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Bioinspired molecular engineering strategies have emerged as powerful tools that significantly enhance the development of novel therapeutics, improving efficacy, specificity, and safety in disease treatment. Recent advancements have focused on identifying and utilizing disease‐associated biomarkers to optimize drug activity and address challenges inherent in traditional therapeutics, such as frequent drug administrations, poor patient adherence, and increased risk of adverse effects. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments in bioinspired artificial systems (BAS) that use molecular engineering to tailor therapeutic responses to drugs in the presence of disease‐specific biomarkers. We examine the transition from open‐loop systems, which rely on external cues, to closed‐loop feedback systems capable of autonomous self‐regulation in response to disease‐associated biomarkers. We detail various BAS modalities designed to achieve biomarker‐driven therapy, including activatable prodrug molecules, smart drug delivery platforms, autonomous artificial cells, and synthetic receptor‐based cell therapies, elucidating their operational principles and practical in vivo applications. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future perspectives in the advancement of BAS‐enabled technology and envision that ongoing advancements toward more programmable and customizable BAS‐based therapeutics will significantly enhance precision medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Blood protein biomarkers demonstrate potential for Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis. Limited studies examine the molecular changes in AD blood cells. METHODS: Bulk RNA‐sequencing of blood cells was performed on AD patients of Chinese descent (n = 214 and 26 in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively) with normal controls (n = 208 and 38 in the discovery and validation cohorts, respectively). Weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) and deconvolution analysis identified AD‐associated gene modules and blood cell types. Regression and unsupervised clustering analysis identified AD‐associated genes, gene modules, cell types, and established AD classification models. RESULTS: WGCNA on differentially expressed genes revealed 15 gene modules, with 6 accurately classifying AD (areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve [auROCs] > 0.90). These modules stratified AD patients into subgroups with distinct disease states. Cell‐type deconvolution analysis identified specific blood cell types potentially associated with AD pathogenesis. DISCUSSION: This study highlights the potential of blood transcriptome for AD diagnosis, patient stratification, and mechanistic studies. Highlights: We comprehensively analyze the blood transcriptomes of a well‐characterized Alzheimer's disease cohort to identify genes, gene modules, pathways, and specific blood cells associated with the disease.Blood transcriptome analysis accurately classifies and stratifies patients with Alzheimer's disease, with some gene modules achieving classification accuracy comparable to that of the plasma ATN biomarkers.Immune‐associated pathways and immune cells, such as neutrophils, have potential roles in the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury (Hg) enrichment relative to total organic carbon (TOC) in sedimentary records has been widely used as a volcanism proxy. However, the depositional and diagenetic effects on Hg burial are not well understood, limiting the reliability of the proxy. Here, we report a systematic investigation of Hg sedimentation under well‐oxygenated bottom water. Most of the studied cores show total mercury content (THg) to TOC ratio between 50 and 300 ppb/%, including northwest Pacific ODP Site 1208, East Equatorial Pacific ODP Sites 677 and 1241, the Antarctic Zone ODP Site 1094, and East China Sea sediment core EC2005. The consistent THg/TOC ratio confirms the strong coupling between Hg and particulate organic matter (POM) despite large differences in geographic locations, sedimentation rates, TOC content, POM sources, and early diagenetic environments. Nevertheless, the THg/TOC ratio is higher in sediments under well‐oxygenated bottom water than in those under oxygen‐depleted waters, probably as a result of a higher degree of organic matter degradation in oxygenated sediments during early diagenesis. The THg in the high TOC variability section at Site 1208 is abnormally high, resulting in decoupling between Hg and POM. Mercury in this section is still leachable by oxidizing solution and has a similar trend of variability with easily reducible iron content, implying that the metal oxide‐organic matter association might act as Hg bounding phase. We suggest that the enriched Hg is probably supplied by the neighboring high TOC sediment. Therefore, while THg/TOC > 300 ppb/% could be considered as distinct Hg enrichment in sedimentary records, the diagenetic mobilization effect should be first excluded as the possible cause as demonstrated by the records of site 1208. Our study therefore provides new insights into the Hg cycle in the modern ocean and the utilization of Hg enrichment as a volcanism proxy. Key Points: Strong coupling between sedimentary Hg and particulate organic matter in an oxygenated marine environmentHg is relatively enriched compared to particulate organic matter during its aerobic degradationLarge change in the content of particulate organic matter causes its decoupling with Hg [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI) is an essential strategy used by plants to deploy broad‐spectrum resistance against pathogen attacks. Heterotrimeric G proteins have been reported to contribute to PTI. Of the three non‐canonical EXTRA‐LARGE G PROTEINs (XLGs) in Arabidopsis thaliana, XLG2 and XLG3 were shown to positively regulate immunity, but XLG1 was not considered to function in defense, based on the analysis of a weak xlg1 allele. In this study, we characterized the xlg1 xlg2 xlg3 triple knockout mutants generated from an xlg1 knockout allele. The strong xlg1 xlg2 xlg3 triple mutants compromised pathogen‐associated molecular pattern (PAMP)‐triggered activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and resistance to pathogen infection. The three XLGs interacted with MAPK cascade proteins involved in defense signaling, including the MAPK kinase kinases MAPKKK3 and MAPKKK5, the MAPK kinases MKK4 and MKK5, and the MAPKs MPK3 and MPK6. Expressing a constitutively active form of MKK4 restored MAPK activation and partially recovered the compromised disease resistance seen in the strong xlg1 xlg2 xlg3 triple mutant. Furthermore, mutations of all three XLGs largely restored the phenotype of the autoimmunity mutant bak1‐interacting receptor‐like kinase 1. Our study reveals that all three XLGs function redundantly in PAMP‐triggered MAPK activation and plant immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plants use pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) to detect pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and activate pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI). Precise regulation of information from PRRs to downstream signaling components is vital to mounting an appropriate immune response and requires dynamic interactions of these PTI components.We used transcriptome profiling, phenotypic analysis, molecular genetics, and protein–protein interaction analysis to understand the roles of the Arabidopsis plant U‐box (PUB) proteins PUB2 and PUB4 in disease resistance and PTI signaling.Loss of function of both PUB2 and PUB4 diminishes the PAMP‐triggered oxidative bursts and dampens mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling, resulting in a severe compromise in resistance to not only pathogenic but also nonpathogenic strains of Pseudomonas syringae. Within PUB4, the E3 ligase activity is dispensable, but the armadillo repeat region is essential and sufficient for its function in immunity. PUB2 and PUB4 interact with PTI signaling components, including FLS2, BIK1, PBL27, and RbohD, and enhance FLS2‐BIK1 and BIK1‐RbohD interactions.Our study reveals that PUB2 and PUB4 are critical components of plant immunity and connect PTI components to positively regulate defense responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An eight-week feeding trial discusses how methionine affects intestinal barrier and lipid transport on rice field eel (Monopterus albus). Six isoenergetic and isonitrogenous feeds contained different levels of methionine (0, 2 g/kg, 4 g/kg, 6 g/kg, 8 g/kg, or 10 g/kg). Compared with M0 (0 g/kg), gastric amylase, lipase, and trypsin were remarkably increased as dietary methionine (P < 0.05); intestinal amylase, lipase, and trypsin were remarkably increased in M8 (8 g/kg) (P < 0.05). Compared with M0, gastric fovea was remarkably increased (P < 0.001), gastric epithelium is neater in M8 than that in M0, intestinal villus height and muscular thickness are remarkably increased in M8 (P < 0.001), and amounts of goblet cells per root in M8 were increased (P > 0.05), while intestinal crypt depth was markedly decreased (P < 0.001). Lipid droplets in the intestinal villus and mucosal layer in the M8 (8 g/kg) group were more than that in M0 (0 g/kg). Compared with M0 (0 g/kg), the intestinal gcn2 and eif2α were downregulated in M8 (8 g/kg) (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 , respectively), while occ, cl12, cl15, zo-1, zo-2, hdlbp, ldlrap, npc1l1, cd36, fatp1, fatp2, fatp6, apo, apoa, apob, apoc, apoe, mct1, mct2, mct8, lpl, mttp, moat2, and dgat2 were upregulated markedly in M8 (8 g/kg). Intestinal eif2α expression was positively correlated with gcn2, and intestinal zo-1, cl15, fatp6, ldlrap, mct2, mct8, apo, apob, mct1, apoc, fatp1, mttp, cd36, occ, npc1l1, hdlbp, fatp2, apoe, lpl, and moat2 gene expression was negatively correlated with gcn2. In conclusion, methionine deficiency affected the gastric and intestinal structures, damaged the intestinal barrier, and decreased lipid and fatty acid transport. Besides, gcn2 could be activated when M. albus was fed methionine-deficient feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI‐MS) is a powerful analytical technology for the high‐throughput detection of metabolites, drugs, and other bioactive molecules. The performance of SALDI‐MS in enhancing molecules desorption and ionization mainly depends on the surface properties of matrix utilized. Here, black titanium dioxide (B‐TiO2) nanoparticle is used for the first time as a novel matrix for enhancing laser desorption and ionization (LDI) and demonstrates significant advantages over white titanium dioxide (W‐TiO2). Further, the black mesoporous TiO2 coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (B‐mTiO2 MNPs) are designed and prepared, which possess a high molar absorption coefficient, strong magnetic response, higher specific surface area, and ample phosphorylation binding sites. The B‐mTiO2 MNPs exhibit a superior ionization efficiency, low background signal, and good reproducibility (RSD < 10%) in the analysis of compounds with different molecular weights and practical bio‐sample. Salt tolerance of B‐mTiO2 MNPs up to 10 mm PBS, meanwhile, B‐mTiO2 MNPs also provides excellent enrichment efficiency for phosphopeptides (the detection limit low to 5 × 10−10 M). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid metabolism is a key biological process involving the synthesis and degradation of lipids in organisms. In the liver, triglyceride (TG) synthesis mediates the storage of fats for energy, which is catalysed by diacylglycerol acyltransferase‐2 (DGAT2). Herein, we compared TG‐related indexes in serum from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), blue tilapia (O. aureus) and hybrid offspring (Nile tilapia ♀ × blue tilapia ♂). The results showed that serum TG levels were significantly higher in the hybrid tilapia (6.95 ± 1.48 mmol/L) than that in blue tilapia (4.39 ± 1.02 mmol/L). Tissue distribution analysis suggested that DGAT2 was mainly expressed in the liver and muscle. Furthermore, hybrid tilapia exhibited higher mRNA expression of DGAT2 in the liver than the parents. Additionally, the allelic gene expression assay indicated that the alleles of DGAT2 gene from the two parental species were expressed at equal levels. To elucidate the epigenetic regulation of DGAT2 gene expression, the DNA methylation levels at the putative promoter region of DGAT2 in hybrid tilapia and its parents were compared. We found lower DNA methylation levels at the putative promoter region of DGAT2 in hybrid tilapia as compared to the paternal species in liver. DNA methylation levels in the putative promoter region were negatively correlated with DGTA2 expression in tilapia. Three CpG sites were significantly correlated with DGAT2 expression in tilapia. Overall, the present evidence suggests that DNA methylation is associated with the elevated expression of DGAT2 in hybrid tilapia. These results provide new evidence for epigenetic regulation of genes in hybrids, which may aid to understanding of heterosis for fish hybridization breeding and superiorities of nutrient utilization in hybrids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8‐week trial investigated how andrographolide effected lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced serum biochemical indices, immune responses and the intestinal inflammatory response of Monopterus albus. The study included control and andrographolide groups (150 mg/kg andrographolide) with three replicates per group. Samples were taken 0, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h after LPS injection. The results showed that the levels of GLU, COR, AST, ALT, IgM, LZM, AKP, C3 and C4 in serum showed an initial increasing that then decreased. Compared with that of the control group, the levels of serum LZM, AKP, IgM, C3 and C4 in the andrographolide group increased quicker after LPS injection, while the levels of GLU, COR, AST and ALT increased more slowly; further, these indices recovered to normal levels quicker. The expression of several genes in the intestine first increased and then decreased after LPS injection. Compared with that of the control group, il‐10, tgf‐β1, tgf‐β2 and tgf‐β3 gene expression in the andrographolide group increased quicker after LPS injection, while that of il‐1β, il‐8, il‐12β, nf‐κb, tlr‐3, tlr‐7 and tlr‐8 increased more slowly; these indices recovered to normal levels more quickly. In conclusion, LPS injection induced immune stress and inflammatory response in M. albus. Dietary supplementation with 150 mg/kg andrographolide effectively alleviated these responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was explored the supplementary of vitamin E on reproduction of tilapia. Five vitamin E supplements (0, 40, 80, 120 and 160 mg/kg) were tested for 90 days. Results: The SGR, GSI and ovarian maturity of female were the highest at Group 120 mg/kg, and the FCR was the lowest. The SGR, GSI and testis maturity of male were the highest at Group 160 mg/kg, and the FCR was the lowest. The levels of FSH and P were significantly increased at Group 120 mg/kg in female, and the levels of E2 reached the maximum. The levels of T and GnRH were increased at Group 160 mg/kg in male. The expression of FSHR in female liver was the highest at Group 160 mg/kg, and the expression of FSHR in ovary was the highest at Group 40 mg/kg. The expression of FSHR and pgr in female kidney was significantly increased at Group 40 and 80 mg/kg. The expression of FSHR and pgr in testis was the highest at Group 160 mg/kg. In conclusion, vitamin E can regulate the secretion levels of reproductive hormones and the expression levels of FSHR and pgr during different developmental stages in tilapia, and thus promote tilapia reproduction and growth. Among them, the reproductive and growth performance of female tilapia were the greatest at Group 120 mg/kg, and for male tilapia, these parameters were the greatest at Group160 mg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liupao tea, a drink homologous to medicine and food. It can treat dysentery, relieve heat, remove dampness, and regulate the intestines and stomach. The objective of this study is to explore the material basis and mechanism of Liupao tea intervention in COVID‐19 and to provide a new prevention and treatment programme for COVID‐19. We used high performance liquid chromatography to analyze the extract of Liupao tea and establish its fingerprint. The main index components of the fingerprint were determined using SARS‐COV‐2 3‐chymotrypsin‐like protease (3CLpro), and an in vitro drug screening model based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer was used to evaluate its inhibitory activity in vitro. The fingerprint results showed that the alcohol extract of Liupao tea contained gallic acid, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), caffeine, epicatechin gallate, rutin, and ellagic acid. The molecular docking binding energies of the six index components of SARS‐CoV‐2 3Clpro were all less than −5.0 kJ/mol and showed strong binding affinity. The results of in vitro activity showed that the IC50 of EGCG was 8.84 μmol/L, which could inhibit SARS‐CoV‐2 3Clpro to a certain extent. This study unleashed that EGCG has a certain inhibitory effect on SARS‐CoV‐2 3CLpro, and Liupao tea has a certain significance as a tea drink for the prevention of COVID‐19. Practical applications: The objective of this study was to explore the material basis and mechanism of Liupao tea intervention in COVID‐19 and to provide a new prevention and treatment programme for COVID‐19. The molecular docking binding energies of the six index components of Liupao tea with SARS‐CoV‐2 3CLpro were all less than −5.0 kJ/mol, among them, the enzyme activity experiment shows that EGCG has a certain inhibitory effect on SARS‐CoV‐2 3CLpro, it can be used as a potential SARS‐CoV‐2 3CLpro inhibitor. We predicted that the understandings gained in the current research may evidence that Liupao tea has a certain significance as a tea drink for the prevention of COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objects. To investigate the effects of environmental pollutant benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and its metabolite benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) on human trophoblasts and on murine miscarriages. Methods. The implantation sites, fetus resorption, and abnormal fetuses were studied in pregnant mice treated with different doses of BaP by oral gavage from day 1 to day 10 of gestation. Additionally, apoptosis and related signaling pathway, and the migration and invasion of trophoblasts, were assessed before and after exposure of BPDE in Swan 71 trophoblast cell. Besides, the migration and invasion, and its related signaling pathway, were assessed in villi obtained from women. Results. We observed a concentration-dependent incidence of abnormal murine fetuses, beginning with 0.1 mg/kg BaP; with a BaP concentration of 2 mg/kg, no fetuses developed. Correspondingly, a BPDE concentration-dependent apoptosis of human trophoblasts. Beginning with 0.5 μM BPDE exposure, Bax/Caspase-3 were increased and Bcl-2 decreased. Furthermore, BPDE also inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, the migration of villous explants from elective abortion women, consistent with the reduced migration of villous explants from women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), and reduced the cell immigration in Swan 71 trophoblasts, in a dose-dependent manner measured by transwell assays. Conclusions. Our study results provide mechanistic insight to the effect of BPDE on trophoblast dysfunction through enhanced cell apoptosis and inhibited migration, providing further experimental evidence to the causative links between BaP exposure and PRL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA capping and decapping tightly coordinate with transcription, translation, and RNA decay to regulate gene expression. Proteins in the DXO/Rai1 family have been implicated in mRNA decapping and decay, and mammalian DXO was recently found to also function as a decapping enzyme for NAD+‐capped RNAs (NAD‐RNA). The Arabidopsis genome contains a single gene encoding a DXO/Rai1 protein, AtDXO1. Here we show that AtDXO1 possesses both NAD‐RNA decapping activity and 5ʹ‐3ʹ exonuclease activity but does not hydrolyze the m7G cap. The atdxo1 mutation increased the stability of NAD‐RNAs and led to pleiotropic phenotypes, including severe growth retardation, pale color, and multiple developmental defects. Transcriptome profiling analysis showed that the atdxo1 mutation resulted in upregulation of defense‐related genes but downregulation of photosynthesis‐related genes. The autoimmunity phenotype of the mutant could be suppressed by either eds1 or npr1 mutation. However, the various phenotypes associated with the atdxo1 mutant could be complemented by an enzymatically inactive AtDXO1. The atdxo1 mutation apparently enhances post‐transcriptional gene silencing by elevating levels of siRNAs. Our study indicates that AtDXO1 regulates gene expression in various biological and physiological processes through its pleiotropic molecular functions in mediating RNA processing and decay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Perturbation of the cellular redox state by stress conditions is sensed by redox‐sensitive proteins so that the cell can physiologically respond to stressors. However, the mechanisms linking sensing to response remain poorly understood in plants. Here we report that the transcription factor bZIP68 underwent in vivo oxidation in Arabidopsis cells under oxidative stress which is dependent on its redox‐sensitive Cys320 residue. bZIP68 is primarily localized to the nucleus under normal growth conditions in Arabidopsis seedlings. Oxidative stress reduces its accumulation in the nucleus and increases its cytosolic localization. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP‐seq) revealed that bZIP68 primarily binds to promoter regions containing the core G‐box (CACGTG) or G‐box‐like motif of the genes involved in abiotic and biotic stress responses, photosynthesis, biosynthetic processes, and transcriptional regulation. The bzip68 mutant displayed slower growth under normal conditions but enhanced tolerance to oxidative stress. The results from the ChIP‐seq and phenotypic and transcriptome comparison between the bzip68 mutant and wildtype indicate that bZIP68 normally suppresses expression of stress tolerance genes and promotes expression of growth‐related genes, whereas its inactivation enhances stress tolerance but suppresses growth. bZIP68 might balance stress tolerance with growth through the extent of its oxidative inactivation according to the environment. Significance Statement: In response to oxidative stress, the Arabidopsis bZIP68 transcription factor undergoes reversible oxidation and its inactivation enhances expression of stress response genes. bZIP68 might play a role in sensing oxidative stress to balance stress tolerance with growth through its redox switch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present study aimed to detect the changes in gene expression by luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone analog (LHRH‐A) stimulation in the intestine of grass carp. LHRH‐A has been widely used for inducing ovulation of teleosts. The transcriptome changes induced by LHRH‐A are not fully understood, especially in intestines. To understand the changes of RNA expression after intraperitoneal injection of LHRH‐A, two cDNA libraries of intestines from grass carps, including LHRH‐A injection group and control group, were sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 4000 (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). In total, 13,581,225,000 nucleotides were obtained and 66,127 unigenes were generated by de novo assembly. The differentially expressed genes were identified by comparing the Fragments Per Kilobase Of Exon Per Million of the unigenes between the two groups. The results indicated that 255 and 212 unigenes were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, in the LHRH‐A injection group. Furthermore, the protein digestion and absorption pathways as well as fat digestion and absorption pathways tended to be upregulated by LHRH‐A injection. These findings provide a valuable resource for understanding the response of intestinal transcriptome levels to hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of mortality in the elderly. Genetics studies suggest that AD is polygenic in nature; thus, an individual's risk of AD can be predicted by polygenic risk score (PRS) models. Of these models, the deep learning models more accurately capture nonlinear interactions among different genetic risks and are more suitable for modeling disease polygenic risk. Method: We used the neural network‐based deep learning models to evaluate the polygenic risk of AD. Meanwhile, we examined the associations of resultant PRSs and plasma protein biomarkers for AD by regression analysis. We also identified the biological pathways that contribute to the polygenic risk using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. Result: We found that the resultant PRSs of AD are associated with the levels of specific AD plasma protein biomarkers, including amyloid beta and p‐tau181, as well as changes in the activity of specific biological events, such as TNF‐α and cytokine‐related pathways. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that AD polygenic risk is associated with AD progression and modulates immune‐associated pathways. They also highlight the potential use of deep learning methods in investigating the underlying genetic mechanisms of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of mortality in the elderly. Genetics studies have identified variants associated with AD. Moreover, Polygenic score analysis can infer the risk of developing AD solely on the basis of genotype information. Method: Whole‐genome sequencing was performed in 2 AD cohorts recruited from mainland China (n = 2,340) and Hong Kong (n = 1,009). Genotype and phenotype data were input into a neural network model that output a polygenic score. Regression analysis was subsequently conducted to examine the associations between the resultant polygenic scores and AD plasma biomarkers. Result: The resultant polygenic scores were associated with AD pathogenesis and the levels of specific AD plasma biomarkers in the Chinese population. Conclusion: The results suggest that deep‐learning methods have utility for investigating the underlying mechanisms of AD and promote the possibility of developing a genotype‐based strategy for AD risk prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the roles of different sulfur (S) species in controlling the partitioning and bioavailability of inorganic mercury (Hg) in anoxic sediments, we examined the differential binding of Hg with three key S species in anoxic sediment (mackinawite [FeS], pyrite [FeS2], and S2-) and then quantified their extraction by the gut juice of deposit-feeding sipunculans Sipunculus nudus. A sequential extraction method was simultaneously used to distinguish Hg sorption with different sediment components. All three Scontaining sediment components could lead to a high binding of Hg in sediments, but most Hg was sorbed with FeS or FeS2 instead of formation of Hg sulfide despite the presence of S2- or humic acid. The gut juice extraction was relatively low and constant whenever FeS and FeS2 were in the sediment, indicating that both FeS and FeS2 controlled the Hg gut juice extraction and thus bioavailability. Mercury sorbed with FeS2 had higher gut juice extraction than that with FeS, while Hg sulfide was not extracted, strongly suggesting that Hg sorbed with FeS2 was more bioavailable than that with other S species. Mercury sorbed with FeS had very low bioavailability to sipunculans at a low Hg:S ratio in the sediment but was more bioavailable with increasing Hg:S ratio up to a maximum (∼1:10, mole based). The present study showed that different S species (FeS, FeS2) and Hg:S ratios significantly affected the binding and bioavailability of Hg in anoxic sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although blood transcriptome has emerged as a powerful resource for studying human diseases, the changes in the blood transcriptome of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are poorly understood. Method: We conducted transcriptome profiling of 422 participants (208 normal controls and 214 patients with AD) from the Hong Kong Chinese population. WGCNA (weighted correlation network analysis) was performed to construct a co‐expression network to identify modules associated with AD and AD‐associated biomarkers. Result: Co‐expression modules exerting significant association with AD and AD plasma biomarkers (e.g., Aβ and NFL) were identified. Pathway enrichment analysis suggested their possible involvement in specific biological pathways. Motif analysis further revealed the potential mechanisms that driving the observed blood transcriptomic changes observed in AD. Conclusion: The co‐expression network analysis of the AD blood transcriptome changes may facilitate a better understanding of AD progression, as well as the identification of potential targets for disease intervention and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]