Search

Key message: Immunofluorescence staining with frozen sections of plant tissues and a nest tube is convenient and effective, and broadens the applicability of immunofluorescence staining. Immunofluorescence staining is an indispensable and extensively employed technique for determining the subcellular localization of chloroplast division proteins. At present, it is difficult to effectively observe the localization of target proteins in leaves that are hard, or very thin, or have epidermal hair or glands with the current immunofluorescence staining methods. Moreover, signals of target proteins were predominantly detected in mesophyll cells, not the cells of other types. Thus, the method of immunofluorescence staining was further explored for improvement in this study. The plant tissue was embedded with 50% PEG4000 at −60℃, which was then cut into sections by a cryomacrotome. The sections were immediately immersed in fixation solution. Then, the sample was transferred into a special nested plastic tube, which facilitated the fixation and immunofluorescence staining procedures. The use of frozen sections in this method enabled a short processing time and reduced material requirements. By optimizing the thickness of the sections, a large proportion of the cells could be well stained. With this method, we observed the localization of a chloroplast division protein FtsZ1 in the wild-type Arabidopsis and various chloroplast division mutants. Meanwhile, the localization of FtsZ1 was also observed not only in mesophyll cells, but also in guard cells and epidermal cells in a lot of other plant species, including many species with hard leaf tissues. This method is not only easy to use, but also expands the scope of applicability for immunofluorescence staining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of rare-earth fluorescent materials based on the fluorescence intensity ratio method allows the monitoring of internal temperature, stability and service life of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs). In this paper, Eu3+ doped (YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 rare-earth ceramic materials was firstly prepared by chemical co-precipitation technique, and the doping content of Eu3+ was optimized by comparing its effect on morphology, luminescence and temperature sensitive performance of (YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7. Then the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene was subsequently blended into the optimal (YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 : Eu3+ powders by mechanical milling. The influence of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes on the structure, morphology, fluorescence properties and temperature sensitivity of (YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 : Eu3+ powders was further investigated systematically. Results showed that (YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 : Eu3+ powders were compound of M′-YTaO 4 and YSZ in tetragonal phase. The optimal doping content of Eu3+ is 1.5 mol%. The adding of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene did not affect the structure of (YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 :Eu3+ powders. After addition of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes, part of (YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 :Eu3+ particles embedded in the middle of the accordion-shaped MXenes sheet, while the other part wrapped around MXenes. Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes could significantly improve the luminescence intensity, fluorescence lifetime and temperature-sensitive performance of (YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 : Eu3+powders. The optimal addition amount of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes is 0.6 wt%. The absolute and relative sensitivities of MXene/(YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 :Eu3+ powders archived 2 times of (YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 : Eu3+ powders. Therefore, MXene/(YSZ) 0.3 -(YTaO 4) 0.7 : Eu3+ could be used as temperature-indicating ceramic materials with highly efficient fluorescent properties for real-time monitoring of internal temperature of TBCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium zirconium vanadium (TiZrV) is a widely used non-evaporable getter (NEG) material with the characteristics of a low activation temperature and a large gas absorption capacity. At present, the research on TiZrV getters mainly focuses on the thin-film state, with little research on the bulk state. In this paper, a TiZrV getter was optimized by adding Al, and the phase structure, activation properties, and gettering performance were studied. With the addition of Al, the α-Zr phase and Ti2Zr phase changed into the Ti-Zr phase and Al-Zr, Al-Ti phase. The newly generated phase promoted the diffusion of hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The activation temperature decreased significantly, as shown in the in situ XPS results. The H2 and CO gettering performance of TiZrVAl samples was promoted to 2073 cm3·s−1 and 1912.8 cm3·s−1, increased by 40.7% and 40.3%. This paper provides valuable ideas for optimizing the properties of bulk TiZrV getters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refractory fracture presents an intractable challenge in trauma treatment. Selective polarization of macrophages as well as the recruitment of osteogenic precursor cells play key roles in osteogenic differentiation during fracture healing. Here we constructed regulatory T cell (Treg)-derived exosomes (Treg-Exo) for the treatment of fracture. The obtained exosomes displayed a spheroid shape with a hydrated particle size of approximately 130 nm. With further purification using CD39 and CD73 antibody-modified microfluidic chips, CD39 and CD73 specifically expressing exosomes were obtained. This kind of Treg-Exo utilized the ectonucleotidases of CD39 and CD73 to catalyze the high level of ATP in the fracture area into adenosine. The generated adenosine further promoted the selective polarization of macrophages. When interacting with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs, osteogenic precursor cells), both Treg-Exo and Treg-Exo primed macrophages facilitated the proliferation and differentiation of MSCs. After administration in vivo , Treg-Exo effectively promoted fracture healing compared with conventional T cell-derived exosome. To further improve the delivery efficacy of exosomes and integrate multiple biological processes of fracture healing, an injectable hydrogel was fabricated to co-deliver Treg-Exo and stromal cell-derived factor 1 alpha (SDF-1α). With the dual effect of Treg-Exo for macrophage polarization and SDF-1α for MSC recruitment, the multifunctional hydrogel exerted a synergistic effect on fracture repair acceleration. This study provided a promising therapeutic candidate and synergistic strategy for the clinical treatment of fracture. An injectable sodium alginate hydrogel was fabricated to codeliver and sustainably release Treg-Exo and SDF-1α, which facilitated fracture healing by the synergistic effect of Treg-Exo-mediated macrophage polarization and SDF-1α-mediated MSC recruitment. [Display omitted] • Microfluidic chips were used to isolate CD39 and CD73 expressing Treg-derived exosomes (Treg-Exo). • Treg-Exo expressing CD39 and CD73 catalyzed ATP hydrolysis and promoted M2 macrophage polarization via AC/cAMP/PKA/CREB pathway. • Treg-Exo-primed M2 macrophages promoted the proliferation and osteogenesis of BMSCs. • An injectable hydrogel was constructed to co-deliver Treg-Exo and SDF-1α to exert the synergistic effect of macrophage polarization and MSCs recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing and designing carbon-free refractory materials is an effective alternative to MgO–C refractory materials to produce large-scale, high-quality, low-carbon special steels. Therefore, in this work, excessive MgO is introduced into MgAlON to prepare a series of MgO–MgAlON composite refractories. The enhancement mechanism of comprehensive performance is systematically evaluated, where MgO as a reinforcer features intergranular phase strengthening and grain boundary purification effects. Besides, the pore structure of MgO–MgAlON composite refractories is also optimized to regulate the molten slag wetting behavior. The results demonstrated that MgO–MgAlON composite refractories have apparent porosity of 13.86%–15.84 %, bulk density of 2.78–2.97 mg cm−3, and compressive strength of 204.17–253.97 MPa. When 42.8 % MgO is introduced, the sample strength retention ratio after thermal shock measurement and slag corrosion experiments are 64 % and 75 %, respectively. Consequently, a cost-effective and feasible reinforcement strategy for MgO–MgAlON composite refractories is proposed, paving the way for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we present a stress-free AlN film with improved crystal quality assisted by h-BN and demonstrate the mechanical exfoliation of wafer-scale single-crystal AlN freestanding membrane and reveal the controllable exfoliation mechanism of AlN. Uniform and continuous wafer-scale h-BN is directly grown on c-plane sapphire using a flow modulation epitaxy mode by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The nucleation and evolution processes of quasi-van der Waals epitaxy (QvdWE) of AlN on h-BN are revealed. It is found that O2-plasma-treated h-BN can effectively promote the nucleation islands of AlN and contribute to the release of biaxial stress and the reduction of dislocation density in the epilayers. Eventually, the QvdWE growth of a stress-free AlN film (0.08 GPa) is achieved, and wafer-scale mechanical exfoliation of the AlN membrane has been realized. This work provides an effective strategy for the quality improvement of III-nitride films and paves the way for the vertical structure and flexible deep-ultraviolet optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the expression levels of TNF‐α, omentin‐1, and IL‐6 in periodontitis patients before and after treatment with biological antimicrobial peptide (AMP) periodontal gel. Methods: There involved 86 periodontitis patients admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to March 2021. They were equally and randomly distributed into the study group and the control group. The efficacy and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups after treatment, Additionally, the sulcus bleeding index (SBI), plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI), periodontal probing depth (PD), and levels of TNF‐α, omentin‐1, and IL‐6 were measured before and after treatment. Results: After treatment, the total effective rate of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05), while the scores of four indicators (SBI, PLI, GI, and PD) and the levels of TNF‐α, omentin‐1, and IL‐6 in the study group were evidently lower than the control group (p < 0.05). The study group had 1 case of mild irritant reaction, with an adverse reaction rate of 2.33% (1/43). And the control group had 1 case of nausea and 1 case of allergy, with an adverse reaction rate of 4.65% (2/43). The adverse reactions demonstrated no statistical difference between the two groups (χ2 = 0.345, p = 0.557). Conclusions: The levels of TNF‐α and IL‐6 were highly expressed before the auxiliary therapy of biological AMP periodontal gel for periodontitis, alongside low expression of omentin‐1. Subsequently, the biological antibacterial polypeptide periodontal gel demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing jamming strategies is crucial for enhancing the performance of cognitive jamming systems in dynamic electromagnetic environments. The emergence of frequency-agile radars, capable of changing the carrier frequency within or between pulses, poses significant challenges for the jammer to make intelligent decisions and adapt to the dynamic environment. This paper focuses on researching intelligent jamming decision-making algorithms for Intra-Pulse Frequency Agile Radar using deep reinforcement learning. Intra-Pulse Frequency Agile Radar achieves frequency agility at the sub-pulse level, creating a significant frequency agility space. This presents challenges for traditional jamming decision-making methods to rapidly learn its changing patterns through interactions. By employing Gated Recurrent Units (GRU) to capture long-term dependencies in sequence data, together with the attention mechanism, this paper proposes a GA-Dueling DQN (GRU-Attention-based Dueling Deep Q Network) method for jamming frequency selection. Simulation results indicate that the proposed method outperforms traditional Q-learning, DQN, and Dueling DQN methods in terms of jamming effectiveness. It exhibits the fastest convergence speed and reduced reliance on prior knowledge, highlighting its significant advantages in jamming the subpulse-level frequency-agile radar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supramolecular chemistry combines the strength of molecular assembly via various molecular interactions. Hydrogen bonding facilitated self-assembly with the advantages of directionality, specificity, reversibility, and strength is a promising approach for constructing advanced supramolecules. There are still some challenges in hydrogen bonding based supramolecular polymers, such as complexity originating from tautomerism of the molecular building modules, the assembly process, and structure versatility of building blocks. In this review, examples are selected to give insights into multiple hydrogen bonding driven emerging supramolecular architectures. We focus on chiral supramolecular assemblies, multiple hydrogen bonding modules as stimuli responsive sources, interpenetrating polymer networks, multiple hydrogen bonding assisted organic frameworks, supramolecular adhesives, energy dissipators, and quantitative analysis of nano-adhesion. The applications in biomedical materials are focused with detailed examples including drug design evolution for myotonic dystrophy, molecular assembly for advanced drug delivery, an indicator displacement strategy for DNA detection, tissue engineering, and self-assembly complexes as gene delivery vectors for gene transfection. In addition, insights into the current challenges and future perspectives of this field to propel the development of multiple hydrogen bonding facilitated supramolecular materials are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health‐promoting behaviors of miners are of great significance to their physical and mental well‐being. With a focus on enhancing their overall health, this study aimed to explore the determinants and influencing mechanisms of health‐promoting behaviors in miners. Initially, the latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model was utilized to extract topical keywords from literature over the last 23 years and to categorize the determinants based on integrating the health promotion model and the health belief model. Subsequently, a meta‐analysis was performed based on 51 related empirical research to explore the mechanisms between determinants and health‐promoting behaviors. The results indicated that (1) the factors influencing miners' health‐promoting behaviors can be divided into four dimensions: physical environment, psychosocial environment, individual characteristics, and health beliefs. (2) Noise was negatively related to health‐promoting behaviors, while protective equipment, health culture, interpersonal relationships, health literacy, health attitudes, and income were positively related to health‐promoting behaviors. (3) Protective equipment and health literacy were positively related to perceived threat, whereas interpersonal relationships were positively related to perceived benefits. This study sheds light on the mechanisms influencing miners' health‐promoting behaviors and could inform behavioral interventions in occupational health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geobacter grbiciae can grow via coupling oxidation of ethanol to the reduction of various forms of soluble Fe(III) and poorly crystalline Fe(III) oxide, suggesting that G. grbiciae can act as an electron-donor microbe for forming co-cultures through direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET). In this report, potential co-cultures through DIET of G. grbiciae and Methanosarcina barkeri 800, G. sulfurreducens Δhyb, or Methanospirillum hungatei, as electron-acceptor microbes, were examined. Co-cultures of G. grbiciae and G. sulfurreducens Δhyb were performed with ethanol as the sole electron-donor substance and fumarate as the electron-acceptor substance in the presence of granular activated carbon (GAC), magnetite, or polyester felt. The conditions for co-culturing G. grbiciae and M. barkeri 800 (or M. hungatei) were the same as those for G. grbiciae and G. sulfurreducens Δhyb, except fumarate was absent and different cultivation temperatures were used. All co-cultures were anaerobically cultivated. Samples were regularly withdrawn from the co-cultures to monitor methane, fumarate, and succinate via gas or high-performance liquid chromatography. G. grbiciae formed functional co-cultures with M. barkeri 800 in the presence of GAC or magnetite. No co-culture of G. grbiciae with the H2/formate-utilizing methanogen M. hungatei was observed. Additionally, G. grbiciae formed functional co-cultures with H2/formate-un-utilizing G. sulfurreducens Δhyb without the GAC or magnetite supplement. These findings indicate electron transfer between G. grbiciae and M. barkeri 800/G. sulfurreducens Δhyb is via DIET rather than H2/formate, confirming that G. grbiciae acts as an electron-donor microbe. Although the co-cultures of G. grbiciae and M. barkeri 800 syntrophically converted ethanol to methane through DIET, the conversion of propionate or butyrate to methane was not observed. These findings expand the range of microbes that can act as electron donors for interaction with other microbes through DIET. However, propionate and butyrate metabolism through DIET in mixed microbial communities with methane as a product requires further analysis. This study provides a framework for finding new electron-donor microbes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined effect of tourism economic growth has presented an important catalytic and driving role in modern urban development, especially in China's urban regeneration and industrial restructuring. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a new attempt by China's government to comprehensively promote a new pattern of economic opening for metropolitan areas, and tourism development has assumed the role of a window to showcase the quality of the GBA's cities to the world. How to promote the coordinated development of tourism and cities is particularly important in shaping new industries and enhancing the quality of urban development in the GBA. This paper constructs an evaluation index system and uses the improved entropy-weighted Topsis model to calculate the Coordinated Level between Tourism and Urban Development (TUDCL) and applies it to analyze the impact of tourism on promoting urban development in the GBA. The study finds that the TUDCL changes steadily from 2000 to 2019 and currently remains at a medium level, with large differences between cities of different levels, and that there is more room to improve the TUDCL of peripheral cities in the GBA such as Huizhou, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing. When the tourism industry grows to a certain size, it can in turn lead to the synergistic growth of other industries in the city. Different cities need to formulate appropriate optimization policies according to their own industry type, tourism resource endowment, economic openness, and location conditions. This study proposes a scientific and effective evaluation index system to identify the level of coordination between tourism and urban development in the GBA and distils the contribution of different factors and the time sequence of their influence in stages, which is of positive significance in understanding the synergistic relationship between tourism and urban development and provides theoretical reference for planning a quality living circle suitable for living, working, and traveling in the GBA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct utilization of magnesite to synthesize magnesia-based refractories is a promising approach that not only shortens the mineral processing procedures, but also yields industrial products with high added value. In this work, we attempted to prepare MgAlON refractories with magnesite through a feasible solid-state reaction in a carbon-embedded atmosphere. Afterward, the influence of synthesis temperature and magnesite addition ratio on sintering and mechanical performance of as-synthesized MgAlON refractories was systematically investigated. Besides mechanical performance, the possible oxidation and slag corrosion mechanism of as-sintered MgAlON refractories was proposed. The results indicated that as-sintered refractories featured apparent porosity of 12.98%–39.29%, bulk density of 1.54–2.95 g cm−3, and cold compressive strength of 41.58–221.87 MPa. Additionally, it was found that the high magnesite content accelerated the sintering and densification process through the volume expansion effect. The slag resistance test results showed that the surface of the reacted refractory had a double-layer structure, namely the reacted slag layer and penetrated layer, indicating the slag corrosion process followed the mutual diffusion mechanism. Consequently, this work offers insight into the slag corrosion mechanism, paving the way for the cost-effective and facile synthesis of high-value MgAlON refractories from magnesite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) is one of the most potent biotoxins ever known. Its entry into neurons could block vesicle exocytosis to abolish the release of neurotransmitters from nerve terminals, thus leading to muscle paralysis. Although there are so many peptides, antibodies and chemical compounds claimed to have anti-toxin activity, no drug is available in the clinical application except equine antitoxin serum. In the present work, a short peptide inhibitor RRGW of BoNT/A was firstly identified by computer-aided ligand-receptor binding simulation, then an RRGW derived peptide was rational designed based on the fragment of SNAP-25 (141–206 aa). Proteolytic assay showed that the anti-toxin activity of the RRGW derived peptide was much higher than that of RRGW. Digit abduction score assay demonstrated that the derived peptide delayed BoNT/A-induced muscle paralysis at a lower concentration by 20-fold than RRGW. The results supported that RRGW derived peptide can be a potential BoNT/A inhibitor candidate for further treating botulism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) are functional coatings used to protect high-temperature components that are prone to early damage and premature failure under the influence of complex working conditions. This paper examines the crack propagation behaviour of 8% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) EB-PVD TBCs under different oxidation conditions at 1100 °C. The morphology of interfacial cracks after oxidation was summarized and the evolution of thermally grown oxide (TGO) was quantified. Based on the evolution of TGO, the causes of crack propagation were analyzed. For the specimens after oxidation experiment, the interfacial crack propagation behaviour was observed and analyzed by SEM, and the reason of lateral crack propagation was explained from the perspective of interfacial fracture toughness. The reason for crack deflection is analyzed from the perspective of energy release rate. The equivalent thickness, normalized rumpling index and two-dimensional roughness index were calculated, then the TGO growth behaviour was comprehensively analyzed and related to the crack propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties and phosphate adsorption capability of the one-step method and electrochemical method in modifying peanut shell biochar have been determined. The one-step method deposits MgO and Fe3O4 onto biochar through chemical impregnation and regularly affects the functional groups and magnetic separation of biochar, thereby enhancing its ability to adsorb phosphate. In contrast, the electrochemical method is not favorable for modifying functional groups of biochar but can promote phosphate adsorption because of the formation of MgFe2O4 and Fe3O4 using electrolysis. The adsorption isotherm and kinetics data suggest that adsorption is monolayer onto a homogeneous surface and phosphate adsorption could be controlled by chemical processes. Biochar with the addition of both Fe2+ and Mg2+ shows better phosphate adsorption capability than those with barely any Fe2+ additions. It was concluded that the one-step method is a better modification method than the electrochemical method for enhancing the phosphate adsorption capability of biochars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in the onset and progression of podocyte injury and proteinuria. However, the process by which the change in the podocyte mitochondria occurs is not well understood. Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) is a mitochondrial anion carrier protein, which is located in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Here, we reported that mice with podocyte‐specific Ucp2 deficiency developed podocytopathy with proteinuria with aging. Furthermore, those mice exhibited increased proteinuria in experimental models evoked by Adriamycin. Our findings suggest that UCP2 mediates mitochondrial dysfunction by regulating mitochondrial dynamic balance. Ucp2‐deleted podocytes exhibited increased mitochondrial fission and deficient in ATP production. Mechanistically, opacity protein 1 (OPA1), a key protein in fusion of mitochondrial inner membrane, was regulated by UCP2. Ucp2 deficiency promoted proteolysis of OPA1 by activation OMA1 which belongs to mitochondrial inner membrane zinc metalloprotease. Those finding demonstrate the role of UCP2 in mitochondrial dynamics in podocytes and provide new insights into pathogenesis associated with podocyte injury and proteinuria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) are functional coatings used to protect high-temperature components that are prone to early damage and premature failure under the influence of complex working conditions. This paper examines the crack propagation behaviour of 8% yttria-stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) EB-PVD TBCs under different oxidation conditions at 1100 °C. The morphology of interfacial cracks after oxidation was summarized and the evolution of thermally grown oxide (TGO) was quantified. Based on the evolution of TGO, the causes of crack propagation were analyzed. For the specimens after oxidation experiment, the interfacial crack propagation behaviour was observed and analyzed by SEM, and the reason of lateral crack propagation was explained from the perspective of interfacial fracture toughness. The reason for crack deflection is analyzed from the perspective of energy release rate. The equivalent thickness, normalized rumpling index and two-dimensional roughness index were calculated, then the TGO growth behaviour was comprehensively analyzed and related to the crack propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Q-426 strain isolated from compost samples has excellent antifungal activities against a variety of plant pathogens. However, the complete genome of Q-426 is still unclear, which limits the potential application of Q-426. Results: Genome sequencing revealed that Q-426 contains a single circular chromosome 4,086,827 bp in length, with 4691 coding sequences and an average GC content of 46.3%. The Q-426 strain has a high degree of collinearity with B. velezensis FZB42, B. velezensis SQR9, and B. amyloliquefaciens DSM7, and the strain was reidentified as B. velezensis Q-426 based on the homology analysis results. Many genes in the Q-426 genome have plant growth-promoting activity, including the secondary metabolites of lipopeptides. Genome mining revealed 14 clusters and 732 genes encoding secondary metabolites with predicted functions, including the surfactin, iturin, and fengycin families. In addition, twelve lipopeptides (surfactin, iturin and fengycin) were successfully detected from the fermentation broth of B. velezensis Q-426 by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC–QTOF–MS/MS), which is consistent with the genome analysis results. We found that Q-426 produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at 1.56 mg/l on the third day of incubation, which might promote the growth of plants. Moreover, we identified eighteen volatile compounds (VOCs, including 2-heptanone, 6-methylheptan-2-one, 5-methylheptan-2-one, 2-nonanone, 2-decanone, 2-undecanone, 2-dodecanone, 2-tridecanone, 2-tetradecanone, 2-nonadecanone, pentadecanoic acid, oleic acid, dethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, methyl (9E,12E)-octadeca-9,12-dienoate), pentadecane, (6E,10E)-1,2,3,4,4a,5,8,9,12,12a-decahydro-1,4-methanobenzo[10]annulene, and nonanal) based on gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC/MS) results. Conclusions: We mined secondary metabolite-related genes from the genome based on whole-genome sequence results. Our study laid the theoretical foundation for the development of secondary metabolites and the application of B. velezensis Q-426. Our findings provide insights into the genetic characteristics responsible for the bioactivities and potential application of B. velezensis Q-426 as a plant growth-promoting strain in ecological agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Joubert syndrome (JS) is a group of rare ciliopathies, mainly characterized by cerebellar dysplasia representing the "molar tooth sign (MTS)" on neuroimaging, hypotonia, and developmental delay. Having a complicated genotype-phenotype correlation due to its rich genetic heterogeneity, JS is usually combined with other organic defects affecting the retina, kidney, and liver. This report aimed to present new cases and novel variants of JS. Case presentation: Five unrelated patients who were diagnosed with JS, with or without typical clinical characteristics, received integrated examinations, including whole-exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing. We identified nine pathogenic variants in the TCTN2, CPLANE1, INPP5E, NPHP1, and CC2D2A genes. Conclusion: Four novel pathogenic mutations in the TCTN2, CPLANE1, and INPP5E genes were reported. The findings broadened the genotypic spectrum of JS and contributed to a better understanding of genotype-phenotype correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin is a widely used antineoplastic drug, though its adverse effects, particularly its hepatorenal toxicity, limit its long-term application. Sika deer antler is a valuable traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) documented to possess the capacity for tonifying the kidney and regulating the liver, of which the sika deer antler protein is an important active ingredient. In this study, two protein fractions, SVPr1 and SVPr2, of sika deer antler were purified and administered to mice treated with cisplatin, and serum metabolome and fecal microbiota were measured using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. SVPr1 and SVPr2 significantly ameliorated cisplatin-induced liver and kidney injury and reduced mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and apoptosis. In addition, SVPr1 and SVPr2 impacted the gut microbiota structure of mice, significantly increasing the relative abundances of Lactobacillus, which deserves to be scrutinized. Moreover, SVPr1 and SVPr2 antagonism of cisplatin-induced hepatorenal injury may be related to the regulation of lysine degradation, tryptophan metabolism, and riboflavin metabolism pathways, significantly altering the levels of L-saccharopine, L-lysine, L-kynurenine, 3-methylindole, xanthurenic acid, riboflavin, and D-ribulose-5-phosphate. A correlation between the differential metabolites and Lactobacillus was identified. These findings increased the knowledge of the gut microbiota–metabolites axis mediated by SVPr1 and SVPr2, and may be able to contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies for the simultaneous prevention and treatment of liver and kidney injury from cisplatin treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The silicified cell wall of diatoms, also known as frustule, shows huge potential as an outstanding bio-nanomaterial for hemostatic applications due to its high hemostatic efficiency, good biocompatibility, and ready availability. As the architectural features of the frustule determine its hemostatic performance, it is of great interest to develop an effective method to modify the frustule morphology into desired patterns to further improve hemostatic efficiency. Results: In this study, the gene encoding Silicalemma Associated Protein 2 (a silicalemma-spanning protein) of Cyclotella cryptica (CcSAP2) was identified as a key gene in frustule morphogenesis. Thus, it was overexpressed and knocked down, respectively. The frustule of the overexpress lines showed no obvious alteration in morphology compared to the wild type (WT), while the size, specific surface area (BET), pore volume, and pore diameter of the knockdown strains changed greatly. Particularly, the knockdown frustules achieved a more pronounced coagulation effect and in vivo hemostatic performance than the WT strains. Such observations suggested that silicalemma proteins are ideal genetic encoding targets for manipulating frustule morphology associated hemostatic properties. Furthermore, the Mantel test was adopted to identify the key morphologies associated with C. cryptica bleeding control. Finally, based on our results and recent advances, the mechanism of frustule morphogenesis was discussed. Conclusion: This study explores a new strategy for enhancing the hemostatic efficiency of the frustule based on genetic morphology modification and may provide insights into a better understanding of the frustule morphogenesis mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is an acute form of brain dysfunction that can result in serious adverse consequences. There has been a link between cognitive dysfunction and poor sleep. The present study aimed to determine the association and prediction of subjective sleep quality and postoperative delirium during major non-cardiac surgery. Methods: One hundred and thirty-four patients, aged 60 years or older, were scheduled for elective laparotomy or orthopaedic procedures. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and sleep log were used to assess perioperative subjective sleep quality in participants. Nursing Delirium Screening Checklist (NU-DESC) was used for screening, and the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) was used to diagnose POD during the first seven days following surgery. The association between subjective sleep quality and POD was assessed using a multivariate logistic regression model. Thereafter, the prediction performance of subjective sleep quality was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: All assessments were completed on 119 patients who had an average PSQI score of 7.0 ± 2.4 before surgery. 23 patients (19.3%) suffered from POD. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of POD was closely related to age, BMI, PSQI and operation time. After adjusting for related factors, there was a statistically significant association between PSQI and POD occurrence (OR = 1.422, 95%CI 1.079–1.873, per 1-point increase in PSQI). The ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal PSQI cutoff value was 8.0 for predicting POD, and the area under the ROC (AUROC) value of PSQI was 0.741 (95%CI 0.635 to 0.817). The AUROC of the model developed by the multivariate logistic regression analysis was 0.870 (95%CI 0.797 to 0.925). Conclusions: The study found that preoperative subjective sleep quality was strongly associated with POD during major non-cardiac surgery. Additionally, PSQI combined with age, BMI, and operation time improved POD prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TRPV1 overexpressed in neurons were activated by thermal effect of ultrasound. • Activation of TRPV1 overexpressed neurons by ultrasound was effective and harmful. • Protein TRPV1 was an effectively sensitive-protein for sonothermogenetics. Sonogenetics is preferred for neuroregulation and the treatment of brain diseases due to its noninvasive properties. Ultrasonic stimulation produces thermal and mechanical effects, among others. Since transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) could be activated at 42 °C, it is overexpressed in the M1 region of the mouse motor cortex to sense the change of temperature upon being stimulated by focused ultrasound. Whether the heat generated by ultrasonic stimulation could activate TRPV1 in the M1 region and induce changes in electromyography (EMG) signals collected from the mice's triceps was carefully verified. The position of the focused ultrasound and the temperature of the tissue at the location of the focused position were simulated using COMSOL software and verified via experiments. For Neuro-2a cells with TRPV1 overexpression, 42 °C could activate the TRPV1 and induce calcium influx. For mice with TRPV1 overexpression in the M1 region, tissue temperature of >42 °C in the M1 region induces an increased number of cfos, suggesting that neurons with overexpressed TRPV1 in the M1 region can be activated using focused ultrasound. Furthermore, when the temperature is >42 °C, the peak-to-peak value of the EMG signal for mice with TRPV1 overexpression in the M1 region was higher than that for mice without TRPV1 overexpression. The immunohistochemical results showed that ultrasound was not harmful to the stimulation site. The noninvasive ultrasound stimulation combined with thermosensitive protein TRPV1 overexpressed in neurocytes as sonothermogenetics technology has great potential to be used for the treatment of neurological diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective viral clearance requires fine-tuned immune responses to minimize undesirable inflammatory responses. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs that are abundant and highly stable, formed by backsplicing pre-mRNAs, and expressed ubiquitously in eukaryotic cells, emerging as critical regulators of a plethora of signaling pathways. Recent progress in high-throughput sequencing has enabled a better understanding of the physiological and pathophysiological functions of circRNAs, overcoming the obstacle of the sequence overlap between circRNAs and their linear cognate mRNAs. Some viruses also encode circRNAs implicated in viral replication or disease progression. There is increasing evidence that viral infections dysregulate circRNA expression and that the altered expression of circRNAs is critical in regulating viral infection and replication. circRNAs were shown to regulate gene expression via microRNA and protein sponging or via encoding small polypeptides. Recent studies have also highlighted the potential role of circRNAs as promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, RNA vaccines and antiviral therapy candidates due to their higher stability and lower immunogenicity. This review presents an up-to-date summary of the mechanistic involvement of circRNAs in innate immunity against viral infections, the current understanding of their regulatory roles, and the suggested applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic-assisted inner diameter machining is a slicing method for hard and brittle materials. During this process, the sawing force is the main factor affecting the workpiece surface quality and tool life. Therefore, based on indentation fracture mechanics, a theoretical model of the cutting force of an ultrasound-assisted inner diameter saw is established in this paper for surface quality improvement. The cutting experiment was carried out with alumina ceramics (99%) as an exemplar of hard and brittle material. A six-axis force sensor was used to measure the sawing force in the experiment. The correctness of the theoretical model was verified by comparing the theoretical modeling with the actual cutting force, and the influence of machining parameters on the normal sawing force was evaluated. The experimental results showed that the ultrasonic-assisted cutting force model based on the six-axis force sensor proposed in this paper was more accurate. Compared with the regular tetrahedral abrasive model, the mean value and variance of the proposed model's force prediction error were reduced by 5.08% and 2.56%. Furthermore, by using the proposed model, the sawing processing parameters could be updated to improve the slice surface quality from a roughness Sa value of 1.534 µm to 1.129 µm. The proposed model provides guidance for the selection of process parameters and can improve processing efficiency and quality in subsequent real-world production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Currently, broad industrial application of laccases is commonly restricted by the high-cost related production. Solid state fermentation (SSF) using agricultural waste is an attractively economic strategy for laccase production, yet its efficiency is low. Pretreatment of cellulosic substrate might be a vital breakpoint to solve the problem in solid state fermentation (SSF). In this study, sodium hydroxide pretreatment was involved to prepare solid substrates from rice straw. Fermentability of solid substrates in terms of carbon resource supply, accessibility and water retention value, and their influence on performance of SSF were analyzed. Results: The results showed that sodium hydroxide pretreatment provided desirable solid substrates with higher enzymatic digestibility and optimal water retention value, which further facilitated the homogeneity of mycelium growth, laccase distribution and nutrition utilization during SSF. The pretreated rice straw (1 h) with diameter less than 0.085 cm gave the maximum laccase production of 2912.34 U/g, which was 7.72 times higher than the control. Conclusion: Hence, we proposed that enough balance between nutrition accessibility and structure support was a must for rational design and preparation of solid substrate. Additionally, sodium hydroxide pretreatment of lignocellulosic waste might be an ideal step to enhance the efficiency and lower the production cost in SSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) behaviors accompanied by a rapidly reversible phase transition in vanadium dioxide (VO2) have gained much attention from researchers. In this research, lattice-mismatched epitaxial films of VO2 (210) on MgF2 (111) substrates exhibited different phase-transition temperatures and developed a phase regulation of misfit dislocations. It reveals an "effective phase-transition regulation" for VO2 films with different thicknesses in certain substrates—MgF2. It is speculated that the dislocation density could progressively increase with the increasing thickness of the film, and the dislocation spacing distribution tends to become narrower. When the thickness of the film is close to a certain thickness, the misfit dislocation density is close to saturation for full relaxation. The misfit dislocation arrangement produces hysteresis loops of different widths upon resistance and transmittance: when the width of the transmittance hysteresis loop is narrow at 3.9 °C, and the resistance hysteresis loop can reach the largest width at 14.0 °C. Further research about the hysteresis with other substrates and the thickness-dependent transition temperature showed that the variance of hysteresis properties during the phase transition can be ascribed to the different strain states along the V–V chains and the change of the hybrid t2g-orbital occupancy. In addition, critical thickness along the growth direction is also discussed, which could be identified by the experimental results. This research provides a comprehensive understanding of the strain effect on phase-transition behaviors and also could be a guidance for some potential applications in optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dried bulbs of Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus (AMB) are called "薤白" in China and are mainly distributed in Asia. The plant species included in the 2020 Edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (ChP) are Allium macrostemon Bunge (called xiaogensuan in Chinese, A. macrostemon) and Allium chinense G. Don (called xie in Chinese, A. chinense), respectively. In the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theoretical system, AMB is warm in nature, acrid-bitter taste, and attributive to the heart, lung, stomach, large intestine meridian. AMB has the function of activating Yang and removing stasis, regulating Qi and eliminating stagnation. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that AMB has anti-platelet aggregation, hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic, cardiomyocyte, vascular endothelial cell protection, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-asthmatic, and anti-oxidant effects. In some Asian countries, AMB is often used to treat coronary heart disease (CHD), angina pectoris (AP), asthma, and diarrhea. This review collates the botanical background, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, quality control, and toxicological studies of AMB, and provides an outlook on the current research deficiencies and future research priorities of AMB, intending to provide ideas for future research directions and commercial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Progestins are used as fertility‐sparing regimens for young patients with stage 1A endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) and atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH). CD163+ macrophages promote estrogen‐dependent EEC development, but whether they induce progestin insensitivity remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the possible effects of CD163+ macrophages on progestin response in AEH/EEC patients. Methods: The number of infiltrating CD163+ macrophages in progestin‐insensitive and ‐sensitive endometrial lesions was compared. The effects of CD163+ macrophages on progestin responses and progesterone receptor (PR) expression in EC cells were evaluated in vitro. ATAC‐seq and RNA‐seq were combined to identify molecular/biological changes induced by CD163+ macrophages in progestin‐insensitive EC cells. Results: Increased CD163+ macrophage infiltration was significantly associated with progestin insensitivity and longer treatment durations in AEH/EEC patients. Additionally, the number of CD163+ macrophages was negatively correlated with PR expression in AEH/EEC tissues. Furthermore, the CD163+ macrophage‐mediated microenvironment and secreted cytokines downregulated PR expression and impaired the response of EC cells to medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). RNA‐seq analysis demonstrated that CD163+ macrophages antagonized PR signaling by blocking or even reversing MPA‐regulated differential gene expression. Based on RNA‐seq and ATAC‐seq analyses, extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling and ECM‐related transcription factors, FOXF2, POU1F1, and RUNX1were identified to potentially be involved in CD163+ macrophage‐induced progestin insensitivity in endometrial cancer patients. Conclusions: We identified CD163+ macrophages as an important mediator of progestin desensitization and an unfavorable factor for the efficacy of fertility‐preserving treatment in AEH/EEC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the prognostic indicators of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) for future EAC diagnosis and treatment. Methods: The EAC dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas was screened for differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs associated with EAC. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was performed to cluster miRNAs or mRNA with similar expression patterns to identify the miRNAs or mRNA that are highly associated with EAC. Prognostic miRNAs for overall survival (OS) were identified using Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator based on survival duration and status. Two types of miRNAs were selected to develop a prognostic signature model for EAC using multiple Cox regression analysis. Furthermore, the signature was validated using internal validation sets 1 and 2. The receiver operating characteristic curve and concordance index were used to evaluate the accuracy of the signature and validation sets. The expression of miR-421, miR-550a-3p, and miR-550a-5p was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The proliferation, invasion, and migration of EAC cells were assessed using CCK8 and transwell assays. The OS of target mRNAs was assessed using Kaplan–Meier analysis. Functional enrichment analysis of the target mRNAs was performed using Metascape. Results: The prognostic signature and validation sets comprising mir-421 and mir-550a-1 had favorable predictive power in OS. Compared with the patients with EAC in the high-expression group, those assigned to the low-expression group displayed increased OS according to survival analysis. Differential and qPCR analysis showed that miR-421, miR-550a-3p, and miR-550a-5p were highly expressed in the EAC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, the downregulation of miR-421 and miR-550a-3p with inhibitor markedly suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and migration in OE33 cells compared with the negative control. A total of 20 target mRNAs of three miRNAs were predicted, among which seven target mRNAs—ASAP3, BCL2L2, LMF1, PPM1L, PTPN21, SLC18A2, and NR3C2—had prognostic value; PRKACB, PDCD4, RPS6KA5, and BCL2L2 were enriched in the miRNA cancer pathway. Conclusion: Prognostic indicators of EAC may be useful in future EAC diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Blinatumomab could be successfully used to reduce minimal residual disease (MRD) prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in pediatric B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), but sound evidence is lacking in China. Case presentation: This retrospective study assessed the application of blinatumomab in B-ALL accompanied by persistent or relapsed low-level MRD before HSCT from April 2019 to July 2021. Two cases (Cases 1 and 2) initially achieved remission with MRD < 0.01% upon conventional therapy but had MRD relapse with MRD ≥ 0.01% but < 1% during maintenance treatment. Case 3 had no response to routine treatment, with high MRD (9.88% and 1.23% at days 19 and 46, respectively). Nevertheless, all patients had undetectable MRD. Cases 2 and 3 had undetectable fusion gene following blinatumomab therapy. By bone marrow monitoring (bone marrow morphology, bone marrow MRD and fusion gene) post-HSCT, the patients were persistently negative until May 15, 2022. No patient had serious adverse events before or during blinatumomab treatment. Conclusions: Blinatumomab therapy showed a good performance for three pediatric cases with detectable but low MRD before HSCT in China. However, further prospective studies with large sample sizes are still needed for further clarification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An asymmetric (ASY) multiple quantum wells (MQWs) structure consisting of emission and detection regions with different In components and thicknesses is presented for suppressing the Stokes shift in monolithically integrated photonic chips. Compared with conventional MQWs, the total luminescence intensity of ASY MQWs is improved due to the action of the potential field for transferring more holes to the quantum well near the n-GaN side. Meanwhile, resulted from about 25–30 nm redshift in response spectra, a 4.5-fold increase in the overlap of luminescence-detection spectra is realized. A photodetector exhibits a photo-to-dark current ratio of up to 107 at 0 V bias. Furthermore, the reported ASY MQWs diode shows a maximum bandwidth (−3 dB) of 173 MHz, suggesting that a monolithically integrated chip has tremendous potential on the application of the on-chip visible light communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The MYC oncoprotein, also known as the master regulator of genes, is a transcription factor that regulates numerous physiological processes, including cell cycle control, apoptosis, protein synthesis and cell adhesion, among others. MYC is overexpressed in approximately 70% of human cancers. Given its pervasive role in cancer biology, MYC down‐regulation has become an attractive cancer treatment strategy. Methods: The CRISPR/Cas9 method was used to produce KO cell models. Western blot was used to analyzed the expressions of MYC and TATA‐binding proteinassociated factors 10 (TAF10) in cancer cells (MCF7, A549, HepG2 cells) Cell culture studies were performed to determine the mechanisms by which small molecules (Z363119456, Z363) affects MYC and TAF10 expressions and functions. Mouse studies were carried out to investigate the impact of Z363 regulation on tumor growth. Results: Z363 activate Thyroid hormone Receptor‐interacting Protein 12 (TRIP12), which phosphorylates MYC at Thr58, resulting in MYC ubiquitination and degradation and thereby regulating MYC target genes. Importantly, TRIP12 also induces TAF10 degradation, which reduces MYC protein levels. TRIP12, an E3 ligase, controls MYC levels both directly and indirectly by inhibiting MYC or TAF10 activity. Conclusions: In summary,these results demonstrate the anti‐cancer properties of Z363, a small molecule that is co‐regulated by TAF10 and MYC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a nanoscale semiconductor memory device, a ferroelectric memristor has promising prospects to break through the von Neumann framework in terms of artificial synaptic function, information processing, and integration. This study presents the fabrication of Li0.09Bi0.91FeO3 as the functional layer for a memristor device based on the Si substrate, enabling the integration of silicon complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. In addition, it exhibits bipolar resistance switching characteristics in a direct current mode and can rapidly achieve stable conductance tunability at higher frequencies through the applied pulse for biosynapse simulation. More importantly, multiple devices are connected into electrical circuits to realize storage functions with information processing and programmable characteristics. This work paves the way for near-future applications of ferroelectric memristors in information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing multifunctional composites has received widespread attention for cancer treatment. Herein, a metal–phenolic network (MPN)-based composite loading with chemotherapy agents (TAFP) exhibits high anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy via photothermal therapy (PTT), chemo-dynamic therapy (CDT), and chemotherapy. The nanocomposite was formed by mixing the chemotherapeutic drugs (cisplatin, DDP) into the tannic acid (TA) and Fe3+ network (TAFe) to integrate the synergistic effect of PTT, CDT, and chemotherapy. Due to the acidic tumor microenvironment, the active substances could be released with the degradation of the metal–phenolic network, and the released DDP would induce the chemotherapy. More importantly, the released TA under the acidic environment could increase iron bioavailability by converting Fe3+ to Fe2+, which converts hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to highly toxic hydroxyl radical via the Fenton reaction. Meanwhile, the heat generated from TAFP after near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation could enhance the therapeutic effect of CDT and chemotherapy. Furthermore, the composite exhibited unique anticancer efficacy in vivo with low toxicity. Collectively, this work may facilitate the development of metal–phenolic network-based photothermal agents for clinic anti-tumor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic individuals are frequently associated with increased fracture risk and poor bone healing capacity, and the treatment of diabetic bone defects remains a great challenge in orthopedics. In this study, an antioxidant hydrogel was developed using reduced glutathione grafted gelatine methacrylate (GelMA-g-GSH), followed by 3D printing to form a tissue engineering scaffold, which possessed appropriate mechanical property and good biocompatibility. In vitro studies displayed that benefitting from the sustained delivery of reduced glutathione, GelMA-g-GSH scaffold enabled to suppress the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduce the oxidative stress of cells. Osteogenic experiments showed that GelMA-g-GSH scaffold exhibited excellent osteogenesis performance, with the elevated expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes and proteins. Further, RNA-sequencing revealed that activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway of MC3T3-E1 seeded on GelMA-g-GSH scaffold may be the underlying mechanism in promoting osteogenesis. In vivo, diabetic mice calvarial defects experiment demonstrated enhanced bone regeneration after the implantation of GelMA-g-GSH scaffold, as shown by micro-CT and histological analysis. In summary, 3D-printed GelMA-g-GSH scaffold can not only scavenge ROS, but also promote proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts by activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, thereby accelerating bone repair under diabetes. • GelMA-g-GSH hydrogel was fabricated, followed by 3D printing technology to form an antioxidative hydrogel scaffold. • 3D-printed GelMA-g-GSH scaffold enabled to suppress the overproduction of ROS through the sustained release of GSH. • 3D-printed GelMA-g-GSH scaffold can promote osteogenesis by the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microtubule dynamics plays a crucial role in the spatial arrangement of cell organelles and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. This study aimed to explore whether microtubule affinity regulating kinase 4 (MARK4) can be a therapeutic target of periodontitis by affecting microtubule dynamics and NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in macrophages. The NLRP3 inflammasome-related genes and MARK4 were measured in the healthy and inflamed human gingival tissues. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were infected with Porphyromonas gingivalis, while the MARK4 inhibitors (OTSSP167 and Compound 50) and small interference RNA were utilized to restrain MARK4. Apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC) speck was detected by confocal, and levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), as well as IL-18, were assessed by ELISA. Increased staining and transcription of MARK4, NLRP3, ASC, and Caspase-1 were observed in the inflamed gingiva. P. gingivalis infection promoted MARK4 expression and the NLRP3 inflammasome in BMDMs. Inhibition of MARK4 decreased LDH release, IL-1β and IL-18 production, ASC speck formation, and the pyroptosis-related genes transcription. Furthermore, MARK4 inhibition reduced microtubule polymerization and acetylation in P. gingivalis-infected BMDMs. MARK4 promoted NLRP3 inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in P. gingivalis-infected BMDMs by affecting microtubule dynamics. MARK4 inhibition might be a potential target in regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome during periodontitis progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigates the latest achievements, challenges, and future research directions of deep learning techniques for lung cancer and pulmonary nodule detection. Hopefully, these research findings will help scientists, investigators, and clinicians develop new and effective medical imaging tools to improve lung nodule diagnosis accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Medical imaging tools are essential in early-stage lung cancer diagnostics and the monitoring of lung cancer during treatment. Various medical imaging modalities, such as chest X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, computed tomography, and molecular imaging techniques, have been extensively studied for lung cancer detection. These techniques have some limitations, including not classifying cancer images automatically, which is unsuitable for patients with other pathologies. It is urgently necessary to develop a sensitive and accurate approach to the early diagnosis of lung cancer. Deep learning is one of the fastest-growing topics in medical imaging, with rapidly emerging applications spanning medical image-based and textural data modalities. With the help of deep learning-based medical imaging tools, clinicians can detect and classify lung nodules more accurately and quickly. This paper presents the recent development of deep learning-based imaging techniques for early lung cancer detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity and overweight attributed to poor nutrition and a lack of physical activity increasingly become a serious problem among women of reproductive age [[1]]. Possible reasons are physically inactiveness caused by pregnancy-related symptoms, busy schedules and lack of knowledge about safety and benefits of exercise during pregnancy [[3]]. The exercise programs designed in most studies were characterized with moderate intensity, commencement in the second trimester, a duration of 20-60 min and a frequency of 1-3 sessions per week [[10]]. A randomized clinical trial conducted in 2020 also found that a supervised online exercise program starting in the early pregnancy stages significantly reduced the prevalence of perineal tears and episiotomy rates, showing potential benefits for preventing pelvic floor dysfunction and urinary incontinence postpartum in the long run [[12]]. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Fertility-sparing treatment for young women with endometrial atypical hyperplasia or endometrioid endometrial cancer has become an important priority. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the effects of different weight statuses and related metabolic disorders on the oncological and reproductive outcomes of fertility-sparing treatment. We found that there was a parabola-shaped relationship between the cumulative complete response rate of treatment and BMI. The apex of the curve was observed at a BMI of 21–22 kg/m2. Furthermore, we demonstrated that hyperuricemia was an independent risk factor for the failure of conservative treatment, correlating with a lower cumulative 32-week CR rate and longer treatment duration. Our results indicate that a target BMI interval for weight management should be appropriately established for patients with EAH/EEC. Early active interventions for related metabolic disorders, preferably before 32 weeks of treatment, should be provided to improve treatment efficacy. Background: Although obesity was an independent risk factor for fertility-sparing treatment in endometrial atypical hyperplasia (EAH) and endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC), the roles of other weight statuses and related metabolism were unclear. This study aimed to investigate the body mass index (BMI) interval that produced optimal treatment efficacy and the effects of related metabolic disorders in EAH/EEC patients. Methods: A total of 286 patients (including 209 EAH and 77 well-differentiated EEC) under progestin therapy were retrospectively analyzed. The cumulative complete response (CR) rate, relapse rate, and fertility outcomes were compared among different weight or metabolic statuses. Results: Underweight and overweight/obese status significantly decreased the cumulative 16-week and 32-week CR rate (p = 0.004, p = 0.022, respectively). The highest 16-week CR rate was observed at a BMI of 21–22 kg/m2 in the overall population (p = 0.033). Obesity (HR 0.37, 95%CI 0.15–0.90, p = 0.029) and PCOS (HR 0.55, 95%CI 0.31–0.99, p = 0.047) were associated with lower 16-week CR rate. Hyperuricemia (HR 0.66, 95%CI 0.45–0.99, p = 0.043) was associated with lower 32-week CR rate. The 16-week and 32-week CR rate (p = 0.036, p = 0.008, respectively) were significantly lower in patients exhibiting both obesity and hyperuricemia. Conclusions: The optimal fertility-sparing treatment efficacy was observed at a BMI of 21–22 kg/m2 in EAH/EEC. Hyperuricemia was an independent risk factor for long-term treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to enhance the sintering and mechanical performance of porous cordierite ceramics (Mg 2 Al 4 Si 5 O 18) as support materials for vehicle exhaust catalysts, ZrO 2 and M x O y (M = La, Ce, and Nb) were simultaneously introduced into cordierite sintered at 1350 °C for 4 h. Then, the reinforced function of ZrO 2 and M x O y on the properties of porous cordierite ceramics was systematically evaluated, especially for the sample co-doped with ZrO 2 and La 2 O 3. The results displayed a distinct enhancement in mechanical and thermal performance, and the cold compressive strength increased from 72.74 to 158.59 MPa as well as thermal conductivity ranged from 1.66 to 2.01 W m−1 K−1, respectively. It is found that ZrO 2 facilitated activation sintering introduced via lattice distortion in cordierite and La 2 O 3 accelerated the formation of cordierite and ZrSiO 4 microcrystalline through the low-temperature liquid phase. The synergic effect between ZrO 2 and La 2 O 3 , therefore, had a significant role in the reinforced mechanical and thermal performance of porous cordierite ceramics. This work not only offers a feasible strengthening strategy, but also expands the possibilities for building high-performance structural and functional ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a member of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), is involved in the immune regulation of several infectious diseases. Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) infection is proved to cause an abnormal immune response, but the role of HMGB1 in MG-induced chronic respiratory disease (CRD) is unclear. In this study, we found that HMGB1 was released from the nucleus to the extracellular in macrophages upon infection with MG. Extracellular HMGB1 bound to TLR2 activating the NF-κB pathway triggering a severe inflammatory storm and promoting the progression of MG infection. More importantly, TLR4 could be activated by HMGB1 to trigger immune disorders after TLR2 was silenced. This disease process could be interrupted by ethyl pyruvate (EP) inhibition of HMGB1 release or glycyrrhizic acid (GA). Furthermore, treatment of MG-infected chickens with GA significantly alleviated immune organ damage. In conclusion, we demonstrate that HMGB1 is secreted extracellularly to form an inflammatory environment upon MG infection, triggering a further cellular inflammatory storm in a positive feedback approach. Blocking MG-induced HMGB1 release or suppression downstream of the HMGB1-TLR2/TLR4 axis may be a promising novel strategy for the treatment of CRD. Furthermore, this study may provide a theoretical reference for understanding non-LPS-activated TLR4 events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secreted RNase proteins have been reported from only a few pathogens, and relatively little is known about their biological functions. Fusarium oxysporum is a soilborne fungal pathogen that causes Fusarium wilt, one of the most important diseases on tomato. During the infection of F. oxysporum, some proteins are secreted that modulate host plant immunity and promote pathogen invasion. In this study, we identify an RNase, FoRnt2, from the F. oxysporum secretome that belongs to the ribonuclease T2 family. FoRnt2 possesses an N‐terminal signal peptide and can be secreted from F. oxysporum. FoRnt2 exhibited ribonuclease activity and was able to degrade the host plant total RNA in vitro dependent on the active site residues H80 and H142. Deletion of the FoRnt2 gene reduced fungal virulence but had no obvious effect on mycelial growth and conidial production. The expression of FoRnt2 in tomato significantly enhanced plant susceptibility to pathogens. These data indicate that FoRnt2 is an important contributor to the virulence of F. oxysporum, possibly through the degradation of plant RNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diclofenac sodium is a widely used nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) as over‐the‐counter (OTC) medication for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Herein, the development of an intensified six‐step continuous flow synthesis of diclofenac sodium from commercially available aniline and chloroacetic acid is described. A challenging and unprecedented etherification/Smiles rearrangement cascade of 2‐chloro‐N‐phenylacetamide and 2,6‐dichlorophenol into hydroxyacetyldiphenylamine operated with the precise control of reaction conditions in continuous flow was realized as the key step in this multistep synthetic chemistry. The undesired amide hydrolysis in Smiles rearrangement was addressed and the extra installation of N‐chloroacetyl group in current industrial batch mode was avoided. Diclofenac sodium was obtained in 63 % isolated yield with an average yield of above 90 % for each step in a total residence time of 205 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious hemorrhagic disease of pigs, posing a significant threat to the world pig industry. Several researchers are investigating the possibilities for developing a safe and efficient vaccine against ASF. In this regard, significant progress has been made and some gene-deleted ASFVs are reported as potential live attenuated vaccines. A seven-gene-deleted live attenuated vaccine candidate HLJ/18-7GD (among which CD2v is included) has been developed in our laboratory and reported to be safe and protective, and it is expected to be commercialized in the near future. There is an urgent need for developing a diagnostic method that can clearly discriminate between wild-type-ASFV-infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA). In the present study, a dual indirect ELISA based on p54 and CD2v proteins was successfully established to specifically distinguish serum antibodies from pigs infected with wild-type ASFV or possessing vaccine immunization. To evaluate the performance of the assay, a total of 433 serum samples from four groups of pigs experimentally infected with the wild-type HLJ/18 ASFV, immunized with the HLJ/18-7GD vaccine candidate, infected with the new lower virulent variant, and specific-pathogen-free pigs were used. Our results showed that the positive rate of immunized serum was 96.54% (p54) and 2.83% (CD2v), and the positive rate of the infection by wild-type virus was 100% (p54) and 97.8% (CD2v). Similarly, the positive rate to infection by the new low-virulent ASFV variant in China was 100% (p54) and 0% (CD2v), indicating the technique was also able to distinguish antibodies from wild-type and the new low-virulent ASFV variant in China. Moreover, no cross-reaction was observed in immune sera from other swine pathogens, such as CSFV, PEDV, PRRSV, HP-PRRSV, PCV2, and PrV. Overall, the developed dual indirect ELISA exhibited high diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability and will provide a new approach to differentiate serum antibodies between wild virulent and CD2v-unexpressed ASFV infection, which will play a great role in serological diagnosis and epidemiological monitoring of ASF in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a subset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases, the core binding factor beta subunit gene (CBFB) was rearranged via inv(16)(p13.1q22) or t(16;16)(p13.1;q22), in which the smooth muscle myosin heavy chain 11 gene (MYH11) was the partner (CBFB::MYH11). Rare variants of CBFB rearrangement occurring via non-classic chromosomal aberrations have been reported, such as t(1;16), t(2;16), t(3;16), t(5;16), and t(16;19), but the partners of CBFB have not been characterized. We report a case of AML with a complex karyotype, including t(2;16)(q37;q22), in which the protein phosphatase 1 regulatory subunit 7 gene (PPP1R7) at chromosome 2q37 was rearranged with CBFB (CBFB::PPP1R7). This abnormality was inconspicuous by conventional karyotype and interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), thus leading to an initial interpretation of inv(16)(p13.1q22); however, metaphase FISH showed that the CBFB rearrangement involved chromosome 2. Using whole genome and Sanger sequencing, the breakpoints were identified as being located in intron 5 of CBFB and intron 7 of PPP1R7. A microhomology of CAG was found in the break and reconnection sites of CBFB and PPP1R7, thus supporting the formation of CBFB::PPP1R7 by microhomology-mediated end joining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective catalytic reduction of NO x with ammonia (NH 3 -SCR) under the exposure of multiple poisons in fly ash remains a great challenging issue for environmental protection. Herein, the intelligently self-tunable defense effects of Ce(SO 4) 2 additive modification for the V 2 O 5 /CeO 2 catalyst with excellent resistance against K and Zn co-poisoning was originally illustrated. The Ce(SO 4) 2 additive could firstly act as an inhibitor to certainly restrain the electron transfer between V and Ce species to decrease the redox property, but the high NO x reduction efficiency of Ce(SO 4) 2 modified fresh catalyst could be maintained due to the enhancement of vanadium species polymerization and acidity. Unexpectedly, the Ce(SO 4) 2 additive would smartly translate to act as a promoter over the co-poisoned catalyst to effectively combine with poisons, thus releasing most active vanadium species to exhibit superior co-poisoning resistance to K and Zn. This work provides a novel self-tunable multi-poisoning-resistant strategy via acid additive modification for SCR catalysts. [Display omitted] • Ce(SO 4) 2 modified vanadia catalyst was obtained to fight K and Zn co-poisoning. • Ce(SO 4) 2 modification greatly improved NO x conversion and co-poisoning resistance. • Ce(SO 4) 2 was inhibitor to restrain electron transfer between active V and Ce sites. • Ce(SO 4) 2 translates to promoter to fix K and Zn poisons among poisoned catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental chemicals have been indicated to cause disruption of thyroid homeostasis in human populations. However, previous studies mostly focused on single group of chemicals. Herein, we investigate the independent and combined effects of multiple pollutants on thyroid homeostasis, including thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total and free thyroxine (tT4 and fT4) and total and free triiodothyronine (tT3 and fT3) in elderly people. These environmental pollutants (n = 144) are from ten categories, including phenols, parabens, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalate esters (PAEs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), synthetic pyrethroids (SPs), herbicides, and metals. Few studies have evaluated the health risks of these 144 chemicals, especially their joint effects. In single-pollutant evaluations, multiple linear regression (MLR) models were used to estimate the independent associations between multiple exposures and thyroid biomarkers. In multi-pollutant evaluations, elastic net regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were used to estimate the combined associations. The MLR models showed that 41 chemicals were significantly related to THs levels. BKMR models revealed the most important chemical groups: metals for TSH, PAHs, SPs and PCBs for tT4, herbicides and SPs for tT3. This study will contribute to the understanding of multipollutant exposure and help prioritize specific chemical groups related to thyroid hormone disruption. [Display omitted] • The independent and joint effects of 144 chemicals on THs were assessed. • Single models observed 41 chemicals significantly associated with THs levels. • Metals most contributed to decreased TSH, SP mixtures contributed to increased tT3. • SP and PCB mixtures contributed to decreased tT4。. • Cumulative exposure to mixtures may play an important role in thyroid homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentence simplification is to rephrase a sentence into a form that is easier to read and understand while preserving its essential meaning and information. Recently, monolingual neural machine translation methods have emerged as a popular approach for this task. However, these methods often overlook the syntactic tree information of sentences, which can be crucial for effective simplification. To address this issue, we propose a syntax-guided controllable sentence simplification model that leverages graph attention networks to incorporate the syntactic information of dependency trees. Specifically, besides the sentence encoder, we propose a graph encoder that encodes dependency trees to enrich the syntactic information. Within the decoder, we introduce a syntax-augmented cross-attention that aggregates both sentence and syntax information simultaneously to the target side for simplification. We evaluate our proposed model on two benchmark datasets, showcasing that it outperforms state-of-the-art methods by a significant margin. Our proposed model underscores the significance of incorporating syntactic knowledge in sentence simplification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]