potential therapeutic targets and insights into metabolic-immune crosstalk.

SEP3, one of the SEPALLATA (SEP) genes, plays a crucial role in the regulation of floral organ morphogenesis in plants. However, its specific function and molecular regulatory mechanisms remain largely unclear in tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.). In this study, the PsSEP3L1 sequence of the tree peony cultivar ‘Luoyang Hong’ was obtained by homologous cloning. The open reading frame of PsSEP3L1 is 738 bp and encodes 245 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PsSEP3L1 was most closely related to the SEP3 homolog from cassava. The expression level of PsSEP3L1 in petals, petaloid petals, and stamens was significantly higher than that in sepals. Specifically, in the petaloid petals of the tree peony cultivar ‘Luoyang Hong’, the expression level was 23.73-fold higher than that in sepals. Functional assays demonstrated that overexpression of PsSEP3L1 significantly increased petal number in tree peony, whereas silencing of this gene resulted in a significant reduction in petal number, confirming its positive regulatory role in petal number determination. The Yeast two-hybrid and Bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays revealed that PsSEP3L1 protein interacts with MADS-box family proteins, including PsSEP1L, PsAP3, and PsAG. Collectively, PsSEP3L1 may participate in regulating petal number in tree peony by forming protein complexes with other MADS-box proteins, thereby contributing to floral organ morphogenesis. This study provides a basis for further mechanistic studies on floral organ morphogenesis in tree peony.

Terahertz waves provide a better contrast in imaging soft biomedical tissues than X-rays and unlike X-rays, they cause no ionisation damage, making them a good option for biomedical imaging. Terahertz absorption imaging has conventionally been used for cancer diagnosis. However, the absorption properties of a cancerous sample are influenced by two opposing factors: an increase in absorption due to a higher degree of hydration and a decrease in absorption due to structural changes. It is therefore difficult to diagnose cancer from an absorption image. Phase imaging can thus be critical for diagnostics. We demonstrate imaging of the absorption and phase-shift distributions of 3.2 mm × 2.3 mm × 30-μm-thick human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue by continuous-wave terahertz digital in-line holography. The acquisition time of a few seconds for a single in-line hologram is much shorter than that of other terahertz diagnostic techniques and future detectors will allow acquisition of meaningful holograms without sample dehydration. The resolution of the reconstructions was enhanced by sub-pixel shifting and extrapolation. Another advantage of this technique is its relaxed minimal sample size limitation. The fibrosis indicated in the phase distribution demonstrates the potential of terahertz holographic imaging to obtain a more objective, early diagnosis of cancer.

In colorectal cancer screening, implementing risk-adapted screening might be more effective than traditional screening strategies. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of a risk-adapted screening strategy with colonoscopy and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in colorectal cancer screening. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 6 centers in China since May 2018. Nineteen thousand five hundred forty-six eligible participants aged 50-74 years were recruited and randomly allocated into 1 of the 3 screening groups in a 1:2:2 ratio: (i) one-time colonoscopy (n = 3,916), (ii) annual FIT (n = 7,854), and (iii) annual risk-adapted screening (n = 7,776). Based on the risk-stratification score, high-risk subjects were referred for colonoscopy and low-risk ones were referred for FIT. All subjects with positive FIT were referred for diagnostic colonoscopy. The detection rate of advanced neoplasm was the primary outcome. The study is registered with the China Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn Identifier: ChiCTR1800015506). For baseline screening, the participation rates of the colonoscopy, FIT, and risk-adapted screening groups were 42.5% (1,665/3,916), 94.0% (7,386/7,854), and 85.2% (6,628/7,776), respectively. For the intention-to-screen analysis, the detection rates of advanced neoplasm were 2.40% (94/3,916), 1.13% (89/7,854), and 1.66% (129/7,776), with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 2.16 (1.61-2.90; P < 0.001) for colonoscopy vs FIT, 1.45 (1.10-1.90; P < 0.001) for colonoscopy vs risk-adapted screening, and 1.49 (1.13-1.97; P < 0.001) for risk-adapted screening vs FIT, respectively. The numbers of subjects who required a colonoscopic examination to detect 1 advanced neoplasm were 18 in the colonoscopy group, 10 in the FIT group, and 11 in the risk-adapted screening group. For baseline screening, the risk-adapted screening approach showed a high participation rate, and its diagnostic yield was superior to that of FIT at a similarly low load of colonoscopy.

Two-dimensional (2D) AMX 2 compounds are a family of mixed ionic and electronic conductors (where A is a monovalent metal ion, M is a trivalent metal, and X is a chalcogen) that offer a fascinating platform to explore intrinsic coupled ionic-electronic properties. However, the synthesis of 2D AMX 2 compounds remains challenging due to their multielement characteristics and various by-products. Here, we report a separated-precursor-supply chemical vapor deposition strategy to manipulate the chemical reactions and evaporation of precursors, facilitating the successful fabrication of 20 types of 2D AMX 2 flakes. Notably, a 10.4 nm-thick AgCrS 2 flake shows superionic behavior at room temperature, with an ionic conductivity of 192.8 mS/cm. Room temperature ferroelectricity and reconfigurable positive/negative photovoltaic currents have been observed in CuScS 2 flakes. This study not only provides an effective approach for the synthesis of multielement 2D materials with unique properties, but also lays the foundation for the exploration of 2D AMX 2 compounds in electronic, optoelectronic, and neuromorphic devices. 2D AMX 2 compounds (where A is a monovalent metal ion, M is a trivalent metal, and X is a chalcogen) are a family of materials with coupled ionic-electronic properties. Here, the authors report a chemical vapor deposition strategy to fabricate 20 types of 2D AMX 2 flakes, exhibiting superionic conductivity or room temperature ferroelectricity.