Journals
2025 EN
Zveik Omri · FriedmanKorn Tal · Rechtman Ariel
+5 more
Abstract Objectives Psychological stress has been suggested as a contributory factor in the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). The 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel caused significant psychological stress, providing a unique context to study its impact on MS activity. This study aims to assess the impact of war‐related psychological stress on MS activity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and clinical follow‐up. Methods This observational retrospective case–control study includes 93 patients with MS (pwMS) who had routine annual MRI scans from three periods (7 October 2021 to 7 January 2022; 7 October 2022 to 7 January 2023; and 7 October 2023 to 7 January 2024). Data were collected from medical records and MRI scans at Hadassah Medical Center. MRI scans were classified as active if new or enlarging T2 lesions and/or enhancing T1 lesions were present. Results MRI activity significantly increased among pwMS during the first 3 months of the war compared to the corresponding period in the preceding year (11/93 vs. 23/93, P = 0.0139), with an OR of 4.0 (95% confidence interval: 1.29–16.442). pwMS with an EDSS score ≥4 showed a significant increase in MRI activity ( P = 0.045), whereas no significant increase was observed in patients with an EDSS score ≤3.5 ( P = 0.23). Additionally, MRI activity increased later during the war compared to the previous year ( P < 0.0001). Interpretation This study provides evidence of increased MRI‐detected disease activity in pwMS during periods of war‐related psychological stress. Our findings highlight the importance of considering psychological stress in MS management. Healthcare providers should be aware of the potential for increased disease activity in pwMS during extreme stress and may consider more frequent monitoring, including MRI scans, or treatment adjustments during such periods.
Journals
2025 EN
Jain Sidhant · Rana Meenakshi · Angmo Nilza
+1 more
Abstract The Hmox1 enzyme, which is the inducible enzyme among the Hmoxs, catalyzes the first and rate‐limiting step in the heme degradation pathway, generating three byproducts, namely, carbon monoxide, free iron, and biliverdin. These byproducts can affect an array of biological processes; hence, Hmox1 modulates multiple metabolic processes. Along with the degradation of cytotoxic heme, Hmox1 provides protection against inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress. It also ameliorates tissue injury, maintains iron homeostasis, and supports embryonic survival. Initially, different studies labeled it as an active cancer‐assisting agent; however, multiple recent studies have shown that it also deters cancer progression. Hence, this review first looks into the traditional role of Hmox1 and various Hmox1 inducers. Second, there are multiple links between Hmox1 and different types of cancer, including how it acts as a promoter or plays an antitumor role in different or even the same cancers. On the basis of the available data, the work proposes a few speculations to explain this dual role of Hmox1 in cancer.
Journals
2025 EN
Ding LuoGang · Shi Min · Xu YuLin
+7 more
Abstract In the face of the escalating antibiotic resistance crisis, the world is embroiled in a silent “antibacterial war”. Scientists are actively searching for innovative antibacterial materials that can be used as effective weapons against bacterial infections. As promising new crystalline porous polymer materials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are gradually revealing their vast potential in antibacterial applications. This study investigates the classification of COF‐based antibacterial agents, provides a comprehensive overview of their applications and research advancements, and explores the antibacterial strategies employed by COF materials. Furthermore, the challenges are outlined that lie ahead for the future application of COF antibacterial agents and insights into their promising prospects within the antibacterial field are offered. Through these efforts, the aim is to accelerate advancements in COFs manufacturing technology, promote innovation in COF‐based antibacterial applications, and contribute to public health.
Journals
2025 EN
Xu Kaiqin · Xing Zhi · Li Dengxue
+5 more
Abstract It is reported that the solvent environment exerts a significant influence on the property of perovskite precursor solution and resultant film, which is more pronounced in more complex low‐dimensional perovskites. Four solvent additives with varying basicity are introduced to instigate a tug‐of‐war among bonding interactions, thereby exploring the systematic effect of the solvent environment on the growth of quantum wells and the photoelectric properties of the resultant low‐dimensional perovskite films. A governing principle that diverges significantly from those previously documented for three‐dimensional perovskites is elucidated in low‐dimensional perovskites. When coordination interactions predominate in the solvent environment, the emergence of a two‐dimensional GA 2 PbI 4 transitional phase is fostered to facilitate subsequent transformation into the desirable ACI phase, and the perovskite crystallization kinetics is retarded to improve the film quality. Hence, the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 22.73% is obtained for GA(MA) n Pb n I 3n+1 ( n = 5) based solar cells with a p‐i‐n structure. The PCE achieved in this work is a record among the reported low‐dimensional perovskite solar cells.
Journals
2025 EN
Li Ruilong · Ren Longfang · Sun Xin
+7 more
Abstract Among human deaths induced by abnormal weather, ≈95% are caused by low temperatures. Personal thermal management (PTM) is more energy efficient than traditional central heating. Inspired by “Trojan War” and combined with the advantages of natural leather, a novel chrome‐free tanning agent (OMFA) with “Trojan Horse” effect is constructed based on ZrOCl 2 ‐assisted oxidation mineral fulvic acid. It innovatively realizes the “One Stone Three Birds” integrated strategy of tanning, dyeing and PTM leather preparation. OMFA, just like a Trojan horse, brings the Zr 4+ into all hierarchy of leather; as a result, OMFA is firmly fixed in leather collagen fibers by chemical cross‐linking. The shrinking temperature of resultant leather reaches 82.7 °C and the color difference is less than 0.2, showcasing good hydrothermal stability and color fastness. Moreover, the solar absorption rate of OMFA tanned leather reaches 78.3%. In the outdoor test, the surface temperature of the leather is higher 20.9 °C and 3.4 °C than the ambient temperature at noon and evening, respectively. This study is the first time to confer thermal management properties onto leather by means of tanning. This work is expected to replace chrome tanning agent, reduce dye wastewater discharge, and realize clean energy utilization.
Journals
2025 EN
Zhang Zhanpeng · Fan Bin · Zhou Changyu
+10 more
Selenium Nanoparticles A spectacular “jing‐nan‐xiong‐zhen” Gate at Tangya Tusi site (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Enshi. A sign of “world capital of selenium”, defended people in war, and protects health in new era. In article 2500467, Jianqiang Xu, Jiaqiang Huang, Chuying Huang, and co‐workers report that selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), alleviate non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) pathology in yellowish lipid droplets, by modulating homeostasis between lipid and iron in surrounding light blue spheres.
Journals
2025 EN
Cheng Zhihua · Fahy Kira M. · Peterson Gregory W.
+2 more
Abstract Threats from toxic chemical warfare agents (CWAs) persist due to war and terrorist attacks, endangering both human beings and the environment. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), which feature ordered pore structures and excellent tunability at both metal/metal cluster nodes and organic linkers, are regarded as the best candidates to directly remove CWAs and their simulants via both physical adsorption and chemically catalyzed hydrolysis or oxidization. MOFs have attracted significant attention in the last two decades that has resulted from the rapid development of MOF‐based materials in both fundamental research and real‐world applications. In this review, the authors focus on the recent advancements in designing and constructing functional MOF‐based materials toward CWAs detoxification and discuss how to bridge the gap between fundamental science and real‐world applications. With detailed summaries from different points of view, this review provides insights into design rules for developing next‐generation MOF‐based materials for protection from both organophosphorus and organosulfur CWAs to mitigate potential threats from CWAs used in wars and terrorism attacks.
Journals
2025 EN
Ikram Aziz Ul · Khan Muhammad Saad Shoaib · Islam Faisal
+6 more
Abstract Unlike animals, plants are unable to move and lack specialized immune cells and circulating antibodies. As a result, they are always threatened by a large number of microbial pathogens and harmful pests that can significantly reduce crop yield worldwide. Therefore, the development of new strategies to control them is essential to mitigate the increasing risk of crops lost to plant diseases. Recent developments in genetic engineering, including efficient gene manipulation and transformation methods, gene editing and synthetic biology, coupled with the understanding of microbial pathogenicity and plant immunity, both at molecular and genomic levels, have enhanced the capabilities to develop disease resistance in plants. This review comprehensively explains the fundamental mechanisms underlying the tug‐of‐war between pathogens and hosts, and provides a detailed overview of different strategies for developing disease resistance in plants. Additionally, it provides a summary of the potential genes that can be employed in resistance breeding for key crops to combat a wide range of potential pathogens and pests, including fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, and insects. Furthermore, this review addresses the limitations associated with these strategies and their possible solutions. Finally, it discusses the future perspectives for producing plants with durable and broad‐spectrum disease resistance.
Journals
2025 EN
Countryman Amanda M. · Litvinov Valentyn · Kolodiazhnyi Ivan
+2 more
Abstract The war in Ukraine caused export disruptions that jeopardized the availability and affordability of agricultural and food products around the world. This research employs a computable general equilibrium modeling framework to understand the global economic effects of war‐induced agricultural export declines from Ukraine, given the inability to export through the Black Sea. Results show net global welfare losses ranging from more than $5 billion to nearly $20 billion depending on the success of transport through European Solidarity Lanes.
Journals
2025 EN
Li Yi · Huang KuanMing · Guan Zhengfei
+1 more
ABSTRACT The United States has been the world's largest agricultural exporter, consistently recording substantial surpluses in agricultural trade for decades. However, this landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, with the US incurring a trade deficit ($1 billion) for the first time in 2019 since the USDA trade statistics became available in 1967. This deficit climbed to a staggering $21 billion in 2023 and continues to grow. This study provides an in‐depth analysis of the shifting US trade patterns from 1985 to 2023, focusing on bilateral agricultural trade with major trade partners and key commodity flows. Structural break analysis is employed to identify significant turning points. Breaks are found in trade with China, Canada, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Australia. Trade with China stands out as the most disrupted, with structural breaks closely aligned with the imposition of retaliatory tariffs during the US–China trade war. No structural breakpoints are detected in US–Mexico agricultural trade. The rapid and consistent growth in imports from Mexico in recent years has been a significant force behind the spiking US agricultural trade deficits. The potential driving factors behind the observed trends and identified structural breaks are discussed.