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Rape (Brassica napus) is an important oilseed crop widely cultivated worldwide. Due to its relatively short evolutionary and domestication history, its intra-species genetic diversity is limited. Radish (Raphanus sativus), belonging to a different genus but the same family as B. nupus, possesses an abundance of excellent gene resources. It is commonly used for B. nupus germplasm improvement and genetic basis expansion, making it one of the most important close relatives for distant hybridization. In the present study, a novel method for detecting alien chromosome fragments, called Anchor Mapping of Alien Chromosome (AMAC) was used to identify radish chromosome segments in the progeny of rape–radish interspecific hybrids. Based on the AMAC method, 126,861 pairs of IP (Intron Polymorphism) and 76,764 pairs of SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat) primers were developed using the radish Rs1.0 reference genome. A total of 44,176 markers (23,816 pairs of IP and 20,360 pairs of SSR markers) were predicted to be radish genome specific-single-locus (SSL) markers through electronic PCR analysis among four R. sativus, one B. napus, one B. rapa, one B. juncea, and one B. juncea reference genome. Among them, 626 randomly synthesized SSL markers (478 SSL IP markers and 148 SSL SSR markers) were used to amplify the genome of 24 radish samples (R. sativus), 18 rape (B. napus), 2 Chinese cabbage (B. rapa), 2 kale (B. oleracea), and 2 mustard (B. juncea) samples, respectively. Then, 333 SSL markers of the radish genome were identified, which only amplified in the radish genome and not in any Brassica species genome, including 192 IP markers and 141 SSR markers. Furthermore, these validated SSL markers were used to identify alien chromosome fragments in Ogura-CMS restorer line 16C, Ogura-CMS sterile line 81A, and their hybrid-Yunyouza15. In 16C, one marker, Rs1.0025823_intron_3, had an amplification product designated as anchor marker for the alien chromosome fragment of 16C. Afterwards, four novel radish genome-specific IP markers were found to be flanking the anchor marker, and it was determined that the alien chromosome segment in 16C originated from the region 8.4807–11.7798 Mb on radish chromosome R9, and it was approximately 3.2991 Mb in size. These results demonstrate that the AMAC method developed in this study is efficient, convenient, and cost-effective for identifying excellent alien chromosome fragments/genes in distant hybrid progeny, and it can be applied to the molecular marker-assisted breeding and hybrid identification of radish and Brassica crop species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative Air Ions (NAIs), essential for environmental and human health, facilitate air purification and offer antimicrobial benefits. Our study achieves hourly estimations of NAIs using a machine learning framework, developed from a multi‐layer selection pipeline of over 200 variables, to identify the key determinants critical for adapting to high‐resolution NAIs dynamics. Addressing site sparsity and NAIs volatility, we introduced a hybrid stacking incorporating pseudo sites generated from Kriging Spatiotemporal Augmentation (KSTA) to mitigate spatial overfitting. Our approach, validated in Zhejiang, China, demonstrates exceptional accuracy, achieving R2 values of 0.90 (sample‐based), 0.85 (temporal‐based), and 0.79 (site‐based). This work not only sheds light on NAIs behavior in relation to diurnal shifts, land use, and environmental events, but also integrates a health grading system, enhancing public health strategies through precise air quality assessment. Plain Language Summary: Our study advances the environmental science by developing a machine‐learning model capable of estimation the hourly concentrations of negative air ions (NAIs) across Zhejiang Province, China. NAIs, vital for air purification and human health, are significantly related to environmental conditions. Taking advantage of a novel approach that reduces errors commonly seen in similar models, we provide a highly accurate, hour‐by‐hour analysis of air quality. Our research goes beyond mere prediction; it investigates how various factors like vegetation, soil type, and weather events influence NAI levels. The insights gained offer a comprehensive view of how NAI distribution changes over time and across different landscapes, informing environmental policy and public health strategies with precise air quality assessments. This study contributes significantly to the field by introducing an essential tool for continuous environmental monitoring, thereby facilitating more effective decision‐making in environmental and public health sectors. Key Points: A hybrid stacking machine learning framework shows superior accuracy (R2 = 0.90), combing a filter pipeline dealing with more than 200 variablesKriging Spatiotemporal Augmentation (KSTA) as a pseudo‐label strategy to resolve spatial overfitting due to sparse sitesAn hourly estimate of NAIs reveals NAIs dynamics correlations with environmental factors and land use, supporting public health policy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thraustochytrids are eukaryotes and obligate marine protists. They are increasingly considered to be a promising feed additive because of their superior and sustainable application in the production of health-benefiting bioactive compounds, such as fatty acids, carotenoids, and sterols. Moreover, the increasing demand makes it critical to rationally design the targeted products by engineering industrial strains. In this review, bioactive compounds accumulated in thraustochytrids were comprehensively evaluated according to their chemical structure, properties, and physiological function. Metabolic networks and biosynthetic pathways of fatty acids, carotenoids, and sterols were methodically summarized. Further, stress-based strategies used in thraustochytrids were reviewed to explore the potential methodologies for enhancing specific product yields. There are internal relationships between the biosynthesis of fatty acids, carotenoids, and sterols in thraustochytrids since they share some branches of the synthetic routes with some intermediate substrates in common. Although there are classic synthesis pathways presented in the previous research, the metabolic flow of how these compounds are being synthesized in thraustochytrids still remains uncovered. Further, combined with omics technologies to deeply understand the mechanism and effects of different stresses is necessary, which could provide guidance for genetic engineering. While gene-editing technology has allowed targeted gene knock-in and knock-outs in thraustochytrids, efficient gene editing is still required. This critical review will provide comprehensive information to benefit boosting the commercial productivity of specific bioactive substances by thraustochytrids. Thraustochytrids are considered a promising and sustainable nutrient source for long-chain unsa turated fatty acids, carotenoids, and sterols production with impressive biosynthetic capacity. The interactive relationships between the biosynthesis and metabolism flows of fatty acids, carotenoids, and sterols are summarized. The comprehensive information of multi-omics including genome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolism for various species of Thraustochytrids has also been concluded. Potential gene-engineering methodologies for enhancing bioactive substance yields are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this manuscript, we determined the growth performance and physiological and biochemical indices of the aquaculture fish Trachinotus ovatus reared in deep-sea and coastal environments, and analyzed the species abundance and diversity of the fish's intestinal microbes using high-throughput sequencing to screen for antibiotic resistance genes. We also analyzed environmental water samples to identify possible reasons for the observed differences between the two environments. The study found no significant difference in growth performance between deep-sea cultured fish and traditional coastal cultured fish during the feeding cycle. However, the physiological and biochemical indices and the number of antibiotic resistance genes in the gut microbial community of deep-sea cultured fish were superior to those of their coastal counterparts. Coastal cultured fish are particularly vulnerable to the impact of domestic water discharged from human activities on shore. This may be the cause of the observed phenomenon. These studies can offer additional data for comparing deep-sea aquaculture with traditional coastal aquaculture and provide a reference for the future development of fishery transformation and scientific standardization of deep-sea aquaculture. Aquaculture has become the fastest growing sector in global agriculture. The environmental degradation, diseases, and high density of mariculture has made for an inevitable shift in mariculture production from coastal to deep-sea areas. The influence that traditional coastal and emerging deep-sea farming environments exert on aquatic growth, immunity and gut microbial flora is unclear. To address this question, we compared the growth performance, physiological indicators and intestinal microbiological differences of deep-sea and coastal aquaculture in the Guangxi Beibu Gulf of China. The results showed that the growth performance and the complement of C3 and C4 (C3, C4), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lysozyme (LYS), these physiological and biochemical indicators in the liver, kidney, and muscle of Trachinotus ovatus (T. ovatus), showed significant differences under different rearing conditions. Metagenome sequencing analysis showed Ascomycota, Pseudomonadota, and Bacillota were the three dominant phyla, accounting for 52.98/53.32 (coastal/deep sea), 24.30/22.13, and 10.39/11.82%, respectively. Aligned against the CARD database, a total of 23/2 (coastal/deep-sea) antibiotic resistance genes were screened and grouped into 4/2 genotypes. It indicated that compared with deep-sea fish, higher biological oxygen levels (3.10 times), inorganic nitrogen (110.00 times) and labile phosphate levels (29.00 times) in coastal waters might contributed to the existence of eutrophication with antibiotic resistance. The results of the study can provide complementary data on the study of the difference between deep-sea farming and traditional coastal farming, serving as a reference to future in-depth work on the transformation of fisheries development and scientific standardization of deep-sea farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicomponent heteronanostructures offering catalytic and optical properties have applications across various fields. Photonic crystals (diatom frustules) coated with Au and copper chalcogenide domains represent a unique nanosystem that integrates multiple plasmon resonances from guided-mode resonance, conduction electrons, and valence holes in a single nanoscale system. In this work, we fabricate an enzyme-assisted photonic crystal-enhanced plasmonic nanosystem using a live diatom (Thalassiosira pseudonana) for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) quantification of sarcosine, an early stage prostate cancer (PCa) biomarker. The biosynthesized heteronanostructure was constructed by coating bimetallic nanoparticles (Au/CuX) on the diatom frustule via a two-stage cultivation process. A silaffin peptide-tagged sarcosine oxidase (SoX) was designed for specific substrate recognition and oriented conjunction. The components were coupled into a single entity (SoX-immobilized Au/CuX-coated frustule, BioNPS) to overcome the interenzyme distance and analyte trade-offs between mass transport. The sarcosine detection by BioNPS outperforms suspended bimetallic nanoparticles and single NP-coated diatom frustules. The improvement is attributed to the coupling of photonic frustule guided-mode resonance to the localized surface plasmonic resonance of bimetallic NPs via both electromagnetic and CT mechanisms. The cascade reaction in close proximity greatly enhances the catalytic efficiency by 5.47-fold compared to the solution-phase assay. The biochem nanosystem precisely detects tiny sarcosine concentration changes in the urine samples of PCa patients and healthy individuals. As a proof of concept, the in vivo fabrication of photonic/plasmonic heterostructures with tunable properties holds great promise for noninvasive biomarker screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassica juncea has adapted to diverse climate zones and latitudes, especially in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau with the complexity and diversity of the ecological types of western China. However, the genetic variations underlying the diversity of these ecotypes are poorly known. In this study, we resequenced the genome of 193 indigenous B. juncea accessions and obtained 1.04 million high-quality SNPs and 3.23 million InDels by mapping reads to the reference genomes of B. juncea var. timuda. Phenotype, population genetic, phylogenetic and principal component analyses showed considerable genetic variation including four distinct genetic groups. Selective sweep analysis and a genome-wide association study revealed the candidate genes for seed color and fatty acid biosynthesis. The results provide a comprehensive insight into the spread and improvement of B. juncea and laya foundation for accelerating rapeseed breeding by facilitating screenings of molecular markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women, and exhibits high metastasis, recurrence and fatality rates. Novel therapies for breast cancer are constantly emerging, such as targeted therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, and immunotherapy. Despite their potential, these new therapies are still in their infancy, and chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for breast cancer. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop safe and efficient treatment drugs or adjuvants for breast cancer treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long clinical history in China, in which Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi exhibits favorable antibreast cancer activities. We therefore conducted a systematic review of the available literature to better understand the molecular mechanisms of S. baicalensis in breast cancer treatment. S. baicalensis and its active components (baicalein, baicalin, wogonin, wogonoside, oroxylin A and scutellarin) exhibited promising antibreast cancer activity through proliferation inhibition, apoptosis induction, invasion and metastasis blockading, and drug-resistance and non-coding RNA regulation. Additionally, senescence, autophagy, angiogenesis, and glycolysis mechanisms were observed to play a role in their antibreast cancer activity. Furthermore, multiple signaling pathways contributed to the antitumor effects of S. baicalensi, such as the NF- κ B, Wnt/ β -catenin, SATB1, Bcl2 family proteins, Caspase, PI3K/Akt, mTOR, ERK, p38-MAPK, TGF- β /Smad, and Hippo/YAP pathways. This review provides valuable insights into the role of S. baicalensis as a breast cancer treatment and acts as a foundation for further investigations in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancements of the photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) and photochemical stability are critical factors for quantum dots (QDs) in the organic phase. In this article, we presented a flexible synthesis protocol for cadmium telluride (CdTe) QDs via controlling X-type ligands (3-methyl-benzoyl chloride), which simultaneously served as third-party initiators of the nucleation-growth process and surface ligand provider (Cl–). The synthetic reaction was triggered at 100 °C, and the PL QY could reach up to 85%. It was discovered for the first time that the conversions between different sizes of magic-size clusters (MSCs) and QDs were sensitively induced by initiator stoichiometry. The obtained CdTe QDs possessed a zinc blende structure with a tetrahedral morphology and a narrow full width at half-maximum and covered the fluorescent window from 510 to 700 nm. The results showed that the CdTe QD surface was capped with resident oleylamine, thioalcohol, and a dynamically bound initiator (Cl–). The prepared white-light-emitting diode (WLED) device based on CdTe QDs showed a high correlated color temperature (CCT), Ra, and CIE chromaticity coordinates of 5435 K, 93, and (0.334, 0.3498), respectively. This work will unlock the inspiration for the synthesis and application of other telluride QDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel non-gallate near-infrared long-persistent phosphorescence Mg2−xZnxSnO4:Cr3+ phosphors were synthesized, and their structure and luminescence properties were investigated systematically. Under 448 nm blue light excitation, all the phosphors exhibit a broad emission band centered at 730 nm and a shoulder peak at 708 nm, which are attributed to the 4T2(4F) → 4A2 and 2E → 4A2 transitions of Cr3+, respectively. The excitation spectra of the samples clearly show the characteristic excitation of Cr3+ in the octahedral crystal field, with three obvious peaks at 324, 448 and 620 nm respectively. The phosphor with a composition of Mg1.4Zn0.6SnO4:0.03Cr3+ shows the strongest photoluminescence intensity which is 2.87 times and 3.09 times that of Mg2SnO4:0.03Cr3+ and Zn2SnO4:0.03Cr3+, respectively. Besides, all the samples show intense near-infrared long-persistent phosphorescence. For the optimized sample Mg1.4Zn0.6SnO4:0.005Cr3+, its phosphorescence can still be observed with a night vision instrument 18 h after removing the 365 nm UV light source. Finally, a feasible phosphorescence mechanism of the Mg1.4Zn0.6SnO4:Cr3+ phosphor was proposed and discussed. This study may provide a new method for developing novel near-infrared long-persistent phosphorescence phosphors through crystal structure modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-persistent phosphors can be used in diverse fields, such as emergency instruction, information storage and in vivo bioimaging. Currently, progress in research and development of white long-persistent phosphors is slow, although there is growing demand for applications in certain conditions. In this work, a novel white long-persistent phosphor Ba2Ga2GeO7:Pr3+ was synthesized and systematically investigated through its structural information, photoluminescence and phosphorescence properties. Under ultraviolet light excitation, this phosphor gives white emission containing greenish-blue and red components stemming from 3P0 and 1D2 multiplet electron transitions in the 4f level of Pr3+. The luminescent color of the phosphors is relatively stable at different temperatures and Pr3+ concentrations. Bright white afterglow can be observed by the naked eye in the dark for 3 hours after removal of the excitation source. Finally, a feasible afterglow mechanism of Ba2Ga2GeO7:Pr3+ with a trap–detrap scenario was proposed to clarify the generation of the white afterglow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the significant impact of color centers on the physical and chemical properties of materials, studies on the origin of such color centers are needed. In this article, detailed crystal structure analysis and compositional characterization of CeAlO3 was carried out by applying XRD, XPS, HRTEM, STEM-EDS and ICP-OES techniques. The results revealed that crystal defects may be the main cause of color centers. The existence of oxygen and aluminum vacancy was proved and confirmed by the application of XPS, ICP-OES and STEM-EDS characterization methods. Overall, it unlikely that a single crystal defect would generate the yellow-green color of CeAlO3 crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological pretreatment of rice straw and production of reducing sugars by hydrolysis of bio-pretreated material with Streptomyces griseorubens JSD-1 was investigated. After 10 days of incubation, various chemical compositions of inoculated rice straw were degraded and used for further enzymatic hydrolysis studies. The production of cellulolytic enzyme by S. griseorubens JSD-1 favored the conversion of cellulose to reducing sugars. The culture medium for cellulolytic enzyme production by using agro-industrial wastes was optimized through response surface methodology. According to the response surface analysis, the concentrations of 11.13, 20.34, 4.61, and 2.85 g L−1 for rice straw, wheat bran, peptone, and CaCO3, respectively, were found to be optimum for cellulase and xylanase production. Then the hydrolyzed spent Streptomyces cells were used as a nitrogen source and the maximum filter paper cellulase, carboxymethylcellulase, and xylanase activities of 25.79, 78.91, and 269.53 U mL−1 were achieved. The crude cellulase produced by S. griseorubens JSD-1 was subsequently used for the hydrolysis of bio-pretreated rice straw, and the optimum saccharification efficiency of 88.13% was obtained, indicating that the crude enzyme might be used instead of commercial cellulase during a saccharification process. These results give a basis for further study of bioethanol production from agricultural cellulosic waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the combined effects of Zn2+ and NH4+/NO3- stress, a cross experiment composed of different concentrations of Zn2+ (0, 2, 4, 8mg L1) and ratios of NH4+ and NO3- (1:6, 3:4, and 5:2) was conducted with Vallisneria natans under eutrophication (N=4.667mgL-1). Chlorophyll, protein, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity of V. natans leaves were measured after cultivation for 7 days under stress of NH4+/NO3- and Zn2+. Variance analysis indicated that chlorophyll continuously decreased significantly with increasing Zn2+ concentration and NH4+/NO3- ratio, with the highest value at 0mg L-1 Zn2+ and NH4+/NO3-, 1:6. However, MDA, soluble protein, SOD activity, and APX activity increased first and decreased subsequently, showing the greatest values at 2mg L-1 Zn2+ and NH4+/NO3-, 1:6. Physiological responses of V. natans under high Zn2+ stress were obvious. A Zn2+ concentration of <2mgL-1 could promote the growth of V. natans. Physiological functions of V. natans were partly affected under high NH4+/NO3-. However, it could promote the growth of V. natans at NH4+/NO3- <3:4 and a total nitrogen concentration of 4.667mgL-1. Meanwhile, this study also showed that Zn2+ and NH4+/NO3- have a synergistic effect on V. natans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial coherencies of ground motions are the key to establishing multi-support excitation for large-dimension structures. Most of the existing models were established based on ground motions recorded at dense observation arrays which barely show any detailed information on the focal mechanism. However, in the near field, ground motions are dominated by the source, and so are the spatial coherencies of ground motions. In this paper, a deterministic physics-based method was used to simulate ground motions in the near field for various focal mechanism scenarios. The coherencies of the simulated ground motions were calculated. The Loh coherency model was used to fit the variation in the calculated coherencies for each scenario. The results show that the focal mechanism has a significant effect on the spatial coherencies of simulated ground motions. Finally, the probability density distributions of the parameters, a and b, of the Loh coherency model were obtained, and a coherency model was proposed, based on the Loh coherency model, in which the parameters are taken to be dependent on the focal mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diatoms, known as photosynthetic unicellular algae, can produce natural biosilica frustules that exhibit great biocompatibility, superhydrophilicity, and superhemophilicity. In our study, the diatom Navicula australoshetlandica sp. was isolated from aquaculture wastewater and pretreated to obtain frustules so as to explore their hemostasis characteristics. A special "porous web" (6–8 nm) substructure in the ordered nanopores (165–350 nm) of boat-shaped diatom frustule was observed in Navicula australoshetlandica sp. using SEM and TEM analysis. Moreover, X-ray, N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, and BET analysis showed that the diatom frustule is a mesoporous material with a surface area of 401.45 m2 g−1 amorphous silica. FTIR analysis showed that Navicula australoshetlandica sp. frustules possessed abundant OH functional groups. A low hemolysis ratio was observed for 1–5 mg mL−1 diatom frustules that did not exceed 1.55 ± 0.06%, which indicates favorable hemocompatibility. The diatom frustules exhibited the shortest clotting time (134.99 ± 7.00 s) with a hemostasis material/blood (mg/μL) ratio of 1:100, which is 1.83 times (112.32 s) shorter than that of chitosan. The activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) of diatom frustule was also 44.53 s shorter than the control. Our results demonstrate the potential of Navicula australoshetlandica sp. diatom frustules to be used as medical hemostasis material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thraustochytriidae sp. have broadly gained attention as a prospective resource for the production of omega-3 fatty acids production in significant quantities. In this study, the whole genome of Thraustochytriidae sp. SZU445, which produces high levels of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), was sequenced and subjected to protein annotation. The obtained clean reads (63.55 Mb in total) were assembled into 54 contigs and 25 scaffolds, with maximum and minimum lengths of 400 and 0.0054 Mb, respectively. A total of 3513 genes (24.84%) were identified, which could be classified into six pathways and 44 pathway groups, of which 68 genes (1.93%) were involved in lipid metabolism. In the Gene Ontology database, 22,436 genes were annotated as cellular component (8579 genes, 38.24%), molecular function (5236 genes, 23.34%), and biological process (8621 genes, 38.42%). Four enzymes corresponding to the classic fatty acid synthase (FAS) pathway and three enzymes corresponding to the classic polyketide synthase (PKS) pathway were identified in Thraustochytriidae sp. SZU445. Although PKS pathway-associated dehydratase and isomerase enzymes were not detected in Thraustochytriidae sp. SZU445, a putative DHA- and DPA-specific fatty acid pathway was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods of Land Use Regression (LUR) modeling and Ordinary Kriging (OK) interpolation have been widely used to offset the shortcomings of PM2.5 data observed at sparse monitoring sites. However, traditional point-based performance evaluation strategy for these methods remains stagnant, which could cause unreasonable mapping results. To address this challenge, this study employs 'information entropy', an area-based statistic, along with traditional point-based statistics (e.g. error rate, RMSE) to evaluate the performance of LUR model and OK interpolation in mapping PM2.5 concentrations in Houston from a multidimensional perspective. The point-based validation reveals significant differences between LUR and OK at different test sites despite the similar end-result accuracy (e.g. error rate 6.13% vs. 7.01%). Meanwhile, the area-based validation demonstrates that the PM2.5 concentrations simulated by the LUR model exhibits more detailed variations than those interpolated by the OK method (i.e. information entropy, 7.79 vs. 3.63). Results suggest that LUR modeling could better refine the spatial distribution scenario of PM2.5 concentrations compared to OK interpolation. The significance of this study primarily lies in promoting the integration of point- and area-based statistics for model performance evaluation in air pollution mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the significant impact of color centers on the physical and chemical properties of materials, studies on the origin of such color centers are needed. In this article, detailed crystal structure analysis and compositional characterization of CeAlO3 was carried out by applying XRD, XPS, HRTEM, STEM-EDS and ICP-OES techniques. The results revealed that crystal defects may be the main cause of color centers. The existence of oxygen and aluminum vacancy was proved and confirmed by the application of XPS, ICP-OES and STEM-EDS characterization methods. Overall, it unlikely that a single crystal defect would generate the yellow-green color of CeAlO3 crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acute lung injury (ALI) mouse model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or endotoxin is still among the most commonly used models in animal studies of acute lung injury or acute inflammation. The current most commonly used methods in acute lung injury mouse models are an intraperitoneal injection of LPS and tracheostomy for the tracheal infusion of LPS. However, the former method lacks lung targeting and damages other organs, and the latter method induces operative trauma, infection risk, and a low survival rate. Here, we recommend a noninvasive oropharyngeal endotracheal intubation method for LPS instillation in mice. In this method, LPS is noninvasively introduced into the trachea through the oropharyngeal cavity to be instilled into the lung with the help of an apparatus for endotracheal intubation. This method not only assures lung targeting but also avoids damage and the risk of death in the animals. We expect that this approach will become widely used in the field of acute lung injury.

Cubic phase CsPbX 3 nanocrystals (NCs) are promising candidates for optoelectronic applications. However, their chemical stability heavily depends on the dynamic ionic surface. In this work, based on the interdependency of the ligands and the reaction solvent, a protocol is developed for high-quality α-CsPbX 3 under ambient conditions. Utilizing this method, the size and full width at half maximum of CsPbX 3 NCs can be simply tuned via changing the cationic ligands or reaction solvent, such as CH 3 Cl, CH 2 Cl 2 , or toluene. One remarkable result is the synthesis of cubic CsPbI 3 NCs, for which large-scale syntheses have not been reported in the literature except for our method, due to significant phase transition at room temperature. Another result is that we have realized ultrasmall sized CsPbCl 3 NCs with emission at 385 nm for the first time. Furthermore, the elimination of reaction solvent (such as ODE, DMSO, DMF) in our protocol reduces the purification-induced surface ligand loss and the irreversible phase transition to a nonfluorescent phase. Our CsPbX 3 NCs show near-perfect photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) and long-term stability in the presence of moisture. Further characterization demonstrates that all the ligands, whether the initial paired X type or the degenerated hybrid L-X type, remain perfectly passivating on the defect sites throughout.

Background: Streptomyces griseorubens JSD-1 is a novel actinomycete isolated from soil that can utilize nitrate as its sole nitrogen source for growth and these nitrate assimilation genes active in this biotransformation are expected to be crucial. However, little is known about its genomic or genetic background related to nitrogen metabolism in this isolate. Thus, this study concentrates on identification and characterization of genes involved in nitrate assimilation., Results: To investigate the molecular mechanism of nitrate metabolism, genome sequencing was performed by Illumina Miseq platform. Then the draft genome of a single linear chromosome with 8,463,223 bp and an average G+C content of 72.42% was obtained, which has been deposited at GenBank under the accession number JJMG00000000. Sequences of nitrate assimilation proteins such as nitrate reductase (EC 1.7.99.4), nitrite reductase (EC 1.7.1.4), glutamine synthetase (EC 6.3.1.2), glutamate synthase (EC 1.4.1.13) and glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.2) were acquired. All proteins were predicted to be intracellular enzymes and their sequences were highly identical to those from their similar species owing to the conservative character. Putative 3D structures of these proteins were also modeled based on the templates with the most identities in the PDB database. Through KEGG annotated map, these proteins proved to be located on the key positions of nitrogen metabolic signaling pathway. Finally, quantitative RT-PCR indicated that expression responses of all genes were up-regulated generally and significantly when stimulated with nitrate., Conclusion: In this manuscript, we describe the genome features of an isolate of S. griseorubens JSD-1 following with identification and characterization of these nitrate assimilation proteins such as nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase accounts for the ability to utilize nitrate as its sole nitrogen source for growth through cellular localization, multiple sequence alignment, putative 3D modeling and quantitative RT-PCR. In summary, our findings provide the genomic and genetic background of utilizing nitrate of this strain.

Streptomyces griseorubens JSD-1, isolated from compost-treated soil, is able to utilize lignocellulose and nitrate as its sole carbon and nitrogen source for growth. Here, we announce the draft genome map of this actinomycete. The genes participating in lignocellulose and nitrate metabolism were picked out and identified., (Copyright © 2014 Feng et al.)