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Abstract Simultaneously achieving high sensitivity and detection speed with traditional solid-state biosensors is usually limited since the target molecules must passively diffuse to the sensor surface before they can be detected. Microfluidic techniques have been applied to shorten the diffusion time by continuously moving molecules through the biosensing regions. However, the binding efficiencies of the biomolecules are still limited by the inherent laminar flow inside microscale channels. In this study, focused traveling surface acoustic waves were directed into an acoustic microfluidic chip, which could continuously enrich the target molecules into a constriction zone for immediate detection of the immune reactions, thus significantly improving the detection sensitivity and speed. To demonstrate the enhancement of biosensing, we first developed an acoustic microfluidic chip integrated with a focused interdigital transducer; this transducer had the ability to capture more than 91% of passed microbeads. Subsequently, polystyrene microbeads were pre-captured with human IgG molecules at different concentrations and loaded for detection on the chip. As representative results, ~0.63, 2.62, 11.78, and 19.75 seconds were needed to accumulate significant numbers of microbeads pre-captured with human IgG molecules at concentrations of 100, 10, 1, and 0.1 ng/mL (~0.7 pM), respectively; this process was faster than the other methods at the hour level and more sensitive than the other methods at the nanomolar level. Our results indicated that the proposed method could significantly improve both the sensitivity and speed, revealing the importance of selective enrichment strategies for rapid biosensing of rare molecules.

Abstract To study the effect of different high-voltage electric field polarisation treatment process parameters on the viability of seeds of dried chili peppers. In this study, a high-voltage electrostatic polarisation treatment system was constructed to carry out experiments on the effects of different high-voltage electric field polarisation treatment process parameters on the viability of dried chili seeds. Conduct one-way tests to determine the preferred polarisation method and the preferred interval for output voltage and polarisation time. Two-factor, five-level central combination test with output voltage and polarization time as test factors and seed conductivity as a response indicator. Determining the better combination of parameters for output voltage and polarization time; Conducting seed germination trials to validate the effectiveness of the polarisation process. The results of the one-way test showed that: Negative-voltage polarisation was more effective than positive-voltage polarisation and alternating positive–negative-voltage polarisation in promoting seed vigor, with a better output voltage in the range of 10–14 kV, and a better polarisation time in the range of 20–40 s; The results of orthogonal tests showed that: Under the condition of negative voltage polarisation treatment, the output voltage of 12.08 kV and polarisation time of 30.32 s was the better parameter combination, at which the seed conductivity was minimum 159.87 uS/(cm g). Analyzing the function of cell membrane selective semi-permeability by seed conductivity change and revealing the mechanism of seed viability enhancement by high voltage electric field polarisation treatment; In the seed germination test, compared with the control group, seed germination potential increased by 9.09%, germination rate increased by 20.45%, germination index increased by 3.49, and vigor index increased by 41.66 under high-voltage electrostatic polarisation treatment, and all vigor indexes were significantly improved. The results of this study can provide a basis for the selection of processes and parameters for subsequent high-voltage electric field polarisation treatment of crop seeds.

Abstract Accelerating the discovery of advanced materials is crucial for modern industries, aerospace, biomedicine, and energy. Nevertheless, only a small fraction of materials are currently under experimental investigation within the vast chemical space. Materials scientists are plagued by time-consuming and labor-intensive experiments due to lacking efficient material discovery strategies. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising instrument to bridge this gap. Although numerous AI toolkits or platforms for material science have been developed, they suffer from many shortcomings. These include primarily focusing on material property prediction and being unfriendly to material scientists lacking programming experience, especially performing poorly with limited data. Here, we developed MLMD, an AI platform for materials design. It is capable of effectively discovering novel materials with high-potential advanced properties end-to-end, utilizing model inference, surrogate optimization, and even working in situations of data scarcity based on active learning. Additionally, it integrates data analysis, descriptor refactoring, hyper-parameters auto-optimizing, and properties prediction. It also provides a web-based friendly interface without need programming and can be used anywhere, anytime. MLMD is dedicated to the integration of material experiment/computation and design, and accelerate the new material discovery with desired one or multiple properties. It demonstrates the strong power to direct experiments on various materials (perovskites, steel, high-entropy alloy, etc). MLMD will be an essential tool for materials scientists and facilitate the advancement of materials informatics.

In exploring the evolutionary trajectories of both pathogenesis and karyotype dynamics in fungi, we conducted a large-scale comparative genomic analysis spanning the Cryptococcus genus, encompassing both global human fungal pathogens and nonpathogenic species, and related species from the sister genus Kwoniella. Chromosome-level genome assemblies were generated for multiple species, covering virtually all known diversity within these genera. Although Cryptococcus and Kwoniella have comparable genome sizes (about 19.2 and 22.9 Mb) and similar gene content, hinting at preadaptive pathogenic potential, our analysis found evidence of gene gain (via horizontal gene transfer) and gene loss in pathogenic Cryptococcus species, which might represent evolutionary signatures of pathogenic development. Genome analysis also revealed a significant variation in chromosome number and structure between the 2 genera. By combining synteny analysis and experimental centromere validation, we found that most Cryptococcus species have 14 chromosomes, whereas most Kwoniella species have fewer (11, 8, 5, or even as few as 3). Reduced chromosome number in Kwoniella is associated with formation of giant chromosomes (up to 18 Mb) through repeated chromosome fusion events, each marked by a pericentric inversion and centromere loss. While similar chromosome inversion-fusion patterns were observed in all Kwoniella species with fewer than 14 chromosomes, no such pattern was detected in Cryptococcus. Instead, Cryptococcus species with less than 14 chromosomes showed reductions primarily through rearrangements associated with the loss of repeat-rich centromeres. Additionally, Cryptococcus genomes exhibited frequent interchromosomal translocations, including intercentromeric recombination facilitated by transposons shared between centromeres. Overall, our findings advance our understanding of genetic changes possibly associated with pathogenicity in Cryptococcus and provide a foundation to elucidate mechanisms of centromere loss and chromosome fusion driving distinct karyotypes in closely related fungal species, including prominent global human pathogens.

Abstract With the development of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC), the recovery rate of construction waste is improved, and the pollution problem is alleviated. In particular, RAC beams strengthened with prestressed carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) can exhibit improved mechanical properties, expanding RAC application. Four groups of reinforced RAC beam specimens contained 0%, 40%, 70%, and 100% recycled coarse aggregate, respectively. Each group of beams was first pre-cracked and then strengthened by prestressed CFRP with one layer and two layers respectively. Finally, the bearing capacity tests were performed for these beams. The test results show that as the recycled coarse aggregate content increases, the cracking moment and ultimate load capacity of the beam decrease, while its crack width increases. As the CFRP layer increases, the deformation and crack width of the beam decreases, while the number of cracks increases. The prestressed CFRP also exhibited tensile and peeling failure. A beam deflection calculation model was established by introducing a coefficient k representing the interaction between recycled aggregate and CFRP. The influence coefficient of concrete elongation on the crack width and average crack spacing of the beam was modified, and the crack width analysis model of the beam was established. The calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental observations. It can provide reference for the application and design of recycled concrete beams strengthened with prestressed CFRP.

Abstract Background In previous studies, it has been observed that mother’s perinatal mental health (PMH) problems can be improved by engaging in appropriate health care-seeking behaviors. However, the exact mechanism that influences the relationship between these two factors is still not fully understood. This cross-sectional study aims to examine the serial multiple mediating effects of perceived professional healthcare support (PPHS) and social structural factors on the association between care-seeking behavior and PMH. Methods The cross-sectional study evaluated 1705 Chinese mothers (pregnancy 12 to 41 weeks) through questionnaires from October 2021 to November 2022. These mothers were selected from three hospitals in Wuxi, with an annual delivery volume of at least 5000. We conducted a structural equation model (SEM) analysis to examine the multiple mediating effect of PPHS and social structural factors (social stigma or social trust) between care-seeking behavior and PMH. After analyzing the results of the SEM, we used bootstrapping to further test the mediating effect. Results Among the 1705 Chinese mothers surveyed, 636 (37.3%) sought help from professionals. It was observed that more women tended to seek professional help during the early stages of pregnancy (12 to 28 weeks) compared to the later stages (28 to 41 weeks) (t = 1.47, p

Major Depression Disorder (MDD), a complex mental health disorder, poses significant challenges in accurate diagnosis. In addressing the issue of gradient vanishing in the classification of MDD using current data-driven electroencephalogram (EEG) data, this study introduces a TanhReLU-based Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). By integrating the TanhReLU activation function, which combines the characteristics of the hyperbolic tangent (Tanh) and rectified linear unit (ReLU) activations, the model aims to improve performance in identifying patterns associated with MDD while alleviating the issue of model overfitting and gradient vanishing. Experimental results demonstrate promising outcomes in the task of MDD classification upon the publicly available EEG data, suggesting potential clinical applications.

Objective This study aims to explore the mediating roles of technological interactivity and technological anxiety in the relationship between perceived usefulness and the willingness to use a smart health device to provide insight into the decision-making process of older adults in relation to the adoption of smart devices. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Jiangsu, China involving 552 older adults. The study utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationship between the independent variable ‘perceived usefulness’ and the dependent variable ‘willingness to use.’ It also examined the multiple mediating effects of technological interactivity and technological anxiety between the independent and dependent variables. Results The results indicate that the direct effect of perceived usefulness on willingness to use was insignificant. However, technological interactivity completely mediated the relationship between perceived usefulness and willingness to use. Additionally, technological interactivity and technological anxiety were found to have a serial mediating effect on the impact of perceived usefulness on willingness to use smart healthcare devices. Conclusions These findings suggest that increasing older adults’ intention to use smart healthcare devices requires not only raising awareness of their usefulness, but also addressing technological anxiety and enhancing the interactivity of these devices to improve the overall user experience.

Background: This study focuses on the heterogeneity, interaction, and imbalance in the concurrent development of physical and mental health trajectories among Chinese elderly. Methods: The data used in this study are from four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHRLS) conducted between 2011 and 2018. A multidimensional growth mixture model (MGMM) was employed to analyze the patterns and characteristics of co-occurring physical and mental health development. Additionally, multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to systematically investigate the factors that predict the conjoint trajectories of physical and mental health. Results: The study findings reveal the presence of four distinct latent classes of conjoint trajectories for physical and mental health. These classes are categorized as follows: ‘physical and mental health deteriorating’, ‘physical disease increasing & low mental vulnerability maintaining’, ‘low physical & mental vulnerability maintaining’, and ‘high physical disease increased & mental health moderate-stable’. Furthermore, demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, family-society relations, health behaviors, and institutional factors were found to significantly predict these latent classes. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the diversity and complexity of physical and mental co-occurring developmental health issues in the elderly population in China. These findings have significant implications for the development of targeted intervention strategies that take into account the unique health changes experienced by older adults. Additionally, they can serve as evidence for the establishment of a comprehensive long-term care system.

BackgroundArticular cartilage and cartilage matrix degradation are key pathological changes occurring in the early stage of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, currently, there are limited strategies for early prevention and treatment of KOA. Duhuo Jisheng Decoction (DHJSD) is a formula quoted in Bei Ji Qian jin Yao Fang, which was compiled by Sun Simiao in the Tang Dynasty of China. As a complementary therapy, it is widely used to treat early-stage KOA in China; however, its mechanism has not been completely elucidated.ObjectiveThis study investigated the potential role of DHJSD in preventing cartilage degradation and the underlying mechanism.MethodsA rat model of KOA model was established via the Hulth method. Subsequently, 25 rats were randomized into sham (saline), model control (saline), high-DHJSD (1.9g/mL of DHJSD), medium-DHJSD (1.2g/mL of DHJSD), and low-DHJSD groups (0.6g/mL of DHJSD). After 4 weeks of treatment, all rats were sacrificed and the severity of the cartilage degeneration was evaluated by a series of histological methods. The autophagosome was observed using transmission electron microscopy, and the related functional proteins were detected by the western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Next, the mechanism by which DHJSD improves knee cartilage degeneration was further clarified the in vitro by gene silencing technology combined with a series of functional experiments. The proteins levels of PTEN, Akt, p-Akt, mTOR, and p-mTOR, as well as the marker proteins of autophagy and apoptosis were determined. Zinc levels in chondrocytes were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.ResultsHistopathological staining revealed that DHJSD had a protective effect on the cartilage. DHJSD increased autophagosome synthesis and the expression of autophagy proteins LC3 and Beclin-1 in chondrocytes. Moreover, it reduced the phosphorylation levels of Akt and mTOR and the levels of zinc, MMP-13, Bax, and Bcl-2. Following PTEN silencing, this DHJSD-mediated reduction in Akt and mTOR phosphorylation and Bax, Bcl-2, and zinc levels were further decreased; in addition, DHJSD-mediated increase in LC3 and Beclin-1 levels was decreased.ConclusionDHJSD inhibits the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway by targeting PTEN to promote autophagy in chondrocytes, which may help reduce MMP-13 production by regulating zinc levels in chondrocytes.

Dielectric elastomers (DEs) require balanced electric actuation performance and mechanical integrity under applied voltages. Incorporating high dielectric particles as fillers provides extensive design space to optimize concentration, morphology, and distribution for improved actuation performance and material modulus. This study presents an integrated framework combining finite element modeling (FEM) and deep learning to optimize the microstructure of DE composites. FEM first calculates actuation performance and the effective modulus across varied filler combinations, with these data used to train a convolutional neural network (CNN). Integrating the CNN into a multi-objective genetic algorithm generates designs with enhanced actuation performance and material modulus compared to the conventional optimization approach based on FEM approach within the same time. This framework harnesses artificial intelligence to navigate vast design possibilities, enabling optimized microstructures for high-performance DE composites.

Purpose In recent years, the Chinese government has implemented measures to address the rising rate of cesarean deliveries and promote vaginal births, with the aim of improving women’s childbirth experience. However, non-medically necessary cesarean sections and repeated cesarean sections remain prevalent. This study seeks to explore the correlation between mode of delivery and childbirth experiences. Additionally, it examines the moderating and mediating effects of support from medical staff and women’s self-assessment of health on maternal satisfaction across different delivery methods. Material and Method This cross-sectional survey was conducted with 140 Chinese mothers who were 1–10 days post-partum at three tertiary hospitals. The mothers were asked to fill out a socio-demographic data form and questionnaires related to women’s maternal satisfaction, mode of delivery, self-assessed health, and perception of medical staff support while they were in the hospital after delivery. The data from the questionnaires were analyzed and compared using SPSS 24.0 and PROCESS 3.2. Results This study discovered that the mode of delivery (vaginal birth or C-section) and the perception of support from medical staff significantly influenced maternal satisfaction (β = 0.82, t = 3.42; β = 0.82, t = 10.23). Specifically, women who had a vaginal birth reported higher levels of satisfaction compared to those who had a C-section. The study also found that the perception of medical staff support played a mediating role in this relationship, indicating its influence on women’s satisfaction (β = 0.78, t = 9.58; indirect effect = 0.43, Boot SE = 0.15; 95% CI= [.12–.73]). Furthermore, women’s self-assessed health acted as a moderator in the relationship between the mode of delivery and medical staff support (β = −0.53, t = −2.39; indirect effect = −0.41, Boot SE = 0.19; 95% CI= [–.80–.05]). Conclusion The childbirth experience of Chinese women is greatly influenced by factors such as vaginal birth, their perception of care support from medical staff, and their self-assessment of health. This highlights the importance of healthcare professionals providing women-centered maternity services and childbirth education, which can help reduce unnecessary medical intervention and the need for tertiary obstetric care.

Abstract Real-time transformation was important for the practical implementation of impedance flow cytometry. The major obstacle was the time-consuming step of translating raw data to cellular intrinsic electrical properties (e.g., specific membrane capacitance Csm and cytoplasm conductivity σcyto). Although optimization strategies such as neural network-aided strategies were recently reported to provide an impressive boost to the translation process, simultaneously achieving high speed, accuracy, and generalization capability is still challenging. To this end, we proposed a fast parallel physical fitting solver that could characterize single cells’ Csm and σcyto within 0.62 ms/cell without any data preacquisition or pretraining requirements. We achieved the 27000-fold acceleration without loss of accuracy compared with the traditional solver. Based on the solver, we implemented physics-informed real-time impedance flow cytometry (piRT-IFC), which was able to characterize up to 100,902 cells’ Csm and σcyto within 50 min in a real-time manner. Compared to the fully connected neural network (FCNN) predictor, the proposed real-time solver showed comparable processing speed but higher accuracy. Furthermore, we used a neutrophil degranulation cell model to represent tasks to test unfamiliar samples without data for pretraining. After being treated with cytochalasin B and N-Formyl-Met-Leu-Phe, HL-60 cells underwent dynamic degranulation processes, and we characterized cell’s Csm and σcyto using piRT-IFC. Compared to the results from our solver, accuracy loss was observed in the results predicted by the FCNN, revealing the advantages of high speed, accuracy, and generalizability of the proposed piRT-IFC.

Because the operating speed of current mechanical maize hole seeders is low and their ability to adapt to the seed is poor, an active clamping-type precision hole planter for corn was designed. Here, we explain its structural composition and working principle. According to the maize kernel size, the combination of hole parameters is based on the principle of virtual work on analyzing the seed extraction disc assembly’s static mechanical model. The model was imported into the ADAMS simulation for validation and the parameters and ranges affecting the seed-filling performance were identified. By further analyzing the results of the coupled ADAMS–EDEM simulation, the “arching” process of the seeds during leakage charging was revealed, and an arch-breaking method was proposed with the help of a swinging seed-collecting slider. The speed of the hole planter, the diameter of the outer edge of the gravity ring, and the angle of the block installation were used as test factors. The Box–Behnken center-combination simulation test was conducted using the sowing pass index, re-seeding index, and missed sowing index as evaluation indices. The experimental results show that the optimal parameter combination was as follows: gravity ring = 174.3 mm, stopper installation angle = 131.9°, and hole seeder speed = 85.2 rpm. At this time, the qualified seeding index was 94.53%, the multiple indices were 4.30%, and the leakage index was 1.18%. Under these conditions, the row seeding performance bench test was conducted to obtain the qualified seeding index of the hole seeder, which was 93.36%, while the multiple indices were 5.20% and the leakage index was 1.44%, which satisfied the agronomic requirements of precision seeding. This provides a theoretical reference for mechanical seeding methods for irregular seeds, as well as a basis for the research and development of maize precision sowing machinery and equipment.

We have combined the theory of bulk dynamics and the agronomic requirements of precision sowing with the aim of resolving the technical problems of poor seed mobility and the difficulty in controlling suction posture, which leads to an increase in the leakage rate and a reduction in seed qualification index scores. In this study, a vibrationally tuned directional seed supply method and system are proposed. We carried out a force analysis of seeds, constructed kinematic equations for seeds and seed boxes to specify the state of the seed motion, and determined the structural parameters and the range of structural parameters that affect the seed suction posture. In addition, we coupled the ADAMS-EDEM simulation of the motion process of the seed and seed boxes and analyzed the vibrational tuning process of the seeds and the angle of inclination of the bottom surface of the seed box. The speed of the eccentric wheel and the eccentric distance were used as test factors. Three-factor and three-level Box–Behnken central combination testing with a single-grain rate, multiple-grain rate, and cavity rate were used as response indicators. Mathematical models were obtained between the experimental factors and the response indicators. Multi-objective optimization of mathematical regression models was carried out with Design-Expert 10.0.4 software. The optimal parameter combination obtained was a tilt angle of 14.27°, an eccentric wheel speed of 4.48 rad/s, and an eccentricity of 1.94 mm. The rate of single grains was 90.75%, the rate of multiple grains was 3.63%, and the rate of cavities was 5.62%. In bench performance tests, using an angle of inclination of 14°, the speed of the eccentric wheel was 4.50 rad/s and the eccentricity was 2 mm. The mean value of the single-grain rate was 89.28%, the mean value of the multiple-grain rate was 3.89%, and the mean value of the cavity rate was 6.83%. The test error was within permissible limits, and reliable results were achieved for parameter optimization. The results met the technical requirements for precision sowing. The results of the study can provide academic references for theoretical research on the methodology of posturing and directional seed supply. They can also provide ideas for the design and development of seed supply systems for precision sowing machinery.

Abstract Recycling scrap tires provides an alternative source of fine aggregates for the production of rubberized concrete and this will lead to significant increase in concrete frost resistance, environmental protection, and conservation of natural sand and gravel resources. In this paper, a total of 25 groups of rubberized concrete were produced by adding scrap tire rubber particles of different sizes, contents, and pretreatment methods to replace the fine aggregate, and their compressive strength during freeze–thaw cycles was studied from both the macro- and meso-perspectives. The results indicated that the decrease in concrete strength and weight was notably restricted by the presence of rubber particles during freeze–thaw cycles. The rubber fine aggregate with smaller particle sizes enhanced the concrete frost resistance more significantly, and the F 100 of concrete with rubber particles of 1.0–2.0 mm increased from 76.6 to 86.5% by increasing the rubber content from 0.0 to 5.6%. The effects of rubber fine aggregate on concrete compressive strength during freeze–thaw cycles were quantified. On this basis, a forecast model for rubberized concrete compressive strength in freeze–thaw cycles was proposed, and the effects of the particle size, content, and pretreatment of the rubber particles were considered. The calculated results agreed well with the test results both in this study and the relevant peer studies, indicating that the model can provide a good reference for the design and engineering application of rubberized concrete in frigid environments.

The "Amoeboid Predator-Fungal Animal Virulence Hypothesis" posits that interactions with environmental phagocytes shape the evolution of virulence traits in fungal pathogens. In this hypothesis, selection to avoid predation by amoeba inadvertently selects for traits that contribute to fungal escape from phagocytic immune cells. Here, we investigate this hypothesis in the human fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus deneoformans. Applying quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and comparative genomics, we discovered a cross-species QTL region that is responsible for variation in resistance to amoeba predation. In C. neoformans, this same QTL was found to have pleiotropic effects on melanization, an established virulence factor. Through fine mapping and population genomic comparisons, we identified the gene encoding the transcription factor Bzp4 that underlies this pleiotropic QTL and we show that decreased expression of this gene reduces melanization and increases susceptibility to amoeba predation. Despite the joint effects of BZP4 on amoeba resistance and melanin production, we find no relationship between BZP4 genotype and escape from macrophages or virulence in murine models of disease. Our findings provide new perspectives on how microbial ecology shapes the genetic architecture of fungal virulence, and suggests the need for more nuanced models for the evolution of pathogenesis that account for the complexities of both microbe-microbe and microbe-host interactions.

ABSTRACT Fungal infections are of mounting global concern, and the current limited treatment arsenal poses challenges when treating such infections. In particular, infections by Cryptococcus neoformans are associated with high mortality, emphasizing the need for novel therapeutic options. Calcineurin is a protein phosphatase that mediates fungal stress responses, and calcineurin inhibition by the natural product FK506 blocks C. neoformans growth at 37°C. Calcineurin is also required for pathogenesis. However, because calcineurin is conserved in humans and inhibition with FK506 results in immunosuppression, the use of FK506 as an anti-infective agent is precluded. We previously elucidated the structures of multiple fungal calcineurin-FK506-FKBP12 complexes and implicated the C-22 position on FK506 as a key point for differential modification of ligand inhibition of mammalian versus fungal target proteins. Through in vitro antifungal and immunosuppressive testing of FK520 (a natural analog of FK506) derivatives, we identified JH-FK-08 as a lead candidate for further antifungal development. JH-FK-08 exhibited significantly reduced immunosuppressive activity and both reduced fungal burden and prolonged survival of infected animals. JH-FK-08 exhibited additive activity in combination with fluconazole in vivo. These findings further advance calcineurin inhibition as an antifungal therapeutic approach. IMPORTANCE Fungal infections cause significant morbidity and mortality globally. The therapeutic armamentarium against these infections is limited, and the development of antifungal drugs has been hindered by the evolutionary conservation between fungi and the human host. With rising resistance to the current antifungal arsenal and an increasing at-risk population, there is an urgent need for the development of new antifungal compounds. The FK520 analogs described in this study display potent antifungal activity as a novel class of antifungals centered on modifying an existing orally active FDA-approved therapy. This research advances the development of much-needed newer antifungal treatment options with novel mechanisms of action.

Auxetic metamaterials exhibit unusual expansion perpendicular to the direction of tensile loading, a behavior known as negative Poisson's ratio (NPR). The microstructures of auxetic metamaterials require rational design. It is a significant challenge when optimizing auxetic cellular structures solely through finite element calculations (FECs) due to the vast number of possibilities. In present work, two machine learning (ML), Evolutionary Computation (EC) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN), are employed to accelerate the design and optimization process. During ML training, auxetic cellular structures are encoded using binary sequences consisting only of 0s and 1s. FECs are conducted on some auxetic cellular structures to generate initial data, which are then used to train the EC and ANN models for efficient prediction of the optimal auxetic structure. In addition, the ANN model demonstrates a search speed at least five orders of magnitude faster than FECs when exploring the structure space, outperforming EC in the present task. Finally, the optimal auxetic structures are manufactured by using 3D printing. Their effective Poisson's ratios closely match those obtained from FECs. The present work showcases the powerful capabilities of ML in the design of metamaterials.

The treatment of breast cancer (BC) is a serious challenge due to its heterogeneous nature, multidrug resistance (MDR), and limited therapeutic options. Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems (NDDSs) represent a promising tool for overcoming toxicity and chemotherapy drug resistance in BC treatment. No bibliometric studies have yet been published on the research landscape of NDDS-based treatment of BC. In this review, we extracted data from 1,752 articles on NDDS-based treatment of BC published between 2012 and 2022 from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and some online platforms were used for bibliometric analysis and visualization. Publication trends were initially observed: in terms of geographical distribution, China and the United States had the most papers on this subject. The highest contributing institution was Sichuan University. In terms of authorship and co-cited authorship, the most prolific author was Yu Zhang. Furthermore, Qiang Zhang and co-workers have made tremendous achievements in the field of NDDS-based BC treatment. The article titled “Nanomedicine in cancer therapy: challenges, opportunities, and clinical applications” had the most citations. The Journal of Controlled Release was one of the most active publishers in the field. “Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries” was the most cited reference. We also analysed “hot” and cutting-edge research for NDDSs in BC treatment. There were nine topic clusters: “tumour microenvironment,” “nanoparticles (drug delivery),” “breast cancer/triple-negative breast cancer,” “combination therapy,” “drug release (pathway),” “multidrug resistance,” “recent advance,” “targeted drug delivery”, and “cancer nanomedicine.” We also reviewed the core themes of research. In summary, this article reviewed the application of NDDSs in the treatment of BC.

AbstractThis study aims to explore the correlation between different social support patterns and perinatal mental health, and the mediating role of social trust in this. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Jiangsu, China, with a sample size of 1705 pregnant respondents. Latent class analysis (LCA) was utilized to identify various social support patterns, while a multiple regression model was employed to analyze the mediating effect of social trust on the relationship between social support patterns and perinatal mental health. The study found four distinct social support patterns among the respondents: primary relationship-centric support, overall weak support, primary-secondary relationship-balanced support, and overall strong support. In the relationship between social support patterns and perinatal mental health, social trust played both a partial and full mediating role. The findings indicate that a social support system that enhances maternal trust and promotes honest disclosure of symptoms can effectively promote perinatal mental health.

Abstract Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) functions not only in physiological processes but also participates in the development and progression of cancer. In recent decades, extensive efforts have been made to decipher the role of EpCAM in cancers. Great advances have been achieved in elucidating its structure, molecular functions, pathophysiological mechanisms, and clinical applications. Beyond its well-recognized role as a biomarker of cancer stem cells (CSCs) or circulating tumor cells (CTCs), EpCAM exhibits novel and promising value in targeted therapy. At the same time, the roles of EpCAM in cancer progression are found to be highly context-dependent and even contradictory in some cases. The versatile functional modules of EpCAM and its communication with other signaling pathways complicate the study of this molecule. In this review, we start from the structure of EpCAM and focus on communication with other signaling pathways. The impacts on the biology of cancers and the up-to-date clinical applications of EpCAM are also introduced and summarized, aiming to shed light on the translational prospects of EpCAM.

Abstract Eye blinking is closely related to human physiology and psychology. It is an effective method of communication among people and can be used in human–machine interactions. Existing blink monitoring methods include video-oculography, electro-oculograms and infrared oculography. However, these methods suffer from uncomfortable use, safety risks, limited reliability in strong light or dark environments, and infringed informational security. In this paper, we propose an ultrasound-based portable approach for eye-blinking activity monitoring. Low-power pulse-echo ultrasound featuring biosafety is transmitted and received by microelectromechanical system (MEMS) ultrasonic transducers seamlessly integrated on glasses. The size, weight and power consumption of the transducers are 2.5 mm by 2.5 mm, 23.3 mg and 71 μW, respectively, which provides better portability than conventional methods using wearable devices. Eye-blinking activities were characterized by open and closed eye states and validated by experiments on different volunteers. Finally, real-time eye-blinking monitoring was successfully demonstrated with a response time less than 1 ms. The proposed solution paves the way for ultrasound-based wearable eye-blinking monitoring and offers miniaturization, light weight, low power consumption, high informational security and biosafety.

Abstract Exosomes are highly important in clinical diagnosis due to their high homology with their parental cells. However, conventional exosome detection methods still face the challenges of expensive equipment, low sensitivity, and complex procedures. Field effect transistors (FETs) are not only the most essential electronic component in the modern microelectronics industry but also show great potential for biomolecule detection owing to the advantages of rapid response, high sensitivity, and label-free detection. In this study, we proposed a Si nanowire field-effect transistor (Si-NW Bio-FET) device chemically modified with specific antibodies for the electrical and label-free detection of exosomes. The Si-NW FETs were fabricated by standard microelectronic processes with 45 nm width nanowires and packaged in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channel. The nanowires were further modified with the specific CD63 antibody to form a Si-NW Bio-FET. The use of the developed Si-NW Bio-FET for the electrical and label-free detection of exosomes was successfully demonstrated with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2159 particles/mL. In contrast to other technologies, in this study, Si-NW Bio-FET provides a unique strategy for directly quantifying and real-time detecting exosomes without labeling, indicating its potential as a tool for the early diagnosis of cancer.

Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide with high mortality. Advanced stage upon diagnosis and cancer metastasis are the main reasons for the dismal prognosis of HCC in large part. The role of proliferation associated protein 2G4 (PA2G4) in tumorigenesis and cancer progression has been widely investigated in various cancers. However, whether and how PA2G4 participates in HCC metastasis is still underexplored. Results We found that the mRNA and protein levels of PA2G4 were higher in HCC samples than in normal liver tissues, and high expression of PA2G4 in HCC was correlated with a poor prognosis, by an integrative analysis of immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot and bioinformatic approach. Moreover, the expression of PA2G4 was elevated in HCC patients with metastases than those metastasis-free. Cell migration, invasion, phalloidin staining and western blot analyses demonstrated that PA2G4 promoted epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HCC cells in vitro. And a lung metastasis animal model exhibited that PA2G4 enhanced metastatic ability of HCC cells in vivo. RNA-sequencing combined with dual luciferase reporter assay and evaluation of mRNA half-time indicated that PA2G4 increased FYN expression by stabilizing its mRNA transcript. Recovering the impaired FYN level induced by PA2G4 knockdown rescued the impeded cell mobilities. Furthermore, endogenous immunoprecipitation (IP) and in-situ immunofluorescence (IF) showed that YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 2 (YTHDF2) was the endogenous binding patterner of PA2G4. In addition, RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) and anti- N6-methyladenosine immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) assays demonstrated that FYN mRNA was N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modified and bound with PA2G4, as well as YTHDF2. Moreover, the m6A catalytic ability of YTHDF2 was found indispensable for the regulation of FYN by PA2G4. At last, the correlation of expression levels between PA2G4 and FYN in HCC tissues was verified by IHC and western blot analysis. Conclusions These results indicate that PA2G4 plays a pro-metastatic role by increasing FYN expression through binding with YTHDF2 in HCC. PA2G4 may become a reliable prognostic marker or therapeutic target for HCC patients.

IntroductionRabies is a worldwide epidemic that poses a serious threat to global public health. At present, rabies in domestic dogs, cats, and some pets can be effectively prevented and controlled by intramuscular injection of rabies vaccine. But for some inaccessible animals, especially stray dogs, and wild animals, it is difficult to prevent with intramuscular injection. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a safe and effective oral rabies vaccine.MethodsWe constructed recombinant Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) expressing two different strains of rabies virus G protein, named CotG-E-G and CotG-C-G, immunogenicity was studied in mice.ResultsThe results showed that CotG-E-G and CotG-C-G could significantly increase the specific SIgA titers in feces, serum IgG titers, and neutralizing antibodies. ELISpot experiments showed that CotG-E-G and CotG-C-G could also induce Th1 and Th2 to mediate the secretion of immune-related IFN-γ and IL-4. Collectively, our results suggested that recombinant B. subtilis CotG-E-G and CotG-C-G have excellent immunogenicity and are expected to be novel oral vaccine candidates for the prevention and control of wild animal rabies.

Background: Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption have been associated with frailty in observational studies. We sought to examine whether these associations reflect causality using the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design.Methods: We used summary genome-wide association statistics for smoking initiation (N = 2,669,029), alcohol consumption (N = 2,428,851), and the frailty index (FI, N = 175,226) in participants of European ancestry. Both univariable and multivariable MR were performed to comprehensively evaluate the independent effects of smoking and alcohol consumption on the FI, accompanied by multiple sensitivity analyses. Results were verified using lifetime smoking and alcohol use disorder. Reverse direction MR was undertaken to assess the potential for reverse causation.Results: Genetic predisposition to smoking initiation was significantly associated with increased FI (univariable MR: β = 0.345; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.316 to 0.374; p = 1.36E-113; multivariable MR: β = 0.219; 95% CI = 0.197 to 0.241; p = 2.44E-83). Genetically predicted alcohol consumption showed a suggestive association with the FI (univariable MR: β = −0.090; 95% CI = −0.151 to −0.029; p = 0.003; multivariable MR β = −0.153; 95% CI = −0.212 to −0.094; p = 2.03E-07), with inconsistent results in sensitivity analyses. In complementary analysis, genetic predicted lifetime smoking, but not alcohol use disorder was associated with the FI. There is no convincing evidence for reverse causation.Conclusion: The present MR study supported smoking as a causal risk factor of frailty. Further research is warranted to investigate whether alcohol consumption has a causal role in frailty.

Tomato leaf mold caused by Cladosporium fulvum (C. fulvum) is a serious fungal disease which results in huge yield losses in tomato cultivation worldwide. In our study, we discovered that ROS (reactive oxygen species) burst was triggered by C. fulvum treatment in tomato leaves. RNA-sequencing was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced by C. fulvum inoculation at the early stage of invasion in susceptible tomato plants. Gene ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases were used to annotate functions of DEGs in tomato plants. Based on our comparative analysis, DEGs related to plant-pathogen interaction pathway, plant hormone signal transduction pathway and the plant phenylpropanoid pathway were further analyzed. Our results discovered that a number of core defense genes against fungal invasion were induced and plant hormone signal transduction pathways were impacted by C. fulvum inoculation. Further, our results showed that SA (salicylic acid) and ABA (abscisic acid) contents were accumulated while JA (jasmonic acid) content decreased after C. fulvum inoculation in comparison with control, and quantitative real-time PCR to detect the relative expression of genes involved in SA, ABA and JA signaling pathway further confirmed our results. Together, results will contribute to understanding the mechanisms of C. fulvum and tomato interaction in future.

Solar greenhouses are important in the vegetable production and widely used for the counter-season production in the world. However, the CO2 consumed by crops for photosynthesis after sunrise is not supplemented and becomes chronically deficient due to the airtight structure of solar greenhouses. Vegetable crops cannot effectively utilize light resources under low-CO2 environment, and this incapability results in reduced photosynthetic efficiency and crop yield. We used cucumber as a model plant and generated several sets of transgenic cucumber plants overexpressing individual genes, including β-carbonic anhydrase 1 (CsβCA1), β-carbonic anhydrase 4 (CsβCA4), and sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (CsSBP); fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (CsFBA), and CsβCA1 co-expressing plants; CsβCA4, CsSBP, and CsFBA co-expressing plants (14SF). The results showed that the overexpression of CsβCA1, CsβCA4, and 14SF exhibited higher photosynthetic and biomass yield in transgenic cucumber plants under low-CO2 environment. Further enhancements in photosynthesis and biomass yield were observed in 14SF transgenic plants under low-CO2 environment. The net photosynthesis biomass yield and photosynthetic rate increased by 49% and 79% compared with those of the WT. However, the transgenic cucumbers of overexpressing CsFBA and CsSBP showed insignificant differences in photosynthesis and biomass yield compared with the WT under low-CO2.environment. Photosynthesis, fluorescence parameters, and enzymatic measurements indicated that CsβCA1, CsβCA4, CsSBP, and CsFBA had cumulative effects in photosynthetic carbon assimilation under low-CO2 environment. Co-expression of this four genes (CsβCA1, CsβCA4, CsSBP, and CsFBA) can increase the carboxylation activity of RuBisCO and promote the regeneration of RuBP. As a result, the 14SF transgenic plants showed a higher net photosynthetic rate and biomass yield even under low-CO2environment.These findings demonstrate the possibility of cultivating crops with high photosynthetic efficiency by manipulating genes involved in the photosynthetic carbon assimilation metabolic pathway.

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a member of the genus Begomovirus of the Geminiviridae family, causes leaf curl disease of tomato that significantly affects tomato production worldwide. SA (salicylic acid), JA (jasmonic acid) or the JA mimetic, COR (coronatine) applied exogenously resulted in improved tomato resistance against TYLCV infection. When compared to mock treated tomato leaves, pretreatment with the three compounds followed by TYCLV stem infiltration also caused a greater accumulation of H2O2. We employed RNA-Seq (RNA sequencing) to identify DEGs (differentially expressed genes) induced by SA, JA, COR pre-treatments after Agro-inoculation of TYLCV in tomato. To obtain functional information on these DEGs, we annotated genes using gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) databases. Based on our comparative analysis, differentially expressed genes related to cell wall metabolism, hormone signaling and secondary metabolism pathways were analyzed in compound treated samples. We also found that TYLCV levels were affected in SlNPR1 and SlCOI1 silenced plants. Interestingly, compared to the mock treated samples, SA signaling was hyper-activated in SlCOI1 silenced plants which resulted in a significant reduction in viral titer, whereas in SINPR1 silencing tomato plants, there was a 19-fold increase in viral load. Our results indicated that SA, JA, and COR had multiple impacts on defense modulation at the early stage of TYLCV infection. These results will help us better understand SA and JA induced defenses against viral invasion and provide a theoretical basis for breeding viral resistance into commercial tomato accessions.

In this paper, we examine the impact of trade facilitation on the export technological sophistication from the European transition economies over 2004 to 2020. It is found that, in terms of trend, the export technological sophistication of labor-intensive and traditional resource-intensive industries is primarily concentrated in a lower range. In contrast, the export technological sophistication of capital and technology-intensive industries is generally low. Trade facilitation in each country shows a slow upward trend. The regression results show that trade facilitation significantly impacts the export technological sophistication of transition economies in general. In terms of heterogeneity, the impact is significant only in the Baltics economies, upper-middle-income and above countries, and to varying degrees in all types of light and heavy industries, differentiated industries, and technology-type industries. The mechanism analysis shows that the “reconfiguration” effect, “pushback” effect, and “spillover” effect are virtual channels through which trade facilitation affects the export technological sophistication.

Sexual reproduction is a ubiquitous, ancient eukaryotic trait. While most sexual organisms have to find a mating partner, species as diverse as animals, plants, and fungi have evolved the ability to reproduce sexually without requiring another individual. Here, we uncovered the mechanism of self-compatibility (homothallism) in Cryptococcus depauperatus, a fungal species closely related to the human fungal pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. In contrast to C. neoformans or C. gattii, which grow as a yeast asexually, and produce hyphae, basidia, and infectious spores during sexual reproduction, C. depauperatus grows exclusively as hyphae decorated with basidia and abundant spores, thus continuously engaged in sexual reproduction. Through comparative genomics and analyses of mutants defective in key mating/meiosis genes, we demonstrate the C. depauperatus sexual cycle involves meiosis and that self-compatibility is orchestrated by an unlinked mating receptor (Ste3a) and pheromone ligand (MFα) pair derived from opposite mating types of a heterothallic (self-sterile) ancestor. We identified a putative mating-type (MAT) determining region containing genes phylogenetically aligned with MATa alleles of other species, and a few MATα gene alleles scattered throughout the genome, but no homologs of the mating-type homeodomain genes SXI1 (HD1) and SXI2 (HD2). Comparative analyses suggest a dramatic remodeling of the MAT locus possibly owing to reduced selective constraints to maintain mating-type genes in tight linkage, associated with a transition to self-fertility. Our findings support C. depauperatus as an obligately sexual, homothallic fungus and provide insight into repeated transitions between sexual reproduction modes that have occurred throughout the fungal kingdom.

This paper proposes an air-coupled piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) for detection and imaging of surface stains. A 508 kHz PMUT array is designed, fabricated, and characterized in terms of its electrical and acoustic properties, and it is used in a pulse echo validation test. Imaging of stains on metal blocks is successfully demonstrated. Compared with existing optical methods for stain detection, the proposed approach can work in a dark environment without color requirements. This work provides a new and promising route for the development of miniaturized stain detection systems.

Eastern roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) is a small ruminant and is widespread across China. This creature plays an important role in our ecological system. Although a few studies have been conducted to investigate pathogens harbored by this species, our knowledge of the virus diversity is still very sparse. In this study, we conducted the whole virome profiling of a rescue-failed roe deer, which revealed a kobuvirus (KoV), a bocaparvovirus (BoV), and multiple circular single-stranded viruses. These viruses were mainly recovered from the rectum, but PCR detection showed systematic infection of the KoV. Particularly, the KoV and BoV exhibited closely genetic relationships with bovine and canine viruses, respectively, highly suggesting the spillover of viruses from domestic animals to wildlife. Although these viruses were unlikely to have been responsible for the death of the animal, they provide additional data to understand the virus spectrum harbored by roe deer. The transmission of viruses between domestic animals and wildlife highlights the need for extensive investigation of wildlife viruses.

Abstract Background Surgical site infection (SSI) is a devastating complication of orthopedic surgery, related with increased morbidity and mortality. This study was performed with the aim to compare the SSI rate in human immunodeficiency virus HIV-positive patients, to identify other risk factors for SSI and to establish a nomogram model to predict the risk of SSI. Methods A total of 101 HIV-positive individuals following orthopedic surgery patients admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital. Their characteristics were gathered. The univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to explore the risk factors of SSI. And the Nomogram prediction model was constructed and verified. Results The independent predictive factors of SSI included CD4 (Odds ratio [OR], 0.041; P = 0.040), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (OR, 89.773; P = 0.030), and procalcitonin (PCT) (OR, 220.746; P = 0.006). The scoring nomogram model was as follows: Logit (SSI) = − 2.63589–0.00314*CD4

Genes in the carbonic anhydrase (CA) family encode zinc metalloenzymes that catalyze the reversible interconversion of carbon dioxide and water to bicarbonate and protons. Although CAs play key roles in diverse biological processes involving carboxylation and decarboxylation, including photosynthesis and respiration, plant growth and response to stress, the characteristics of CA gene family members in tomato remain unclear. In this study, we performed an exhaustive search of the tomato genome and accordingly identified 14 CA genes that are unevenly distributed on the 12 tomato chromosomes. We examined in detail the structures, conserved motifs, phylogenetic relationships and duplications of these genes, and for functional characterization, also undertook RNA-seq analyses to assess the transcript levels of CA genes in various tissues and organs and at different developmental stages. Furthermore, we investigated the expression patterns of the CA genes in response to salt stress. We found that some family members exhibited tissue-specific expression, whereas others were more ubiquitously expressed. Our results will provide a valuable foundation for further studies on the CA genes in tomato and other plants in the Solanaceae family.

White celery (Apium graveolens L.), a variety of common celery, is an important leafy vegetable in the Apiaceae family and is famous for its nutritional value. However, limited work has been devoted to quality formation and regulation in white celery. In this study, four white celery varieties, ‘Xuebaiqincai’, ‘Saixue’, ‘Baiganshiqin’ and ‘Ruixue’, were selected and analyzed for the comparison of ascorbic acid (AsA) and lignin levels, which are two important quality evaluation indicators in celery. The expression levels of the genes involved in AsA and lignin metabolic pathways were also detected. In the leaf blades, the AsA content was highest in ‘Xuebaiqincai’ compared with other varieties, whereas the most abundant AsA levels in the petioles were observed in ‘Baiganshiqin’ and ‘Ruixue’. The expression levels of AsA-related genes varied among the studied varieties. The highest level was detected in ‘Xuebaiqincai’, whereas other varieties exhibited relatively lower levels. The lignin content in the leaf blades was lower than that in the petioles. Correspondingly, the transcript profiles of genes involved in lignin biosynthesis were in accordance with the different levels in the petioles and blades. The results of this study provide potentially useful information for white celery breeding aimed at quality improvement and regulation.

The aim of the present study was to identify key genes and molecular biological processes that are responsive to CO2 enrichment in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Tomato plants were exposed to CO2 concentrations of either 350–500 μmol/mol (ambient) or 750–850 μmol/mol, and genes that were differentially expressed (DEGs) in the two groups were identified. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were then used to identify DEGs involved in photosynthesis and sugar synthesis. As a result, a total of 208 DEGs, including 179 up-regulated and 29 down-regulated genes, were identified. GO functional annotation revealed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in the processes of photosystem I, photosystem II, photosynthesis phosphate ion binding, and electron carrier activity, whereas the KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the DEGs were mainly enriched in 21 signalling pathways, including plant hormone signal transduction, RNA polymerase, ribosomes and photosynthesis. A total of 62 DEGs, including Solyc12g032970.1, Solyc12g032960.1, Solyc07g043480.1 and Solyc02g086650.2, were associated with photosynthesis and sugar synthesis. The present study provides a basis for investigating the effects of elevated CO2 on the molecular processes of tomato, which will, in turn, provide a theoretical basis for tomato breeding programs.

A novel quasi-Yagi antenna array with a thin configuration is proposed in this work. Different from traditional high-gain Yagi or quasi-Yagi antennas, which need large widths to hold either several parasitic elements along the radiation direction or extra feeding networks like baluns and power dividers, this design adopts a collinear antenna as the driven part and employs a few collinear parasitic strips. Thus, a high gain can be realized with a narrow width. Based on the analysis of the collinear antenna, effect of parasitic strips and impedance matching, a compact antenna prototype with a size of 26 mm × 190.5 mm is proposed and fabricated. The measured results show that the realized gain is 8-8.7 dBi from 2.3 to 2.63 GHz. With a rectifying circuit, maximum dc power of 1-39.2 μW can be produced under a power density of 0.05-1 μW/cm2 at 2.45 GHz, while more than 31 μW obtained in an azimuth angle range of 100° for a power density of 1 μW/cm2. To further validate the compactness, an angle-diversity prototype consisting of two back-to-back proposed array antennas is also presented. It nearly doubles the harvesting coverage with a size less than that of two antennas.

Abstract Background Posttranslational modification of proteins by small ubiquitin like modifier (SUMO) proteins play an important role during the developmental process and in response to abiotic stresses in plants. However, little is known about SUMOylation in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), one of the world’s major food legume crops. In this study, we characterized the SUMOylation system from the diploid progenitor genomes of peanut, Arachis duranensis (AA) and Arachis ipaensis (BB). Results Genome-wide analysis revealed the presence of 40 SUMO system genes in A. duranensis and A. ipaensis. Our results showed that peanut also encodes a novel class II isotype of the SCE1, which was previously reported to be uniquely present in cereals. RNA-seq data showed that the core components of the SUMOylation cascade SUMO1/2 and SCE1 genes exhibited pod-specific expression patterns, implying coordinated regulation during pod development. Furthermore, both transcripts and conjugate profiles revealed that SUMOylation has significant roles during the pod development. Moreover, dynamic changes in the SUMO conjugates were observed in response to abiotic stresses. Conclusions The identification and organization of peanut SUMO system revealed SUMOylation has important roles during stress defense and pod development. The present study will serve as a resource for providing new strategies to enhance agronomic yield and reveal the mechanism of peanut pod development.

Genome copy number variation occurs during each mitotic and meiotic cycle and it is crucial for organisms to maintain their natural ploidy. Defects in ploidy transitions can lead to chromosome instability, which is a hallmark of cancer. Ploidy in the haploid human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans is exquisitely orchestrated and ranges from haploid to polyploid during sexual development and under various environmental and host conditions. However, the mechanisms controlling these ploidy transitions are largely unknown. During C. deneoformans (formerly C. neoformans var. neoformans, serotype D) unisexual reproduction, ploidy increases prior to the onset of meiosis, can be independent from cell-cell fusion and nuclear fusion, and likely occurs through an endoreplication pathway. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this ploidy transition, we identified twenty cell cycle-regulating genes encoding cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK), and CDK regulators. We characterized four cyclin genes and two CDK regulator genes that were differentially expressed during unisexual reproduction and contributed to diploidization. To detect ploidy transition events, we generated a ploidy reporter, called NURAT, which can detect copy number increases via double selection for nourseothricin-resistant, uracil-prototrophic cells. Utilizing this ploidy reporter, we showed that ploidy transition from haploid to diploid can be detected during the early phases of unisexual reproduction. Interestingly, selection for the NURAT reporter revealed several instances of segmental aneuploidy of multiple chromosomes, which conferred azole resistance in some isolates. These findings provide further evidence of ploidy plasticity in fungi with significant biological and public health implications.

As a small top predator, Amur leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) is widely distributed in northeast Asia and plays an important role in the control of small rodent populations and in the maintenance of ecological equilibrium. However, the viruses harbored by this creature have been rarely investigated. Here, we report the DNA and RNA eukaryotic virome profiling of an injured Amur leopard cat followed by PCR validation, which revealed diverse anelloviruses in multiple organs and a bocaparvovirus in the lymph, but no RNA viruses. These anelloviruses have diverse genomic structures and are classified into four phylogroups with viruses of various felines, while the bocaparvovirus is extremely similar to those recovered from diarrheal domestic cats, illustrating the transmission of the virus between domestic animals and wildlife. These data provide the first insight into the genetic diversity of Amur leopard cat viruses, highlighting the need for further investigation of wild animals.

Some remarkable animal species require an opposite-sex partner for their sexual development but discard the partner’s genome before gamete formation, generating hemi-clonal progeny in a process called hybridogenesis. Here, we discovered a similar phenomenon, termed pseudosexual reproduction, in a basidiomycete human fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, where exclusive uniparental inheritance of nuclear genetic material was observed during bisexual reproduction. Analysis of strains expressing fluorescent reporter proteins revealed instances where only one of the parental nuclei was present in the terminal sporulating basidium. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that the nuclear genome of the progeny was identical with one or the other parental genome. Pseudosexual reproduction was also detected in natural isolate crosses where it resulted in mainly MATα progeny, a bias observed in Cryptococcus ecological distribution as well. The mitochondria in these progeny were inherited from the MATa parent, resulting in nuclear-mitochondrial genome exchange. The meiotic recombinase Dmc1 was found to be critical for pseudosexual reproduction. These findings reveal a novel, and potentially ecologically significant, mode of eukaryotic microbial reproduction that shares features with hybridogenesis in animals.

The non-host specific Pseudomonas syringae phytotoxin Coronatine (COR) causes chlorosis and promotes toxicity by inducing physiological changes in plants. We performed transcriptome analysis to better understand plants' transcriptional and metabolic response to COR. Toward this end, mock-treated and COR-treated soybean plants were analyzed by RNA-Seq. A total of 4,545 genes were differentially expressed between the two treatments, of which 2,170 were up-regulated whereas 2,375 were down-regulated in COR treated samples. Gene annotation and pathway analysis conducted using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) databases revealed that the differential genes were involved in photosynthesis, jasmonic acid (JA) synthesis, signal transduction, and phenylpropane metabolism. This study will provide new insights into COR mediated responses and extend our understanding of COR function in plants.

Sodium ion batteries are known to benefit from the use of ether electrolytes. Here the authors reveal the origin showing that the energy barrier of charge transfer at the electrolyte/electrode interface dominates the interfacial electrochemical characteristics and is favorably small.

While nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) commonly presents lymphoid metastases, the enormous cervical metastasis causing dysphagia and limitation of neck motion is not a familiar symptom for most of NPC cases. We report a 23-year-old male with undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx, stage Ⅲ (T3N2M0), who had undergone aggressive surgical resection of bilateral huge cervical mass first followed by concurrent chemo-radiotherapy with cisplatin-based regimens. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful and follow-up, 2 years later, revealed no recurrence of primary lesion and neck metastases. We recommend that aggressive surgical resection may be considered when NPC patients significantly suffer clinical symptoms from a huge cervical metastasis.

The Internet of Thing (IoT) and fifth-generation mobile communication networks (5G) are leading towards a paradigm shift by proving seamless connectivity to a large number of devices. The applications of IoT in smart cities have further attracted local authorities to adopt technologies such as driverless cars, smart parking and smart waste management. This paper presents a compact base station antenna design with enhanced directivity/gain for ultra-wideband (UWB)/5G embraced real-time location systems (RTLS) based smart parking of driverless cars. The proposed base station antenna is based on image theory to achieve enhanced directivity and narrower beam width without using more array elements to keep smaller dimensions. Moreover, the base station antenna consists of an antipodal dipole printed on the opposite side of Rogers 4350 substrate, and a metal plate carefully designed and placed to produce a mirror image in order to achieve a high value of directivity in a specified direction. The advantage behind the antipodal dipole configuration is to avoid the use of extra balun for impedance matching. The half-power beamwidth of 110° is achieved along with 7 dB gain by placing a reflector plane at the distance of $0.25~\lambda \text{o}$ from the proposed antipodal dipole antenna. Also, this antenna provides a bandwidth ranging from 6 to 7.25 GHz, which can be used for UWB or 5G based RTLS systems. Furthermore, the proposed compact antenna design will help to improve the localization accuracy of ultra- wideband RTLS systems for smart parking applications of autonomous cars.

Hybridization has resulted in the origin and variation in extant species, and hybrids continue to arise despite pre- and post-zygotic barriers that limit their formation and evolutionary success. One important system that maintains species boundaries in prokaryotes and eukaryotes is the mismatch repair pathway, which blocks recombination between divergent DNA sequences. Previous studies illuminated the role of the mismatch repair component Msh2 in blocking genetic recombination between divergent DNA during meiosis. Loss of Msh2 results in increased interspecific genetic recombination in bacterial and yeast models, and increased viability of progeny derived from yeast hybrid crosses. Hybrid isolates of two pathogenic fungal Cryptococcus species, Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus deneoformans, are isolated regularly from both clinical and environmental sources. In the present study, we sought to determine if loss of Msh2 would relax the species boundary between C. neoformans and C. deneoformans. We found that crosses between these two species in which both parents lack Msh2 produced hybrid progeny with increased viability and high levels of aneuploidy. Whole-genome sequencing revealed few instances of recombination among hybrid progeny and did not identify increased levels of recombination in progeny derived from parents lacking Msh2. Several hybrid progeny produced structures associated with sexual reproduction when incubated alone on nutrient-rich medium in light, a novel phenotype in Cryptococcus. These findings represent a unique, unexpected case where rendering the mismatch repair system defective did not result in increased meiotic recombination across a species boundary. This suggests that alternative pathways or other mismatch repair components limit meiotic recombination between homeologous DNA and enforce species boundaries in the basidiomycete Cryptococcus species.

Based on combined data from the China Patent Database, China Industrial Enterprise Database, and China Customs Import and Export Database for the period 2004-2010, this study investigates the impact of heterogeneous environmental regulations on the export technological sophistication of manufacturing enterprises. Given deepening international market segmentation of production and the increasing proportion of intermediate trade, and compared with the traditional method based on exports, the export technological sophistication calculated here, based on value-added, is closer to the true level. Since there has been no in-depth comparative study on the relationship between heterogeneous environmental regulation and export technological sophistication, this study fills the gap. The results show that all three regulation types bear a U-shaped impact on export technological sophistication. Command-control regulation exhibits a restraining effect on mixed trade, eastern, and foreign-funded enterprises. Market-incentive regulation promotes processing and mixed trade enterprises as well as domestic and foreign-funded enterprises. Voluntary-participation regulation promotes all enterprises with different trade patterns and ownership. The mechanism analysis shows that command-control and market-participation environmental regulations affect export technological sophistication through the green invention and green utility innovation channels, while, additionally, market-incentive environmental regulation affects export technological sophistication through the green design innovation channel. Considering the environmental governance issues, the policy implications for enhancing the entire industrial chain and enterprises' export competitiveness are clear. Due to the unclear functions and powers of competent departments and a rigid threshold, command-control regulation is not conducive to cleaner production technology and the promotion of enterprises' export competitiveness; it should thus be discouraged. Although both market-incentive and voluntary-participation regulations have promoted cleaner production technology and enterprises' competitiveness significantly, the environmental tax system requires continuous improvement. The government should continue to raise public involvement in environmental protection to enrich the channels and forms of environmental management.