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The measurement of thermodynamic properties for nanosystems is essential to comprehend the inherent characteristics of nanomaterials. Traditional spectroscopy measurements, such as Raman or ultraviolet-visible spectroscopies, are limited to offering insights near the Γ point in the Brillouin zone and thus cannot precisely determine the system's thermodynamic properties, for example, heat capacity. Utilizing the intrinsic broad momentum distribution in highly confined plasmonic fields, here we take sp -hybridized carbyne as a proof-of-the-principle example to show that ultrahigh-resolution tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) images have the ability to access all k -points in the phonon Brillouin zone of one-dimensional nanosystems, allowing the comprehensive determination of vibrational features and heat capacity for finite carbon chains. Comparing phonon dispersion spectra and heat capacities under different boundary conditions, i.e., linear carbon chains and cyclic carbon molecules, we find that the heat capacities of linear structures converge more rapidly than the counterparts of cyclic structures to the benchmark of ideal carbyne. We also study the effects of different terminal groups in linear structures as well as the aromaticity in cyclic structures on heat capacity. This study provides a practical method for characterizing the thermodynamic properties of nanosystems, demonstrating the potential applications of TERS imaging in nanomaterial science.

This Letter reports the first measurement of the oscillation amplitude and frequency of reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay via neutron capture on hydrogen using 1958 days of data. With over 3.6 million signal candidates, an optimized candidate selection, improved treatment of backgrounds and efficiencies, refined energy calibration, and an energy response model for the capture-on-hydrogen sensitive region, the relative ν[over ¯]_{e} rates and energy spectra variation among the near and far detectors gives sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0759_{-0.0049}^{+0.0050} and Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.72_{-0.15}^{+0.14})×10^{-3}  eV^{2} assuming the normal neutrino mass ordering, and Δm_{32}^{2}=(-2.83_{-0.14}^{+0.15})×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted neutrino mass ordering. This estimate of sin^{2}2θ_{13} is consistent with and essentially independent from the one obtained using the capture-on-gadolinium sample at Daya Bay. The combination of these two results yields sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0833±0.0022, which represents an 8% relative improvement in precision regarding the Daya Bay full 3158-day capture-on-gadolinium result.

We have systematically investigated and found surprising superior catalytic activities of very short DNAzymes for copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), both in solution and on surface. As a key reaction of the "click chemistry" class, CuAAC is a highly efficient and specific covalent conjugation tool with demonstrated applications in organic synthesis, bioconjugation, and surface functionalization; however, it requires the presence of the Cu(I) catalyst, which is an unstable species in aqueous solutions. We show here that one ultrashort, 14-nucleotide-truncated fragment of an earlier in vitro selected DNAzyme (CLICK-17) shows a striking and superior catalytic activity toward the in trans CuAAC reaction in solution and on surface in the presence of either Cu(I) or Cu(II), at significantly lowered concentrations. These results obviate the need for long-sequence DNAzymes, selected out of the homogeneous solution phase, for application in complex surface environments.

Commercial pH paper is a quick and simple tool for measuring a solution's acidity/basicity, but it only provides qualitative or semi-quantitative results, and the synthetic indicator dyes within can be toxic or carcinogenic. Although pH meters enable more accurate and quantitative analysis, they are less convenient to operate and are tedious to calibrate. This presents a need for an alternative pH testing method for applications where it is not easy or possible to use a pH meter, yet quantitative results are desired. We report herein the fabrication of a pH test strip made from superhydrophobic paper and agarose-anthocyanin film discs. In the proposed method, test strips are dipped into samples and then imaged with a portable scanner (or a smartphone). The color of the film is extracted with ImageJ software (or a mobile app), using the RGB color system. By generating a calibration curve relating the film color to the sample pH using standard buffer solutions, we are able to quantify the pH of beverages and other liquids with an accuracy and precision comparable to that of a pH meter. The test strips offer the same convenience as conventional pH paper, with the added capabilities of quantitation and multiplexed testing, which presents a practical tool for point-of-need pH analysis.

Background: The insect cuticle consists of chitin fibers and a protein matrix, which plays an important role in protecting the body from invasion of various pathogens and prevents water loss. Periodic synthesis and degradation of the cuticle is required for the growth and development of insects. Key genes involved in cuticle formation have long been considered a potential target for pest control., Results: In this study, a member of the RR-2 subfamily of cuticular protein 8 (DcCP8) was identified from the Diaphorina citri genome database. Immunofluorescence analysis suggested that DcCP8 was mainly located in the Diaphorina citri exocuticle and can be induced to up-regulate 12 h following 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) treatment. Silencing of DcCP8 by RNA interference (RNAi) significantly disrupted the metamorphosis to the adult stage, and improved the permeability of the cuticle. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that the synthesis of the exocuticle was impressed after silencing of DcCP8. Furthermore, the recombinant DcCP8 protein exhibited chitin-binding properties in vitro, down-regulation of DcCP8 significantly inhibited expression levels of chitin metabolism-related genes. Additionally, a sprayable RNAi method targeting DcCP8 based on star polycation (SPc) nanoparticles-wrapped double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) significantly increased Diaphorina citri mortality. Transcriptome sequencing further confirmed that genes associated with the endocytic pathway and immune response were up-regulated in Diaphorina citri after SPc treatment., Conclusions: The current study indicated that DcCP8 is critical for the formation of Diaphorina citri exocuticles, and lays a foundation for Diaphorina citri control based on large-scale dsRNA nanoparticles. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

This Letter presents results of a search for the mixing of a sub-eV sterile neutrino with three active neutrinos based on the full data sample of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment, collected during 3158 days of detector operation, which contains 5.55×10^{6} reactor ν[over ¯]_{e} candidates identified as inverse beta-decay interactions followed by neutron capture on gadolinium. The analysis benefits from a doubling of the statistics of our previous result and from improvements of several important systematic uncertainties. No significant oscillation due to mixing of a sub-eV sterile neutrino with active neutrinos was found. Exclusion limits are set by both Feldman-Cousins and CLs methods. Light sterile neutrino mixing with sin^{2}2θ_{14}≳0.01 can be excluded at 95% confidence level in the region of 0.01  eV^{2}≲|Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.1  eV^{2}. This result represents the world-leading constraints in the region of 2×10^{-4}  eV^{2}≲|Δm_{41}^{2}|≲0.2  eV^{2}.

Objective : The objective of this work was to assess the effect of physical therapy in patients with somatosensory tinnitus (ST) and explore the influence of physical therapy on clinical variables obtained before treatment. Methods : A total of 43 patients with ST were randomized to the immediate-start group ( n = 20) and delayed-start group ( n = 23). All patients received physical therapy for 1 week (seven sessions). Each session lasted 60 min. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), and numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) scores were documented at baseline and after treatment (week 1) for all patients. For subjects in the immediate-start group, the THI, VAS, and NPRS scores were measured after therapy (weeks 6, 9, and 12, respectively). Medical history characteristic functional activity scale (HCFA) scores were measured at baseline to assess the association between somatic symptoms and tinnitus. Results : At week 1, VAS, THI, and NPRS scores of patients in the immediate-start group were improved by 1.25 ± 1.59, 11.10 ± 15.10, and 0.95 ± 1.54 points, respectively, and were significantly higher than those in the delayed-start group ( p < 0.05). The change in VAS, THI, and NPRS scores in the treatment group was significantly positively correlated with the scores of the HCFA before treatment (r = 0.786, p < 0.001; r = 0.680, p = 0.001; r = 0.796, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in THI, VAS, and NPRS scores among patients in the immediate-start group between weeks 1, 6, 9, and 12 after treatment ( p > 0.05). Conclusions : Although more participants were necessary in the further study, the study implies that physical therapy can reduce physical pain, improve tinnitus symptoms, and quality of life in ST patients without hearing loss, and the short-term curative effect is stable, especially for tinnitus patients with clear somatic symptoms.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a systemic plant disease caused by ' Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus ( C Las)' and transmitted by Diaphorina citri . D. citri acquires the C Las bacteria in the nymph stage and transmits it in the adult stage, indicating that molting from the nymph to adult stages is crucial for HLB transmission. However, the available D. citri reference genomes are incomplete, and gene function studies have been limited to date. In the current research, PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) and Illumina sequencing were performed to investigate the transcriptome of D. citri nymphs and adults. In total, 10,641 full-length, non-redundant transcripts (FLNRTs), 594 alternative splicing (AS) events, 4522 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), 1086 long-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), 281 transcription factors (TFs), and 4459 APA sites were identified. Furthermore, 3746 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between nymphs and adults were identified, among which 30 DEGs involved in the Hippo signaling pathway were found. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) further validated the expression levels of 12 DEGs and showed a positive correlation with transcriptome data. Finally, the spatiotemporal expression pattern of genes involved in the Hippo signaling pathway exhibited high expression in the D. citri testis, ovary, and egg. Silencing of the D. citri transcriptional co-activator ( DcYki ) gene significantly increased D. citri mortality and decreased the cumulative molting. Our results provide useful information and a reliable data resource for gene function research of D. citri .

Compared with individuals with hearing loss, tinnitus patients without hearing loss have more psychological or emotional problems. Tinnitus is closely associated to abnormal metabolism and function of the limbic system, a key brain region for emotion experience, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Using whole-brain microvasculature dynamics imaging, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is identified as a key brain region of limbic system involve in the onset of salicylate-induced tinnitus in mice. In the tinnitus group, there is enhanced purine metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and a distinct pattern of phosphorylation in glutamatergic synaptic pathway according to the metabolome profiles, quantitative proteomic, and phosphoproteomic data of mice ACC tissue. Electroencephalogram in tinnitus patients with normal hearing thresholds show that the functional connectivity between pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and the primary auditory cortex is significantly increased for high-gamma frequency band, which is positively correlated with the serum glutamate level. These findings indicate that ACC plays an important role in the pathophysiology of tinnitus by interacting with the primary auditory cortex and provide potential molecular targets in the ACC for tinnitus treatment., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Chitin plays an important role in the development and molting of insects. The key genes involved in chitin metabolism were considered promising targets for pest control. In this study, two splice variants of chitin deacetylase 2 (CDA2) from Diaphorina citri were identified, including DcCDA2a and DcCDA2b. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that DcCDA2a and DcCDA2b encoded 550 and 544 amino acid residues with a signal peptide, respectively. Spatio-temporal expression patterns analysis showed that DcCDA2a and DcCDA2b were highly expressed in D. citri wing and nymph stages. Moreover, DcCDA2a and DcCDA2b expression levels were induced by 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Silencing DcCDA2a by RNA interference (RNAi) significantly disrupted the D. citri molting and increased D. citri mortality and malformation rate, whereas inhibition of DcCDA2b resulted in a semimolting phenotype. Furthermore, silencing DcCDA2a and DcCDA2b significantly suppressed D. citri chitin and fatty acid metabolism. Our results indicated that DcCDA2 might play crucial roles in regulating D. citri chitin and fatty acid metabolism, and it could be used as a potential target for controlling D. citri., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Full-cohort and sibling-comparison designs have yielded inconsistent results about the impacts of caesarean delivery on offspring health outcomes, with the effect estimates from the latter being more likely directed towards the null value. We hypothesized that the seemingly conservative results obtained from the sibling-comparison design might be attributed to inadequate adjustment for non-shared confounders between siblings, particularly maternal age at delivery., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was first conducted. PubMed, Embase, and the Web of Science were searched from database inception to April 6, 2022. Included studies (1) examined the association of caesarean delivery, whether elective or emergency, with offspring health outcomes; (2) simultaneously conducted full-cohort and sibling-comparison analyses; and (3) reported adjusted effect estimates with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). No language restrictions were applied. Data were extracted by 2 reviewers independently. Three-level meta-analytic models were used to calculate the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for caesarean versus vaginal delivery on multiple offspring health outcomes separately for full-cohort and sibling-comparison designs. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the method of adjustment for maternal age at delivery. A simulation study was then conducted. The simulated datasets were generated with some key parameters derived from the meta-analysis., Results: Eighteen studies involving 21,854,828 individuals were included. The outcomes assessed included mental and behavioral disorders; endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases; asthma; cardiorespiratory fitness; and multiple sclerosis. The overall pooled OR for estimates from the full-cohort design was 1.14 (95% CI: 1.11 to 1.17), higher than that for estimates from the sibling-comparison design (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.14). Stratified analyses showed that estimates from the sibling-comparison design varied considerably across studies using different methods to adjust for maternal age at delivery in multivariate analyses, while those from the full-cohort design were rather stable: in studies that did not adjust maternal age at delivery, the pooled OR of full-cohort vs. sibling-comparison design was 1.10 (95% CI: 0.99 to 1.22) vs. 1.06 (95% CI: 0.85 to 1.31), in studies adjusting it as a categorical variable, 1.15 (95% CI: 1.11 to 1.19) vs. 1.07 (95% CI: 1.00 to 1.15), and in studies adjusting it as a continuous variable, 1.12 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.19) vs. 1.12 (95% CI: 0.98 to 1.29). The severe underestimation bias related to the inadequate adjustment of maternal age at delivery in sibling-comparison analyses was fully replicated in the simulation study., Conclusions: Sibling-comparison analyses may underestimate the association of caesarean delivery with multiple offspring health outcomes due to inadequate adjustment of non-shared confounders, such as maternal age at delivery. Thus, we should be cautious when interpreting the seemingly conservative results of sibling-comparison analyses in delivery-related studies., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Camptothecin (CPT) and cisplatin (Pt) have shown synergistic effects on a variety of cancers during preclinical and clinical studies. However, the ratio of the two drugs often could not be precisely regulated in different delivery systems, which hinders the desired synergistic effect. In addition, the low delivery efficiency of the two drugs to the tumor further impedes the ideal therapeutic outcomes. Herein, we report that a platelet-mimicking supramolecular nanomedicine (SN) could precisely control of the ratio of CPT and Pt with a high tumor accumulation rate for cascade amplification of synergistic chemotherapy. The SN was fabricated via the host-guest interaction between cucurbit[7]uril conjugated hyaluronic acid (HA-CB[7]) and adamantane (ADA) respectively functionalized CPT- and Pt-based prodrugs. The ratio of CPT and Pt in the SN could be facilely regulated by simply controlling the loading ratio, based on the strong binding affinity between CB[7] and ADA, and SN60 with 60% CPT and 40% Pt showed the highest synergistic effects on 4T1 cells. To improve the tumor accumulation efficiency of SN, 5,6-dimethylxanthenone-4-acetic acid (DMXAA, a tumor vasculature-disruptive agent) was loaded into the optimized SN and then coated with platelet membrane to yield platelet-mimicking supramolecular nanomedicine (D@SN-P). D@SN-P could first passively accumulate in tumors owing to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect after intravenous administration. The initially release of DMXAA from D@SN-P could induce tumor vascular disruption, and the resultant epithelial collagen exposure around the disrupted tumor vasculature provided a target for further recruitment of platelet-mimicking SN, leading to cascade amplification of tumor accumulation with synergistic chemotherapy. Hence, this platelet-mimicking supramolecular nanomedicine presents a universal supramolecular strategy to finely regulate the ratio of loaded pro-drugs, and improve the accumulation efficiency to amplify chemotherapy via platelet-mimics., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Reactor neutrino experiments play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of neutrinos. In this Letter, the evolution of the flux and spectrum as a function of the reactor isotopic content is reported in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield at Daya Bay with 1958 days of data and improved systematic uncertainties. These measurements are compared with two signature model predictions: the Huber-Mueller model based on the conversion method and the SM2018 model based on the summation method. The measured average flux and spectrum, as well as the flux evolution with the ^{239}Pu isotopic fraction, are inconsistent with the predictions of the Huber-Mueller model. In contrast, the SM2018 model is shown to agree with the average flux and its evolution but fails to describe the energy spectrum. Altering the predicted inverse-beta-decay spectrum from ^{239}Pu fission does not improve the agreement with the measurement for either model. The models can be brought into better agreement with the measurements if either the predicted spectrum due to ^{235}U fission is changed or the predicted ^{235}U, ^{238}U, ^{239}Pu, and ^{241}Pu spectra are changed in equal measure.

Depression is a prevalent psychiatric disorder with elusive pathogenesis. Studies have proposed that enhancement and persistence of aseptic inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) may be closely associated with the development of depressive disorder. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) has obtained significant attention as an evoking and regulating factor in various inflammation-related diseases. It is a non-histone DNA-binding protein that can be released as a pro-inflammatory cytokine by glial cells and neurons in the CNS. Microglia, as the immune cell of the brain, interacts with HMGB1 and induces neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the CNS. Therefore, in the current review, we aim to investigate the role of microglial HMGB1 in the pathogenetic process of depression., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Lonicera japonica Thunb. has attracted much attention for its treatment of bacterial and viral infectious diseases, while its active ingredients and potential mechanisms of action have not been fully elucidated. Here, we combined metabolomics, and network pharmacology to explore the molecular mechanism of Bacillus cereus ATCC14579 inhibition by Lonicera japonica Thunb. In vitro inhibition experiments showed that the Lonicera japonica Thunb.'s water extracts, ethanolic extract, luteolin, quercetin, and kaempferol strongly inhibited Bacillus cereus ATCC14579. In contrast, chlorogenic acid and macranthoidin B had no inhibitory effect on Bacillus cereus ATCC14579. Meanwhile, the minimum inhibitory concentrations of luteolin, quercetin, and kaempferol against Bacillus cereus ATCC14579 were 15.625 μg mL -1 , 31.25 μg mL -1 , and 15.625 μg mL -1 . Based on the previous experimental basis, the metabolomic analysis showed the presence of 16 active ingredients in Lonicera japonica Thunb.'s water extracts and ethanol extracts, with differences in the luteolin, quercetin, and kaempferol contents between the water extracts and ethanol extracts. Network pharmacology studies indicated that fabZ, tig, glmU, secA, deoD, nagB, pgi, rpmB, recA, and upp were potential key targets. Active ingredients of Lonicera japonica Thunb. may exert their inhibitory effects by inhibiting ribosome assembly, the peptidoglycan biosynthesis process, and the phospholipid biosynthesis process of Bacillus cereus ATCC14579. An alkaline phosphatase activity assay, peptidoglycan concentration assay, and protein concentration assay showed that luteolin, quercetin, and kaempferol disrupted the Bacillus cereus ATCC14579 cell wall and cell membrane integrity. Transmission electron microscopy results showed significant changes in the morphology and ultrastructure of the cell wall and cell membrane of Bacillus cereus ATCC14579, further confirming the disruption of the cell wall and cell membrane integrity of Bacillus cereus ATCC14579 by luteolin, quercetin, and kaempferol. In conclusion, Lonicera japonica Thunb. can be used as a potential antibacterial agent for Bacillus cereus ATCC14579, which may exert its antibacterial activity by destroying the integrity of the cell wall and membrane., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ&#95;{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm&#95;{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158 days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ&#95;{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm&#95;{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm&#95;{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease, is caused by Candidatus Liberbacter asiaticus (CLas) and transmitted by Diaphorina citri. Previous studies reported that CLas infection significantly influences the structure of the D. citri cytoskeleton. However, the mechanisms through which CLas manipulates cytoskeleton-related proteins remain unclear. In this study, we performed quantitative ubiquitylome crosstalk with the proteome to reveal the roles of cytoskeleton-related proteins during the infection of D. citri by CLas. Western blotting revealed a significant difference in ubiquitination levels between the CLas-free and CLas-infected groups. According to ubiquitylome and 4D label-free proteome analysis, 343 quantified lysine ubiquitination (Kub) sites and 666 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in CLas-infected groups compared with CLas-free groups. A total of 53 sites in 51 DEPs were upregulated, while 290 sites in 192 DEPs were downregulated. Furthermore, functional enrichment analysis indicated that 18 DEPs and 21 lysine ubiquitinated proteins were associated with the cytoskeleton, showing an obvious interaction. Ubiquitination of D. citri tropomyosin was confirmed by immunoprecipitation, Western blotting, and LC-MS/MS. RNAi-mediated knockdown of tropomyosin significantly increased CLas bacterial content in D. citri. In summary, we provided the most comprehensive lysine ubiquitinome analysis of the D. citri response to CLas infection, thus furthering our understanding of the role of the ubiquitination of cytoskeleton proteins in CLas infection., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Herein, a smartphone-based portable reader with integrated optics for standard microtiter plates (96 wells) has been designed and demonstrated for high-throughput quantitation of validated biomarkers in serum. The customized optical attachment was simply constructed with a convex lens and a light source, by which the transmitted light through a 96-well microtiter plate was converged for imaging with a smartphone, so that accurate and wide-range reading of the plate can be achieved. More importantly, relying on the digitized colorimetric analysis of the obtained images, concentrations of various biomarkers can be determined directly using the customized mobile app. A set of validated biomarkers for inflammation and infection, C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), and procalcitonin (PCT) have been quantitated with this new system; both the response ranges and limits of detection meet the requirement of clinical tests. The consistency with the results obtained using a commercial microplate reader proves its reliability and precision, augments its potential as a point-of-care diagnostic device for on-site testing or resource-limited settings.

Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has been proven to effectively immobilize Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ using a single bacterium. However, there is an urgent need for studies of Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ immobilized by a bacterial consortium. In this study, a stable consortium designated JZ1 was isolated from soil that was contaminated with cadmium and lead, and the dominant genus Sporosarcina (99.1%) was found to have carbonate mineralization function. The results showed that 91.52% and 99.38% of Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ were mineralized by the consortium JZ1 with 5 g/L CaCl 2 at an initial concentration of 5 mg/L Cd 2+ and 150 mg/L Pb 2+ , respectively. The bioprecipitates were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Moreover, the kinetic studies indicated that the urea hydrolysis reaction fit well with the Michaelis-Menten equation, and the kinetic parameters K m and V max were estimated to be 38.69 mM and 58.98 mM/h, respectively. When the concentration of urea increased from 0.1 to 0.3 M, the mineralization rate increased by 1.58-fold. This study can provide a novel microbial resource for the biomineralization of Cd and Pb in soil and water environments., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The utilization of atomically confined plasmonic fields has revolutionized the imaging technique. According to the fundamental position-momentum uncertainty principle, such a narrow spatial distribution certainly leads to a broad momentum distribution in the fields, which has however been overlooked. Here we propose a novel exploitation for the momentum distribution by adaptively satisfying the conservation law of momentum in inelastic Raman scatterings in periodic systems, providing a unique optical means of directly measuring the whole phonon dispersions. The proposed technique is particularly useful for measuring phonon dispersions of low-dimensional hydrogen-rich materials, which are completely inaccessible via other techniques. The numerical results for a single all- trans polyacetylene chain demonstrate that all phonon dispersion branches can be conclusively measured from their Raman images for the first time. Our findings highlight a unique advantage of the emerging momentum-based nanophotonics and open the door for exploiting highly confined plasmonic fields in another dimension.

Introduction: Acute primary angle closure (APAC) is often characterized by acute elevation of intraocular pressure accompanied by severe ocular and systemic symptoms. Excessive collagen accumulation, which can be caused by upregulated heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) expression, can produce scarring in rat conjunctival blebs. Meanwhile, the presence of HSP47 in human aqueous humor and its levels are yet to be determined., Methods: We examined 32 consecutive patients with APAC and 16 age-matched participants without APAC scheduled for cataract surgery who were enrolled as a control group. Aqueous humor samples were collected from all subjects at the time of surgery and compared between the subjects with and without APAC., Results: The levels of HSP47 in the aqueous humor of patients with APAC (1,210.4 ± 450.2 pg/mL) were found to be significantly increased (p = 0.001) compared with those in the control group (863.4 ± 240.0 pg/mL). Notably, the levels of HSP47 negatively correlated with the age of patients with APAC (p = 0.023)., Conclusion: HSP47 was upregulated in the aqueous humor of patients with APAC and may play a role in scarring after trabeculectomy for APAC., (© 2022 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A1 (NR4A1) is an orphan nuclear receptor, which is expressed in the majority of cells. NR4A1 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is low during the preclinical stage of multiple sclerosis. Knockout of the Nr4a1 gene in mice can aggravate the symptoms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), which is an animal model of multiple sclerosis. In this study, we intragastrically administered the NR4A1 agonist cytosporone B (Csn-B) to mice after inducing EAE. After treatment with Csn-B, the clinical symptoms in the EAE mice were substantially attenuated compared with that in PBS-treated control mice. The percentages of CD4 + T cells and F4/80 + cells in the central nervous system were decreased. In addition, interferon-γ and interleukin-17 production by proinflammatory Th1/Th17 cells in the central nervous system and interferon-γ levels in splenocytes were decreased after Csn-B treatment. These findings suggest that the NR4A1 agonist Csn-B can alleviate nerve injury after EAE induction, and, therefore, may be useful as a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis., Competing Interests: None

Non-interferometric quantitative phase imaging based on Transport of Intensity Equation (TIE) has been widely used in bio-medical imaging. However, analytic TIE phase retrieval is prone to low-spatial frequency noise amplification, which is caused by the illposedness of inversion at the origin of the spectrum. There are also retrieval ambiguities resulting from the lack of sensitivity to the curl component of the Poynting vector occurring with strong absorption. Here, we establish a physics-informed neural network (PINN) to address these issues, by integrating the forward and inverse physics models into a cascaded deep neural network. We demonstrate that the proposed PINN is efficiently trained using a small set of sample data, enabling the conversion of noise-corrupted 2-shot TIE phase retrievals to high quality phase images under partially coherent LED illumination. The efficacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated by both simulation using a standard image database and experiment using human buccal epitehlial cells. In particular, high image quality (SSIM = 0.919) is achieved experimentally using a reduced size of labeled data (140 image pairs). We discuss the robustness of the proposed approach against insufficient training data, and demonstrate that the parallel architecture of PINN is efficient for transfer learning.

Ferritin heavy-chain homolog (FerHCH), an iron-binding protein, plays an important role in the host defense against oxidative stress and pathogen infections. In our previous research, Bombyx mori native ferritin had an interaction with B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV). However, the underlying molecular mechanism of single ferritin homolog responses to BmNPV infection remains unclear. In this study, we found that BmNPV titer and B. mori FerHCH (BmFerHCH) expression were positively correlated with the ferric iron concentration. We performed RNA interference (RNAi) and overexpression experiments to investigate the effects of BmFerHCH on BmNPV proliferation. BmFerHCH knockdown suppressed BmNPV proliferation in vivo and in vitro, whereas BmFerHCH overexpression facilitated BmNPV proliferation. In addition, the oxidative stress level was increased significantly in BmN cells after budded virus infection, while BmFerHCH could neutralize the increased ROS production induced by BmNPV. Of note, we found that ROS was involved in BmNPV-induced apoptosis. Through inhibiting ROS, apoptosis was suppressed by BmFerHCH, whereas BmFerHCH knockdown facilitated apoptosis. Therefore, we hypothesize that BmFerHCH-mediated inhibition of virus-induced apoptosis depends on suppressing ROS accumulation and, thereby, facilitates virus replication. These results suggest that BmFerHCH plays an important role in facilitating BmNPV proliferation and modulating BmFerHCH is potential strategy for studying host-pathogen interactions., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Glycogen is a predominant carbohydrate reserve in various organisms, which provides energy for different life activities. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) is a central player that catalyzes glucose and converts it into glycogen. In this study, a GSK3 gene was identified from the D. citri genome database and named DcGSK3 . A reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that DcGSK3 was expressed at a high level in the head and egg. The silencing of DcGSK3 by RNA interference (RNAi) led to a loss-of-function phenotype. In addition, DcGSK3 knockdown decreased trehalase activity, glycogen, trehalose, glucose and free fatty acid content. Moreover, the expression levels of the genes associated with chitin and fatty acid synthesis were significantly downregulated after the silencing of DcGSK3 . According to a comparative transcriptomics analysis, 991 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in ds DcGSK3 groups compared with ds GFP groups. A KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that these DEGs were primarily involved in carbon and fatty acid metabolism. The clustering analysis of DEGs further confirmed that chitin and fatty acid metabolism-related DEGs were upregulated at 24 h and were downregulated at 48 h. Our results suggest that DcGSK3 plays an important role in regulating the chitin and fatty acid metabolism of D. citri ., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objective: To explore the effect of hypothyroidism (HT) on the ocular surface status of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome-related dry eye (pSS-DED)., Methods: The cross-sectional study included 36 patients with pSS-DED who were treated at the dry eye clinic of Peking University Third Hospital from December 2020 to June 2021, of whom 12 were pSS-DED patients combined with HT. In the same period, 24 patients with simple dry eye disease (DED) were served as a control group. All the patients filled out the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, and performed tear film break-up time (BUT), Schirmer test, tear meniscus height, corneal/conjunctival fluorescein staining, meibomian gland secretion capacity, meibum evaluation and confocal microscope examination., Results: (1) Compared with pSS-DED and simple DED patients, pSS-DED +HT patients had lower average BUT [(2.7±0.8) s], Schirmer test [(4.9±4.8) mm] and tear meniscus height [(0.13±0.03) mm], and the difference was statistically significant ( F =12.43, P < 0.01; F =6.96, P < 0.01; F =3.31, P < 0.05). (2) Compared with DED and pSS-DED patients, the meibomian gland secretion capacity and meibomian trait scores of pSS-DED+HT patients were mainly distributed in the high division. There were statistically significant differences in the distribution of secretion capacity of meibomian glands ( χ 2 =10.72, P < 0.05) and meibomian trait assessment scores ( χ 2 =8.34, P < 0.05) among the three groups. (3) Serum total thyroxine and serum free thyroxine levels in the pSS-DED+HT patients showed positive correlation ( P < 0.05, P < 0.05) with their BUT ( r =0.60, 0.60), Schirmer's test ( r =0.64, 0.66) and tear river height ( r =0.61, 0.62), independent of lid gland secretory capacity; no significant correlation was found between thyroid-stimulating hormone, anti-thyroglobulin antibody and lid gland secretory capacity. Thyroid hormone, anti-thyroglobulin antibody, and thyroid peroxidase antibody were not found to be significantly correlated with ocular surface status. (4) Compared with pSS-DED, the fiber density of the subbasal nerve plexus in pSS-DED+HT group decreased ( t =2.06, P < 0.05), and the curvature score increased ( t =2.13, P < 0.05)., Conclusion: The ocular surface condition of pSS-DED patients with HT is worse than that of pSS-DED and DED patients. The main manifestations are that tear secretion, tear film stability, secretory function of the meibomian glands, meibum trait and fiber density of the subbasal nerve plexus decrease while the curvature increases. The mechanism might be related to the decrease in thyroid hormone production.

Laser powder bed fusion is a promising technology for local deposition and microstructure control, but it suffers from defects such as delamination and porosity due to the lack of understanding of melt pool dynamics. To study the fundamental behavior of the melt pool, both geometric and thermal sensing with high spatial and temporal resolutions are necessary. This work applies and integrates three advanced sensing technologies: synchrotron X-ray imaging, high-speed IR camera, and high-spatial-resolution IR camera to characterize the evolution of the melt pool shape, keyhole, vapor plume, and thermal evolution in Ti-6Al-4V and 410 stainless steel spot melt cases. Aside from presenting the sensing capability, this paper develops an effective algorithm for high-speed X-ray imaging data to identify melt pool geometries accurately. Preprocessing methods are also implemented for the IR data to estimate the emissivity value and extrapolate the saturated pixels. Quantifications on boundary velocities, melt pool dimensions, thermal gradients, and cooling rates are performed, enabling future comprehensive melt pool dynamics and microstructure analysis. The study discovers a strong correlation between the thermal and X-ray data, demonstrating the feasibility of using relatively cheap IR cameras to predict features that currently can only be captured using costly synchrotron X-ray imaging. Such correlation can be used for future thermal-based melt pool control and model validation., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This Letter reports the first measurement of high-energy reactor antineutrinos at Daya Bay, with nearly 9000 inverse beta decay candidates in the prompt energy region of 8-12 MeV observed over 1958 days of data collection. A multivariate analysis is used to separate 2500 signal events from background statistically. The hypothesis of no reactor antineutrinos with neutrino energy above 10 MeV is rejected with a significance of 6.2 standard deviations. A 29% antineutrino flux deficit in the prompt energy region of 8-11 MeV is observed compared to a recent model prediction. We provide the unfolded antineutrino spectrum above 7 MeV as a data-based reference for other experiments. This result provides the first direct observation of the production of antineutrinos from several high-Q&#95;{β} isotopes in commercial reactors.

Purpose: To develop and validate a radiomic nomogram based on texture features from out-of-phase T1W images and clinical biomarkers in prediction of liver fibrosis., Materials and Methods: Patients clinically diagnosed with chronic liver fibrosis who underwent liver biopsy and noncontrast MRI were enrolled. All patients were assigned to the nonsignificant fibrosis group with fibrosis stage <2 and the significant fibrosis group with stage ≥2. Texture parameters were extracted from out-of-phase T1-weighted (T1W) images and calculated using the Artificial Intelligent Kit (AK). Boruta and LASSO regressions were used for feature selection and a multivariable logistic regression was used for construction of a combinational model integrating radiomics and clinical biomarkers. The performance of the models was assessed by using the receiver operator curve (ROC) and decision curve., Results: ROC analysis of the radiomics model that included the most discriminative features showed AUCs of the training and test groups were 0.80 and 0.78. A combinational model integrating RADscore and fibrosis 4 index was established. ROC analysis of the training and test groups showed good to excellent performance with AUC of 0.93 and 0.86. Decision curves showed the combinational model added more net benefit than radiomic and clinical models alone., Conclusions: The study presents a combinational model that incorporates RADscore and clinical biomarkers, which is promising in classification of liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ru Zhao et al.)

Hierarchically fractal Co with highly exposed active (002) facets, possessing a higher work function and more moderate hydrogen adsorption free energy, has been synthesized via a template-free self-assembly method for the directed electron-transfer design of HER catalysts. It shows a great improvement in the HER activity in comparison with that of nanostructured Co.

This study aims to explore anti-obesity and lipid-lowering mechanism of Corydalis Bungeanae Herba(CB) based on intestinal microflora and metabolomics. Specifically, high-fat high-sugar diet(HFHS, 10 weeks) was used to induce obesity in rats. Then the model rats were randomized into the model group, low-dose(0.18 g·kg~(-1)), medium-dose(0.9 g·kg~(-1)), and high-dose(1.8 g·kg~(-1)) CBH groups, and orlistat group(0.03 g·kg~(-1)), 12 in each group. Rats which received normal diet were used as control. The body weight and feed intake of rats were recorded every week. After 6 weeks of administration, rats were killed and gastric emptying and small intestinal propulsion were examined. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to analyze serum indexes, and liver and perirenal fat were collected for haematoxilin-eosin(HE) staining. Rat feces and serum were gathered for 16 S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics analysis and Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to explore the correlation between differential microflora and differential metabolites. The result showed that CBH extract decreased body weight, feed intake, and serum cholecystokinin(CCK), triglyceride(TG), and total cholesterol(TC), delayed gastric emptying, and reduced fat accumulation in liver and perirenal adiposity as compared with rats in the model group. In addition, Lachnospiraceae and Sutterellaceaecan significantly decreased in the model group, but CBH extract up-regulated their abundance. Moreover, the abundance of Prevotellaceae was significantly raised by HFHS, but CBH decreased it. Glutaric acid, glyceric acid, hippuric acid, malic acid, glyceric acid, oxoglutaric acid, fumaric acid/succinic acid, oxoglutaric acid/isocitric acid, D-glucuronic acid, cholic acid were the main deferentially expressed metabolites and significantly correlated with Sutterellaceae and Prevotellaceae. These key metabolites and microbiota mainly involved in tricarboxylic acid(TCA) cycle, glucose metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and energy metabolism. This study proved that CBH can efficiently improve body weight and blood lipids, reduce adipocyte volume, and positively regulate the intestinal microflora and serum metabolites, thereby achieving the anti-obesity and lipid-owering effect.

Validamycin, as a broadly applied antibiotic, has been used to control rice sheath blight disease. Furthermore, validamycin was considered as an insecticide to control agricultural pests. Insight into the mechanism of validamycin's action on insects can provide molecular targets for the control of agricultural pests. In this study, a toxicological test analysis revealed that Spodoptera litura larval growth and development was significantly inhibited and the pupation rate was significantly reduced with the increase of the concentration of validamycin. According to the NMR-based metabolomic analysis, a total of 15 metabolites involved in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) pathways were identified. Additionally, trehalase activities, glucose and chitin contents were significantly downregulated, but the trehalose content was upregulated after exposure to validamycin. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of genes involved in glycolysis, TCA and chitin synthesis were upregulated after treating with validamycin. Further chitin staining also confirmed that chitin content was downregulated at 12 h after validamycin treatment. Our results indicated that validamycin worked via two different molecular mechanisms, one through inhibiting glycometabolism and the other by inhibiting chitin synthesis in S. litura. The information lays a theoretical foundation for further control of S. litura., (© 2021 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

The association of gestational weight gain (GWG) with perinatal outcomes seems to differ between women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Whether GDM is an effect-modifier of the association has not been verified. This study aimed to assess the modifying effect of GDM on the association of GWG with perinatal outcomes. Data on 12,128 pregnant women (3013 with GDM and 9115 without GDM) were extracted from a prospective, multicenter, cohort study in China. The associations of total and trimester-specific GWG rates (GWGR) with perinatal outcomes, including small size for gestational age, large size for gestational age (LGA), preterm birth, cesarean delivery, and gestational hypertension disorders, were assessed. The modifying effect of GDM on the association was assessed on both multiplicative and additive scales, as estimated by mixed-effects logistic regression. As a result, total GWGR was associated with all of the perinatal outcomes. GDM modified the association of total GWGR with LGA and cesarean delivery on both scales (all p < 0.05) but did not modify the association with other outcomes. The modifying effect was observed in the third trimester but not in the first or the second trimester. Therefore, maternal GWG is associated with perinatal outcomes, and GDM modifies the association with LGA and cesarean delivery in the third trimester.

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (GRPs) are family of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), which can recognize the peptidoglycan and trigger the innate immune system against the microorganisms in insects. In this study, we identified a GRP-LB from Spodoptera litura genome database and named SlGRP-LB, which contained a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 639 bp, encoding a protein of 212 amino acids with a signal peptide and GRP domain. Phylogenetic tree analysis suggested that the SlGRP-LB has a close relationship with Helicoverpa armigera GRP-LB (HaGRP-LB). Tissue expression analysis revealed that SlGRP-LB had a high expression level in the fat body. The expression levels of SlGRP-LB were significantly upregulated in the hemolymph, fat body, and midgut from 3 to 12 h after injection of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, while the expression levels were not downregulated at 24 h postinfection. Knockdown of SlGRP-LB expression by RNA interference reduced the expression of antibacterial peptide-related genes in the fat body and midgut, while their expression levels were upregulated in the hemolymph. In addition, the recombinant SlGRP-LB was expressed by using E. coli expression system, and it exhibited binding activity to E. coli. Taken together, the data suggest that S. litura GRP-LB might play a crucial role in regulating immune response in S. litura., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

A joint determination of the reactor antineutrino spectra resulting from the fission of ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu has been carried out by the Daya Bay and PROSPECT Collaborations. This Letter reports the level of consistency of ^{235}U spectrum measurements from the two experiments and presents new results from a joint analysis of both data sets. The measurements are found to be consistent. The combined analysis reduces the degeneracy between the dominant ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu isotopes and improves the uncertainty of the ^{235}U spectral shape to about 3%. The ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu antineutrino energy spectra are unfolded from the jointly deconvolved reactor spectra using the Wiener-SVD unfolding method, providing a data-based reference for other reactor antineutrino experiments and other applications. This is the first measurement of the ^{235}U and ^{239}Pu spectra based on the combination of experiments at low- and highly enriched uranium reactors.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a solid tumor with high recurrence rate and high mortality. It is crucial to discover available biomarkers to achieve early diagnosis and improve the prognosis. The effect of LSM4 in HCC still remains unrevealed. Our study is dedicated to exploring the expression of LSM4 in HCC, demonstrating its clinical significance and potential molecular mechanisms. Methods: Clinical information and LSM4 expression values of HCC were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. Survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were applied to evaluate the prognostic and diagnostic significance of LSM4 . Calculating pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) and performing summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curve analysis to further determine its expression status and diagnostic significance. LSM4 -related co-expressed genes (CEGs) were obtained and explored their clinical significance in HCC. LSM4 -associated pathways were identified through Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Results: Up-regulated LSM4 was detected in HCC tissues (SMD = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.29-1.84) and overexpressed LSM4 had excellent distinguishing ability (AUC = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.88-0.93). LSM4 was associated with clinical stage, tumor grade, and lymph node metastasis status ( p < 0.05). Survival analysis showed that high LSM4 expression was related to poor overall survival (OS) of HCC patients. Cox regression analysis suggested that high LSM4 expression may be an independent risk factor for HCC. We obtained nine up-regulated CEGs of LSM4 in HCC tissues, and six CEGs had good prognostic and diagnostic significance. GSEA analysis showed that up-regulated LSM4 was closely related to the cell cycle, cell replication, focal adhesion, and several metabolism-associated pathways, including fatty acid metabolism. Conclusion: Overexpressed LSM4 may serve as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of HCC. Besides, LSM4 may play a synergistic effect with CEGs in promoting the growth and metastasis of HCC cells via regulating crucial pathways such as cell cycle, focal adhesion, and metabolism-associated pathways., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chen, Lin, Liu, Huang, Wei, Yang, Hu, Xie and Yu.)

Validamycin has been widely used as a specific competitive inhibitor of trehalase. In our previous research, validamycin significantly inhibited trehalase activity and chitin synthesis in Diaphorina citri, resulting in abnormal phenotypes. However, the mechanism of validamycin's action on D. citri remains unclear. Here, using a comparative transcriptome analysis, 464 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in D. citri were identified after validamycin treatment. A Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs were mainly involved in "small molecule process", "structural molecule activity" and "transition metal ion binding". DEGs involved in chitin metabolism, cuticle synthesis and insecticide detoxification were validated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The RNA interference of D. citri chitinase-like protein ENO3 and D. citri cuticle protein 7 genes significantly affected D. citri molting. Moreover, the recombinant chitinase-like protein ENO3 exhibited a chitin-binding property, and an antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis. This study provides a first insight into the molecular changes in D. citri after exposure to validamycin and identifies two effective RNA interference targets for D. citri control., (© 2020 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) plays an important role in the synthesis of trehalose. In the current study, a TPS gene was obtained from Diaphorina citri , and named as DcTPS1 which encoded a protein of 833 amino acid residues. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that DcTPS1 had the highest expression level in the midgut and fifth-instar nymph stage. Knockdown of DcTPS1 by RNA interference (RNAi) induced an abnormal phenotype and increased mortality and malformation rate with a decreased molting rate. In addition, silencing of DcTPS1 significantly inhibited D. citri chitin metabolism and fatty acid metabolism, while the expression levels of fatty acid decomposition-related genes were downregulated. Furthermore, comparative transcriptomics analysis revealed that 791 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were upregulated and 678 DEGs were downregulated when comparing ds DcTPS1 groups with ds GFP groups. Bioinformatics analysis showed that upregulated DEGs were mainly involved in oxidative phosphorylation, whereas downregulated DEGs were mainly attributed to the lysosome and ribosome. These results indicated that DcTPS1 played an important role in the growth and development of D. citri .

The determination of pH values is essential in many chemical, medical, and environmental monitoring processes, which has been relying on conventional pH meters (glass electrodes) for quantitation and pH test strips for qualitative (or semi-quantitative) assessment. In this work, we demonstrate a smartphone-based pH determination technique, which performs digital image analysis of commercial test strips, particularly the determination of either the dominant wavelength (λ d ) or complementary wavelength (λ c ) of the color image. In conjunction with a 3D-printed optical accessory (with a surface light source and a macro lens), the quality of captured images have been warranted, and the quantitation accuracy of 0.05 pH units has been achieved. More importantly, the performance of this smartphone-based pH reading system (namely "Smart-pH-Reader") was validated using multiple real-world samples, as the results are consistent with those determined with a standard pH meter. The Smart-pH-Reader is envisioned to be a simple, portable, and accurate tool for pH determination in the fields of environmental monitoring, medical diagnosis, and beyond.

Herein we report a quantitative, multiplex assay for disease markers in plasma based on an integrated setup of a portable scanner and a disposable paper-based analytical device (PAD). The quantitative analysis relies on the digital colorimetric reading of the three-layer PAD with 30 assay sites for performing respective chromogenic reactions for plasma uric acid, glucose, and triglyceride, which are considered as important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. A portable scanner with WiFi transmission capability was used to produce high-quality color images of the PADs and wirelessly transfer them to a smartphone or other mobile devices for data processing. The concentrations of biomarkers in both standard solutions and plasma samples can be directly obtained using a custom-designed smartphone app that is also capable of constructing calibration curves. The detection limits of uric acid, glucose, and triglyceride were determined to be 0.50 mg/dL, 0.84 mmol/L, and 14 mg/dL, respectively, which are below the normal limits and adequate for clinical validation. Owing to the distinct advantages-simple, portable, and cost-effective-this mobile assay protocol can be used for point-of-care (POC) settings or resource-limited situations, and potentially for the diagnosis and prevention of infectious diseases.

Background: Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) in insects contribute to the sensitivity of the olfactory system and connect external odorants to olfactory receptor neurons. Determination of the chemosensory functions in Diaphorina citri, a vector of the citrus Huanglongbing pathogen, may help in developing a potential target for pest management., Results: Diaphorina citri showed dose-dependent electroantennogram recording (EAG) responses to 12 host plant volatiles. A two-choice behavioral trap experiment showed that four compounds (methyl salicylate, linalool, citral and R-(+)-limonene) that elicited high EAG responses also had significant attraction to adults. The expression profiles induced by these compounds were detected in nine OBP genes, DcitOBP1-9. DcitOBP3, DcitOBP6 and DcitOBP7 commonly showed significant upregulation or downregulation compared with the control. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) showed that the recombinant protein DcitOBP7 had high in vitro binding affinities (K d  < 10 μm) to methyl salicylate, linalool and R-(+)-limonene, and moderate binding affinity to citral with a K d value of 15.95 μm. Furthermore, RNA interference (RNAi)-suppressed messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of DcitOBP7 resulted in a significant reduction in EAG activity and in adult D. citri behavioral responses to tested volatiles and the preferred host, Murraya paniculata. The hydrophilic residue Arg107 of DcitOBP7 may have a key role in binding odorants via formation of hydrogen bonds., Conclusion: These results show that DcitOBP7 plays an important role in the olfactory response. This finding may provide new insight into the functions of OBP families in D. citri and aid in the development of safe strategies for managing D. citri populations. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Alloying platinum (Pt) with transition metals (M), as an established class of electrocatalysts, reduces the use of Pt and improves the electrocatalytic performance. However, the stability of transition metals in nanostructured platinum alloys is a fundamental and practical problem in electrocatalysis, due to leaching of transition metals under acidic operating condition. Here, a corrosion method has been developed for a Pt-Cu electrocatalyst with high activity (6.6 times that of commercial Pt/C) and excellent stability for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) under acidic operating conditions. The mechanism of formation has been studied, and possible mesostructured re-formation and atomic re-organization have been proposed. This work offers an effective strategy for the facile synthesis of a highly acid-stable PtM alloying and opens a door to high-performance design for electrocatalysts., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Acoustic-gravity waves are generally considered to be one of the major factors that drive changes of the total electron content in the ionosphere. However, causal mechanisms of couplings between sources in the lithosphere and responses in the atmosphere and the ionosphere are not fully understood, yet. A barometer in the cave of the SBCB station records an unusual phenomenon of larger amplitudes in air pressure changes inside than those at the Xinwu station (outside). Accordingly, the comparison between the recorded data at the SBCB and Xinwu station can drive investigations of potential sources of the unusual phenomenon. Analytical results of phase angle differences reveal that the air pressure outside the cave at the Xinwu station often leads air pressure changes inside at the SBCB station at relatively low frequency bands. In contrast, the larger pressure changes at frequencies >  ~ 5 × 10 -4  Hz inside the cave at the SBCB station lead smaller changes outside at the Xinwu station. To expose causal mechanisms of the unusual phenomenon, continuous seismic waveforms are further conducted for examination. When the horizontal and vertical ground velocities of ground vibrations yield a difference in the phase angle close to 90°, coherence values between the air pressure changes and ground vibrations become large. This suggests that the pressure-shear vertical ground vibrations can drive air pressure changes. Meanwhile, the results shed light on investigating the existence of acoustic waves near the Earth's surface using a partially confined space underground due to that the assumptions of the waves can propagate upward into the atmosphere driving changes in the ionosphere.

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri is the principal vector of huanglongbing, which transmits Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. Trehalase is a key enzyme involved in trehalose hydrolysis and plays an important role in insect growth and development. The specific functions of this enzyme in D. citri have not been determined. In this study, three trehalase genes (DcTre1-1, DcTre1-2, and DcTre2) were identified based on the D. citri genome database. Bioinformatic analysis showed that DcTre1-1 and DcTre1-2 are related to soluble trehalase, whereas DcTre2 is associated with membrane-bound trehalase. Spatiotemporal expression analysis indicated that DcTre1-1 and DcTre1-2 had the highest expression levels in the head and wing, respectively, and DcTre2 had high expression levels in the fat body. Furthermore, DcTre1-1 and DcTre1-2 expression levels were induced by 20-hydroxyecdysone and juvenile hormone Ⅲ, but DcTre2 was unaffected. The expression levels of DcTre1-1, DcTre1-2, and DcTre2 were significantly upregulated, which resulted in high mortality after treatment with validamycin. Trehalase activities and glucose contents were downregulated, but the trehalose content increased after treatment with validamycin. In addition, the expression levels of chitin metabolism-related genes significantly decreased at 24 and 48 h after treatment with validamycin. Furthermore, silencing of DcTre1-1, DcTre1-2, and DcTre2 reduced the expression levels of chitin metabolism-related genes and led to a malformed phenotype of D. citri. These results indicate that D. citri trehalase plays an essential role in regulating chitin metabolism and provides a new target for control of D. citri., (© 2020 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)