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Lignanoids are an active ingredient exerting powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the treatment of many diseases. In order to improve the efficiency of the resource utilization of traditional Chinese medicine waste, Magnolia officinalis Rehder & E.H.Wilson residue (MOR) waste biomass was used as raw material in this study, and a series of deep eutectic solvents (ChUre, ChAce, ChPro, ChCit, ChOxa, ChMal, ChLac, ChLev, ChGly and ChEG) were selected to evaluate the extraction efficiency of lignanoids from MORs. The results showed that the best conditions for lignanoid extraction were a liquid–solid ratio of 40.50 mL/g, an HBD-HBA ratio of 2.06, a water percentage of 29.3%, an extract temperature of 337.65 K, and a time of 107 min. Under these conditions, the maximum lignanoid amount was 39.18 mg/g. In addition, the kinetics of the extraction process were investigated by mathematic modeling. In our antioxidant activity study, high antioxidant activity of the lignanoid extract was shown in scavenging four different types of free radicals (DPPH, ·OH, ABTS, and superoxide anions). At a concentration of 3 mg/mL, the total antioxidant capacity of the lignanoid extract was 1.795 U/mL, which was equal to 0.12 mg/mL of Vc solution. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity study found that the lignanoid extract exhibited good antibacterial effects against six tested pathogens. Among them, Staphylococcus aureus exerted the strongest antibacterial activity. Eventually, the correlation of the lignanoid extract with the biological activity and physicochemical properties of DESs is described using a heatmap, along with the evaluation of the in vitro hypoglycemic, in vitro hypolipidemic, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory activity of the lignanoid extract. These findings can provide a theoretical foundation for the extraction of high-value components from waste biomass by deep eutectic solvents, as well as highlighting its specific significance in natural product development and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China leads the world in freshwater pearl production, an industry in which the triangle sail mussel (Sinohyriopsis cumingii) plays a pivotal role. In this paper, we report a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of S. cumingii with a size of 2.90 Gb—the largest yet reported among bivalves—and 89.92% anchorage onto 19 linkage groups. The assembled genome has 37,696 protein-coding genes and 50.86% repeat elements. A comparative genomic analysis revealed expansions of 752 gene families, mostly associated with biomineralization, and 237 genes under strong positive selection. Notably, the fibrillin gene family exhibited gene family expansion and positive selection simultaneously, and it also exhibited multiple high expressions after mantle implantation by transcriptome analysis. Furthermore, RNA silencing and an in vitro calcium carbonate crystallization assay highlighted the pivotal role played by one fibrillin gene in calcium carbonate deposition and aragonite transformation. This study provides a valuable genomic resource and offers new insights into the mechanism of pearl biomineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying key causal genes is critical for unraveling the genetic basis of complex economic traits, yet it remains a formidable challenge. The advent of large-scale sequencing data and computational algorithms, such as transcriptome-wide association studies (TWASs), offers a promising avenue for identifying potential causal genes. In this study, we harnessed the power of TWAS to identify genes potentially responsible for milk production traits, including daily milk yield (MY), fat percentage (FP), and protein percentage (PP), within a cohort of 100 buffaloes. Our approach began by generating the genotype and expression profiles for these 100 buffaloes through whole-genome resequencing and RNA sequencing, respectively. Through comprehensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we pinpointed a total of seven and four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with MY and FP traits, respectively. By using TWAS, we identified 55, 71, and 101 genes as significant signals for MY, FP, and PP traits, respectively. To delve deeper, we conducted protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis, revealing the categorization of these genes into distinct PPI networks. Interestingly, several TWAS-identified genes within the PPI network played a vital role in milk performance. These findings open new avenues for identifying potentially causal genes underlying important traits, thereby offering invaluable insights for genomics and breeding in buffalo populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Panomics refers to the integration of multiple omics technologies to comprehensively examine and interpret biomolecular data at different levels. This approach facilitates the study of sheep genetics and related functions, providing valuable insights into sheep breeding, disease prevention, and treatment strategies. By analyzing the complex interactions between genes, proteins, and metabolites, we can gain a deeper understanding of sheep biology and ultimately improve productivity and reproduction. Panomics, in particular, allows for the prediction, screening, and pinpointing of animal genetic traits, overcoming the limitations of traditional breeding methods like age constraints and issues with accuracy and reliability. This advancement holds immense importance for sheep breeding and agricultural production. Multi-omics-integrated analysis, known as panomics, represents an advanced methodology that harnesses various high-throughput technologies encompassing genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Sheep, playing a pivotal role in agricultural sectors due to their substantial economic importance, have witnessed remarkable advancements in genetic breeding through the amalgamation of multiomics analyses, particularly with the evolution of high-throughput technologies. This integrative approach has established a robust theoretical foundation, enabling a deeper understanding of sheep genetics and fostering improvements in breeding strategies. The comprehensive insights obtained through this approach shed light on diverse facets of sheep development, including growth, reproduction, disease resistance, and the quality of livestock products. This review primarily focuses on the application of principal omics analysis technologies in sheep, emphasizing correlation studies between multiomics data and specific traits such as meat quality, wool characteristics, and reproductive features. Additionally, this paper anticipates forthcoming trends and potential developments in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an output dynamic game model of intertwined supply chains operating in two different countries is established. The Nash equilibrium point of the model and its stable region are obtained using nonlinear dynamic principles. The complex properties of the system, such as stability, period-doubling bifurcations, and chaos, are investigated using numerical simulations. Our results suggest that the level of output and the system's profits undergo bifurcation and chaos with an increase in the output adjustment speed. An interesting phenomenon occurs in that higher tariffs lead to the expansion of the stable range of the supply chain in the product-exporting country. The chaotic behavior of the system is sensitive to the value of the initial level of output. In supply chain competition, each supply chain firm should make suitable adjustments to the speed of output. To maintain the stability of domestic markets, excessive tariffs should be avoided. It is essential that each supply chain firm evaluates the potential impacts of different initial output values when making initial decisions. Using the method of delayed feedback control, the chaotic behavior of the system can effectively be controlled. These findings offer valuable and novel insight into inter-chain competition in supply chain networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of space telescopes towards high-resolution and intelligent imaging, the scale and complexity of the focal plane components of large-aperture, off-axis, three-mirror anastigmatic (TMA) optical systems are increasing. Traditional focal plane focusing technology reduces the system reliability and increases the scale and complexity. This paper proposes a three-degrees-of-freedom focusing system based on a folding mirror reflector, with a piezoelectric ceramic actuator as the driver. An environment-resistant flexible support was designed for the piezoelectric ceramic actuator through an integrated optimization analysis. The fundamental frequency of the large-aspect-ratio rectangular folding mirror reflector focusing mechanism was around 121.5 Hz. After testing, it was found to meet the requirements of the space mechanics environment. This system shows promise for application to other optical systems as an open-shelf product in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning methods can establish complex nonlinear relationships between input and response variables for stadium fire risk assessment. However, the output of machine learning models is considered very difficult due to their complex "black box" structure, which hinders their application in stadium fire risk assessment. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method makes a local approximation to the predictions of any regression or classification model so as to be faithful and interpretable, and assigns significant values (SHAP value) to each input variable for a given prediction. In this study, we designed an indicator attribute threshold interval to classify and quantify different fire risk category data, and then used a random forest model combined with SHAP strategy in order to establish a stadium fire risk assessment model. The main objective is to analyze the impact analysis of each risk characteristic on four different risk assessment models, so as to find the complex nonlinear relationship between risk characteristics and stadium fire risk. This helps managers to be able to make appropriate fire safety management and smart decisions before an incident occurs and in a targeted manner to reduce the incidence of fires. The experimental results show that the established interpretable random forest model provides 83% accuracy, 86% precision, and 85% recall for the stadium fire risk test dataset. The study also shows that the low level of data makes it difficult to identify the range of decision boundaries for Critical mode and Hazardous mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread fungal toxin Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is an inevitable pollutant affecting the health of humans, poultry, and livestock. Although studies indicate that AFB1 is hepatotoxic, there are few studies on AFB1-induced hepatotoxicity in sheep. Thus, this study examined how AFB1 affected sheep liver function 24 h after the animals received 1 mg/kg bw of AFB1 orally (dissolved in 20 mL, 4% v/v ethanol). The acute AFB1 poisoning caused histopathological injuries to the liver and increased total bilirubin (TBIL) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) levels. AFB1 also markedly elevated the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 while considerably reducing the expression of antioxidation-related genes (SOD-1 and SOD-2) and the anti-inflammatory gene IL-10 in the liver. Additionally, it caused apoptosis by dramatically altering the expression of genes associated with apoptosis including Bax, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2/Bax. Notably, AFB1 exposure altered the gut microbiota composition, mainly manifested by BF311 spp. and Alistipes spp. abundance, which are associated with liver injury. In conclusion, AFB1 can cause liver injury and liver dysfunction in sheep via oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and gut-microbiota disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective therapy for many psychiatric illnesses. However, intracranial occupying lesions are a relative contraindication to ECT. Arachnoid cysts are benign, congenital, and space-occupying lesions. Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of ECT in psychiatric patients with arachnoid cysts. We retrospectively identified 62 psychiatric patients with arachnoid cysts; 43 of them underwent ECT and 19 did not. Their conditions were assessed by CGI-S and different scales depending on different diagnoses (PANSS for schizophrenia; HAMD for depression; YMRS for bipolar disorder). The side effect was assessed by TESS. Significant differences were shown in the reduced scores of the CGI-S between patients who underwent ECT and those who did not (p = 0.001), while, at the same time, there was no significant difference in their TESS score (p = 0.297). The current study found that ECT is an effective and tolerable therapy for psychiatric patients with arachnoid cysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression and anxiety disorders are the two most prevalent psychiatric diseases that affect hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. Understanding the etiology and related mechanisms is of great importance and might yield new therapeutic strategies to treat these diseases effectively. During the past decades, a growing number of studies have pointed out the importance of the stress-induced inflammatory response in the amygdala, a kernel region for processing emotional stimuli, as a potentially critical contributor to the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety disorders. In this review, we first summarized the recent progress from both animal and human studies toward understanding the causal link between stress-induced inflammation and depression and anxiety disorders, with particular emphasis on findings showing the effect of inflammation on the functional changes in neurons in the amygdala, at levels ranging from molecular signaling, cellular function, synaptic plasticity, and the neural circuit to behavior, as well as their contributions to the pathology of inflammation-related depression and anxiety disorders. Finally, we concluded by discussing some of the difficulties surrounding the current research and propose some issues worth future study in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of the low action recognition accuracy of passengers' unsafe behaviors caused by redundant joints, this study proposes an efficient recognition method based on a Kinect sensor. The method uses the pelvis as the starting point of the vector and high-frequency bone joints as the end point to construct the recognition feature vector. The joint angle difference between actions is obtained by using the cosine law, and the initial test result is converted into action similarity combined with the DTW similarity algorithm. Considering the combination of 3 angle features and 4 joint feature selection methods, 12 combined recognition models are formed. A comparative experiment was carried out to identify five types of unsafe behaviors of metro passengers—punch, one-armed call for help, arms for help, trip forward and trip backwards. The results show that the overall selection of joints has a poor similarity effect and cannot achieve the purpose of recognition. The overall recognition model effect of the local "pelvis divergence method" is higher than that of the local "adjacent joint method", and the local "pelvis divergence method" has the highest recognition result of the maximum angle difference model, and the recognition results of the five unsafe behaviors are 86.9%, 89.2%, 85.5%, 86.7%, and 88.3%, respectively, and the recognition accuracy of this method is 95.7%, indicating the feasibility of the model. The recognition results are more concentrated and more stable, which significantly improves the recognition rate of metro passengers' unsafe behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers, especially born to hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive mothers, can still be infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HBV and develop chronic HBV infection. At present, the virological factors affecting HBV MTCT are still unclear. In this study, we found that the mutation rates of amino acids in the HBV X region were high, and there were obvious differences between the immunoprophylaxis success group and the immunoprophylaxis failure group of HBeAg-positive mothers. Specifically, the mutation rate of HBx 128–133 deletion (x128–133del) or corresponding nucleotide 1755–1772 deletion (nt1755–1772del) in the immunoprophylaxis success group was significantly higher than that in the immunoprophylaxis failure group. Furthermore, we found that x128–133del could weaken HBV replication by reducing the level of the HBx protein due to the increased proteasome-dependent degradation of HBx protein, and the transcriptional activity of HBV core promoter (CP)/enhancer II (ENII) due to the attenuated binding capacity of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) to HBV CP/ENII. This study suggests that x128–133del may contribute to immunoprophylaxis success, which may be helpful in clarifying the virological mechanism affecting HBV MTCT and formulating an optimal immunization strategy for children born to HBeAg-positive mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the interest in metallurgical accident investigation of blast furnace gas (BFG) leakage has increased to explore the engineering failures, more effort is needed to address the individual and organizational causative factors to clear and determine the weak links for improving safety management and accident prevention to achieve green metallurgical manufacturing. This study aims to examine the causative factors and evolution paths of BFG leakage by introducing a combined method, the 24 model and Bayesian network (BN), based on 50 cases of fire, explosion and suffocation accidents caused by BFG leakage. A BN model of BFG leakage was established based on the identification of 25 causative factors by the 24 model. Results showed that eight nodes, including A1 (unsafe operation), A2 (unsafe behavior), A4 (unsafe condition), B1 (valve failure), B2 (improper gas safety operation), X4 (use of BFG violates regulations), X5 (water gas is not cut off before shutdown reduction) and X6 (incomplete steam purging), were more sensitive than others, and the posterior probability of nodes A1, A2, A3 (unsafe command), A4, B1, B2, B4 (improper emergency behavior), B5 (unsafe behaviors on BFG site) increased compared to prior probability. Three main accident causal chains were obtained which indicate that control the unsafe operations (A1) related to gas (B2) and valve (B1) are suggested to be improved. Another important factor is A4 (unsafe condition), which is related to intrinsic safety conditions. Considering the results, the key points of 3E strategy about BFG leakage prevention are suggested. This study provides useful insights to understand the organizational and individual factors and their relative influence in BFG leakage accidents, which will support BFG leakage prevention and safety management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) is an alternative material for use in removable partial denture frameworks; these frameworks must exhibit antibacterial properties to reduce the risk of periodontal disease. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized via the reduction of silver nitrate with sodium borohydride in a solution containing polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). Transmission electron microscope images and dynamic light scattering confirmed that metallic nanoparticles had been created with an average size of 32 nm. Furthermore, the coating of the PEKK polymeric substrate with 0.5% AgNPs was carried out using an epoxy resin lining at room temperature. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra confirmed the successful transfer of the AgNP-in-resin lining onto the polymeric substrate. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed that the AgNPs had been uniformly deposited onto the PEKK specimens. Finally, the antibacterial activity of the specimens was tested against Porphyromonas gingivalis. An inhibition zone of 22.5 mm and an antibacterial rate of 83.47% were found for the PEKK coated with 0.5% AgNPs (0.5% Ag-PEKK) compared to an untreated polyetheretherketone (PEEK) substrate, evidencing that 0.5% Ag-PEKK has potential antibacterial properties for implant applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary microbial invasion frequently occurs during AIDS progression in HIV patients. Inflammatory cytokines and other immunoregulatory factors play important roles in this process. We previously established an AIDS model of SIVmac239 infection in northern pig-tailed macaques (NPMs), which were divided into rapid progressor (RP) and slow progressor (SP) groups according to their AIDS progression rates. In this study, we performed 16S rDNA and transcriptome sequencing of the lungs to reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the difference in progression rate between the RPs and SPs. We found that microbial invasion in the RP group was distinct from that in the SP group, showing marker flora of the Family XI, Enterococcus and Ezakiella, and more Lactobacilli. Through pulmonary transcriptome analysis, we found that the transcription factor ZNF683 had higher expression in the SP group than in the RP group. In subsequent functional experiments, we found that ZNF683 increased the proliferation and IFNγ secretion ability of CD8+ T cells, thus decreasing SIV or HIV replication, which may be related to AIDS progression in SIVmac239-infected NPMs. This study helps elucidate the various complexities of disease progression in HIV-1-infected individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an exemplary model for examining molecular mechanisms responsible for extreme phenotypic variations, plumage color has garnered significant interest. The Cygnus genus features two species, Cygnus olor and Cygnus atratus, that exhibit striking disparities in plumage color. However, the molecular foundation for this differentiation has remained elusive. Herein, we present two high-quality genomes for C. olor and C. atratus, procured using the Illumina and Nanopore technologies. The assembled genome of C. olor was 1.12 Gb in size with a contig N50 of 26.82 Mb, while its counterpart was 1.13 Gb in size with a contig N50 of 21.91 Mb. A comparative analysis unveiled three genes (TYR, SLC45A2, and SLC7A11) with structural variants in the melanogenic pathway. Notably, we also identified a novel gene, PWWP domain containing 2A (PWWP2A), that is related to plumage color, for the first time. Using targeted gene modification analysis, we demonstrated the potential genetic effect of the PWWP2A variant on pigment gene expression and melanin production. Finally, our findings offer insight into the intricate pattern of pigmentation and the role of polygenes in birds. Furthermore, these two high-quality genome references provide a comprehensive resource and perspective for comparative functional and genetic studies of evolution within the Cygnus genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In the face of the challenge posed by antibiotic prohibition, the identification of sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to antibiotics is important. Ampelopsis grossedentata flavonoids, a plant-based extract, have high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities provide a non-toxic and innocuous option for the extended application of additives. This study examined the viability of Ampelopsis grossedentata flavonoids as a potential substitute for antibiotics. The results showed that supplementation of Ampelopsis grossedentata flavonoids in the diet exhibited the capacity to enhance rumen microbial diversity and immune competence, thereby fostering improved growth performance among weaned kids. Consequently, this study provides an important reference for the future development of Ampelopsis grossedentata flavonoids as a new environmentally friendly additive. This study was conducted to evaluate the influences of supplementing Ampelopsis grossedentata flavonoids (AGF) on the rumen bacterial microbiome, plasma physiology and biochemistry, and growth performance of goats. Twenty-four Nubian kids were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments: the control (CON, basal diet), the 1.0 g/kg AGF treatment (AGF), and the 12.5 mg/kg monensin treatment (MN). This trial consisted of 10 days for adaptation and 90 days for data and sample collection. The results reveal that Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria are the dominant phyla in kids' rumen. Compared with the CON group, the alpha diversity in the MN and AGF groups significantly increased (p < 0.01). Beta-diversity shows that rumen microbial composition is more similar in the MN and AGF groups. LEfSe analysis shows that Prevotella_1 in the AGF group were significantly higher than those in the MN and CON group. The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and glucose levels in the AGF group were significantly higher than those in the CON group (p < 0.05), whereas the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase levels exhibited the opposite trend. The average daily gains in the AGF and MN groups significantly increased, while the feed-to-gain ratios were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). The results suggest that adding AGF to the diet improves microbial composition and has important implications for studying juvenile livestock growth and improving economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citalopram (CIT) is a commonly prescribed medication for depression. However, the photodegradation mechanism of CIT has not yet been fully analyzed. Therefore, the photodegradation process of CIT in water is studied by density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory. The calculated results show that during the indirect photodegradation process, the indirect photodegradation of CIT with ·OH occurs via OH-addition and F-substitution. The minimum activation energy of C10 site was 0.4 kcal/mol. All OH-addition and F-substitution reactions are exothermic. The reaction of 1O2 with CIT includes the substitution of 1O2 for F and an addition reaction at the C14 site. The Ea value of this process is 1.7 kcal/mol, which is the lowest activation energy required for the reaction of 1O2 with CIT. C–C/C–N/C–F cleavage is involved in the direct photodegradation process. In the direct photodegradation of CIT, the activation energy of the C7-C16 cleavage reaction was the lowest, which was 12.5 kcal/mol. Analysis of the Ea values found that OH-addition and F-substitution, the substitution of 1O2 for F and addition at the C14 site, as well as the cleavage reactions of C6–F/C7–C16/C17–C18/C18–N/C19–N/C20–N are the main pathways of photodegradation of CIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homo-polymers of reasonable molecular weight relax very fast in the molten state. Starting from a semi-crystalline structure, when the homo-polymer is heated up to a temperature higher than its nominal melting temperature, it relaxes quickly into a homogenous molten state. The following crystallization temperature during cooling remains constant irrespective of the melt temperature. However, the situation is evidently different in copolymers. A phenomenon named the crystallization melt memory effect denotes an increased crystallization rate during cooling after a polymer was melted at different temperatures, which is often observed. The melt temperature can be even higher than the equilibrium melting temperature of the corresponding polymer crystals. In this work, we investigated such memory effect in a polyethylene random terpolymer with a small fraction of 1-octene and 1-hexene co-units using differential scanning calorimetry techniques. Both non-isothermal and isothermal protocols were employed. In non-isothermal tests, a purposely prepared sample with well defined thermal history (the sample has been first conditioned at 200 °C for 5 min to eliminate the thermal history and then cooled down to −50 °C) was melted at different temperatures, followed by a continuous cooling at a constant rate of 20 °C/min. Peak crystallization temperature during cooling was taken to represent the crystallization rate. Whereas, in isothermal tests, the same prepared sample with well defined thermal history was cooled to a certain crystallization temperature after being melted at different temperatures. Here, time to complete the isothermal crystallization was recorded. It was found that the results of isothermal tests allowed us to divide the melt temperature into four zones where the features of the crystallization half time change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, 673 diarrhea samples from 143 pig farms in Guangxi during 2017–2022 were collected and detected for PEDV. Ninety-eight strains were selected for S1 gene analyses and an increased number of strains in the G2c subgroup was found from 2019 onwards. Bayesian analysis revealed that Guigang may have been the epicenter of PEDVs in Guangxi. In addition, Guigang was identified as the primary hub from which PEDVs spread via two routes, namely Guigang–Wuzhou and Guigang–Laibin. Further recombination analyses indicated that two of the strains, 18-GXNN-6 and 19-GXBH-2, originated from intra-genogroup recombination. This study revealed a new status of PEDVs in Guangxi, China, which increases understanding of the prevalence, genetic characteristics and evolutionary profiles of the circulating PEDV strains in China. Since 2010, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has swept across China and spread throughout the country, causing huge economic losses. In this study, 673 diarrhea samples from 143 pig farms in Guangxi during 2017–2022 were collected and detected for PEDV. Ninety-eight strains were selected for S1 gene analyses and these strains were classified into four subgroups (G1b, G2a, G2b and G2c), accounting for 1.02 (1/98), 75.51 (74/98), 16.33 (16/98) and 7.14% (7/98) of the total, respectively. Importantly, an increased number of strains in the G2c subgroup was found from 2019 onwards. Bayesian analysis revealed that Guigang may have been the epicenter of PEDVs in Guangxi. In addition, Guigang was identified as the primary hub from which PEDVs spread via two routes, namely Guigang–Wuzhou and Guigang–Laibin. Moreover, several coinfections of novel PEDV variants bearing large deletions in the partial S1 protein and PEDVs possessing an intact partial S1 protein were found in pigs. Further recombination analyses indicated that two of the strains, 18-GXNN-6 and 19-GXBH-2, originated from intra-genogroup recombination. Together, our data revealed a new profile of PEDV in Guangxi, China, which enhances our understanding of the distribution, genetic characteristics and evolutionary profile of the circulating PEDV strains in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peripheral nerve injury involves divergent alterations within dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons sensitized by persistent inflammation. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) production is crucial in the development of chronic inflammatory responses. Herein, we investigate the changes of TSLP expression in rats' DRG neurons between injured and uninjured sides in the same rat. Linalyl acetate (LA) was served as a TSLP inhibitor and given intraperitoneally. Rats were assigned to be group of chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve and the group of CCI of the sciatic nerve administrated with LA. Over 14 days, the rats were measured for paw withdrawal thresholds. DRGs were collected to assess morphological changes via immunofluorescence study. After receiving CCI, the rats rapidly developed mechanical hyperalgesia. TSLP expression at DRG, on the ipsilateral injured side, was consistent with changes in pain behaviors. TSLP appeared in nerve fibers with both small diameters and large diameters. Additionally, TSLP was expressed mostly in transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1)-positive nociceptive neurons. Administration with LA can attenuate the pain behaviors and expression of TSLP in DRG neurons, and in apoptotic neurons at the injured side, but not in the contra-lateral uninjured side. Overall, these results imply that altered expressions of TSLP in nociceptive DRG neurons contributed to mechanical hyperalgesia in a CCI rat model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane brown rust (SCBR), caused by Puccinia melanocephala, is a destructive fungal disease that has extensively spread in the sugarcane-cultivating regions across the world. Early monitoring plays an important role in predicting the P. melanocephala epidemic and managing SCBR. However, accurately identifying SCBR based on symptoms and urediniospore morphology at the initial stage is a challenge. Further, it is tedious, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and requires expensive equipment to detect P. melanocephala using PCR-based methods. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology is renowned for its speed, simplicity, and low equipment requirements for specifically and sensitively identifying many pathogens. Therefore, in this study, a novel and highly sensitive LAMP assay was developed for the specific detection of P. melanocephala in sugarcane. Here, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence of P. melanocephala was selected as the target gene for LAMP primer design. Based on the color change of SYBR Green I and gel electrophoresis, specific LAMP primers were screened. Further, the optimal reaction conditions for the LAMP assay were determined at 63 °C for 60 min. The LAMP assay showed a high degree of specificity for the detection of P. melanocephala in sugarcane, with no cross-reactivity with other fungal pathogens. The established LAMP protocol was highly sensitive and can be used to detect as low as 1 pg/μL of P. melanocephala plasmid DNA, which is comparable to that of nested PCR and ~100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. Finally, the detection rate of the LAMP method was higher than that of conventional and nested PCR in field samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks–Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR) was evaluated for the assessment of long-term drought monitoring in Huaihe River Basin using daily gauge observation data for the period from 1983 to 2017. The evaluation results show that the PERSIANN-CDR algorithm has a good detection ability for small precipitation events over the whole basin, but a poor ability for extreme precipitation events (>50 mm/day). Daily PERSIANN-CDR estimates perform relatively better in areas with abundant precipitation, while the monthly and yearly PERSIANN-CDR estimates are highly consistent with gauge observations both in magnitude and space. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at various time scales (3, 6, and 12 months) was calculated based on PERSIANN-CDR and gauge observation, respectively. Grid-based values of statistics derived from those SPI values demonstrate that PERSIANN-CDR has a good ability to capture drought events of each time scale across the basin. However, caution should be applied when using PERSIANN-CDR estimates for basin-scale drought trend analysis. Furthermore, three drought events with long duration and large extent were selected to test the applicability of PERSIANN-CDR in drought monitoring. The results show that it has a good ability to capture when and where droughts occur and how far they spread. Due to the overestimation of small precipitation events, PERSIANN-CDR tends to overestimate the number of extreme droughts and their extents. This needs to be considered in future algorithm improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coinfection caused by various genotypes of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a new disease situation. We previously reported the coexistence of PEDV strains containing different ORF3 genotypes in China. In this study, the PEDV strains 17GXCZ-1ORF3d and 17GXCZ-1ORF3c were isolated and plaque-purified from the same piglet, which had a natural large deletion at the 172–554 bp position of the ORF3 gene or possessed a complete ORF3 gene, respectively. Meanwhile, 17GXCZ-1ORF3d had >99% nt identity with 17GXCZ-1ORF3c in the 5′UTR, ORF1a/1b, S, E, M, N and 3′UTR regions but only demonstrated low nucleotide identities (80.5%) in the ORF3 gene. To elucidate the pathogenicity, 7-day-old piglets were infected. Piglets infected with these two PEDV strains exhibited severe clinical signs and shed the virus at the highest level within 96 hpi. Compared with the piglets inoculated with the 17GXCZ-1ORF3c strain, the piglets inoculated with the 17GXCZ-1ORF3d strain had higher mortality rates (75% vs. 50%), an earlier onset of clinical signs with a significantly higher diarrhea score, lower VH:CD ratios and a higher percentage of PEDV-positive enterocytes. This study is the first to report PEDV coinfections with different ORF3 genotypes, and a PEDV strain with a large deletion in the ORF3 gene might have the advantage of a potential genetic marker, which would be useful during vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report on the synthesis of new organoselenium derivatives, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) scaffolds and Se functionalities (isoselenocyanate and selenourea), which were evaluated against four types of cancer cell line: SW480 (human colon adenocarcinoma cells), HeLa (human cervical cancer cells), A549 (human lung carcinoma cells), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma cells). Among these compounds, most of the investigated compounds reduced the viability of different cancer cell lines. The most promising compound 6b showed IC50 values under 10 μM against the four cancer cell lines, particularly to HeLa and MCF-7, with IC50 values of 2.3 and 2.5 μM, respectively. Furthermore, two compounds, 6b and 6f, were selected to investigate their ability to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via modulation of the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2) and proapoptotic caspase-3 protein. The redox properties of the NSAIDs-Se derivatives were conducted by 2, 2-didiphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), bleomycin-dependent DNA damage and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-like assays. Finally, a molecular docking study revealed that an interaction with the active site of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) predicted the antiproliferative activity of the synthesized candidates. Overall, these results could serve as a promising launch point for further designs of NSAIDs-Se derivatives as potential antiproliferative agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A keloid is a fibroproliferative skin tumor. Proliferating keloid fibroblasts (KFs) demand active metabolic utilization. The contributing roles of glycolysis and glucose metabolism in keloid fibroproliferation remain unclear. This study aims to determine the regulation of glycolysis and glucose metabolism by glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1), an essential protein to initiate cellular glucose uptake, in keloids and in KFs. Tissues of keloids and healthy skin were explanted for KFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs), respectively. GLUT-1 expression was measured by immunofluorescence, RT-PCR, and immunoblotting. The oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) were measured with or without WZB117, a GLUT-1 inhibitor. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assayed by MitoSOX immunostaining. The result showed that glycolysis (ECAR) was enhanced in KFs, whereas OCR was not. GLUT-1 expression was selectively increased in KFs. Consistently, GLUT-1 expression was increased in keloid tissue. Treatment with WZB117 abolished the enhanced ECAR, including glycolysis and glycolytic capacity, in KFs. ROS levels were increased in KFs compared to those in NFs. GLUT-1 inhibition suppressed not only the ROS levels but also the cell proliferation in KFs. In summary, the GLUT-1-dependent glycolysis and ROS production mediated fibroblast proliferation in keloids. GLUT1 might be a potential target for metabolic reprogramming to treat keloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactic acid bacteria have functions in immunoregulation, antagonism, and pathogen inhibition. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in countering oral pathogens and develop related products. After a series of assays to 450 LAB strains, 8 heat-inactivated strains showed a strong inhibitory effect on a caries pathogen, Streptococcus mutans, and 308 heat-inactivated LAB strains showed a strong inhibitory effect on a periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis. The key reasons for inhibiting oral pathogens were bacteriocins produced by LAB and the coaggregation effect of the inactivated cells. We selected Lacticaseibacillus (Lb) paracasei 111 and Lb.paracasei 141, which had the strongest inhibitory effects on the above pathogens, was the main oral health food source. The optimal cultural conditions of Lb. paracasei 111 and Lb. paracasei 141 were studied. An oral tablet with a shelf life of 446 days made of the above strains was developed. A 40 volunteers' clinical study (CSMUH IRB number: CS05065) was conducted with this tablet in the Periodontological Department of the Stomatology Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Chung Shan Medical University (Taiwan). After 8 weeks of testing, 95% and 78.9% of patients showed an effect on reducing periodontal pathogens and improving probing pocket depth, respectively, in the oral tablet group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recessive variants of the SLC26A4 gene are globally a common cause of hearing impairment. In the past, cell lines and transgenic mice were widely used to investigate the pathogenicity associated with SLC26A4 variants. However, discrepancies in pathogenicity between humans and cell lines or transgenic mice were documented for some SLC26A4 variants. For instance, the p.C565Y variant, which was reported to be pathogenic in humans, did not exhibit functional pathogenic consequences in cell lines. To address the pathogenicity of p.C565Y, we used a genotype-based approach in which we generated knock-in mice that were heterozygous (Slc26a4+/C565Y), homozygous (Slc26a4C565Y/C565Y), and compound heterozygous (Slc26a4919-2A>G/C565Y) for this variant. Subsequent phenotypic characterization revealed that mice with these genotypes demonstrated normal auditory and vestibular functions, and normal inner-ear morphology and pendrin expression. These findings indicate that the p.C565Y variant is nonpathogenic for mice, and that a single p.C565Y allele is sufficient to maintain normal inner-ear physiology in mice. Our results highlight the differences in pathogenicity associated with certain SLC26A4 variants between transgenic mice and humans, which should be considered when interpreting the results of animal studies for SLC26A4-related deafness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles (NPs) have been surfacing as a pivotal platform for vaccine development. In our previous work, we developed a cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-based self-assembled nanoparticle (CNP) and produced highly promising bioconjugate nanovaccines by loading bacterial polysaccharide (OPS) in vivo. In particular, the Klebsiella pneumoniae O2 serotype vaccine showcased a potent immune response and protection against infection. However, extremely low yields limited its further application. In this study, we prepared an efficient Klebsiella pneumoniae bioconjugate nanovaccine in Escherichia coli with a very high yield. By modifying the 33rd glycine (G) in the CNP to aspartate (D), we were able to observe a dramatically increased expression of glycoprotein. Subsequently, through a series of mutations, we determined that G33D was essential to increasing production. In addition, this increase only occurred in engineered E. coli but not in the natural host K. pneumoniae strain 355 (Kp355) expressing OPSKpO2. Next, T-cell epitopes were fused at the end of the CNP(G33D), and animal experiments showed that fusion of the M51 peptide induced high antibody titers, consistent with the levels of the original nanovaccine, CNP-OPSKpO2. Hence, we provide an effective approach for the high-yield production of K. pneumoniae bioconjugate nanovaccines and guidance for uncovering glycosylation mechanisms and refining glycosylation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barite has numerous applications including barium mud for oil well drilling, manufacture of elemental barium, filler for paper and rubber industries, and contrast material for X-ray radiology for the digestive system. Currently, froth flotation is the main method for the beneficiation of barite using fatty acid as a typical collector. In this research, it was found that lauryl phosphate is also a promising collector for barite flotation. Results from microflotation, contact angle, and zeta potential indicate that lauryl phosphate is adsorbed on the barite surface and thus achieves superior flotation efficiency at a wide pH range. The interfacial water structure and wetting characteristics of barite surface with/without lauryl phosphate adsorption were also evaluated by molecular dynamics simulations (MDS). The results from molecular dynamics simulations and interaction energy calculations are in accord with the experimental results, which suggest that lauryl phosphate might be a potential collector for the flotation of barite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave and infrared–thermal radiation-compatible shielding fabrics represent an important direction in the development of wearable protective fabrics. Nevertheless, effectively and conveniently integrating compatible shielding functions into fabrics while maintaining breathability and moisture permeability remains a significant challenge. Here, we take hydrophilic PVA-co-PE nanofibrous film-coated PET fabric (NFs/PET) as a flexible substrate and deposit a dielectric/conductive (SiO2/Al) bilayer film via magnetron sputtering. This strategy endows the fabric surface with high electrical conductivity, nanoscale roughness comparable to visible and infrared waves, and a dielectric–metal contact interface possessing localized plasmon resonance and Mie scattering effects. The results demonstrate that the optimized SiO2/Al/NFs/PET composite conductive fabric (referred to as S4-1) possesses favorable X-band electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (50 dB) as well as excellent long-wave infrared (LWIR) shielding or IR stealth performance (IR emissivity of 0.60). Notably, the S4-1 fabric has a cooling effect of about 12.4 °C for a heat source (80 °C) and an insulating effect of about 17.2 °C for a cold source (−20 °C), showing excellent shielding capability for heat conduction and heat radiations. Moreover, the moisture permeability of the S4-1 fabric is about 300 g/(m2·h), which is better than the requirement concerning moisture permeability for wearable fabrics (≥2500–5000 g/(m2·24 h)), indicating excellent heat and moisture comfort. In short, our fabrics have lightweight, thin, moisture-permeable and excellent shielding performance, which provides novel ideas for the development of wearable multi-band shielding fabrics applied to complex electromagnetic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a neurological disorder with a significant effect on cattle health, has been recognized pathologically and medically. It is associated with a 12 bp indel in intron 1 of the PRNP gene and a 23 bp indel polymorphism in the putative promoter. The main focus of this work was to assess the allele, genotype, and haplotype frequencies of PRNP indel polymorphisms in Zhongdian Yak, Zhongdian Yellow cattle, and Zhongdian Yakow, as well as to investigate the effect of PRNP gene expressions of 23 bp and 12 bp indels using PCR. Two variable sites—a 23 bp indel polymorphism holding AP1 binding site and a 12 bp indel polymorphism holding SP1 binding site—were also investigated. Overall, the study results suggest that the PRNP genotype may contribute to the high variation in PRNP expression. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a fatal disease in cattle caused by misfolded prion proteins and linked to indel polymorphisms in the promoter and intron 1 of the PRNP gene. The aim of this study was to determine the allele, genotype, and haplotype frequencies of PRNP indel polymorphisms and to investigate the effect of PRNP gene expressions of 23 bp and 12 bp indels via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in Zhongdian Yak (Bos-grunniens) (YK), Zhongdian Yellow cattle (Bos-taurus) (YC), and Zhongdian Yakow (Bos-primigenius taurus × Bos-grunniens) (PK). Resultant high allelic frequencies were found in 23− and 12+, while haplotype frequencies were very low in 23+/12 in YK, YC, and PK. PRNP expression was higher in the +−/−− diplotype of the PK and (mean ± SE) was 3.6578 ± 1.85964. Furthermore, two variable sites were investigated—a 23 bp indel polymorphism holding AP1 binding site and a 12 bp indel polymorphism holding SP1 binding site. Additionally, reporter gene assays revealed a link between two proposed transcription factors and lower expression levels of the +/+ allele compared with the −/− allele. The expression level of PRNP was shown to be dependent on two indel polymorphisms in the bovine PRNP promoter, which includes binding sites for RP58 and SP1 transcription factors. These findings raised the possibility that the PRNP genotype may contribute to the high variation in PRNP expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Due to a lack of understanding of the 5′ regulatory region of the SLC11A1 gene in the yak population, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory region of the yak SLC11A1 gene by cloning gene sequences of different lengths. Through transient transfection experiments, we confirmed the promoter activity of four distinct-length sequences within the 5′ regulatory region of the yak SLC11A1 gene in the RAW264.7 cell line. Moreover, our analysis identified six novel SNPs in the 5′ regulatory region sequence of the SLC11A1 gene in yaks. Bioinformatic analysis emphasized the proximity of the −1057 G>T and −127 G>A loci to the transcription factor binding sites NF-1 and NF-1/L. This observation suggests their potential impact on NF-1 and NF-1/L transcription factor binding. In summary, this study serves as a foundational reference for future research on the connection between promoter region polymorphism of the yak SLC11A1 gene and disease resistance. It also lays the foundation for investigating the transcriptional regulation mechanisms of this gene, and opens the door to further exploration in this important field. The solute transport protein family 11 A1 (SLC11A1), also recognized as natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 1 (NRAMP1), represents a transmembrane protein encoded by the SLC11A1 gene. A variety of prior investigations have illuminated its involvement in conferring resistance or susceptibility to bacterial agents, positioning it as a promising candidate gene for breeding disease-resistant animals. Yaks (Bos grunniens), renowned inhabitants of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, stand as robust ruminants distinguished by their adaptability and formidable disease resistance. Notwithstanding these unique traits, there is scant literature on the SLC11A1 gene in the yak population. Our inquiry commences with the cloning of the 5′ regulatory region sequence of the Zhongdian yak SLC11A1 gene. We employ bioinformatics tools to identify transcription factor binding sites, delineating pivotal elements like enhancers and cis-acting elements. To ascertain the promoter activity of this region, we amplify four distinct promoter fragments within the 5′ regulatory region of the yak SLC11A1 gene. Subsequently, we design a luciferase reporter gene vector containing four site-specific deletion mutations and perform transient transfection experiments. Through these experiments, we measure and compare the activity of disparate gene fragments located within the 5′ regulatory region, revealing regions bearing promoter functionality and discerning key regulatory elements. Our findings validate the promoter functionality of the 5′ regulatory region, offering preliminary insights into the core and principal regulatory segments of this promoter. Notably, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may be associated with important regulatory elements such as NF-1 and NF-1/L. This study provides a theoretical framework for in-depth research on the function and expression regulation mechanism of the yak SLC11A1 gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multifunctional materials with a coexistence of proton conduction properties, single–molecule magnet (SMM) behaviors and magneto–optical Faraday effects have rarely been reported. Herein, a new pair of Cu(II)–Dy(III) enantiomers, [DyCu2(RR/SS–H2L)2(H2O)4(NO3)2]·(NO3)·(H2O) (R–1 and S–1) (H4L = [RR/SS] –N,N′–bis [3–hydroxysalicylidene] –1,2–cyclohexanediamine), has been designed and prepared using homochiral Schiff–base ligands. R–1 and S–1 contain linear Cu(II)–Dy(III)–Cu(II) trinuclear units and possess 1D stacking channels within their supramolecular networks. R–1 and S–1 display chiral optical activity and strong magneto–optical Faraday effects. Moreover, R–1 shows a zero–field SMM behavior. In addition, R–1 demonstrates humidity– and temperature–dependent proton conductivity with optimal values of 1.34 × 10−4 S·cm−1 under 50 °C and 98% relative humidity (RH), which is related to a 1D extended H–bonded chain constructed by water molecules, nitrate and phenol groups of the RR–H2L ligand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncaria rhynchophylla (Miq.) Miq. ex Havil, a traditional medicinal herb, is enriched with several pharmacologically active terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs). At present, no method has been reported that can comprehensively select and evaluate the appropriate reference genes for gene expression analysis, especially the transcription factors and key enzyme genes involved in the biosynthesis pathway of TIAs in U. rhynchophylla. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is currently the most common method for detecting gene expression levels due to its high sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and ease of use. However, this methodology is dependent on selecting an optimal reference gene to accurately normalize the RT-qPCR results. Ten candidate reference genes, which are homologues of genes used in other plant species and are common reference genes, were used to evaluate the expression stability under three stress-related experimental treatments (methyl jasmonate, ethylene, and low temperature) using multiple stability analysis methodologies. The results showed that, among the candidate reference genes, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAM) exhibited a higher expression stability under the experimental conditions tested. Using SAM as a reference gene, the expression profiles of 14 genes for key TIA enzymes and a WRKY1 transcription factor were examined under three experimental stress treatments that affect the accumulation of TIAs in U. rhynchophylla. The expression pattern of WRKY1 was similar to that of tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) under ETH treatment. This research is the first to report the stability of reference genes in U. rhynchophylla and provides an important foundation for future gene expression analyses in U. rhynchophylla. The RT-qPCR results indicate that the expression of WRKY1 is similar to that of TDC under ETH treatment. It may coordinate the expression of TDC, providing a possible method to enhance alkaloid production in the future through synthetic biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ormosia henryi Prain leaf (OHPL) is a new bioactive resource with potential antidepressant activity, but few reports have confirmed its chemical composition or antidepressant effect. To investigate the phytochemical profile of OHPL ethanol extract (OHPLE), six flavone C-glycosides and two flavone O-glycosides were purified by high-speed counter-current chromatography combined with preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HSCCC-prep-HPLC). The eight isolated compounds were identified by NMR and MS. Forty-six flavonoids, including flavones, flavone C-glycosides, flavone O-glycosides, isoflavones, isoflavone O-glycosides, prenylflavones and polymethoxyflavones were definitively or tentatively identified from OHPLE using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/ electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS) on the basis of fragment ions that are characteristic of these isolated compounds. The results of the antidepressant assay suggest that OHPLE significantly improved depression-related behaviors of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice. The observed changes in these mice after OHPLE treatment were an increased sucrose preference index, reduced feeding latency, prolonged tail suspension time, and upregulated expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The details of the phytochemicals and the antidepressant effect of OHPLE are reported here for the first time. This study indicates that the OHPL, enriched in flavone C-glycosides, is a new resource that might be potentially applied in the field of nutraceuticals (or functional additives) with depression-regulating functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quickly and efficiently monitoring soil heavy metal content is crucial for protecting the natural environment and for human health. Estimating heavy metal content in soils using hyperspectral data is a cost-efficient method but challenging due to the effects of complex landscapes and soil properties. One of the challenges is how to make a lab-derived model based on soil samples applicable to mapping the contents of heavy metals in soil using air-borne or space-borne hyperspectral imagery at a regional scale. For this purpose, our study proposed a novel method using hyperspectral data from soil samples and the HuanJing-1A (HJ-1A) HyperSpectral Imager (HSI). In this method, estimation models were first developed using optimal relevant spectral variables from dry soil spectral reflectance (DSSR) data and field observations of soil heavy metal content. The relationship of the ratio of DSSR to moisture soil spectral reflectance (MSSR) with soil moisture content was then derived, which built up the linkage of DSSR with MSSR and provided the potential of applying the models developed in the laboratory to map soil heavy metal content at a regional scale using hyperspectral imagery. The optimal relevant spectral variables were obtained by combining the Boruta algorithm with a stepwise regression and variance inflation factor. This method was developed, validated, and applied to estimate the content of heavy metals in soil (As, Cd, and Hg) in Guangdong, China, and the Conghua district of Guangzhou city. The results showed that based on the validation datasets, the content of Cd could be reliably estimated and mapped by the proposed method, with relative root mean square error (RMSE) values of 17.41% for the point measurements of soil samples from Guangdong province and 17.10% for the Conghua district at the regional scale, while the content of heavy metals As and Hg in soil were relatively difficult to predict with the relative RMSE values of 32.27% and 28.72% at the soil sample level and 51.55% and 36.34% at the regional scale. Moreover, the relationship of the DSSR/MSSR ratio with soil moisture content varied greatly before the wavelength of 1029 nm and became stable after that, which linked DSSR with MSSR and provided the possibility of applying the DSSR-based models to map the soil heavy metal content at the regional scale using the HJ-1A images. In addition, it was found that overall there were only a few soil samples with the content of heavy metals exceeding the health standards in Guangdong province, while in Conghua the seriously polluted areas were mainly distributed in the cities and croplands. This study implies that the new approach provides the potential to map the content of heavy metals in soil, but the estimation model of Cd was more accurate than those of As and Hg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Icariin (ICA) is a major flavonoid that contains the active compound Epimedii Folium. However, ICA's pharmacokinetic characteristics remain unsatisfactory due to its low bioavailability, and hence limited drugability. In order to improve its pharmacokinetics and achieve prolonged blood circulation time, a novel polymeric micelle, made of the self-assembled micelle between poly (ethylene glycol)-poly (L-lactic acid) (PEG-PLLA) and poly (D-lactic acid)-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PDLA-PNIPAM), was designed to encapsulate ICA. Our experimental results showed that this polymeric micelle formulation of ICA exhibited uniform nano-size distribution and high stability within 48 h. The new formulation also allowed sustained ICA release in an in vitro drug release study. Furthermore, in vivo experiments revealed that ICA bioavailability in the PEG-PLLA/PDLA-PNIPAM polymeric micelle formulation was significantly higher compared to ICA alone, or ICA in the traditional Pluronic F127 micelle formulation. Finally, we show that metabolite analysis confirmed that ICA within the PEG-PLLA/PDLA-PNIPAM polymeric micelle formulation provided better drug protection, reduced drug metabolites production, and decreased undesired first-pass effects. Overall, these data show that ICA within PEG-PLLA/PDLA-PNIPAM polymeric micelle formulation exhibit advantages, in terms of improved physicochemical properties, sustained release of ICA in vitro, and improved bioavailability of ICA in vivo, which represent a feasible approach for improving the drugability of pharmaceutical small molecules with low bioavailability or poor stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four novel acylglycosides flavones (AGFs) including two quercetin acylglycosides and two kaempferol acylglycosides were isolated from Fuzhuan brick tea (FBT) as follows: quercetin 3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)] [2-O"-(E)-p-coumaroyl] [β-d-glucopyranosyl (1→3)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)]-β-d-galactoside was named as camelliquercetiside E (1), quercetin 3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→3)] [2-O"-(E)-p-coumaroyl] [α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)]-β-d-galactoside was named as camelliquercetiside F (2), kaempferol 3-O-[α-l-arabinopyranosyl (1→3)] [2-O"-(E)-p-coumaroyl] [β-d-glucopyranosyl (1→3)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)]-β-d-glucoside was named as camellikaempferoside D (3), kaempferol 3-O-[α-l-arabinopyranosyl (1→3)] [2-O"-(E)-p-coumaroyl] [α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)]-β-d-glucoside was named as camellikaempferoside E (4). Chemical structures of AGFs were identified by time-of-flight mass (TOF-MS) and NMR spectrometers (1H NMR, 13C NMR, 1H-1H COSY, HMBC and HSQC), and the MS2 fragmentation pathway of AGFs was further investigated. The inhibitory abilities of AGFs and their proposed metabolites on α-glucosidase and HMG-CoA reductase were analyzed by molecular docking simulation, and the results suggested that inhibitory activities of AGFs were significantly affected by acyl structure, number of glycosyl and conformation, and part of them had strong inhibitory activities on α-glucosidase and HMG-CoA reductase, suggesting that AGFs and their metabolites might be important ingredients that participate in the regulation of hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. The results provided new AGFs and research directions for the practical study of FBT health functions in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-molecule imaging technologies, especially those based on fluorescence, have been developed to probe both the equilibrium and dynamic properties of biomolecules at the single-molecular and quantitative levels. In this review, we provide an overview of the state-of-the-art advancements in single-molecule fluorescence imaging techniques. We systematically explore the advanced implementations of in vitro single-molecule imaging techniques using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy, which is widely accessible. This includes discussions on sample preparation, passivation techniques, data collection and analysis, and biological applications. Furthermore, we delve into the compatibility of microfluidic technology for single-molecule fluorescence imaging, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges. Finally, we summarize the current challenges and prospects of fluorescence-based single-molecule imaging techniques, paving the way for further advancements in this rapidly evolving field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While fluorescent sensors have been developed for monitoring metal ions in health and diseases, they are limited by the requirement of an excitation light source that can lead to photobleaching and a high autofluorescence background. To address these issues, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based protein or small molecule sensors have been developed; however, most of them are not highly selective nor generalizable to different metal ions. Taking advantage of the high selectivity and generalizability of DNAzymes, we report herein DNAzyme-based ratiometric sensors for Zn2+ based on BRET. The 8-17 DNAzyme was labeled with luciferase and Cy3. The proximity between luciferase and Cy3 permitted BRET when coelenterazine, the substrate for luciferase, was introduced. Adding samples containing Zn2+ resulted in a cleavage of the substrate strand, causing dehybridization of the DNAzyme construct, thus increasing the distance between Cy3 and luciferase and changing the BRET signals. Using these sensors, we detected Zn2+ in serum samples and achieved Zn2+ detection with a smartphone camera. Moreover, since the BRET pair is not the component that determines the selectivity of the sensors, this sensing platform has the potential to be adapted for the detection of other metal ions with other metal-dependent DNAzymes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of Mn and other metal dopants on the photoelectronic performance of CsPbCl3 perovskites, we conducted a series of theoretical analyses. Our findings showed that after Mn mono-doping, the CsPbCl3 lattice contracted and the bonding strength increased, resulting in a more compact structure of the metal octahedral cage. The relaxation of the metal octahedral cage, along with the Jahn–Teller effect, results in a decrease in lattice strain between the octahedra and a reduction in the energy of the entire lattice due to the deformation of the metal octahedron. These three factors work together to reduce intrinsic defects and enhance the stability and electronic properties of CsPbCl3 perovskites. The solubility of the Mn dopant is significantly increased when co-doped with Ni, Fe, and Co dopants, as it compensates for the lattice strain induced by Mn. Doping CsPbCl3 perovskites reduces the band gap due to the decreased contributions of 3d orbitals from the dopants. Our analyses have revealed that strengthening the CsPbCl3 lattice and reducing intrinsic defects can result in improved stability and PL properties. Moreover, increasing Mn solubility and decreasing the bandgap can enhance the PLQY of orange luminescence in CsPbCl3 perovskites. These findings offer valuable insights for the development of effective strategies to enhance the photoelectronic properties of these materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new magnetic refrigeration (MR) technology, which uses the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of materials for refrigeration, has shown apparent advantages over the compression refrigeration of freon and other gases. Therefore, how to obtain materials with excellent magnetic entropy change near room temperature is of great significance for the realization of MR. In order to achieve high Tc of a Gd-based amorphous alloy, Gd45Co50Al5 amorphous alloy with good room temperature MCE was selected, and a series of Gd45Co50−xFexAl5 (x = 2, 5, 10) amorphous alloys were prepared by adding Fe instead of Co. In this paper, the effect of Fe addition on the Curie temperature, and the magnetic entropy change in the alloys, were studied thoroughly. The results show that the Curie temperature is increased to 281 K by adding 5% Fe elements, which is mainly related to the enhanced 3d-3d interaction of transition elements caused by Fe addition, and the maximum value of magnetic entropy change is 3.24 J/(kg·K) under a field of 5 T. The results are expected to provide guidance for further improving the room temperature MCE of Gd-based amorphous alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil labile organic carbon (LOC) is a valuable and sensitive parameter of the changes in soil carbon (C) pools and further affects soil structural stability. However, the influences of soil-aggregate stability on LOC fractions under erosion conditions are still unclear, especially under the collapsing gully area of south China. Soils of five positions of collapsing gully erosion, including the upper catchment (UC), collapsing wall (CW), colluvial deposit (CD), scour channel (SC) and alluvial fan (AF) from Acric Ferralsols were investigated and sampled. Soil aggregate stability and LOC fractions were measured and analyzed. Soil water-stable aggregate and passive C (passive-C) contents significantly increased by 67–76% and 8.7–13.0% at the UC, CW, CD and SC positions, respectively, while soil labile C (labile-C) content was lower at these positions as compared to the AF position (p < 0.05). Moreover, the UC position's soil C pool management index (CPMI) significantly increased by 37–40% compared to CW, CD, SC and AF soils, indicating that the soil of the UC position had a more stable C pool due to its stronger structural stability. SOC, silt, and amorphous iron oxide (Fea) contents significantly contributed to aggregate stability. We demonstrated that the depletion of soil aggregate stability could result in the decreases in soil LOC fractions, while soil properties of the OC but not the LOC pool regulated aggregate stability and thus affected soil structure across different collapsing gully erosion positions in the subtropical Acric Ferralsols region of south China. This study contributes to developing strategies to prevent soil erosion and improve global C cycle and soil quality, which could be beneficial to strengthen soil and water conservation, and improve soil fertility (e.g., SOC) and vegetation recovery, such as tea and tobacco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed germination is a complex process that is regulated by various exogenous and endogenous factors, in which abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role. The triphosphate tunnel metalloenzyme (TTM) superfamily exists in all living organisms, but research on its biological role is limited. Here, we reveal that TTM2 functions in ABA-mediated seed germination. Our study indicates that TTM2 expression is enhanced but repressed by ABA during seed germination. Promoted TTM2 expression in 35S::TTM2-FLAG rescues ABA-mediated inhibition of seed germination and early seedling development and ttm2 mutants exhibit lower seed germination rate and reduced cotyledon greening compared with the wild type, revealing that the repression of TTM2 expression is required for ABA-mediated inhibition of seed germination and early seedling development. Further, ABA inhibits TTM2 expression by ABA insensitive 4 (ABI4) binding of TTM2 promoter and the ABA-insensitive phenotype of abi4-1 with higher TTM2 expression can be rescued by mutation of TTM2 in abi4-1 ttm2-1 mutant, indicating that TTM2 acts downstream of ABI4. In addition, TTM1, a homolog of TTM2, is not involved in ABA-mediated regulation of seed germination. In summary, our findings reveal that TTM2 acts as a downstream factor of ABI4 in ABA-mediated seed germination and early seedling growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) are classical peroxidase-like nanozyme; self-agglomeration of nanoparticles leads to the undesirable reduction in stability and catalytic activity. Herein, a hybrid peroxidase-like nanocatalyst consisting of PtNPs in situ growing on g–C3N4 nanosheets with enhanced peroxidase-mimic catalytic activity (PtNP@g–C3N4 nanosheets) was prepared for H2O2 and oxidase-based colorimetric assay. g–C3N4 nanosheets can be used as carriers to solve the problem of poor stability of PtNPs. We observed that the catalytic ability could be maintained for more than 90 days. PtNP@g–C3N4 nanosheets could quickly catalyze the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), and the absorbance of blue color oxidized TMB (oxTMB) showed a robust linear relationship with the concentration of H2O2 (the detection limit (LOD): 3.33 μM). By utilizing H2O2 as a mediator, this strategy can be applied to oxidase-based biomolecules (glucose, organophosphorus, and so on, that generate or consume hydrogen peroxide) sensing. As a proof of concept, a sensitive assay of cholesterol that combined PtNP@g–C3N4 nanosheets with cholesterol oxidase (ChOx) cascade catalytic reaction was constructed with an LOD of 9.35 μM in a widespread range from 10 to 800 μM (R2 = 0.9981). In addition, we also verified its ability to detect cholesterol in fetal bovine serum. These results showed application prospect of PtNP@g–C3N4 nanosheets-based colorimetry in sensing and clinical medical detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nucleocapsid protein (N protein) is an appropriate target for early determination of viral antigen-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We have found that β-cyclodextrin polymer (β-CDP) has shown a significant fluorescence enhancement effect for fluorophore pyrene via host–guest interaction. Herein, we developed a sensitive and selective N protein-sensing method that combined the host–guest interaction fluorescence enhancement strategy with high recognition of aptamer. The DNA aptamer of N protein modified with pyrene at its 3′ terminal was designed as the sensing probe. The added exonuclease I (Exo I) could digest the probe, and the obtained free pyrene as a guest could easily enter into the hydrophobic cavity of host β-CDP, thus inducing outstanding luminescent enhancement. While in the presence of N protein, the probe could combine with it to form a complex owing to the high affinity between the aptamer and the target, which prevented the digestion of Exo I. The steric hindrance of the complex prevented pyrene from entering the cavity of β-CDP, resulting in a tiny fluorescence change. N protein has been selectively analyzed with a low detection limit (11.27 nM) through the detection of the fluorescence intensity. Moreover, the sensing of spiked N protein from human serum and throat swabs samples of three volunteers has been achieved. These results indicated that our proposed method has broad application prospects for early diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CpG is a widely used adjuvant that enhances the cellular immune response by entering antigen-presenting cells and binding with receptors. The traditional physical mixing of the antigen and CpG adjuvant results in a low adjuvant utilization rate. Considering the efficient delivery capacity of nanovaccines, we developed an attractive strategy to covalently load CpG onto the nanovaccine, which realized the co-delivery of both CpG and the antigen. Briefly, the azide-modified CpG was conjugated to a bioconjugate nanovaccine (NP-OPS) against Shigella flexneri through a simple two-step reaction. After characterization of the novel vaccine (NP-OPS-CpG), a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed, including in vivo imaging, lymph node sectioning, and dendritic cell stimulation, and the results showed that more CpG reached the lymph nodes after covalent coupling. Subsequent flow cytometry analysis of lymph nodes from immunized mice showed that the cellular immune response was greatly promoted by the nanovaccine coupled with CpG. Moreover, by analyzing the antibody subtypes of immunized mice, NP-OPS-CpG was found to further promote a Th1-biased immune response. Thus, we developed an attractive method to load CpG on a nanovaccine that is simple, convenient, and is especially suitable for immune enhancement of vaccines against intracellular bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Kadsura coccinea was planted in large quantities in south China in recent years, and its functions and effects need to be further studied and discovered. We had previously found that Kadsura coccinea fruit extract has anti-diarrhea effects on mice, so we want to explore its influence on broiler breeding. The result showed that added 200 mg/kg Kadsura coccinea fruit extract to basic feed can replace traditional antibiotics as a growth promoter. It can improve the growth, slaughter performance, and antioxidant and regulate intestinal microorganisms of broilers, which indicated that the Kadsura coccinea fruit extract is feasible as a feed additive. This study aimed to determine whether adding Kadsura coccinea fruit extract to the diet of broilers could replace antibiotics. For this study, 300 one-day-old AA white feathered broilers were divided into five groups (no sex separated), with six repetitions per group (n = 10), as follows: blank control group (basal feed, CK group), positive drug (basal feed + 300 mg/kg aureomycin, PD group), and Kadsura coccinea low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups (basal feed + 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 300 mg/kg of Kadsura coccinea fruit extract, LD group, MD group and HD group). The experiment period was divided into early (1–21 days) and late (22–42 days) stage. We found that supplementation with Kadsura coccinea fruit extract in the diet significantly improved the growth performance of broilers (p < 0.05), reduced the feed to meat ratio (p < 0.05), reduced the fat percentage (p < 0.05), while had no significant effect on meat quality (p > 0.05) and Kadsura coccinea fruit extract could promote the development of immune organs to different extents, enhance antioxidant capacity, the contents of SOD and GSH-Px in serum were significantly increased (p < 0.05), improve the ratio of villus height to crypt depth. Finally, Kadsura coccinea fruit extract increased the relative abundance of probiotics and beneficial bacteria (Bacteroidales, NK4A214, Subdoligranulum and Eubacterium hallii) (p < 0.05) and reduced the relative abundance of harmful bacteria (Erysipelatoclostridium) (p < 0.05) in the gut of broilers. Compared with positive drug group, most of the indexes in the medium-dose group were better or had similar effects. We believe that Kadsura coccinea fruit extract can be used as a potential natural antibiotic substitute in livestock and poultry breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus, GBS), a broad-spectrum pathogen, causes great economic losses in fish aquaculture, especially the industry of tilapia. Until now, the knowledge of the immune response mechanism against S. agalactiae infection in tilapia has been limited. In the present study, the gill transcriptome of the tilapia from the GBS and the phosphate buffered saline (PBS) groups were sequenced. The transcriptomic analysis results presented the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at different time points (DEGs number, 6 h: 2122, 9 h: 1851, 15 h: 1791, and 18 h: 2395) after GBS injection, and significantly enriched immune-related gene ontology (GO) terms such as the innate immune response. The significantly enriched immune pathways included the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, the nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor signaling pathway, the cytosolic-DNA sensing pathway, and the intestinal immune network for Immunoglobulin A (IgA) production. Most of the DEGs in Toll-like receptor signaling, NOD-like receptor signaling, and cytosolic-DNA sensing pathways presented upregulations at 18 h, which indicated that the innate immune pathways were activated. Two immune-related pathways (phagosome and cell adhesion molecules) were significantly enriched at all time points, suggesting that these two pathways might also play important roles in the immune response against the GBS infection. The results of HE staining showed that the gills of tilapia were damaged seriously at 9 h post-infection, which might be due to the possibility of pyroptosis resulting from the changes of DEGs in the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. This study provided new insight into the mechanisms of gill damage in fish infected with S. agalactiae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]