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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has earned a notorious reputation as one of the most formidable and deadliest malignant tumors. Within the tumor microenvironment, cancer cells have acquired the capability to maintain incessant expansion and increased proliferation in response to hypoxia via metabolic reconfiguration, leading to elevated levels of lactate within the tumor surroundings. However, there have been limited studies specifically investigating the association between hypoxia and lactic acid metabolism-related lactylation in PDAC. In this study, multiple machine learning approaches, including LASSO regression analysis, XGBoost, and Random Forest, were employed to identify hub genes and construct a prognostic risk signature. The implementation of the CERES score and single-cell analysis was used to discern a prospective therapeutic target for the management of PDAC. CCK8 assay, colony formation assays, transwell, and wound-healing assays were used to explore both the proliferation and migration of PDAC cells affected by CENPA . In conclusion, we discovered two distinct subtypes characterized by their unique hypoxia and lactylation profiles and developed a risk score to evaluate prognosis, as well as response to immunotherapy and chemotherapy, in PDAC patients. Furthermore, we indicated that CENPA may serve as a promising therapeutic target for PDAC.

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked recessive inheritance lysosomal storage disorder caused by pathogenic mutations in the GLA gene leading to a deficiency of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A (α-Gal A). Multiple organ systems are implicated in FD, most notably the kidney, heart, and central nervous system. In our previous study, we identified four GLA mutations from four independent Fabry disease families with kidney disease or neuropathic pain: c.119C>A (p.P40H), c.280T>C (C94R), c.680G>C (p.R227P) and c.801+1G>A (p.L268fsX3). To reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the predisposition to Fabry disease caused by GLA mutations, we analyzed the effects of these four GLA mutations on the protein structure of α-galactosidase A using bioinformatics methods. The results showed that these mutations have a significant impact on the internal dynamics and structures of GLA, and all these altered amino acids are close to the enzyme activity center and lead to significantly reduced enzyme activity. Furthermore, these mutations led to the accumulation of autophagosomes and impairment of autophagy in the cells, which may in turn negatively regulate autophagy by slightly increasing the phosphorylation of mTOR. Moreover, the overexpression of these GLA mutants promoted the expression of lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2), resulting in an increased number of lysosomes. Our study reveals the pathogenesis of these four GLA mutations in FD and provides a scientific foundation for accurate diagnosis and precise medical intervention for FD.

Colored rice is richer in nutrients and contains more nutrients and bioactive substances than ordinary white rice. Moderate consumption of black (purple) rice has a variety of physiological effects, such as antioxidant effects, blood lipid regulation, and blood sugar control. Therefore, we utilized nontargeted metabolomics, quantitative assays for flavonoid and phenolic compounds, and physiological and biochemical data to explore the correlations between metabolites and the development of antioxidant characteristics in pigmented rice seeds. The findings indicated that, among Yangjinnuo 818 (YJN818), Hongnuo (HN), Yangchannuo 1 hao (YCN1H), and Yangzi 6 hao (YZ6H), YZ6H exhibited the highest PAL activity, which was 2.13, 3.08, and 3.25 times greater than those of YJN818, HN, and YCN1H, respectively. YZ6H likewise exhibited the highest flavonoid content, which was 3.8, 7.06, and 35.54 times greater than those of YJN818, HN, and YCN1H, respectively. YZ6H also had the highest total antioxidant capacity, which was 2.42, 3.76, and 3.77 times greater than those of YJN818, HN, and YCN1H, respectively. Thus, purple rice grains have stronger antioxidant properties than other colored rice grains. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that trans-3,3',4',5,5',7-hexahydroxyflavanone, phorizin, and trilobatin in the YZ6H, HN, and YCN1H comparison groups all had area under the curve (AUC) values of 1. Phlorizin, trans-3,3',4',5,5',7-hexahydroxyflavanone, and trilobatin were recognized as indices of antioxidant capability in colored rice in this research. This research adds to the understanding of antioxidant compounds in pigmented rice, which can increase the nutritional value of rice and promote the overall well-being of individuals. This type of information is of immense importance in maintaining a balanced and healthy diet.

Pathogens, especially invasive species, have caused significant global ecological, economic, and social losses in forests. Plant disease research has traditionally focused on direct interactions between plants and pathogens in an appropriate environment. However, recent research indicates that the microbiome can interact with the plant host and pathogens to modulate plant resistance or pathogen pathogenicity, thereby altering the outcome of plant-pathogen interactions. Thus, this presents new opportunities for studying the microbial management of forest diseases. Compared to parallel studies on human and crop microbiomes, research into the forest tree microbiome and its critical role in forest disease progression has lagged. The rapid development of microbiome sequencing and analysis technologies has resulted in the rapid accumulation of a large body of evidence regarding the association between forest microbiomes and diseases. These data will aid the development of innovative, effective, and environmentally sustainable methods for the microbial management of forest diseases. Herein, we summarize the most recent findings on the dynamic structure and composition of forest tree microbiomes in belowground and aboveground plant tissues (i.e., rhizosphere, endosphere, and phyllosphere), as well as their pleiotropic impact on plant immunity and pathogen pathogenicity, highlighting representative examples of biological control agents used to modulate relevant tree microbiomes. Lastly, we discuss the potential application of forest tree microbiomes in disease control as well as their future prospects and challenges.

The T-2 toxin (T2) poses a major threat to the health and productivity of animals. The present study aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of Nrf2 derived from broilers against T2-induced oxidative damage. DF-1 cells, including those with normal characteristics, as well as those overexpressing or with a knockout of specific components, were exposed to a 24 h treatment of 50 nM T2. The primary objective was to evaluate the indicators associated with oxidative stress and the expression of downstream antioxidant factors regulated by the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway, at both the mRNA and protein levels. The findings of this study demonstrated a noteworthy relationship between the up-regulation of the Nrf2 protein and a considerable reduction in the oxidative stress levels within DF-1 cells ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, this up-regulation was associated with a notable increase in the mRNA and protein levels of antioxidant factors downstream of the Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway ( p < 0.05). Conversely, the down-regulation of the Nrf2 protein was linked to a marked elevation in oxidative stress levels in DF-1 cells ( p < 0.05). Additionally, this down-regulation resulted in a significant decrease in both the mRNA and protein expression of antioxidant factors ( p < 0.05). This experiment lays a theoretical foundation for investigating the detrimental impacts of T2 on broiler chickens. It also establishes a research framework for employing the Nrf2 protein in broiler chicken production and breeding. Moreover, it introduces novel insights for the prospective management of oxidative stress-related ailments in the livestock and poultry industry.

Cooking can lead to varying degrees of nutrient loss in purple rice. For this investigation, two varieties of purple rice (YZN1 and YZ6) were chosen as the focal points to explore the metabolites associated with rice nutrition post cooking using nontargeted and targeted metabolomics techniques. The results showed that after cooking the two purple rice varieties, the contents of the flavonoids; OPC; TP; total antioxidant capacity; and K, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ca, and Mg significantly decreased. Compared with YZN1U (YZN1 uncooked), the amino acid and mineral element contents in YZN1C (YZN1 cooked) decreased to varying degrees. After cooking YZ6, the contents of seven amino acids significantly decreased. Following the preparation of purple rice, the metabolites primarily engaged in the pathways of flavonoid synthesis and flavone and flavonol synthesis. Flavonoids, total antioxidant capacity, mineral elements, and amino acids showed a strong correlation with delphinidin and luteolin. The ROC analysis demonstrated that the value of the area under the curve for delphinidin and luteolin was 1 when comparing YZ6C (YZ6 cooked) and YZ6U (YZ6 uncooked), as well as YZN1C and YZN1U. Delphinidin and luteolin can be used as potential biomarkers of nutrient loss after cooking purple rice. This study holds significant implications for the balanced nutrition and healthy development of human dietary grains.

Mycoplasma hyorhinis ( M. hyorhinis ) is responsible for infections in the swine population. Such infections are usually cured by using antimicrobials and lead to develop resistance. Until now, there has been no effective vaccine to eradicate the disease. This study used conserved domains found in seven members of the variable lipoprotein (VlpA-G) family in order to design a multi-epitope candidate vaccine (MEV) against M. hyorhinis . The immunoinformatics approach was followed to predict epitopes, and a vaccine construct consisting of an adjuvant, two B cell epitopes, two HTL epitopes, and one CTL epitope was designed. The suitability of the vaccine construct was identified by its non-allergen, non-toxic, and antigenic nature. A molecular dynamic simulation was executed to assess the stability of the TLR2 docked structure. An immune simulation showed a high immune response toward the antigen. The protein sequence was reverse-translated, and codons were optimized to gain a high expression level in E. coli . The proposed vaccine construct may be a candidate for a multi-epitope vaccine. Experimental validation is required in future to test the safety and efficacy of the hypothetical candidate vaccine.

As an important energy conversion component in electromagnetic-forming technology, the coil is subjected to great internal stress and is easy to break. The geometric structure and winding process of the forming coil draw on the research results of pulsed magnets. However, the two use conditions are different. It is very important to clarify the force difference between the two for the design of the forming coil. In this paper, the numerical model of an aluminum alloy (AA1060-O) is established, and the difference in force between the pulse magnet and forming coil with the same size in time and space under different working conditions is analyzed. A two-dimensional fully coupled finite element model consisting of circuit, magnetic field, and solid mechanics is established and used to determine the key parts of the coil force. It is found that the von Mises stress of the forming coil is greater than that of the pulsed magnet under the same circuit parameters and geometric structure. In the electromagnetic forming of the tube, the glass fiber is subjected to a large stress. In addition, the stress of glass fiber under the condition of tube necking is about 2 times that of pulsed magnet. When the voltage is increased, the failure of the middle part of the glass fiber causes the coil to break. In the electromagnetic forming of the sheet, the coil skeleton is subjected to large stress, and its upper end failure causes the coil to break. Therefore, new design ideas for forming coils under different working conditions are proposed.

Cepharanthine (CEP), a biscoclaurine alkaloid extracted from Stephania cepharantha Hayata, has been widely used for the treatment of various acute and chronic diseases, including leukopenia, and snake bites. Here, our objective was to investigate the anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory response effects of CEP in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophages as well as dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mice. Our findings demonstrated that supplementation with CEP effectively mitigates body weight loss and elevation of disease activity index (DAI), reduces the malondialdehyde (MDA) content to 2.45 nM/mL while increasing the reduced glutathione (GSH) content to 35.53 μg/mL, inhibits inflammatory response, and maintains proper intestinal epithelium tight junctions in DSS-induced wild type (WT) mice. However, it failed to provide protective effects in DSS-induced transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) knockout (NRF2 -/- ) mice. GSH content decreased to 10.85 μg/10 6 cells following LPS treatment, whereas supplementation with CEP increased the GSH content to 12.26 μg/10 6 cells. Moreover, CEP effectively attenuated ROS production in LPS-induced macrophages. Additionally, CEP exhibited inhibitory effects on pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators in LPS-induced macrophages. Furthermore, we observed that supplementation with CEP promoted the expression of NRF2/heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1)/NADPH quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1) as well as the phosphorylation of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase alpha 1 (AMPK-α1)/protein kinase B (AKT)/glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) signaling pathway in macrophages while inhibiting the phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and nuclear factor-kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65) signaling pathway in LPS-induced macrophages. Although CEP did not demonstrate inhibitory effects on oxidative stress or promote the expression of HO-1/NQO-1, it effectively activated the phosphorylation of the AMPK-α1/AKT/GSK-3β signaling pathway which is an upstream regulator of NRF2 in LPS-induced primary peritoneal macrophages from NRF2 -/- mice. In summary, our findings suggest that CEP exerts protective effects against oxidative stress and inflammatory response by activating the AMPK-α1/AKT/GSK-3β/NRF2 signaling pathway while concurrently inhibiting the activation of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and the NF-κB p65 signaling pathway. These results not only elucidate the mechanisms underlying CEP's protective effects on colon oxidative stress and inflammation but also provide evidence supporting NRF2 as a potential therapeutic target for IBD treatment.

In China, animal feeds are frequently contaminated with a range of mycotoxins, with Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and T-2 toxin (T-2) being two highly toxic mycotoxins. This study investigates the combined nephrotoxicity of AFB1 and T-2 on PK15 cells and murine renal tissues and their related oxidative stress mechanisms. PK15 cells were treated with the respective toxin concentrations for 24 h, and oxidative stress-related indicators were assessed. The results showed that the combination of AFB1 and T-2 led to more severe cellular damage and oxidative stress compared to exposure to the individual toxins ( p < 0.05). In the in vivo study, pathological examination revealed that the kidney tissue of mice exposed to the combined toxins showed signs of glomerular atrophy. The contents of oxidative stress-related indicators were significantly increased in the kidney tissue ( p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the combined toxins cause significant oxidative damage to mouse kidneys. The study highlights the importance of considering the combined effects of mycotoxins in animal feed, particularly AFB1 and T-2, which can lead to severe nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress in PK15 cells and mouse kidneys. The findings have important implications for animal feed safety and regulatory policy.

Cellulose, a kind of polymer containing abundant functional groups, has widespread use in the adsorptive removal of environmental pollutants. An efficient and environmental friendly polypyrrole (PPy) coating approach is employed to modify the agricultural by-product straw derived cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) into excellent property adsorbents for removing the heavy metal ion of Hg(II). The FT-IR and SEM-EDS results demonstrated that PPy is formed on the surface of CNC. Consequently, the adsorption measurements proved that the obtained PPy-modified CNC (CNC@PPy) possesses a remarkably enhanced Hg(II) adsorption capacity of 1095 mg g -1 , owing to a plentiful functional group of doped Cl element on the surface of CNC@PPy by forming Hg 2 Cl 2 precipitate. The results of the study suggest that the Freundlich model is more effective than the Langmuir model at describing the isotherms, while the pseudo-second order kinetic model is better suited to correlating with the experimental data compared to the pseudo-first order model. Further, the CNC@PPy exhibits an outstanding reusability, capable of maintaining 82.3% of its original Hg(II) adsorption capacity after five successive adsorption cycles. The findings of this work reveal a method to convert the agricultural by-product into high performance environmental remediation materials.

Autophagy and the ubiquitin proteasome system are the two major processes for the clearance and recycling of proteins and organelles in eukaryotic cells. Evidence is accumulating that there is extensive crosstalk between the two pathways, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. We previously found that autophagy 9 (ATG9) and 16 (ATG16) proteins are crucial for full proteasomal activity in the unicellular amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum . In comparison to AX2 wild-type cells, ATG9 - and ATG16 - cells displayed a 60%, and ATG9 - /16 - cells a 90%, decrease in proteasomal activity. Mutant cells also showed a significant increase in poly-ubiquitinated proteins and contained large ubiquitin-positive protein aggregates. Here, we focus on possible reasons for these results. Reanalysis of published tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomic results of AX2, ATG9 - , ATG16 - , and ATG9 - /16 - cells revealed no change in the abundance of proteasomal subunits. To identify possible differences in proteasome-associated proteins, we generated AX2 wild-type and ATG16 - cells expressing the 20S proteasomal subunit PSMA4 as GFP-tagged fusion protein, and performed co-immunoprecipitation experiments followed by mass spectrometric analysis. The results revealed no significant differences in the abundance of proteasomes between the two strains. However, we found enrichment as well as depletion of proteasomal regulators and differences in the ubiquitination of associated proteins for ATG16 - , as compared to AX2 cells. Recently, proteaphagy has been described as a means to replace non-functional proteasomes. We propose that autophagy-deficient D. discoideum mutants suffer from inefficient proteaphagy, which results in the accumulation of modified, less-active, and also of inactive, proteasomes. As a consequence, these cells exhibit a dramatic decrease in proteasomal activity and deranged protein homeostasis.

The two-step sequential deposition is a commonly used method by researchers for fabricating perovskite solar cells (PSCs) due to its reproducibility and tolerant preparation conditions. However, the less-than-favorable diffusive processes in the preparation process often result in subpar crystalline quality in the perovskite films. In this study, we employed a simple strategy to regulate the crystallization process by lowering the temperature of the organic-cation precursor solutions. By doing so, we minimized interdiffusion processes between the organic cations and pre-deposited lead iodide (PbI 2 ) film under poor crystallization conditions. This allowed for a homogenous perovskite film with improved crystalline orientation when transferred to appropriate environmental conditions for annealing. As a result, a boosted power conversion efficiency (PCE) was achieved in PSCs tested for 0.1 cm 2 and 1 cm 2 , with the former exhibiting a PCE of 24.10% and the latter of 21.56%, compared to control PSCs, which showed a PCE of 22.65% and 20.69%, respectively. Additionally, the strategy increased device stability, with the cells holding 95.8% and 89.4% of the initial efficiency even after 7000 h of aging under nitrogen or 20-30% relative humidity and 25 °C. This study highlights a promising low-temperature-treated (LT-treated) strategy compatible with other PSCs fabrication techniques, adding a new possibility for temperature regulation during crystallization.

The combination of a living anionic technology and a unique alternating strategy provided an exciting opportunity to prepare novel and well-defined poly(1,3-pentadiene- co -syrene- co -1,1-diphenylethylene) resins consisting of three alternating sequences of modules ( A/B/C zwitterions). "A" being Styrene (St)/1,3-pentadiene (PD), "B" being diphenylethylene (DPE)/PD, "A" being DPE/St, respectively, A wide composition range of new polyolefin resins, i.e., poly ( A - co - B ), poly ( A - co - C ), and poly ( B - co - C ), with controlled molecular weight and very narrow molecular weight and composition distributions have been prepared by a one-pot living characteristic method. In the section of kinetic analysis, the terpolymer yields and kinetic parameters were strongly dependent on the feed/comonomer ratio as well as the content of the alternating structure. The competition copolymerization behaviors of A/B , B/C , and A/C were studied in detail in this work. By contrast, the microstructure and the thermal property of the resulting terpolymer were investigated via Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. The results of 1H NMR tracking the change of [Aromatic ring]/[C=C] value indicated the distinctive copolymer-ization behavior of the selective "alternating-modules". The glass transition temperature ( T g ) was very sensitive to the terpolymer composition. By contrast to poly( A - ran - B ) with only one obvious T g , there were two T g s in the A/C and B/C copolymerization cases. Moreover, the desirable high T g ~ 140 °C resin was limited to the terpolymers with up to 50 mol % DPE. Finally, the " ABC-X " mechanism was proposed to interpret the unique terpolymerization behavior, which belongs to the classical "bond-forming initiation" theory.

In this work, glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) and glutathione (GSH) over-expression in liver cancer was utilized to design a reduction-responsive and active targeting drug delivery system AG-PEG-SS-PCL (APSP) for the delivery of sorafenib (SF). The SF-APSP micelles were prepared using the thin film hydration method and characterized by various techniques. In vitro release experiments showed that the cumulative release of SF-APSP micelles in the simulated tumor microenvironment (pH 7.4 with GSH) reached 94.76 ± 1.78% at 48 h, while it was only 20.32 ± 1.67% in the normal physiological environment (pH 7.4 without GSH). The in vitro study revealed that glucosamine (AG) enhanced the antitumor effects of SF, and SF-APSP micelles inhibited proliferation by targeting HepG2 cells and suppressing cyclin D1 expression. The in vivo antitumor efficacy study further confirmed that the SF-APSP micelles had excellent antitumor effects and better tolerance against nude mouse with HepG2 cells than other treatment groups. All in all, these results indicated that SF-APSP micelles could be a promising drug delivery system for anti-hepatoma treatment.

Phosphorus is one of the important metabolic elements for living organisms, but excess phosphorus in water can lead to eutrophication. At present, the removal of phosphorus in water bodies mainly focuses on inorganic phosphorus, while there is still a lack of research on the removal of organic phosphorus (OP). Therefore, the degradation of OP and synchronous recovery of the produced inorganic phosphorus has important significance for the reuse of OP resources and the prevention of water eutrophication. Herein, a novel FeOOH-loaded aminated polyacrylonitrile fiber (PAN A F-FeOOH) was constructed to enhance the removal of OP and phosphate. Taking phenylphosphonic acid (PPOA) as an example, the results indicated that modification of the aminated fiber was beneficial to FeOOH fixation, and the PAN A F-FeOOH prepared with 0.3 mol L -1 Fe(OH) 3 colloid had the best performance for OP degradation. The PAN A F-FeOOH efficiently activated peroxydisulfate (PDS) for the degradation of PPOA with a removal efficiency of 99%. Moreover, the PAN A F-FeOOH maintained high removal capacity for OP over five cycles as well as strong anti-interference in a coexisting ion system. In addition, the removal mechanism of PPOA by the PAN A F-FeOOH was mainly attributed to the enrichment effect of PPOA adsorption on the fiber surface's special microenvironment, which was more conducive to contact with SO 4 • - and •OH generated by PDS activation. Furthermore, the PAN A F-FeOOH prepared with 0.2 mol L -1 Fe(OH) 3 colloid possessed excellent phosphate removal capacity with a maximal adsorption quantity of 9.92 mg P g -1 . The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of the PAN A F-FeOOH for phosphate were best depicted by pseudo-quadratic kinetics and a Langmuir isotherm model, showing a monolayer chemisorption procedure. Additionally, the phosphate removal mechanism was mainly due to the strong binding force of iron and the electrostatic force of protonated amine on the PAN A F-FeOOH. In conclusion, this study provides evidence for PAN A F-FeOOH as a potential material for the degradation of OP and simultaneous recovery of phosphate.

Amphioxus species are considered living fossils and are important in the evolutionary study of chordates and vertebrates. To explore viral homologous sequences, a high-quality annotated genome of the Beihai amphioxus ( Branchiostoma belcheri beihai) was examined using virus sequence queries. In this study, 347 homologous fragments (HFs) of viruses were identified in the genome of B. belcheri beihai, of which most were observed on 21 genome assembly scaffolds. HFs were preferentially located within protein-coding genes, particularly in their CDS regions and promoters. A range of amphioxus genes with a high frequency of HFs is proposed, including histone-related genes that are homologous to the Histone or Histone H2B domains of viruses. Together, this comprehensive analysis of viral HFs provides insights into the neglected role of viral integration in the evolution of amphioxus.

Osteosarcoma is a common malignancy of the bone. Due to its high metastatic properties, osteosarcoma becomes the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Ononin is an isoflavone glycoside known to have various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of ononin on osteosarcoma cell migration, invasion, and the underlying mechanisms. The in vitro anti-tumorigenic and anti-migratory properties of ononin were determined by MTT, colony formation, invasion, and migration in MG-63 and U2OS osteosarcoma cell lines. The results were compared with the standard chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin (DOX), as a positive control. The dose-dependent manners of ononin treatment increased the expression of apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation through the EGFR-Erk1/2 signaling pathways. Additionally, ononin significantly inhibited the invasion and migration of human osteosarcoma cells. For consistency, we used the MG-63-xenograft mice model to confirm the in vivo anti-tumorigenic and anti-migratory efficacy of ononin by inhibiting the protein expressions of EGFR-Erk1/2 and MMP2/9. According to the histological study, ononin had no adverse effect on the liver and kidney. Overall, our findings suggested that ononin could be a potentially effective agent against the development and metastasis of osteosarcoma.

To understand differences in the quality of different conventional japonica rice varieties and variations in metabolites related to rice quality, the quality of three conventional japonica varieties was determined, and the metabolites of the milled rice were investigated using nontargeted metabolomics technology. The results showed that the taste value (TV) of Yangda 4Hao (YD4) was significantly higher than that of Yangda 3Hao (YD3) and Huaidao 5Hao (HD5). The protein content (PC) of HD5 was significantly higher than that of YD3 and YD4. PC was significantly negatively correlated with TV. Ninety-one differential metabolites (59 increased and 32 decreased) were identified between YD3 and HD5. A total of 144 differential metabolites (96 upregulated and 48 downregulated) were identified between YD4 and HD5. A total of 114 differential metabolites (40 increased and 74 decreased) were identified between YD3 and YD4. The metabolites with a high correlation to rice quality were mostly involved in the amino acid metabolism pathway. Amino acid metabolites play an important role in the formation of rice quality. The key metabolites in the synthesis and regulation of metabolic pathways are sucrose, levan, and amylose, which are carbohydrates, and L-glutamine, L-aspartic acid, and L-asparagine, which are amino acid metabolites. It can be seen from this study that the metabolites of sucrose, levan, amylose, L-glutamine, L-aspartic acid, and L-asparagine may be the key metabolites in the quality formation of high-quality rice varieties.

Under the same nitrogen fertilizer and cultivation conditions, the nutrients of rice are strongly affected during the processing of brown rice to polished rice, especially in special rice varieties. In this study, twenty-two amino acids in brown and polished rice of two purple rice varieties were quantified using targeted metabolomics, and the relationships among the main nutrients, mineral elements and metabolites were analysed. The results showed that the amino acid levels in YZN1&#95;H (polished rice of Yangzinuo No. 1) and YZN2&#95;H (polished rice of Yangzinuo No. 2) decreased to different degrees compared with those in YZN1&#95;B (brown rice of Yangzinuo No. 1) and YZN2&#95;B (brown rice of Yangzinuo No. 2). Citric acid is closely associated with amino acids. The total sugar (TS), ATP, and soluble dietary fiber (SDF) levels in YZN1&#95;B decreased by 9.37%, 53.85%, and 75.71%, respectively, compared with those in YZN1&#95;H. The TS, ATP, and SDF levels in YZN2&#95;B decreased significantly by 6.92%, 21.03%, and 76.78%, respectively, compared with those in YZN2&#95;H. Citric acid was significantly negatively correlated with ATP and SDF but significantly positively correlated with carotenoids. The Se content in YZN1&#95;H was significantly higher than that in YZN1&#95;B by 87.02%. The Se content in YZN2&#95;H was significantly higher than that in YZN2&#95;B by 72.02%. Citric acid was significantly positively correlated with Fe, Mn, Ca, and Mg. Citric acid was identified as a candidate key metabolite that affects changes in the main nutrients in purple rice during processing.

Iris localization in non-cooperative environments is challenging and essential for accurate iris recognition. Motivated by the traditional iris-localization algorithm and the robustness of the YOLO model, we propose a novel iris-localization algorithm. First, we design a novel iris detector with a modified you only look once v4 (YOLO v4) model. We can approximate the position of the pupil center. Then, we use a modified integro-differential operator to precisely locate the iris inner and outer boundaries. Experiment results show that iris-detection accuracy can reach 99.83% with this modified YOLO v4 model, which is higher than that of a traditional YOLO v4 model. The accuracy in locating the inner and outer boundary of the iris without glasses can reach 97.72% at a short distance and 98.32% at a long distance. The locating accuracy with glasses can obtained at 93.91% and 84%, respectively. It is much higher than the traditional Daugman's algorithm. Extensive experiments conducted on multiple datasets demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our method for iris localization in non-cooperative environments.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are the gold standard tool for detecting epileptic seizures. Long-term EEG signal monitoring is a promising method to realize real-time and automatic epilepsy detection with the assistance of computer-aided techniques and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices. Machine learning (ML) algorithms combined with advanced feature extraction methods have been widely explored to precisely recognize EEG signals, while among which, little attention has been paid to high computing costs and severe information losses. The lack of model interpretability also impedes the wider application and deeper understanding of ML methods in epilepsy detection. In this research, a novel feature extraction method based on an autoencoder (AE) is proposed in the time domain. The architecture and mechanism are elaborated. In this method, specified features are defined and calculated on the basis of signal reconstruction quantification of the AE. The EEG recognition is performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed detection method, and the prediction accuracy reached 97%. To further investigate the superiority of the proposed AE-based feature extraction method, a widely used feature extraction method, PCA, is allocated for comparison. In order to understand the underlying working mechanism, permutation importance and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) are conducted for model interpretability, and the results further confirm the reasonability and effectiveness of the extracted features by AE reconstruction. With high computing efficiency in the time domain and an extensively satisfactory accuracy, the proposed epilepsy detection method exhibits great superiority and potential in almost real-time and automatic epilepsy monitoring.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a global public health problem and is frequently comorbid with mental disorders, including anxiety and depression. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death, which is involved in the pathological process of various diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, but the role of ferroptosis in the mediation of AUD and its induced mental disorders is unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether ferroptosis was involved in alcohol-induced depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Following an 8-week period of intermittent alcohol exposure, the alcohol group showed noticeable depressive and anxiety-like behaviors. In addition, nissl staining revealed that alcohol exposure induced neuron damage in the hippocampus (Hip) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice. The levels of synapse-related proteins were significantly reduced in the alcohol group. Iron staining demonstrated that alcohol increased the number of iron-positive staining cells. The protein expression of the transferrin receptor (TFRC) was increased, and the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) was decreased, respectively, in the alcohol group. Furthermore, the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 significantly prevented alcohol-induced neuron damage and enhanced the expression of N -methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor 2B (NR2B), α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor 1 (GluA1) and GPX4 in vitro. These results indicated that alcohol exposure could induce depressive and anxiety-like behaviors, and that this effect may occur via activating ferroptosis.

Small non-coding RNAs are widespread in the biological world and have been extensively explored over the past decades. Their fundamental roles in human health and disease are increasingly appreciated. Furthermore, a growing number of studies have investigated the functions of small non-coding RNAs in cancer initiation and progression. In this review, we provide an overview of the biogenesis of small non-coding RNAs with a focus on microRNAs, PIWI-interacting RNAs, and a new class of tRNA-derived small RNAs. We discuss their biological functions in human cancer and highlight their clinical application as molecular biomarkers or therapeutic targets.

Heterosis is a common biological phenomenon that is useful for breeding superior lines. Using heterosis to increase the yield and quality of crops is one of the main achievements of modern agricultural science. In this study, we analysed the transcriptome and metabolome of two three-line hybrid rice varieties, Taiyou 871 (TY871), and Taiyou 398 (TY398) and the parental grain endosperm using RNA-seq (three biological repeats per variety) and untargeted metabolomic (six biological repeats per variety) methods. TY871 and TY398 showed specific heterosis in yield and quality. Transcriptome analysis of the hybrids revealed 638 to 4059 differentially expressed genes in the grain when compared to the parents. Metabolome analysis of the hybrids revealed 657 to 3714 differential grain metabolites when compared to the parents. The honeydew1 and grey60 module core genes Os04g0350700 and Os05g0154700 are involved in the regulation of awn development, grain size, and grain number, as well as the regulation of grain length and plant height, respectively. Rice grain length may be an important indicator for improving the quality of three-line hybrid rice. In addition, the rice quality-related metabolite NEG&#95;M341T662 was highly connected to the module core genes Os06g0254300 and Os03g0168100 . The functions of Os06g0254300 and Os03g0168100 are EF-hand calcium binding protein and late embroideries absolute protein repeat containing protein, respectively. These genes may play a role in the formation of rice quality. We constructed a gene and metabolite coexpression network, which provides a scientific basis for the utilization of heterosis in producing high-yield and high-quality hybrid rice.

Bone fractures and defects are a major health issue and have reportedly affected over 455 million individuals globally to date. Bone tissue engineering has gained great success in bone defect repair and bone reconstruction based on the use of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) or collagen (COL). Both nHA and COL exhibit osteogenic induction capacity to support bone tissue regeneration; however, the former suffers from poor flexibility and the latter lacks mechanical strength. Biological scaffolds created by combining nHA and COL (nHA/COL) can overcome the drawbacks imposed by individual materials and, therefore, have become widely applied in tissue engineering. The composite scaffolds can further promote tissue reconstruction by allowing the loading of various growth factors. Naringin (NG) is a natural flavonoid. Its molecular weight is 580.53 Da, lower than that of many growth factors, and it causes minimal immune responses when being introduced in vivo. In addition, naringin is safe, non-toxic, inexpensive to produce, and has superior bio-properties. In this study, we introduced NG into a nHA/COL scaffold (NG/nHA/COL) and exploited the potentials of the NG/nHA/COL scaffold in enhancing bone tissue regeneration. NG/nHA/COL scaffolds were fabricated by firstly combining nHA and collagen at different compositional ratios, followed by NG encapsulation. NG release tests showed that the scaffold with a nHA/COL mass ratio of 7:3 exhibited the optimal property. The in vitro cell study showed the desirable biocompatibility of the NG/nHA/COL scaffold, and its effective promotion for the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), as proved by an increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, the formation of more calcium nodules, and a higher expression of osteogenic-related genes involving Osteocalcin ( OCN ), BMP-2 , and Osteopontin ( OPN ), compared with the control and nHA/COL groups. When administered into rats with skull defects, the NG/nHA/COL scaffold significantly promoted the reconstruction of bone tissues and the early repair of skull defects, indicating the great potential of NG/nHA/COL scaffolds in bone tissue engineering.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a type of breast tumor that currently lacks options for targeted therapy. Tremendous effort has been made to identify treatment targets for TNBC. Here, we report that the expression level of anaphase promoting complex (APC) coactivator Cdh1 in TNBC is elevated compared to that in the adjacent healthy tissues, and high levels of Cdh1 expression are correlated with poor prognoses, suggesting that Cdh1 contributes to the progression of TNBC. Interfering with the function of Cdh1 can potentiate the cytotoxic effects of PARP inhibitors against BRCA-deficient and BRCA-proficient TNBC cells through inducing DNA damage, checkpoint activation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Further investigation reveals that Cdh1 promotes BRCA1 foci formation and prevents untangled DNA entering mitosis in response to PARP inhibition (PARPi) in TNBC cells. Collectively, these results suggest that APC/Cdh1 is a potential molecular target for PARPi-based therapies against TNBCs.

Two key concerns exist in contemporary cancer chemotherapy: limited therapeutic efficiency and substantial side effects in patients. In recent years, researchers have been investigating the revolutionary cancer treatment techniques of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) proposed by many scholars. A photothermal treatment of cancer was synthesized using the hydrothermal method which has high photothermal conversion efficiency and can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells. Photothermal treatment of tumors has a good short-term effect and photodynamic therapy lasts longer. However, both PTT and PDT have their inevitable shortcomings and it is difficult to completely eradicate a tumor using a single mode of treatment. PTT and PDT synergistic treatment not only inherits the advantages of low toxicity and side effects of phototherapy but also enables the two treatment methods to complement each other. It is an effective strategy to improve curative effects and reduce toxic and side effects. Furthermore, gold doped UCNPs have an exceptionally high target recognition for tumor cells. The gold doped UCNPs, in particular, are non-toxic to normal tissues, endowing the as-prepared medications with outstanding therapeutic efficacy and exceptionally low side effects. These findings may encourage the creation of fresh, effective imaging-guided approaches to meet the goal of photothermal cancer therapy.

Small patella syndrome (SPS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in TBX4 gene which encodes a transcription factor of FGF10 . However, how TBX4 mutations result in SPS is poorly understood. Here, a novel TBX4 mutation c.1241C>T (p.P414L) was identified in a SPS family and series of studies were performed to evaluate the influences of TBX4 mutations (including c.1241C>T and two known mutations c.256G>C and c.743G>T). Results showed that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with stable overexpression of either TBX4 wild-type ( TBX4 wt ) or mutants ( TBX4 mt ) were successfully generated. Immunofluorescence study revealed that both the overexpressed TBX4 wild-type and mutants were evenly expressed in the nucleus suggesting that these mutations do not alter the translocation of TBX4 into the nucleus. Interestingly, MSCs overexpression of TBX4 mt exhibited reduced differentiation activities and decreased FGF10 expression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) study demonstrated that TBX4 mutants still could bind to the promoter of FGF10 . However, dual luciferase reporter assay clarified that the binding efficiencies of TBX4 mutants to FGF10 promoter were reduced. Taken together, MSCs were firstly used to study the function of TBX4 mutations in this study and the results indicate that the reduced binding efficiencies of TBX4 mutants (TBX4 mt ) to the promoter of FGF10 result in the abnormal biological processes which provide important information for the pathogenesis of SPS.

The FH gene encodes the fumarate hydratase of the Krebs cycle and functions as a homotetramer to catalyze the hydration of fumarate to malate. Mutations in FH result in uterine leiomyomas, a rare autosomal dominant inherited metabolic disease. However, how FH mutations result in this disease is poorly understood. Here, the FH mutation c.557G>A (p.S186N) was identified in a family with uterine leiomyomas phenotype. A series of studies were performed to confirm the pathogenicity of this mutation. Results showed that the FH mutant exhibited significantly lower fumarase enzyme activity and increased the fumarates level compared with the wildtype, which might be due to the impaired homotetramer formation in the native gel electrophoresis. Interestingly, the immunofluorescence study revealed that the overexpressed FH mutant exhibited puncta structures compared with the evenly expressed FH wildtype in cytoplasm suggesting that the altered amino acid might result in dysfunctional proteins which were accumulated to reduce its cytotoxicity. Importantly, the cells overexpressing the FH mutant exhibited higher proliferation and extracellular acidification rate value (ECAR) which might be caused by the upregulated HIF-1α indicating the tumor phenotype. Notably, phospho-mTOR was significantly increased and autophagy was inhibited in the FH mutant overexpression cells compared with the wildtype. Our work provides new insight into the FH mutation c.557G>A (p.S186N) underlies uterine leiomyomas and important information for accurate genetic counseling and clinical diagnosis of the disease.

Two key concerns exist in contemporary cancer chemotherapy in clinics: limited therapeutic efficiency and substantial side effects in patients. In recent years, researchers have been investigating revolutionary cancer treatment techniques and photo-thermal therapy (PTT) has been proposed by many scholars. A drug for photothermal cancer treatment was synthesized using the hydrothermal method, which has a high light-to-heat conversion efficiency. It may also be utilized as a clear multi-modality bioimaging platform for photoacoustic imaging (PAI), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). When compared to single-modality imaging, multi-modality imaging delivers far more thorough and precise details for cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, gold-doped upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) have an exceptionally high target recognition for tumor cells. The gold-doped UCNPs, in particular, are non-toxic to normal tissues, endowing the as-prepared medications with outstanding therapeutic efficacy but exceptionally low side effects. These findings may encourage the creation of fresh effective imaging-guided approaches to meet the goal of photothermal cancer therapy.

Two key concerns exist in contemporary cancer chemotherapy in clinic: limited therapeutic efficiency and substantial side effects in patients. In recent years, researchers have been investigating a revolutionary cancer treatment technique, and photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been proposed by many scholars. A drug for photodynamic cancer treatment was synthesized using the hydrothermal method, which has a high efficiency to release reactive oxygen species (ROS). It may also be utilized as a clear multi-modality bioimaging platform for photoacoustic imaging (PAI) due to its photothermal effect, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). When compared to single-modality imaging, multi-modality imaging delivers far more thorough and precise details for cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, Au-doped up-conversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have an exceptionally high luminous intensity. The Au-doped UCNPs, in particular, are non-toxic to tissues without laser at an 808 nm wavelength, endowing the as-prepared medications with outstanding therapeutic efficacy but exceptionally low side effects. These findings may encourage fresh effective imaging-guided approaches to meet the goal of photodynamic cancer therapy to be created.

Carboxypeptidase A4 (CPA4) has shown the potential to be a biomarker in the early diagnosis of certain cancers. However, no previous research has linked CPA4 to therapeutic or prognostic significance in bladder cancer. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we set out to determine the full extent of the link between CPA4 and BLCA. We further analyzed the interacting proteins of CPA4 and infiltrated immune cells via the TIMER2, STRING, and GEPIA2 databases. The expression of CPA4 in tumor and normal tissues was compared using the TCGA + GETx database. The connection between CPA4 expression and clinicopathologic characteristics and overall survival (OS) was investigated using multivariate methods and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. The potential functions and pathways were investigated via gene set enrichment analysis. Furthermore, we analyze the associations between CPA4 expression and infiltrated immune cells with their respective gene marker sets using the ssGSEA, TIMER2, and GEPIA2 databases. Compared with matching normal tissues, human CPA4 was found to be substantially expressed. We confirmed that the overexpression of CPA4 is linked with shorter OS, DSF(Disease-specific survival), PFI(Progression-free interval), and increased diagnostic potential using Kaplan-Meier and ROC analysis. The expression of CPA4 is related to T-bet, IL12RB2, CTLA4, and LAG3, among which T-bet and IL12RB2 are Th1 marker genes while CTLA4 and LAG3 are related to T cell exhaustion, which may be used to guide the application of checkpoint blockade and the adoption of T cell transfer therapy.

Acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease caused by a lack or decrease in hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS) activity. It is characterized by acute nerve and visceral attacks caused by factors in the process of heme synthesis. The penetrance rate of this disease is low, and the heterogeneity is strong. Here, we reported two novel HMBS mutations from two unrelated Chinese AIP patients and confirmed the pathogenicity of these two mutations. We found the HMBS c.760-771+2delCTGAGGCACCTGGTinsGCTGCATCGCTGAA and HMBS c.88-1G>C mutations by second-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing. The in vitro expression analysis showed that these mutations caused abnormal HMBS mRNA splicing and premature termination or partial missing of HMBS protein. Homologous modeling analysis showed that the HMBS mutants lacked the amino acids which are crucial for the enzyme activity or the protein stability. Consistently, enzyme activity analysis confirmed that the HMBS mutants' overexpression cells exhibited the reduced enzyme activity compared with the HMBS wildtype overexpression cells. Our study identified and confirmed two novel pathogenic HMBS mutations which will expand the molecular heterogeneity of AIP and provide further scientific basis for the clinical diagnosis of AIP.

The KERNEL NUMBER PER ROW6 ( KNR6 )-mediated phosphorylation of an adenosine diphosphate ribosylation factor (Arf) GTPase-activating protein (AGAP) forms a key regulatory module for the numbers of spikelets and kernels in the ear inflorescences of maize ( Zea mays L.). However, the action mechanism of the KNR6-AGAP module remains poorly understood. Here, we characterized the AGAP-recruited complex and its roles in maize cellular physiology and agronomically important traits. AGAP and its two interacting Arf GTPase1 (ARF1) members preferentially localized to the Golgi apparatus. The loss-of-function AGAP mutant produced by CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in defective Golgi apparatus with thin and compact cisternae, together with delayed internalization and repressed vesicle agglomeration, leading to defective inflorescences and roots, and dwarfed plants with small leaves. The weak agap mutant was phenotypically similar to knr6 , showing short ears with fewer kernels. AGAP interacted with KNR6, and a double mutant produced shorter inflorescence meristems and mature ears than the single agap and knr6 mutants. We hypothesized that the coordinated KNR6-AGAP-ARF1 complex modulates vegetative and reproductive traits by participating in vesicle trafficking in maize. Our findings provide a novel mechanistic insight into the regulation of inflorescence development, and ear length and kernel number, in maize.

Amino acids are critical for mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation on the lysosomal surface. Amino acid transporters SLC38A9 and SLC36A1 are the members of the lysosomal amino acid sensing machinery that activates mTORC1. The current study aims to clarify the interaction of SLC38A9 and SLC36A1. Here, we discovered that leucine increased expressions of SLC38A9 and SLC36A1, leading to mTORC1 activation. SLC38A9 interacted with SLC36A1 and they enhanced each other's expression levels and locations on the lysosomal surface. Additionally, the interacting proteins of SLC38A9 in C2C12 cells were identified to participate in amino acid sensing mechanism, mTORC1 signaling pathway, and protein synthesis, which provided a resource for future investigations of skeletal muscle mass.

Lapping is one of the standard essential methods to realise the global planarization of SiC and other semiconductor substrates. It is necessary to deeply study the mechanism to obtain SiC lapping process parameters with a strong comprehensive lapping performance (i.e., high material removal rate (MRR m ), small surface roughness (Ra), and low total thickness variation (TTV)). The effects of the lapping process parameters and their interactions on lapping performance for SiC were investigated using orthogonal experiments; the effects on the MRR m , Ra, TTV, and optimal parameters under the conditions of a single evaluation index were investigated using intuitive analysis (range analysis, variance analysis, and effect curve analysis). The entropy value method and grey relational analysis were used to transform the multi-evaluation-index optimisation into a single-index optimisation about the grey relational grade (GRG) and to comprehensively evaluate the lapping performance of each process parameter. The results showed that the lapping plate types, abrasive size, and their interaction effect had the most significant effects on MRR m and Ra, with a contribution of over 85%. The interaction between the lapping plate types and abrasive size was also found to have the most significant effect on TTV, with a contribution of up to 51.07%. As the lapping plate's hardness and abrasive size increased, the MRR m and Ra also gradually increased. As the lapping normal-pressure increased, MRR m increased, Ra gradually decreased, and TTV first decreased and then increased. MRR m , Ra, and TTV first increased and then decreased with increasing abrasive concentration. Compared to the optimisation results obtained by intuitive analysis, the process parameter optimised by the grey relational analysis resulted in a smooth surface with an MRR m of 90.2 μm/h, an Ra of 0.769 nm, and a TTV of 3 μm, with a significant improvement in the comprehensive lapping performance. This study reveals that a combination of orthogonal experiments and grey relational analysis can provide new ideas for optimising the process parameters of SiC.

Si 3 N 4 ceramic is generally recognized as being difficult to machine due to its hardness and brittleness. It is necessary to control the normal load applied and the machined depth of the abrasive particles in order to eliminate surface/subsurface damage and defects during the grinding or polishing. In this study, scratch experiments were conducted on the polished surface of Si 3 N 4 specimens to investigate the brittle-ductile transformation and the evolution of material removal mechanisms. In addition, the cracking behaviour of Si 3 N 4 ceramic was characterized by indentation tests. The Vickers indentation produced cracks that exhibited good developmental integrity and geometric symmetry. The results indicate that the scratch track can be divided into three stages: the ductile regime, the brittle-ductile coexisting stage, and the brittle fracture regime. The critical loads and the corresponding penetration depths of cracking occurrence in Si 3 N 4 were recorded. The material removal of Si 3 N 4 ceramic was primary attributed to ductile regime removal when the load was less than 9.8 N. Microcrack initiation on the subsurface was observed when the penetration depth of the scratch tip reached 8 μm or the depth of the indentation tip reached 3.2 μm. Microcracks expanded rapidly as the load was further increased, resulting in a brittle fracture of the Si 3 N 4 ceramic.

The molecular design of short peptides to achieve a tailor-made functional architecture has attracted attention during the past decade but remains challenging as a result of insufficient understanding of the relationship between peptide sequence and assembled supramolecular structures. We report a hybrid-resolution model to computationally explore the sequence-structure relationship of self-assembly for tripeptides containing only phenylalanine and isoleucine. We found that all these tripeptides have a tendency to assemble into nanofibers composed of laterally associated filaments. Molecular arrangements within the assemblies are diverse and vary depending on the sequences. This structural diversity originates from (1) distinct conformations of peptide building blocks that lead to different surface geometries of the filaments and (2) unique sidechain arrangements at the filament interfaces for each sequence. Many conformations are available for tripeptides in solution, but only an extended β-strand and another resembling a right-handed turn are observed in assemblies. It was found that the sequence dependence of these conformations and the packing of resulting filaments are determined by multiple competing noncovalent forces, with hydrophobic interactions involving Phe being particularly important. The sequence pattern for each type of assembly conformation and packing has been identified. These results highlight the importance of the interplay between conformation, molecular packing, and sequences for determining detailed nanostructures of peptides and provide a detailed insight to support a more precise design of peptide-based nanomaterials.

The bacteria, which usually contaminate water environment, often cause terrible infectious diseases thus seriously threaten people's health. To meet the increasing requirement of the public health care, an easily separable nanomaterial with sustainable anti-bacteria performance is required. This work reports a Fe 3 O 4 @PDA/Ag/PDA core-shell nanosphere in which the Ag nanocrystals immobilized on the magnetic carrier are protected by an external polydopamine (PDA) layer. The magnetic hybrid nanospheres are constructed by a tunable coating method and the particle parameters can be effectively controlled by the experimental condition. The antibacterial potential of the nanospheres is evaluable by using the Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as the models. The results indicate the Fe 3 O 4 @PDA/Ag/PDA core-shell nanospheres have a high antibacterial performance by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration. Finally, the product is expected to have a sustainable activity because the protecting PDA layer reduce the releasing rate of the Ag + ions and the materials can be magnetically recovered from the media after the disinfection procedure.

Macroautophagy, a highly conserved and complex intracellular degradative pathway, involves more than 20 core autophagy (ATG) proteins, among them the hexameric ATG12~5/16 complex, which is part of the essential ubiquitin-like conjugation systems in autophagy. Dictyostelium discoideum atg5 single, atg5 / 12 double, and atg5 / 12 / 16 triple gene knock-out mutant strains displayed similar defects in the conjugation of ATG8 to phosphatidylethanolamine, development, and cell viability upon nitrogen starvation. This implies that ATG5, 12 and 16 act as a functional unit in canonical autophagy. Macropinocytosis of TRITC dextran and phagocytosis of yeast were significantly decreased in ATG5¯ and ATG5¯/12¯ and even further in ATG5¯/12¯/16¯ cells. In contrast, plaque growth on Klebsiella aerogenes was about twice as fast for ATG5¯ and ATG5¯/12¯/16¯ cells in comparison to AX2, but strongly decreased for ATG5¯/12¯ cells. Along this line, phagocytic uptake of Escherichia coli was significantly reduced in ATG5¯/12¯ cells, while no difference in uptake, but a strong increase in membrane association of E. coli , was seen for ATG5¯ and ATG5¯/12¯/16¯ cells. Proteasomal activity was also disturbed in a complex fashion, consistent with an inhibitory activity of ATG16 in the absence of ATG5 and/or ATG12. Our results confirm the essential function of the ATG12~5/16 complex in canonical autophagy, and furthermore are consistent with autophagy-independent functions of the complex and its individual components. They also strongly support the placement of autophagy upstream of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), as a fully functional UPS depends on autophagy., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Air pollution, including particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) pollution, is extremely harmful to the environment as well as human health. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) Region has experienced heavy PM 2.5 pollution within China. In this study, a six-year time series (January 2013-December 2018) of PM 2.5 mass concentration data from 102 air quality monitoring stations were studied to understand the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of the BTH region. The average annual PM 2.5 mass concentration in the BTH region decreased from 98.9 μg/m 3 in 2013 to 64.9 μg/m 3 in 2017. Therefore, China has achieved its Air Pollution Prevention and Control Plan goal of reducing the concentration of fine particulate matter in the BTH region by 25% by 2017. The PM 2.5 pollution in BTH plain areas showed a more significant change than mountains areas, with the highest PM 2.5 mass concentration in winter and the lowest in summer. The results of spatial autocorrelation and cluster analyses showed that the PM 2.5 mass concentration in the BTH region from 2013-2018 showed a significant spatial agglomeration, and that spatial distribution characteristics were high in the south and low in the north. Changes in PM 2.5 mass concentration in the BTH region were affected by both socio-economic factors and meteorological factors. Our results can provide a point of reference for making PM 2.5 pollution control decisions.

Single phase β-Si 3 N 4 with microcrystals was synthesized via carbothermal reduction-nitridation (CRN) of quartz and carbon coke powder as starting materials. The effects of reaction parameters, i.e., heating temperature, holding time, C/SiO 2 ratio, Fe 2 O 3 additive and β-Si 3 N 4 seeds on the phase transformation and morphology of products were investigated and discussed. Rather than receiving a mixture of both α- and β- phases of Si 3 N 4 in the products, we synthesized powders of β-Si 3 N 4 single polymorph in this work. The mechanism for the CRN synthesis of β-Si 3 N 4 from quartz and the formation mechanism of Fe 3 Si droplets were discussed. We also firstly reported the formation of Fe 3 Si Archimedean solids from a CRN process where Fe 2 O 3 was introduced as additive. Comparing to the gear-like short columnar morphology observed in samples without β-Si 3 N 4 seeding, the addition of β-Si 3 N 4 seeds led to an elongated morphology of final products and much finer widths. In addition, the β-Si 3 N 4 microcrystals exhibited a violet‒blue spectral emission range, which could be highly valuable for their future potential optoelectronic applications.

To realize the electrochemical etching of a micro spiral cylindrical electrode, a new method of rotating electrochemical etching is proposed, and its process is further studied. First, according to the electrochemical etching principle, the machining mechanism of rotating electrochemical etching of a micro spiral cylindrical electrode is introduced. Second, based on the spiral vortex theory in the Taylor-Couette system, the effect of the high-speed rotating cylindrical microelectrode on its external flow field is analyzed. Third, the effects of rotation direction, rotation speed, machining voltage, and machining time on the thread structure are analyzed by experiments. Finally, a spiral cylindrical microelectrode with good surface thread shape is fabricated within two minutes by using the optimized machining parameters. It is proved that the rotating electrochemical etching method is an easy way to fabricate a micro spiral cylindrical electrode with high efficiency and low cost.

It is highly desirable to design optical devices with diverse optomechanical functions. Here, we investigate lateral optical force exerted on subwavelength-diameter (SD) optical fibers harnessed by input light modes with different polarizations. It is interesting to find that input light modes of circular or elliptical polarizations would bring about lateral optical force in new directions, which has not been observed in previous studies. By means of finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations, detailed spatial distributions of the asymmetric transverse force density are revealed, meanwhile dependence of optical force on input light polarizations, fiber diameters, and inclination angles of fiber endfaces are all carefully discussed. It is believed that polarization-sensitive reflection, refraction, and diffraction of optical fields occur at the interface, i.e., fiber oblique endfaces, resulting in asymmetrically distributed optical fields and thereafter non-zero transverse optical force. We believe our new findings could be helpful for constructing future steerable optomechanical devices with more flexibility.

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are vulnerable to computer viruses. To protect WSNs from virus attack, the virus library associated with each sensor node must be updated in a timely way. This article is devoted to developing energy-efficient patching strategies for WSNs. First, we model the original problem as an optimal control problem in which (a) each control stands for a patching strategy, and (b) the objective functional to be optimized stands for the energy efficiency of a patching strategy. Second, we prove that the optimal control problem is solvable. Next, we derive the optimality system for solving the optimal control problem, accompanied with a few examples. Finally, we examine the effects of some factors on the optimal control. The obtained results help improve the security of WSNs.

Autophagy and the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) are the two major cellular degradation pathways, which are critical for the maintenance of cell homeostasis. The two pathways differ in their mechanisms and clients. The evolutionary conserved ATG16 plays a key role in autophagy and appears to link autophagy with the UPS. Here, we review the role of ATG16 in different species. We summarize the current knowledge of its functions in autophagosome membrane expansion and autophagosome formation, in Crohn's disease, and in bacterial sequestration. In addition, we provide information on its autophagy-independent functions and its role in the crosstalk between autophagy and the UPS.

Ecological and environmental damage caused by oil spillage has attracted great attention. Used cigarette filters (CF) have also caused negative environmental consequences. Converting CF to economical materials is a feasible way to address these problems. In this study, we demonstrate a simple method for production of a highly hydrophobic absorbent from CF. CF was modified by using different volume ratios of octadecyltrichlorosilane and methyltrimethoxysilane. When the volume ratio was 3:2, the modified CF had the high water contact angle of 155°. It could selectively and completely absorb silicone oil from an oil-water mixture and showed a good absorption capacity of 38.3 g / g . The absorbed oil was readily and rapidly recovered by simple mechanical squeezing, and it could be reused immediately without any additional treatments. The as-obtained superhydrophobic modified CF retained an absorption capacity of 80% for pump oil and 82% for silicone oil after 10 cycles. The modified CF showed good elasticity in the test of repeated use. The present study provides novel design of a functional material for development of hydrophobic absorbents from used CF via a facile method toward oil spillage cleanup, as well as a new recycling method of CF to alleviate environmental impacts.

Beijing, which is the capital of China, suffers from severe Fine Particles (PM 2.5 ) pollution during the heating season. In order to take measures to control the PM 2.5 pollution and improve the atmospheric environmental quality, daily PM 2.5 samples were collected at an urban site from 15 November to 31 December 2016, characteristics of PM 2.5 chemical compositions and their effect on atmospheric visibility were analyzed. It was found that the daily average mass concentrations of PM 2.5 ranged from 7.64 to 383.00 μg m -3 , with an average concentration of 114.17 μg m -3 . On average, the Organic Carbon (OC) and Elemental Carbon (EC) contributed 21.39% and 5.21% to PM 2.5 , respectively. Secondary inorganic ions (SNA: SO₄² - + NO₃ - + NH₄⁺) dominated the Water-Soluble Inorganic Ions (WSIIs) and they accounted for 47.09% of PM 2.5 . The mass concentrations of NH₄⁺, NO₃ - and SO₄ 2- during the highly polluted period were 8.08, 8.88 and 6.85 times greater, respectively, than during the clean period, which contributed most to the serious PM 2.5 pollution through the secondary transformation of NO₂, SO₂ and NH₃. During the highly polluted period, NH₄NO₃ contributed most to the reconstruction extinction coefficient ( b' ext ), accounting for 35.7%, followed by (NH₄)₂SO₄ (34.44%) and Organic Matter (OM: 15.24%). The acidity of PM 2.5 in Beijing was weakly acid. Acidity of PM 2.5 and relatively high humidity could aggravate PM 2.5 pollution and visibility impairment by promoting the generation of secondary aerosol. Local motor vehicles contributed the most to NO₃ - , OC, and visibility impairment in urban Beijing. Other sources of pollution in the area surrounding urban Beijing, including coal burning, agricultural sources, and industrial sources in the Hebei, Shandong, and Henan provinces, released large amounts of SO₂, NH₃, and NO₂. These, which were transformed into SO₄ 2- , NH₄⁺, and NO₃ - during the transmission process, respectively, and had a great impact on atmospheric visibility impairment.