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Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) occurs after surgery and severely impairs patients' quality of life. Finding POCD-associated variables can aid in its diagnosis and prognostication. POCD is associated with noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), involved in metabolic function, immune response alteration, and cognitive ability impairment; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate hub miRNAs (i.e., miRNAs that have an important regulatory role in diseases) regulating postoperative cognitive function and the associated mechanisms. Hub miRNAs were identified by bioinformatics, and their expression in mouse hippocampus tissues was determined using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Hub miRNAs were overexpressed or knocked down in cell and animal models to test their effects on neuroinflammation and postoperative cognitive function. Six differentially expressed hub miRNAs were identified. miR-206-3p was the only broadly conserved miRNA, and it was used in follow-up studies and animal experiments. Its inhibitors reduced the release of proinflammatory cytokines in BV-2 microglia by regulating its target gene, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and the downstream signaling pathways. miR-206-3p inhibition suppressed microglial activation in the hippocampi of mice and improved learning and cognitive decline. Therefore, miR-206-3p significantly affects POCD, implying its potential as a therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A self-powered rapid-loading microfluidic chip had realized high-throughput analysis of vector-borne viruses. • High specificity and sensitivity had been shown in on-chip LAMP assay, which is suitable for actual specimens analysis. • The results could be readout by two methods by changing dye. A large number of people die from vector-borne diseases every year. The existing detection of vector-borne diseases is restricted by complicated operation, high cost and low detection efficiency. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop low-cost, user-friendly and effective analysis techniques. Herein, we presented a self-powered rapid loading microfluidic chip for eight vector-borne viruses detection, including Rift Valley Fever Virus (RVFV), Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV), Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV), Yellow Fever Virus (YFV), and Dengue Virus (DENV) subtype Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ. The whole analysis process can be completed within 50 min including a 3-min self-powered loading of the sample and a 45-min RT-LAMP analysis. The results could be readout by two different methods to fit different situations. In the real-time LAMP, the detection limits of CHIKV, JEV, DENV-1, and DENV-3 all reached 50 copies, and the other four targets reached 100 copies. In the colorimetric LAMP, the detection limits of RVFV and YFV reached 500 copies, CHIKV and DENV-4 reached 100 copies, and JEV, DENV-1, DENV-2, and DENV-3 could reach 50 copies. Furthermore, the system was tested by analyzing 50 clinical samples and 120 mosquito samples. The detection results were completely consistent with those from RT-PCR analysis. The self-powered rapid loading microfluidic chip is expected to be used in point-of-care (POC) diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main therapies of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are hepatectomy and liver transplantation, but the recurrence rate of HCC after radical resection remains high. We established a novel method based on reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) for the rapid identification of four cancer stem cell-specific biomarkers to estimate the potential risk of HCC metastasis. After optimizing the final concentrations of Mg2+ and betaine, the sensitivity limits for detection of CK19 and EpCAM could reach 10 to 20 copies, while the sensitivity limits for the detection of CD133 and CD90 could reach 10 copies. We detected clinical specimens from 10 HCC patients and performed analysis before and after receiving hepatectomy using RT-LAMP and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The results of both were consistent, but RT-LAMP was proved to be a more rapid, more sensitive, and more economic approach. This novel method is expected to estimate the recurrence and metastasis of HCC for clinical application by combining various low-cost circulating tumor cell sorting and detection tools. Image 1 • Optimized RT-LAMP assay could identify HCC metastasis with 45 min. • CTCs separated from blood were used in RT-LAMP assay. • The sensitivity limits of RT-LAMP for 4 biomarkers could reach 10–20 copies, which was higher than qRT-PCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of cosmic high-energy neutrinos remains largely unexplained. For high-energy neutrino alerts from IceCube, a coincidence with time-variable emission has been seen for three different types of accreting black holes: (1) a gamma-ray flare from a blazar (TXS 0506+056), (2) an optical transient following a stellar tidal disruption event (TDE; AT2019dsg), and (3) an optical outburst from an active galactic nucleus (AGN; AT2019fdr). For the latter two sources, infrared follow-up observations revealed a powerful reverberation signal due to dust heated by the flare. This discovery motivates a systematic study of neutrino emission from all supermassive black hole with similar dust echoes. Because dust reprocessing is agnostic to the origin of the outburst, our work unifies TDEs and high-amplitude flares from AGN into a population that we dub accretion flares. Besides the two known events, we uncover a third flare that is coincident with a PeV-scale neutrino (AT2019aalc). Based solely on the optical and infrared properties, we estimate a significance of 3.6σ for this association of high-energy neutrinos with three accretion flares. Our results imply that at least ∼10 per cent of the IceCube high-energy neutrino alerts could be due to accretion flares. This is surprising because the sum of the fluence of these flares is at least three orders of magnitude lower compared to the total fluence of normal AGN. It thus appears that the efficiency of high-energy neutrino production in accretion flares is increased compared to non-flaring AGN. We speculate that this can be explained by the high Eddington ratio of the flares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the preventive effects of the total polyphenols from Nymphaea candida (NCTP) on LPS-induced septic acute lung injury (ALI) in mice and its mechanisms. NCTP could significantly ameliorate LPS-induced lung tissue pathological injury in mice as well as lung wet/dry ratio and MPO activities (p < 0.05). NCTP could significantly decrease the blood leukocyte, neutrophil, monocyte, basophil, and eosinophil amounts and LPS contents in ALI mice compared with the model group (p < 0.05), improving lymphocyte amounts (p < 0.05). Moreover, compared with the model group, NCTP could decrease lung tissue TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels (p < 0.05) and downregulate the protein expression of TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6, IKKβ, IκB-α, p-IκB-α, NF-κB p65, p-NF-κB p65, NLRP3, ASC, and Caspase1 in lung tissues (p < 0.05). Furthermore, NCTP could inhibit ileum histopathological injuries, restoring the ileum tight junctions by increasing the expression of ZO-1 and occludin. Simultaneously, NCTP could reverse the gut microbiota disorder, restore the diversity of gut microbiota, increase the relative abundance of Clostridiales and Lachnospiraceae, and enhance the content of SCFAs (acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid) in feces. These results suggested that NCTP has preventive effects on septic ALI, and its mechanism is related to the regulation of gut microbiota, SCFA metabolism, and the TLR-4/NF-κB and NLRP3 pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In current pig farming, pigs are susceptible to stress-induced adverse emotions. Emotional contagion may propagate these emotions within a herd, potentially affecting overall welfare. Typically, treatments of individual pigs should be conducted separately from the group. Thus, after separation from treatment on an individual pig, the behavioral responses and heart rate changes of the companion pig were recorded to determine if the sensory avoidance was effective. It was found that peers were still affected by the treated pigs after sensory avoidance. Separation from treatment does not eliminate the effects of the treated pig on companion pigs, which can still be affected in post-treatment contact. In the pig farming industry, it is recommended to avoid groups when treating individuals to reduce adverse reactions in the group. However, can this eliminate the adverse effects effectively? Piglets were assigned to the Rewarding Group (RG), the Punishing Group (PG), and the Paired Control Group (PCG). There were six replicates in each group, with two paired piglets per replicate. One piglet of the RG and PG was randomly selected as the Treated pig (TP), treated with food rewards or electric shock, and the other as the Naive pig (NP). The NPs in the RG and PG were unaware of the treatment process, and piglets in the PCG were not treated. The behavior and heart rate changes of all piglets were recorded. Compared to the RG, the NPs in the PG showed longer proximity but less contact behavior, and the TPs in the PG showed more freezing behavior. The percentage change in heart rate of the NPs was synchronized with the TPs. This shows that after sensory avoidance, the untreated pigs could also feel the emotions of their peers and their emotional state was affected by their peers, and the negative emotions in the pigs lasted longer than the positive emotions. The avoidance process does not prevent the transfer of negative emotions to peers via emotional contagion from the stimulated pig. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Emotional contagion and social support are common phenomena in animals. The study evaluated whether pigs that did not observe the stimulus process could also perceive the negative emotions of their companions and provide social support. Here, the research compared differences in behavioral responses between treated individuals and naive companions by measuring the frequency/duration and latency of behaviors occurring in pigs under different test conditions to determine whether there were behavioral responses of the companions with emotional contagion to support the treated individuals. Whether or not the companions were aware of the source of the negative emotions of the treated pigs, they were able to respond to it in an appropriate emotional way and provide social support to the treated individual. This study expects to confirm the existence of emotional transmission in pigs from multiple perspectives and to provide theoretical references for improving animal welfare in livestock farming. A group that could directly observe (DO) and a group that could not directly observe (NO) were created based on whether or not their peers observed the treatment process, as the treated pig (TP) was treated with electrical shock and the companion pig (CP) either witnessed the treatment inflicted upon TP or not, and a third group was a control group, in which neither pig was stimulated. The behavioral responses of both the TPs and CPs were recorded to evaluate the emotional reaction. The results found that in both the DO and NO groups, the frequency of TP freezing was significantly higher than that of CP, and CP was significantly higher than that of the control group. Interestingly, although the social interaction responses of the CPs were not similar in the DO and NO groups, there were no significant differences between the behaviors of TPs in the DO and NO groups, except for nose–nose contact and a single approach to the partition, which allowed us to conclude that, whether or not the pigs directly observed the negative treatment, they were able to respond accordingly to fear and provide similar social support to their companions who were treated negatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a cooperative polynomial guidance problem is investigated against a maneuvering target based on trajectory parameterization with collision avoidance and flight path angle coordination. To this end, a polynomial reference trajectory satisfying the initial and terminal constraints is introduced with its highest-order coefficient chosen as the guidance gain. Then, a safe distance criterion is enforced to coordinate parameters of the missiles for collision avoidance along the reference trajectories. Finally, the cooperative guidance law is developed by ensuring a smooth tracking of the polynomial reference trajectory. Numerical simulations verified performance of the proposed guidance strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical Knowledge Graphs (MKGs) are vital in propelling big data technologies in healthcare and facilitating the realization of medical intelligence. However, large-scale MKGs often exhibit characteristics of data sparsity and missing facts. Following the latest advances, knowledge embedding addresses these problems by performing knowledge graph completion. Most knowledge embedding algorithms rely solely on triplet structural information, overlooking the rich information hidden within entity property sets, leading to bottlenecks in performance enhancement when dealing with the intricate relations of MKGs. Inspired by the semantic sensitivity and explicit type constraints unique to the medical domain, we propose BioBERT-based graph embedding model. This model represents an evolvable framework that integrates graph embedding, language embedding, and type information, thereby optimizing the utility of MKGs. Our study utilizes not only WordNet as a benchmark dataset but also incorporates MedicalKG to compare and corroborate the specificity of medical knowledge. Experimental results on these datasets indicate that the proposed fusion framework achieves state-of-art (SOTA) performance compared to other baselines. We believe that this incremental improvement provides promising insights for future medical knowledge graph completion endeavors. • A novel fusion framework is introduced for medical knowledge graph completion. • Our methodology incorporates a type-sensitive learning strategy that ensure higher precision. • We improve link prediction with an ontology language model and if-else logic. • Research shows that the medical knowledge graph is more sensitive to semantic information. • Our method surpasses baselines in WordNet and MedicalKG, highlighting its applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the Changjiang Delta is obviously affected by current rapidly rising sea level and drastically declining river discharge, and it is also vital for the sustainable development of Shanghai and the Changjiang River Economic Belt, which represent China's economic development leader and major national strategic area, respectively. In this paper, the growth pattern of Jiuduansha Island, the largest uninhabited alluvial island in the Changjiang Estuary, is studied in terms of the change in elevation, position and area over the past 50 years through using satellite-derived instantaneous shoreline positions and high/low tide exposure areas based on 497 satellite images from 1974 to 2020; and the influencing factors and future development patterns are further discussed by comparison with other alluvial islands or sandbars in the estuary The results show that Jiuduansha Island has maintained a rapid or even accelerated area growth rate, although the sediment discharge of the Changjiang River has sharply decreased in recent decades This sustained growth is mainly attributed to the existence of the estuarine turbidity maximum zone, coarsening fluvial sediment, onshore sediment replenishment by tide, cone-like geomorphology of Jiuduansha Island, and siltation promotion effect of vegetation The growth rate of the low tide exposure area of Jiuduansha Island increased from 1.9 km2 a−1 in 1974–1990 to 3.0 km2 a−1 in 1990–2020, and the growth rate of the high tide exposure area reached as high as 3.7 km2 a−1 in 1994–2020. The implementation of the Deep-Water Channel Project has significantly affected the evolution of Jiuduansha Island, including shifting the heads of Shangsha and Zhongxiasha from severe retreat to rapid accretion, and promoting tidal flat progradation seaward of the Jiangyanansha and Zhongxiasha, but restricting the growth of the low tide exposure area of Jiuduansha Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute toxicity assay presents vital significance in modern environmental monitoring, including online detection and in-situ assay for emergency events. Although photobacteria related detection methods were established and verified in the past decades with combination of photomultiplier tube (PMT), the price and size of PMT sensor hampered application of rapid acute toxicity assay and detection system miniaturization, especially in the resource-limited occasions. Wide application of smartphones with great low-light performance cameras could be used in photobacteria-based toxicity assay instead of the PMT methods. Herein a box-type portable detection system had been successfully established, including a disc-chip for detection, detection device, and smartphones with a high-performance camera. The system performed well showing stable temperature and rotation control. Results captured by CMOS-based camera presented a linear relationship with PMT-based detection method. An image progress algorithm was also established and tested by series diluted zinc sulfate solution as a reference substance. The system also performed well for toxicity analysis for real Atmospheric particle matter sample. The system could be used in some environmental monitoring scenarios as an alternative solution. Image 1 • CMOS based sensor was firstly applied in low-light photobacteria detection. • A centrifuge microfluidic disc was used in pollutants toxicity assay to achieve high-throughput detection. • A compact toxicity detection platform was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction-powered supernovae (SNe) explode within an optically thick circumstellar medium (CSM) that could be ejected during eruptive events. To identify and characterize such pre-explosion outbursts, we produce forced-photometry light curves for 196 interacting SNe, mostly of Type IIn, detected by the Zwicky Transient Facility between early 2018 and 2020 June. Extensive tests demonstrate that we only expect a few false detections among the 70,000 analyzed pre-explosion images after applying quality cuts and bias corrections. We detect precursor eruptions prior to 18 Type IIn SNe and prior to the Type Ibn SN 2019uo. Precursors become brighter and more frequent in the last months before the SN and month-long outbursts brighter than magnitude −13 occur prior to 25% (5–69%, 95% confidence range) of all Type IIn SNe within the final three months before the explosion. With radiative energies of up to 1049 erg, precursors could eject ∼1 M⊙ of material. Nevertheless, SNe with detected precursors are not significantly more luminous than other SNe IIn, and the characteristic narrow hydrogen lines in their spectra typically originate from earlier, undetected mass-loss events. The long precursor durations require ongoing energy injection, and they could, for example, be powered by interaction or by a continuum-driven wind. Instabilities during the neon- and oxygen-burning phases are predicted to launch precursors in the final years to months before the explosion; however, the brightest precursor is 100 times more energetic than anticipated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a systematic search for optical counterparts to 13 gravitational wave (GW) triggers involving at least one neutron star during LIGO/Virgo's third observing run (O3). We searched binary neutron star (BNS) and neutron star black hole (NSBH) merger localizations with the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) and undertook follow-up with the Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH) collaboration. The GW triggers had a median localization area of 4480 deg2, a median distance of 267 Mpc, and false-alarm rates ranging from 1.5 to 10−25 yr−1. The ZTF coverage in the g and r bands had a median enclosed probability of 39%, median depth of 20.8 mag, and median time lag between merger and the start of observations of 1.5 hr. The O3 follow-up by the GROWTH team comprised 340 UltraViolet/Optical/InfraRed (UVOIR) photometric points, 64 OIR spectra, and three radio images using 17 different telescopes. We find no promising kilonovae (radioactivity-powered counterparts), and we show how to convert the upper limits to constrain the underlying kilonova luminosity function. Initially, we assume that all GW triggers are bona fide astrophysical events regardless of false-alarm rate and that kilonovae accompanying BNS and NSBH mergers are drawn from a common population; later, we relax these assumptions. Assuming that all kilonovae are at least as luminous as the discovery magnitude of GW170817 (−16.1 mag), we calculate that our joint probability of detecting zero kilonovae is only 4.2%. If we assume that all kilonovae are brighter than −16.6 mag (the extrapolated peak magnitude of GW170817) and fade at a rate of 1 mag day−1 (similar to GW170817), the joint probability of zero detections is 7%. If we separate the NSBH and BNS populations based on the online classifications, the joint probability of zero detections, assuming all kilonovae are brighter than −16.6 mag, is 9.7% for NSBH and 7.9% for BNS mergers. Moreover, no more than <57% (<89%) of putative kilonovae could be brighter than −16.6 mag assuming flat evolution (fading by 1 mag day−1) at the 90% confidence level. If we further take into account the online terrestrial probability for each GW trigger, we find that no more than <68% of putative kilonovae could be brighter than −16.6 mag. Comparing to model grids, we find that some kilonovae must have Mej < 0.03 M⊙, Xlan > 10−4, or ϕ > 30° to be consistent with our limits. We look forward to searches in the fourth GW observing run; even 17 neutron star mergers with only 50% coverage to a depth of −16 mag would constrain the maximum fraction of bright kilonovae to <25%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational health problems, such as asthma, in specific work environments arise from the presence of airborne fungi. Rapid detection of pathogenic airborne fungi is therefore important to reduce or avoid any adverse effects on staff health. Herein, we established a new integrated rapid L yticase- M otor- C hemical reagent nucleic acid releasing (LMC) method for the release of fungal DNA. Aspergillus fumigatus , Aspergillus flavus , and Cryptococcus neoformans were chosen to evaluate the LMC method. The results of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) analyses showed that this method could release the nucleic acid of 4 × 104 fungal spores, equaling to 400 copies per microliter. This rapid multiplex nucleic acid detection system of airborne fungi included an integrated DNA release device and a portable microfluidic chip. The integrated DNA release device combined mechanical lysing and biochemical reagent treatment to automate DNA release. The microfluidic chip was capable of multiplex nucleic acid detection. The detection limit of this system was 4 × 104 spores per test, meeting the requirement of early warnings. The whole analysis from the sample input to readout could be completed within 90 min, including 30 min for fungal DNA release and 45 min for LAMP analysis. The integrated DNA release device and microfluidic chip were portable, showing tremendous potential in point-of-care tests of airborne fungi. [Display omitted] • A new integrated rapid L yticase- M otor- C hemical reagent nucleic acid releasing (LMC) method for the release of fungal DNA was established. • A new check valve was designed for the integrated DNA releasing device, achieving automated DNA extraction controlled by a smartphone. • A new kind of portable microfluidic chip based on the principle of communicating vessels and capillary action was constructed for multiplex nucleic acid detection. • A rapid and on-site fungal aerosol detection system was constructed from sample input to result readout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a global threat with significant attributable morbidity and mortality. Information on microfluidic detection for CM diagnosis is still limited. We developed a multifunctional microfluidic module that integrated the pathogen enrichment and on-chip nucleic acid extraction. The module adopted a simple filtration membrane to effectively capture Cryptococcus cells and simplify the process, and combined lyticase digestion, alkaline lysis and heating methods to optimize the strategy to achieve nucleic acid extraction. The entire process was operated in the module, which reduced the exposure risk of directly processing cryptococcal samples. A portable one-pot lyophilized LAMP reagent bead with no temperature limit was developed, which improved the flexibility of operation. This module did not require any additional instrument, and is promising to develop a simple, rapid, and efficient approach to realize the "sample in and answer out" detection of real CSF samples. This microfluidic module had practical prospects and is expected to replace LFA for efficacy evaluation and follow-up in the middle and late stages of CM treatment, and could be used as an auxiliary method to confirm cases with questionable LFA results in the early diagnosis of CM. [Display omitted] • Information on microfluidic detection for CM is limited, due to the difficulty of extracting nucleic acids on the chip. • We developed a multifunctional microfluidic module that integrated target enrichment and on-chip nucleic acid extraction. • We developed a portable one-pot lyophilized reagent bead with no temperature limit and improved the flexibility of operation. • This module is promising to develop an efficient approach to realize the detection of real CSF samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes are the remnants of massive star explosions 1 . Most massive stars reside in close binary systems 2 , and the interplay between the companion star and the newly formed compact object has been theoretically explored 3 , but signatures for binarity or evidence for the formation of a compact object during a supernova explosion are still lacking. Here we report a stripped-envelope supernova, SN 2022jli, which shows 12.4-day periodic undulations during the declining light curve. Narrow Hα emission is detected in late-time spectra with concordant periodic velocity shifts, probably arising from hydrogen gas stripped from a companion and accreted onto the compact remnant. A new Fermi-LAT γ-ray source is temporally and positionally consistent with SN 2022jli. The observed properties of SN 2022jli, including periodic undulations in the optical light curve, coherent Hα emission shifting and evidence for association with a γ-ray source, point to the explosion of a massive star in a binary system leaving behind a bound compact remnant. Mass accretion from the companion star onto the compact object powers the light curve of the supernova and generates the γ-ray emission., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

In recent years, certain luminous extragalactic optical transients have been observed to last only a few days 1 . Their short observed duration implies a different powering mechanism from the most common luminous extragalactic transients (supernovae), whose timescale is weeks 2 . Some short-duration transients, most notably AT2018cow (ref.  3 ), show blue optical colours and bright radio and X-ray emission 4 . Several AT2018cow-like transients have shown hints of a long-lived embedded energy source 5 , such as X-ray variability 6,7 , prolonged ultraviolet emission 8 , a tentative X-ray quasiperiodic oscillation 9,10 and large energies coupled to fast (but subrelativistic) radio-emitting ejecta 11,12 . Here we report observations of minutes-duration optical flares in the aftermath of an AT2018cow-like transient, AT2022tsd (the 'Tasmanian Devil'). The flares occur over a period of months, are highly energetic and are probably nonthermal, implying that they arise from a near-relativistic outflow or jet. Our observations confirm that, in some AT2018cow-like transients, the embedded energy source is a compact object, either a magnetar or an accreting black hole., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Exposure to indoor air pollution from solid fuel combustion is associated with lung diseases and cancer. This study investigated the cytotoxicity and molecular mechanisms of biomass combustion-derived particles in human pulmonary alveolar epithelial cells (HPAEpiC) using a platform that combines air-liquid interface (ALI) and dynamic culture (DC) systems., Methods: HPAEpiC were cultured on the surface of polycarbonate (PC) membranes on the ALI-DC platform. The cells were sprayed with an aerosolized solution of biomass combustion soluble constituents (BCSCs) and simultaneously nourished with culture medium flowing beneath the permeable PC membranes. The ALI-DC method was compared with the traditional submerged culture approach. BCSC particle morphology and dosages deposited on the chip were determined for particle characterization. Flow cytometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to investigate the apoptosis rate of HPAEpiC and changes in the cell ultrastructure induced by BCSCs. Additionally, the underlying apoptotic pathway was examined by determining the protein expression levels by western blotting., Results: Scanning electron microscope images demonstrated that the sample processing and delivering approach of the ALI-DC platform were suitable for pollutant exposure. Compared with the submerged culture method, a significant decline in cell viability and increase in apoptosis rate was observed after BCSC exposure on the ALI-DC platform, indicating that the ALI-DC platform is a more sensitive system for investigating cytotoxicity of indoor air pollutants in lung cells. The morphology and ultrastructure of the cells were damaged after exposure to BCSCs, and the p53 pathway was activated. The Bcl-2/Bax ratio was reduced, upregulating caspase-9 and caspase-3 expression and subsequently inducing apoptosis of HPAEpiC. The addition of N-acetyl cysteine antioxidant significantly alleviated the cytotoxicity induced by BCSCs., Conclusion: A novel ALI-DC platform was developed to study the cytotoxicity of air pollutants on lung cells. Using the platform, we demonstrated that BCSCs could damage the mitochondria, produce reactive oxygen species, and activate p53 in HPAEpiC, ultimately inducing apoptosis., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Acetochlor is always used in maize (Zea mays L.) fields as a common pre-emergence herbicide. In this field study, we investigated the effects of acetochlor on the photosynthetic characteristics, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and antioxidant enzyme activities in acetochlor-resistant (BWC95) and acetochlor-sensitive (BWC12) near-isogenic lines. We sprayed acetochlor after sowing, using water treatment as the control. After spraying acetochlor, the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and the function of chloroplasts were significantly lower in BWC12 than BWC95, whereas the intercellular CO 2 concentrations and stomatal limitation values were higher. In addition to nonphotochemical quenching, chlorophyll fluorescence measurements obtained using leaves showed that the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII), actual photochemical efficiency of PSII, photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, and electron transport rate were higher in BWC95 than BWC12 after acetochlor treatment. H 2 O 2 and O 2 ˙ - levels were higher in BWC12 than BWC95, which resulted in severe membrane lipid peroxidation due to sustained oxidative stress. Thus, the malondialdehyde content increased significantly with the exposure time in BWC12, and the antioxidant enzyme activities were lower in BWC12 than BWC95. The results show that acetochlor resistance is directly related to a high photosynthetic rate and a protective antioxidant enzyme system.