An enzymatically activated AND-gate DNA logic circuit for tumor cells recognition via multi-microRNAs detection

The DNA-based logic circuit, constructed to mimic biochemical reaction networks, is highly significant in detecting biomarkers at the molecular level. The differences in the expression levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) within different types of cells provide hope for distinguishing cell subtypes. However, reliance on a single miRNA often leads to unreliable results. Herein, we constructed an enzyme-triggered cascade logic circuit based on the AND gate, which is capable of generating corresponding fluorescence signals in the presence of target miRNAs. The introduction of apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites effectively reduces the likelihood of false signal generation. Amplification of the fluorescence signal relies on the catalytic hairpin assembly and the repetitive reuse of the multicomponent nucleic acid enzyme (MNAzyme). We demonstrated that the logic circuit can not only distinguish cancer cells from normal cells but also identify different types of cancer cells. The programmability of the logic circuits and the simplicity of the assay system allow us to modify the functional sequences to recognize different types of biomarkers, thus providing a reference for the identification of various cell subtypes.

Determination of the two-compartment model parameters of exhaled HCN by fast negative photoionization mass spectrometry

Breath exhaled hydrogen cyanide (HCN) has been identified to be associated with several respiratory diseases. Accurately distinguishing the concentration and release rate of different HCN sources is of great value in clinical research. However, there are still significant challenges due to the high adsorption and low concentration characteristics of exhaled HCN. In this study, a two-compartment kinetic model method based on negative photoionization mass spectrometry was developed to simultaneously determine the kinetic parameters including concentrations and release rates in the airways and alveoli. The influences of the sampling line diameter, length, and temperature on the response time of the sampling system were studied and optimized, achieving a response time of 0.2 s. The negative influence of oral cavity-released HCN was reduced by employing a strategy based on anatomical lung volume calculation. The calibration for HCN in the dynamic range of 0.5-100 ppbv and limit of detection (LOD) at 0.3 ppbv were achieved. Subsequently, the experiments of smoking, short-term passive smoking, and intake of bitter almonds were performed to examine the influences of endogenous and exogenous factors on the dynamic parameters of the model method. The results indicate that compared with steady-state concentration measurements, the kinetic parameters obtained using this model method can accurately and significantly reflect the changes in different HCN sources, highlighting its potential for HCN-related disease research.

Mechanisms of imbalanced testicular homeostasis in infancy due to aberrant histone acetylation in undifferentiated spermatogonia under different concentrations of Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure

Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), identified as an endocrine-disrupting chemical, is associated with reproductive toxicity. This association is particularly noteworthy in newborns with incompletely developed metabolic functions, as exposure to DEHP can induce enduring damage to the reproductive system, potentially influencing adult reproductive health. In this study, we continuously administered 40 μg/kg and 80 μg/kg DEHP to postnatal day 5 (PD5) mice for ten days to simulate low and high doses of DEHP exposure during infancy. Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), our analysis revealed that varying concentrations of DEHP exposure during infancy induced distinct DNA damage response characteristics in testicular Undifferentiated spermatogonia (Undiff SPG). Specifically, DNA damage triggered mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to acetyl-CoA content alterations. Subsequently, this disruption caused aberrations in histone acetylation patterns, ultimately resulting in apoptosis of Undiff SPG in the 40 μg/kg DEHP group and autophagy in the 80 μg/kg DEHP group. Furthermore, we found that DEHP exposure impacts the development and functionality of Sertoli and Leydig cells through the focal adhesion and PPAR signaling pathways, respectively. We also revealed that Leydig cells regulate the metabolic environment of Undiff SPG via Ptn-Sdc4 and Mdk-Sdc4 after DEHP exposure. Finally, our study provided pioneering evidence that disruptions in testicular homeostasis induced by DEHP exposure during infancy endure into adulthood. In summary, this study elucidates the molecular mechanisms through which DEHP exposure during infancy influences the development of testicular cell populations.

Pressure-Driven Switching of Photoelectron Impact Ionization-Chemical Ionization/Penning Ionization in Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoionization Mass Spectrometry

Vacuum ultraviolet photoionization (VUV-PI) is a soft ionization technique that operates under pressures ranging from vacuum to ambient pressure. VUV-PI has played an essential role in direct sampling mass spectrometry. In this study, new ionization processes initiated by photoelectrons have been studied through the inclusion of a radio frequency (RF) electric field at different pressures. After deducting the contribution of single photoionization (SPI), the signal intensity of 1 ppmv toluene (C7H8+) in Ar was approximately 5-fold higher than that in N2. Mixed gases with different ionization energies (IEs) and excitation energies (EEs) were further investigated to reveal that metastable species were involved in the enhancement process. Reactant ions were produced by photoelectron impact ionization (PEI), which further triggered ion-molecule reactions, i.e., chemical ionization (CI). Metastable species were produced by photoelectron impact excitation (PEE), which further triggered Penning ionization (PenI). Analytes with IEs above 10.6 eV, such as CO2 (IE = 13.78 eV) and CHCl3 (IE = 11.37 eV), could be sensitively ionized by PenI with a sensitivity comparable to SPI. Except for the contribution of SPI, the dominant ionization process was switched from PEI-CI to PenI when the pressure was elevated from 50 to 500 Pa, as the electron energy gradually decreased and was only able to produce metastable states based on the kinetic energy balance equation of electrons. The conversion processes and conditions from PEI-CI to PenI will provide novel insights to develop new selective and sensitive VUV-PI sources and understand the ionization mechanism in other discharge ionization sources.

Pyrogenic Carbon Degradation by Galvanic Coupling with Sprayed Seawater Microdroplets

Surface waves are known for their mechanical role in coastal processes that influence the weather and climate. However, their chemical impact, particularly on the transformation of pyrogenic carbon, is poorly understood. Pyrogenic carbon is generally assumed to show negligible postformational alteration of its stable carbon isotope composition. Here we present an electrochemical interaction of pyrogenic carbon with the sprayed seawater microdroplets resulting from wave breaking, driven by the galvanic coupling between the microdroplet water-carbon interfaces and the microdroplet water-vapor interfaces. This enables refractory pyrogenic carbon to rapidly degrade via the oxygenation and mineralization reaction, which makes it ∼2.6‰ enriched in 13C, far exceeding the generally assumed postformation alteration values (<0.5‰) of pyrogenic carbon. The unique chemical dynamics of seawater microdroplets provide new insights into the discrepancy in carbon isotope signatures between riverine and marine black carbon, emphasizing the potential of coastal oceans for carbon sequestration in the global carbon cycle.

Magnetically Controlled Photothermal, Colorimetric, and Fluorescence Trimode Assay for Gastric Cancer Exosomes Based on Acid-Induced Decomposition of CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs

The accurate quantification of cancer-derived exosomes, which are emerging as promising noninvasive biomarkers for liquid biopsies in the early diagnosis of cancer, is becoming increasingly imperative. In our work, we developed a magnetically controlled photothermal, colorimetric, and fluorescence trimode aptasensor for human gastric cancer cell (SGC-7901)-derived exosomes. This sensor relied on CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs nanocomposites, created by decorating copper peroxide (CP) nanodots on polyethyleneimine-modified manganese-containing Prussian blue analogues double-shelled nanoboxes (PEI-Mn-PBA DSNBs). Through self-assembly, we attached CD63 aptamer-labeled CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs (Apt-CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs) to complementary DNA-labeled magnetic beads (cDNA-MB). During exosome incubation, these aptamers preferentially formed complexes with exosomes, and we efficiently removed the released CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs by using magnetic separation. The CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs exhibited high photoreactivity and photothermal conversion efficiency under near-infrared (NIR) light, leading to temperature variations under 808 nm irradiation, correlating with different exosome concentrations. Additionally, colorimetric detection was achieved by monitoring the color change in a 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) system, facilitated by PEI modification, NIR-enhanced peroxidase-like activity of CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs and their capacity to generate Cu2+ and H2O2 under acidic conditions. Moreover, in the presence of Cu2+ and ascorbic acid (AA), DNA sequences could form dsDNA-templated copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), which emitted strong fluorescence at around 575 nm. Increasing exosome concentrations correlated with decreases in temperature, absorbance, and fluorescence intensity. This trimode biosensor demonstrated satisfactory ability in differentiating gastric cancer patients from healthy individuals using human serum samples.

Sea Anemone-like Nanomachine Based on DNA Strand Displacement Composed of Three Boolean Logic Gates: Diversified Input for Intracellular Multitarget Detection

Efficient and accurate acquisition of cellular biomolecular information is crucial for exploring cell fate, achieving early diagnosis, and the effective treatment of various diseases. However, current DNA biosensors are mostly limited to single-target detection, with few complex logic circuits for comprehensive analysis of three or more targets. Herein, we designed a sea anemone-like DNA nanomachine based on DNA strand displacement composed of three logic gates (YES-AND-YES) and delivered into the cells using gold nano bipyramid carriers. The AND gate activation depends on the trigger chain released by upstream DNA strand displacement reactions, while the output signal relies on the downstream DNAzyme structure. Under the influence of diverse inputs (including enzymes, miRNA, and metal ions), the interconnected logic gates simultaneously perform logical analysis on multiple targets, generating a unique output signal in the YES/NO format. This sensor can successfully distinguish healthy cells from tumor cells and can be further used for the diagnosis of different tumor cells, providing a promising platform for accurate cell-type identification.

Ion Optical Optimization Method for an Ultrahigh Resolution Planar Multireflection Time-of-Flight Mass Analyzer Using the Hill Climbing Algorithm

A novel ion optical optimization method for planar multireflection time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MR-TOFMS) is introduced in this paper. The multiparameters of the gridless mirror model, including geometric and voltage parameters, are automatically optimized using a self-made program created in SIMION 8.1. Combining with the hill climbing algorithm and parallel computing technique, this method substantially enhances optimization efficiency and accuracy. The fitting results demonstrated that the ion optical performance of the gridless mirror reached up to fourth-order isochronicity with respect to the energy spread and third-order isochronicity with respect to the spatial and angular spread. As a result, the gridless mirror model achieved an aberration limit resolution of 1.7 million under realistic ion beam conditions. Due to constraints of periodic lenses, the aberration limit resolution of the planar MR-TOFMS was optimized to 600k. These results indicate that the hill climbing algorithm is an effective method to search the optimal solutions in complex ion optical systems.

The impact of environmental taxation on the structure and performance of industrial symbiosis networks: An agent-based simulation study

How to use appropriate policy measures to intervene industrial symbiosis is valuable in theory but still lacks exploration. This paper discusses the effect of environmental taxation on industrial symbiosis networks. Firstly, the formation mechanism of industrial symbiotic network is analysed with the idea of agent-based modelling. Then, a simulation model was built to simulate the emergence process of industrial symbiosis networks. On this basis, the influence of environmental taxation on the structure and performance of the industrial symbiosis networks is explored. The results show that when the intensity of environmental tax is low, the industrial symbiotic network has the structural characteristics of random network. With the increase of environmental tax intensity, the cyclic ordering of network structure is gradually enhanced. The collection of environmental tax will not only reduce pollution, but also reduce the economic output of the network and reduce enterprise income to a greater extent. Finally, some relevant suggestions for the government to formulate environmental tax policy are provided based on the results.

Synergistic action of cavity and catalytic sites in etched Pd-Cu2O octahedra to augment the peroxidase-like activity of Cu2O nanoparticles for the colorimetric detection of isoniazid and ascorbic acid

Despite the widespread use of nanozyme-based colorimetric assays in biosensing, challenges such as limited catalytic efficiency, inadequate sensitivity to analytes, and insufficient understanding of the structure-activity relationship still persist. Overcoming these hurdles by enhancing the inherent enzyme-like performance of nanozymes using the unique attributes of nanomaterials is still a significant obstacle. Here, we designed and constructed Pd-Cu2O nanocages (Pd-Cu2O NCs) by selectively etching the vertices of the copper octahedra to enhance the peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity of Cu2O nanoparticles. The improved catalytic activity of Pd-Cu2O NCs was attributed to their high specific surface area and abundant catalytic sites. Mechanistic studies revealed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) intermediates (•OH) were generated through the decomposition of H2O2, resulting in POD-like activity of the Pd-Cu2O NCs. The designed Pd-Cu2O NCs can oxidize 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2, producing a blue oxidation product (oxTMB). The oxidation reaction was inhibited and led to a significant bleaching of the blue color in the presence of reducing substances isoniazid (INH) and ascorbic acid (AA). Based on these principles, we developed a colorimetric sensing platform for the detection of INH and AA, exhibiting good sensitivity and stability. This work provided a straightforward approach to the structural engineering of nanomaterials and the enhancement of enzyme-mimicking properties.

Antagonizing interleukin-5 receptor ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis in mice through reducing NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a condition characterized by inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Reducing intestinal inflammation is a promising approach for treating IBD. The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a critical component of the innate immune system, is implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD. Therefore, inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation is a potential therapeutic strategy for IBD. In this study, we investigated the effects of the interleukin-5 (IL-5) receptor antagonist YM-90709 on dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis in mice. We found that YM-90709 reduced the expressions of IL-1β and caspase-1 p20 in the colon and ameliorated colitis. Furthermore, we identified YM-90709 as an effective agent for inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Knockdown of IL-5 receptor or using an inhibitor of STAT5, a key transcription factor downstream of the IL-5/IL-5 receptor signal pathway, also reduced NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent IL-1β release and ASC speck formation. Our study is the first to demonstrate that the NLRP3 inflammasome may be a downstream signal of IL-5/IL-5 receptor and that YM-90709 protects against IBD by inhibiting IL-5 receptor. These findings suggest a new strategy for regulating intestinal inflammation and managing IBD.

Vein hierarchy mediates the 2D relationship between leaf size and drought tolerance across subtropical forest tree species

Previous studies have observed a 2D relationship (i.e. decoupled correlation) between leaf size (LS) and leaf economics as well as a tight correlation between leaf economics and drought tolerance. However, the underlying mechanism maintaining the relationship between LS and drought tolerance remains largely unknown. Here, we measured LS, water potential at 50% loss of hydraulic conductance, hydraulic safety margin and different orders of vein traits across 28 tree species in a subtropical forest in Southern China. We found that LS and drought tolerance were in two independent dimensions (R2 = 0.00, P > 0.05). Primary and secondary vein traits (i.e. vein diameter and density) explained the variation of LS, with R2 ranging from 0.37 to 0.70 (all Ps < 0.01), while minor vein traits accounted for the variation of leaf drought tolerance, with R2 ranging from 0.30 to 0.43 (all Ps < 0.01). Our results provide insight into the 2D relationship between LS and drought tolerance and highlight the importance of vein hierarchy in plant leaf functioning.

Counterion Engineering toward High-Performance and pH-Neutral Polyoxometalates-Based Hole-Transporting Materials for Efficient Organic Optoelectronic Devices

Although protonated polyoxometalates (POMs) are promising hole-transporting layer (HTL) materials for optoelectronic devices owing to their excellent hole collection/injection property, pH neutrality, and noncorrosiveness, POMs are seldom used as high-performance HTL materials. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of mixed-additive POMs with pH-neutral counterions (NH4+, K+, and Na+) as HTL materials. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray analyses indicated that the use of the lacunary heteropolyanion [P2W15O56]12- as an intermediate ensured successful incorporation of the counterions into the mixed-addenda POMs without causing deterioration of the POM frameworks. The hole-transporting layer performance of POM-NH4, which was characterized by a high work function and good conductivity and could be prepared using a low-cost method surpassed those of its protonated counterpart POM-4 and many classic HTL materials. An organic solar cell (OSC) modified with POM-NH4 delivered a power conversion efficiency of 18.0%, which was the highest photovoltaic efficiency achieved by POM-based OSCs to date. Moreover, an HTL material based on POM-NH4 reduced the turn-on voltage of an organic light-emitting diode from 4.2 to 3.2 V. The results of this study suggest that POMs are promising alternatives to the classic HTL materials owing to their excellent hole-collection ability, low costs, neutral nature, and high-chemical stability.

Hexamethylene amiloride synergizes with venetoclax to induce lysosome-dependent cell death in acute myeloid leukemia

Tumors maintain an alkaline intracellular environment to enable rapid growth. The proton exporter NHE1 participates in maintenance of this pH gradient. However, whether targeting NHE1 could inhibit the growth of tumor cells remains unknown. Here, we report that the NHE1 inhibitor Hexamethylene amiloride (HA) efficiently suppresses the growth of AML cell lines. Moreover, HA combined with venetoclax synergized to efficiently inhibit the growth of AML cells. Interestingly, lysosomes are the main contributors to the synergism of HA and venetoclax in inhibiting AML cells. Most importantly, the combination of HA and venetoclax also had prominent anti-leukemia effects in both xenograft models and bone marrow samples from AML patients. In summary, our results provide evidence that the NHE1 inhibitor HA or its combination with venetoclax efficiently inhibits the growth of AML in vitro and in vivo.

Adjusting the Electron-Withdrawing Ability of Acceptors in Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Conjugated Polymers for High-Performance OLEDs

Constructing high-performance solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) conjugated polymers remains a challenging issue. The electron-withdrawing ability of acceptors in TADF units significantly affects the TADF properties of the conjugated polymers. Herein, we have designed three TADF conjugated polymers, in which phenoxazine donors and anthracen-9(10H)-one acceptors are incorporated into the polymeric backbones and side chains, respectively, and the carbazole derivative is copolymerized as the host. By incorporating different heteroatoms, such as nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, with slightly different electronegativities into anthracen-9(10H)-one, the effect of the electron-withdrawing ability of the acceptor on the performance of conjugated TADF polymer-based OLEDs is thus systematically studied. It is found that the introduction of a nitrogen atom can enhance the spin-orbital coupling and RISC process due to the modulated energy levels and nature of the excited states. As a result, the solution-processed OLEDs based on the prepared polymer p-PXZ-XN display an excellent comprehensive performance with an EQEmax of 17.6%, a low turn-on voltage of 2.8 V, and a maximum brightness of 14750 cd m-2. Notably, the efficiency roll-off is quite low, maintaining 15.1% at 1000 cd m-2, 12.1% at 3000 cd m-2, and 6.1% at 10000 cd m-2, which ranks in the first tier among the reported TADF conjugated polymers. This work provides a guideline for constructing high-efficiency TADF polymers.

A Young Woman With Hypertonia, Severe Scoliosis, and Encephalopathy

A 31-year-old woman was seen with contractures in her fingers and toes, carpal inversion, dysarthria, dysphagia, hypertonia, decreased tendon reflexes, absence of Babinski sign, and no psychiatric problems and significant global atrophy. What is your diagnosis?

The preparation and relative bioavailability of an artemisin in self-emulsifying drug delivery system

The aim of this study is to demonstrate a method for improving the solubility and relative bioavailability of artemisinin using a self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS). The self-emulsifying drug load, solubility, and emulsifying time were used as the evaluation indices, based on a solubility test and a ternary phase diagram. Optimal Mixture Design in Design-Expert software was used to optimize the prescription of the artemisinin SEDDS. By determining the water distribution coefficient in vitro, combined with the drug concentration-time curve in vivo, a comparison was made of the relative oral bioavailability of the artemisinin SEDDS and the crude drug. The optimal prescription ratio of oleic acid polyethylene glycol glyceride, polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil, and diethylene glycol monoethyl ether in the artemisinin SEDDS was 0.5:0.2:0.3 (wt/wt/wt), with a drug loading capacity of 41.556 mg/g, a solubility of 1.997 mg/mL, and a self-emulsification time of 214 s. The optimal prescription was transparent, slightly yellow, and oil-like. The average loading capacity of artemisinin was 41.912 mg/g, the emulsification time was 231 s, the average particle size was 128.0 nm, the average Zeta potential was -4.29 mV, and the solubility of artemisinin SEDDS in water was 1.997 mg mL^-1. It is 33.85 times of the solubility of artemisinin in water, which achieves the purpose of increasing the solubility of artemisinin. The comparison of the oil/water distribution coefficient of the artemisinin SEDDS with that of the crude drug in vitro showed that SEDDS could improve the permeability of artemisinin and promote the absorption in vivo, and the relative bioavailability of the SEDDS agent was at least 1.47 times higher than that of the crude drug. The artemisinin SEDDS could significantly improve the solubility and relative bioavailability of artemisinin.

[Yigong Powder regulates CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling to reduce glutamate release and prevent cognitive decline in mouse model of aging]

This study aims to explore the effect of preventive administration of Yigong Powder on the learning and memory abilities of the mouse model of aging induced by D-galactose and decipher the underlying mechanism, so as to provide a basis for the application of Yigong Powder in the prevention and treatment of cognitive decline. Forty KM mice were randomized into control, model, donepezil(1.5 mg·kg~(-1)), and high-dose(7.5 g·kg~(-1)) and low-dose(3.75 g·kg~(-1)) Yigong Powder groups. The mice in other groups except the control group were injected with D-galactose(200 g·kg~(-1)) at the back of the neck for the modeling of aging. At the same time, the mice were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage for one month. Morris water maze was used to examine the learning and memory abilities of the mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe the pathological and morphological changes of the hippocampus. The immunofluorescence assay was employed to detect the expression of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(IBA1), glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP), chemokine C-X-C-motif ligand 12(CXCL12), chemokine C-X-C-motif receptor 4(CXCR4) in the hippocampus and observe the positional relationship between IBA1, GFAP, and CXCR4. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of extracellular regulated kinase(ERK), p-ERK, and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1(TNFR1). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of glutamate and tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α) in the brain tissue and the level of TNF-α in the serum and spleen. Yigong Powder significantly shortened the escape latency, increased the times crossing platforms, and prolonged the cumulative time in quadrants of the aging mice. It alleviated the nerve cell disarrangement, increased intercellular space, and cell degeneration or death in the hippocampus and reduced the pathology score of the damaged nerve. Moreover, Yigong Powder reduced the positive area of IBA1 and GFAP, reduced the levels of TNF-α in the brain tissue, serum, and spleen, and decreased spleen index. Furthermore, Yigong Powder decreased the average fluorescence intensity of CXCL12 and CXCR4, reduced CXCR4-positive astrocytes and microglia, down-regulated the protein levels of p-ERK/ERK and TNFR1, and lowered the level of glutamate in the brain tissue. This study showed that the preventive administration of Yigong Powder can ameliorate the learning and memory decline of the D-galactose-induced aging mice by regulating the immune function of the spleen and the CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling in the brain to reduce glutamate release. However, the mechanism of Yigong San in preventing and treating dementia via regulating spleen and stomach function remains to be studied.

Gene duplications facilitate C4-CAM compatibility in common purslane

Common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) integrates both C4 and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis pathways and is a promising model plant to explore C4-CAM plasticity. Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-level genome of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-malic enzyme (ME) subtype common purslane that provides evidence for 2 rounds of whole-genome duplication (WGD) with an ancient WGD (P-β) in the common ancestor to Portulacaceae and Cactaceae around 66.30 million years ago (Mya) and another (Po-α) specific to common purslane lineage around 7.74 Mya. A larger number of gene copies encoding key enzymes/transporters involved in C4 and CAM pathways were detected in common purslane than in related species. Phylogeny, conserved functional site, and collinearity analyses revealed that the Po-α WGD produced the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase-encoded gene copies used for photosynthesis in common purslane, while the P-β WGD event produced 2 ancestral genes of functionally differentiated (C4- and CAM-specific) beta carbonic anhydrases involved in the C4 + CAM pathways. Additionally, cis-element enrichment analysis in the promoters showed that CAM-specific genes have recruited both evening and midnight circadian elements as well as the Abscisic acid (ABA)-independent regulatory module mediated by ethylene-response factor cis-elements. Overall, this study provides insights into the origin and evolutionary process of C4 and CAM pathways in common purslane, as well as potential targets for engineering crops by integrating C4 or CAM metabolism.

Construction of metallo-helicoids with high antimicrobial activity via intermolecular coordination

Metallo-helicoids are constructed by intermolecular coordination interactions between covalent linear polymer and tritopic/hexatopic molecular templates. These metallo-polymers with helicoidal conformation exhibit high antimicrobial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens.

Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters Based on a Special Tetrahedral Silane Core

Based on the tetraphenylsilane skeleton, a new class of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) molecules have been designed and synthesized. Benefiting from the unique tetrahedron architecture of tetraphenylsilane, the intermolecular distance between TADF units can be enlarged and thus weakened the aggregation-induced quenching of triplet excitons. By adjusting the numbers of TADF subunits, the spin-orbit coupling processes can be controlled, leading to efficient up-conversion processes. The related OLEDs are fabricated through the solution processing technology, and pure-blue and green electroluminescence were observed with maximum external quantum efficiencies (EQEmax) of 6.6 and 13.8% as well as Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage coordinates of (0.14, 0.15) and (0.25, 0.45), respectively. This study provides a new idea for designing color-tunable TADF emitters through spatial structure regulation.

Patters of reactive nitrogen removal at the waters in the semi-constructed wetland

Protection and rectification patters of urban wetlands have been considered in strategies to balance services to society and negative consequences of excess reactive nitrogen (Nr) loading. However, the knowledge about strategies of semi-constructed wetlands on nitrogen (N) cycling pathways and removal Nr from the overlying water is limited. This study aimed to reveal considerable differences among rectification patterns of the typical semi-constructed wetland (Xixi wetland), comprising rational exploitation area (REA), rehabilitation and reconstruction area (RRA), and conservation area (CA) by analyzing the N distribution and N protentional pathways among them. Results pointed out that both NH4+ and NO3- concentration were prominently higher in REA, as opposed to CA and RRA. Sediments in RRA had relatively higher NH4+ content, indicating the efficiency of dissimilatory nitrate reduction (DNRA) in RRA. Moreover, there was a significant shift in the microbial community structure across different sites and sediments. Metagenomic analysis distinguished the N cycling pathways, with nitrification (M00804), denitrification (M00529), and DNRA (M00530) being the crucial pathways in the semi-constructed wetland. The relative abundance of N metabolic pathways (ko00910) varied among different types of sediments, being more abundant in shore and rhizosphere areas and less abundant in bottom sediments. Methylobacter and Nitrospira were the predominant nitrifiers in shore sediments, while Methylocystis was enriched in the bottom sediments and rhizosphere soils. Furthermore, Anaeromyxobacter, Anaerolinea, Dechloromonas, Nocardioides, and Methylocystis were identified as the primary denitrifiers with N reductase genes (nirK, nirS, or nosZ). Among these, Anaeromyxobacter, Dechloromonas, and Methylocystis were the primary contributors containing the nosZ gene in semi-constructed wetlands, driving the conversion of N2O to N2. This study provides important insights into rectification-dependent Nr removal from the overlying water in terms of N distribution and N metabolic functional microbial communities in the semi-constructed wetlands.

Hydrocarbon Degradation by Contact with Anoxic Water Microdroplets

Oils are hydrophobic, but their degradation is frequently found to be accelerated in the presence of water microdroplets. The direct chemical consequences of water-oil contact have long been overlooked. We show that aqueous microdroplets in emulsified water-hexadecane (C16H34) mixtures can spontaneously produce CO2, •H, H2, and short-chain hydrocarbons (mainly C1 and C2) as detected by gas chromatography, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. This reaction results from contact electrification at the water-oil microdroplet interface, in which reactive oxygen species are produced, such as hydrated hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. We also find that the H2 originates from the water microdroplet and not the hydrocarbon it contacts. These observations highlight the potential of interfacial contact electrification to produce new chemistry.

Impaired sensitivity to thyroid hormone correlates to osteoporosis and fractures in euthyroid individuals

BACKGROUND

There is growing evidence that thyroid function affects bone metabolism and even fractures risk. However, little is known about the relationship between thyroid sensitivity and osteoporosis and fractures. Therefore, we explored the relationship between thyroid sensitivity-related indices and bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures in euthyroid US adults.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 20,686 subjects from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data were extracted and analyzed during 2007 to 2010. A total of 3403 men and postmenopausal women aged 50 years or older with available data on diagnosis of osteoporosis and/or fragility fractures, bone mineral density (BMD) and thyroid function, were eligible. TSH index (TSHI), thyrotrophin T4/T3 resistance index (TT4RI/TT3RI), Thyroid feedback quantile-based index (TFQI), Parametric TFQI (PTFQI), free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine ratio (FT3/FT4), the secretory capacity of the thyroid gland (SPINA-GT) and the sum activity of peripheral deiodinases (SPINA-GD) were calculated.

RESULTS

FT3/FT4, SPINA-GD, FT4, TSHI, TT4RI, TFQI and PTFQIFT4 were significantly correlated with BMD (P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that FT3/FT4 and SPINA-GD was significantly positively associated with BMD, while FT4, TSHI, TT4RI, TFQI and PTFQIFT4 were negatively associated with BMD (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001). In logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for osteoporosis of TSHI, TFQI and PTFQIFT4 were 1.314(1.076, 1.605), 1.743(1.327, 2.288) and 1.827(1.359, 2.455) respectively, and were 0.746(0.620, 0.898) for FT3/FT4 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In elderly euthyroid individuals, impaired sensitivity to thyroid hormones correlates to osteoporosis and fractures, independent of other conventional risk factors.

Cloning of the wheat leaf rust resistance gene Lr47 introgressed from Aegilops speltoides

Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia triticina Eriksson (Pt), is one of the most severe foliar diseases of wheat. Breeding for leaf rust resistance is a practical and sustainable method to control this devastating disease. Here, we report the identification of Lr47, a broadly effective leaf rust resistance gene introgressed into wheat from Aegilops speltoides. Lr47 encodes a coiled-coil nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat protein that is both necessary and sufficient to confer Pt resistance, as demonstrated by loss-of-function mutations and transgenic complementation. Lr47 introgression lines with no or reduced linkage drag are generated using the Pairing homoeologous1 mutation, and a diagnostic molecular marker for Lr47 is developed. The coiled-coil domain of the Lr47 protein is unable to induce cell death, nor does it have self-protein interaction. The cloning of Lr47 expands the number of leaf rust resistance genes that can be incorporated into multigene transgenic cassettes to control this devastating disease.

A study on the differential effects of heterogeneous environmental regulations on the green transformation of Chinese manufacturing enterprises under "Double Carbon" target

Using panel data of Chinese manufacturing enterprises listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares from 2015 to 2021, we examine the effects of heterogeneous environmental regulations on the green transformation of Chinese manufacturing enterprises under "Double Carbon" target, and reveal the mediating role played by managers' green perception in the process from an intra-firm perspective. We find that three environmental regulation tools, namely environmental administrative supervision, environmental economic regulation and environmental soft constraint, all contribute significantly to the green transformation of manufacturing enterprises. Among them, environmental economic regulation is the most effective in promoting the green transformation of manufacturing enterprises, followed by environmental soft constraint and environmental administrative supervision. The mechanism analysis shows that managers' green perception is partially mediated between heterogeneous environmental regulations and the green transformation of manufacturing enterprises. Moreover, environmental administrative supervision is the most effective in raising managers' green perception among them, followed by environmental economic regulation and environmental soft constraint. Further analysis shows that the positive effect of heterogeneous environmental regulations on the green transformation of Chinese manufacturing enterprises is more significant when the enterprises locate in regions with high policy uncertainty, in the eastern part of the country, or when the enterprises are state-owned enterprises. The conclusions provide a theoretical basis for Chinese environmental policymakers to flexibly adopt differentiated environmental regulation tools.

Metformin sensitizes AML cells to venetoclax through endoplasmic reticulum stress-CHOP pathway

Venetoclax inhibits acute myeloid leukaemia by inhibiting BCL-2 targeting, and a combination regimen with venetoclax has been explored. Although these regimens produce better clinical results, the vast majority of patients still suffer from disease recurrence or primary drug resistance. Metformin has been demonstrated to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. However, whether it can synergize with venetoclax and the underlying mechanisms of metformin-induced apoptosis are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of metformin and venetoclax on the growth of AML cells in vitro and in vivo. In both Molm13 and THP-1 cell lines, metformin and venetoclax synergistically inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of leukaemia cells. Most importantly, the combination of metformin and venetoclax treatment significantly increased the expression levels of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related marker CHOP, for example, in AML cell lines. Knockdown of CHOP markedly attenuated the metformin- and venetoclax-induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, the combination of metformin and venetoclax demonstrated prominent anti-leukaemia effects in xenograft models and bone marrow samples from AML patients. In summary, the combination of metformin and venetoclax showed enhanced anti-leukaemia activity with acceptable safety in AML patients, representing a new combinatorial strategy worth further clinical investigation to treat AML.

Machine learning-based integration develops a metabolism-derived consensus model for improving immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer (PAC) is one of the most malignant cancer types and immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment option. PAC cells undergo metabolic reprogramming, which is thought to modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and affect immunotherapy outcomes. However, the metabolic landscape of PAC and its association with the TME remains largely unexplored.

METHODS

We characterized the metabolic landscape of PAC based on 112 metabolic pathways and constructed a novel metabolism-related signature (MBS) using data from 1,188 patients with PAC. We evaluated the predictive performance of MBS for immunotherapy outcomes in 11 immunotherapy cohorts from both bulk-RNA and single-cell perspectives. We validated our results using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, colony-formation assays, and an in-house cohort.

RESULTS

MBS was found to be negatively associated with antitumor immunity, while positively correlated with cancer stemness, intratumoral heterogeneity, and immune resistant pathways. Notably, MBS outperformed other acknowledged signatures for predicting immunotherapy response in multiple immunotherapy cohorts. Additionally, MBS was a powerful and robust biomarker for predicting prognosis compared with 66 published signatures. Further, we identified dasatinib and epothilone B as potential therapeutic options for MBS-high patients, which were validated through experiments.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides insights into the mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in PAC and introduces MBS as a robust metabolism-based indicator for predicting response to immunotherapy and prognosis in patients with PAC. These findings have significant implications for the development of personalized treatment strategies in patients with PAC and highlight the importance of considering metabolic pathways and immune infiltration in TME regulation.

Manipulation of Ion Conversion in Dichloromethane-Enhanced Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoionization Mass Spectrometry of Oxygenated Volatile Organic Compounds

The ion conversion processes in CH2Cl2-enhanced vacuum ultraviolet photoionization of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) have been systematically studied by regulating the pressure, humidity, and reaction time in the ionization source of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. As the ionization source pressure increased from 100 to 1100 Pa, the main characteristic ions changed from CH2Cl+ to CH2Cl+(H2O), CH2OH+, and C2H4OH+ and then to the hydrated hydronium ions H3O+(H2O)n (n = 1, 2, 3). The total ion current (TIC) almost remained unchanged even if the humidity increased from 44 to 3120 ppmv, indicating interconversion between ions through ion-molecule reactions. The intensity of protonated methanol/ethanol (sample S) ion was almost linearly correlated with the intensity of H3O+(H2O)n, which pointed to the proton transfer reaction (PTR) mechanism. The reaction time was regulated by the electric field strength in the ionization region. The intensity variation trends of different ions with the reaction time indicated that a series of step-by-step ion-molecule reactions occurred in the ionization source, i.e., the primary ion CH2Cl+ reacted with H2O and converted to the intermediate product ions CH2OH+ and C2H4OH+, which then further reacted with H2O and led to the production of H3O+, and finally, the protonated sample ion SH+ was obtained through PTR with H3O+, as the ion-molecule reactions progressed. This study provides valuable insights into understanding the formation mechanism of some unexpected intermediate product ions and hydrated hydronium ions in dopant-enhanced VUV photoionization and also helps to optimize experimental conditions to enhance the sensitivity of OVOCs.

Discovery of a selective NLRP3-targeting compound with therapeutic activity in MSU-induced peritonitis and DSS-induced acute intestinal inflammation

The aberrant activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of various human inflammation-related diseases. However, to date, no small-molecule NLRP3 inhibitor has been used in clinical settings. In this study, we have identified SB-222200 as a novel direct NLRP3 inhibitor through the use of drug affinity responsive target stability assay, cellular thermal shift assay, and surface plasmon resonance analysis. SB-222200 effectively inhibits the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages, while having no impact on the activation of NLRC4 or AIM2 inflammasome. Furthermore, SB-222200 directly binds to the NLRP3 protein, inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome assembly by blocking the NEK7 - NLRP3 interaction and NLRP3 oligomerization. Importantly, treatment with SB-222200 demonstrates alleviation of NLRP3-dependent inflammatory diseases in mouse models, such as monosodium urate crystal-induced peritonitis and dextran sulfate sodium-induced acute intestinal inflammation. Therefore, SB-222200 holds promise as a lead compound for the development of NLRP3 inhibitors to combat NLRP3-driven disease and serves as a versatile tool for pharmacologically investigating NLRP3 biology.

Rapid Detection of Volatile Organic Metabolites in Urine by High-Pressure Photoionization Mass Spectrometry for Breast Cancer Screening: A Pilot Study

Despite surpassing lung cancer as the most frequently diagnosed cancer, female breast cancer (BC) still lacks rapid detection methods for screening that can be implemented on a large scale in practical clinical settings. However, urine is a readily available biofluid obtained non-invasively and contains numerous volatile organic metabolites (VOMs) that offer valuable metabolic information concerning the onset and progression of diseases. In this work, a rapid method for analysis of VOMs in urine by using high-pressure photon ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPPI-TOFMS) coupled with dynamic purge injection. A simple pretreatment process of urine samples by adding acid and salt was employed for efficient VOM sampling, and the numbers of metabolites increased and the detection sensitivity was improved after the acid (HCl) and salt (NaCl) addition. The established mass spectrometry detection method was applied to analyze a set of training samples collected from a local hospital, including 24 breast cancer patients and 27 healthy controls. Statistical analysis techniques such as principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis, and the Mann-Whitney U test were used, and nine VOMs were identified as differential metabolites. Finally, acrolein, 2-pentanone, and methyl allyl sulfide were selected to build a metabolite combination model for distinguishing breast cancer patients from the healthy group, and the achieved sensitivity and specificity were 92.6% and 91.7%, respectively, according to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The results demonstrate that this technology has potential to become a rapid screening tool for breast cancer, with significant room for further development.

Chestnut polysaccharide rescues the damaged spermatogenesis process of asthenozoospermia-model mice by upregulating the level of palmitic acid

Introduction

In recent years, the quality of male semen has been decreasing, and the number of male infertilities caused by asthenozoospermia is increasing year by year, and the diagnosis and treatment of patients with asthenozoospermia are gradually receiving the attention of the whole society. Due to the unknown etiology and complex pathogenesis, there is no specific treatment for asthenozoospermia. Our previous study found that the administration of chestnut polysaccharide could alter the intestinal microbiota and thus improve the testicular microenvironment, and rescue the impaired spermatogenesis process by enhancing the expression of reproduction-related genes, but its exact metabolome-related repairment mechanism of chestnut polysaccharide is still unclear.

Methods and results

In this study, we studied the blood metabolomic changes of busulfan-induced asthenozoospermia-model mice before and after oral administration of chestnut polysaccharide with the help of metabolome, and screened two key differential metabolites (hydrogen carbonate and palmitic acid) from the set of metabolomic changes; we then analyzed the correlation between several metabolites and between different metabolites and intestinal flora by correlation analysis, and found that palmitic acid in the blood serum of mice after oral administration of chestnut polysaccharide had different degrees of correlation with various metabolites, and palmitic acid level had a significant positive correlation with the abundance of Verrucomicrobia; finally, we verified the role of palmitic acid in rescuing the damaged spermatogenesis process by using asthenozoospermia-model mice, and screened the key target gene for palmitic acid to play the rescuing effect by integrating the analysis of multiple databases.

Discussion

In conclusion, this study found that chestnut polysaccharide rescued the damaged spermatogenesis in asthenozoospermia-model mice by upregulating palmitic acid level, which will provide theoretical basis and technical support for the use of chestnut polysaccharide in the treatment of asthenozoospermia.

The hidden inequality: the disparities in the quality of daily use masks associated with family economic status

Wearing high-quality masks plays a critical role in reducing COVID-19 transmission. However, no study has investigated socioeconomic inequality in the quality of masks. Addressing this gap, this paper explored the relationships between mask's quality and family economic status. The cross-sectional survey was conducted in two Chinese universities by distributing structured questionnaires to assess participants' characteristics including family economic status, and meanwhile collecting their masks to evaluate the quality by measuring particle filtration efficiency. The valid responses were obtained from 912 students with mean age of 19.556 ± 1.453  years and were analyzed by using fractional or binary logistic regression. Three main findings were presented. First, inequality existed in the quality of masks. 36.07% of students were using unqualified masks with average filtration efficiency of 0.795 ± 0.119, which was much lower than China's national standard (0.9). Of those masks with identified production date, 11.43% were manufactured during COVID-19 outbreak when market was flooded with counterfeit production, and thus were of poor quality with average filtration efficiency of 0.819 ± 0.152. Second, better family economic status was associated with better masks' filtration efficiency and greater probability of using qualified masks. Third, students with better family economic status tend to use masks with individual packaging, and unique patterns and special designs, which may lead to inequality on a psychological level. Our analysis reveals the hidden socioeconomic inequality that exist behind cheap masks. In facing the challenges of future emerging infectious diseases, it is important to address the inequity to ensure equal access to affordable qualified personal protection equipment.

Analysis of COVID-19 outbreak in Hubei province based on Tencent's location big data

Rapid urbanization has gradually strengthened the spatial links between cities, which greatly aggravates the possibility of the spread of an epidemic. Traditional methods lack the early and accurate detection of epidemics. This study took the Hubei province as the study area and used Tencent's location big data to study the spread of COVID-19. Using ArcGIS as a platform, the urban relation intensity, urban centrality, overlay analysis, and correlation analysis were used to measure and analyze the population mobility data of 17 cities in Hubei province. The results showed that there was high similarity in the spatial distribution of urban relation intensity, urban centrality, and the number of infected people, all indicating the spatial distribution characteristics of "one large and two small" distributions with Wuhan as the core and Huanggang and Xiaogan as the two wings. The urban centrality of Wuhan was four times higher than that of Huanggang and Xiaogan, and the urban relation intensity of Wuhan with Huanggang and Xiaogan was also the second highest in the Hubei province. Meanwhile, in the analysis of the number of infected persons, it was found that the number of infected persons in Wuhan was approximately two times that of these two cities. Through correlation analysis of the urban relation intensity, urban centrality, and the number of infected people, it was found that there was an extremely significant positive correlation among the urban relation intensity, urban centrality, and the number of infected people, with an R² of 0.976 and 0.938, respectively. Based on Tencent's location big data, this study conducted the epidemic spread research for "epidemic spatial risk classification and prevention and control level selection" to make up for the shortcomings in epidemic risk analysis and judgment. This could provide a reference for city managers to effectively coordinate existing resources, formulate policy, and control the epidemic.

An evolutionary deep learning soft sensor model based on random forest feature selection technique for penicillin fermentation process

Accurate and reliable measurement of key biological parameters during penicillin fermentation is of great significance for improving penicillin production. In this research context, a new hybrid soft sensor model method based on RF-IHHO-LSTM (random forest-improved​ Harris hawks optimization-long short-term memory) is proposed for penicillin fermentation processes. Firstly, random forest (RF) is used for feature selection of the auxiliary variables for penicillin. Next, improvements are made for the Harris hawks optimization (HHO) algorithm, including using elite opposition-based learning strategy (EOBL) in initialization to enhance the population diversity, and using golden sine algorithm (Gold-SA) in the search strategy to make the algorithm accelerate convergence. Then the long short-term memory (LSTM) network is constructed to build a soft sensor model of penicillin fermentation processes. Finally, the hybrid soft sensor model is used to the Pensim platform in simulation experimental research. The simulation test results show that the established soft sensor model, with high accuracy of measurement and good effect, can meet the actual requirements of engineering.

Determination of oxidative deterioration in edible oils by high-pressure photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Since lipid oxidation often causes serious food safety issues worldwide, determination of oil's oxidative deterioration becomes quite significant, which still calls for efficient analytical methods. In this work, high-pressure photoionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPPI-TOFMS) was firstly introduced for rapid detection of oxidative deterioration in edible oils. Through non-targeted qualitative analysis, oxidized oils with various oxidation levels were successfully discriminated for the first time by coupling HPPI-TOFMS with the orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Furthermore, by targeted interpretation of the HPPI-TOFMS mass spectra and the subsequent regression analysis (signal intensities vs TOTOX values), good linear correlations were observed for several predominant VOCs. Those specific VOCs were promising oxidation indicators, which would play important roles as TOTOX to judge the oxidation states of tested samples. The proposed HPPI-TOFMS methodology can be used as an innovative tool for accurate and effective assessment of lipid oxidation in edible oils.

High-resolution mapping of SrTm4, a recessive resistance gene to wheat stem rust

KEY MESSAGE

The diploid wheat recessive stem rust resistance gene SrTm4 was fine-mapped to a 754-kb region on chromosome arm 2A^mL and potential candidate genes were identified. Race Ug99 of Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Pgt), the causal agent of wheat stem (or black) rust is one of the most serious threats to global wheat production. The identification, mapping, and deployment of effective stem rust resistance (Sr) genes are critical to reduce this threat. In this study, we generated SrTm4 monogenic lines and found that this gene confers resistance to North American and Chinese Pgt races. Using a large mapping population (9522 gametes), we mapped SrTm4 within a 0.06 cM interval flanked by marker loci CS4211 and 130K1519, which corresponds to a 1.0-Mb region in the Chinese Spring reference genome v2.1. A physical map of the SrTm4 region was constructed with 11 overlapping BACs from the resistant Triticum monococcum PI 306540. Comparison of the 754-kb physical map with the genomic sequence of Chinese Spring and a discontinuous BAC sequence of DV92 revealed a 593-kb chromosomal inversion in PI 306540. Within the candidate region, we identified an L-type lectin-domain containing receptor kinase (LLK1), which was disrupted by the proximal inversion breakpoint, as a potential candidate gene. Two diagnostic dominant markers were developed to detect the inversion breakpoints. In a survey of T. monococcum accessions, we identified 10 domesticated T. monococcum subsp. monococcum genotypes, mainly from the Balkans, carrying the inversion and showing similar mesothetic resistant infection types against Pgt races. The high-density map and tightly linked molecular markers developed in this study are useful tools to accelerate the deployment of SrTm4-mediated resistance in wheat breeding programs.

[High-fat intake alleviates lung injury induced by Paragonimus proliferus infection in rats through up-regulating CYP 4A1 expression in lung tissues]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the improvements of high-fat intake on lung injury induced by Paragonimus proliferus infection in rats, and to preliminarily explore the mechanisms underlying the role of cytochrome P450 4A1 (CYP 4A1) in the improve ments.

METHODS

SD rats were randomly assigned into three groups, including the normal control group (n = 10), the infection and normal diet group (n = 12) and the infection and high-fat diet group (n = 12). Rats in the normal control group were fed with normal diet and without any other treatments, and animals in the infection and normal diet group were subcutaneously injected with 8 excysted metacercariae of P. proliferus via the abdominal wall, followed by feeding with normal diet, while rats in the infection and high-fat diet group were subcutaneously injected with 8 excysted metacercariae of P. proliferus via the abdominal wall, followed by feeding with high-fat diet. All rats were sacrificed 28 weeks post-infection, and serum samples and lung specimens were collected. Following hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining of rat lung specimens, the rat lung injury was observed under an optical microscope, and alveolitis was evaluated using semi-quantitative scoring. Serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the cytochrome P450 4A1 (CYP 4A1) expression was quantified in rat lung specimens at transcriptional and translational levels using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting assays.

RESULTS

Alveolar wall thickening, edema and inflammatory cell infiltration were alleviated 28 weeks post-infection with P. proliferus in rats in the infection and high-fat diet group relative to the infection and normal diet group, and no alveolar consolidation was seen in the infection and high-fat diet group. The semi-quantitative score of alveolitis was significantly higher in the infection and normal diet group [(2.200 ± 0.289) points] than in the normal control group [(0.300 ± 0.083) points] and the infection and high-fat diet group [(1.300 ± 0.475) points] (both P values < 0.05), and higher serum IL-1β [(151.586 ± 20.492)] pg/mL and TNF-α levels [(180.207 ± 23.379) pg/mL] were detected in the infection and normal diet group than in the normal control group [IL-1β: (103.226 ± 3.366) pg/mL; TNF-α: (144.807 ± 1.348) pg/mL] and the infection and high-fat diet group [IL-1β: (110.131 ± 12.946) pg/mL; TNF-α: (131.764 ± 27.831) pg/mL] (all P values < 0.05). In addition, lower CYP 4A1 mRNA (3.00 ± 0.81) and protein expression (0.40 ± 0.02) was quantified in lung specimens in the infection and normal diet group than in the normal control group [(5.03 ± 2.05) and (0.84 ± 0.14)] and the infection and high-fat diet group [(11.19 ± 3.51) and (0.68 ± 0.18)] (all P values < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

High-fat intake may alleviate lung injuries caused by P. proliferus infection in rats through up-regulating CYP 4A1 expression in lung tissues at both translational and transcriptional levels.

Online Detection of HCN in Humid Exhaled Air by Gas Flow-Assisted Negative Photoionization Mass Spectrometry

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is a well-known toxic compound in many fields. The trace amount of endogenous HCN in human exhalation has been associated with the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Online monitoring of HCN profile is promising to screen PA infection rapidly and accurately. In this study, a gas flow-assisted negative photoionization (NPI) mass spectrometry method was developed for monitoring the single-exhalation HCN profile. The sensitivity could be optimized by introducing helium to eliminate the humidity influence and reduce the low mass cutoff effect, with improvements of a factor 150 observed. By employing a purging gas procedure and minimizing the length of the sample line, the residual and response time were greatly reduced. The limit of detection (LOD) of 0.3 ppbv and time resolution of 0.5 s were achieved. HCN profiles of exhalations from different volunteers before or after gargling with water were detected to show the performance of the method. All profiles showed a sharp peak and a stable end-tidal plateau, representing the concentration of oral cavity and end-tidal gas, respectively. The HCN concentration based on the plateau of the profile showed better reproducibility and accuracy, which indicates this method has potential application in the detection of PA infection in CF patients.

Non-Thermal Plasma Incorporated with Cu-Mn/γ-Al2O3 for Mixed Benzene Series VOCs’ Degradation

In this work, a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was constructed to degrade the mixture of toluene and o-xylene, two typical benzene series. The Cu-MnO2/γ-Al2O3 series catalysts prepared by redox and impregnation methods were filled into the plasma device to degrade VOCs synergistically and explore the degradation effect. The experimental results showed that the introduction of a Cu-doped MnO2 catalyst significantly improved the pollutants’ removal efficiency and CO2 selectivity, and greatly inhibited the formation of by-products. Among them, Cu0.15Mn/γ-Al2O3 showed the highest removal efficiency (toluene was 100% and o-xylene was 100%), and the best CO2 selectivity (92.73%). The XRD, BET, XPS and SEM results confirmed that the synergistic effect between Cu and Mn in the Cu-Mn solid solution could promote the amount and reducibility of the surface active oxygen species, which improved the catalytic performance. Finally, the toluene and o-xylene decomposition pathways in the NTP catalytic system were speculated according to the detected organic matter. This work provides a theoretical and experimental basis for the application of DBD-catalyzed hybrid benzene series VOCs.

TSG-6 inhibits hypertrophic scar fibroblast proliferation by regulating IRE1α/TRAF2/NF-κB signalling

TNF-stimulated gene (TSG-6) was reported to suppress hypertrophic scar (HS) formation in a rabbit ear model, and the overexpression of TSG-6 in human HS fibroblasts (HSFs) was found to induce their apoptotic death. The molecular basis for these findings, however, remains to be clarified. HSFs were subjected to TSG-6 treatment. Treatment with TSG-6 significantly suppressed HSF proliferation and induced them to undergo apoptosis. Moreover, TSG-6 exposure led to reductions in collagen I, collagen III, and α-SMA mRNA and protein levels, with a corresponding drop in proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression indicative of impaired proliferative activity. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was also suppressed in these HSFs as demonstrated by decreases in Bip and p-IRE1α expression, downstream inositol requiring enzyme 1 alpha (IRE1α) -Tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 2 (TRAF2) pathway signalling was inhibited and treated cells failed to induce NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expression. Overall, ER stress was found to trigger inflammatory activity in HSFs via the IRE1α-TRAF2 axis, as confirmed with the specific inhibitor of IRE1α STF083010. Additionally, the effects of TSG-6 on apoptosis, collagen I, collagen III, α-SMA, and PCNA of HSFs were reversed by the IRE1α activator thapsigargin (TG). These data suggest that TSG-6 administration can effectively suppress the proliferation of HSFs in part via the inhibition of IRE1α-mediated ER stress-induced inflammation (IRE1α/TRAF2/NF-κB signalling).

Are the epidemic prevention facilities effective? How cities should choose epidemic prevention facilities: Taking Wuhan as an example

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the limitations of urban public health emergency response capabilities. Taking Wuhan as an example, this study used breakpoint regression, kernel density analysis, overlay analysis, and accessibility analysis from Stata and ArcGIS, and divided epidemic prevention facilities into the basic epidemic prevention facilities (hospitals), and the emergency epidemic prevention facilities (mobile cabin hospitals) for further analysis. The results showed that over 70% of the basic epidemic prevention facilities in Wuhan were located in high density population areas. On the contrary, most of the emergency epidemic prevention facilities were located in low density population areas. The local treatment effect of the implementation of the emergency epidemic prevention facility policy is about 1, indicating that there was a significant impact of emergency epidemic prevention facilities on outbreak control, which passed the bandwidth test. What’s more, the analysis of the accessibility of residential points revealed that more than 67.3% of people from the residential points could arrive at the epidemic prevention facilities within 15 min, and only 0.1% of them took more than 20 min to arrive. Therefore, the epidemic prevention facilities can effectively curb the spread of the epidemic, and people from residential areas can quickly get there. This study summarized the spatial characteristics of epidemic prevention facilities in Wuhan and analyzed the importance of them, thus providing a new perspective for future research on upgrading the city’s comprehensive disaster prevention system.

AKR7A3 modulates the metastasis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma through regulating PHGDH-suppressed autophagy

AKR7A3 is a member of Aldo-Keto Reductase(AKR) protein family whose primary purpose is to reduce aldehydes and ketones to generate primary and secondary alcohols. It has been reported that AKR7A3 is downregulated in pancreatic cancer (PC). However, the mechanism underlying the effects of AKR7A3 in PC remains largely unclarified. Here, we explored the biological function, molecular mechanism and clinical relevance of AKR7A3 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). AKR7A3 expression was downregulated in PDAC compared to adjacent normal tissues, and the lower AKR7A3 expression was related to poor prognosis. In addition, our results demonstrated that AKR7A3 could be a potential diagnostic marker for PDAC, especially in the early stages. Knockdown of AKR7A3 promoted PDAC progression and chemoresistance, while inhibiting the autophagy flux. Mechanistically, AKR7A3 affected the metastatic, autophagy and chemoresistance of PDAC by regulating PHGDH. Overall, the present study suggests that AKR7A3 inhibits PDAC progression by regulating PHGDH-induced autophagy. In addition, AKR7A3 inhibits chemoresistance via regulating PHGDH, and may serve as a new therapeutic target for PDAC.

CRISPR-induced miRNA156-recognition element mutations in TaSPL13 improve multiple agronomic traits in wheat

Increase in grain yield is always a major objective of wheat genetic improvement. The SQUAMOSA promoter-binding protein-like (SPL) genes, coding for a small family of diverse plant-specific transcription factors, represent important targets for improving grain yield and other major agronomic traits in rice. The function of the SPL genes in wheat remains to be investigated in this respect. In this study, we identified 56 wheat orthologues of rice SPL genes belonging to 19 homoeologous groups. Like in rice, nine orthologous TaSPL genes harbour the microRNA156 recognition elements (MRE) in their last exons except for TaSPL13, which harbour the MRE in its 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR). We modified the MRE of TaSPL13 using CRISPR-Cas9 and generated 12 mutations in the three homoeologous genes. As expected, the MRE mutations led to an approximately two-fold increase in the TaSPL13 mutant transcripts. The phenotypic evaluation showed that the MRE mutations in TaSPL13 resulted in a decrease in flowering time, tiller number, and plant height, and a concomitantly increase in grain size and number. The results show that the TaSPL13 mutants exhibit a combination of different phenotypes observed in Arabidopsis AtSPL3/4/5 mutants and rice OsSPL13/14/16 mutants and hold great potential in improving wheat yield by simultaneously increasing grain size and number and by refining plant architecture. The novel TaSPL13 mutations generated can be utilized in wheat breeding programmes to improve these agronomic traits.

Rapid Determination of Ethyl Carbamate in Chinese Liquor via a Direct Injection Mass Spectrometry with Time-Resolved Flash-Thermal-Vaporization and Acetone-Assisted High-Pressure Photoionization Strategy

Ethyl carbamate (EC), a carcinogenic compound, is naturally produced in fermented foods and alcoholic beverages. Rapid and accurate measurement of EC is necessary and important for quality control and safety evaluation of Chinese liquor, a traditionally distilled spirit with the highest consumption in China, but it remains a great challenge. In this work, a direct injection mass spectrometry (DIMS) with time-resolved flash-thermal-vaporization (TRFTV) and acetone-assisted high-pressure photoionization (HPPI) strategy has been developed. EC was rapidly separated from the main matrix components, ethyl acetate (EA) and ethanol, by the TRFTV sampling strategy due to the retention time difference of these three compounds with large boiling point differences on the inner wall of a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) tube. Therefore, the matrix effect of EA and ethanol was effectively eliminated. The acetone-assisted HPPI source was developed for efficient ionization of EC through a photoionization-induced proton transfer reaction between EC molecules and protonated acetone ions. The accurate quantitative analysis of EC in liquor was achieved by introducing an internal standard method (ISM) using deuterated EC (d₅-EC). As a result, the limit of detection (LOD) for EC was 8.88 μg/L with the analysis time of only 2 min, and the recoveries ranged from 92.3 to 113.1%. Finally, the prominent capability of the developed system was demonstrated by rapid determination of trace EC in Chinese liquors with different flavor types, exhibiting wide potential applications in online quality control and safety evaluation of not only Chinese liquors but also other liquor and alcoholic beverages.

Ionization of Dichloromethane by a Vacuum Ultraviolet Krypton Lamp: Competition Between Photoinduced Ion-Pair and Photodissociation-Assisted Photoionization

The photodissociation and photoionization behaviors of haloalkanes in the VUV regime are important to fully understand the mechanism of ozone depletion in the stratosphere. The ionization of dichloromethane (CH₂Cl₂) under the irradiation of 10.0 and 10.6 eV light was investigated. CH₂Cl⁺ was observed at 10 Pa, while both CH₂Cl⁺ and CHCl₂⁺ were observed at higher pressure. The production efficiency of CH₂Cl⁺ decreased with the increasing number density of CH₂Cl₂, while that of CHCl₂⁺ increased. A kinetic model was successfully derived to quantitatively describe the variation trends of CH₂Cl⁺ and CHCl₂⁺, in which the competition between photoinduced ion-pair and photodissociation-assisted photoionization (PD-PI) were included. The ion-pair channel was quenched efficiently at higher pressure or concentration, which reduced its contribution. Our study proposed new insights into the complicated photoexcitation behaviors of CH₂Cl₂ in the VUV regime and revealed the important role of photodissociation in photoionization at low photon flux.