Search

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) is one of the most important crops worldwide, but its yield is vulnerable to abiotic stresses. In Arabidopsis, the AlkB homologue (ALKBH) family genes plays a crucial role in plant development and stress response. However, the identification and functions of its homologous genes in soybean remain obscured. Here, we identified a total of 22 ALKBH genes in soybean and classified them into seven subfamilies according to phylogenetic analysis. Gene duplication events among the family members and gene structure, conserved domains, and motifs of all candidate genes were analyzed. By comparing the changes in the m6A levels on mRNA from hair roots between soybean seedlings harboring the empty vector and those harboring the GmALKBH10B protein, we demonstrated that all four GmALKBH10B proteins are bona fide m6A RNA demethylases in vivo. Subcellular localization and expression patterns of the GmALKBH10B revealed that they might be functionally redundant. Furthermore, an analysis of cis-elements coupled with gene expression data demonstrated that GmALKBH10B subfamily genes, including GmALKBH10B1, GmALKBH10B2, GmALKBH10B3, and GmALKBH10B4, are likely involved in the cis-elements' response to various environmental stimuli. In summary, our study is the first to report the genome-wide identification of GmALKBH family genes in soybean and to determine the function of GmALKBH10B proteins as m6A RNA demethylases, providing insights into GmALKBH10B genes in response to abiotic stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The positive electrode|electrolyte interface plays an important role in all-solid-state Li batteries (ASSLBs) based on garnet-type solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) like Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO). However, the trade-off between solid-solid contact and chemical stability leads to a poor positive electrode|electrolyte interface and cycle performance. In this study, we achieve thermodynamic compatibility and adequate physical contact between high-entropy cationic disordered rock salt positive electrodes (HE-DRXs) and LLZTO through ultrafast high-temperature sintering (UHS). This approach constructs a highly stable positive electrode|electrolyte interface, reducing the interface resistance to 31.6 Ω·cm2 at 25 °C, making a 700 times reduction compared to the LiCoO2 | LLZTO interface. Moreover, the conformal and tight HE-DRX | LLZTO solid-state interface avoids the transition metal migration issue observed with HE-DRX in liquid electrolytes. At 150 °C, HE-DRXs in ASSLBs (Li|LLZTO | HE-DRXs) exhibit an average specific capacity of 239.7 ± 2 mAh/g at 25 mA/g, with a capacity retention of 95% after 100 cycles relative to the initial cycle—a stark contrast to the 76% retention after 20 cycles at 25 °C in conventional liquid batteries. Our strategy, which considers the principles of thermodynamics and kinetics, may open avenues for tackling the positive electrode|electrolyte interface issue in ASSLBs based on garnet-type SSEs. The positive electrode/electrolyte interface is crucial for the performance of all-solid-state lithium batteries. Here, authors use a sintering technique to form a conformal interface between high-entropy disordered rock salt electrodes and garnet-type electrolytes to reduce interfacial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study examined the use of a probiotic called Probio-M9 in treating mastitis and improving antibiotic treatment. The researchers found that Probio-M9 effectively reduced mastitis symptoms, decreased inflammation, and enhanced the response to antibiotics. It also had an impact on the gut microbiome and the immune system. The study suggests that Probio-M9 can move from the gut to the mammary tissue during bacterial mastitis and lactation. These findings provide insight into the connection between the gut and mammary glands and the potential benefits of probiotics. [Extracted from the article]

Although intravenous bevacizumab (IVBEV) is the most promising treatment for cerebral radiation necrosis (CRN), there is no conclusion on the optimal dosage. Our retrospective study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of high‐dose with low‐dose IVBEV in treating CRN associated with radiotherapy for brain metastases (BMs). This paper describes 75 patients who were diagnosed with CRN secondary to radiotherapy for BMs, treated with low‐dose or high‐dose IVBEV and followed up for a minimum of 6 months. The clinical data collected for this study include changes in brain MRI, clinical symptoms, and corticosteroid usage before, during, and after IVBEV treatment. At the 3‐month mark following administration of IVBEV, a comparison of two groups revealed that the median percentage decreases in CRN volume on T2‐weighted fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery and T1‐weighted gadolinium contrast‐enhanced image (T1CE), as well as the signal ratio reduction on T1CE, were 65.8% versus 64.8% (p = 0.860), 41.2% versus 51.9% (p = 0.396), and 37.4% versus 35.1% (p = 0.271), respectively. Similarly, at 6 months post‐IVBEV, the median percentage reductions of the aforementioned parameters were 59.5% versus 62.0% (p = 0.757), 39.1% versus 31.3% (p = 0.851), and 35.4% versus 28.2% (p = 0.083), respectively. Notably, the incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events was higher in the high‐dose group (n = 4, 9.8%) than in the low‐dose group (n = 0). Among patients with CRN secondary to radiotherapy for BMs, the administration of high‐dose IVBEV did not demonstrate superiority over low‐dose IVBEV. Moreover, the use of high‐dose IVBEV was associated with a higher incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events compared with low‐dose IVBEV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garnet Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO)-based solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) hold promise for realizing next-generation lithium metal batteries with high energy density. However, the high stiffness of high-temperature sintered LLZO makes it brittle and susceptible to strain during the fabrication of solid-state batteries. Cold-pressed LLZO exhibits improved ductility but suffers from insufficient Li+ conductivity. Here, we report cold-pressed Ta-doped LLZO (Ta-LZ) particles integrated with ductile Li6PS5Cl (LPSC) via a Li+ conductive Li-containing Ta-Cl structure. This configuration creates a continuous Li+ conduction network by enhancing the Li+ exchange at the Ta-LZ/LPSC interface. The resulting Ta-LZ/LPSC SSE exhibits Li+ conductivity of 4.42 × 10-4 S cm-1 and a low activation energy of 0.31 eV. Li symmetric cells with Ta-LZ/LPSC SSE demonstrate excellent Li dendrite suppression ability, with an improved critical current density of 5.0 mA cm-2 and a prolonged cycle life exceeding 600 h at 1 mA cm-2. Our finding provides valuable insights into developing cold-pressed ceramic powder electrolytes for high-performance all-solid-state batteries., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A), a well-characterized RNA modification, is involved in regulating multiple biological processes; however, genome-wide identification and functional characterization of the m 6 A modification in legume plants, including soybean ( Glycine max (L.) Merr.), remains lacking. In this study, we utilized bioinformatics tools to perform comprehensive analyses of molecular writer candidates associated with the RNA m 6 A modification in soybean, characterizing their conserved domains, motifs, gene structures, promoters, and spatial expression patterns. Thirteen m 6 A writer complex genes in soybean were identified, which were assigned to four families: MT-A70, WTAP, VIR, and HAKAI. It also can be identified that multiple cis elements in the promoters of these genes, which were classified into five distinct groups, including elements responsive to light, phytohormone regulation, environmental stress, development, and others, suggesting that these genes may modulate various cellular and physiological processes in plants. Importantly, the enzymatic activities of two identified m 6 A writers, GmMTA1 and GmMTA2, were confirmed in vitro . Furthermore, we analyzed the expression patterns of the GmMTA s and GmMTB s under different abiotic stresses, revealing their potential involvement in stress tolerance, especially in the response to alkalinity or darkness. Overexpressing GmMTA2 and GmMTB1 in soybean altered the tolerance of the plants to alkalinity and long-term darkness, further confirming their effect on the stress response. Collectively, our findings identified the RNA m 6 A writer candidates in leguminous plants and highlighted the potential roles of GmMTA s and GmMTB s in the response to abiotic stress in soybean., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Liu, Liu, Zhao, Yang, Guo, Chang, Xiao, Xu, Liu, Zhu, Gan and Chen.)

Objective: Investigating the application effectiveness of using loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) on a microfluidic chip to detect the pathogens associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)., Methods: Eighty samples of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) were collected at The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from July 2022 to July 2023. The bacterial culture technique and the LAMP method were used to detect the nucleic acid of the pathogens in the patient samples. The positivity rates of bacterial culture and LAMP method in detecting VAP pathogens were analyzed., Results: A total of 80 specimens were examined, with 73 positive specimens detected using the LAMP method (positivity rate of 91.25%) and 60 positive specimens detected using bacterial culture (positivity rate of 75.00%). The LAMP method exhibited a higher number of positive detections compared to bacterial culture. Both methods showed a high level of concordance and were virtually identical in detecting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae., Conclusion: The LAMP method demonstrates significantly improved performance in the detection of pathogens for VAP, with a higher pathogen positivity rate compared to bacterial culture. This method holds promising prospects for clinical application.

The existing T cell-centered immune checkpoint blockade therapies have been successful in treating some but not all patients with cancer. Immunosuppressive myeloid cells, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), that inhibit antitumor immunity and support multiple steps of tumor development are recognized as one of the major obstacles in cancer treatment. Leukocyte Ig-like receptor subfamily B3 (LILRB3), an immune inhibitory receptor containing tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIM), is expressed solely on myeloid cells. However, it is unknown whether LILRB3 is a critical checkpoint receptor in regulating the activity of immunosuppressive myeloid cells, and whether LILRB3 signaling can be blocked to activate the immune system to treat solid tumors. Here, we report that galectin-4 and galectin-7 induce activation of LILRB3 and that LILRB3 is functionally expressed on immunosuppressive myeloid cells. In some samples from patients with solid cancers, blockade of LILRB3 signaling by an antagonistic antibody inhibited the activity of immunosuppressive myeloid cells. Anti-LILRB3 also impeded tumor development in myeloid-specific LILRB3 transgenic mice through a T cell-dependent manner. LILRB3 blockade may prove to be a novel approach for immunotherapy of solid cancers., (©2023 American Association for Cancer Research.)