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The regulation of emotions is a crucial facet of well‐being and social adaptability, with explicit strategies receiving primary attention in prior research. Recent studies, however, emphasize the role of implicit emotion regulation, particularly implicating the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) in association with its implementation. This study delves into the nuanced role of the VMPFC through focality‐optimized multichannel transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), shedding light on its causal involvement in implicit reappraisal. The primary goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of VMFPC‐targeted tDCS and elucidate its role in individuals with high trait anxiety. Participants engaged in implicit and explicit emotion regulation tasks during multichannel tDCS targeting the VMPFC. The outcome measures encompassed negative emotion ratings, pupillary diameter, and saccade count, providing a comprehensive evaluation of emotion regulation efficiency. The intervention exhibited a notable impact, resulting in significant reductions in negative emotion ratings and pupillary reactions during implicit reappraisal, highlighting the indispensable role of the VMPFC in modulating emotional responses. Notably, these effects demonstrated sustained efficacy up to 1 day postintervention. This study underscores the potency of VMPFC‐targeted multichannel tDCS in augmenting implicit emotion regulation. This not only contributes insights into the neural mechanisms of emotion regulation but also suggests innovative therapeutic avenues for anxiety disorders. The findings present a promising trajectory for future mood disorder interventions, bridging the gap between implicit emotion regulation and neural stimulation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose Methods Results Conclusions Considering the reliance of serum uric acid (SUA) levels on renal clearance function, its role in stroke outcomes remains controversial. This study investigated the association of renal function–normalized SUA (SUA to serum creatinine ratio, SUA/SCr), a novel renal function index, with the 1‐year outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).This is a prospective, multicenter observational study. Renal function–normalized SUA levels were determined by calculating the ratio of SUA to SCr. One‐year outcomes included stroke recurrence, all‐cause mortality, and poor prognosis. Multivariable Cox regression analyses and restriction cubic splines for curve fitting were used to evaluate SUA/SCr's association with 1‐year stroke outcomes.Among 2294 enrolled patients, after adjustment for potential confounders, multivariable Cox regression analyses showed that each one‐unit increase in SUA/SCr corresponded to a 19% decrease in 1‐year stroke recurrence in patients with AIS. SUA/SCr was analyzed as a continuous variable and categorized into quartiles (Q1–Q4). Compared with the Q1 reference group, Q2, Q3, and Q4 showed significantly lower 1‐year stroke recurrence risks. The trend test indicated significant differences in the 1‐year stroke recurrence trend from Q1 to Q4. In these patients, SUA/SCr did not show a significant association with poor prognosis or all‐cause mortality. Curve fitting revealed SUA/SCr had a negative but nonlinear association with 1‐year stroke recurrence.In patients with AIS, low SUA/SCr may be an independent risk factor for 1‐year stroke recurrence. Changes in SUA/SCr had no significant impact on 1‐year poor prognosis and all‐cause mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Detoxifying enzymes are likely involved in lignin feeding and immune defense mechanisms within termites, rendering them potential targets for biological control. However, investigations into the dual functionality of termite detoxification enzymes in vivo have not been documented. RESULTS: In this study, the complete cDNA of the catalase gene (Cfcat) derived from Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki was amplified. CFCAT comprises an open reading frame spanning 1527 bp, encoding a 508‐amino acid sequence. The highest expression was observed in the epidermal tissues (including the fat body and hemolymph) followed by the foregut/salivary gland. Furthermore, we confirmed the catalase activity of the recombinant Cfcat protein. Using RNA interference (RNAi) technology, the importance of Cfcat in the lignin‐feeding of C. formosanus was demonstrated, and the role of Cfcat in innate immunity was investigated. Survival assays showed that Cfcat RNAi significantly increased the susceptibility of C. formosanus to Metarhizium anisopliae. Irrespective of the infection status, Cfcat inhibition had a significant impact on multiple factors of humoral and intestinal immunity in C. formosanus. Notably, Cfcat RNAi exhibited a more pronounced immunosuppressive effect on humoral immunity than on intestinal immunity. CONCLUSION: Cfcat plays an important role in the regulation of innate immunity and lignin feeding in C. formosanus. Cfcat RNAi can weaken the immune response of termites against M. anisopliae, which may aid the biocontrol efficiency of M. anisopliae against C. formosanus. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical reference for the development of a novel biocontrol strategy targeting detoxifying enzymes of termites. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove sediments host a diverse array of microbial populations and are characterized by high heterogeneity along their vertical depths. However, the genetic diversity within these populations is largely unknown, hindering our understanding of their adaptive evolution across the sediment depths. To elucidate their genetic diversity, we utilized metagenome sequencing to identify 16 high‐frequency microbial populations comprised of two archaea and 14 bacteria from mangrove sediment cores (0–100 cm, with 10 depths) in Qi'ao Island, China. Our analysis of the genome‐wide genetic variation revealed extensive nucleotide diversity in the microbial populations. The genes involved in the transport and the energy metabolism displayed a high nucleotide diversity (HND; 0.0045–0.0195; an indicator of shared minor alleles with the microbial populations). By tracking the processes of homologous recombination, we found that each microbial population was subjected to different purification selection levels at different depths (44.12% genes). This selection resulted in significant differences in synonymous/non‐synonymous mutation ratio between 0–20 and 20–100 cm layers, indicating the adaptive evolutionary process of microbial populations. Furthermore, our assessment of differentiation in the allele frequencies between these two layers showed that the functional genes involved in the metabolic processes of amino acids or cofactors were highly differential in more than half of them. Together, we showed that the nucleotide diversity of microbial populations was shaped by homologous recombination and gene‐specific selection, finally resulting in the stratified differentiation occurring between 0–20 and 20–100 cm. These results enhance our cognition of the microbial adaptation mechanisms to vertical environmental changes during the sedimentation process of coastal blue carbon ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient generation of monodispersed droplets holds great promise for micro‐/nanoparticle synthesis and biochemical analysis. However, it remains a challenge to achieve high‐throughput generation of monodispersed droplets in a portable and/or parallel manner in nonexpert biomedical laboratories. Herein, a versatile microchannel array (μCA) device is reported that is portable, multifaceted, reliable, and mass‐manufacturable, supporting the high‐throughput generation of monodispersed droplets in different ways. This device consists of a silicon‐based μCA chip based on the step emulsification principle, as well as two matching plastic containers, both of which can be mass‐manufactured by traditional microfabrication methods at low material costs. With the μCA device, aqueous solution can be dispersed into emulsion droplets by various modes, such as mechanical pump‐based large‐scale, handheld syringe‐based portable, and gas pump‐based highly parallel droplet generation. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that our cost‐effective device can be applied for digital polymerase chain reaction analysis, supporting the need for more accessible microfluidic systems. Thus, the present device is expected to have a significant impact on both benchside and bedside applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to traditional small molecule and antibody drugs, RNA‐based drugs offer a simple design, short research and development cycles, high specificity, broad treatment fields, and long‐term efficacy. As a result, RNA‐based drugs are extensively used to treat genetic diseases, tumors, viral infections, and other illnesses, suggesting that they have the potential to become the third‐largest drug class after small molecule and antibody drugs. Currently, more than 10 small nucleic acid drugs have gained regulatory approval. The commercialization successes of small nucleic acid drugs will stimulate the development of RNA‐based drugs. Small nucleic acid drugs primarily target liver diseases, metabolic diseases, genetic diseases, and tumors, and there is also significant potential for expanding indications in the future. This review provides a brief overview of the advantages and development of small nucleic acid‐based therapeutics and shows a focus on platform technologies such as chemical modifications and delivery systems that have enabled the clinical translation of small nucleic acid‐based therapeutics. Additionally, we summarize the latest clinical progress in small nucleic acid‐based therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases, including rare diseases, liver diseases, metabolic diseases, and tumors. Finally, we highlight the future prospects for this promising treatment approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary angle‐closure glaucoma (PACG) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. Angle closure induced by pupil block and secondary iris synechia is the fundamental pathology of the PACG. The molecular mechanisms of angle closure have not yet been clearly illustrated. This study was designed to investigate the protein difference in the aqueous humour and explore new biomarker of the PACG. Aqueous humour (AH) was collected from patients with acute primary angle closure (APAC) and cataract (n = 10 in APAC group) and patients with cataract only (n = 10 in control group). Samples were pooled and measured using label‐free proteome technology. Then, the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were verified by ELISA using independent AH samples (n = 20 each group). More than 400 proteins were revealed in both groups through proteomics. Comparing the two groups, there were 91DEPs. These proteins participate in biological activities such as inflammation, fibrosis, nerve growth and degeneration and metabolism. We found that the expression of transforming growth factor‐β2 and matrilin2 was downregulated in the APAC group. The two proteins are related to inflammation and extracellular matrix formation, which might be involved in angle closure. This study characterized DEPs in AH of the APAC and found a downregulated protein matrilin2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing practical quantum technologies will require the exquisite manipulation of fragile systems in a robust and repeatable way. As quantum technologies move toward real world applications, from biological sensing to communication in space, increasing experimental complexity introduces constraints that can be alleviated by the introduction of new technologies. Robotics has shown tremendous progress in realizing increasingly smart, autonomous, and highly dexterous machines. Here, a robotic arm equipped with a magnet is demonstrated to sensitize an NV center quantum magnetometer in challenging conditions unachievable with standard techniques. Vector magnetic fields are generated with 1° angular and 0.1 mT amplitude accuracy and determine the orientation of a single stochastically‐aligned spin‐based sensor in a constrained physical environment. This work opens up the prospect of integrating robotics across many quantum degrees of freedom in constrained settings, allowing for increased prototyping speed, control, and robustness in quantum technology applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Haken model to explore the synergistic evolutionary characteristics and competition trends of agricultural resilience and eco‐efficiency can establish a theoretical foundation for achieving high‐quality and sustainable agricultural development. The traditional Haken model cannot address the issue of the lack of directionality in synergy values, but incorporating the tendency theory of the coupling coordination model into the Haken model can solve this problem, thus establishing propensity synergistic Haken model to give values directionality. Established a more comprehensive evaluation system for China's agricultural resilience. Measuring agricultural system resilience in China's 31 provinces and cities from 2001 to 2021. The synergistic values between agricultural resilience and eco‐efficiency were measured by the improved Haken model. Results show that: (1) Agricultural resilience exhibits a stable upward trend, but the overall level is low. Regional differences have been increasing over time. (2) Eco‐efficiency is the sequential covariate of synergistic evolution by the two systems. The overall synergy level between agricultural system resilience and eco‐efficiency is higher. (3) Considering the "propensity synergistic," the overall change from low‐level benign synergy to high‐level benign synergy between agricultural resilience and eco‐efficiency in China. (4) The propensity synergy Haken model can compensate for the directionality‐lack problem of the traditional Haken model synergy value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) is highly engaged in emotion regulation of social pain. However, there is still lack of both inhibition and excitement evidence to prove the causal relationship between this brain region and voluntary emotion regulation. This study used high‐frequency (10 Hz) and low‐frequency (1 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to separately activate or inhibit the rVLPFC in two groups of participants. We recorded participants' emotion ratings as well as their social attitude and prosocial behaviors following emotion regulation. Also, we used eye tracker to record the changes of pupil diameter to measure emotional feelings objectively. A total of 108 healthy participants were randomly assigned to the activated, inhibitory or sham rTMS groups. They were required to accomplish three sequential tasks: the emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal) task, the favorability rating task, and the donation task. Results show that the rVLPFC‐inhibitory group reported more negative emotions and showed larger pupil diameter while the rVLPFC‐activated group showed less negative emotions and reduced pupil diameter during emotion regulation (both compared with the sham rTMS group). In addition, the activated group gave more positive social evaluation to peers and donated more money to a public welfare activity than the rVLPFC‐inhibitory group, among which the change of social attitude was mediated by regulated emotion. Taken together, these findings reveal that the rVLPFC plays a causal role in voluntary emotion regulation of social pain and can be a potential brain target in treating deficits of emotion regulation in psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: EP300 is considered to be a cancer suppressor gene that plays a role in tumor development, but some studies have reported that it is not an oral squamous cell carcinoma suppressor gene, because there was neither epigenetic inactivation of the gene nor a mutation resulting in functional impairment. However, there is no relevant study on whether EP300 is the exact carcinogenic effect and its mechanisms of carcinogenic effects in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: Western blot analysis and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction experiments verified the protein and mRNA expression of EP300 in oral squamous cell carcinoma; The effects of EP300 knockout on glucose consumption and lactic acid production were detected by glycolysis experiments; The relationship between pathway‐related proteins and EP300 was verified by bioinformatics analysis and co‐immunoprecipitation experiment. Results: Our experimental results confirm that the protein and mRNA of EP300 are highly expressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma, and after knocking out the EP300, the glycolysis ability, invasion, migration, and other biological functions of oral squamous cell carcinoma, are inhibited at the same time. Pathway‐related experiments have confirmed that EP300 plays a role in promoting cancer through the transforming growth factor‐beta receptor II (TGF‐βRII)/EP300/Smad4 cascade pathway. Conclusion: EP300 plays a carcinogenic role in OSCC showed that the TGF‐βRII/EP300/Smad4 cascade pathway is involved in oral squamous cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) is typically associated with iron (Fe) hydroxides in paddy soils. Our study investigated the impact of different fertilization treatments on the availability of P regulated by Fe redox transformation in a rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system in the mid‐low reaches of the Yangtze River. Five fertilization treatments were examined: control (CK), chemical fertilizer (CF), 35% CF (P) plus pig manure compost (CFM), 100% CF (P) plus straw (CFS), and 35% CF (P) plus pig manure compost and straw (CFMS). Nine‐year rice–wheat rotations increased the oxalate‐extractable poorly crystalline Fe hydroxides (i.e., Feo) by 33%–87% compared with the initial soil, while fertilization further accelerated this process. Compost application increased the proportion of labile P by 75%–108% and decreased the proportion of non‐labile P by 14%–22% compared with the single chemical fertilization treatment. Furthermore, organic fertilization increased the mass proportions of macroaggregates and macroaggregate‐associated labile P. The Feo was positively correlated with the content of labile P but negatively correlated with the proportion of non‐labile P. Moreover, the reductive dissolution of Fe hydroxides was accompanied by the transformation of P from NaOH‐extractable to NaHCO3‐ and H2O‐extractable phases. These results indicate that seasonal alternation of drying and wetting can progressively drive the redox transformation of Fe hydroxides and promote the formation of Feo, thereby affecting the availability of P. Therefore, we suggested that P fertilizer should be reduced in the rice season due to the reduction of Fe hydroxides, particularly in the compost‐amended soils in the temperate rice–wheat cropping system. Core Ideas: Fertilization accelerated the poorly crystalline iron hydroxide formation.Organic fertilization enhanced the availability of phosphorus.Poorly crystalline iron hydroxide formation contributed to the increase in phosphorus availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Afforestation effectively sequesters atmospheric carbon (C) into soil, with the magnitude of C sequestration being constrained by soil nutrient availability, particularly phosphorus (P) derived from parent material. While microbial communities inhabited within soil aggregates can adjust their composition and metabolic activities in response to afforestation, their effects on soil P availability remain uncertain. Here, we investigated how microbial adaptations within different soil aggregate‐size fractions (fine‐scale soil structure) were upscaled to influence P availability for soil C sequestration following long‐term (around 32 years) afforestation in subtropical China. We found that afforestation generally led to lower accumulation of total P relative to C and nitrogen (N) in soil aggregates, but induced higher P‐ versus C‐ and N‐acquiring enzyme activities (i.e., lower ecoenzymatic C:P and N:P ratios) compared with the croplands. Structural equation modeling analysis further showed that ecoenzymatic C:P and N:P ratios were primarily associated with the abundance of fungi in the macroaggregates (>250 μm), but showed significant correlations with the abundance of bacteria in the <250 μm finer soil particles. These results revealed that microbial community within different soil aggregate‐size fractions developed divergent strategies to overcome P limitation on soil C sequestration and cope with soil C:N:P imbalance following afforestation. Taken together, our work underpins that fine‐scale soil structural effects are important for the mechanistic understanding of soil P availability and their impacts on C sequestration following afforestation. Key Points: Afforestation led to lower P accumulation relative to C and N in soil aggregatesMicrobial P‐ versus C‐ and N‐acquisition efforts were higher under afforested soilsMicrobial adaptations within fine‐scale soil structure mitigated soil P limitation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a metabolic disease with excess weight. LncRNA SNHG14 is abnormally expressed in numerous diseases. This research aimed to enucleate the lncRNA SNHG14 role in obesity. Adipocytes were treated with free fatty acid (FFA) to establish an in vitro model for obesity. Mice were fed a high‐fat diet to construct an in vivo model. Gene levels were determined using quantitative real‐time PCR (RT‐PCR). The protein level was checked by western blot. The lncRNA SNHG14 role in obesity was assessed using western blot and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The mechanism was estimated by Starbase, dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay, and RNA pull‐down. LncRNA SNHG14 function in obesity was estimated using mouse xenograft models, RT‐PCR, western blot, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. LncRNA SNHG14 and BACE1 levels were increased, but the miR‐497a‐5p level was decreased in FFA‐induced adipocytes. Interference with lncRNA SNHG14 reduced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‐related molecules GRP78 and CHOP expressions in FFA‐induced adipocytes, and decreased IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α expressions, indicating that lncRNA SNHG14 knockdown mitigated FFA‐induced ER stress and inflammation in adipocytes. Mechanistically, lncRNA SNHG14 combined with miR‐497a‐5p, and miR‐497a‐5p targeted BACE1. Meanwhile, lncRNA SNHG14 knockdown reduced levels of GRP78, CHOP, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and TNF‐α, while cotransfection with anti‐miR‐497a‐5p or pcDNA‐BACE1 abolished these trends. Rescue assays illustrated that lncRNA SNHG14 knockdown relieved FFA‐induced adipocyte ER stress and inflammation through miR‐497a‐5p/BACE1. Meanwhile, lncRNA SNHG14 knockdown restrained adipose inflammation and ER stress caused by obesity in vivo. LncRNA SNHG14 mediated obesity‐induced adipose inflammation and ER stress through miR‐497a‐5p/BACE1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial relative resource limitations represented by enzyme stoichiometry reflect the relationship between microbial nutrient requirements and nutrient status in soil, but the issue on whether alterations in environments along elevational gradients affect the magnitude of microbial relative resource limitations remains unresolved.Here, we examined seasonal patterns in microbial relative carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) limitations indicated by vector lengths and angles using relative proportional enzymatic activities and key controlling factors along an elevational gradient in the Yulong Snow Mountain. We also analysed the relationships between microbial metabolic processes and microclimates (i.e. soil moisture and temperature), soil properties (i.e. pH and soil texture), and microbial attributes (i.e. microbial biomass and fungal: bacterial ratio).We found that soil microbial relative C limitation decreased with increasing elevations, with lower levels observed in the dry season than in the wet season. In contrast, soil microbial relative P limitation varied significantly with elevations, with linearly increasing trends in wet seasons but unimodal trends in dry seasons. Meanwhile, we found higher relative C limitation in the coniferous forest but higher relative P limitation in the broad‐leaved forest. Notably, soil microbial relative C limitation was primarily affected by the soil microenvironment (i.e. soil temperature) and substrate quantity (i.e. the ratio of soil dissolved organic C to available P), whereas soil microbial relative P limitation could be alleviated by increasing microbial relative C limitation combined with increasing soil pH. Additionally, the significant linear pattern of the C use efficacy with elevations was only observed in the wet seasons, which was directly influenced by soil microclimates and microbial relative C limitation.Overall, our results provided important information for better understanding the essential role of microbial processes in the regulation of C and P cycling in vulnerable subtropical mountain ecosystems. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolution of resistance to Cry proteins in multiple pest insects has been threatening the sustainable use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)‐transgenic crops. Better understanding about the mechanism of resistance to Cry proteins in insects is needed. Our preliminary study reported that the transcription of HaABCC3 was significantly decreased in a near‐isogenic line (LFC2) of a Cry1Ac‐resistant strain (LF60) of the global pest Helicoverpa armigera. However, the causality between HaABCC3 downregulation and resistance to Cry1Ac remains to be verified, and the regulatory mechanism underlying the HaABCC3 downregulation is still unclear. In this study, our data showed that both HaABCC3 and HaABCC3 downregulation were genetically linked to resistance to Cry1Ac in LF60. However, no InDels were observed in the coding sequence of HaABCC3 from LF60. Furthermore, F1 offspring from the cross of LF60 and a HaABCC2/3‐knockout mutant exhibited moderate resistance to Cry1Ac toxin; this indicated that the high resistance to Cry1Ac toxin in LF60 may have resulted from multiple genetic factors, including HaABCC2 mis‐splicing and HaABCC3 downregulation. Results from luciferase reporter assays showed that promoter activity of HaABCC3 in LF60 was significantly lower than that in the susceptible strain, which indicated that HaABCC3 downregulation was likely mediated by promoter variation. Consistently, multiple variations of the GATA‐ or FoxA‐binding sites in the promoter region of HaABCC3 were identified. Collectively, all results in this study suggested that the downregulation of HaABCC3 observed in the H. armigera LF60 strain, which is resistant to Cry1Ac, may be mediated by a cis‐regulatory mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Termites have physiological and behavioral immunities that make them highly resistant to pathogen infections, which complicates biocontrol efforts. However, the stimuli that trigger the pathogen‐avoidance behaviors of termites are still unclear. Our study shows that workers of Coptotermes formosanus exposed to the conidia of Metarhizium anisopliae exhibited a significantly higher frequency and longer duration of allogrooming behaviors compared with untreated termites. Volatile compounds in the cuticle of control termites and termites previously exposed to a suspension of M. anisopliae conidia were analyzed and compared using a gas chromatography‐mass spectrometer (GC‐MS). Our results showed that the amount of ergosterol differed between the fungus‐exposed and control termites. Choice tests showed that termites significantly preferred to stay on filter paper treated with ergosterol (0.05, 0.1, or 1.0 mg/mL) compared with control filter paper. In addition, termites exposed to ergosterol followed by M. anisopliae conidia were allogroomed at a significantly higher frequency and for a longer duration than termites exposed to alcohol (the solvent used with the ergosterol in the ergosterol trials) alone followed by M. anisopliae conidia. These results showed that ergosterol may enhance the allogrooming behavior of termites in the presence of entomopathogenic fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is a typical representative of the PARP enzyme family and is mainly related to DNA repair, gene transcription regulation, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Studies have found that PARP1 is involved in the pathophysiological processes of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Chaperone‐mediated autophagy (CMA) is involved in the molecular regulation of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, and plays a critical role in maintaining intracellular metabolism balance. However, the link between PARP1 and CMA in cardiomyocytes remains unclear. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate whether CMA is involved in PARP1 regulation and to further clarify the specific molecular mechanisms. Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS)‐induced activation of autophagy reduced PARP1 expression, whereas the autophagy lysosomal inhibitor CQ had the opposite effect. Correspondingly, treatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3‐methyladenine did not abolish the autophagy‐inducing effects of EBSS. Additionally, PARP1 binds to heat shock cognate protein 70 and lysosome‐associated membrane protein 2A (LAMP2A). Moreover, adenovirus‐mediated LAMP2A overexpression to activate the CMA signaling pathway in cardiomyocytes reduces PARP1 (cleaved) expression and further decreases cardiomyocyte apoptosis caused by oxidative stress. In contrast, downregulation of LAMP2A increased PARP1 (cleaved) expression and the degree of apoptosis. More importantly, we report that appropriate concentrations of H2O2 triggered the nuclear translocation of PARP1, which subsequently promoted the degradation of PARP1 through the CMA pathway. In summary, our data are the first to reveal that CMA targeted PARP1 for lysosomal degradation in cardiomyocytes, which ultimately inhibited apoptosis by promoting the degradation of the PARP1 protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium‐based metal‐organic framework MIL‐125(Ti) was synthesized by the hydrothermal method of terephthalic acid and tetra butyl titanate in N‐N,dimethylformamide, and methanol. MIL‐125(Ti) was characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, nitrogen adsorption‐desorption, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, zeta potential, scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed MIL‐125(Ti) could be used as a potential adsorbent for protein separation and purification due to the high specific surface area, high stability, and strong hydrophobicity. As a result, MIL‐125(Ti) had adsorption selectivity for immunoglobulin G, which was due to the hydrogen bond between MIL‐125(Ti) and protein. At pH 8.0, the maximum adsorption efficiency of 0.25 mg MIL‐125(Ti) for 300 μL 100 μg/mL immunoglobulin G was 98.3%, and its maximum adsorption capacity was 232.56 mg/g. The elution efficiency of immunoglobulin G was 92.4% by 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate. sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis result demonstrated the successful isolation of highly purified immunoglobulin G from the human serum. Therefore, a new method of separation and purification of immunoglobulin G in human serum using titanium‐based metal‐organic framework MIL‐125(Ti) as a solid‐phase adsorbent was established, which broadened the application scope of metal‐organic frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the global use of cold chain, the development of postharvest technology to reduce chilling injury (CI) in postharvest fruits and vegetables during storage and transport is needed urgently. Considerable evidence shows that maintaining intracellular adenosine triphosphate (iATP) in harvested fruits and vegetables is beneficial to inhibiting CI occurrence. Extracellular ATP (eATP) is a damage‐associated signal molecule and plays an important role in CI of postharvest fruits and vegetables through its receptor and subsequent signal transduction under low‐temperature stress. The development of new aptasensors for the simultaneous determination of eATP level allows for better understanding of the roles of eATP in a myriad of responses mediated by low‐temperature stress in relation to the chilling tolerance of postharvest fruits and vegetables. The multiple biological functions of eATP and its receptors in postharvest fruits and vegetables were attributed to interactions with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in coordination with phytohormones and other signaling molecules via downstream physiological activities. The complicated interconnection among eATP in relation to its receptors, eATP/iATP homeostasis, ROS, NO, and heat shock proteins triggered by eATP recognition has been emphasized. This paper reviews recent advances in the beneficial effects of energy handling, outlines the production and homeostasis of eATP, discusses the possible mechanism of eATP and its receptors in chilling tolerance, and provides future research directions for CI in postharvest fruits and vegetables during low‐temperature storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural compounds (NPs) have historically made a major contribution to pharmacotherapy in various diseases and drug discovery. In the past decades, studies on gut microbiota have shown that the efficacy of NPs can be affected by the interactions between gut microbiota and NPs. On one hand, gut microbiota can metabolize NPs. On the other hand, NPs can influence the metabolism and composition of gut microbiota. Among gut microbiota metabolites, bile acids (BAs) have attracted widespread attention due to their effects on the body homeostasis and the development of diseases. Studies have also confirmed that NPs can regulate the metabolism of BAs and ultimately regulate the physiological function of the body and disease progresses. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the interactions among NPs, gut microbiota, and BAs. In addition, we also discuss the role of microbial BAs metabolism in understanding the toxicity and efficacy of NPs. Furthermore, we present personal insights into the future research directions of NPs and BAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic (2 e−) nucleophilic addition of allylmetal regents to imines dominates the synthesis of homo‐allyl amine; however, single electron (1 e−) mediated imine allylation with feedstocks butadiene as an alternative allyl source remains unexplored. In this work, we report a conceptually different radical–radical cross‐coupling strategy for the synthesis of a homoallyl amine between an α‐amino alkyl radical and a transient allylic radical. This metal‐free method provided a novel approach for the synthesis of homoallylic amines (>80 examples) from readily available materials with excellent regioselectivity and exceptional broad functional group compatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study identified annexin A2 (ANXA2) as a Gaq‐interacting partner in natural killer/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) cells transfected with the GNAQ T96S mutation vector by immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry; however, the detailed molecular mechanisms by which GNAQ T96S might regulate ANXA2 remain to be defined in NKTCL. Herein, we found that the GNAQ T96S mutation significantly promotes the phosphorylation of ANXA2 at the Y24 site, whereas phosphorylation of ANXA2 abolishes the ability of WT GNAQ to trigger cell apoptosis. Further investigation revealed that a GNAQ T96S peptide inhibitor induced apoptosis by competing with ANXA2 binding to GNAQ T96S in NKTCL cells. In vivo animal experiments showed that a GNAQ T96S peptide inhibitor suppresses the growth of NKTCL cells carrying the GNAQ T96S mutation. Our current data suggest a role for GNAQ T96S/Src/ANXA2 in mediating the apoptosis of NKTCL cells, and the GNAQ T96S peptide could be a promising agent for therapy in NKTCL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ventrolateral prefrontal cortices (VLPFC) are crucial regions involved in voluntary emotion regulation. However, the lateralization of the VLPFC in downregulating negative emotions remains unclear; and whether the causal role of the VLPFC is generalizable to upregulating positive emotions is unexplored. This study used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to examine the causal relationship between the left/right VLPFC and social emotion reappraisal. One hundred and twenty participants were randomly assigned to either active (left and right VLPFC groups, n = 40/40) or sham (vertex, n = 40) TMS groups. Participants were instructed to passively receive social feedback or use reappraisal strategies to positively regulate their emotions. While the subjective emotional rating showed that the bilateral VLPFC facilitated the reappraisal success, the electrophysiological measure of the late positive potential (LPP) demonstrated a more critical role of the right VLPFC on social pain relief (decreased LPP amplitudes) and social reward magnification (enhanced LPP amplitudes). In addition, the influence of emotion regulation on social evaluation was found to be mediated by the memory of social feedback, indicating the importance of memory in social behavioral shaping. These findings suggest clinical protocols for the rehabilitation of emotion‐regulatory function in patients with affective and social disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasipaa spinosa is an Asian commercial Dicroglossidae species noted for its spiny chest found in adult males. Here, we report the first chromosomal level Q. spinosa genome employing PacBio long read sequencing and high‐resolution chromosome conformation capture (Hi‐C) technology. The total length of the final assembled genome was 2,839,292,578 bp, with contig N50 of 3.79 Mb and scaffold N50 of 327.44 Mb. Approximately 99.30% of the length of the assembled genome sequences were anchored to 13 chromosomes with the assistance of Hi‐C reads. A total of 26,173 protein‐coding genes were predicted, and 95.98% of the genes were functionally annotated. The annotated genes covered a total of 92.10% of the complete vertebrate core gene set according to the BUSCO pipeline evaluation. Approximately 41 million years ago, Q. spinosa began to diverge from its dicroglossid sister taxon Nanorana parkeri. The Q. spinosa genome revealed obvious chromosomal fissions compared with Xenopus tropicalis, which probably represented a specific chromosome evolutionary history within frogs. Population analysis showed that Chinese Q. spinosa could be divided into eastern and western genetic clusters, with the western population showing higher diversity than the eastern population. The effective population size of Q. spinosa showed a continuously decreasing trend from one million years ago to 10,000 years ago. In summary, this study sheds light on Q. spinosa evolution and population differentiation, providing a valuable genomic resource for further biological and genetic studies on this species, and other closely related frog taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Retinal photodamage is a high‐risk factor for age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. However, both the pathogenesis and effective therapies for retinal photodamage are still unclear and debated. Experimental Approach The anti‐inflammatory effects of thrombospondin‐1 on blue light‐induced inflammation in ARPE‐19 cells and in retinal inflammation were evaluated. Furthermore, the anti‐angiogenic effects of thrombospondin‐1 on human microvascular endothelial cells (hMEC‐1 cells) and a laser‐induced choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) mouse model were evaluated. in vitro experiments, including western blotting, immunocytochemistry, migration assays and tube formation assays, as well as in vivo experiments, including immunofluorescence, visual electrophysiology, spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography, and fluorescein angiography, were employed to evaluate the anti‐inflammatory and anti‐angiogenic effects of thrombospondin‐1. Key Results: Specific effects of blue light‐induced retinal inflammation and pathological angiogenesis were reflected by up‐regulation of pro‐inflammatory factors and activation of angiogenic responses, predominantly regulated by the NF‐κB and VEGFR2 pathways respectively. During the blue light‐induced pathological progress, THBS‐1 derived from retinal pigment epithelium down‐regulated proteomics and biological assays. Thrombospondin‐1 treatment also suppressed inflammatory infiltration and neovascular leakage. The protective effect of Thrombospondin‐1 was additionally demonstrated by a substantial rescue of visual function. Mechanistically, thrombospondin‐1 reversed blue light‐induced retinal inflammation and angiogenesis by blocking the activated NF‐κB and VEGFR2 pathways, respectively. Conclusion and Implications: Thrombospondin‐1, with dual anti‐inflammatory and anti‐neovascularisation properties, is a promising agent for protection against blue light‐induced retinal damage and retinal degenerative disorders which are pathologically associated with inflammatory and angiogenic progress. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Inflammation, Repair and Ageing. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.9/issuetoc [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient and modular genome editing technologies that manipulate the genome of bacterial pathogens will facilitate the study of pathogenesis mechanisms. However, such methods are yet to be established for Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), the causal agent of rice bacterial blight. We identified a single type I‐C CRISPR‐Cas system in the Xoo genome and leveraged this endogenous defence system for high‐efficiency genome editing in Xoo. Specifically, we developed plasmid components carrying a mini‐CRISPR array, donor DNA, and a phage‐derived recombination system to enable the efficient and programmable genome editing of precise deletions, insertions, base substitutions, and gene replacements. Furthermore, the type I‐C CRISPR‐Cas system of Xoo cleaves target DNA unidirectionally, and this can be harnessed to generate large genomic deletions up to 212 kb efficiently. Therefore, the genome‐editing strategy we have developed can serve as an excellent tool for functional genomics of Xoo, and should also be applicable to other CRISPR‐harbouring bacterial plant pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: In recent years, white tea has become increasingly popular. Some merchants confuse the age of white tea and sell poor‐quality products for profit. Therefore, it is necessary to provide technical support for product authentication and valorization in white tea of different marked ages. Methods: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected by proton transfer reaction time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (PTR‐TOF‐MS) and identified as volatile fingerprints. PTR‐TOF‐MS combined with multivariate analysis was found to identify white tea of four different marked ages (1, 3, 5, and 8 years) for authentication. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least‐squares discriminant analysis (OPLS‐DA) were used as classification models to identify key volatile metabolites. Results: The OPLS‐DA model achieved the best results (96.67%, 96.67%, 96.67%, and 96.67% in the training set and 96.00%, 96.00%, 100%, and 100% in the prediction set for 1‐year, 3‐year, 5‐year, and 8‐year tea samples, respectively), showing that PTR‐TOF‐MS with the OPLS‐DA model could successfully be used in the identification of white tea with different marked ages. Out of the 60 identified VOCs, 26 volatile materials were closely correlated with tea age and were used as markers to discriminate white tea of different ages. Conclusions: PTR‐TOF‐MS coupled with multivariate analysis could be applied for quality evaluation of tea products of different ages and provided a feasible technical support for product authentication and valorization in white tea of different marked ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The ripening of fleshy fruits is a unique developmental process that Arabidopsis and rice lack. This process is driven by hormones and transcription factors. However, the critical and early regulators of fruit ripening are still poorly understood.Here, we revealed that SlJMJ7, an H3K4 demethylase, is a critical negative regulator of fruit ripening in tomato.Combined genome‐wide transcription, binding sites, histone H3K4me3 and DNA methylation analyses demonstrated that SlJMJ7 regulates a key group of ripening‐related genes, including ethylene biosynthesis (ACS2, ACS4 and ACO6), transcriptional regulation (RIN and NOR) and DNA demethylation (DML2) genes, by H3K4me3 demethylation. Moreover, loss of SlJMJ7 function leads to increased H3K4me3 levels, which directly activates ripening‐related genes, and to global DML2‐mediated DNA hypomethylation in fruit, which indirectly prompts expression of ripening‐related genes. Together, these effects lead to accelerated fruit ripening in sljmj7 mutant.Our findings demonstrate that SlJMJ7 acts as a master negative regulator of fruit ripening not only through direct removal of H3K4me3 from multiple key ripening‐related factors, but also through crosstalk between histone and DNA demethylation. These findings reveal a novel crosstalk between histone methylation and DNA methylation to regulate gene expression in plant developmental processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the lithium storage capacity of lithium‐ion battery anode materials, three nitrogen‐doped and nitrogen‐doped hollow carbon materials (Cw‐GO), nitrogen‐doped carbon aerogels, and three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped porous carbon materials (PCMs) were prepared, and their electrochemical properties were studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and nitrogen adsorption desorption instrument were used to detect the morphology and structure of the samples. The electrochemical properties of the samples were tested by cyclic voltammetry (CV), impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic charge discharge (GCD). The results show that the introduction of graphene oxide (GO) can improve the specific capacitance and electrochemical activity of the composites; nitrogen‐doped carbon aerogel electrode material has better capacitance characteristics. PCM has a large specific surface area and a large capacitance response, which reaches 168.5 F g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1. When the current density is 10 A g−1, 1000 cycles of constant current charge and discharge test is carried out. When the current density is 20 A g−1, the specific capacitance of PCM keeps 88.3% of the original capacitance and has good electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of conservation tillage on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and crop production is controversial in semi‐arid areas. In addition, fertilisation is another essential factor affecting soil carbon pool and crop yields. We sought to explore the changes of SOC pool and crop productivity after optimising fertilisation and tillage. An 11‐year field experiment on the Loess Plateau in China was conducted to evaluate the effects of (i) fertilisation (balanced fertilisation, low fertilisation, conventional fertilisation) and (ii) tillage (no‐tillage, subsoiling, ploughing) on input‐C, SOC stocks, labile C fractions, C pool management index (CMI) and wheat yield. SOC stock accumulation at 0–35 cm depth under balanced fertilisation increased by 59% compared to conventional fertilisation due to the larger amount and stabilisation efficiency of input‐C. Simultaneously, balanced fertilisation increased labile C contents and CMI at 0–10 cm depth. For tillage, no‐tillage and subsoiling improved input‐C and its stabilisation efficiency, and increased SOC stocks compared to ploughing. Balanced fertilisation combined with no‐tillage or subsoiling produced greater SOC stocks at 0–35 cm depth compared to other treatments. No‐tillage increased labile C contents and CMI at 0–10 cm depth, while subsoiling increased labile C contents and CMI at 0–10 and 35–50 cm depths. Wheat yield and sustainable yield index (SYI) were positively correlated with SOC, and the effect of SOC contributed to SYI largely through indirect effects of dissolved organic C and particulate organic C. Wheat yield and SYI were increased by optimising fertilisation and tillage, and the greatest yield was under balanced fertilisation combined with the subsoiling treatment. Our findings suggested that balanced fertilisation combined with subsoiling was an effective practice for increasing SOC sequestration, soil quality, wheat yields and had great potential application on the Loess Plateau in China. Highlights: C sequestration under conservation tillage and fertilisation are controversial in semi‐arid areas.Balanced fertilisation promoted SOC sequestration in no‐tillage and subsoiling treatments.Subsoiling improved soil quality at 0–10 and 35–50 cm depths due to the greater SOC and labile C.Subsoiling was superior to no‐tillage and ploughing in maintaining crop productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lethal oxidative stress and ferrous ion accumulation‐mediated degeneration/death in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) exert an indispensable impact on retinal degenerative diseases with irreversible visual impairment, especially in age‐related macular degeneration (AMD), but corresponding pathogenesis‐oriented medical intervention remains controversial. In this study, the potent iron‐binding nanoscale Prussian blue analogue KCa[FeIII(CN)6] (CaPB) with high biocompatibility is designed to inhibit RPE death and subsequently photoreceptor cell degeneration. In mice, CaPB effectively prevents RPE degeneration and ultimately fulfills superior therapeutic outcomes upon a single intravitreal injection: significant rescue of retinal structures and visual function. Through high‐throughput RNA sequencing and sophisticated biochemistry evaluations, the findings initially unveil that CaPB nanoparticles protect against RPE degradation by inhibiting ferroptotic cell fate. Together with the facile, large‐scale preparations and in vivo biosafety, it is believed that the synthesized CaPB therapeutic nanoparticles are promising for future clinical treatment of diverse retinal diseases involving pathological iron‐dependent ferroptosis, including AMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerotic plaque instability contributes to ischaemic stroke and myocardial infarction. This study is to compare the abundance and difference of immune cell subtypes within unstable atherosclerotic tissues. CIBERSORT was used to speculate the proportions of 22 immune cell types based on a microarray of atherosclerotic carotid artery samples. R software was utilized to illustrate the bar plot, heat map and vioplot. The immune cell landscape in atherosclerosis was diverse, dominated by M2 macrophages, M0 macrophages, resting CD4 memory T cells and CD8 T cells. There was a significant difference in resting CD4 memory T cells (p = 0.032), T cells follicular helper (p = 0.033), M0 (p = 0.047) and M2 macrophages (p = 0.012) between stable and unstable atherosclerotic plaques. Compared with stable atherosclerotic plaques, unstable atherosclerotic plaques had a higher percentage of M2 macrophages. Moreover, correlation analysis indicated that the percentage of naïve CD4 T cells was strongly correlated with that of gamma delta T cells (r = 0.93, p < 0.001), while memory B cells were correlated with plasma cells (r = 0.85, p < 0.001). In summary, our study explored the abundance and difference of specific immune cell subgroups at unstable plaques, which would aid new immunotherapies for atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the relationship between ultrasonic findings and positive expression of Ki67 and P53 in breast cancer. Material and methods: Surgical resection specimens of 263 breast cancer lesions were examined. Ultrasound examination and pathological examination were performed on each lesion for retrospective analysis. We applied regression analysis to the ultrasonic features related to the positive expression of Ki67 and P53 and obtained the corresponding models. To analyze diagnostic efficiency, we calculated the area under the curve (AUC). Additionally, we created a heat map to show the results of the cluster analysis. Results: Lesions with higher Ki67 expression were associated with posterior acoustic enhancement, absence of an echo halo and a higher Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI‐RADS) category. P53‐positive cancer were associated with an absence of an echo halo and a higher BI‐RADS category. The AUC of the regression models of Ki67 and P53 was 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Conclusions: Our study revealed that breast cancer ultrasonic findings were closely related to expression of molecular indicators, suggesting that ultrasound can be used to provide useful information to clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil extracellular enzyme activities reflect the microbial nutrient demand by microorganisms and can be strongly affected by land use change. However, how soil N‐hydrolyzing enzymes and soil extracellular enzyme stoichiometry (EES) respond to land use change remains unclear. Here, we explored seasonal variations in β‐1,4‐N‐acetyl glucosaminidase and leucine aminopeptidase activities and EES under afforested land (woodland and shrubland), cropland, and uncultivated land for better understanding microbial metabolism around the Danjiangkou Reservoir area. Both afforested and cropland soils averaged higher N‐hydrolyzing enzyme and specific enzyme activities [i.e., enzyme activities per unit of soil organic nitrogen (SON)] compared to the uncultivated soils, indicating fast N turnover rates after afforestation and cultivation. Higher N‐hydrolyzing enzyme activities under afforestation and cultivation could be attributed to increasing soil organic carbon and soil organic nitrogen contents. All land use types were generally restricted by nutrients limitation than C demand as mean soil ecoenzymatic C:N:P ratios deviated from 1:1:1. However, afforestation and cultivation r|esulted in greater C demand and alleviate nutrient limitation for soil microorganisms with higher ecoenzymatic C:N ratios, C:P ratios, and vector lengths. In addition, all land use types were restricted by P than N limitation with ecoenzymatic N:P ratios less than 1 and vector angle >45°, among which afforestation increased P limitation and cultivation alleviated P limitation for microbes compared with uncultivated land. Overall, our results provide insight into mechanisms of soil microbial metabolic limitation regulated by soil N‐hydrolyzing enzyme activity and EES under global land use change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a widespread defence mechanism in higher plants against pathogen attack and sometimes is the cause of cell death that facilitates attack by necrotrophic pathogens. Plant pathogens use superoxide dismutase (SOD) to scavenge ROS derived from their own metabolism or generated from host defence. The significance and roles of SODs in the vascular plant pathogen Verticillium dahliae are unclear. Our previous study showed a significant upregulation of Cu/Zn‐SOD1 (VdSOD1) in cotton tissues following V. dahliae infection, suggesting that it may play a role in pathogen virulence. Here, we constructed VdSOD1 deletion mutants (ΔSOD1) and investigated its function in scavenging ROS and promoting pathogen virulence. ΔSOD1 had normal growth and conidiation but exhibited significantly higher sensitivity to the intracellular ROS generator menadione. Despite lacking a signal peptide, assays in vitro by western blot and in vivo by confocal microscopy revealed that secretion of VdSOD1 is dependent on the Golgi reassembly stacking protein (VdGRASP). Both menadione‐treated ΔSOD1 and cotton roots infected with ΔSOD1 accumulated more O2‐ and less H2O2 than with the wildtype strain. The absence of a functioning VdSOD1 significantly reduced symptom severity and pathogen colonization in both cotton and Nicotiana benthamiana. VdSOD1 is nonessential for growth or viability of V. dahliae, but is involved in the detoxification of both intracellular ROS and host‐generated extracellular ROS, and contributes significantly to virulence in V. dahliae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While morphine has long been widely used in treating acute heart failure (AHF) due to its vasodilatory properties and anticipated anxiolysis, it remains unclear whether the application of morphine to those patients is reasonable. We aim to conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess the safety of morphine in patients with AHF. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase electronic databases from inception through March 2020. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the outcomes. Seven studies with 172, 226 patients were included. The results showed that morphine usage was not associated with increased in‐hospital mortality (OR: 1.94; 95% CI 0.93 to 4.03; p = 0.08). However, the use of morphine significantly increased the risk of invasive ventilation (OR: 2.72; 95% CI 1.09 to 6.80; p = 0.03). Furthermore, the subgroup analysis indicated that the application of morphine was not associated with increased 7‐day all‐cause mortality in patients with AHF (OR: 1.69; 95% CI 0.80 to 3.22; p = 0.11) but significantly increased the risk of 30‐day all‐cause mortality (OR: 1.59; 95% CI 1.16 to 2.17; p = 0.004). Based on current evidence, our results suggested that although morphine therapy did not significantly increase the risk of short‐term death (in the hospital or within 7 days) in patients with AHF, the risk of long‐term death and invasive ventilation were significantly increased. This result needs to be further confirmed by an ongoing randomized control trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denitrification is a crucial process in the global nitrogen cycle, in which two functionally equivalent genes, nirS and nirK, catalyse the critical reaction and are usually used as marker genes. The nirK gene can function independently, whereas nirS requires additional genes to encode nitrite reductase and is more sensitive to environmental factors than nirK. However, the ecological differentiation mechanisms of those denitrifying microbial communities and their adaptation strategies to environmental stresses remain unclear. Here, we conducted metagenomic analysis for sediments and bioreactor samples from Lake Donghu, China. We found that nirS‐type denitrifying communities had a significantly lower horizontal gene transfer frequency than that of nirK‐type denitrifying communities, and nirS gene phylogeny was more congruent with taxonomy than that of nirK gene. Metabolic reconstruction of metagenome‐assembled genomes further revealed that nirS‐type denitrifying communities have robust metabolic systems for energy conservation, enabling them to survive under environmental stresses. Nevertheless, nirK‐type denitrifying communities seemed to adapt to oxygen‐limited environments with the ability to utilize various carbon and nitrogen compounds. Thus, this study provides novel insights into the ecological differentiation mechanism of nirS and nirK‐type denitrifying communities, as well as the regulation of the global nitrogen cycle and greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alternative splicing of select genes is an important mechanism to regulate responses to endogenous and environmental signals in plants. However, the role of alternative splicing in regulating fruit ripening remains unclear. Here, we discovered that MaMYB16L, an R1‐type MYB transcription factor, undergoes alternative splicing and generates two transcripts, the full‐length isoform MaMYB16L and a truncated form MaMYB16S, in banana fruit. During banana fruit ripening, the alternative splicing process intensifies with downregulated MaMYB16L and upregulated MaMYB16S. Moreover, MaMYB16L is a transcriptional repressor that directly binds with the promoters of many genes associated with starch degradation and MaDREB2, a positive ripening regulator, and represses their expression. In contrast, MaMBY16S lacks a DNA‐binding domain but competitively combines and forms non‐functional heterodimers with functional MaMYB16L. MaMYB16L‐MaMYB16S heterodimers decrease the binding capacity and transrepression activity of MaMYB16L. The downregulation of MaMYB16L and the upregulation of MaMYB16S, that is, a decreased ratio of active to non‐active isoforms, facilitates the activation of ripening‐related genes and thereby promotes fruit ripening. Furthermore, the transient overexpression of MaMYB16S promotes banana fruit ripening, whereas the overexpression of MaMYB16L delays this process. Therefore, the alternative splicing of MaMYB16L might generate a self‐controlled regulatory loop to regulate banana fruit ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the single polymer micelle system, the polyion complex micellar system is consisted of two or more polymers with different composition, which has more flexible structural adjustment and better performance, making them widely used in drug control release. In this work, two azobenzene‐based amphiphilic copolymers P (MMA‐co‐PEGMA‐co‐NIPAM‐co‐HAZOMA) with ionized carboxyl and P (MMA‐co‐PEGMA‐co‐NIPAM‐co‐NNAZOMA) with protonated tertiary amine group were synthesized by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. We studied self‐assembled behavior of polymers and multi‐component polymers, including their multiple responsiveness and the encapsulation, controlled release properties of polyion complex micelle. Light, pH, temperature, and reduction responsiveness of three micelles were investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and dynamic light scattering. Compared to RCP 1, and RCP 2, RCP 1/RCP 2 micelle can release Nile red in both acidic and alkaline environment. When temperature reached critical solution temperature, RCP 1/RCP 2 micelle would release Nile red faster. Polyion complex micelle had better release performance compared to single micelles at the same environment, and could release in a wider range pH, making it had more potential applications in biological science field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma (MM), a hematological malignancy, has a poor prognosis and requires an invasive procedure. Reports have implicated miRNAs in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of hematological malignancies. In our study, we evaluated the expression profiles of miR‐17‐3p in plasma and bone marrow mononuclear cells of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and MM patients and healthy subjects. The results showed that the plasma and mononuclear cell expression levels of miR‐17‐3p in MM patients were higher than those in MGUS patients and normal controls. In addition, the expression of miR‐17‐3p was positively correlated with diagnostic indexes, such as marrow plasma cell abundance and serum M protein level, and positively correlated with the International Staging System stage of the disease. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis suggested that miR‐17‐3p might be a diagnostic index of MM. Moreover, miR‐17‐3p regulated cell proliferation, apoptosis and the cell cycle through P21 in MM cell lines and promoted MM tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, we predicted and verified LMLN as a functional downstream target gene of miR‐17‐3p. Negatively regulated by miR‐17‐3p, LMLN inhibits MM cell growth, exerting a tumor suppressive function through P21. Taken together, our data identify miR‐17‐3p as a promising diagnostic biomarker for MM in the clinic and unveil a new miR‐17‐3p‐LMLN‐P21 axis in MM progression. What's new MicroRNAs have shown potential in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of hematological malignancies. Here, the authors found that miR‐17‐3p is highly expressed in the plasma and bone marrow cells of multiple myeloma patients. miR‐17‐3p expression is positively correlated with diagnostic indexes as well as the stage of disease. Moreover, miR‐17‐3p exerts an oncogenic role by regulating the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, and colony formation of multiple myeloma cells by targeting LMLN and regulating P21. Altogether, the results identify miR‐17‐3p as a promising diagnostic biomarker and unveil the role of the miR‐17‐3p‐LMLN‐P21 axis in multiple myeloid progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voluntary forgetting of unwanted memories is an adaptive cognitive function. However, it remains unknown how voluntary forgetting of unwanted social feedback may influence subsequent memories and evaluations, and what the underlying neurocognitive processes are. Here, we presented participants with peer photos together with feedback indicating social acceptance or rejection, followed by "remember" or "forget" instructive cues, while electroencephalograms were recorded during the experiment. We examined the Directed Forgetting (DF) effect in a recognition memory test, and tested participants' explicit and implicit attitudes toward the peers using a social evaluation task and an affect misattribution procedure (AMP). Both the memory test and the AMP were examined immediately and 3 days after the DF task so to estimate both the instant and the long‐term effects of memory control. Behaviorally, immediate memory test showed smaller DF effect for positive than negative social feedback, which suggests that forgetting positive social feedback was more difficult than forgetting negative social feedback. Regarding the ERP results, although participants showed comparable frontal N2 amplitudes (reflecting inhibitory control efforts) following the instruction of forgetting positive and negative social feedback, positive feedback elicited larger late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes than negative feedback during initial encoding phase, suggesting an encoding bias for positive self‐relevant information. Intriguingly, voluntary efforts to forget negative social feedback enhanced people's explicit and implicit evaluations toward the feedback senders. These findings provide new evidence for the adaptive function of memory control, which broadens the influence of voluntary forgetting in the context of social interaction and social evaluation. Voluntary forgetting of unwanted memories is an adaptive cognitive function. However, it remains unknown how voluntary forgetting of unwanted social feedback may influence subsequent memories and evaluations. This study provides new evidence for the adaptive function of memory control and broadens the influence of voluntary forgetting in the context of social interaction and social evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]