Microstructure Evolution and Strengthening Mechanism of Dual-Phase Mg-8.3Li-3.1Al-1.09Si Alloys during Warm Rolling

In this study, the rolling process of the warm-rolled duplex-phase Mg-8.3Li-3.1Al-1.09Si alloy and the strengthening mechanism of as-rolled Mg-Li alloy were investigated. The highest ultimate tensile strength (UTS, 323.66 ± 19.89 MPa) could be obtained using a three-pass rolling process with a 30% thickness reduction for each pass at 553 K. The strength of the as-rolled LAS831 alloy is determined by a combination of second-phase strengthening, grain refinement strengthening, dislocation strengthening, and load-transfer reinforcement. Of these factors, dislocation strengthening, which is caused by strain hardening of the α-Mg phase, can produce a good strengthening effect but also cause a decrease in plasticity. The Mg2Si phase is broken up into particles or strips during the rolling process. After three passes, the AlLi particles were transformed into an AlLi phase, and the Mg2Si particles and nanosized AlLi particles strengthened the second phase to form a hard phase. The average size of the DRXed β-Li grains decreased with each successive rolling pass, and the average size of recrystallized grains in the three-pass-rolled LAS831 alloy became as low as 0.27 μm. The interface between the strip-like Mg2Si phase and the α-Mg phase is characterized by semicoherent bonding, which can promote the transfer of tensile and shear forces from the matrix to the strip-like Mg2Si phase, thereby improving the strength of the matrix and thus strengthening the LAS831 alloy.

Paulownia Witches' Broom Disease: A Comprehensive Review

Phytoplasmas are insect-transmitted bacterial pathogens associated with diseases in a wide range of host plants, resulting in significant economic and ecological losses. Perennial deciduous trees in the genus Paulownia are widely planted for wood harvesting and ornamental purposes. Paulownia witches' broom (PaWB) disease, associated with a 16SrI-D subgroup phytoplasma, is a destructive disease of paulownia in East Asia. The PaWB phytoplasmas are mainly transmitted by insect vectors in the Pentatomidae (stink bugs), Miridae (mirid bugs) and Cicadellidae (leafhoppers) families. Diseased trees show typical symptoms, such as branch and shoot proliferation, which together are referred to as witches' broom. The phytoplasma presence affects the physiological and anatomical structures of paulownia. Gene expression in paulownia responding to phytoplasma presence have been studied at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational levels by high throughput sequencing techniques. A PaWB pathogenic mechanism frame diagram on molecular level is summarized. Studies on the interactions among the phytoplasma, the insect vectors and the plant host, including the mechanisms underlying how paulownia effectors modify processes of gene expression, will lead to a deeper understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms and to the development of efficient control measures.

Shared Genetic Determinants of Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder Implicate Opposite Risk Patterns: A Genome-Wide Analysis of Common Variants

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS

The synaptic pruning hypothesis posits that schizophrenia (SCZ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may represent opposite ends of neurodevelopmental disorders: individuals with ASD exhibit an overabundance of synapses and connections while SCZ was characterized by excessive pruning of synapses and a reduction. Given the strong genetic predisposition of both disorders, we propose a shared genetic component, with certain loci having differential regulatory impacts.

STUDY DESIGN

Genome-Wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data of European descent from SCZ (N cases = 53 386, N controls = 77 258) and ASD (N cases = 18 381, N controls = 27 969) were analyzed. We used genetic correlation, bivariate causal mixture model, conditional false discovery rate method, colocalization, Transcriptome-Wide Association Study (TWAS), and Phenome-Wide Association Study (PheWAS) to investigate the genetic overlap and gene expression pattern.

STUDY RESULTS

We found a positive genetic correlation between SCZ and ASD (rg = .26, SE = 0.01, P = 7.87e-14), with 11 genomic loci jointly influencing both conditions (conjFDR <0.05). Functional analysis highlights a significant enrichment of shared genes during early to mid-fetal developmental stages. A notable genetic region on chromosome 17q21.31 (lead SNP rs2696609) showed strong evidence of colocalization (PP.H4.abf = 0.85). This SNP rs2696609 is linked to many imaging-derived brain phenotypes. TWAS indicated opposing gene expression patterns (primarily pseudogenes and long noncoding RNAs [lncRNAs]) for ASD and SCZ in the 17q21.31 region and some genes (LRRC37A4P, LINC02210, and DND1P1) exhibit considerable variation in the cerebellum across the lifespan.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support a shared genetic basis for SCZ and ASD. A common genetic variant, rs2696609, located in the Chr17q21.31 locus, may exert differential risk regulation on SCZ and ASD by altering brain structure. Future studies should focus on the role of pseudogenes, lncRNAs, and cerebellum in synaptic pruning and neurodevelopmental disorders.

A Genome-Wide Analysis of the CEP Gene Family in Cotton and a Functional Study of GhCEP46-D05 in Plant Development

C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDEs (CEPs) are a class of peptide hormones that have been shown in previous studies to play an important role in regulating the development and response to abiotic stress in model plants. However, their role in cotton is not well understood. In this study, we identified 54, 59, 34, and 35 CEP genes from Gossypium hirsutum (2n = 4x = 52, AD1), G. barbadense (AD2), G. arboreum (2n = 2X = 26, A2), and G. raimondii (2n = 2X = 26, D5), respectively. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses indicate that cotton CEP proteins can be categorized into two subgroups based on the differentiation of their CEP domain. Chromosomal distribution and collinearity analyses show that most of the cotton CEP genes are situated in gene clusters, suggesting that segmental duplication may be a critical factor in CEP gene expansion. Expression pattern analyses showed that cotton CEP genes are widely expressed throughout the plant, with some genes exhibiting specific expression patterns. Ectopic expression of GhCEP46-D05 in Arabidopsis led to a significant reduction in both root length and seed size, resulting in a dwarf phenotype. Similarly, overexpression of GhCEP46-D05 in cotton resulted in reduced internode length and plant height. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation into the function of cotton CEP genes and their potential role in cotton breeding.

Silicon Vacancies Diamond/Silk/PVA Hierarchical Physical Unclonable Functions for Multi-Level Encryption

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) have emerged as a promising encryption technology, utilizing intrinsic physical identifiers that offer enhanced security and tamper resistance. Multi-level PUFs boost system complexity, thereby improving system reliability and fault tolerance. However, crosstalk-free multi-level PUFs remain a persistent challenge. In this study, a hierarchical PUF system that harnesses the spontaneous phase separation of silk fibroin /PVA blend and the random distribution of silicon-vacancy diamonds within the blend is presented. The thermodynamic instability of phase separation and inherent unpredictability of diamond dispersion gives rise to intricate random patterns at two distinct scales, enabling time-efficient hierarchical authentication for cryptographic keys. These patterns are complementary yet independent, inherently resistant to replication and damage thus affording robust security and reliability to the proposed system. Furthermore, customized authentication algorithms are constructed: visual PUFs authentication utilizes neural network combined structural similarity index measure, while spectral PUFs authentication employs Hamming distance and cross-correlation bit operation. This hierarchical PUF system attains a high recognition rate without interscale crosstalk. Additionally, the coding capacity is exponentially enhanced using M-ary encoding to reinforce multi-level encryption. Hierarchical PUFs hold significant potential for immediate application, offering unprecedented data protection and cryptographic key authentication capabilities.

Advances in Small Molecular Agents against Oral Cancer

Oral cancer is a common malignancy with a high mortality rate. Although surgery is the best treatment option for patients with cancer, this approach is ineffective for advanced metastases. Molecular agents are irreplaceable in preventing and treating distant metastases. This review aims to summarise the molecular agents used for the treatment of oral cancer in the last decade and describe their sources and curative effects. These agents are classified into phenols, isothiocyanates, anthraquinones, statins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and steroids. The mechanisms of action of these agents include regulating the expression of cell signalling pathways and related proteases to affect the proliferation, autophagy, migration, apoptosis, and other biological aspects of oral cancer cells. This paper may serve as a reference for subsequent studies on the treatment of oral cancer.

Perylene-Mediated Cytoskeletal Dysfunction Remodels Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts to Augment Antitumor Immunotherapy

Targeted reprogramming of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is one of the most essential cancer therapies. However, how to reprogram active CAFs toward deactivated state still remains immense challenge. To tackle this challenge, herein, one perylene N, N'-bis(2-((dimethylammonium)ethylene)-2-(methoxylethyl))-1, 6, 7, 12-tetrachloroperylene-3, 4, 9, 10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PDIC-OC) is prepared, which can trigger endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst to result in cytoskeletal dysfunction and cell apoptosis so that suppress transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) production. As a result, PDIC-OC can reprogram the activated CAFs and relieve immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by efficient polarization of M2-typed macrophages into M1-typed ones, downregulation of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), alleviation of hypoxic state to promote infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and ultimately realizes outstanding antitumor performance on B16F10 tumor-xenografted and lung-metastatic mouse model even at low concentration of 1 mg kg-1 body weight. This work thus presents a novel strategy that cytoskeleton dysfunction and cell apoptosis cooperatively suppress the secretion of TGF-β to reprogram CAFs and meanwhile clarifies intrinsic mechanism for perylene-triggered chemo-immunotherapy against hypoxic tumors.

APP1/NTL9-CalS8 module ensures proper phloem differentiation by stabilizing callose accumulation and symplastic communication

Phloem sieve elements (PSE), the primary conduits collaborating with neighboring phloem pole pericycle (PPP) cells to facilitate unloading in Arabidopsis roots, undergo a series of developmental stages before achieving maturation and functionality. However, the mechanism that maintains the proper progression of these differentiation stages remains largely unknown. We identified a gain-of-function mutant altered phloem pole pericycle 1 Dominant (app1D), producing a truncated, nuclear-localized active form of NAC with Transmembrane Motif 1-like (NTL9). This mutation leads to ectopic expression of its downstream target CALLOSE SYNTHASE 8 (CalS8), thereby inducing callose accumulation, impeding SE differentiation, impairing phloem transport, and inhibiting root growth. The app1D phenotype could be reproduced by blocking the symplastic channels of cells within APP1 expression domain in wild-type (WT) roots. The WT APP1 is primarily membrane-tethered and dormant in the root meristem cells but entries into the nucleus in several cells in PPP near the unloading region, and this import is inhibited by blocking the symplastic intercellular transport in differentiating SE. Our results suggest a potential maintenance mechanism involving an APP1-CalS8 module, which induces CalS8 expression and modulates symplastic communication, and the proper activation of this module is crucial for the successful differentiation of SE in the Arabidopsis root.

Colloidal Chiral Carbon Dots: An Emerging System for Chiroptical Applications

Chiral CDots (c-CDots) not only inherit those merits from CDots but also exhibit chiral effects in optical, electric, and bio-properties. Therefore, c-CDots have received significant interest from a wide range of research communities including chemistry, physics, biology, and device engineers. They have already made decent progress in terms of synthesis, together with the exploration of their optical properties and applications. In this review, the chiroptical properties and chirality origin in extinction circular dichroism (ECD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) of c-CDots is briefly discussed. Then, the synthetic strategies of c-CDots is summarized, including one-pot synthesis, post-functionalization of CDots with chiral ligands, and assembly of CDots into chiral architectures with soft chiral templates. Afterward, the chiral effects on the applications of c-CDots are elaborated. Research domains such as drug delivery, bio- or chemical sensing, regulation of enzyme-like catalysis, and others are covered. Finally, the perspective on the challenges associated with the synthetic strategies, understanding the origin of chirality, and potential applications is provided. This review not only discusses the latest developments of c-CDots but also helps toward a better understanding of the structure-property relationship along with their respective applications.

Effect of constant and variable temperature drying processes on drying characteristics, quality, and volatile profile of rose petals in infrared-assisted spouted bed drying

The edible rose (Rosa Crimson Glory) petals were dried using infrared-assisted spouted bed drying technology. The effects of different drying temperature conditions (30, 35, 40, 45, and 50°C, as well as stepped heating drying [SHD] and stepped cooling drying) on the drying characteristics, physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and changes in volatile flavor compounds of the rose petals were investigated. The results showed that the drying time was shortened with increasing drying temperature. Both variable temperature drying processes gave the shortest drying times. Optimal color retention of rose petals was achieved at a constant temperature of 40°C and SHD. Increased drying temperature resulted in higher water-soluble polysaccharide content in the dried rose petals, whereas lower temperatures facilitated anthocyanin preservation. The variable temperature drying processes favored the retention of water-soluble polysaccharides in rose petals, but not anthocyanins. Regarding antioxidant capacity, the samples dried at 40°C and those subjected to the two variable temperature drying processes performed better. This study also analyzed the differences in volatile flavor compounds of rose petals dried under different drying conditions. It was found that the majority of volatile flavor compounds in the rose petals dried by SHD exhibited higher content levels than the other drying conditions. Therefore, considering a thorough evaluation of all relevant factors, it was clear that utilizing the SHD process was the most efficient method for obtaining the best quality rose petals overall.

In silico and in vitro analyses of a novel FoxO1 agonist reducing Aβ levels via downregulation of BACE1

AIMS

FoxO1 is an important target in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, FoxO1-specific agonists and their effects on AD have not yet been reported. This study aimed to identify small molecules that upregulate the activity of FoxO1 to attenuate the symptoms of AD.

METHODS

FoxO1 agonists were identified by in silico screening and molecular dynamics simulation. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were used to assess protein and gene expression levels of P21, BIM, and PPARγ downstream of FoxO1 in SH-SY5Y cells, respectively. Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunoassays were performed to explore the effect of FoxO1 agonists on APP metabolism.

RESULTS

N-(3-methylisothiazol-5-yl)-2-(2-oxobenzo[d]oxazol-3(2H)-yl) acetamide (compound D) had the highest affinity for FoxO1. Compound D activated FoxO1 and regulated the expression of its downstream target genes, P21, BIM, and PPARγ. In SH-SY5Y cells treated with compound D, BACE1 expression levels were downregulated, and the levels of Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 were also reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

We present a novel small-molecule FoxO1 agonist with good anti-AD effects. This study highlights a promising strategy for new drug discovery for AD.

First molecular detection and genetic characterization of porcine circovirus 4 in the Gansu Province of China

Since its initial discovery in the Hunan province of China, genomic DNA of porcine circovirus 4 (PCV4) has been detected in pigs across multiple provinces in China, as well as in South Korea. However, the prevalence of porcine circovirus type 4 in Gansu Province, China, remains unknown. To address this gap, we undertook an extensive study where we gathered 121 clinical samples displaying diverse clinical manifestations from pig farms in Gansu Province between 2022 and 2023. Employing a real-time fluorescence quantification method, we identified the presence of PCV4 genome. Out of the 121 clinical samples analyzed, 13 samples tested positive for PCV4, resulting in a positive rate of 10.74% (13/121). This finding confirms the presence of PCV4 in pig farms within Gansu Province, China. Furthermore, we successfully sequenced and analyzed the complete genomes of two distinct PCV4 strains, comparing them with 60 reference sequences archived in the GenBank database. The results revealed a high nucleotide homology (98.2-98.8%) between the strains obtained in this study and the PCV4 reference strains, indicating a relatively low evolutionary rate of the PCV4 genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that two strains in this study belong to PCV4a and PCV4c. As far as we know, this study marks the inaugural report on the molecular identification and genomic attributes of PCV4 in Gansu Province, China, offering valuable insights for devising preventive and control strategies against this emerging virus.

Activation of autophagy promotes the inhibitory effect of curcumin analog EF-24 against MDA-MB-231 cancer cells

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. EF-24, an analog of curcumin, has been shown to possess promising anticancer effects. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In the present study, the inhibitory effect of EF-24 against one breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, and its anti-migration ability were assessed by MTT, wound healing, and Transwell assay. Furthermore, we found that EF-24 could induce initiation of autophagy as evidenced by fluorescence and electron microscope observation. EF-24 also induced mitochondrial apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells as detected by Hoechst 33342 staining, flow cytometry analysis, and western blot analysis. In addition, the early autophagy inhibitor 3-MA could reduce the cleavage of PARP protein and protect cells from EF-24-induced apoptosis, while the autophagy inducer (rapamycin) could enhance the anticancer effect of EF-24 in MDA-MB-231 cells, which suggest that EF-24 induces crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis, which herein participate in the antiproliferative effect of EF-24 in breast cancer cells. Moreover, removal of EF-24-activated ROS with NAC significantly reversed migration ability of MDA-MB-231 cells, indicating that EF-24 exerted an inhibitory effect through a ROS-mediating pathway. These results will help to elucidate the antitumor mechanism of curcumin analogs and to explore future potential clinical applications.

Transparent Self-Healing Anti-Freezing Ionogel for Monolayered Triboelectric Nanogenerator and Electromagnetic Energy-Based Touch Panel

The advent of Internet of Things and artificial intelligence era necessitates the advancement of self-powered electronics. However, prevalent multifunctional electronics still face great challenges in rigid electrodes, stacked layers, and external power sources to restrict the development in flexible electronics. Here, a transparent, self-healing, anti-freezing (TSA) ionogel composed of fluorine-rich ionic liquid and fluorocarbon elastomer, which is engineered for monolayered triboelectric nanogenerators (M-TENG) and electromagnetic energy-based touch panels is developed. Notably, the TSA-ionogel exhibits remarkable features including outstanding transparency (90%), anti-freezing robustness (253 K), impressive stretchability (600%), and repetitive self-healing capacity. The resultant M-TENG achieves a significant output power density (200 mW m-2 ) and sustains operational stability beyond 1 year. Leveraging this remarkable performance, the M-TENG is adeptly harnessed for biomechanical energy harvesting, self-powered control interface, electroluminescent devices, and enabling wireless control over electrical appliances. Furthermore, harnessing Faraday's induction law and exploiting human body's intrinsic antenna properties, the TSA-ionogel seamlessly transforms into an autonomous multifunctional epidermal touch panel. This touch panel offers impeccable input capabilities through word inscription and participation in the Chinese game of Go. Consequently, the TSA-ionogel's innovation holds the potential to reshape the trajectory of next-generation electronics and profoundly revolutionize the paradigm of human-machine interaction.

S-nitrosylation of the transcription factor MYB30 facilitates nitric oxide-promoted seed germination in Arabidopsis

The gaseous signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in breaking seed dormancy. NO induces a decrease in abscisic acid (ABA) content by transcriptionally activating its catabolic enzyme, the ABA 8'-hydroxylase CYP707A2. However, the underlying mechanism of this process remains unclear. Here, we report that the transcription factor MYB30 plays a critical role in NO-induced seed germination in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). MYB30 loss-of-function attenuates NO-mediated seed dormancy breaking. MYB30 triggers a NO-induced decrease in ABA content during germination by directly promoting CYP707A2 expression. NO induces S-nitrosylation at Cys-49 of MYB30 and enhances its transcriptional activity. Conversely, the ABA receptors PYRABACTIN RESISTANCE1 (PYR1)/PYR1-LIKE (PYL)/REGULATORY COMPONENTS OF ABA RECEPTORS (RCAR) interact with MYB30 and repress its transcriptional activity. ABA promotes the interaction between PYL4 and MYB30, whereas S-nitrosylation releases the PYL4-mediated inhibition of MYB30 by interfering with the PYL4-MYB30 interaction. Genetic analysis showed that MYB30 functions downstream of PYLs during seed dormancy and germination in response to NO. Furthermore, MYB30 mutation significantly represses the reduced dormancy phenotype and the enhanced CYP707A2 expression of the pyr1 pyl1 pyl2 pyl4 quadruple mutant. Our findings reveal that S-nitrosylation of MYB30 precisely regulates the balance of seed dormancy and germination, providing insights into the underlying mechanism of NO-promoted seed germination.

Lysine-Specific Demethylase 1 Inhibitors: A Comprehensive Review Utilizing Computer-Aided Drug Design Technologies

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1/KDM1A) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for treating various cancers (such as breast cancer, liver cancer, etc.) and other diseases (blood diseases, cardiovascular diseases, etc.), owing to its observed overexpression, thereby presenting significant opportunities in drug development. Since its discovery in 2004, extensive research has been conducted on LSD1 inhibitors, with notable contributions from computational approaches. This review systematically summarizes LSD1 inhibitors investigated through computer-aided drug design (CADD) technologies since 2010, showcasing a diverse range of chemical scaffolds, including phenelzine derivatives, tranylcypromine (abbreviated as TCP or 2-PCPA) derivatives, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic (pyridine, pyrimidine, azole, thieno[3,2-b]pyrrole, indole, quinoline and benzoxazole) derivatives, natural products (including sanguinarine, phenolic compounds and resveratrol derivatives, flavonoids and other natural products) and others (including thiourea compounds, Fenoldopam and Raloxifene, (4-cyanophenyl)glycine derivatives, propargylamine and benzohydrazide derivatives and inhibitors discovered through AI techniques). Computational techniques, such as virtual screening, molecular docking and 3D-QSAR models, have played a pivotal role in elucidating the interactions between these inhibitors and LSD1. Moreover, the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence holds promise in facilitating the discovery of novel LSD1 inhibitors. The comprehensive insights presented in this review aim to provide valuable information for advancing further research on LSD1 inhibitors.

Genome-Wide Analysis of Cotton MYB Transcription Factors and the Functional Validation of GhMYB in Response to Drought Stress

MYB transcription factors play important roles during abiotic stress responses in plants. However, little is known about the accurate systematic analysis of MYB genes in the four cotton species, Gossypium hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. arboreum and G. raimondii. Herein, we performed phylogenetic analysis and showed that cotton MYBs and Arabidopsis MYBs were clustered in the same subfamilies for each species. The identified cotton MYBs were distributed unevenly on chromosomes in various densities for each species, wherein genome-wide tandem and segment duplications were the main driving force of MYB family expansion. Synteny analysis suggested that the abundant collinearity pairs of MYBs were identified between G. hirsutum and the other three species, and that they might have undergone strong purification selection. Characteristics of conserved motifs, along with their consensus sequence, promoter cis elements and gene structure, revealed that MYB proteins might be highly conserved in the same subgroups for each species. Subsequent analysis of differentially expressed genes and expression patterns indicated that most GhMYBs might be involved in response to drought (especially) and salt stress, which was supported by the expression levels of nine GhMYBs using real-time quantitative PCR. Finally, we performed a workflow that combined virus-induced gene silencing and the heterologous transformation of Arabidopsis, which confirmed the positive roles of GhMYBs under drought conditions, as validated by determining the drought-tolerant phenotypes, damage index and/or water loss rate. Collectively, our findings not only expand our understanding of the relationships between evolution and function of MYB genes, but they also provide candidate genes for cotton breeding.

Phylogenetically evolutionary analysis provides insights into the genetic diversity and adaptive evolution of porcine deltacoronavirus

BACKGROUND

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is one of the emerging swine enteric coronaviruses (SECoVs), which has been widely prevalent in the North America and Asia. In addition to causing severe diarrhea in piglets, PDCoV also shows the potential to infect diverse host species, including calves, chickens, turkey poults, and humans. However, the clinical pathogenicity and genetic evolution of PDCoV is still not fully understood.

RESULTS

Here, we recorded an outbreak of a novel recombinant PDCoV strain (CHN-HeN06-2022) in a large nursery fattening pig farm. Genomic analysis showed that the CHN-HeN06-2022 strain shared 98.3-98.7% sequence identities with the Chinese and American reference strains. To clarify the evolutionary relationships, phylogenetic analysis was performed using the PDCoV genome sequences available in the GenBank database. Based on genetic distance and geographical distribution, the phylogenetic tree clearly showed that all the PDCoV sequences could be divided into lineage 1 and lineage 2, which were further classified into sublineage 1.1 (Chinese strains), 1.2 (the North American strains), 2.1 (the Southeast Asian strains), and 2.2 (Chinese strains). Corresponding to the evolutionary tree, we found that, compared to lineage 1, lineage 2 strains usually contain a continuous 6-nt deletion in Nsp2 and a 9-nt deletion in Nsp3, respectively. Furthermore, recombination analysis suggested that the CHN-HeN06-2022 occurred segments exchange crossed Nsp2 and Nsp3 region between sublineage 1.1 and sublineage 2.1. Combined with previously reported recombinant strains, the highest recombination frequency occurred in Nsp2, Nsp3, and S gene. Additionally, we identified a total of 14 amino acid sites under positive selection in spike protein, most of which are located in the regions related with the viral attachment, receptor binding, and membrane fusion.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our studies provide novel insights into the genetic diversity and adaptive evolution of PDCoV. It would be helpful to the development of vaccine and potential antiviral agent.

Physalin B Reduces Tau Phosphorylation and Cell Apoptosis in HEK293 Cells by Activating FoxO1

BACKGROUND

Physalin B (PB) is one of the main active compounds of Solanaceae plants, with a wide range of biological activities. PB reportedly has the potential to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD).

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we investigated the effect of PB on Tau phosphorylation and cell apoptosis using Tau-expressing HEK293 cells (HEK293/Tau) as a cellular model.

METHODS

The optimum concentration of PB to treat HEK293/Tau cells was determined using the CCK-8 assay. Additionally, the expression of FoxO1, Tau-5, p-Tau (T231, S262, and S404), ERK, p-ERK, GSK-3β, and p-GSK-3β was detected using western blotting to determine the effect of PB on Tau phosphorylation. The apoptosis rate was detected using flow cytometry, and the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was detected using western blotting and verified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Moreover, cells were transfected with FoxO1 siRNA to downregulate FoxO1 expression, and the expression of the above-mentioned proteins was detected to verify the effect of PB on Tau phosphorylation and cell apoptosis.

RESULTS

After 24 h of PB treatment, the phosphorylation levels of Tau at S404, S262, and T231 sites decreased significantly, and the activities of GSK-3β and ERK were inhibited. PB also reduced cell apoptosis by reducing the expression of Bax and increasing the expression of Bcl-2. In addition, PB decreased Tau phosphorylation and cell apoptosis by upregulating FoxO1.

CONCLUSION

The natural compound PB exhibited a protective effect in the AD cell model by increasing FoxO1 expression and reducing Tau phosphorylation and cell apoptosis.

Insulator Defect Detection Based on ML-YOLOv5 Algorithm

To address the challenges of balancing accuracy and speed, as well as the parameters and FLOPs in current insulator defect detection, we propose an enhanced insulator defect detection algorithm, ML-YOLOv5, based on the YOLOv5 network. The backbone module incorporates depthwise separable convolution, and the feature fusion C3 module is replaced with the improved C2f_DG module. Furthermore, we enhance the feature pyramid network (MFPN) and employ knowledge distillation using YOLOv5m as the teacher model. Experimental results demonstrate that this approach achieved a 46.9% reduction in parameter count and a 43.0% reduction in FLOPs, while maintaining an FPS of 63.6. It exhibited good accuracy and detection speed on both the CPLID and IDID datasets, making it suitable for real-time inspection of high-altitude insulator defects.

Structure Characterization and Functional Properties of Flaxseed Protein-Chlorogenic Acid Complex

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the covalent binding of flaxseed protein (FP) and chlorogenic acid (CA) on the structure and functional properties of FP-CA complexes fabricated using the alkali method. The results suggested that the encapsulation efficiency of CA encapsulated by FP ranged from 66.11% to 72.20% and the loading capacity of CA increased with an increasing addition ratio of CA with a dose-dependent relationship, which increased from 2.34% to 10.19%. The particle size, turbidity, zeta potential and PDI of FP and the FP-CA complexes had no significant discrepancy. UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra showed the existence of the interaction between FP and CA. SEM images showed that the surface of the FP-0.35%CA complex had more wrinkles compared to FP. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated the decomposition temperature of FP at 198 °C was higher than that (197 °C) of the FP-0.35%CA complex, implying that the stability of the FP-CA complexes was lower than FP. The functional properties suggested that the FP-CA complex with 1.40% CA had a higher water holding capacity (500.81%), lower oil holding capacity (273.495%) and lower surface hydrophobicity. Moreover, the FP-CA complexes had better antioxidant activities than that of FP. Therefore, this study provides more insights for the potential application of FP-CA covalent complexes in functional food processing.

Ag6 Cu8 (C=CAr)14 (DPPB)2 : A Rigid Ligand Co-Protected Bimetallic Silver(I)-Copper(I) Cluster with Room-Temperature Luminescence

Metal clusters have become increasingly important in various applications, with ligands playing a crucial role in their construction. In this study, we synthesized a bimetallic cluster, Ag6 Cu8 (C=CAr)14 (DPPB)2 (Ag6 Cu8 ), using a rigid acetylene ligand, 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylacetylide. Through single-crystal structure characterization, we discovered that the butterfly-shaped Ag2 Cu2 motifs were subject to distortion due to steric hindrance imposed by the rigid ligand. These motifs assembled together through shared vertices and edges. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the primary fragments detected during electrospray ionization (ESI) testing corresponded to the Ag2 Cu2 motifs. Furthermore, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of the cluster's solution properties employing 31 P NMR, UV-vis absorption, and photoluminescent measurements. In contrast to previously reported Ag/Cu bimetallic clusters protected by flexible ligands, Ag6 Cu8 protected by rigid ligands exhibited intriguing room temperature fluorescence properties alongside excellent thermal stability. DFT calculations on Ag6 Cu8 and Ag6 Cu8 with the rigid aromatic ring removed revealed that the presence of the rigid aromatic ring can lower the electronic energy levels of the cluster, and reduce the energy gap from 4.05 eV to 3.45 eV. Moreover, the rigid ligand further suppressed the non-radiative transition process, leading to room temperature fluorescence emission.

Targeting CD24 as a novel immunotherapy for solid cancers

Cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24), a mucin-like highly glycosylated molecule has been extensively studied as a cancer stem cell marker in a variety of solid cancers. The functional role of CD24 is either fulfilled by combining with ligands or participating in signal transduction, which mediate the initiation and progression of neoplasms. Recently, CD24 was also described as an innate immune checkpoint with apparent significance in several types of solid cancers. Herein, we review the current understanding of the molecular fundamentals of CD24, the role of CD24 in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, the possibility as a promising therapeutic target and summarized different therapeutic agents or strategies targeting CD24 in solid cancers. Video Abstract.

Synthesis and Antioxidant Properties of Psoralen Derivatives

Five psoralen derivatives were synthesized and the structures of them were characterized by 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, and IR. The antioxidant properties of the compounds were tested by inhibiting the free radical-initiated DNA oxidation and scavenging the radical reaction. The results showed that the effective stoichiometric factors (n) of the compounds V and IV could reach 2.00 and 2.11 in the system of inhibiting the DNA oxidation reaction initiated by 2,2'-Azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AAPH). In the inhibition of ⋅OH-oxidation of the DNA system, compounds I~V showed antioxidant properties. The thiobarbituric acid absorbance (TBARS) percentages of compounds IV and V were 76.19 % and 78.84 %. Compounds I~V could also inhibit Cu2+ /GSH-oxidation of DNA, and all compounds exhibited good antioxidant properties except compound II (94.00 %). All the five compounds were able to trap diammonium 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) salt radical (ABTS+ ⋅), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH⋅) and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-alpha-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-oxo-2,5-cyclohexadien-p-tolylox radical (galvinoxyl⋅). The ability of compounds I~V to scavenge those free radicals can be measured by the k values. The k values ranged from 0.07 to 0.82 in scavenging ABTS+ ⋅, galvinoxyl, and DPPH radicals, respectively.

Changes in the lodging resistance of winter wheat from 1950s to the 2020s in Henan Province of China

BACKGROUND

Lodging is a major factor contributing to yield loss and constraining the mechanical harvesting of wheat crops. Genetic improvement through breeding effectively reduced the lodging and improved the grain yield, however, the physiological mechanisms involved in providing resistance to lodging are different in the breeding stage and are not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in the lodging resistance (LR) of the wheat varieties released during the different decades and to explore the effect of the application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on the plasticity of LR.

RESULTS

A field study was conducted during the cultivation seasons of 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, in soil supplemented with three N levels: N0 (0 kg ha-1), N180 (200 kg ha-1), and N360 (360 kg ha-1) using eight varieties of wheat released for commercial cultivation from 1950 to date. The results obtained showed that genetic improvement had significantly enhanced the LR and grain yield in wheat. In the first breeding stage (from 1950 to 1980s) the lodging resistant index increased by 15.0%, which was primarily attributed to a reduced plant height and increased contents of cellulose, Si, and Zn. In the second breeding stage (the 1990s-2020s) it increased by 172.8%, which was mainly attributed to an increase in the stem diameter, wall thickness, and the contents of K, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Cu. The application of N fertilizer improved the grain yield but reduced the LR in wheat. This was mainly due to an increase in plant height resulting in an elevation of the plant center of gravity, a decrease in the contents of cellulose, and a reduction in the area of large-sized vascular bundles in the stems, even if N supplementation increased the concentrations of K, Ca, and Si.

CONCLUSION

Although breeding strategies improved the stem strength, the trade-off between the grain yield and LR was more significantly influenced by the addition of N. Overcoming this peculiar situation will serve as a breakthrough in improving the seed yield in wheat crops in the future.

A Digital-Analog Bimodal Memristor Based on CsPbBr3 for Tactile Sensory Neuromorphic Computing

Memristor with digital and analog bipolar bimodal resistive switching offers a promising opportunity for the information-processing component. However, it still remains a huge challenge that the memristor enables bimodal digital and analog types and fabrication of artificial sensory neural network system. Here, a proposed CsPbBr3 -based memristor demonstrates a high ON/OFF ratio (>103 ), long retention (>104 s), stable endurance (100 cycles), and multilevel resistance memory, which acts as an artificial synapse to realize fundamental biological synaptic functions and neuromorphic computing based on controllable resistance modulation. Moreover, a 5 × 5 spinosum-structured piezoresistive sensor array (sensitivity of 22.4 kPa-1 , durability of 1.5 × 104 cycles, and fast response time of 2.43 ms) is constructed as a tactile sensory receptor to transform mechanical stimuli into electrical signals, which can be further processed by the CsPbBr3 -based memristor with synaptic plasticity. More importantly, this artificial sensory neural network system combined the artificial synapse with 5 × 5 tactile sensing array based on piezoresistive sensors can recognize the handwritten patterns of different letters with high accuracy of 94.44% under assistance of supervised learning. Consequently, the digital-analog bimodal memristor would demonstrate potential application in human-machine interaction, prosthetics, and artificial intelligence.

All Resistive Pressure-Temperature Bimodal Sensing E-Skin for Object Classification

Electronic skin (E-skin) with multimodal sensing ability demonstrates huge prospects in object classification by intelligent robots. However, realizing the object classification capability of E-skin faces severe challenges in multiple types of output signals. Herein, a hierarchical pressure-temperature bimodal sensing E-skin based on all resistive output signals is developed for accurate object classification, which consists of laser-induced graphene/silicone rubber (LIG/SR) pressure sensing layer and NiO temperature sensing layer. The highly conductive LIG is employed as pressure-sensitive material as well as the interdigital electrode. Benefiting from high conductivity of LIG, pressure perception exhibits an excellent sensitivity of -34.15 kPa-1 . Meanwhile, a high temperature coefficient of resistance of -3.84%°C-1 is obtained in the range of 24-40 °C. More importantly, based on only electrical resistance as the output signal, the bimodal sensing E-skin with negligible crosstalk can simultaneously achieve pressure and temperature perception. Furthermore, a smart glove based on this E-skin enables classifying various objects with different shapes, sizes, and surface temperatures, which achieves over 92% accuracy under assistance of deep learning. Consequently, the hierarchical pressure-temperature bimodal sensing E-skin demonstrates potential application in human-machine interfaces, intelligent robots, and smart prosthetics.

A Blockchain-Based Traceability Model for Grain and Oil Food Supply Chain

The structure of the grain-and-oil-food-supply chain has the characteristics of complexity, cross-regionality, a long cycle, and numerous participants, making it difficult to maintain the safety of supply. In recent years, some phenomena have emerged in the field of grain procurement and sale, such as topping the new with the old, rotating grains, the pressure of grades and prices, and counterfeit oil food, which have seriously threatened grain-and-oil-food security. Blockchain technology has the advantage of decentralization and non-tampering Therefore, this study analyzes the characteristics of traceability data in the grain-and-oil-food-supply chain, and presents a blockchain-based traceability model for the grain-and-oil-food-supply chain. Firstly, a new method combining blockchain and machine learning is proposed to enhance the authenticity and reliability of blockchain source data by constructing anomalous data-processing models. In addition, a lightweight blockchain-storage method and a data-recovery mechanism are proposed to reduce the pressure on supply-chain-data storage and improve fault tolerance. The results indicate that the average query delay of public data is 0.42 s, the average query delay of private data is 0.88 s, and the average data-recovery delay is 1.2 s. Finally, a blockchain-based grain-and-oil-food-supply-chain traceability system is designed and built using Hyperledger Fabric. Compared with the existing grain-and-oil-food-supply chain, the model constructed achieves multi-source heterogeneous data uploading, lightweight storage, data recovery, and traceability in the supply chain, which are of great significance for ensuring the safety of grain-and-oil food in China.

Interfacial Bonding and Fracture Behaviors of AZ63 Magnesium Alloy Sheet Processed by Accumulative Roll Bonding

In order to understand the strengthening and the failure mechanism of accumulative roll bonding (ARB)-processed AZ63 Mg alloy, the interfacial bonding and fracture behavior of an ARB-processed AZ63 sheet were studied through electron microscopic analysis. The correlation between the mechanical properties, the microstructure, and the ARB processing parameters of an AZ63 sheet were presented. The experimental results have demonstrated that the average grain size of AZ63 Mg alloy processed by ARB was remarkably refined from 12.8 μm to 5.7 μm when the ARB processing temperature was set to 623 K, indicating the occurrence and development of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) nucleation. With the increase in ARB passes, the microstructure obviously became uniform. However, after five passes of the ARB process at 623 K, grains with different crystallographic orientations at the interface can be rearranged to generate the coherent eutectic plane, which inhibits the further refinement of grain size. During the ARB process of the AZ63 Mg alloy, the grain refinement was controlled by twin-induced recrystallization and dynamic recrystallization. Microcracks at the bonded interface of the ARB₁ sample were eliminated during the following 3~5 rolling passes at 623 K. After three passes of the ARB process at 623 K, the strength and elongation of the AZ63 Mg alloy increased from 232 MPa and 18.5% to 282 MPa and 26.3%, respectively. The tensile fracture morphology of the sample processed by three passes of ARB exhibited numerous dimples, and the slip lines caused by the cooperative deformation of refined grains can produce a network-like dimple structure, indicating that excellent ductile fracture characteristics could be obtained.

Recent Advances in THz Detection of Water

The frequency range of terahertz waves (THz waves) is between 0.1 and 10 THz and they have properties such as low energy, penetration, transients, and spectral fingerprints, which are especially sensitive to water. Terahertz, as a frontier technology, have great potential in interpreting the structure of water molecules and detecting biological water conditions, and the use of terahertz technology for water detection is currently frontier research, which is of great significance. Firstly, this paper introduces the theory of terahertz technology and summarizes the current terahertz systems used for water detection. Secondly, an overview of theoretical approaches, such as the relaxation model and effective medium theory related to water detection, the relationship between water molecular networks and terahertz spectra, and the research progress of the terahertz detection of water content and water distribution visualization, are elaborated. Finally, the challenge and outlook of applications related to the terahertz wave detection of water are discussed. The purpose of this paper is to explore the research domains on water and its related applications using terahertz technology, as well as provide a reference for innovative applications of terahertz technology in moisture detection.

Response and Tolerance of Macleaya cordata to Excess Zinc Based on Transcriptome and Proteome Patterns

Macleaya cordata is a dominant plant of mine tailings and a zinc (Zn) accumulator with high Zn tolerance. In this study, M. cordata seedlings cultured in Hoagland solution were treated with 200 μmol·L^-1 of Zn for 1 day or 7 days, and then, their leaves were taken for a comparative analysis of the transcriptomes and proteomes between the leaves of the control and Zn treatments. Differentially expressed genes included those that were iron (Fe)-deficiency-induced, such as vacuolar iron transporter VIT, ABC transporter ABCI17 and ferric reduction oxidase FRO. Those genes were significantly upregulated by Zn and could be responsible for Zn transport in the leaves of M. cordata. Differentially expressed proteins, such as chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins, ATP-dependent protease, and vacuolar-type ATPase located on the tonoplast, were significantly upregulated by Zn and, thus, could be important in chlorophyll biosynthesis and cytoplasm pH stabilization. Moreover, the changes in Zn accumulation, the production of hydrogen peroxide, and the numbers of mesophyll cells in the leaves of M. cordata were consistent with the expression of the genes and proteins. Thus, the proteins involved in the homeostasis of Zn and Fe are hypothesized to be the keys to the tolerance and accumulation of Zn in M. cordata. Such mechanisms in M. cordata can suggest novel approaches to genetically engineering and biofortifying crops.

A Fe Single Atom Seed-Mediated Strategy Toward Fe3 C/FeNC Catalysts with Outstanding Bifunctional ORR/OER Activities

The discovery of low-cost and high-performance bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts is vital to the future commercialization of rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, a Fe single atom seed-mediated strategy is reported for the fabrication of Fe₃ C species closely surrounded by FeN₄ C active sites with strong electronic interactions built between them and more importantly, creating optimized coordination environment, via subtly adjusting their ratio, for favorable adsorption energies of oxygen intermediates formed during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Concretely, the voltage difference (ΔE) between the ORR half-wave and OER potential at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 for the compositionally-optimized FeNC/Fe₃ C-op electrocatalyst is only 0.668 V, endowing itself one of the best bifunctional OER/ORR benchmarks. As a demo, ZABs assembled with FeNC/Fe₃ C-op as the air cathode deliver a remarkable specific capacity (818.1 mAh g_Zn ^-1 ) and a power density (1013.9 mWh g_Zn ^-1 ), along with excellent long-term durability (>450 h). This work extends the methodology to modulate the activity of FeN₄ C atomic site, undoubtedly inspiring wide explorations on the precise design of bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts.

Brassinosteroids regulate cotton fiber elongation by modulating very-long-chain fatty acid biosynthesis

Brassinosteroid (BR), a growth-promoting phytohormone, regulates many plant growth processes including cell development. However, the mechanism by which BR regulates fiber growth is poorly understood. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fibers are an ideal single-cell model in which to study cell elongation due to their length. Here we report that BR controls cotton fiber elongation by modulating very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) biosynthesis. BR deficiency reduces the expression of 3-ketoacyl-CoA synthases (GhKCSs), the rate-limiting enzymes involved in VLCFA biosynthesis, leading to lower saturated VLCFA contents in pagoda1 (pag1) mutant fibers. In vitro ovule culture experiments show that BR acts upstream of VLCFAs. Silencing of BRI1-EMS-SUPPRESOR 1.4 (GhBES1.4), encoding a master transcription factor of the BR signaling pathway, significantly reduces fiber length, whereas GhBES1.4 overexpression produces longer fibers. GhBES1.4 regulates endogenous VLCFA contents and directly binds to BR RESPONSE ELEMENTS (BRREs) in the GhKCS10_At promoter region, which in turn regulates GhKCS10_At expression to increase endogenous VLCFA contents. GhKCS10_At overexpression promotes cotton fiber elongation, whereas GhKCS10_At silencing inhibits cotton fiber growth, supporting a positive regulatory role for GhKCS10_At in fiber elongation. Overall, these results uncover a mechanism of fiber elongation through crosstalk between BR and VLCFAs at the single-cell level.

Peroxymonosulfate Activation by Facile Fabrication of α-MnO2 for Rhodamine B Degradation: Reaction Kinetics and Mechanism

The persulfate-based advanced oxidation process has been an effective method for refractory organic pollutants' degradation in aqueous phase. Herein, α-MnO₂ with nanowire morphology was facially fabricated via a one-step hydrothermal method and successfully activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. Influencing factors, including the hydrothermal parameter, PMS concentration, α-MnO₂ dosage, RhB concentration, initial pH, and anions, were systematically investigated. The corresponding reaction kinetics were further fitted by the pseudo-first-order kinetic. The RhB degradation mechanism via α-MnO₂ activating PMS was proposed according to a series of quenching experiments and the UV-vis scanning spectrum. Results showed that α-MnO₂ could effectively activate PMS to degrade RhB and has good repeatability. The catalytic RhB degradation reaction was accelerated by increasing the catalyst dosage and the PMS concentration. The effective RhB degradation performance can be attributed to the high content of surface hydroxyl groups and the greater reducibility of α-MnO₂, and the contribution of different ROS (reactive oxygen species) was ¹O₂ > O2·- > SO4·- > ·OH.

Driving Forces of Meteorology and Emission Changes on Surface Ozone in the Huaihe River Basin, China

Surface ozone (O3) pollution in China has become a serious environmental problem in recent years. In the present study, we targeted the HRB, a large region located in China's north-south border zone, to assess the driving forces of meteorology and emission changes on surface ozone. A Kolmogorov-Zurbenko (KZ) filter method was performed on the maximum daily average 8-h (MDA8) concentrations of ozone in the HRB during 2015-2020 to decompose the original time series. The findings demonstrated that the short-term (O3ST), seasonal (O3SN), and long-term components (O3LT) of MDA8 O3 variations accounted for 34.2%, 56.1%, and 2.9% of the total variance, respectively. O3SN has the greatest influence on the daily variation in MDA8 O3, followed by O3ST. In coastal cities, the influence of O3ST was enhanced. The influence of O3SN was stronger in the northwestern HRB. Air temperature is the prevailing variable that influences the photochemical formation of ozone. A clear phase lag (7-34 days) of the baseline component between MDA8 O3 and the atmospheric temperature was found in the HRB. Using multiple linear regression, the effect of temperature on ozone was removed. We estimated that the increase in ozone concentration in the HRB was mainly caused by the emission changes (79.4%), and the meteorological conditions made a small contribution (20.6%). This study suggests that reductions in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will play an important role in further ozone pollution reduction in the HRB.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11270-023-06345-1.

Ameliorating Phosphonic-Based Nonflammable Electrolytes Towards Safe and Stable Lithium Metal Batteries

High-energy-density lithium metal batteries with high safety and stability are urgently needed. Designing the novel nonflammable electrolytes possessing superior interface compatibility and stability is critical to achieve the stable cycling of battery. Herein, the functional additive dimethyl allyl-phosphate and fluoroethylene carbonate were introduced to triethyl phosphate electrolytes to stabilize the deposition of metallic lithium and accommodate the electrode-electrolyte interface. In comparison with traditional carbonate electrolyte, the designed electrolyte shows high thermostability and inflaming retarding characteristics. Meanwhile, the Li||Li symmetrical batteries with designed phosphonic-based electrolytes exhibit a superior cycling stability of 700 h at the condition of 0.2 mA cm^-2, 0.2 mAh cm^-2. Additionally, the smooth- and dense-deposited morphology was observed on an cycled Li anode surface, demonstrating that the designed electrolytes show better interface compatibility with metallic lithium anodes. The Li||LiNi_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1O₂ and Li||LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ batteries paired with phosphonic-based electrolytes show better cycling stability after 200 and 450 cycles at the rate of 0.2 C, respectively. Our work provides a new way to ameliorate nonflammable electrolytes in advanced energy storage systems.

Enhanced Heterogeneous Peroxymonosulfate Activation by MOF-Derived Magnetic Carbonaceous Nanocomposite for Phenol Degradation

Degradation efficiency and catalyst stability are crucial issues in the control of organic compounds in wastewater by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). However, it is difficult for catalysts used in AOPs to have both high catalytic activity and high stability. Combined with the excellent activity of cobalt/copper oxides and the good stability of carbon, highly dispersed cobalt-oxide and copper-oxide nanoparticles embedded in carbon-matrix composites (Co-Cu@C) were prepared for the catalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The catalysts exhibited a stable structure and excellent performance for complete phenol degradation (20 mg L^-1) within 5 min in the Cu-Co@C-5/PMS system, as well as low metal-ion-leaching rates and great reusability. Moreover, a quenching test and an EPR analysis revealed that ·OH, O₂·^-, and ¹O₂ were generated in the Co-Cu@C/PMS system for phenol degradation. The possible mechanism for the radical and non-radical pathways in the activation of the PMS by the Co-Cu@C was proposed. The present study provides a new strategy with which to construct heterostructures for environmentally friendly and efficient PMS-activation catalysts.

Direct Electrochemistry of Glucose Dehydrogenase-Functionalized Polymers on a Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode and Its Molecular Recognition of Glucose

A glucose biosensor was layer-by-layer assembled on a modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) from a nanocomposite of NAD(P)⁺-dependent glucose dehydrogenase, aminated polyethylene glycol (mPEG), carboxylic acid-functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes (fMWCNTs), and ionic liquid (IL) composite functional polymers. The electrochemical electrode was denoted as NF/IL/GDH/mPEG-fMWCNTs/GCE. The composite polymer membranes were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The cyclic voltammogram of the modified electrode had a pair of well-defined quasi-reversible redox peaks with a formal potential of -61 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl) at a scan rate of 0.05 V s^-1. The heterogeneous electron transfer constant (k_s) of GDH on the composite functional polymer-modified GCE was 6.5 s^-1. The biosensor could sensitively recognize and detect glucose linearly from 0.8 to 100 µM with a detection limit down to 0.46 μM (S/N = 3) and a sensitivity of 29.1 nA μM^-1. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Kmapp) of the modified electrode was 0.21 mM. The constructed electrochemical sensor was compared with the high-performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of glucose in commercially available glucose injections. The results demonstrated that the sensor was highly accurate and could be used for the rapid and quantitative determination of glucose concentration.

Security Analysis of Sending or Not-Sending Twin-Field Quantum Key Distribution with Weak Randomness

Sending-or-not sending twin-field quantum key distribution (SNS TF-QKD) has the advantage of tolerating large amounts of misalignment errors, and its key rate can exceed the linear bound of repeaterless quantum key distribution. However, the weak randomness in a practical QKD system may lower the secret key rate and limit its achievable communication distance, thus compromising its performance. In this paper, we analyze the effects of the weak randomness on the SNS TF-QKD. The numerical simulation shows that SNS TF-QKD can still have an excellent performance under the weak random condition: the secret key rate can exceed the PLOB boundary and achieve long transmission distances. Furthermore, our simulation results also show that SNS TF-QKD is more robust to the weak randomness loopholes than the BB84 protocol and the measurement-device-independent QKD (MDI-QKD). Our results emphasize that keeping the randomness of the states is significant to the protection of state preparation devices.

Evaluation of different combination of pam2CSK4, poly (I:C) and imiquimod enhance immune responses to H9N2 avian influenza antigen in dendritic cells and duck

Current commercial H9 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) vaccines cannot provide satisfactory antibody titers and protective immunity against AIVs in duck. Toll like receptors (TLR) ligand as AIVs adjuvants can activate dendritic cells to improve immune responses in multiple animals, while the studies were absent in duck. Therefore, we investigated TLR ligands pam2CSK4, poly (I:C) and/or imiquimod enhance immune responses to inactivated H9N2 avian influenza antigen (H9N2 IAIV) in peripheral blood monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) and duck. In vitro, we observed that transcription factor NF-κB, Th1/Th2 type cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-6) and the ability of catching H9N2 IAIV antigen were significantly up-regulated when H9N2 IAIV along with TLR ligands (pam2CSK4, poly (I:C) and imiquimod, alone or combination) in duck MoDCs. Also, the best enhancement effects were showed in combination of pam2CSK4, poly (I:C) and imiquimod group, whereas IFN-α showed no significant enhancement in all experimental groups. In vivo, the results demonstrated that the percentages of CD4⁺/ CD8⁺ T lymphocytes, the levels of Th1/Th2 type cytokines and H9N2 HI titers were significant enhanced in combination of pam2CSK4, poly (I:C) and imiquimod group. However, pam2CSK4 alone or combining with imiquimod showed no enhancement or additive effects on Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ and IL-2), Th2 cytokines (IL-6) and HI titers in Muscovy duck, respectively. Taken together, our results concluded that not all TLR ligands showed enhancement of immune responses to H9N2 IAIV in duck. The combination of poly (I:C), imiquimod and pam2CSK4 that can be an effectively adjuvant candidate for H9N2 AIVs inactivated vaccine in duck, which provide novel insights in explore waterfowl vaccine.

Sodium-Based Cylindrical Plasmonic Waveguides in the Near-Infrared

Subwavelength optical field confinement and low-loss propagation are of great significance for compact photonic integration. However, the field confinement capability of plasmonic devices is always accompanied by the inherent Ohmic loss. Although recent studies have shown that sodium (Na) exhibits lower loss than noble metals in the near-infrared band, the field confinement ability has not been adequately assessed. Meanwhile, the high chemical reactivity of Na should be regulated for practical application. Two dielectric-coated Na nanowires, consisting of cylindrical Na nanowires with one or two dielectric layers as claddings, are proposed and investigated in this paper. Based on finite element calculations, we thoroughly study the modal fields and low-loss propagation properties of dielectric-coated Na nanowires. The results demonstrate that Na exhibits lower loss and stronger field confinement than the typical plasmonic material silver. These findings indicate the performance of plasmonic devices can be considerably improved by employing the metal Na compared with devices using noble metals, which may promote the applications in subwavelength photonic devices.

Culturing adequate CAR-T cells from less peripheral blood to treat B-cell malignancies

OBJECTIVE

Chimeric antigen receptor-modified T (CAR-T) cells have shown impressive results against relapsed/refractory B cell malignancies. However, the traditional manufacture of CAR-T cells requires leukapheresis to isolate large amounts of peripheral blood T cells, thus making some patients ineligible for the procedure.

METHODS

We developed a simple method for CAR-T cell preparation requiring small volumes of peripheral blood. First, CD3+ T cells isolated from 50 mL peripheral blood from patients (B-cell malignancies) were stimulated with immobilized anti-CD3/RetroNectin in 6-well plates and then transduced with CAR-expressing lentiviral vector. After 4 d, the T cells were transferred to culture bags for large-scale CAR-T cell expansion. In vitro and animal experiments were performed to evaluate the activity of the manufactured CAR-T cells. Finally, 29 patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and 9 patients with B-cell lymphoma were treated with the CAR-T cells.

RESULTS

The CAR-T cells were expanded to 1-3 × 108 cells in 8-10 d and successfully killed B cell-derived malignant tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. For patients with B-ALL, the complete remission rate was 93% 1 month after CAR-T cell infusion; after 12 months, the overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival rates were 69% and 31%, respectively. For patients with lymphoma, the objective response rate (including complete and partial remission) was 78% 2 months after CAR-T cell infusion, and after 12 months, the OS and progression-free survival rates were 71% and 43%, respectively. Cytokine-release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 65.51% and 55.56% of patients with B-ALL and B-cell lymphoma, respectively; severe CRS developed in 20.69% of patients with B-ALL and in no patients with lymphoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Our novel method can generate sufficient numbers of CAR-T cells for clinical use from 50-100 mL peripheral blood, thus providing an alternative means of CAR-T cell generation for patients ineligible for leukapheresis.

Phase-Matching Quantum Key Distribution with Discrete Phase Randomization

The twin-field quantum key distribution (TF-QKD) protocol and its variations have been proposed to overcome the linear Pirandola-Laurenza-Ottaviani-Banchi (PLOB) bound. One variation called phase-matching QKD (PM-QKD) protocol employs discrete phase randomization and the phase post-compensation technique to improve the key rate quadratically. However, the discrete phase randomization opens a loophole to threaten the actual security. In this paper, we first introduce the unambiguous state discrimination (USD) measurement and the photon-number-splitting (PNS) attack against PM-QKD with imperfect phase randomization. Then, we prove the rigorous security of decoy state PM-QKD with discrete phase randomization. Simulation results show that, considering the intrinsic bit error rate and sifting factor, there is an optimal discrete phase randomization value to guarantee security and performance. Furthermore, as the number of discrete phase randomization increases, the key rate of adopting vacuum and one decoy state approaches infinite decoy states, the key rate between discrete phase randomization and continuous phase randomization is almost the same.

A sensitive and innovative detection method for rapid C-reactive proteins analysis based on a micro-fluxgate sensor system

A sensitive and innovative assay system based on a micro-MEMS-fluxgate sensor and immunomagnetic beads-labels was developed for the rapid analysis of C-reactive proteins (CRP). The fluxgate sensor presented in this study was fabricated through standard micro-electro-mechanical system technology. A multi-loop magnetic core made of Fe-based amorphous ribbon was employed as the sensing element, and 3-D solenoid copper coils were used to control the sensing core. Antibody-conjugated immunomagnetic microbeads were strategically utilized as signal tags to label the CRP via the specific conjugation of CRP to polyclonal CRP antibodies. Separate Au film substrates were applied as immunoplatforms to immobilize CRP-beads labels through classical sandwich assays. Detection and quantification of the CRP at different concentrations were implemented by detecting the stray field of CRP labeled magnetic beads using the newly-developed micro-fluxgate sensor. The resulting system exhibited the required sensitivity, stability, reproducibility, and selectivity. A detection limit as low as 0.002 μg/mL CRP with a linearity range from 0.002 μg/mL to 10 μg/mL was achieved, and this suggested that the proposed biosystem possesses high sensitivity. In addition to the extremely low detection limit, the proposed method can be easily manipulated and possesses a quick response time. The response time of our sensor was less than 5 s, and the entire detection period for CRP analysis can be completed in less than 30 min using the current method. Given the detection performance and other advantages such as miniaturization, excellent stability and specificity, the proposed biosensor can be considered as a potential candidate for the rapid analysis of CRP, especially for point-of-care platforms.