共找到 20 条结果
Anaerobic biodegradation of bioplastics has gained increasing attention as a sustainable strategy for waste valorization and renewable energy recovery within circular bio-economy systems. The present study investigated the anaerobic biodegradation of Poly lactic acid (PLA) pellet, PLA film, Polybutylene succinate (PBS), and commercially available bioplastics under controlled conditions at different temperatures and incubation periods. Biodegradation behavior was evaluated through cumulative gas production, visual observations, FTIR characterization, kinetic modeling, and microbial analysis. All biopolymer samples exhibited significant cumulative gas production within 20 days before reaching the stationary phase. Among the biopolymer materials, PLA film showed distinct degradation behavior with high total solids (92.5%) and volatile solids (75.4%), along with the highest cumulative gas production. FTIR analysis and observable structural changes further confirmed polymer degradation during anaerobic digestion. Microbial species associated with biodegradation were identified through PCR amplification, 16S rRNA sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis, revealing the involvement of Bacillus sp in the degradation process. The cumulative biogas production profiles of all biopolymers followed the Hill sigmoidal kinetic model with high correlation coefficients (R2: 0.9854, 0.9839, 0.9931, and 0.9772 for PLA pellet, PBS, PLA film, and bioplastic, respectively), indicating excellent model fitting accuracy. Moreover, a generalized anaerobic biodegradation model equation was developed for biopolymers. The findings demonstrated the potential applicability of anaerobic digestion for biopolymer waste valorization through simultaneous biodegradation and biogas generation, supporting sustainable waste management and circular bio-economy approaches.
Plastics have become indispensable to modern society, but their predominantly linear production and end-of-life management are increasingly incompatible with environmental and resource constraints. Biotechnology offers new opportunities to reshape this system, not only by enabling the biological recycling and upcycling of conventional plastics, but also by supporting the production and end-of-life management of more sustainable bioplastics. Recent progress in plastic-degrading enzymes, particularly for PET, has demonstrated the potential of biocatalysis, yet it has also made clear that enzyme performance alone will not determine whether these technologies succeed at scale. Real waste streams, sorting and pretreatment requirements, process economics and integration with existing recycling infrastructure remain decisive constraints. The same systems perspective is needed for bioplastics: Bio-based origin or biodegradability does not automatically translate into circularity, and their environmental value ultimately depends on how materials are designed, used, collected and treated after use. In this Opinion, we argue that biocatalysis should therefore be developed as part of realistic circular plastic systems rather than as a universal solution to plastic waste. Combining advances in enzymatic and microbial technologies with Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design principles and credible end-of-life pathways could enable plastics and bioplastics to move towards genuinely circular material cycles while reducing dependence on fossil carbon and limiting plastic pollution.
Despite the promising potential of bio-electrochemical systems integrated with constructed wetlands (BES-CWs) for wastewater treatment, bacterium-phage interactions under electric field stress have been largely overlooked. This study utilized microcosm BES-CWs fed with synthetic wastewater containing sulfamethoxazole (SMX) as a model antibiotic. It elucidated the synergistic regulatory mechanisms underlying the "phage-biofilm-function" interplay under three direct current voltages (0.4 V, 1.0 V, and 3.0 V), and further revealed the role of phage-mediated metabolic regulation in pollutant removal and microbial resistance attenuation in BES-CWs. Electric field stress significantly reshaped bacterial and phage diversity as well as community composition, with the strongest effects observed at 1.0 V. Compared with open-circuit BES-CWs, electric field application markedly enhanced lactic dehydrogenase activity (1.57-2.87-fold), extracellular polymeric substance production (3.52-11.25-fold), and biofilm thickness (1.33-2.23-fold), thereby promoting bacterial metabolic activity and optimizing biofilm structure. This structural adaptation improved substrate diffusion and electron transfer, alleviating mass transfer limitations typically associated with thick biofilms. Furthermore, electric fields activated bacterial antiviral defense systems and intensified bacterium-phage interactions. This increased predation pressure facilitated genetic exchange and nutrient recycling, thereby enhancing the functional resilience of the microbial community under environmental stress. In addition, electric field application selectively enriched auxiliary metabolic genes associated with metabolism and SMX degradation, promoting pollutant removal while reducing bacterial resistance potential. Overall, these findings provide mechanistic insights into how electric fields regulate biofilm development and bacterium-phage interactions, offering a potential strategy for enhancing the ecological stability and treatment performance of constructed wetlands.
Corynebacterium striatum and Staphylococcus aureus are opportunistic pathogens that share ecological niches and are frequently co-isolated in healthcare-associated infections. They commonly exist as sessile populations organized within multi-species biofilms associated with medical devices. Sortase A (SrtA) plays a critical role in anchoring surface proteins in S. aureus, thereby influencing adhesion, colonization, and biofilm formation. This study evaluated the influence of C. striatum on the formation and stability of biofilms produced by wild-type and isogenic ΔsrtA mutant S. aureus on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. Five strains of C. striatum (Cs1-Cs5) and three of S. aureus (Sa1-Sa3) were characterized by biochemical testing, MALDI-TOF MS, antimicrobial susceptibility profiling, and detection of the mecA and srtA genes. The polymeric matrix was assessed on Congo red agar and by staining with Coomassie Brilliant Blue R-250 and safranin. Single- and multi-species biofilms were quantified by colony-forming units at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h, and their architecture was examined using scanning electron microscopy. All strains formed biofilms, including those exhibiting multidrug-resistant phenotypes. In mono-culture, the ΔsrtA mutant of S. aureus displayed reduced adhesion and absence of a detectable polymeric matrix. In co-culture, C. striatum exhibited a progressive competitive advantage, predominating in multi-species biofilms at 48 h. Purified supernatants from C. striatum induced a sessile-to-planktonic transition in S. aureus, reducing adherent populations by up to 5.02 log10, with the ΔsrtA mutant being the most susceptible. These findings suggest that extracellular products derived from C. striatum may contribute to modulation of biofilm stability and sessile behavior, particularly under conditions involving the absence of SrtA-mediated anchoring in S. aureus. The results highlight complex ecological interactions and suggest potential therapeutic strategies based on biofilm interference.
Itaconic acid (IA), an important unsaturated dicarboxylic acid, finds wide applications in industry, medicine, food, and energy. Biotechnological production of IA offers advantages in sustainability, process controllability, and the potential for high titers in selected hosts, although cost competitiveness remains a major barrier to industrial deployment. However, several challenges still hinder its large-scale industrial production, including: low substrate utilization efficiency, difficulty in pathway regulation, downstream separation bottlenecks, and environmental concerns. To address these challenges and further improve IA production through metabolic engineering, this review summarizes recent advances and key technologies in IA biosynthesis. Engineering strategies for de novo IA production were analyzed, the application of whole-cell catalysis and fermentation process optimization to enhance IA yield was discussed, and the use of renewable resources as substrates for IA production was reviewed. In addition, the prospects of AI-assisted strain engineering and green, low-carbon process technologies for IA biosynthesis were examined. These insights provide valuable guidance for understanding metabolic engineering strategies and bioprocess innovations aimed at improving IA production in alignment with sustainable and low-carbon objectives. Industrial demand for bio-based itaconic acid is rising, yet scale-up remains constrained by suboptimal pathway control, transport bottlenecks, and energy-intensive downstream steps. This review integrates advances across strain and process engineering into a coherent playbook: mitochondrial/cytosolic rerouting and transporter tuning, phase-specific dynamic regulation (biosensors, CRISPRi), and low-pH, closed-loop separations. We benchmark renewable feedstocks (methanol, acetate, agricultural and industrial wastes) and align data driven/AI tools with TEA/LCA targets. The result is a practical roadmap to higher titers, lower costs, and greener IA biomanufacturing from lab to pilot.
Cyanobacteria form phycosphere communities with associated bacteria, but genome-resolved resources are needed to formulate testable hypotheses about their metabolic interactions. Here, we reconstructed three complete circular genomes from a unialgal xenic culture, including Dolichospermum flosaquae FBCC-A233 and two associated alphaproteobacterial genomes assigned to Sphingorhabdus sp. and Brevundimonas sp. Genome-wide read mapping and genome-quality assessment supported the three recovered genomes as high-quality circular reconstructions. Comparative genome analysis placed the cyanobacterial genome within the Dolichospermum flosaquae species cluster under the GTDB framework, while the associated bacterial genomes represented Sphingorhabdus sp. and a putative undescribed Brevundimonas species-level lineage. Genome architecture analysis indicated reduced genome size and gene content in Brevundimonas relative to genus-level references although additional metrics did not support a strong conclusion of classical genome streamlining. Selected KEGG module and KO-level reconstructions indicated genome-inferred metabolic asymmetries across the consortium. FBCC-A233 encoded photosynthesis- and nitrogen-related modules and a BioU-mediated de novo biotin biosynthesis route, whereas the associated bacteria lacked complete de novo biotin biosynthesis but retained biotin-dependent carboxylase genes. FBCC-A233 also encoded extensive anaerobic corrinoid biosynthesis potential; however, canonical DMB-containing cobalamin completion, cobamide identity, and complete transporter systems were not resolved. Together, these complete genomes provide a genome-resolved resource for investigating genome-inferred metabolic differentiation and ecological interactions in cyanobacteria-associated bacterial consortia.IMPORTANCEPhycosphere interactions between cyanobacteria and associated bacteria can shape aquatic microbial communities, but many proposed interactions remain difficult to evaluate without genome-resolved resources. This study provides three complete circular genomes from a unialgal xenic Dolichospermum flosaquae culture, capturing the cyanobacterium and two co-maintained bacterial associates. Our analysis identifies genome-inferred metabolic asymmetries, particularly in biotin- and cobamide-related pathways. D. flosaquae FBCC-A233 encoded candidate de novo biotin and corrinoid biosynthesis capacity, whereas the associated bacteria lacked complete de novo pathways but retained cofactor-dependent enzymes. These findings nominate cofactor-related dependencies as experimentally testable hypotheses while emphasizing unresolved uptake, export, cobamide identity, and growth-dependence mechanisms. The complete genomes and KO-level reconstructions generated here provide a resource for future studies of cyanobacteria-associated consortia.
Understanding the effects of different soil amendments on bacterial community structure and diversity in acidic rubber plantation soils is essential for biological remediation and the targeted restoration of these degraded systems. In this study, a 2.5-year long field experiment was conducted in a second-generation 25-year-old rubber plantation at Dongfeng Farm in Jinghong City, southern Yunan, China. The experiment included five fertilization treatments: (1) unfertilized control (CK), (2) microbial fertilizer (T1), (3) biochar-based fertilizer (T2), (4) tobacco ash and oil cake organic fertilizer (T3), and (5) bio-organic fertilizer combined with polyacrylamide (T4). Soil samples were collected from the 0-20 cm layer in October 2022, and bacterial communities were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing. Key environmental drivers were identified by integrating sequencing data with soil physicochemical properties. The application of soil fertilizers significantly altered the tested soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community composition. Compared with CK, T1 and T4 increased soil pH. T2 and T3 significantly enhanced soil organic matter, available phosphorus, and total nitrogen. In addition, T2 specifically increased exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations and elevated the Chao1 richness index. Both T2 and T3 enriched beneficial taxa, including Proteobacteria and BradyRhizobium, while principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) revealed distinct shifts in bacterial community structure. The T4 treatment resulted in the most complex bacterial co-occurrence network. Mantel tests identified organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available nitrogen as the primary drivers of bacterial diversity. Further analysis using structural equation modeling indicates that soil conditioners alter bacterial community structure and diversity by influencing soil fertility and pH. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available nitrogen serve as key environmental factors shaping bacterial community structure and diversity in acidic rubber plantation soils. Organic fertilizers and biochar have proven highly effective in enhancing soil fertility and buffering capacity, while significantly increasing the abundance of dominant bacterial taxa. Therefore, organic and biochar-based amendments should be prioritized as effective and sustainable strategies for restoring soil health and promoting continuous soil quality improvement in acidified rubber plantations.
Fermentation microbiomes play essential roles in food production, feed preservation, waste valorization, and diverse sustainable industrial processes. Although multi-omics and systems biology have substantially advanced our understanding of their assembly, interactions, and functional dynamics, industrial translation remains constrained by fragmented datasets, limited causal validation, and transport constraints during scale-up. Large language models act as upper-level knowledge and workflow orchestrators, accelerating data integration, hybrid AI-mechanistic modeling, hypothesis generation, and perturbation-guided learning. Collectively, these advances enable fermentation microbiome research to move beyond descriptive omics toward mechanism-guided synthetic microbial community design, causal validation, and scalable biomanufacturing.
Commercial intumescent flame retardants (IFRs) effectively reduce the flammability of polypropylene (PP) but significantly deteriorate its weather resistance. Although hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) can improve UV-aging resistance, their intrinsic acid-base antagonism with IFRs limits their combined application. In this study, a bio-based supramolecular approach is proposed by employing chitosan (CS) as a functional shell to encapsulate HALS116, forming a core-shell structured light stabilizer (CS@HALS116). The resulting PP/IFR/CS@HALS116 composites exhibit excellent flame retardancy, achieving a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 30.0% and a UL-94 V-0 rating. Thermal analysis shows that the chitosan shell broadens the effective thermal action range of HALS116 to above 600 °C, preventing its premature degradation from interfering with char formation while enabling gas-phase radical scavenging. Meanwhile, the composites demonstrate outstanding UV-aging resistance, retaining 95.1% of tensile strength after 120 h of UV exposure and maintaining the V-0 rating. The carbonyl index (CI) is reduced to 0.37, much lower than that of neat PP (0.72). Mechanistic analysis reveals a dual anti-UV effect: the chitosan shell physically shields the NOR structure from acidic attack, while the hydrogen-bond network facilitates proton transfer and enhances nitroxide radical (NO·) regeneration. This work highlights a bio-based supramolecular design strategy for overcoming incompatibility in multifunctional polymer systems, offering a promising route toward durable and sustainable polyolefin materials.
Human skin possesses remarkable abilities to simultaneously detect and memorize tactile stimuli, enabling sophisticated sensory perception and adaptive responses. Here, we present a bio-inspired integrated pressure-sensing memory system that mimics these capabilities using crack-based sensors and electro-mechanical metamaterial memory components. The device architecture comprises an upper pressure-sensing layer with thin-film crack-based sensors and a lower bistable metamaterial memory layer, both fabricated using silicone rubber-platinum bilayer structures. The pressure sensor demonstrates exceptional performance with high sensitivity of 53.5 kPa-1 and outstanding reproducibility with less than 0.9% variation across multiple testing cycles. The memory component exhibits bistable behaviour with an on/off resistance ratio exceeding 1011, enabling reliable non-volatile information storage through mechanical state transitions. When applied pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold (approximately 2.6 mN), the memory component undergoes snap-through buckling, transitioning from a high-resistance "off state" to a low-resistance "on state" (≈110 Ω). Environmental durability tests demonstrate stable operation in various liquid media and temperatures up to 130 °C. A 4 × 4 integrated array successfully demonstrates spatial pressure mapping with selective memory writing above threshold pressures. This bio-inspired approach offers a promising pathway for developing intelligent tactile sensing systems for soft robotics, prosthetics, and human-machine interfaces.
Age-related changes in the immune system result in pronounced vulnerability to acute infections and cancers, and in dysregulated inflammation and wound healing that fuel many chronic diseases. Although we understand much about some of these changes, gaps in mechanistic knowledge remain, in part hindered by a lack of well-validated in vitro models of immune aging. We propose that multidisciplinary approaches, nucleated at the interface of immunology, gerontology and engineering, have the potential to both bring substantial new knowledge, and to usher a new era of precision diagnostics and therapeutics to reprogram and rejuvenate immunity, potentially improving the length and quality of life in older adults. We outline areas to be addressed by this multidisciplinary approach, focusing on the initiation of immune responses. We discuss the potential for new approaches in drug delivery, extracellular matrix and related biomaterials, and in microphysiological and organoid systems, to advance the science of immune aging.
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) converts sugarcane residues into functional hydrochar, but its performance for ammonium (NH4+) recovery from real wastewaters remains unexplored. It was hypothesized that divalent Mg2+ would cause disproportionately greater inhibition of NH4+ adsorption than monovalent K+ due to charge density effects. Hydrochars produced at 200-240 °C were characterized, with sugarcane leaf hydrochar at 220 °C (SLH/220) exhibiting optimal uptake. Adsorption capacity reached 20 mg g-1 in synthetic solutions, but decreased by approximately 50% to 10.25 mg g-1 in liquid fraction of digestate. Despite its 11-fold lower concentration, Mg2+ caused stronger inhibition (32%) than K+ (24%), demonstrating that charge density, not concentration, governs cation competition. Adsorption followed the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.96) and pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 = 0.97), indicating monolayer chemisorption. Per ton of feedstock, the integrated HTC-adsorption-AD pathway yielded 41 m3 CH4 and recovered 5.1 kg N as slow-release fertilizer, supporting decentralized circular economy systems. These findings establish that wastewater cation composition is the primary determinant of hydrochar performance, with direct implications for biorefinery design.
Twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) actuators have recently been used in a broader range of robotic systems, largely because they combine muscle-like compliance with relatively high power density. For anthropomorphic robotic hands, this combination is useful in a very direct sense: the actuator must fit into a compact structure while still producing compliant finger motion. However, the coupled electro-thermal-mechanical response of TCP materials makes internal-state estimation difficult. It also complicates coordinated multi-finger actuation, especially when additional sensors cannot be easily embedded in a soft hand without increasing size, wiring complexity, or structural redundancy. In this work, we develop a synergistic control framework with temperature self-sensing for regulating multiple TCP actuator arrays in a soft dexterous hand. Electrical and mechanical signals are collected through an integrated sensing architecture, after which principal component analysis (PCA) is used to establish a low-dimensional relationship between input power commands and finger bending trajectories. To make the actuator response more tractable, the total contraction force is divided into a temperature-dependent component and a mechanical component. On this basis, a predictive thermal regulation model is constructed, allowing the TCP arrays to be controlled without relying on external temperature sensors. The framework was evaluated in Feix grasp-maintenance and grasp-transition experiments. Across three representative grasp-maintenance tasks with five repeated trials per condition, self-sensing control reduced the mean fingertip dispersion by 37.5-42.1% in the X direction and by 8.1-14.7% in the Y direction compared with open-loop actuation. The corresponding planar fingertip dispersion decreased by 16.3-36.5%. During grasp transitions, Dz changed by 1.4-30.7% across the four transition tasks, with pronounced reductions in Feix-09-10 and Feix-26-27-28, whereas Feix-12-13-14 showed only a small reduction. These results indicate that temperature self-sensing improves both trajectory repeatability and hand-level coordination in the TCP-driven dexterous hand.
To quantitatively assess the entrance angle variability and location of perforating scleral vessels (PSVs) in highly myopic eyes and to investigate its association with myopic choroidal neovascularisation (mCNV) versus lacquer cracks (LC). Entrance angles from the sclera to choroid were measured on each B-scan OCT using ImageJ and associated angle metrics were calculated per PSVs. Additional variables included subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and vessel-to-fovea distance (VFD). In mCNV eyes the total number of injections and treatment duration were also accounted. A total of 42 eyes were included, 25 with mCNV and 17 with LC. Eyes with mCNV demonstrated significantly greater PSV angular variability including angular standard deviation, and their normalised metrics compared to LC eyes (all p < 0.001). VFD was shorter in the mCNV group (50.2 ± 52.6 µm vs. 91.5 ± 39.6 µm, p = 0.006). Normalised angle metrics correlated positively with the total number of anti-VEGF injections (r ≈ 0.37, p < 0.05), whereas no association was observed with treatment duration. In multivariable regression, no predictors reached statistical significance although normalised angle range (NAR) showed a trend toward a negative association with VFD (p = 0.060). PSV angular variability was markedly greater in mCNV eyes and correlated with anti-VEGF injection burden reflecting higher treatment intensity but not longer disease duration. These findings suggest that PSV geometry influences LC and mCNV, may serve as an imaging biomarker of disease activity in mCNV. Shorter VFD and greater angular dispersion likely reflect structural and hemodynamic alterations predisposing to mCNV.
This paper proposes a predefined-time data-driven distributed neural sliding mode formation tracking controller for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with unknown dynamics. Although existing data-driven methods provide model-free solutions, their black box learning limits interpretability and lacks a precise specification of convergence time. Therefore, we develop a novel predefined-time-stable data-driven modeling framework that reconstructs nonlinear dynamics online from input and output data, reducing the dependence on accurate model parameters, and rigorously show that the upper bound of convergence time is prescribable via Lyapunov analysis. Furthermore, the reconstructed dynamics are embedded into the sliding-mode controller, forming a closed-loop framework with a prescribed convergence time upper bound. Bio-inspired neural shunting dynamics alleviate high frequency chattering. Lyapunov analysis substantiates practical predefined-time stability of the closed-loop system, and simulations verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.
暂无摘要（点击查看详情）
A task force commissioned by the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology was set up for the Development And Validation of a composite disease actIvity score in adult-onset Still's Disease (AOSD) (CLI113). A systematic literature review was undertaken to extract evidence regarding the disease activity assessment in AOSD and to identify potential candidate variables to be included in the criteria for the assessment of disease activity. The PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were screened for eligible articles published between January 1990 and September 2021. Abstracts from 2018 to 2021 EULAR, ACR, and ISSAID conferences were also browsed. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, cohort studies and case series of ≥ 4 patients describing changes under therapy, with a minimum follow-up of 4 weeks. The risk of bias was assessed using the National Institute of Health Quality Assessment Tool. Results were synthesised descriptively. Sixty-three studies (including 2889 patients) were selected. Four were RCTs or quasi-RCTs, and 59 were observational studies. Most of the studies were retrospective (n = 58) and of poor quality. The most often reported clinical characteristics were fever, cutaneous rash, arthralgia and/or arthritis, hepatosplenomegaly, and sore throat. The most often reported laboratory parameters were leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum C-reactive protein and ferritin levels, all of which decreased with treatment. Definitions of response, remission and relapse, disease activity composite indices and patient-reported outcomes were heterogeneous. Based on the identified variables, we can aim for a subsequent establishment and validation of a new measure to improve and standardise the management of patients with AOSD.
Herein, we report the synthesis of polyamidoxime-functionalized chitosan-nanoadsorbent capable of efficiently removing hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) from aqueous media. Chitosan-nanoparticles were prepared by reverse-micelle method followed by vinyl-modification to incorporate grafting sites. Polyacrylonitrile was then grafted onto modified-nanoparticles by emulsion-graft polymerization followed by chemical-transformation to polyamidoxime (PAO-g-MCN). Gravimetric analyses revealed the maximum grafting-percentage of 183% under optimized reaction parameters comprising 5% monomer, 1.0% surfactant and 0.1% initiator. Chitosan-nanoparticles were characterized via DLS and UV-Visible spectroscopy to assess particle size distribution (167 nm) and characteristic absorption peak (254 nm). The structural and morphological characteristics of the bio-nanoadsorbent were examined using FTIR, XRD, FESEM, EDX and BET. Adsorption experiments were conducted to optimize the effects of contact time, pH and initial chromium concentration using Box-Behnken design within response-surface methodology framework. The experimental findings were investigated by the ANOVA showing that the model regression is acceptable. The R2 determination coefficients were found to be 0.9781 for adsorption capacity and 0.9672 for %Removal signifying an excellent connection between predicted and experimental responses with optimal adsorption at pH = 4.5, time = 30 min, initial-concentration = 50 mg/L, adsorbate volume = 10 mL and adsorbent mass = 10 mg. The developed bio-nanoadsorbent exhibited a maximum adsorption-capacity of 320.47 mg g-1, with experimental data best described by pseudo-second order and Langmuir isothermal-model, indicating monolayer chemisorption on homogeneous surface. The cyclic-reuse performance of PAO-g-MCN bio-nanoadsorbent was evaluated through nine cycles, which demonstrated that it maintained >90% removal-efficiency over five cycles indicating its promising durability and reusability. In conclusion, PAO-g-MCN demonstrates significant potential as an effective and environmentally friendly bio-nanoadsorbent for the remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated aqueous-systems.
Understanding gene spatial expression and the organization of multicellular systems is vital for disease diagnosis and studying biological processes. However, existing models often struggle to integrate gene expression data with cellular spatial information effectively. Here we introduce SpatialFormer, a hybrid framework combining convolutional networks and transformers to learn single-cell multimodal and multiscale information in the niche context, including expression data and subcellular gene spatial distribution. Pretrained on 700 million cell pairs from 17 million spatially resolved single cells across 71 Xenium slides, SpatialFormer merges gene spatial expression profiles with cell niche information via the pairwise training strategy. Our findings demonstrate that SpatialFormer distills biological signals across various tasks, including single-cell batch correction, cell-type annotation and co-localization detection. The perturbation analysis identified gene pairs essential for the immune cell-cell communication in pulmonary fibrosis, epithelial-myoepithelial co-localization and tumor transition signals in breast cancer. These advancements enhance our understanding of cellular dynamics and offer additional pathways for applications in biomedical research.
Neurodegenerative diseases represent a growing health concern that is projected to become more prevalent and affect more people in the upcoming decades. One of the most complicated components of recent neurodegenerative disease therapies is the penetration and delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS), which are hindered via the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In response, innovative treatment approaches leveraging noninvasive techniques including nanosized drug delivery systems and intranasal (IN) administration with higher treatment efficacy and patient satisfaction are developing as potential options. IN administration delivers medications directly to the brain through both the olfactory and trigeminal pathways, with the olfactory pathway representing the primary route for nose-to-brain transport. Among various IN platforms, chitosan (CS)-based hydrogels have attracted considerable attention because of their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, mucoadhesive properties, and ability to enhance drug permeation by prolonging nasal residence time and transiently modulating epithelial tight junctions. This review critically summarizes recent advances in CS-based hydrogels for IN drug delivery for the treatment of brain diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), depressive manifestations, ischemia,brain tumors,epilepsy, seizures, and schizophrenia. In addition, the review discusses the relationships between hydrogel design and therapeutic performance, highlights current translational challenges, and outlines future perspectives for the clinical development of CS-based IN hydrogel systems.