NIR-II emissive anionic copper nanoclusters with intrinsic photoredox activity in single-electron transfer.

Ultrasmall copper nanoclusters have recently emerged as promising photocatalysts for organic synthesis, owing to their exceptional light absorption ability and large surface areas for efficient interactions with substrates. Despite significant advances in cluster-based visible-light photocatalysis, the types of organic transformations that copper nanoclusters can catalyze remain limited to date. Herein, we report a structurally well-defined anionic Cu40 nanocluster that emits in the second near-infrared region (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) after photoexcitation and can conduct single-electron transfer with fluoroalkyl iodides without the need for external ligand activation. This photoredox-active copper nanocluster efficiently catalyzes the three-component radical couplings of alkenes, fluoroalkyl iodides, and trimethylsilyl cyanide under blue-LED irradiation at room temperature. A variety of fluorine-containing electrophiles and a cyanide nucleophile can be added onto an array of alkenes, including styrenes and aliphatic olefins. Our current work demonstrates the viability of using readily accessible metal nanoclusters to establish photocatalytic systems with a high degree of practicality and reaction complexity.

Effect of smoking on prostate cancer: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2018 and Mendelian randomization analyses.

INTRODUCTION: The controversial relationship between smoking and prostate cancer (PCa) risk prompted us to conduct a cross-sectional study using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database and apply Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses in order to clarify the possible causal effect of smoking on PCa risk. METHODS: Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods, a secondary analysis of the pooled 2003-2018 NHANES dataset was performed to explore the association between smoking and PCa risk. Propensity-score matching was used to reduce selection bias. Then, we conducted subsequent MR analysis study to investigate the potential causal effect of smoking on PCa risk, with genetic variants of four exposure factors including the lifetime smoking index, light smoking, smoking initiation, and the amount of smoking per day obtained from genome-wide association studies, and PCa summary statistics obtained from three database populations. Inverse-variance weighting was the primary analytical method, and weighted median and MR-Egger regression were used for sensitivity analyses. The MR results for the three PCa databases were combined using meta-analysis. RESULTS: The study included 16073 NHANES subjects, comprising 554 with PCa and 15519 without PCa. Logistic regression before and after matching did not reveal any significant association. Meta-analysis of the MR results also did not support an association of PCa risk with lifetime smoking index (OR=0.95; 95% CI: 0.83-1.09), light smoking (OR=1.00; 95% CI: 0.95-1.06), smoking initiation (OR=0.99, 95% CI=0.99-1.00), or the amount of smoking per day (OR=1.00; 95% CI: 0.99-1.00) and PCa risk. CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence for an association between smoking and the risk of PCa. Further studies are needed to determine if there are any associations of other forms of smoking with the risk of PCa at different stages.

Niche convergence and biogeographic history shape elevational tree community assembly in a subtropical mountain forest.

Niche convergence or conservatism have been proposed as essential mechanisms underlying elevational plant community assembly in tropical mountain ecosystems. Subtropical mountains, compared to tropical mountains, are likely to be shaped by a mixing of different geographic affinities of species and remain somehow unclear. Here, we used 31 0.1-ha permanent plots distributed in subtropical forests on the eastern and western aspects of the Gaoligong Mountains, southwest China between 1498 m and 3204 m a.sl. to evaluate how niche-based and biogeographic processes shape tree community assembly along elevational gradients. We analyzed the elevational patterns of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity, as well as of individual traits, and assessed the relative importance of environmental effects on these diversity measures. We then classified tree species as being either tropical affiliated or temperate affiliated and estimated their contribution to the composition of biogeographic affinities. Species richness decreased with elevation, and species composition showed apparent turnover across the aspects and elevations. Most traits exhibited convergent patterns across the entire elevational gradient. Phylogenetic and functional diversity showed opposing patterns, with phylogenetic diversity increasing and functional diversity decreasing with elevation. Soil nutrients, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, appeared to be the main abiotic variables driving the elevational diversity patterns. Communities at lower elevations were occupied by tropical genera, while highlands contained species of tropical and temperate biogeographic affinities. Moreover, the high phylogenetic diversity at high elevations were likely due to differences in evolutionary history between temperate and tropical species. Our results highlight the importance of niche convergence of tropical species and the legacy of biogeographic history on the composition and structure of subtropical mountain forests. Furthermore, limited soil phosphorus caused traits divergence and the partitioning for different forms of phosphorus may explain the high biodiversity found in phosphorus-limited subtropical forests.

[Anti-aging effect and molecular mechanism of Xiyangshen Sanqi Danshen Granules based on metabolomics and bioinformatics].

This study investigated the anti-aging mechanism of Xiyangshen Sanqi Danshen Granules based on metabonomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking. The aging mice model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose(D-gal). Mice were randomly divided into a control group, model group, melatonin group(MT group), and low, medium, and high dose groups of Xiyangshen Sanqi Danshen Granules(XSD-L, XSD-M, and XSD-H). An open-field experiment was conducted, and the expression of cell cycle arrest proteins(p16) and phosphorylated histone family 2A variant(γH2AX) in the brain tissue was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression of interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in the brain tissue was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Metabolomics analysis was performed on the serum of mice in control, model, and XSD-H groups to obtain metabolic processes and metabolites. The effective chemical components and potential targets of Xiyangshen Sanqi Danshen Granules were predicted through network pharmacology, and the network diagram of "drug-effective chemical components-key targets" was constructed. Gene Ontology(GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) analysis were carried out, and a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was constructed to clarify the anti-aging mechanism of Xiyangshen Sanqi Danshen Granules. The results showed that the Xiyangshen Sanqi Danshen Granules could significantly improve the aging degree of D-gal mice, significantly improve the total motion distance and the mean motion speed of D-gal mice, and reduce the rest time. In addition, Xiyangshen Sanqi Danshen Granules could significantly reduce the protein levels of IL-6 and IL-1ß and the expression of p16 and γH2AX in D-gal mice. Compared with the model group, 66 differential metabolites(DMs) were significantly up-regulated, and 91 DMs were down-regulated in the XSD-H group. Moreover, four key metabolic pathways(tryptophan metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and lysine degradation) and 16 biomarkers(lysine, tryptophan, indoleacetaldehyde, PCs, LysoPCs, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, melatonin, etc) were screened out. 58 main active components and 62 key targets of Xiyangshen Sanqi Danshen Granules were screened by network pharmacology. The GO functional enrichment analysis found the positive regulation of gene expression, drug response, etc. KEGG pathway enrichment screening involved diabetic complications-related AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, hypoxia inducible factor-1 signaling pathway, etc. Through the PPI network and molecular docking, six potential core targets of STAT3, MAPK1, MAPK14, EGFR, FOS, and STAT1 were screened.

A de novo Mutation (p.Gln277X) of Cyclin D2 is Responsible for a Child with Megalencephaly-Polymicrogyria-Polydactyly-Hydrocephalus Syndrome.

Megalencephaly-polymicrogyria-polydactyly-hydrocephalus syndrome (MPPH), a type of overgrowth syndrome, is characterized by progressive megalencephaly, cortical brain malformations, and distal limb anomalies. Previous studies have revealed that the overactivity of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Protein kinase B pathway and the increased cyclin D2 (CCND2) expression were the main factors contributing to this disease. Here, we present the case of a patient who exhibited megalencephaly, polymicrogyria, abnormal neuronal migration, and developmental delay. Serum tandem mass spectrometry and chromosome examination did not detect any metabolic abnormalities or copy number variants. However, whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing revealed a de novo nonsense mutation (NM_001759.3: c.829C>T; p.Gln277X) in the CCND2 gene of the patient. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that this mutation may disrupt the structure and surface charge of the CCND2 protein. This disruption could potentially prevent polyubiquitination of CCND2, leading to its resistance against degradation. Consequently, this could drive cell division and growth by altering the activity of key cell cycle regulatory nodes, ultimately contributing to the development of MPPH. This study not only presents a new case of MPPH and expands the mutation spectrum of CCND2 but also enhances our understanding of the mechanisms connecting CCND2 with overgrowth syndromes.

Hypoxia inhibits ferritinophagy-mediated ferroptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via the USP2-NCOA4 axis.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a prevalent malignancy of the digestive system. Hypoxia is a crucial player in tumor ferroptosis resistance. However, the molecular mechanism of hypoxia-mediated ferroptosis resistance in ESCC remains unclear. Here, USP2 expression was decreased in ESCC cell lines subjected to hypoxia treatment and was lowly expressed in clinical ESCC specimens. Ubiquitin-specific protease 2 (USP2) depletion facilitated cell growth, which was blocked in USP2-overexpressing cells. Moreover, USP2 silencing enhanced the iron ion concentration and lipid peroxidation accumulation as well as suppressed ferroptosis, while upregulating USP2 promoted ferroptotic cell death in ESCC cells. Furthermore, knockout of USP2 in ESCC models discloses the essential role of USP2 in promoting ESCC tumorigenesis and inhibiting ferroptosis. In contrast, overexpression of USP2 contributes to antitumor effect and ferroptosis events in vivo. Specifically, USP2 stably bound to and suppressed the degradation of nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) by eliminating the Lys48-linked chain, which in turn triggered ferritinophagy and ferroptosis in ESCC cells. Our findings suggest that USP2 plays a crucial role in iron metabolism and ferroptosis and that the USP2/NCOA4 axis is a promising therapeutic target for the management of ESCC.

Vehicle Detection Algorithms for Autonomous Driving: A Review.

Autonomous driving, as a pivotal technology in modern transportation, is progressively transforming the modalities of human mobility. In this domain, vehicle detection is a significant research direction that involves the intersection of multiple disciplines, including sensor technology and computer vision. In recent years, many excellent vehicle detection methods have been reported, but few studies have focused on summarizing and analyzing these algorithms. This work provides a comprehensive review of existing vehicle detection algorithms and discusses their practical applications in the field of autonomous driving. First, we provide a brief description of the tasks, evaluation metrics, and datasets for vehicle detection. Second, more than 200 classical and latest vehicle detection algorithms are summarized in detail, including those based on machine vision, LiDAR, millimeter-wave radar, and sensor fusion. Finally, this article discusses the strengths and limitations of different algorithms and sensors, and proposes future trends.

The patients with multiple myeloma were infected with COVID-19 during autologous stem cell transplantation: case report and literature review.

This paper introduces two cases of multiple myeloma, COVID-19 infection during autologous stem cell transplantation, the treatment process, and different results of the two patients, which provides a reference for how to carry out ASCT safely during the COVID-19 normalization stage.

Osmosensor-mediated control of Ca2+ spiking in pollen germination.

Higher plants survive terrestrial water deficiency and fluctuation by arresting cellular activities (dehydration) and resuscitating processes (rehydration). However, how plants monitor water availability during rehydration is unknown. Although increases in hypo-osmolarity-induced cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (HOSCA) have long been postulated to be the mechanism for sensing hypo-osmolarity in rehydration1,2, the molecular basis remains unknown. Because osmolarity triggers membrane tension and the osmosensing specificity of osmosensing channels can only be determined in vivo3-5, these channels have been classified as a subtype of mechanosensors. Here we identify bona fide cell surface hypo-osmosensors in Arabidopsis and find that pollen Ca2+ spiking is controlled directly by water through these hypo-osmosensors-that is, Ca2+ spiking is the second messenger for water status. We developed a functional expression screen in Escherichia coli for hypo-osmosensitive channels and identified OSCA2.1, a member of the hyperosmolarity-gated calcium-permeable channel (OSCA) family of proteins6. We screened single and high-order OSCA mutants, and observed that the osca2.1/osca2.2 double-knockout mutant was impaired in pollen germination and HOSCA. OSCA2.1 and OSCA2.2 function as hypo-osmosensitive Ca2+-permeable channels in planta and in HEK293 cells. Decreasing osmolarity of the medium enhanced pollen Ca2+ oscillations, which were mediated by OSCA2.1 and OSCA2.2 and required for germination. OSCA2.1 and OSCA2.2 convert extracellular water status into Ca2+ spiking in pollen and may serve as essential hypo-osmosensors for tracking rehydration in plants.

Genome analysis of an extensively drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa ST1791 from a patient in China hospitalized for severe pneumonia.

OBJECTIVES: The emergence and outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) are a major global public threat. we aimed to characterize the genome of drug-resistant and virulent genes in an extremely drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain to understand its antimicrobial resistance trends and pathogenicity. METHODS: An XDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain was isolated in China from a patient with severe pneumonia. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis was performed. Predictions were fulfilled using curated bioinformatics tools. RESULTS: The assembly of the strain (CRPA190) comprised 76 contigs with a total length of 7 009 318 bp. CRPA190 belongs to sequence type 1791 (ST1791) and the O11 serogroup. Nine prophage regions, three CRISPR arrays, and two Cas clusters were identified. However, no plasmids were predicted. Antibiotic susceptibility tests showed that CRPA190 was resistant to all the tested antibiotics, including carbapenem, polymyxin B and ceftazidime-avibactam. Forty antimicrobial resistance genes were predicted in CRPA190, including several carbapenemase genes such as blaPDC-142, blaPME-1, blaNDM-1 and blaOXA-902. The isolate was predicted to be pathogenic and possess strong biofilm-forming ability. It harbors virulence genes that are associated with an arsenal of virulence determinants involved in adherence, motility, exotoxins, exoenzymes, immune modulation, biofilms, nutritional/metabolic factors and effector delivery systems. CONCLUSION: These findings enhance our understanding of the resistance and pathogenicity of the ST1791 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain which is unique in China and provide a broader perspective on the global epidemiological landscape, suggesting the emergence of P. aeruginosa ST1971, which requires control measures to limit its dissemination.

Dual targeting total saponins of Pulsatilla of natural polymer crosslinked gel beads with multiple therapeutic effects for ulcerative colitis.

Oral colon targeted drug delivery system (OCTDDS) is desirable for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). In this study, we designed a partially oxidized sodium alginate-chitosan crosslinked microsphere for UC treatment. Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) was used to study the formation and enzyme response of gel beads from a molecular perspective. The formed gel beads have a narrow particle size distribution, a compact structure, low cytotoxicity and great colon targeting in vitro and in vivo. Animal experiments demonstrated that gel beads promoted colonic epithelial barrier integrity, decreased the level of pro-inflammatory factors, accelerated the recovery of intestinal microbial homeostasis in UC rats and restored the intestinal metabolic disorders. In conclusion, our gel bead is a promising approach for the treatment of UC and significant for the researches on the pathogenesis and treatment mechanism of UC.

Polyketides with α-glucosidase inhibitory and neuroprotective activities from Aspergillus versicolor associated with Pedicularis sylvatica.

Aspergillus versicolor, an endophytic fungus associated with the herbal medicine Pedicularis sylvatica, produced four new polyketides, aspeversins A-D (1-2 and 5-6) and four known compounds, O-methylaverufin (2), aversin (3), varilactone A (7) and spirosorbicillinol A (8). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic data analysis, and their absolute configurations were determined by calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and Mo2(AcO)4-induced CD data. Compound 5 was found to exhibit α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 25.57 µM. An enzyme kinetic study indicated that 5 was a typical uncompetitive inhibitor toward α-glucosidase, which was supported by a molecular docking study. Moreover, compounds 1-3 and 5 also improved the cell viability of PC12 cells on a 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+)-induced Parkinson's disease model, indicating their neuroprotective potential as antiparkinsonian agents.

Bounding the Amount of Entanglement from Witness Operators.

We present an approach to estimate the operational distinguishability between an entangled state and any separable state directly from measuring an entanglement witness. We show that this estimation also implies bounds on a variety of other well-known entanglement quantifiers. This approach for entanglement estimation is then extended to both the measurement-device-independent scenario and the fully device-independent scenario, where we obtain nontrivial but suboptimal bounds. The procedure requires no numerical optimization and is easy to compute. It offers ways for experimenters to not only detect, but also quantify, entanglement from the standard entanglement witness procedure.

Carbon wet deposition flux and river carbon output in a forest watershed in permafrost region of the Da Xing'an Mountains.

Carbon wet deposition and river carbon output in river basins are important components of global carbon cycle. The assessment of both properties is of great significance for regional carbon budget. However, research on these topics in high-latitude permafrost regions in China is still lacking. We conducted dynamic monitoring of carbon wet deposition and carbon output in the river from May 28th to October 30th, 2022, in Laoyeling watershed, a typical forested watershed in the Da Xing'an Mountains permafrost region. We analyzed the variations of carbon component concentrations and fluxes in precipitation and river water, and estimated the contribution of carbon wet deposition to carbon output in the watershed. The results showed that wet deposition fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and total dissolved carbon (TDC) in the Laoyeling watershed were 1354.86, 684.59, and 2039.45 kg·km-2, respectively. The fluxes of DOC, DIC, TDC, particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate inorganic carbon (PIC), and total carbon (TC) in the river were 601.75, 1977.30, 2579.05, 125.13, 21.99, and 2726.17 kg·km-2, respectively. The contribution of TDC wet deposition to the river TDC output was 9941.89 kg, accounting for 17.6% of total output. The DIC concentration in the river showed significant seasonal differences, with increased runoff resulting from precipitation leading to a decrease in DIC concentration in the river and showing a clear dilution effect, while the concentrations of DOC, POC, and PIC increased, mainly due to erosion effect. In conclusion, carbon wet deposition flux in the Laoyeling watershed was mainly determined by precipitation, and its contribution to river carbon output was relatively small compared to other factor. Runoff was the dominant factor affecting river carbon output. The results would provide important insights into carbon cycling and carbon budget balance in permafrost regions under climate change.

Engineering van der Waals Contacts by Interlayer Dipoles.

Tuning the interfacial Schottky barrier with van der Waals (vdW) contacts is an important solution for two-dimensional (2D) electronics. Here we report that the interlayer dipoles of 2D vdW superlattices (vdWSLs) can be used to engineer vdW contacts to 2D semiconductors. A bipolar WSe2 with Ba6Ta11S28 (BTS) vdW contact was employed to exhibit this strategy. Strong interlayer dipoles can be formed due to charge transfer between the Ba3TaS5 and TaS2 layers. Mechanical exfoliation breaks the superlattice and produces two distinguished surfaces with TaS2 and Ba3TaS5 terminations. The surfaces thus have opposite surface dipoles and consequently different work functions. Therefore, all the devices fall into two categories in accordance with the rectifying direction, which were verified by electrical measurements and scanning photocurrent microscopy. The growing vdWSL family along with the addition surface dipoles enables prospective vdW contact designs and have practical application in nanoelectronics and nano optoelectronics.

Analysis of Factors Influencing Prognosis and Assessment of 60 Cases of Decompensated Cirrhotic Patients with Portal Hypertension.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for the development of portal hypertension in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and analyze their prognosis. Methods: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis who were admitted to our hospital and Qu fu People's Hospital from June 2022 to June 2023 were included in this study. Among them, there were 45 male and 15 female patients, with a median age of 56 (range: 35-77) years. A comparative analysis was performed between Group A (hepatic venous pressure gradient, HVPG <16 mmHg) and Group B (HVPG ≥16 mmHg) patients, along with various clinical outcomes. Multivariate analysis was conducted to explore the risk factors influencing the occurrence of portal hypertension and adverse prognosis in patients with cirrhosis. Results: In Group A patients with portal hypertension, we observed lower levels of aspartate aminotransferase, laminin, serum hyaluronic acid, type III procollagen N-terminal peptide, total bile acids, and cholylglycine acid compared to Group B. On the other hand, levels of alanine aminotransferase, white blood cells, and serum albumin were higher in Group A than in Group B. These differences between the groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis of the aforementioned risk factors indicated that low white blood cell count, high cholylglycine acid levels, and high serum hyaluronic acid levels were identified as independent risk factors for the occurrence of difficult-to-control complications in decompensated portal hypertension among patients with liver cirrhosis (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Liver cirrhosis patients with portal hypertension and multiple risk factors like low white blood cell count and high liver transaminase levels should be cautious regarding the progression of portal hypertension when combined with splenomegaly, liver fibrosis, and bile stasis, as it often indicates a poor prognosis.

Comprehensive analysis and prediction model of mitophagy and ferroptosis in primary immune thrombocytopenia.

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is linked to specific pathogenic mechanisms, yet its relationship with mitophagy and ferroptosis is poorly understood. This study aimed to identify new biomarkers and explore the role of mitophagy and ferroptosis in ITP pathogenesis. Techniques such as differential analysis, Mfuzz expression pattern clustering, machine learning, gene set enrichment analysis, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and immune infiltration analysis were employed to investigate the molecular pathways of pivotal genes. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) assessed the causal effects in ITP. Key genes identified in the training set included GABARAPL1, S100A8, LIN28A, and GDF9, which demonstrated diagnostic potential in validation sets. Functional analysis indicated these genes' involvement in ubiquitin phosphorylation, PPAR signalling pathway and T-cell differentiation. Immune infiltration analysis revealed increased macrophage presence in ITP, related to the critical genes. scRNA-seq indicated reduced GABARAPL1 expression in ITP bone marrow macrophages. TSMR linked S100A8 with ITP diagnosis, presenting an OR of 0.856 (95% CI = 0.736-0.997, p = 0.045). The study pinpointed four central genes, GABARAPL1, S100A8, LIN28A, and GDF9, tied to mitophagy and ferroptosis in ITP. It posits that diminished GABARAPL1 expression may disrupts ubiquitin phosphorylation and PPAR signalling, impairing mitophagy and inhibiting ferroptosis, leading to immune imbalance.

Vaginal microbiomes show ethnic evolutionary dynamics and positive selection of Lactobacillus adhesins driven by a long-term niche-specific process.

The vaginal microbiome's composition varies among ethnicities. However, the evolutionary landscape of the vaginal microbiome in the multi-ethnic context remains understudied. We perform a systematic evolutionary analysis of 351 vaginal microbiome samples from 35 multi-ethnic pregnant women, in addition to two validation cohorts, totaling 462 samples from 90 women. Microbiome alpha diversity and community state dynamics show strong ethnic signatures. Lactobacillaceae have a higher ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous polymorphism and lower nucleotide diversity than non-Lactobacillaceae in all ethnicities, with a large repertoire of positively selected genes, including the mucin-binding and cell wall anchor genes. These evolutionary dynamics are driven by the long-term evolutionary process unique to the human vaginal niche. Finally, we propose an evolutionary model reflecting the environmental niches of microbes. Our study reveals the extensive ethnic signatures in vaginal microbial ecology and evolution, highlighting the importance of studying the host-microbiome ecosystem from an evolutionary perspective.

Unveiling unique alternative splicing responses to low temperature in Zoysia japonica through ZjRTD1.0, a high-quality reference transcript dataset.

Inadequate reference databases in RNA-seq analysis can hinder data utilization and interpretation. In this study, we have successfully constructed a high-quality reference transcript dataset, ZjRTD1.0, for Zoysia japonica, a widely-used turfgrass with exceptional tolerance to various abiotic stress, including low temperatures and salinity. This dataset comprises 113,089 transcripts from 57,143 genes. BUSCO analysis demonstrates exceptional completeness (92.4%) in ZjRTD1.0, with reduced proportions of fragmented (3.3%) and missing (4.3%) orthologs compared to prior datasets. ZjRTD1.0 enables more precise analyses, including transcript quantification and alternative splicing assessments using public datasets, which identified a substantial number of differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) and differential alternative splicing (DAS) events, leading to several novel findings on Z. japonica's responses to abiotic stresses. First, spliceosome gene expression influenced alternative splicing significantly under abiotic stress, with a greater impact observed during low-temperature stress. Then, a significant positive correlation was found between the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) encoding protein kinases and the frequency of DAS events, suggesting the role of protein phosphorylation in regulating alternative splicing. Additionally, our results suggest possible involvement of serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) in generating inclusion/exclusion isoforms under low-temperature stress. Furthermore, our investigation revealed a significantly enhanced overlap between DEGs and differentially alternatively spliced genes (DASGs) in response to low-temperature stress, suggesting a unique co-regulatory mechanism governing transcription and splicing in the context of low-temperature response. In conclusion, we have proven that ZjRTD1.0 will serve as a reliable and useful resource for future transcriptomic analyses in Z. japonica.

Microheater Chips with Carbon Nanotube Resistors.

The specific and excellent properties of the low-dimensional nanomaterials have made them promising building blocks to be integrated into microelectromechanical systems with high performances. Here, we present a new microheater chip for in situ TEM, in which a cross-stacked superaligned carbon nanotube (CNT) film resistor is located on a suspended SiNx membrane via van der Waals (vdW) interactions. The CNT microheater has a fast high-temperature response and low power consumption, thanks to the micro/nanostructure of the CNT materials. Moreover, the membrane bulging amplitude is significantly reduced to only ∼100 nm at 800 °C for the vdW interaction between the CNTs and the SiNx membrane. An in situ observation of the Sn melting process is successfully conducted with the assistance of a customized flexible temperature control system. The uniform wafer-scaled CNT films enable a high level of consistency and cost-effective mass production of such chips. The as-developed in situ chips, as well as the related techniques, hold great promise in nanoscience, materials science, and electrochemistry.