Responsive Multi-Arm PEG-Modified COF Nanocomposites: Dynamic Photothermal, pH/ROS Dual-Responsive, Targeted Carriers for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic immune disease characterized by the infiltration of immune cells and the proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) at the joint site, leading to inflammation and joint destruction. However, the available treatment options targeting both inflammatory and proliferative FLS are limited. Herein, this work presents three covalent organic frameworks (COFs) photothermal composite systems modified with multi-armed polyethylene glycols (PEG) for the treatment of RA. These systems exhibit a dual response under low pH and high reactive oxygen species (ROS) conditions at the site of inflammation, with a specific focus on delivering the protein drug ribonuclease A (RNase A). Notably, molecular docking studies reveal the interaction between RNase A and NF-κB p65 protein, and Western blotting confirm its inhibitory effect on NF-κB activity. In vitro and in vivo experiments verify the significant reduction in joint swelling and deformities in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats after treatment with RNase A delivered by multi-armed PEG-modified COF ligands, restoring joint morphology to normal. These findings underscore the promising therapeutic potential of COFs for the treatment of RA, highlighting their unique capabilities in addressing both inflammatory and proliferative aspects of the disease and expanding the scope of biomedical applications for COFs.

Neural Mechanisms of Nonauditory Effects of Noise Exposure on Special Populations.

Due to the abnormal structure and function of brain neural networks in special populations, such as children, elderly individuals, and individuals with mental disorders, noise exposure is more likely to have negative psychological and cognitive nonauditory effects on these individuals. There are unique and complex neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. For individuals with mental disorders, there are anomalies such as structural atrophy and decreased functional activation in brain regions involved in emotion and cognitive processing, such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Noise exposure can worsen these abnormalities in relevant brain regions, further damaging neural plasticity and disrupting normal connections and the transmission of information between the PFC and other brain areas by causing neurotransmitter imbalances. In the case of children, in a noisy environment, brain regions such as the left inferior frontal gyrus and PFC, which are involved in growth and development, are more susceptible to structural and functional changes, leading to neurodegenerative alterations. Furthermore, noise exposure can interrupt auditory processing neural pathways or impair inhibitory functions, thus hindering children's ability to map sound to meaning in neural processes. For elderly people, age-related shrinkage of brain regions such as the PFC, as well as deficiencies in hormone, neurotransmitter, and nutrient levels, weakens their ability to cope with noise. Currently, it is feasible to propose and apply coping strategies to improve the nonauditory effects of noise exposure on special populations based on the plasticity of the human brain.

α-Acyloxylation of Ketones/Cyclic Ethers Mediated by Hypervalent Iodine(III) Reagents as Oxidants and Nucleophilic Sources.

This study describes a catalyst-free α-acyloxylation of ketones and a KBr-mediated α-acyloxylation of cyclic ethers. These conversions are effectively mediated by hypervalent iodine(III) reagents serving dual roles as the oxidant and nucleophilic source. Consequently, esters are produced directly in moderate to excellent yields. The proposed method features good functional group compatibility, a broad substrate scope, and high synthetic efficiency and is remarkably environmentally friendly.

Development and application of monoclonal antibody-based dot-ELISA and colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip for rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus.

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is an emerging tobamovirus that has become a great concern to tomato production industry. Due to the lack of resistant cultivars, precise detection of ToBRFV is essential to prevent the spread of ToBRFV. In this study, we produced highly sensitive and specific monoclonal antibodies against ToBRFV and established dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot-ELISA) and colloidal gold immunochromatographic strip (CGICS)-based methods for ToBRFV detection. These two methods could specifically detect ToBRFV without cross-reaction with seven tested tobamoviruses and three frequently occurring tomato-infecting viruses. Sensitivity analysis showed that the limit of detection of the established dot-ELISA and CGICS methods reached up to 1:6400 and 1:10,000 (w/v, g/mL) dilution of ToBRFV-infected tomato tissue, respectively. Further analyses using field-collected tomato foliar and fruit samples showed that the results obtained by dot-ELISA and CGICS were consistent with those obtained by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The established methods here allow for specific, sensitive, and robust detection of ToBRFV, and will be helpful for precise monitoring and early warning of ToBRFV.

Development of chemically defined media for Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis YF11 to eliminate the influence of hyperosmotic stress.

Chemically defined media (CDM) can eliminate or lessen the interference that occurs in complex culture media (CCM) caused by the undefined substrate pools, and various CDM have been designed and employed for investigating microbial physiology and multiomics. Herein, using the measured amount of total amino acids in CCM and combined with the in vivo and in vitro amino acid content of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis YF11, new enriched CDM were designed and then optimized using a statistical design-of-experiment method coupling with fed-batch fermentation to eliminate or lessen the influence of hyperosmotic pressure. Cell volume was introduced as a target index to assess the performance of CDM, and average osmotic pressure (AOP) was employed to describe the osmotic pressure of CDM. The AOP was significantly decreased from 610 mOsm/kg·H2O in the initial CDM (I-CDM) to 360 mOsm/kg·H2O in fed-batch CDM (F-CDM), and the cell volume was increased from 0.142 ± 0.004 µm3 in I-CDM to 0.198 ± 0.008 µm3 in F-CDM, which was close to 0.206 ± 0.005 µm3 found in CCM, indicating that the strategy of designing and improving CDM followed by a statistical design-of-experiment coupling with fed-batch cultivation presented a promising pathway for extensive utilization of CDM. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03788-5.

[Effects of Different Types of Plastic Film Mulching on Soil Quality, Root Growth, and Yield].

Aiming to address the problem of soil environmental pollution caused by the large-scale use of plastic film in agricultural production in China, field experiments were carried out by applying degradable plastic film. Pumpkin was used as the research material to explore the effects of black common plastic film (CK), white degradation plastic film (WDF), black degradation plastic film (BDF), and black CO2-based degradable plastic film (C-DF) on soil physicochemical properties, root growth and yield, and soil quality. The results showed that the soil water content and temperature of the three degradable plastic films were lower than those of ordinary plastic films to different degrees; there was no significant difference in soil organic matter content among the treatments. The soil available potassium content of the C-DF treatment was lower than that of CK, and WDF and BDF had no significant effect. Compared with those in CK and WDF, soil total nitrogen and available nitrogen contents in the BDF and C-DF treatments were lower, and the difference between treatments reached a significant level. Compared with that of CK, the catalase activities of the three types of degradation membranes were significantly increased by 2.9%-6.8%, and the sucrase was significantly decreased by 33.3%-38.4%. Compared with that in CK, the soil cellulase activity in the BDF treatment was significantly increased by 63.8%, whereas WDF and C-DF had no significant effects. The three types of degradable film treatments could promote the growth of underground roots, and the growth vigor was obviously enhanced. The yield of pumpkin treated with BDF and C-DF was close to that of CK, and the yield of pumpkin treated with BDF was significantly lower than that of CK by 11.4%. The experimental results showed that the effects of the BDF and C-DF treatments on soil quality and yield were comparable to those of CK. According to the results, two types of black degradable plastic film can effectively replace ordinary plastic film in the high-temperature production season.

Genome-Wide Effects on Gene Expression Between Parental and Filial Generations of Trisomy 11 and 12 of Rice.

Aneuploid refers to the gene dosage imbalance due to copy number alterations. Aneuploidy is generally harmful to the growth, development and reproduction of organisms according to the numerous research. However, it has rarely been reported on whether aneuploid have a relevant pattern of genome expression between the parental and its offspring generations. In this study, mRNA sequencing analysis was performed on rice (Oryza sativa L.) primary trisomes 11 and 12, same primary trisomes and normal individuals in their filial generation. We systematically summarized the changes in gene expression patterns that occur on cis genes and on trans genes between parental and filial generations. In T11 and T12, the ratio of cis-gene expression showed intermediate type in parents and dosage compensation in filial generations, which maybe due to more genes being downregulated. The trans genes were also affected by aneuploidy and manifested as cis-related. The strains with normal chromosomes in filial generations, there are still aneuploid-sensitive genes differentially expressed in their genomes, indicating that the effect of aneuploidy is far-reaching and could not be easily eliminated. Meanwhile, among these differentially expressed genes, genes with low-expression level were more likely to be upregulated, while genes with medium- and high-expression level were easy to be downregulated. For the different types of rice aneuploid, upregulated genes were mainly associated with genomic imbalance while downregulated genes were mainly influenced by the specific added chromosome. In conclusion, our results provide new insights into the genetic characterization and evolution of biological aneuploidy genomes.

Organoelectrophotocatalytic C-H Silylation of Heteroarenes.

An organoelectrophotocatalytic approach for the C-H silylation of heteroarenes through dehydrogenation cross-coupling with H2 evolution has been developed. The organoelectrophotocatalytic strategy is carried out under a simple and efficient monocatalytic system by employing 9,10-phenanthrenequinone both as an organocatalyst and as a hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reagent, which avoids the need for an external HAT reagent, an oxidant, or a metal reagent. A variety of heteroarenes can be compatible in satisfactory yields with excellent regioselectivity.

Histone deacetylase OsHDA706 increases salt tolerance via H4K5/K8 deacetylation of OsPP2C49 in rice.

High salt is a major environmental factor that threatens plant growth and development. Increasing evidence indicates that histone acetylation is involved in plant responses to various abiotic stress; however, the underlying epigenetic regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we revealed that the histone deacetylase OsHDA706 epigenetically regulates the expression of salt stress response genes in rice (Oryza sativa L.). OsHDA706 localizes to the nucleus and cytoplasm and OsHDA706 expression is significantly induced under salt stress. Moreover, oshda706 mutants showed a higher sensitivity to salt stress than the wild-type. In vivo and in vitro enzymatic activity assays demonstrated that OsHDA706 specifically regulates the deacetylation of lysines 5 and 8 on histone H4 (H4K5 and H4K8). By combining chromatin immunoprecipitation and mRNA sequencing, we identified the clade A protein phosphatase 2 C gene, OsPP2C49, which is involved in the salt response as a direct target of H4K5 and H4K8 acetylation. We found that the expression of OsPP2C49 is induced in the oshda706 mutant under salt stress. Furthermore, the knockout of OsPP2C49 enhances plant tolerance to salt stress, while its overexpression has the opposite effect. Taken together, our results indicate that OsHDA706, a histone H4 deacetylase, participates in the salt stress response by regulating the expression of OsPP2C49 via H4K5 and H4K8 deacetylation.

De novo synthesis of nervonic acid and optimization of metabolic regulation by Yarrowia lipolytica.

Nervonic acid, a natural fatty acid compound and also a core component of nerve fibers and nerve cells, has been widely used to prevent and treat related diseases of the brain nervous system. At present, fatty acids and their derivatives are mainly obtained by natural extraction or chemical synthesis which are limited by natural resources and production costs. In this study, the de novo synthetic pathway of nervonic acid was constructed in Yarrowia lipolytica by means of synthetic biology, and the yield of nervonic acid was further improved by metabolic engineering and fermentation optimization. Specially, heterologous elongases and desaturases derived from different organism were successfully expressed and evaluated for their potential for the production of nervonic acid in Y. lipolytica. Meanwhile, we overexpressed the genes involved in the lipid metabolism to increase the nervonic acid titer to 111.6 mg/L. In addition, the potential of adding oil as auxiliary carbon sources for nervonic acid production by the engineered Y. lipolytica was analyzed. The results indicated that supplementation with colleseed oil as an auxiliary carbon source can be beneficial for the nervonic acid productivity, which led to the highest concentration of 185.0 mg/L in this work. To summarize, this study describes that the Y. lipolytica can be used as a promising platform for the production of nervonic acid and other very long-chain fatty acids.

A 30,000-km journey by Apus apus pekinensis tracks arid lands between northern China and south-western Africa.

BACKGROUND: As a widely distributed and aerial migratory bird, the Common Swift (Apus apus) flies over a wide geographic range in Eurasia and Africa during migration. Although some studies have revealed the migration routes and phenology of European populations, A. a. apus (from hereon the nominate apus), the route used by its East Asian counterpart A. a. pekinensis (from hereon pekinensis) remained a mystery. METHODS: Using light level geolocators, we studied the migration of adult pekinensis breeding in Beijing from 2014 to 2018, and analysed full annual tracks obtained from 25 individuals. In addition, we used the mean monthly precipitation to assess the seasonal variations in humidity for the distribution ranges of the nominate apus and pekinensis. This environmental variable is considered to be critically relevant to their migratory phenology and food resource abundance. RESULTS: Our results show that the swifts perform a round-trip journey of ca 30,000 km each year, representing a detour of 26% in autumn and 15% in spring compared to the shortest route between the breeding site in Beijing and wintering areas in semi-arid south-western Africa. Compared to the nominate apus, pekinensis experiences drier conditions for longer periods of time. Remarkably, individuals from our study population tracked arid habitat along the entire migration corridor leading from a breeding site in Beijing to at least central Africa. In Africa, they explored more arid habitats during non-breeding than the nominate apus. CONCLUSIONS: The migration route followed by pekinensis breeding in Beijing might suggest an adaptation to semi-arid habitat and dry climatic zones during non-breeding periods, and provides a piece of correlative evidence indicating the historical range expansion of the subspecies. This study highlights that the Common Swift may prove invaluable as a model species for studies of migration route formation and population divergence.

Dithienylethene-Bridged Fluoroquinolone Derivatives for Imaging-Guided Reversible Control of Antibacterial Activity.

The emerging field of photopharmacology has offered a promising alternative to guard against the bacterial resistance by effectively avoiding antibiotic accumulation in the body or environment. However, the degradation, toxicity, and thermal reversibility have always been an ongoing concern for potential applications of azobenzene-based photopharmacology. Developing novel photopharmacological agents based on a more matched switch is highly in demand and remains a major challenge. Herein, two novel dithienylethene-bridged dual-fluoroquinolone derivatives have been developed by introducing two fluoroquinolone drugs into both ends of the dithienylethene (DTE) switch, in which the fluoroquinolone acts as a fluorophore except for the pharmacodynamic component. For comparison, two monofluoroquinolone-DTE hybrids were also prepared by a similar strategy. As expected, these resultant DTE-based antibacterial agents displayed efficient photochromism and fluorescence switching behavior in dimethyl sulfoxide. Moreover, improved antibacterial activities compared to those of monofluoroquinolone derivatives and a maximum fourfold active difference against Escherichia coli (E. coli) for open and closed isomers and photoswitchable bacterial imaging for Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli were observed. The molecular docking to DNA gyrase gave a rationale for the discrepancies in antibacterial activity for both isomers. Therefore, these fluoroquinolone derivatives can act as interesting imaging-guided photopharmacological agents for further in vivo studies.

Photobiomodulation Promotes Hippocampal CA1 NSC Differentiation Toward Neurons and Facilitates Cognitive Function Recovery Involving NLRP3 Inflammasome Mitigation Following Global Cerebral Ischemia.

Our recent study revealed that photobiomodulation (PBM) inhibits delayed neuronal death by preserving mitochondrial dynamics and function following global cerebral ischemia (GCI). In the current study, we clarified whether PBM exerts effective roles in endogenous neurogenesis and long-lasting neurological recovery after GCI. Adult male rats were treated with 808 nm PBM at 20 mW/cm2 irradiance for 2 min on cerebral cortex surface (irradiance ∼7.0 mW/cm2, fluence ∼0.8 J/cm2 on the hippocampus) beginning 3 days after GCI for five consecutive days. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Morris water maze. Neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation, immature neurons, and mature neurons were examined using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-, doublecortin (DCX)-, and NeuN-staining, respectively. Protein expression, such as NLRP3, cleaved IL1ß, GFAP, and Iba1 was detected using immunofluorescence staining, and ultrastructure of astrocyte and microglia was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The results revealed that PBM exerted a markedly neuroprotective role and improved spatial learning and memory ability at 58 days of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) but not at 7 days of reperfusion. Mechanistic studies revealed that PBM suppressed reactive astrocytes and maintained astrocyte regeneration at 7 days of reperfusion, as well as elevated neurogenesis at 58 days of reperfusion, as evidenced by a significant decrease in the fluorescence intensity of GFAP (astrocyte marker) but unchanged the number of BrdU-GFAP colabeled cells at the early timepoint, and a robust elevation in the number of DCX-NeuN colabeled cells at the later timepoint in the PBM-treated group compared to the GCI group. Notably, PBM treatment protected the ultrastructure of astrocyte and microglia cells at 58 days but not 7 days of reperfusion in the hippocampal CA1 region. Furthermore, PBM treatment significantly attenuated the GCI-induced immunofluorescence intensity of NLRP3 (an inflammasome component), cleaved IL1ß (reflecting inflammasome activation) and Iba1, as well as the colocalization of NLRP3/GFAP or cleaved IL-1ß/GFAP, especially in animals subjected to I/R at 58 days. Taken together, PBM treatment performed postischemia exerted a long-lasting protective effect on astrocytes and promoted endogenous neurogenesis in the hippocampal CA1 region, which might contribute to neurological recovery after GCI.

High stability ultra-narrow band self-activated KGaSiO4 long-persistent phosphors for optical anti-counterfeiting.

Optical anti-counterfeiting has been developed as a promising optical-sensing technique. A self-activated KGaSiO4 phosphor was successfully prepared using the traditional solid-state method. The photoluminescence spectra of the as-synthesized phosphors indicate that the ultra-narrow band emission with green light peak at 503 nm is obtained when phosphors are excited by 254 nm UV light. Additionally, the measured afterglow curve shows that the emission of this phosphor can last more than 1200 s after UV excitation stops, which indicates that KGaSiO4 is a potential candidate for anti-counterfeiting materials. The luminescent and decay mechanism are discussed by theoretical calculation and thermo-luminescent spectra in detail. The theoretical model can provide support for explaining the mechanism of narrow band or persistent phosphor.

Three-dimensional SERS sensor based on the sandwiched G@AgNPs@G/PDMS film.

Three-dimensional (3D) SERS substrate with the denser "hotspots" is synthesized by the constriction of PDMS film decorated with sandwiched graphene@AgNPs@graphene (G@AgNPs@G) nanostructure. Graphene layers above and below the AgNPs are used to absorb molecules onto the "hotspots", and prevent the oxidation of AgNPs in our design. PDMS films can be easily shrunk for 3D structures, causing advantages in enhancement ability and light-matter interaction. Benefiting from the above advantages, a detection limit of 10-14 M (CV) and enhancement factor (EF) of 3.9 × 109 were obtained in our experiment. Theoretical analyses (FDTD) were also used to study the enhancement mechanism. For practical purposes, in-situ detection of MG molecules on the fish surface and the label-free detection of DNA base of adenine (A) and cytosine (C) were also studied. The high enhancement factor, great sensitivity, reliability, and stability of substrate reasonably proved that it can be used as an excellent SERS substrate for biomolecular detection.

Yarrowia lipolytica as a Metabolic Engineering Platform for the Production of Very-Long-Chain Wax Esters.

The oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is an attractive cell factory platform strain and can be used for sustainable production of high-value oleochemical products. Wax esters (WEs) have a good lubricating property and are usually used as a base for the production of advanced lubricants and emollient oils. In this study, we reported the metabolic engineering of Y. lipolytica to heterologously biosynthesize high-content very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) and fatty alcohols and efficiently esterify them to obtain very-long-chain WEs. Co-expression of fatty acid elongases from different sources in Y. lipolytica could yield VLCFAs with carbon chain lengths up to 24. Combining with optimization of the central metabolic modules could further enhance the biosynthesis of VLCFAs. Furthermore, through the screening of heterologous fatty acyl reductases (FARs), we enabled high-level production of fatty alcohols. Genomic integration and heterologous expression of wax synthase (WS) and FAR in a VLCFA-producing Y. lipolytica strain yielded 95-650 mg/L WEs with carbon chain lengths from 32 to 44. Scaled-up fermentation in 5 L laboratory bioreactors significantly increased the production of WEs to 2.0 g/L, the highest content so far in yeasts. This study contributes to the further efficient biosynthesis of VLCFAs and their derivatives.

In vitro vascularization of a combined system based on a 3D printing technique.

A vital challenge in complex organ manufacturing is to vascularize large combined tissues. The aim of this study is to vascularize in vitro an adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC)/fibrin/collagen incorporated three-dimensional (3D) poly(d,l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) scaffold (10 × 10 × 10 mm3 ) with interconnected channels. A low-temperature 3D printing technique was employed to build the PLGA scaffold. A step-by-step cocktail procedure was designed to engage or steer the ADSCs in the PLGA channels towards both endothelial and smooth muscle cell lineages. The combined system had sufficient mechanical properties to support the cell/fibrin/collagen hydrogel inside the predefined PLGA channels. The ADSCs encapsulated in the fibrin/collagen hydrogel differentiated to endothelial and smooth muscle cell lineage, respectively, corresponding to their respective locations in the construct and formed vascular-like structures. This technique allows in vitro vascularization of the predefined PLGA channels and provides a choice for complex organ manufacture. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Film bulk acoustic resonators integrated on arbitrary substrates using a polymer support layer.

The film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) is a widely-used MEMS device which can be used as a filter, or as a gravimetric sensor for biochemical or physical sensing. Current device architectures require the use of an acoustic mirror or a freestanding membrane and are fabricated as discrete components. A new architecture is demonstrated which permits fabrication and integration of FBARs on arbitrary substrates. Wave confinement is achieved by fabricating the resonator on a polyimide support layer. Results show when the polymer thickness is greater than a critical value, d, the FBARs have similar performance to devices using alternative architectures. For ZnO FBARs operating at 1.3-2.2 GHz, d is ~9 µm, and the devices have a Q-factor of 470, comparable to 493 for the membrane architecture devices. The polymer support makes the resonators insensitive to the underlying substrate. Yields over 95% have been achieved on roughened silicon, copper and glass.

[Environmental geochemical baseline of heavy metals in soils of the Ili river basin and pollution evaluation].

Environmental geochemical baseline models of Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Hg were established by standardized method in the ehernozem, chestnut soil, sierozem and saline soil from the Ili river valley region. The theoretical baseline values were calculated. Baseline factor pollution index evaluation method, environmental background value evaluation method and heavy metal cleanliness evaluation method were used to compare soil pollution degrees. The baseline factor pollution index evaluation showed that As pollution was the most prominent among the four typical types of soils within the river basin, with 7.14%, 9.76%, 7.50% of sampling points in chernozem, chestnut soil and sierozem reached the heavy pollution, respectively. 7.32% of sampling points of chestnut soil reached the permitted heavy metal Pb pollution index in the chestnut soil. The variation extent of As and Pb was the largest, indicating large human disturbance. Environmental background value evaluation showed that As was the main pollution element, followed by Cu, Zn and Pb. Heavy metal cleanliness evaluation showed that Cu, Zn and Pb were better than cleanliness level 2 and Hg was the of cleanliness level 1 in all four types of soils. As showed moderate pollution in sierozem, and it was of cleanliness level 2 or better in chernozem, chestnut soil and saline-alkali soil. Comparing the three evaluation systems, the baseline factor pollution index evaluation more comprehensively reflected the geochemical migration characteristics of elements and the soil formation processes, and the pollution assessment could be specific to the sampling points. The environmental background value evaluation neglected the natural migration of heavy metals and the deposition process in the soil since it was established on the regional background values. The main purpose of the heavy metal cleanliness evaluation was to evaluate the safety degree of soil environment.