Resistance mechanisms of cereal plants and rhizosphere soil microbial communities to chromium stress.

Agricultural soils contaminated with heavy metals poison crops and disturb the normal functioning of rhizosphere microbial communities. Different crops and rhizosphere microbial communities exhibit different heavy metal resistance mechanisms. Here, indoor pot studies were used to assess the mechanisms of grain and soil rhizosphere microbial communities on chromium (Cr) stress. Millet grain variety 'Jingu 21' (Setaria italica) and soil samples were collected prior to control (CK), 6 hours after (Cr_6h), and 6 days following (Cr_6d) Cr stress. Transcriptomic analysis, high-throughput sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used for sample determination and data analysis. Cr stress inhibited the expression of genes related to cell division, and photosynthesis in grain plants while stimulating the expression of genes related to DNA replication and repair, in addition to plant defense systems resist Cr stress. In response to chromium stress, rhizosphere soil bacterial and fungal community compositions and diversity changed significantly (p < 0.05). Both bacterial and fungal co-occurrence networks primarily comprised positively correlated edges that would serve to increase community stability. However, bacterial community networks were larger than fungal community networks and were more tightly connected and less modular than fungal networks. The abundances of C/N functional genes exhibited increasing trends with increased Cr exposure. Overall, these results suggest that Cr stress primarily prevented cereal seedlings from completing photosynthesis, cell division, and proliferation while simultaneously triggering plant defense mechanisms to resist the toxic effects of Cr. Soil bacterial and fungal populations exhibited diverse response traits, community-assembly mechanisms, and increased expression of functional genes related to carbon and nitrogen cycling, all of which are likely related to microbial survival during Cr stress. This study provides new insights into resistance mechanisms, microbial community structures, and mechanisms of C/N functional genes responses in cereal plants to heavy metal contaminated agricultural soils. Portions of this text were previously published as part of a preprint (https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-2891904/v1).

Structural and Biochemical Analysis of Butanol Dehydrogenase From Thermotoga maritima.

Butanol dehydrogenase (BDH) plays a crucial role in butanol biosynthesis by catalyzing the conversion of butanal to butanol using the coenzyme NAD(P)H. In this study, we observed that BDH from Thermotoga maritima (TmBDH) exhibits dual coenzyme specificity and catalytic activity with NADPH as the coenzyme under highly alkaline conditions. Additionally, a thermal stability analysis on TmBDH demonstrated its excellent activity retention even at elevated temperatures of 80°C. These findings demonstrate the superior thermal stability of TmBDH and suggest that it is a promising candidate for large-scale industrial butanol production. Furthermore, we discovered that TmBDH effectively catalyzes the conversion of aldehydes to alcohols and exhibits a wide range of substrate specificities toward aldehydes, while excluding alcohols. The dimeric state of TmBDH was observed using rapid online buffer exchange native mass spectrometry. Additionally, we analyzed the coenzyme-binding sites and inferred the possible locations of the substrate-binding sites. These results provide insights that improve our understanding of BDHs.

Gas Molecule Assisted All-Inorganic Dual-Interface Passivation Strategy for High-Performance Perovskite Solar Cells.

The trap states at both the upper and bottom interfaces of perovskite layers significantly impact non-radiative carrier recombination. The widely used solvent-based passivation methods result in the disordered distribution of surface components, posing challenges for the commercial application of large-area perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To address this issue, a novel NH3 gas-assisted all-inorganic dual-interfaces passivation strategy is proposed. Through the gas treatment of the perovskite surface, NH3 molecules significantly enhanced the iodine vacancy formation energy (1.54 eV) and bonded with uncoordinated Pb2+ to achieve non-destructive passivation. Meanwhile, the reduction of the film defect states is accompanied by a decrease in the work function, which promotes carrier transport between the interface. Further, a stable passivation layer is constructed to manage the bottom interfacial defects using inorganic potassium tripolyphosphate (PT), whose ─P═O group effectively mitigated the charged defects and lowered the carrier transport barriers and nucleation barriers of PVK, while the gradient distribution of K+ improved the crystalline quality of PVK film. Based on the dual-interface synergistic effect, the optimal MA-contained PSCs with an effective area of 0.1 cm2 achieved an efficiency of 24.51% and can maintain 90% of the initial value after aging (10-20% RH and 20 °C) for 2000 h.

Metagenomic profiling uncovers microbiota and antibiotic resistance patterns across human, chicken, pig fecal, and soil environments.

The ongoing and progressive evolution of antibiotic resistance presents escalating challenges for the clinical management and prevention of bacterial infections. Understanding the makeup of resistance genomes and accurately quantifying the current abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are crucial for assessing the threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to public health. This comprehensive study investigated the distribution and diversity of bacterial community composition, ARGs, and virulence factors (VFs) across human, chicken, pig fecal, and soil microbiomes in various provinces of China. As a result, multidrug resistance was identified across all samples. Core ARGs primarily related to multidrug, MLS (Macrolides-Lincosamide-Streptogramins), and tetracycline resistance were characterized. A significant correlation between ARGs and bacterial taxa was observed, especially in soil samples. Probiotic strains such as Lactobacillus harbored ARGs, potentially contributing to the dissemination of antibiotic resistance. We screened subsets of ARGs from samples from different sources as indicators to assess the level of ARGs contamination in samples, with high accuracy. These results underline the complex relationship between microbial communities, resistance mechanisms, and environmental factors, emphasizing the importance of continued research and monitoring to better understand these dynamics.

Low-temperature subcritical water dechlorination composites of waste PVC/coal fly ash with powerful sensing activity for chemiluminescent detection of acetamiprid and imidacloprid.

Pesticide residues in agricultural products are serious threat to people's health. Real-time monitoring of pesticides residues in the environment and agricultural products posed challenges to sustainable methods with high analytical performance for pesticide detection. Herein, waste PVC/coal fly ash (the mass ratio of PVC and coal fly ash was 4:1) was dechlorinated in subcritical water at low temperature to achieve nearly 100 % dechlorination of PVC and obtain carbon-based composite materials (CM-Fe/Al/Si-dPVC) with strong sening activity. For CM-Fe/Al/Si-dPVC, CFe bonding resulted in strong electron migration, and nano/µm SiO2 and Al2O3 doping in the layered polyene C matrix provided large specific surface area, and silicon hydroxyl created good heterogeneous catalytic interfaces. CM-Fe/Al/Si-dPVC could strongly trigger luminol chemiluminescence (CL) reaction and produce intense CL signals. Neonicotinoid pesticides (acetamiprid and imidacloprid) bonded with CM-Fe/Al/Si-dPVC through coordination chelation and hydrogen bonding, which shielded the catalytic active site and increased the Fermi level of system, thus quenching CL reaction. Inspired by these, a cheap CL assay was constructed for detecting neonicotinoids combinations of acetamiprid and imidacloprid (NICs). The detection limits of NICs were 0.7 ng/L. Satisfactory recoveries were obtained for real agricultural products and environmental samples. The results of life cycle evaluation (LCA) revealed that the strategy had significantly small global warming potential (GWP). This work presented a sustainable method with environmental benefits for the detection of neonicotinoids, and also opened up new way for the recycling of organic solid wastes.

Hypoxia promotes histone H3K9 lactylation to enhance LAMC2 transcription in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Hypoxia promotes tumorigenesis and lactate accumulation in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Lactate can induce histone lysine lactylation (Kla, a recently identified histone marks) to regulate transcription. However, the functional consequence of histone Kla under hypoxia in ESCC remains to be explored. Here, we reveal that hypoxia facilitates histone H3K9la to enhance LAMC2 transcription for proliferation of ESCC. We found that global level of Kla was elevated under hypoxia, and thus identified the landscape of histone Kla in ESCC by quantitative proteomics. Furthermore, we show a significant increase of H3K9la level induced by hypoxia. Next, MNase ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analysis suggest that H3K9la is enriched at the promoter of cell junction genes. Finally, we demonstrate that the histone H3K9la facilitates the expression of LAMC2 for ESCC invasion by in vivo and in vitro experiments. Briefly, our study reveals a vital role of histone Kla triggered by hypoxia in cancer.

Eddy Current Sensor Array for Electromagnetic Sensing and Crack Reconstruction with High Lift-Off in Railway Tracks.

A reliable and efficient rail track defect detection system is essential for maintaining rail track integrity and avoiding safety hazards and financial losses. Eddy current (EC) testing is a non-destructive technique that can be employed for this purpose. The trade-off between spatial resolution and lift-off should be carefully considered in practical applications to distinguish closely spaced cracks such as those caused by rolling contact fatigue (RCF). A multi-channel eddy current sensor array has been developed to detect defects on rails. Based on the sensor scanning data, defect reconstruction along the rails is achieved using an inverse algorithm that includes both direct and iterative approaches. In experimental evaluations, the EC system with the developed sensor is used to measure defects on a standard test piece of rail with a probe lift-off of 4-6 mm. The reconstruction results clearly reveal cracks at various depths and spacings on the test piece.

Enhancing photocatalytic CO2 reduction activity through Cobalt-Bismuth bimetallic Nanoparticle-Modified Nitrogen-Doped graphite carbon.

Efficient charge transfer and effective separation of photo-generated charge carriers are crucial factors in photocatalysis. In this study, we present the design of a composite photocatalyst consisting of cobalt and bismuth (CoBi) bimetallic nanoparticles incorporated into a honeycomb nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon (N-GC) matrix. The ultra-thin porous N-GC matrix exhibits excellent electrical conductivity, a high number of active sites, and enables efficient absorption and multiple reflection of incident light. The CoBi bimetal-N-GC interface establishes a self-driven charge transport channel that effectively suppresses the backflow of photogenerated electrons, leading to prolonged separation of photo-generated carriers and a significant improvement in photocatalytic activity. The CoBi@N-GC catalyst showcases outstanding performance, producing CH4 and CO at rates of 36.07 µmol·g-1·h-1 and 44.09 µmol·g-1·h-1 respectively, confirming its superior photocatalytic capabilities.

IL-27 Gene Therapy Ameliorates IPEX Syndrome Caused by Germline Mutation of Foxp3 Gene: A Major Role for Induction of IL-10.

Inactivating mutations of Foxp3, the master regulator of regulatory T cell development and function, lead to immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome in mice and humans. IPEX is a fatal autoimmune disease, with allogeneic stem cell transplant being the only available therapy. In this study, we report that a single dose of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-IL-27 to young mice with naturally occurring Foxp3 mutation (Scurfy mice) substantially ameliorates clinical symptoms, including growth retardation and early fatality. Correspondingly, AAV-IL-27 gene therapy significantly prevented naive T cell activation, as manifested by downregulation of CD62L and upregulation of CD44, and immunopathology typical of IPEX. Because IL-27 is known to induce IL-10, a key effector molecule of regulatory T cells, we evaluated the contribution of IL-10 induction by crossing IL-10-null allele to Scurfy mice. Although IL-10 deficiency does not affect the survival of Scurfy mice, it largely abrogated the therapeutic effect of AAV-IL-27. Our study revealed a major role for IL-10 in AAV-IL-27 gene therapy and demonstrated that IPEX is amenable to gene therapy.

Ginsenoside Rh4 inhibits colorectal cancer via the modulation of gut microbiota-mediated bile acid metabolism.

INTRODUCTION: Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is emerging as a pivotal factor in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Ginsenoside Rh4 (Rh4) is an active compound isolated from ginseng with beneficial effects in modulating intestinal inflammation and gut microbiota dysbiosis, but how Rh4 regulates the gut microbiota to alleviate CRC remains underexplored. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the impact of Rh4 on CRC and the mechanism of its action in inhibiting CRC via modulation of gut microbiota. METHODS: We used the AOM/DSS model and employed transcriptomics, genomics and metabolomics techniques to explore the inhibitory impact of Rh4 on CRC. Furthermore, we employed experiments involving antibiotic treatment and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to investigate the role of the gut microbiota. Finally, we elucidated the pivotal role of key functional bacteria and metabolites regulated by Rh4 in CRC. RESULTS: Our research findings indicated that Rh4 repaired intestinal barrier damage caused by CRC, alleviated intestinal inflammation, and inhibited the development of CRC. Additionally, Rh4 inhibited CRC in a gut microbiota-dependent manner. Rh4 increased the diversity of gut microbiota, enriched the probiotic Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila), and alleviated gut microbiota dysbiosis caused by CRC. Subsequently, Rh4 regulated A. muciniphila-mediated bile acid metabolism. A. muciniphila promoted the production of UDCA by enhancing the activity of 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (7α-HSDH). UDCA further activated FXR, modulated the TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway, thus inhibiting the development of CRC. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm that Rh4 inhibits CRC in a gut microbiota-dependent manner by modulating gut microbiota-mediated bile acid metabolism and promoting the production of UDCA, which further activates the FXR receptor and regulates the TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway. Our results confirm that Rh4 has the potential to be used as a modulator of gut microbiota for preventing and treatment of CRC.

Identification of formation mechanism and key elements of quality geriatric care behavior of nursing assistants in nursing homes: a grounded theory study.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the key elements and develop a formation mechanism model of quality geriatric care behavior for nursing assistants. Methods: This qualitative research employed the strategy of grounded theory proposed by Strauss and Corbin. Furthermore, the data was collected by participatory observation and semi-structured interviews. A total of 12 nursing managers, 63 nursing assistants, and 36 older people from 9 nursing homes in 6 cities were interviewed, whereas for the observatory survey, participants were recruited from 2 nursing homes. Results: The comparative and analysis process revealed 5 key elements of quality geriatric care behavior, including holistic care, personalized care, respect, positive interaction, and empowerment. Based on the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model, key elements and the 3 stages of quality geriatric care behavior (negative behavior cognition stage, practice exchange run-in stage, and positive behavior reinforcement stage), the theoretical framework of the formation mechanism was established. Conclusion: The results indicated that nursing assistants' capabilities, motivation, and organizational and environmental support are vital for quality care behaviors. The theoretical framework established in this study provides theoretical support and practical reference to policymakers, institutional administrators, and healthcare professionals for improving nursing assistant's care behaviors.

Elevated 68Ga-FAPI Activity in Benign Carotid Body Tumors.

ABSTRACT: We present 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT findings of benign carotid body tumor in a 33-year-old woman. Benign carotid body tumor demonstrated intense tracer uptakes on 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT. Our case suggests that benign carotid body tumors should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neck mass with elevated 68Ga-FAPI activity.

Sulfadiazine degradation by Bjerkandera adusta DH0817 at low temperatures and its cold-adaptation mechanisms.

The prolonged period of low temperatures in northern China poses a significant challenge to the bioremediation of antibiotic pollution. This study reports that a white-rot fungus Bjerkandera adusta DH0817, isolated from a poultry farm in Liaoning Province, can remove 60 % of SDZ within 20 days at 10℃ and reduce the biotoxicity of SDZ. Six degradation pathways were proposed. SDZ biodegradation was primarily driven by cytochrome P450. Transcriptome analysis revealed that DH0817 upregulated genes associated with cell membrane, transcription factors and soluble sugars in response to low temperatures. Subsequently, genes associated with fatty acid, proteins and enzymes were upregulated to remove SDZ at low temperatures. This study provides valuable microbial resources and serves as a theoretical reference for addressing antibiotic pollution in livestock and poultry farms under low temperature conditions.

SDS3 regulates microglial inflammation by modulating the expression of the upstream kinase ASK1 in the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Microglia, the main innate immune cells in the central nervous system, are key drivers of neuroinflammation, which plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The Sin3/histone deacetylase (HDAC) complex, a highly conserved multiprotein co-repressor complex, primarily performs transcriptional repression via deacetylase activity; however, the function of SDS3, which maintains the integrity of the complex, in microglia remains unclear. METHODS: To uncover the regulatory role of the transcriptional co-repressor SDS3 in microglial inflammation, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation to identify SDS3 target genes and combined with transcriptomics and proteomics analysis to explore expression changes in cells following SDS3 knocking down. Subsequently, we validated our findings through experimental assays. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed that SDS3 modulates the expression of the upstream kinase ASK1 of the p38 MAPK pathway, thus regulating the activation of signaling pathways and ultimately influencing inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide important evidence of the contributions of SDS3 toward microglial inflammation and offer new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of microglial inflammatory responses.

HDL-cholesterol confers sensitivity of immunotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma via remodeling tumor-associated macrophages towards the M1 phenotype.

BACKGROUND: The sustained effectiveness of anti-programmed cell death protein-1/programmed death-ligand 1 treatment is limited to a subgroup of patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and the specific biomarker determining the response to immunotherapy in NPC remains uncertain. METHODS: We assessed the associations between pre-immunotherapy and post-immunotherapy serum lipoproteins and survival in a training cohort (N=160) and corroborated these findings in a validation cohort (N=100). Animal studies were performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. Additionally, the relationship between high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and M1/M2-like macrophages, as well as activated CD8+T cells in tumor tissues from patients with NPC who received immunotherapy, was investigated. RESULTS: The lipoproteins cholesterol, HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA1), and apolipoprotein B, were significantly altered after immunotherapy. Patients with higher baseline HDL-C or ApoA1, or those with increased HDL-C or ApoA1 after immunotherapy had longer progression-free survival, a finding verified in the validation cohort (p<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that baseline HDL-C and elevated HDL-C post-immunotherapy were independent predictors of superior PFS (p<0.05). Furthermore, we discovered that L-4F, an ApoA1 mimetic, could inhibit tumor growth in NPC xenografts. This effect was associated with L-4F's ability to polarize M2-like macrophages towards an M1-like phenotype via the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65, thereby alleviating immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. Importantly, in patients with NPC with high plasma HDL-C levels, the number of M2-like macrophages was significantly decreased, while M1-like macrophages and activated CD8+T cells were notably increased in those with high HDL-C levels. CONCLUSION: Higher baseline HDL-C levels or an increase in HDL-C post-immunotherapy can enhance immunotherapeutic responses in patients with NPC by reprogramming M2-like macrophages towards the M1 phenotype. This suggests a potential role for prospectively exploring ApoA1 mimetics as adjuvant agents in combination with immunotherapy.

The HTLV-I oncoprotein Tax inactivates the tumor suppressor FBXW7.

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-I) is the etiological agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL). Mutational analysis has demonstrated that the tumor suppressor, F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7 (FBXW7/FBW7/CDC4), is mutated in primary ATL patients. However, even in the absence of genetic mutations, FBXW7 substrates are stabilized in ATL cells, suggesting additional mechanisms can prevent FBXW7 functions. Here, we report that the viral oncoprotein Tax represses FBXW7 activity, resulting in the stabilization of activated Notch intracellular domain, c-MYC, Cyclin E, and myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (BCL2-related) (Mcl-1). Mechanistically, we demonstrate that Tax directly binds to FBXW7 in the nucleus, effectively outcompeting other targets for binding to FBXW7, resulting in decreased ubiquitination and degradation of FBXW7 substrates. In support of the nuclear role of Tax, a non-degradable form of the nuclear factor kappa B subunit 2 (NFκB2/p100) was found to delocalize Tax to the cytoplasm, thereby preventing Tax interactions with FBXW7 and Tax-mediated inhibition of FBXW7. Finally, we characterize a Tax mutant that is unable to interact with FBXW7, unable to block FBXW7 tumor suppressor functions, and unable to effectively transform fibroblasts. These results demonstrate that HTLV-I Tax can inhibit FBXW7 functions without genetic mutations to promote an oncogenic state. These results suggest that Tax-mediated inhibition of FBXW7 is likely critical during the early stages of the cellular transformation process. IMPORTANCE: F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7 (FBXW7), a critical tumor suppressor of human cancers, is frequently mutated or epigenetically suppressed. Loss of FBXW7 functions is associated with stabilization and increased expression of oncogenic factors such as Cyclin E, c-Myc, Mcl-1, mTOR, Jun, and Notch. In this study, we demonstrate that the human retrovirus human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 oncoprotein Tax directly interacts with FBXW7, effectively outcompeting other targets for binding to FBXW7, resulting in decreased ubiquitination and degradation of FBXW7 cellular substrates. We further demonstrate that a Tax mutant unable to interact with and inactivate FBXW7 loses its ability to transform primary fibroblasts. Collectively, our results describe a novel mechanism used by a human tumor virus to promote cellular transformation.

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Cattle in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China.

Crytosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are important diarrheal pathogens with a global distribution that threatens the health of humans and animals. Despite cattle being potential transmission hosts of these protozoans, the associated risks to public health have been neglected. In the present study, a total of 1155 cattle fecal samples were collected from 13 administrative regions of Heilongjiang Province. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, and E. bieneusi were 5.5% (64/1155; 95% CI: 4.2-6.9), 3.8% (44/1155; 95% CI: 2.7-4.9), and 6.5% (75/1155; 95% CI: 5.1-7.9), respectively. Among these positive fecal samples, five Cryptosporidium species (C. andersoni, C. bovis, C. ryanae, C. parvum, and C. occultus), two G. duodenalis assemblages (E and A), and eight E. bieneusi genotypes (BEB4, BEB6, BEB8, J, I, CHS7, CHS8, and COS-I) were identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all eight genotypes of E. bieneusi identified in the present study belonged to group 2. It is worth noting that some species/genotypes of these intestinal protozoans are zoonotic, suggesting a risk of zoonotic disease transmission in endemic areas. The findings expanded our understanding of the genetic composition and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, and E. bieneusi in cattle in Heilongjiang Province.

Supramolecular assembly activated single-molecule phosphorescence resonance energy transfer for near-infrared targeted cell imaging.

Pure organic phosphorescence resonance energy transfer is a research hotspot. Herein, a single-molecule phosphorescence resonance energy transfer system with a large Stokes shift of 367 nm and near-infrared emission is constructed by guest molecule alkyl-bridged methoxy-tetraphenylethylene-phenylpyridines derivative, cucurbit[n]uril (n = 7, 8) and ß-cyclodextrin modified hyaluronic acid. The high binding affinity of cucurbituril to guest molecules in various stoichiometric ratios not only regulates the topological morphology of supramolecular assembly but also induces different phosphorescence emissions. Varying from the spherical nanoparticles and nanorods for binary assemblies, three-dimensional nanoplate is obtained by the ternary co-assembly of guest with cucurbit[7]uril/cucurbit[8]uril, accompanying enhanced phosphorescence at 540 nm. Uncommonly, the secondary assembly of ß-cyclodextrin modified hyaluronic acid and ternary assembly activates a single intramolecular phosphorescence resonance energy transfer process derived from phenyl pyridines unit to methoxy-tetraphenylethylene function group, enabling a near-infrared delayed fluorescence at 700 nm, which ultimately applied to mitochondrial targeted imaging for cancer cells.