Enhancing cell-scale performance via sustained release of the varicella-zoster virus antigen from a microneedle patch under simulated microgravity

The immune system of astronauts might become weakened in the microgravity environment in space, and the dormant varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in the body might be reactivated, seriously affecting their work and safety. For working in orbit for the long term, there is currently no efficient and durable delivery system of general vaccines in a microgravity environment. Accordingly, based on the previous foundation, we designed, modified, and synthesized a biodegradable and biocompatible copolymer, polyethylene glycol-polysulfamethazine carbonate urethane (PEG-PSCU) that could be mainly adopted to fabricate a novel sustained-release microneedle (S-R MN) patch. Compared with conventional biodegradable microneedles, this S-R MN patch could not only efficiently encapsulate protein vaccines (varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E, VZV gE) but also further prolong the release time of VZV gE in a simulated microgravity (SMG) environment. Eventually, we verified the activation of dendritic cells by VZV gE released from the S-R MN patch in an SMG environment and the positive bioeffect of activated dendritic cells on lymphocytes using an in vitro lymph node model. This study is of great significance for the exploration of long-term specific immune responses to the VZV in an SMG environment.

Multifunctional droplet handling on surface-charge-graphic-decorated porous papers

Developing a fluidic platform that combines high-throughput with reconfigurability is essential for a wide range of cutting-edge applications, but achieving both capabilities simultaneously remains a significant challenge. Herein, we propose a novel and unique method for droplet manipulation via drawing surface charge graphics on electrode-free papers in a contactless way. We find that opposite charge graphics can be written and retained on the surface layer of porous insulating paper by a controlled charge depositing method. The retained charge graphics result in high-resolution patterning of electrostatic potential wells (EPWs) on the hydrophobic porous surface, allowing for digital and high-throughput droplet handling. Since the charge graphics can be written/projected dynamically and simultaneously in large areas, allowing for on-demand and real-time reconfiguration of EPWs, we are able to develop a charge-graphic fluidic platform with both high reconfigurability and high throughput. The advantages and application potential of the platform have been demonstrated in chemical detection and dynamically controllable fluidic networks.

LINC01852 inhibits the tumorigenesis and chemoresistance in colorectal cancer by suppressing SRSF5-mediated alternative splicing of PKM

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and chemoresistance is a major obstacle in its treatment. Despite advances in therapy, the molecular mechanism underlying chemoresistance in CRC is not fully understood. Recent studies have implicated the key roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the regulation of CRC chemoresistance.

METHODS

In this study, we investigated the role of the lncRNA LINC01852 in CRC chemoresistance. LINC01852 expression was evaluated in multiple CRC cohorts using quantitative reverse transcription PCR. We conducted in vitro and in vivo functional experiments using cell culture and mouse models. RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and dual luciferase assays were used to investigate the molecular mechanism of LINC01852 in CRC.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed that a lncRNA with tumor-inhibiting properties, LINC01852, was downregulated in CRC and inhibited cell proliferation and chemoresistance both in vitro and in vivo. Further mechanistic investigations revealed that LINC01852 increases TRIM72-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of SRSF5, inhibiting SRSF5-mediated alternative splicing of PKM and thereby decreasing the production of PKM2. Overexpression of LINC01852 induces a metabolic switch from aerobic glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation, which attenuates the chemoresistance of CRC cells by inhibiting PKM2-mediated glycolysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that LINC01852 plays an important role in repressing CRC malignancy and chemoresistance by regulating SRSF5-mediated alternative splicing of PKM, and that targeting the LINC01852/TRIM72/SRSF5/PKM2 signaling axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for CRC.

MNK: A Novel Promising Target for Cancer Immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy has demonstrated remarkable success in the treatment of multiple advanced malignancies, especially approaches to target the immune checkpoint. Nonetheless, the limited response rate remains a barrier to broader application. Identifying other ways to extend the beneficiaries to a large extent is needed. Emerging evidence has shown that mitogen-activated protein kinase-interacting kinases (MNKs) could be regarded as a novel, attractive target for cancer immunotherapy that is closely correlated with cancer biology and therapies. A comprehensive understanding of the role and mechanism of MNKs in cancer will shed light on the discovery of novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. In this review, we outlined the structure of MNKs, their function and expression, and how MNKs affect tumor progression and elucidated the evidence supporting MNKs as a new promising treatment modality in human cancers.

Investigations of the reaction mechanism of sodium with hydrogen fluoride to form sodium fluoride and the adsorption of hydrogen fluoride on sodium fluoride monomer and tetramer

CONTEXT

The reaction between Na and HF is a typical harpooning reaction which is of great interest due to its significance in understanding the elementary chemical reaction kinetics. This work aims to investigate the detailed reaction mechanisms of sodium with hydrogen fluoride and the adsorption of HF on the resultant NaF as well as the (NaF)4 tetramer. The results suggest that the reaction between Na and HF leads to the formation of sodium fluoride salt NaF and hydrogen gas. Na interacts with HF to form a complex HF···Na, and then the approaching of F atom of HF to Na results in a transition state H···F···Na. Accompanied by the broken of H-F bond, the bond forms between F and Na atoms as NaF, then the product NaF is yielded due to the removal of H atom. The resultant NaF can further form (NaF)4 tetramer. The interaction of NaF with HF leads to the complex NaF···HF; the form I as well as II of (NaF)4 can interact with HF to produce two complexes (i.e., (NaF)4(I-1)···HF, (NaF)4(I-2)···HF, (NaF)4(II-1)···HF and (NaF)4(II-2)···HF), but the form III of (NaF)4 can interact with HF to produce only one complex (NaF)4(III)···HF. These complexes were explored in terms of noncovalent interaction (NCI) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analyses. NCI analyses confirm the existences of attractive interactions in the complexes HF···Na, NaF···HF, (NaF)4(I-1)···HF, (NaF)4(I-2)···HF, (NaF)4(II-1)···HF and (NaF)4(II-2)···HF, and (NaF)4(III)···HF. QTAIM analyses suggest that the F···Na interaction forms in the HF···Na complex while the F···H hydrogen bonds form in NaF···HF, (NaF)4(I-1)···HF, (NaF)4(I-2)···HF, (NaF)4(II-1)···HF and (NaF)4(II-2)···HF, and (NaF)4(III)···HF complexes. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses were also applied to analyze the intermolecular donor-acceptor orbital interactions in these complexes. These results would provide valuable insight into the chemical reaction of Na and HF and the adsorption interaction between sodium fluoride salt and HF.

METHODS

The calculations were carried out at the M06-L/6-311++G(2d,2p) level of theory which were performed using the Gaussian16 program. Intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations were carried out at the same level of theory to confirm that the obtained transition state was true. The molecular surface electrostatic potential (MSEP) was employed to understand how the complex forms. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and noncovalent interaction (NCI) analysis was used to know the topology parameters at bond critical points (BCPs) and intermolecular interactions in the complex and intermediate. The topology parameters and the BCP plots were obtained by the Multiwfn software.

Database Resources of the National Genomics Data Center, China National Center for Bioinformation in 2024

The National Genomics Data Center (NGDC), which is a part of the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB), provides a family of database resources to support the global academic and industrial communities. With the rapid accumulation of multi-omics data at an unprecedented pace, CNCB-NGDC continuously expands and updates core database resources through big data archiving, integrative analysis and value-added curation. Importantly, NGDC collaborates closely with major international databases and initiatives to ensure seamless data exchange and interoperability. Over the past year, significant efforts have been dedicated to integrating diverse omics data, synthesizing expanding knowledge, developing new resources, and upgrading major existing resources. Particularly, several database resources are newly developed for the biodiversity of protists (P10K), bacteria (NTM-DB, MPA) as well as plant (PPGR, SoyOmics, PlantPan) and disease/trait association (CROST, HervD Atlas, HALL, MACdb, BioKA, BioKA, RePoS, PGG.SV, NAFLDkb). All the resources and services are publicly accessible at https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn.

An NAD+-dependent group Ⅲ alcohol dehydrogenase involved in long-chain alkane degradation in Acinetobacter venetianus RAG-1

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) are a class of key enzymes responsible for the oxidation of alkyl alcohols in the aerobic alkane metabolic pathway. Currently, the degradation mechanisms of short- and medium-chain alkanes are commonly reported, while those of long-chain alkanes have received less attention. In this work, a putative long-chain ADH was screened from Acinetobacter venetianus RAG-1 via RNA-seq with n-octacosane (C28) as the sole carbon source. Conserved sequence analysis revealed that it is a group III (Fe-containing/activated) ADH, which is widespread in the genus Acinetobacter. The deletion of adhA led to a significant reduction in the degradation of C28. AdhA exhibited optimal oxidative activity at pH 8.0 and 50 °C with NAD+ as coenzyme, while showing better tolerability to chemical reagents. Enzyme activity assay showed that AdhA owed the oxidative activity to a wide range of substrates including alkyl alcohols (C1-C32) and some isomeric alcohols, such as isopropanol, isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, and propanetriol, and could reduce the alkyl aldehyde (C1-C12). Meanwhile, the binding of AdhA to different alkyl alcohols was mediated by different amino acids. AdhA is an ADH with an extremely broad substrate utilization range and excellent biochemical characteristics. These results provided important insights in the subsequent investigation of long-chain alkane degradation and petroleum pollution bioremediation.

Dual Tumor-Selective β-Carboline-Based Fluorescent Probe for High-Contrast/Rapid Diagnosis of Clinical Tumor Tissues

Given that precise/rapid intraoperative tumor margin identification is still challenging, novel fluorescent probes HY and HYM, based on acidic tumor microenvironment (TME) activation and organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATPs)-mediated selective uptake, were constructed and synthesized. Both of them possessed acidic pH-activatable and reversible fluorescence as well as large Stokes shift. Compared with HY, HYM had a higher (over 9-fold) enhancement in fluorescence with pH ranging from 7.6 to 4.0, and the fluorescence quantum yield of HYM (ΦF = 0.49) at pH = 4.0 was 8-fold stronger than that (ΦF = 0.06) at pH = 7.4. Mechanism research demonstrated that acidic TME-induced protonation of the pyridine N atom on β-carbolines accounted for the pH-sensitive fluorescence by influencing the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effect. Furthermore, HYM selectively lit up cancer cells and tumor tissues not only by "off-on" fluorescence but also by OATPs (overexpressed on cancer cells)-mediated cancer cellular internalization, offering dual tumor selectivity for precise visualization of tumor mass and intraoperative guidance upon in situ spraying. Most importantly, HYM enabled rapid and high-contrast (tumor-to-normal tissue ratios > 6) human tumor margin identification in clinical tumor tissues by simple spraying within 6 min, being promising for aiding in clinical surgical resection.

Overexpression of LINC00853 enhances tumorigenesis and metastasis of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a rising global health issue, with increasing incidence and mortality rates. The pathogenesis of GC is highly complex and involves a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Therefore, identifying new genes and pathways that contribute to the development and progression of GC is essential for improving diagnosis and treatment outcomes. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently emerged as a promising area of research in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying various cancers, including GC. These RNA molecules are longer than 200 nucleotides and do not code proteins. Although initially considered "junk DNA", lncRNAs have been demonstrated to play significant roles in various biological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, as well as in the pathogenesis of various cancers. In this study, we screened clinical specimens for a novel lncRNA, LINC00853, which showed high expression in GC tissues and promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells. Furthermore, in vivo experiments confirmed its ability to facilitate the growth and metastasis of GC. These results suggest that LINC00853 plays a crucial role in the development and progression of GC.

Preclinical evaluation of RQ3013, a broad-spectrum mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 variants

The global emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has led to increasing breakthrough infections in vaccinated populations, calling for an urgent need to develop more effective and broad-spectrum vaccines to combat COVID-19. Here we report the preclinical development of RQ3013, an mRNA vaccine candidate intended to bring broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). RQ3013, which contains pseudouridine-modified mRNAs formulated in lipid nanoparticles, encodes the spike (S) protein harboring a combination of mutations responsible for immune evasion of VOCs. Here we characterized the expressed S immunogen and evaluated the immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety of RQ3013 in various animal models. RQ3013 elicited robust immune responses in mice, hamsters, and nonhuman primates (NHP). It can induce high titers of antibodies with broad cross-neutralizing ability against the wild-type, B.1.1.7, B.1.351, B.1.617.2, and the newly emerging Omicron variants. In mice and NHP, two doses of RQ3013 protected the upper and lower respiratory tract against infection by SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Furthermore, our safety assessment of RQ3013 in NHP showed no observable adverse effects. These results provide strong support for the evaluation of RQ3013 in clinical trials and suggest that it may be a promising candidate for broad protection against COVID-19 and its variants.

Tunable dual-emission of Sb3+, Ho3+Co-doped Cs2NaScCl6single crystals for light-emitting diodes

Lead-free halide double perovskites are considered as one of the most promising materials in optoelectronic devices, such as solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), due to their environmental friendliness and chemical stability. However, the extremely low photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of self-trapped excitons (STEs) emission from lead-free halide double perovskites impedes their applications. Herein, Sb3+ions were doped into rare-earth-based double perovskite Cs2NaScCl6single crystals (SCs), resulting in a large enhancement of PLQY from 12.57% to 87.37%. Moreover, by co-doping Sb3+and Ho3+into Cs2NaScCl6SCs, the emission color can be tuned from blue to red, due to an efficient energy transfer from STEs to Ho3+ions. Finally, the synthesized sample was used in multicolor LED, which exhibited excellent stability and optical properties. This work not only provides a new strategy for improving the optical properties of Cs2NaScCl6SCs, but also suggests its potential application in multicolor LEDs.

Trade-offs between ligninase and cellulase and their effects on soil organic carbon in abandoned Moso bamboo forests in southeast China

A vast expanse of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens J.Houz.) forests in subtropical areas was once intensively managed but has been abandoned in recent years. However, the response of soil organic carbon (SOC) to abandonment management remains unclear, partly because how carbon-degrading enzymes vary with abandonment management and the role of this change in the soil carbon cycle are still poorly understood, which restricts the scientific evaluation of carbon sink benefits of these abandoned Moso bamboo forests. The results of the survey, based on 40 Moso bamboo forests, showed that compared with intensive management, abandonment management for 7-10 and 11-14 years exhibited a significant decrease in ligninase activities (a reduction of 12.14 % and 44.41 %, respectively) and a significant increase in SOC content (an increase of 49.39 % and 52.64 %, respectively). However, abandonment management did not affect cellulase activities or easily oxidizable organic carbon content (p > 0.05), but significantl increased non-easily oxidizable organic carbon (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the total nitrogen (TN) content and pH value increased with prolonged abandonment, and these trade-offs between ligninase and cellulase were primarily driven by pH and TN. The ligninase-to-cellulase activities ratio is the most key factor affecting NEOC and SOC changes in abandoned Moso bamboo forests. Together, these findings demonstrate the response of carbon-degrading enzyme trade-offs to abandonment management and highlight the role of these trade-offs in controlling SOC accumulation. In addition, the different responses of different SOC fractions to abandonment management deserve attention in future studies.

Vaccines based on the fusion protein consensus sequence protect Syrian hamsters from Nipah virus infection

Nipah virus (NiV), a bat-borne paramyxovirus, results in neurological and respiratory diseases with high mortality in humans and animals. Developing vaccines is crucial for fighting these diseases. Previously, only a few studies focused on the fusion (F) protein alone as the immunogen. Numerous NiV strains have been identified, including 2 representative strains from Malaysia (NiV-M) and Bangladesh (NiV-B), which differ significantly from each other. In this study, an F protein sequence with the potential to prevent different NiV strain infections was designed by bioinformatics analysis after an in-depth study of NiV sequences in GenBank. Then, a chimpanzee adenoviral vector vaccine and a DNA vaccine were developed. High levels of immune responses were detected after AdC68-F, pVAX1-F, and a prime-boost strategy (pVAX1-F/AdC68-F) in mice. After high titers of humoral responses were induced, the hamsters were challenged by the lethal NiV-M and NiV-B strains separately. The vaccinated hamsters did not show any clinical signs and survived 21 days after infection with either strain of NiV, and no virus was detected in different tissues. These results indicate that the vaccines provided complete protection against representative strains of NiV infection and have the potential to be developed as a broad-spectrum vaccine for human use.

Enhanced CO2 Electroreduction Selectivity toward Ethylene on Pyrazolate-Stabilized Asymmetric Ni-Cu Hybrid Sites

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) possess well-defined, designable structures, holding great potential in enhancing product selectivity for electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R) through active site engineering. Here, we report a novel MOF catalyst featuring pyrazolate-stabilized asymmetric Ni/Cu sites, which not only maintains structural stability under harsh electrochemical conditions but also exhibits extraordinarily high ethylene (C2H4) selectivity during CO2R. At a cathode potential of -1.3 V versus RHE, our MOF catalyst, denoted as Cu1Ni-BDP, manifests a C2H4 Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 52.7% with an overall current density of 0.53 A cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, surpassing that on prevailing Cu-based catalysts. More remarkably, the Cu1Ni-BDP MOF exhibits a stable performance with only 4.5% reduction in C2H4 FE during 25 h of CO2 electrolysis. A suite of characterization tools─such as high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, operando X-ray diffraction, and infrared spectroscopy─and density functional theory calculations collectively reveal that the cubic pyrazolate-metal coordination structure and the asymmetric Ni-Cu sites in the MOF catalyst synergistically facilitate the stable formation of C2H4 from CO2.

Combination of bacterial-targeted delivery of gold-based AIEgen radiosensitizer for fluorescence-image-guided enhanced radio-immunotherapy against advanced cancer

Aggregation-Induced Emission luminogen (AIEgen) possess great potential in enhancing bioimaging-guided radiotherapeutic effects and radioimmunotherapy to improve the therapeutic effects of the tumor with good biosafety. Bacteria as a natural carrier have demonstrated great advantages in tumor targeted delivery and penetration to tumor. Herein, we construct a delivery platform that Salmonella VNP20009 act as an activated bacteria vector loaded the as-prepared novel AIEgen (TBTP-Au, VNP@TBTP-Au), which showed excellent radio-immunotherapy. VNP@TBTP-Au could target and retain AIEgen at the tumor site and deliver it into tumor cells specially, upon X-ray irradiation, much ROS was generated to induce immunogenic cell death via cGAS-STING signaling pathway to evoke immune response, thus achieving efficient radioimmunotherapy of the primary tumor with good biosafety. More importantly, the radioimmunotherapy with VNP@TBTP-Au formatted good abscopal effect that was able to suppress the growth of distant tumor. Our strategy pioneer a novel and simple strategy for the organic combination of bacteria and imaging-guided radiotherapy, and also pave the foundation for the combination with immunotherapy for better therapeutic effects.

Rational design of β-carboline as an efficient type I/II photosensitizer to enable hypoxia-tolerant chemo-photodynamic therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically approved treatment for cancer due to its high spatiotemporal selectivity and non-invasive modality. However, its therapeutic outcomes are always limited to the severe hypoxia environment of the solid tumor. Herein, two novel photosensitizers HY and HYM based on naturally antitumor alkaloids β-carboline were designed and synthesized. Through a series of experiments, we found HY and HYM can produce type II ROS (singlet oxygen) after light irradiation. HYM had higher singlet oxygen quantum yield and molar extinction coefficient than HY, as well as type I PDT behavior, which further let us find that HYM could exhibit robust phototoxicity activities in both normoxia and hypoxia. Meanwhile, HYM showed tumor-selective cytotoxicity with minimal toxicity toward normal cells. Notably, thanks to HYM's hypoxia-tolerant type I/II PDT and tumor selective chemotherapy, HYM showed synergistic inhibitory effect on tumor growth (inhibition rate > 91%). Our research provides a promising photosensitizer for hypoxia-tolerant chemo-photodynamic therapy, and may also give a novel molecular skeleton for photosensitizer design.

Investigation of the transport and metabolic patterns of oil-displacing bacterium FY-07-G in the microcosm model using X-CT technology

AIMS

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is dedicated to enhancing oil recovery by harnessing microbial metabolic activities and their byproducts within reservoir rocks and fluids. Therefore, the investigation of microbial mobility and their extensive distribution within crude oil is of paramount importance in MEOR. While microscale models have been valuable for studying bacterial strain behavior in reservoirs, they are typically limited to 2D representations of porous media, making them inadequate for simulating actual reservoir conditions. Consequently, there is a critical need for 3D models and dependable visualization methods to observe bacterial transport and metabolism within these complex reservoir environments.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Bacterial cellulose (bc) is a water-insoluble polysaccharide produced by bacteria that exhibits biocompatibility and biodegradability. It holds significant potential for applications in the field of MEOR as an effective means for selective plugging and spill prevention during oil displacement processes. Conditionally cellulose-producing strain, FY-07-G, with green fluorescent labeling, was engineered for enhanced oil recovery. 3D micro-visualization model was constructed to directly observe the metabolic activities of the target bacterial strain within porous media and to assess the plugging interactions between cellulose and the medium. Additionally, X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) technology was employed for a comprehensive analysis of the transport patterns of the target strain in oil reservoirs with varying permeabilities. The results indicated that FY-07-G, as a microorganism employing biopolymer-based plugging principles to enhance oil recovery, selectively targets and seals regions characterized by lower permeability and smaller pore spaces.

CONCLUSIONS

This work provided valuable insights into the transport and metabolic behavior of MEOR strains and tackled the limitation of 2D models in faithfully replicating oil reservoir conditions, offering essential theoretical guidance and insights for the further application of oil-displacing bacterial strains in MEOR processes.

Alignment of Heptagonal Diimide and Triazine Enables Narrowband Pure-Blue Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with Low Efficiency Roll-Off

The endeavor to develop high-performance narrowband blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with low efficiency roll-off represents an attractive challenge. Herein, we introduce a hetero-acceptor design strategy centered around the heptagonal diimide (BPI) building block to create an efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) sensitizer. The alignment of a twisted BPI unit and a planar diphenyltriazine (TRZ) fragment imparts remarkable exciton dynamic properties to 26tCz-TRZBPI, including a fast radiative decay rate (kR ) of 1.0×107  s-1 and a swift reverse intersystem crossing rate (kRISC ) of 1.8×106  s-1 , complemented by a slow non-radiative decay rate (kNR ) of 6.0×103  s-1 . Consequently, 26tCz-TRZBPI facilitates the fabrication of high-performance narrowband pure-blue TADF-sensitized fluorescence OLEDs (TSF-OLEDs) with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax ) of 24.3 % and low efficiency roll-off even at a high brightness level of 10000 cd m-2 (EQE10000 : 16.8 %). This showcases a record-breaking external quantum efficiency at a high luminance level of 10000 cd m-2 for narrowband blue TSF-OLEDs.

3D bioprinted multilayered cerebrovascular conduits to study cancer extravasation mechanism related with vascular geometry

Cerebral vessels are composed of highly complex structures that facilitate blood perfusion necessary for meeting the high energy demands of the brain. Their geometrical complexities alter the biophysical behavior of circulating tumor cells in the brain, thereby influencing brain metastasis. However, recapitulation of the native cerebrovascular microenvironment that shows continuities between vascular geometry and metastatic cancer development has not been accomplished. Here, we apply an in-bath 3D triaxial bioprinting technique and a brain-specific hybrid bioink containing an ionically crosslinkable hydrogel to generate a mature three-layered cerebrovascular conduit with varying curvatures to investigate the physical and molecular mechanisms of cancer extravasation in vitro. We show that more tumor cells adhere at larger vascular curvature regions, suggesting that prolongation of tumor residence time under low velocity and wall shear stress accelerates the molecular signatures of metastatic potential, including endothelial barrier disruption, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, inflammatory response, and tumorigenesis. These findings provide insights into the underlying mechanisms driving brain metastases and facilitate future advances in pharmaceutical and medical research.

Spatial-linked alignment tool (SLAT) for aligning heterogenous slices

Spatially resolved omics technologies reveal the spatial organization of cells in various biological systems. Here we propose SLAT (Spatially-Linked Alignment Tool), a graph-based algorithm for efficient and effective alignment of spatial slices. Adopting a graph adversarial matching strategy, SLAT is the first algorithm capable of aligning heterogenous spatial data across distinct technologies and modalities. Systematic benchmarks demonstrate SLAT's superior precision, robustness, and speed over existing state-of-the-arts. Applications to multiple real-world datasets further show SLAT's utility in enhancing cell-typing resolution, integrating multiple modalities for regulatory inference, and mapping fine-scale spatial-temporal changes during development. The full SLAT package is available at https://github.com/gao-lab/SLAT .

The Effects of Dietary Silybin Supplementation on the Growth Performance and Regulation of Intestinal Oxidative Injury and Microflora Dysbiosis in Weaned Piglets

Oxidative stress is the major incentive for intestinal dysfunction in weaned piglets, which usually leads to growth retardation or even death. Silybin has caught extensive attention due to its antioxidant properties. Herein, we investigated the effect of dietary silybin supplementation on growth performance and determined its protective effect on paraquat (PQ)-induced intestinal oxidative damage and microflora dysbiosis in weaned piglets. In trial 1, a total of one hundred twenty healthy weaned piglets were randomly assigned into five treatments with six replicate pens per treatment and four piglets per pen, where they were fed basal diets supplemented with silybin at 0, 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg for 42 days. In trial 2, a total of 24 piglets were randomly allocated to two dietary treatments with 12 replicates per treatment and 1 piglet per pen: a basal diet or adding 400 mg/kg silybin to a basal diet. One-half piglets in each treatment were given an intraperitoneal injection of paraquat (4 mg/kg of body weight) or sterile saline on day 18. All piglets were euthanized on day 21 for sample collection. The results showed that dietary supplementation with 400 mg/kg silybin resulted in a lower feed conversion ratio, diarrhea incidence, and greater antioxidant capacity in weaned piglets. Dietary silybin enhanced intestinal antioxidant capacity and mitochondrial function in oxidative stress piglets induced by PQ. Silybin inhibited mitochondria-associated endogenous apoptotic procedures and then improved the intestinal barrier function and morphology of PQ-challenged piglets. Moreover, silybin improved intestinal microbiota dysbiosis induced by the PQ challenge by enriching short-chain fatty-acid-producing bacteria, which augmented the production of acetate and propionate. Collectively, these findings indicated that dietary silybin supplementation linearly decreased feed conversion ratio and reduced diarrhea incidence in normal conditions, and effectively alleviated oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, intestinal damage, and microflora dysbiosis in weaned piglets.

Both chimpanzee adenovirus-vectored and DNA vaccines induced long-term immunity against Nipah virus infection

Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly lethal zoonotic paramyxovirus that poses a severe threat to humans due to its high morbidity and the lack of viable countermeasures. Vaccines are the most crucial defense against NiV infections. Here, a recombinant chimpanzee adenovirus-based vaccine (AdC68-G) and a DNA vaccine (DNA-G) were developed by expressing the codon-optimized full-length glycoprotein (G) of NiV. Strong and sustained neutralizing antibody production, accompanied by an effective T-cell response, was induced in BALB/c mice by intranasal or intramuscular administration of one or two doses of AdC68-G, as well as by priming with DNA-G and boosting with intramuscularly administered AdC68-G. Importantly, the neutralizing antibody titers were maintained for up to 68 weeks in the mice that received intramuscularly administered AdC68-G and the prime DNA-G/boost AdC68-G regimen, without a significant decline. Additionally, Syrian golden hamsters immunized with AdC68-G and DNA-G via homologous or heterologous prime/boost immunization were completely protected against a lethal NiV virus challenge, without any apparent weight loss, clinical signs, or pathological tissue damage. There was a significant reduction in but not a complete absence of the viral load and number of infectious particles in the lungs and spleen tissue following NiV challenge. These findings suggest that the AdC68-G and DNA-G vaccines against NiV infection are promising candidates for further development.

Microbial pathways driving stable soil organic carbon change in abandoned Moso bamboo forests in southeast China

Mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC) is a stable component of the soil carbon (C) pool, critical to realize carbon sequestration and coping with climate change. Many Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests in subtropical and tropical areas that used to be intensively managed have been left unmanaged. Still, studies on MOC changes occurring during the transition from intensive management to unmanagement are lacking. Besides, the understanding of the role of microorganisms in MOC accumulation is far from satisfactory. Based on the combination of field investigation and laboratory analysis of 40 Moso bamboo forest sampling plots with different unmanaged chronosequence's in southeast China, we observed the MOC content in Moso bamboo forests left unmanaged for 2-5 years had decreased, whereas that in forests left unmanaged for 11-14 years had increased compared with that in intensively managed forests. Specifically, the MOC contents in forests left unmanaged for 11-14 years were significantly higher than in those under intensive management or unmanaged for 2-5 years. Moreover, we found that microorganisms drove MOC change through two different pathways: (i) more microorganisms led to more soil nutrients, which led to more amino sugars, ultimately resulting in the accumulation of MOC, and (ii) microorganisms promoted the accumulation of MOC by influencing the content of metal oxides (poorly crystalline aluminum oxides and free aluminum oxides). We believe that ignoring the interaction between microorganisms and metal oxides may lead to uncertainty in evaluating the relative contribution of microbial residues to MOC.

Precise tumor delineation in clinical tissues using a novel acidic tumor microenvironment activatable near-infrared fluorescent contrast agent

Tumor selective near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent contrast agents has the potential to greatly enhance the efficiency and precision of tumor surgery by enabling real-time tumor margin identification for tumor resection guided by imaging. However, the development of these agents is still challenging. In this study, based on the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME), we designed and synthesized a novel pH-sensitive NIR fluorescent contrast agent OBD from β-carboline. The fluorescence quantum yield of OBD exhibited a notable increase at pH 3.6, approximately 12-fold higher compared to its value at pH 7.4. After cellular uptake, OBD lighted up the cancer cells with high specificity and accumulated in the mitochondria. Spraying OBD emitted selective fluorescence in xenograft tumor tissues with tumor-to-normal tissue ratios (TNR) as high as 11.18, implying successful image-guided surgery. Furthermore, OBD was also shown to track metastasis in spray mode. After simple topical spray, OBD rapidly and precisely visualized the tumor margins of clinical colon and liver tissues with TNR over 4.2. Therefore, the small-molecule fluorescent contrast agent OBD has promising clinical applications in tumor identification during surgery.

Portable instrument based on color sensor chip for on-site rapid detection of dissolved sulfides in environmental water samples

To ensure real-time validity of the detection of unstable toxic environmental pollutants, such as dissolved sulfides, we developed a portable on-site rapid analysis instrument. Through novel design of the color sensor chip-based core sensing components and the conversion between color signal and absorbance by Lambert's law, the instrument showed great performance for rapid (within 3 min) and sensitive on-site detection of sulfides in the environment. It is easy to achieve user-friendly, sample in-answer out, one-stop operation due to the touch-screen-integrated user interface of the instrument's data terminal. The detection limit of this method is 2.24 μg/L, the linear operation range is 0-1000 μg/L, and the coefficient of determination is 0.999. This instrument has been successfully applied to the on-site determination of sulfides in the Yellow River Delta and the Yantai Guangdang River in China. The portable instrument showed excellent anti-interference, good stability, and simple operation, which showed great prospects for the on-site rapid analysis of unstable targets in the environment.