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The striatum plays a central role in directing many complex behaviors ranging from motor control to action choice and reward learning. In our study, we used 55 male CFW mice with rapid decay linkage disequilibrium to systematically mine the striatumrelated behavioral functional genes by analyzing their striatal transcriptomes and 79 measured behavioral phenotypic data. By constructing a gene coexpression network, we clustered the genes into 13 modules, with most of them being positively correlated with motor traits. Based on functional annotations as well as Fisher’s exact and hypergeometric distribution tests, brown and magenta modules were identified as core modules. They were significantly enriched for striatal-related functional genes. Subsequent Mendelian randomization analysis verified the causal relationship between the core modules and dyskinesia. Through the intramodular gene connectivity analysis, Adcy5 and Kcnma1 were identified as brown and magenta module hub genes, respectively. Knock outs of both Adcy5 and Kcnma1 lead to motor dysfunction in mice, and KCNMA1 acts as a risk gene for schizophrenia and smoking addiction in humans. We also evaluated the cellular composition of each module and identified oligodendrocytes in the striatum to have a positive role in motor regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article in Chemistry of Natural Compounds explores the chemical constituents of Viburnum sympodiale and their potential as α-glucosidase inhibitors. Viburnum is a widely used genus in Chinese herbal medicine, and this study isolated 13 compounds from Viburnum sympodiale to test their inhibitory activity. The compounds showed promise for biological and pharmacological activities, including antitumor and antioxidant properties. The document provides detailed information on the chemical properties and biological activities of each compound, including NMR spectra, mass spectrometry, melting points, and molecular formulas. The study was supported by grants from the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Regional Resource Exploitation and Medicinal Research. [Extracted from the article]

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a dominating type of lung cancer with high morbidity and mortality. Midazolam has been reported to promote cell apoptosis in NSCLC, but the molecular mechanism of midazolam remains to be further explored. In the current work, cell viability, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis rates of NSCLC cells treated with midazolam were measured using cell counting kit-8 assay, 5-ethynyl-2′- deoxyuridine (EdU) and colony formation assays, transwell, and flow cytometry assay, respectively, to evaluate the malignant behaviors. Western blot was applied to access EGFR/MEK/ERK pathway-related protein levels. The results demonstrated midazolam significantly declined the viability of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, midazolam restrained cell proliferation and migration and contributed to cell apoptosis in NSCLC. Midazolam exerted suppressive function to EGFR pathway during NSCLC development. Moreover, the activation of EGFR/MEK/ERK pathway abrogated the effects of midazolam on NSCLC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. Taken together, midazolam exhibited anti-tumor effects hallmarked by EGFR pathway inhibition, providing a novel insight into the treatment of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) can include physical disability and even death. The development of effective therapies to promote neurological recovery is still a challenging problem. 3D-printed biomaterials are considered to have a promising future in TBI repair. The injury-preconditioned secretome derived from human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells showed better stability in neurological recovery after TBI. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that a biological scaffold loaded with an injury-preconditioned secretome could facilitate neural network reconstruction after TBI. Methods: In this study, we fabricated injury-preconditioned secretome/collagen/heparan sulfate scaffolds by 3D printing. The scaffold structure and porosity were examined by scanning electron microscopy and HE staining. The cytocompatibility of the scaffolds was characterized by MTT analysis, HE staining and electron microscopy. The modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS), Morris water maze (MWM), and motor evoked potential (MEP) were used to examine the recovery of cognitive and locomotor function after TBI in rats. HE staining, silver staining, Nissl staining, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy were used to detect the reconstruction of neural structures and pathophysiological processes. The biocompatibility of the scaffolds in vivo was characterized by tolerance exposure and liver/kidney function assays. Results: The excellent mechanical and porosity characteristics of the composite scaffold allowed it to efficiently regulate the secretome release rate. MTT and cell adhesion assays demonstrated that the scaffold loaded with the injury-preconditioned secretome (3D-CH-IB-ST) had better cytocompatibility than that loaded with the normal secretome (3D-CH-ST). In the rat TBI model, cognitive and locomotor function including mNSS, MWM, and MEP clearly improved when the scaffold was transplanted into the damage site. There is a significant improvement in nerve tissue at the site of lesion. More abundant endogenous neurons with nerve fibers, synaptic structures, and myelin sheaths were observed in the 3D-CH-IB-ST group. Furthermore, the apoptotic response and neuroinflammation were significantly reduced and functional vessels were observed at the injury site. Good exposure tolerance in vivo demonstrated favorable biocompatibility of the scaffold. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that injury-preconditioned secretome/collagen/heparan sulfate scaffolds fabricated by 3D printing promoted neurological recovery after TBI by reconstructing neural networks, suggesting that the implantation of the scaffolds could be a novel way to alleviate brain damage following TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fractions were then separated by repeated chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and prep-HPLC to obtain compounds B 1 b (36 mg), B 2 b (105 mg), B 3 b (12 mg), B 4 b (21 mg), B 5 b (33 mg), B 6 b (78 mg), B 7 b (15 mg), B 8 b (22 mg), B 9 b (18 mg), B 10 b (19 mg), B 11 b (22 mg), B 12 b (31 mg), B 13 b (45 mg), and B 14 b (28 mg). Their structures are identified by MS and NMR spectra as 28-hydroxy- -amyrin ( B 1 b ), betulin ( B 2 b ), ursolic acid ( B 3 b ), oleanolic acid ( B 4 b ), 23-hydroxyursolic acid ( B 5 b ), 2 ,3 -dihydroxy-12-ene-28-ursolic acid ( B 6 b ), asiatic acid ( B 7 b ), euscaphic acid ( B 8 b ), rotundic acid ( B 9 b ), 2 ,3 ,19 -trihydroxy- 12-ene-28-ursolic acid ( B 10 b ), 2 ,3 ,24-trihydroxy-12-ene-28-ursolic acid ( B 11 b ), 2 ,3 , 19 ,23-tetrahydroxy-12-ene-28-ursolic acid ( B 12 b ), 2 ,3 ,19 ,23-tetrahydroxy-12-ene-28-ursolic acid ( B 13 b ), 2 ,3 ,16 ,19 ,23-pentahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid ( B 14 b ). The EtOAc fraction (270 g) was subjected to silica gel (200-300 mesh, 3.0 kg) column chromatography (CC), eluting with EtOAc-PE (petroleum ether) gradually increasing with EtOAc to obtain eight fractions. Their chemical structures were identified by comparison of their spectroscopic data ( SP 1 sp H NMR, SP 13 sp C NMR, ESI-MS) with reported values in the literature. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide, resulting in severe damage to the central nervous system and disrupting neurological functions. There is no effective therapy for promoting neurological recovery. Growing evidence suggests that the composition of exosomes from different microenvironments may benefit stroke. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that exosomes secreted in response to infarction microenvironment could have further therapeutic effects. Methods: In our study, cerebral infarct tissue extracts were used to pretreat umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC). Infarct-preconditioned exosomes were injected into rats via tail vein after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The effect of infarct-preconditioned exosomes on the neurological recovery of rats was examined using Tunel assay, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) assay, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses, modified Neurological Severity Score (mNSS), Morris water maze (MWM), and vascular remodeling analysis. Mi-RNA sequencing and functional enrichment analysis were used to validate the signal pathway involved in the effect of infarct-preconditioned exosomes. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were co-cultured with the isolated exosomes. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, scratch healing, and Western blot analysis were used to detect the biological behavior of HUVECs. Results: The results showed that compared with normal exosomes, infarct-preconditioned exosomes further promoted vascular remodeling and recovery of neurological function after stroke. The function of upregulated miRNAs and their target genes which is beneficial to vascular smooth muscle cells verified the importance of vascular remodeling in improving stroke. Better resistance to oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R), reduced apoptosis, and enhanced migration were observed in infarct-preconditioned exosomes-treated umbilical vein endothelial cells. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that infarct-preconditioned exosomes promoted neurological recovery after stroke by enhancing vascular endothelial remodeling, suggested that infarct-preconditioned exosomes could be a novel way to alleviate brain damage following a stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Krylov subspace method is designed in the computation of partial quaternion generalized singular value decomposition (QGSVD) of a large-scale quaternion matrix pair {A,B}\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\{\textbf{A}, \textbf{B}\}$$\end{document}. Explicitly, we present the structure-preserving joint Lanczos bidiagonalization method to reduce A\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\textbf{A}$$\end{document} and B\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\textbf{B}$$\end{document} to lower and upper real bidiagonal matrices, respectively. We carry out the thick-restarted technique with the combination of a robust selective reorthogonalization strategy in the structure-preserving joint Lanczos bidiagonalization process. In the iteration process we avoid performing the explicit QR decomposition of the quaternion matrix pair. Numerical experiments illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Selenium (Se)‐enriched glycoproteins have been a research highlight for the role of both Se and glycoproteins in immunoregulation. Arsenic (As) is a toxicant that is potentially toxic to the immune function and consequently to human health. Several reports suggested that Se could reduce the toxicity of heavy metals. Moreover, more and more nutrients in food had been applied to relieve As‐induced toxicity. Hence glycoproteins were isolated and purified from Se‐enriched Grifola frondosa, and their preliminary characteristics as well as amelioration effect and mechanism on As3+‐induced immune toxicity were evaluated. RESULTS: Four factions, namely Se‐GPr11 (electrophoresis analysis exhibited one band: 14.32 kDa), Se‐GPr22 (two bands: 20.57 and 31.12 kDa), Se‐GPr33 (three bands: 15.08, 20.57 and 32.78 kDa) and Se‐GPr44 (three bands: 16.73, 32.78 and 42.46 kDa), were obtained from Se‐enriched G. frondosa via DEAE‐52 and Sephacryl S‐400 column. In addition, Se‐GPr11 and Se‐GPr44 are ideal proteins that contain high amounts of almost all essential amino acids. Thereafter, the RAW264.7 macrophage model was adopted to estimate the effect of Se‐GPr11 and Se‐GPr44 on As3+‐induced immune toxicity. The results showed that the pre‐intervention method was the best consequent and the potential mechanisms were, first, by improving the oxidative stress state (enhancing the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, decreasing the levels of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde); secondly, through nuclear factor‐κB and mitogen‐activated protein kinase‐mediated upregulation cytokines (interleukin‐2 and interferon‐γ) secretion induced by As3+. CONCLUSION: The results suggested Se‐enriched G. frondosa may be a feasible supplement to improve health level of the As3+ pollution population. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we demonstrate a flexible and wearable hybrid radio frequency (RF) and solar energy harvesting system for powering wearable electronic devices. The system consists of a flexible transparent antenna, a flexible transparent rectifying circuit, and an amorphous silicon solar cell. By utilizing transparent stacked structure, the rectenna and the solar cell can provide more hybrid output power to accommodate more application scenarios. The flexible transparent antenna shows two impedance matching bandwidths of 3.5–3.578 and 4.79–5.09 GHz, covering n78/n79 fifth-generation (5G) communication frequency band and 5-GHz WiFi frequency band. At the frequency of 3.5 GHz, the flexible transparent rectifying circuit achieves a high RF-to-dc conversion efficiency of 54.67% at 13 dBm RF input power. In the room with a light intensity of 210 lux, compared with a single solar cell, the hybrid energy harvesting system can obtain an additional 35.6%–769.5% output power when the RF source power is varied from 4 to 10 dBm. These results demonstrate that the proposed flexible and wearable RF-solar energy harvester can provide reliable electric power supply, which can be a potential candidate for powering wearable electronic devices, distributed sensors and IOT devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the work is to evaluate the effects of four chemical additives on fermentation quality, aerobic stability, and in vitro ruminal digestibility of total mixed ration (TMR) silage. TMR containing 15% spent mushroom substrate, 25% soybean sauce residue, 45% napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum (L.) Schum.), and 15% concentrate was ensiled with the following: (1) no additives (control), (2) potassium sorbate (PS, 0.1%), (3) sodium benzoate (SB, 0.1%), (4) sodium diacetate (SDA, 0.5%), and (5) calcium propionate (CAP, 0.5%) based on fresh weight. All silos (10 L) were opened for fermentation quality, in vitro ruminal digestibility analysis after 60 days of ensiling, and then subjected to aerobic stability test for 9 days. All TMR silages were well-conserved, as indicated by low pH, butyric acid, and ammonia nitrogen contents. During aerobic exposure, SDA was more stable with higher (p < 0.05) lactic acid and acetic acid contents and lower (p < 0.05) yeast counts than other TMR silages. In addition, SDA significantly (p < 0.05) increased cumulate gas production and in vitro dry matter digestibility compared with the control. Overall, SDA is recommended as additives to improve fermentation quality, in vitro ruminal digestibility, and aerobic stability of TMR silage prepared with local food by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, responsible for millions of deaths globally. Even with effective vaccines, SARS-CoV-2 will likely maintain a hold in the human population through gaps in efficacy, percent vaccinated, and arising new strains. Therefore, understanding how SARS-CoV-2 causes widespread tissue damage and the development of targeted pharmacological treatments will be critical in fighting this virus and preparing for future outbreaks. Herein, we summarize the progress made thus far by using in vitro or in vivo models to investigate individual SARS-CoV-2 proteins and their pathogenic mechanisms. We have grouped the SARS-CoV-2 proteins into three categories: host entry, self-acting, and host interacting. This review focuses on the self-acting and host-interacting SARS-CoV-2 proteins and summarizes current knowledge on how these proteins promote virus replication and disrupt host systems, as well as drugs that target the virus and virus interacting host proteins. Encouragingly, many of these drugs are currently in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19. Future coronavirus outbreaks will most likely be caused by new virus strains that evade vaccine protection through mutations in entry proteins. Therefore, study of individual self-acting and host-interacting SARS-CoV-2 proteins for targeted therapeutic interventions is not only essential for fighting COVID-19 but also valuable against future coronavirus outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Chemical Constituents from Euryale ferox Aril with Anti-Glycation Activity" published in the Chemistry of Natural Compounds journal discusses the isolation and identification of 13 compounds from the aril of Euryale ferox, a plant with various pharmacological effects. These compounds were tested for anti-glycation activity in vitro, with polyphenolic compounds showing better results than ergosterols and cerebrosides. The study was conducted in China and was supported by grants from the open fund of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Regional Resource Exploitation and Medicinal Research. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract GP11 had been reported to have effectively anti-tumor activity by improving the immune function in our previous study. To avoid drawbacks of the 5-Fu, GP11 in combination with 5-Fu was investigated in this study. The results demonstrated that such synergism displayed enhance the anti-tumor activity of 5-Fu. Additionally, a strength effect was also observed in regulating immune function of GP11 and 5-Fu simultaneous administration, such as enhancing serum interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) secretion, and increasing immune organs weights. Moreover, GP11 could improve the haematological and biochemical parameters deterioration, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities reduction and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels enhancement in non-immune organs induced by 5-Fu. All these results illustrated that GP11 exhibited attenuated and synergized effect on 5-Fu by improving the immune function. It could be developed as an auxiliary preparation for chemotherapeutic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A simple yet effective way to weld AgNWs and deposit GZO composite films in a single-step process. • Deposited transparent AgNW/GZO front electrodes under ambient conditions. • The perovskite solar cells exhibit an 21% increase in power conversion efficiency. • New functionality that conventional techniques such as sputtering cannot achieve. Transparent conductive oxide (TCO) must have high electrical conductivity and optical transmittance. Using higher doping concentrations improves the conductivity but often at the expense of transmittance in the near-infrared regime. Using thicker film to improve the conductivity is not preferable as it significantly reduces the transmittance. Silver nanowire (AgNW)/ TCO composite film has been proposed as a viable method to address this dilemma. However, AgNWs often require additional thermal treatment to weld the nanowires to reduce the contact resistance. Also, thermal treatment apparatus, such as lasers, cannot be easily integrated into the TCO deposition setup, adding extra cost for handling samples. Here we use an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) to fabricate AgNW/ TCO composite films—APPJ successfully welds the AgNWs and covers them with a thin gallium-doped ZnO or GZO protective layer simultaneously. The AgNW weight significantly affects the optoelectronic and morphological properties and can be tailored to fit the requirements of particular photovoltaic applications. Our perovskite solar cells with the AgNW/GZO front electrodes exhibit a ∼21% increase in power conversion efficiency. Furthermore, unlike conventional methods, our approach is vacuum-free and does not require additional processes, such as lasers, to treat the AgNW network, which may greatly reduce operational complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organo-mineral interactions control the stabilisation of soil organic matter (SOM) in mineral soils. Biochar can enhance these interactions via a range of mechanisms including Al-dominant cation bridging in acidic soils, ligand exchange, H-bonding, and π- π-bonding with polycyclic aromatics. But, field-based evidence of their magnitude is lacking. Here we assessed the role of organo-mineral interactions on the observed biochar-induced negative priming of native soil organic carbon (SOC) in a Ferralsol under annual ryegrass. Using repeated pulse labelling, the magnitude of production and fate of recently photosynthesised 13 C was traced amongst: soil plus root respiration, root biomass, soil aggregates and aggregate-associated C fractions. Biochar ( Eucalyptus saligna , 450 °C) amendment (30 Mg ha −1 ) increased total belowground 13 C recovery by 10% compared to the unamended control over the 12 month sampling period. We detected the greatest quantity of rhizodeposit in the mineral-protected SOM within macroaggregates (250–2000 μm). Through synchrotron-based spectroscopic analysis of bulk soils, we provide evidence of a mechanism for biochar-induced negative priming which is the accumulation of rhizodeposits in organo-mineral ( i.e. aggregate-protected and silt/clay-bound) fractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed molecular dynamics simulations to study the pH-induced structural transitions for aqueous mixtures of a cationic surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB) and a hydrotrope (sodium salicylate, NaSal). We obtained rigid cylindrical, spherical, and flexible cylindrical micelles at pH 7, 2, and 0, respectively, which agrees well with the experimental results of Umeasiegbu et al. (Langmuir 2016, 32, 655). By analyzing the different micellar structural properties, including distribution and molecular orientation of CTA+ and Sal- inside the micelle, we found that the binding form of the protonated salicylate molecules with CTA+ is different from that of Sal- ions. Because of the protonation of salicylate molecules with reduction in pH, their hydrogen bonding interactions with water molecules strengthened and the electrostatic interactions with CTA+ headgroups weakened. Thus, the repulsion of the CTA+ headgroups led to the breakage of the cylindrical micelle into spherical ones. At pH 0, the H-bond-strengthened cation-π interactions between salicylate and CTA+ were verified. We concluded that the penetration of salicylate molecules inside the micelle and the strong association of Cl- ions on the micellar surface play a key role in the formation of a flexible cylindrical micelle. This work provides an atomic-level insight into the mechanism of pH-induced shape transitions in the CTAB/NaSal systems, which is expected to be helpful to understand the aggregate behavior of cationic surfactant-hydrotrope solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanomaterials themselves as redox probes and nanocatalysts have many advantages for electrochemical biosensors. However, most nanomaterials with excellent catalytic activity cannot be directly used as redox probe to construct electrochemical biosensor because the redox signal of these nanomaterials can only be obtained in strong acid or alkali solution at high positive or negative potential, which greatly limits their applications in biologic assay. In this study, Cu/Mn double-doped CeO2 nanocomposite (CuMn-CeO2) was synthesized to use as signal tags and signal amplifiers for the construction of electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive assay of procalcitonin (PCT). Herein, CuMn-CeO2 not only possesses excellent catalytic activity toward H2O2 for signal amplification, but also can be directly used as redox probe for electrochemical signal readout achieved in neutral mild buffer solution at low positive potential. Importantly, since doping Cu, Mn into CeO2 lattice structure can generate extra oxygen vacancies, the redox and catalytic performance of obtained CuMn-CeO2 was much better than that of pure CeO2, which improves the performance of proposed immunosensor. Furthermore, CuMn-CeO2 can be implemented as a matrix for immobilizing amounts of secondary antibody anti-PCT by forming ester-like bridging between carboxylic groups of Ab2 and CeO2 without extra chemical modifications, which greatly simplifies the preparative steps. The prepared immunosensor exhibited a wide linear range of 0.1 pg mL-1 to 36.0 ng mL-1 with a low detection limit of 0.03 pg mL-1. This study implements nanomaterial themselves as redox probes and signal amplifiers and paves a new way for constructing electrochemical immunosensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a highly effective protein converting strategy based on immunoreaction-induced DNA strand displacement and T7 Exonuclease (T7 Exo)-assisted protein cyclic enzymatic amplification for ultrasensitive detection of cystatin C was described. Herein, Au@Fe3O4 as magnetic separator was labeled by antibody 1-conjungated DNA (DNA1) and the DNA substrate of T7 Exo (DNA3) which initially hybridized with output DNA (S1) to form a stable S1/DNA1 duplex (S1/DNA3). Antibody 2 was labeled by competing DNA (DNA 2). In the presence of cystatin C, sandwich immunoreaction would induce proximity hybridization between DNA2 and DNA3 and thus displace S1 from the S1/DNA3 duplex with formation of a stable DNA2/DNA3 duplex, realizing the conversion of input target cystatin C into output S1. To enhance the conversion ratio, the DNA2/DNA3 duplex was then digested by T7 Exo with release of DNA2 which could act as competing DNA again to displace S1 from the S1/DNA3 duplex in adjacent locations and initiate another cleavage reaction. Through such a cyclic process, each input cystatin C could induce more than one output S1, enhancing detection sensitivity. A hairpin DNA modified electrode was used to capture the output S1, and then, a hybridization chain reaction is triggered on the biosensor surface. Then, thionine as electron mediator was embedded into the dsDNA polymers to produce a detection signal. The electrochemical biosensor exhibited a much wider linear range of 0.01 pg mL-1 to 30 ng mL-1 with low detection limit of 3 fg mL-1. Moreover, this method introduced protein unrelated to nucleic acids into the realm of potential inputs for translation, which might create a new immunoassay method for sensitive detection of protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, cobalt phthalocyanine nanoparticles (nanoCoPc) functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) (nanoCoPc-MWCNTs) were synthesized to construct a sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive detection of procalcitonin (PCT). Herein, the electrochemical signal could directly originate from nanoCoPc-MWCNTs without the addition or labeling of other redox mediators. Moreover, a pseudobienzyme system based on catalytic activity of nanoCoPc and choline oxidase (ChOx) was constructed to enhance sensitivity. In the presence of choline, ChOx catalyzed the oxidation of choline with the production of H 2 O 2 , which was then oxidized by nanoCoPc-MWCNT with the improved electron transfer from Co (II) to Co (I), resulting in electrochemical signal amplification. In addition, MWCNTs with a large area surface and excellent electric conductivity were used as matrix for loading nanoCoPc and immobilizing bimolecular, which also amplified electrochemical signal. With above amplification strategy, the proposed immunosensor exhibited desirable performance for PCT with a wide linearity in the range from 0.01 to 100 ng mL −1 and a low detection limit of 1.23 pg mL −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a nanohybrid of platinum nanoparticles-porous ZnO spheres-hemin (Pt–pZnO–hemin) was synthesized for construction of alkaline phosphatase-based immunosensor for detection of influenza. Briefly, porous ZnO spheres (pZnO) were prepared using soluble starches as the capping agent, followed by surface functionalization of platinum nanoparticles via a hydrothermal method (Pt–pZnO). Then, hemin with carboxylic functionality was spontaneously adsorbed onto Pt–pZnO by ester-like binding between carboxylic group of hemin and ZnO. Compared with platinum nanoparticles and hemin, the resulting Pt–pZnO–hemin nanohybrid showed more excellent electrocatalysis activity toward 1-naphthol (1-NP). Taking advantage of the Pt–pZnO–hemin, we have developed an amplified electrochemical immunosensor based on in situ generation of redox probe by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Pt–pZnO–hemin as signal enhancer. Herein, electrochemically active 1-NP was generated by enzymatic hydrolysis of inactive 1-naphthyl phosphate by ALP, then Pt–pZnO–hemin was used as catalyst to catalytically oxidize 1-NP, resulting in electrochemical signal amplification. Furthermore, in comparison with other nanomaterials including Au–pZnO, Pt–pZnO and Au–pZnO–hemin, the excellent catalytical property of Pt–pZnO–hemin make it a promising nanohybrid material for ALP-based immunosensor for signal amplification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring pavement rutting condition is crucial to highway agencies. Rutting depth measures have been extensively referenced for different purposes such as determining pavement present serviceability, modeling pavement deterioration, and so on. Over the decades, various methods have been developed to measure rutting depth; however, two major problems have compromised the reliability and consistency of rutting depth measurement in current practice. First, one measure or discrete rutting depths collected at relatively long intervals have been used to represent the rutting condition of the entire pavement section, which results in imprecise and partial characterization of the actual condition. Second, the rutting depth measures for left and right wheel-path have always been simply averaged for further applications including integrating pavement indices, rutting classification, and so on. Recently, an emerging system called PaveVision3D Ultra is capable of producing 3D 1 mm virtual pavement surface model at highway speed for both network and project level survey. In this study, with the bulks of field-collected 3D 1 mm transverse profile data, it was found that significant variations of rutting depth exist between left and right wheel-path as well as along the longitudinal direction. Considering these variations, multiple applications of rutting depth data are modeled with suitable analytical methods such as Monte Carlo Simulation to identify the effect of rutting data distribution on Present Serviceability Index (PSI). Suggestions of reasonably utilizing the continuous rutting depth data are proposed for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a knowledge gap on biochar carbon (C) longevity and its priming effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) and recent root-derived C under field conditions. This knowledge would allow the potential of biochar in long-term soil C sequestration to be established. However, most studies on biochar C longevity and its priming effect have been undertaken in plant-free laboratory incubations. A 388 d field study was carried out in the presence of an annual ryegrass (C 3 ) growing on a rhodic ferralsol with established C 3 /C 4 plant-derived SOC (δ 13 C: −20.2‰) in a subtropical climate. A 13 C-depleted hardwood biochar (δ 13 C: −35.7‰, produced at 450 °C) was applied at 0 and 30 dry t ha −1 and mixed into the top 100-mm soil profile (equivalent to 3% w/w). We report on the differentiation and quantification of root respiration and mineralisation of soil-C and biochar-C in the field. Periodic 13 CO 2 pulse labelling was applied to enrich δ 13 C of root respiration during two separate winter campaigns (δ 13 C: 151.5–184.6‰) and one summer campaign (δ 13 C: 19.8–31.5‰). Combined soil plus root respiration was separated from leaf respiration using a novel in-field respiration collar. A two-pool isotope mixing model was applied to partition three C sources (i.e. root, biochar and soil). Three scenarios were used to assess the sensitivity associated with the C source partitioning in the planted systems: 1) extreme positive priming of recent SOC derived from the current ryegrass (C 3 ) pasture; 2) equivalent magnitude of priming of SOC and labile root C; and 3) extreme positive priming of the native C4-dominant SOC. We showed that biochar induced a significant negative priming of SOC in the presence of growing plants but no net priming was observed in the unplanted soil. We also demonstrated the importance of experimental timeframe in capturing the transient nature of biochar-induced priming, from positive (day 0–62) to negative (day 62–388). The presence/absence of plants had no impact on biochar-C mineralisation in this ferralsol during the measurement period. Based on a two-pool exponential model, the mean residence time (MRT) of biochar varied from 351 to 449 years in the intensive pasture system to 415–484 years in the unplanted soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an amplified electrochemical immunosensor based on 1-naphthol as electroactive substance and Pt/CeO 2 /GO composites as catalytic amplifier was constructed for sensitive detection influenza. Through “sandwich” reaction, the Pt/CeO 2 /GO functionalized bioconjugates were captured on electrode surface and the electrochemical signal directly originated from 1-naphthol, which was in situ produced with high local concentration though the hydrolysis of 1-naphthyl phosphate catalyzed by ALP. Then, 1-naphthol as new reactant was oxidized by Pt/CeO 2 /GO composites with outstanding catalytic performance, resulting in detection signal amplification. In addition, as compared to label electroactive substance to antibodies, a simplified preparative step of immunosensor could be achieved because the signal probe get rid of introducation other electroactive substances. The proposed immunosensor achieved a linear range of 1.0×10 −3 –1.0 ng mL −1 and 5.0 to 1.0×10 2 ng mL −1 with a detection limit of 0.43 pg mL −1 (defined as S / N =3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a popular procedure in severe osteoarthritis. But perioperative bleeding remains a problem. Floseal® is a mixture of thrombin and bovine gelatin which can benefit a lot on reducing intraoperative and postoperative bleeding. However, there is no enough evidence judging its safety and efficiency. So a meta-analysis is conducted by us to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a thrombin-based hemostatic agent compared with conventional methods in TKA. Method Two independent reviewers selected literatures published before August 2014 from MEDLINE, Embase, and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Other internet databases were also performed to identify trials according to the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines. High-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs), prospective control trials (PCTs), and case controlled trials (CCTs) were selected. The meta-analysis was undertaken using RevMan 5.1 for Windows. Results Three RCTs, one PCT, and one CCT met the inclusion criteria. There were significant differences in hemoglobin decline and calculated total blood loss between the Floseal® group and control group. There were no significant differences in postoperative drainage volume, rate of transfusion requirement, incidence of wound infection, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE) between treatment and control groups. Conclusions The present meta-analysis indicates that a thrombin-based hemostatic agent can reduce hemoglobin decline and calculated total blood loss after TKA and is not related to adverse reactions or complications such as wound infection, DVT, and PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of a particular cancer can be achieved by measuring multiplex biomarkers. Traditional methods for multi-biomarkers detection are either multi-spots assay with chip or multi-label assay with one detection spot. However, the detection throughput of these two approaches is limited by the substrate area and the numbers of available label respectively. To solve this problem, in the present study, an immunoassay was firstly prepared by combining multi-label strategy and multi-spot assay with a novel array electrode for simultaneous detection of six biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The detection throughput of the proposed method was doubled in comparison with traditional multi-spots assay (one target protein was detected on each analytic spot), which could greatly enhance the sensitivity and specificity ofHCCdiagnosis. This detection model may serve as the starting point for high throughput of multianalyte assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are genomically encoded small RNAs that hybridize with messenger RNAs, resulting in degradation or translational inhibition of targeted transcripts. The potential for miRNAs to regulate cell-lineage determination or differentiation from pluripotent progenitor or stem cells is unknown. Here, we show that microRNA1 (miR-1) is an ancient muscle-specific gene conserved in sequence and expression in Drosophila. Drosophila miR-1 (dmiR-1) is regulated through a serum response factor-like binding site in cardiac progenitor cells. Loss- and gain-of-function studies demonstrated a role for dmiR-1 in modulating cardiogenesis and in maintenance of muscle-gene expression. We provide in vivo evidence that dmiR-1 targets transcripts encoding the Notch ligand Delta, providing a potential mechanism for the expansion of cardiac and muscle progenitor cells and failure of progenitor cell differentiation in some dmiR-1 mutants. These findings demonstrate that dmiR-1 may "fine-tune" critical steps involved in differentiation of cardiac and somatic muscle progenitors and targets a pathway required for progenitor cell specification and asymmetric cell division. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of hemangioblasts, which serve as common progenitors for hematopoietic cells and cardioblasts, has suggested a molecular link between cardiogenesis and hematopoiesis in Drosophila. However, the molecular mediators that might link hematopoiesis and cardiogenesis remain unknown. Here, we show that the highly conserved basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor Hand is expressed in cardioblasts, pericardial nephrocytes and hematopoietic progenitors. The homeodomain protein Tinman and the GATA factors Pannier and Serpent directly activate Hand in these cell types through a minimal enhancer, which is necessary and sufficient to drive Hand expression in these different cell types. Hand is activated by Tinman and Pannier in cardioblasts and pericardial nephrocytes, and by Serpent in hematopoietic progenitors in the lymph gland. These findings place Hand at a nexus of the transcriptional networks that govern cardiogenesis and hematopoiesis, and indicate that the transcriptional pathways involved in development of the cardiovascular, excretory and hematopoietic systems may be more closely related than previously appreciated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum response factor (SRF) regulates genes involved in cell proliferation, migration, cytoskeletal organization, and myogenesis. Myocardin and myocardin-related transcription factors (MRTFs) act as powerful transcriptional coactivators of SRF in mammalian cells. We describe an MRTF from Drosophila, called DMRTF, which shares high homology with the functional domains of mammalian myocardin and MRTFs. DMRTF forms a ternary complex with and stimulates the activity of Drosophila SRF, which has been implicated in branching of the tracheal (respiratory) system and formation of wing interveins. A loss-of-function mutation introduced into the DMRTF locus by homologous recombination results in abnormalities in tracheal branching similar to those in embryos lacking SRF. Misexpression in wing imaginal discs of a dominant negative DMRTF mutant also causes a diminution of wing interveins, whereas overexpression of DMRTF results in excess intervein tissue, abnormalities reminiscent of SRF loss- and gain-of-function phenotypes, respectively. Overexpression of these DMRTF mutants in mesoderm and in the tracheal system also perturbs mesoderm cell migration and tracheal branching, respectively. We conclude that the interaction of MRTFs with SRF represents an ancient protein partnership involved in cytoplasmic outgrowth and cell migration during development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on a study that examined the formation of cardiac cell types in cell cycle mutants and in embryos in which cell cycle inhibitors are overexpressed and speculated that an increase in cell type diversity can be achieved by adopting the Numb/Notch system to generate asymmetry within any lineage of an organism in Drosophila. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study.

Human brain organoids represent a remarkable platform for modelling neurological disorders and a promising brain repair approach. However, the effects of physical stimulation on their development and integration remain unclear. Here, we report that low-intensity ultrasound significantly increases neural progenitor cell proliferation and neuronal maturation in cortical organoids. Histological assays and single-cell gene expression analyses revealed that low-intensity ultrasound improves the neural development in cortical organoids. Following organoid grafts transplantation into the injured somatosensory cortices of adult mice, longitudinal electrophysiological recordings and histological assays revealed that ultrasound-treated organoid grafts undergo advanced maturation. They also exhibit enhanced pain-related gamma-band activity and more disseminated projections into the host brain than the untreated groups. Finally, low-intensity ultrasound ameliorates neuropathological deficits in a microcephaly brain organoid model. Hence, low-intensity ultrasound stimulation advances the development and integration of brain organoids, providing a strategy for treating neurodevelopmental disorders and repairing cortical damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) farming systems globally have largely transitioned away from burning the crop prior to harvest. Harvesting the sugarcane crop 'green' results in large volumes of biomass residues being left on the soil. Despite this, there is little evidence for increased soil organic carbon stocks. We investigated the role of surface application or incorporation (0–200 mm soil layer) of harvest residues (15 t dry weight residues ha−1) and its biochar (5.4 t ha−1 based on the quantity of resource recovered after pyrolysis) on the priming of native soil organic carbon (SOC), the mineralisation of the organic amendments and the source of crop nitrogen (N) uptake (soil, organic amendment or urea). All treatments received urea at 180 kg N ha−1. To achieve the separation of C and N sources, dual 13C and 15N-enriched sugarcane residues and corresponding biochar (350 °C) were used in an 84-d controlled environment study. A three-pool isotope mixing model, utilising two levels of 13C enrichment in residue (16.6‰ and 23.8‰) and biochar (16.8‰ and 24.1‰), was also applied to partition the C from three sources: 1) root respiration, 2) organic amendment mineralisation, and 3) SOC priming. The SOC mineralisation was increased following both surface-applied and incorporated residues, over the nil organic amendment (control) by 72.3 and 78.3 CO 2 –C m−2 respectively over 84 days. In contrast, biochar lowered the mineralisation of SOC by 62.9 g CO 2 –C m−2 compared to the control. The cumulative mineralisation of sugarcane residue biochar (18.9 g CO 2 –C m−2) was lower (P = 0.03) than surface applied residue (50.1 g CO 2 –C m−2) and incorporated residue (71.9 g CO 2 –C m−2) over the study period. While there were no differences in total crop N uptake between the organic-amended soils and the control, the source of N was significantly different. The sugarcane plants utilised 31.0% and 29.4% of the supplied urea N in the nil organic-amended control and biochar treatment, respectively. This was significantly reduced to 24.8% and 20.6% in the surface residue and incorporated residue treatments, respectively. In comparison, the plant uptake of N derived from the organic amendments was 27.8%, 15.4% and 6.4% from incorporated residues, surface-applied residues and biochar, respectively (P < 0.001). Results suggest that the increased mineralisation of SOC, partly driven by the high C:N ratio (73:1) and the unbalanced nutrient stoichiometry may lead to low SOC accumulation from surface residue application and that sugarcane residue biochar results in SOC stabilisation and an increase in the use efficiency of fertiliser N in sugarcane systems. • Dual 13C and 15N study allowed differentiation between 3 C pools and plant N source. • Return of sugarcane residues to the field resulted in positive priming of SOC. • Sugarcane residue biochar resulted in the stabilisation of SOC. • Biochar resulted in greater fertiliser 15N uptake efficiency cf. residue retention. • Residue retention resulted in greater plant uptake of N from SOC mineralisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early morphogenetic mechanisms involved in heart formation are evolutionarily conserved. A screen for genes that control Drosophila heart development revealed a cardiac defect in which pericardial and cardial cells dissociate, which causes loss of cardiac function and embryonic lethality. This phenotype resulted from mutations in the genes encoding HMG-C0A reductase, downstream enzymes in the mevalonate pathway, and G protein Gγ1, which is geranylgeranylated, thus representing an end point of isoprenoid biosynthesis. Our findings reveal a cardial cell—autonomous requirement of Gγ1 geranylgeranylation for heart formation and suggest the involvement of the mevalonate pathway in congenital heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the effect of flurbiprofen axetil combined with "cocktail" therapy on opioid dosage in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods: The clinical data of 200 patients who underwent TKA in Baoding No.1 Central Hospital hospital from March 2019 to March 2021 were collected for retrospective analysis. All 200 patients were divided into two groups according to their intraoperative anesthesia methods: the control group (100 cases) and the experimental group (100 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with "cocktail" therapy intraoperatively, while those in the experimental group were treated with flurbiprofen axetil combined with "cocktail" therapy intraoperatively. The hip pain scores in resting state and motion state were compared between the two groups at different postoperative time points, and postoperative pain relief, adverse reactions, and patient satisfaction with analgesia were statistically analyzed to evaluate the postoperative quality of life of the patients. Results: A statistically significant difference was observed in the intergroup and temporal effects of pain scores in resting state and motion state between the two groups (p<0.05). By comparison at each time point, the pain scores in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group at the time point T1-T6 in resting and motion states, with a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). The frequency and dosage of remedial medication per capita in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group, with a statistical significance (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the scores of life quality items between the two groups preoperatively (p>0.05), while the scores of each item in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group postoperatively (p<0.05). The satisfaction degree of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group, showing a statistically significant difference (p<0.05). Conclusions: Flurbiprofen axetil combined with "cocktail" therapy is a safe treatment regimen that can improve the quality of life and safety of patients. With such a regimen, postoperative pain of patients undergoing TKA can be effectively relieved, and the use of opioids can be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Erosion of phosphorus (P)-rich soil into waterways is a major contributor to eutrophication. To minimize the build-up of P in agricultural soils, greater knowledge of the bioavailability and fate of P from soil amendments is required. Methods: We used X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) spectroscopy to resolve the major P species in nine diverse biochars. We then examined the relationship between biochar P extracted using a range of typical soil (water, Bray2 and Colwell) and plant (2% citric acid, and 2% formic acid) assays. We compared these with ryegrass P uptake via bioassay. Results: Linear combination fitting indicated Al-phosphate (variscite) was the dominant P species in biochars derived from cattle feedlot manure, sugarcane trash and sugarcane bagasse, reflecting the likely Al content of the feedstock. Non-apatite Ca-phosphates (monocalcium phosphate or CaHPO4) were the major P species in poultry litter, green waste, papermill sludge, wheat chaff, sugarcane mill mud and rice husk biochars. Biochar P was poorly water soluble but largely soluble in weak acids (formic and citric acids). Despite this, biochar P extracted by citric and formic acid was a poor predictor of P bioavailability to ryegrass, with the percentage of total P extracted by water or by the Bray2 reagent providing the best prediction of ryegrass P uptake. Conclusions: The P in biochar was identified by XANES spectroscopy as predominantly Ca and/or Al-P. Water and Bray2 extraction provided the best predictors of plant available P from biochars in a plant bioassay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Soybean root rot, caused by Fusarium oxysporum, leads to significant economic and financial losses to the soybean processing industry globally. In the study, we aimed to explore a biocontrol agent to combat F. oxysporum infection in soybean. Methods and Results: From soybean rhizosphere soil, 48 strains were isolated. Among them, the strain DR11 exhibited the highest inhibition rate of 72.27%. Morphological, physiological, biochemical, and 16S rDNA identification revealed that the strain DR11 was Klebsiella grimontii DR11. Strain DR11 could inhibit the growth of F. oxysporum and spore formation and alter the mycelial morphology. At 5.0 × 106 CFU mL−1, pH 7, and 30°C, it exhibited the highest inhibitory rate (72.27%). Moreover, it could decrease the activity of cell-wall-degrading enzymes of F. oxysporum. Simultaneously, the activities of defense-related enzymes and content of malondialdehyde in soybean plants were increased after treatment with strain DR11. In addition, strain DR11 could form aggregates to form biofilm and adsorb on the surface of soybean roots. It inhibited F. oxysporum growth on soybean seedlings, with an inhibitory effect of 62.71%. Conclusion: Klebsiella grimontii DR11 had a strong inhibitory effect on F. oxysporum and could be used as a biocontrol agent to combat F. oxysporum infection in soybean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional electrothermal floors suffer from low heating efficiency, uneven temperature distribution across the floor surface, local overheating, and severe heat accumulation. In order to improve the heating performance, an electrothermal composite floor with graphene as the heating layer was fabricated. The relationship between time and temperature rise, the relationship between power density and temperature rise, running stability, and surface temperature distribution were investigated and analyzed after heating, and the surface temperature profiles were simulated in two and three dimensions. The results were compared with the carbon fiber electrothermal composite floor and the resistance wire electrothermal composite floor. The results indicated that the temperature of the graphene electrothermal composite floor rose to 27.1 °C, the electrothermal conversion efficiency reached 90.1% after 40 min of electrification, and the temperature distribution unevenness was 4.4 °C, which were better than the carbon fiber electrothermal composite floor and the resistance wire electrothermal composite floor. The graphene electrothermal composite floor exhibited high heating performance, thus aiding the development and manufacture of such composite flooring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES Vancomycin 24-hour area under the curve over minimum inhibitory concentration (AUC/MIC) monitoring has been recommended over trough-based monitoring in pediatric patients. This study compared the proportion of target attainment between vancomycin AUC/MIC and trough-based methods, and identified risk factors for subtherapeutic initial extrapolated targets. METHODS This was a retrospective, observational study conducted at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), Singapore. Patients aged 1 month to 18 years with stable renal function who received intravenous vancomycin between January 2014 and October 2017, with at least 2 vancomycin serum concentrations obtained after the first dose of vancomycin, were included. Using a pharmacokinetic software, namely Adult and Pediatric Kinetics (APK), initial extrapolated steady-state troughs and 24-hour AUC were determined by using a one-compartmental model. Statistical tests included Wilcoxon rank sum test, McNemar test, logistic regression, and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. RESULTS Of the 82 pediatric patients included, a significantly larger proportion of patients achieved therapeutic targets when the AUC/MIC-based method (24, 29.3%) was used than with the trough-based method (9, 11.0%; p < 0.01). Patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m² or with age <13 years had an increased risk of obtaining subtherapeutic targets. However, empiric vancomycin doses of 60 mg/kg/day would be sufficient to achieve serum therapeutic targets, using the AUC/MIC-based method. CONCLUSION The AUC/MIC-based vancomycin monitoring may be preferred because a larger proportion of patients could achieve initial therapeutic targets. Future prospective studies with larger sample size will be required to determine the optimal vancomycin strategy for pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential effect of herbicides on soil functions, including nitrogen (N) transformations, is of interest to farmers, advisers, regulators and the community, yet comparisons of herbicides with different modes of action in a range of soil types are scarce. We applied seven commonly used herbicides (glyphosate acid, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid [2,4-D], metsulfuron-methyl, trifluralin, diuron, atrazine and diflufenican) and one fungicide (tebuconazole) to five different Australian cropping soils at a recommended and five times recommended rate. Mineral N levels and the activities of eight enzymes involved organic matter cycling, including β-N-acetylglucosaminidase and leucine aminopeptidase contributing to organic N transformation, were monitored over a 28-d period. Only one herbicide (atrazine) at a recommended rate statistically (P < 0.05) and agronomically (>25% inhibition cf. control treatment) reduced NO 3 − formation in one soil type at the end of the incubation. The remaining herbicides at recommended rates had inconsistent, transitory or negligible effects on enzyme activities and mineral N levels. However, five times the recommended rate of metsulfuron-methyl or 2,4-D caused alterations to mineral N levels, either as reduced NO 3 − or increased NH 4 + , across multiple soil types. This study suggests that N-transformation assays were at least, if not, more sensitive to herbicides than enzyme assays. Overall, our study confirms that single recommended rate applications of herbicides typically have limited effects on soil functions such as N-transformation and soil enzyme activities involved in organic matter and nutrient cycling. The observation of significant effects at higher-than-label rates highlights the need to follow label instructions and prevent herbicide accumulation in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, an amplified electrochemical ratiometric aptasensor for nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) assay based on target binding-triggered ratiometric signal readout and polymerase-assisted protein recycling amplification strategy is described. To demonstrate the effect of “signal-off” and “signal-on” change for the dual-signal electrochemical ratiometric readout, the thiol-hairpin DNA (SH-HD) hybridizes with methylene blue (MB)-modified protection DNA (MB-PD) to form capture probes, which is rationally introduced for the construction of the assay platform. On the interface, the probes can specifically bind to target NF-κB and expose a toehold region which subsequently hybridizes with the ferrocene (Fc)-modified DNA strand to take the Fc group to the electrode surface, accompanied by displacing MB-PD to release the MB group from the electrode surface, leading to the both “signal-on” of Fc ( I Fc ) and “signal-off” of MB ( I MB ). In order to improve the sensitivity of the electrochemical aptasensor, phi29-assisted target protein recycling amplification strategy was designed to achieve an amplified ratiometric signal. With the above advantages, the prepared aptasensor exhibits a wide linear range of 0.1 pg mL −1 to 15 ng mL −1 with a low detection limit of 0.03 pg mL −1 . This strategy provides a simple and ingenious approach to construct ratiometric electrochemical aptasensor and shows promising potential applications in multiple disease marker detection by changing the recognition probe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drosophila is an important model for studying heart development and disease. Yet, single-cell transcriptomic data of its developing heart have not been performed. Here, we report single-cell profiling of the entire fly heart using ~3000 Hand-GFP embryos collected at five consecutive developmental stages, ranging from bilateral migrating rows of cardiac progenitors to a fused heart tube. The data revealed six distinct cardiac cell types in the embryonic fly heart: cardioblasts, both Svp+ and Tin+ subtypes; and five types of pericardial cell (PC) that can be distinguished by four key transcription factors (Eve, Odd, Ct and Tin) and include the newly described end of the line PC. Notably, the embryonic fly heart combines transcriptional signatures of the mammalian first and second heart fields. Using unique markers for each heart cell type, we defined their number and location during heart development to build a comprehensive 3D cell map. These data provide a resource to track the expression of any gene in the developing fly heart, which can serve as a reference to study genetic perturbations and cardiac diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the design of the geometry and chip size-controlled structures of microscale lightemitting diodes (micro-LEDs) with a shallow-etched oxide-refilled current aperture and their performance. The proposed structure, which combines an indium-tin-oxide layer and an oxide-confined aperture, exhibited not only uniform current distribution but also remarkably tight current confinement. An extremely high injection level of more than 90 kA/cm2 was achieved in the micro-LED with a 5-μm aperture. Current spreading and the droop mechanism in the investigated devices were characterized through electroluminescence measurements, optical microscopy, and beam-view imaging. Furthermore, we utilized the β-model and S-model to elucidate current crowding and the efficiency droop phenomenon in the investigated micro-LEDs. The luminescence results evidenced the highly favorable performance of the fabricated micro-LEDs, which is a result of their more uniform current spreading and lower junction temperature relative to conventional LEDs. Moreover, the maximum endured current density could be further increased by reducing the aperture size of the micro-LEDs. The proposed design, which is expected to be beneficial for the development of highperformance array-based micro-LEDs, is practicable through current state-of-the-art processing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hand gene family encodes highly conserved basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors that play crucial roles in cardiac and vascular development in vertebrates. In Drosophila, a single Hand gene is expressed in the three major cell types that comprise the circulatory system: cardioblasts, pericardial nephrocytes and lymph gland hematopoietic progenitors, but its function has not been determined. Here we show that Drosophila Hand functions as a potent transcriptional activator, and converting it into a repressor blocks heart and lymph gland formation. Disruption of Hand function by homologous recombination also results in profound cardiac defects that include hypoplastic myocardium and a deficiency of pericardial and lymph gland hematopoietic cells, accompanied by cardiac apoptosis. Targeted expression of Hand in the heart completely rescued the lethality of Hand mutants, and cardiac expression of a human HAND gene, or the caspase inhibitor P35, partially rescued the cardiac and lymph gland phenotypes. These findings demonstrate evolutionarily conserved functions of HAND transcription factors in Drosophila and mammalian cardiogenesis, and reveal a previously unrecognized requirement of Hand genes in hematopoiesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overarching goal of aging and age-related neurodegenerative disease research is to discover effective therapeutic strategies applicable to a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases. Little is known about the extent to which targetable pathogenic mechanisms are shared among these seemingly diverse diseases. Translational control is critical for maintaining proteostasis during aging. Gaining control of the translation machinery is also crucial in the battle between viruses and their hosts. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we show that overexpression of SARS-CoV-2–encoded nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1) robustly rescued neuromuscular degeneration and behavioral phenotypes in Drosophila models of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These diseases share a common mechanism: the accumulation of aberrant protein species due to the stalling and collision of translating ribosomes, leading to proteostasis failure. Our genetic and biochemical analyses revealed that Nsp1 acted in a multipronged manner to resolve collided ribosomes, abort stalled translation, and remove faulty translation products causative of disease in these models, at least in part through the ribosome recycling factor ABCE1, ribosome-associated quality-control factors, autophagy, and AKT signaling. Nsp1 exhibited exquisite specificity in its action, as it did not modify other neurodegenerative conditions not known to be associated with ribosome stalling. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized mechanism of Nsp1 in manipulating host translation, which can be leveraged for combating agerelated neurodegenerative diseases that are affecting millions of people worldwide and currently without effective treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic CO 2 reduction to fuels and valuable chemicals by two-dimensional (2D) covalent organic framework nanosheets (CONs) is gathering much attention. However, it is still a challenge to improve photocatalytic performance. Herein, cobalt and nickel coordinated guanidinium-based 2D covalent organic framework nanosheets were synthesized by the condensation reaction between triformylphloroglucinol (TP) and triaminoguanidine (TG). In photocatalytic CO 2 reduction, CO 2 could be converted to CO effectively by using the prepared cobalt and nickel coordinated 2D CONs as photocatalyst. In particular, cobalt coordinated 2D guanidinium-based CONs (denoted as Co-TPTG Cl) was the most effective, CO and H 2 production rate reached up to 14641 μ mol mg-1 h-1 and 7968 μ mol mg-1 h-1, respectively. Compared with Ni-based catalyst, Co-based catalysts exhibited better catalytic performance in the photocatalytic CO 2 reduction. From the characterizations of fluorescence spectroscopy and CO 2 absorption-desorption isotherm, Co-TPTG Cl 2D CONs owns longer fluorescence lifetimes and better absorption capacity of CO 2. [Display omitted] • Cobalt and nickel coordinated guanidinium-based 2D CONs were prepared. • CO production rate reached up to 14641 μ mol mg-1 h-1 with Co-TPTG Cl as catalyst. • The recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes was inhibited effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophenols are known as precursors of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). The widely accepted formation mechanism of PCDD/Fs always assumes chlorophenoxy radicals as key and important intermediates. Based on the results of density functional theory calculations, the present work reports new insight into the formation mechanism of PCDD/Fs from chlorophenol precursors. Using 2-chlorophenol as a model compound of chlorophenols, we find that apart from the chlorinated phenoxy radical, the chlorinated phenyl radical and the chlorinated a-ketocarbene also have great potential for PCDD/F formation, which has scarcely been considered in previous literature. The calculations on the self- and cross-coupling reactions of the chlorophenoxy radical, the chlorinated phenyl radical and the chlorinated a-ketocarbene show that the formations of 1-MCDD, 1,6-DCDD, 4,6-DCDF, and 4-MCDF are both thermodynamically and kinetically favorable. In particular, some pathways involving the chlorinated phenyl radicals and the chlorinated a-ketocarbene are even energetically more favorable than those involving the chlorophenoxy radical. The calculated results may improve our understanding for the formation mechanism of PCDD/Fs from chlorophenol precursors and be informative to environmental scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs are emerging as important regulators of cancer-related processes. Our studies show that microRNA-9 (miR-9) is downregulated in human ovarian cancer relative to normal ovary, and overexpression of miR-9 suppresses cell growth in vitro. Furthermore, the 3′-UTR of NF-κB1 mRNA is found to be regulated directly by miR-9, demonstrating that NF-κB1 is a functionally important target of miR-9 in ovarian cancer cells. When miR-9 is overexpressed in ovarian cancer cells, the mRNA and protein levels of NF-κB1 are both suppressed, whereas inhibition of miR-9 results in an increase in the NF-κB1 expression level. Ovarian cancer tissues display significantly low expression of miR-9 and a high level of NF-κB1 compared with normal tissues, indicating that regulation of NF-κB1 by miR-9 is an important mechanism for miR-9 to inhibit ovarian cancer proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of computational considerations, using metastable four-membered rings as building blocks, we propose novel synthetic routes toward well-defined stoichiometric silica nanofullerenes and nanotubes. The viability of the routes has been demonstrated by performing high-level density functional calculations, and the so-formed nanoarchitectures were proved to be energetically and structurally stable. Such nanostructures, if synthesized, are expected to have potential application in nanotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a programmable dual‐catalyst hairpin assembly (DCHA) for realizing the synchronous recycle of two catalysts is developed, displaying high reaction rate and outstanding conversion efficiency beyond traditional nucleic acid signal amplifications (NASA). Once catalyst I interacts with the catalyst II, the DCHA can be triggered to realize the simultaneous recycle of catalysts I and II to keep the highly concentrated intermediate product duplex I‐II instead of the steadily decreased one in typical NASA, which can accomplish in about only 16 min and achieves the outstanding conversion efficiency up to 4.54 × 108, easily conquering the main predicaments of NASA: time‐consuming and low‐efficiency. As a proof of the concept, the proposed DCHA as a high‐speed and hyper‐efficiency DNA signal magnifier is successfully applied in the rapid and ultrasensitive detection of miRNA‐21 in cancer cell lysates, which exploits the new generation of universal strategy for the applications in biosensing assay, clinic diagnose, and DNA nanobiotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a programmable dual‐catalyst hairpin assembly (DCHA) for realizing the synchronous recycle of two catalysts is developed, displaying high reaction rate and outstanding conversion efficiency beyond traditional nucleic acid signal amplifications (NASA). Once catalyst I interacts with the catalyst II, the DCHA can be triggered to realize the simultaneous recycle of catalysts I and II to keep the highly concentrated intermediate product duplex I‐II instead of the steadily decreased one in typical NASA, which can accomplish in about only 16 min and achieves the outstanding conversion efficiency up to 4.54 × 108, easily conquering the main predicaments of NASA: time‐consuming and low‐efficiency. As a proof of the concept, the proposed DCHA as a high‐speed and hyper‐efficiency DNA signal magnifier is successfully applied in the rapid and ultrasensitive detection of miRNA‐21 in cancer cell lysates, which exploits the new generation of universal strategy for the applications in biosensing assay, clinic diagnose, and DNA nanobiotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]