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Limited knowledge of the structure and activities of the ruminal bacterial community prevents the understanding of the effect of population dynamics on functional bacterial groups and on host productivity. This study aimed to identify particular bacteria associated with host feed efficiency in steers with differing diets and residual feed intake (RFI) using culture-independent methods: PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative real-time PCR analysis. PCR-DGGE profiles were generated from the ruminal fluid of 55 steers fed a low-energy-density diet and then switched to a high-energy-density diet. Bacterial profile comparisons by multivariate statistical analysis showed a trend only for RFI-related clusters on the high-energy diet. When steers (n = 19) belonging to the same RFI group under both diets were used to identify specific bacterial phylotypes related to feed efficiency traits, correlations were detected between dry matter intake, average daily gain, and copy numbers of the 16S rRNA gene of Succinivibrio sp. in low-RFI (efficient) steers, whereas correlations between Robinsoniella sp. and RFI (P < 0.05) were observed for high-RFI. (inefficient) animals. Eubacterium sp. differed significantly (P < 0.05) between RFI groups that were only on the high-energy diet. Our work provides a comprehensive framework to understand how particular bacterial phylotypes contribute to differences in feed efficiency and ultimately influence host productivity, which may either depend on or be independent from diet factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of the ruminal epithelial tissue-associated bacterial (defined as epimural bacteria in this study) community is limited. In this study, we aimed to determine whether diet influences the diversity of the epimural bacterial community in the bovine rumen. Twenty-four beef heifers were randomly assigned to either a rapid grain adaptation (RGA) treatment (n = 18) in which the heifers were allowed to adapt from a diet containing 97% hay to a diet containing 8% hay over 29 days or to the control group (n = 6), which was fed 97% hay. Rumen papillae were collected when the heifers were fed 97%, 25%, and 8% hay diets. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative real-time PCR analysis were used to characterize rumen epimural bacterial diversity and to estimate the total epimural bacterial population (copy numbers of the 16S rRNA gene). The epimural bacterial diversity from RGA heifers changed (P = 0.01) in response to the rapid dietary transition, whereas it was not affected in control heifers. A total of 88 PCR-DGGE bands were detected, and 44 were identified from phyla including Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria. The bacteria Treponema sp., Ruminobacter sp., and Lachnospiraceae sp. were detected only when heifers were fed 25% and 8% hay diets, suggesting the presence of these bacteria is the result of adaptation to the high-grain diets. In addition, the total estimated population of rumen epimural bacteria was positively correlated with molar proportions of acetate, isobutyrate, and isovalerate, suggesting that they may play a role in volatile fatty acid metabolism in the rumen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper deals with the determination of a pair in the nonlinear parabolic equation with initial and boundary conditions from the overspecified data . Based on the optimal control framework, the problem is transformed into a nonlinear optimization problem and the existence of the minimizer for the control functional is established. The necessary condition which is a couple system of a parabolic equation and a parabolic variational inequality is deduced. Since the optimal control problem is nonconvex, one may not expect a unique solution in general. However, the local uniqueness and stability of the solution are proved, which is also the main contribution of the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It remains a challenge of large-scale application of nano-aluminum in energetic materials field. In this work, nano-aluminum based microspheres incorporating with high explosive have been successfully fabricated by electrospray deposition. The introduction of high explosive into nano-aluminum based microspheres has significantly improved the reactivity. The electrospray deposition can also be extended to other nano-composite microspheres for broader interest beyond the energy community. • Monodisperse nano-aluminum based microspheres incorporating with CL-20 have been fabricated by electrospray deposition. • Different polymers have a significant effect on the surface morphology of microspheres. • The n-Al/CL-20 microspheres exhibit excellent energy release. • The n-Al/CL-20 microspheres burned leaving little residues. Nano-aluminum, as a potential replacement of micro-aluminum, has attracted significant research interests in energetic fields due to its high reactivity. However, the intrinsic high surface area of nanoparticles drives nano-aluminum encounter challenges in handling process and prone to large aggregation, significantly impeding the further application of nano-aluminum. In this work, nano-aluminum based microspheres incorporating hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) are directly fabricated by electrospray deposition. These as-prepared microspheres were in high monodispersity and their size ranges from 8 to 16 μm. The surface morphology of such microspheres was adjustable by using different polymers as binder. Thermal behavior results show that CL-20 has no appreciable effect on the reactivity of nano-aluminum while the fluoropolymer binder (F2314) facilitates the oxidation of nano-aluminum. Nevertheless, the presence of CL-20 can significantly enhance the reactivity of nano-aluminum in the combustion behavior tests, where electrosprayed microspheres exhibit outstanding performance in comparison to physical mixed sample, presenting a high pressurization rate, peak pressure and short burning time. These excellent properties are possibly attributed to their uniform microstructure. Therefore, the use of electrospray method can offer a promising strategy to fabricate the microstructure controllable microspheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been widely recognized that the microbiota has the capacity to shape host gene expression and physiological functions. However, there remains a paucity of comprehensive study revealing the host transcriptional landscape regulated by the microbiota. Here, we comprehensively examined mRNA landscapes in mouse tissues (brain and cecum) from specific-pathogen-free and germ-free mice using nanopore direct RNA sequencing. Our results show that the microbiome has global influence on a host's RNA modifications (m 6 A, m 5 C, Ψ), isoform generation, poly(A) tail length, and transcript abundance in both brain and cecum tissues. Moreover, the microbiome exerts tissue-specific effects on various post-transcriptional regulatory processes. In addition, the microbiome impacts the coordination of multiple RNA modifications in host brain and cecum tissues. In conclusion, we establish the relationship between microbial regulation and gene expression. Our results help the understanding of the mechanisms by which the microbiome reprograms host gene expression., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Plants employ distinct mechanisms to respond to environmental changes. Modification of mRNA by N  6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A), known to affect the fate of mRNA, may be one such mechanism to reprogram mRNA processing and translatability upon stress. However, it is difficult to distinguish a direct role from a pleiotropic effect for this modification due to its prevalence in RNA. Through characterization of the transient knockdown-mutants of m 6 A writer components and mutants of specific m 6 A readers, we demonstrate the essential role that m 6 A plays in basal resistance and pattern-triggered immunity (PTI). A global m 6 A profiling of mock and PTI-induced Arabidopsis plants as well as formaldehyde fixation and cross-linking immunoprecipitation-sequencing of the m 6 A reader, EVOLUTIONARILY CONSERVED C-TERMINAL REGION2 (ECT2) showed that while dynamic changes in m 6 A modification and binding by ECT2 were detected upon PTI induction, most of the m 6 A sites and their association with ECT2 remained static. Interestingly, RNA degradation assay identified a dual role of m 6 A in stabilizing the overall transcriptome while facilitating rapid turnover of immune-induced mRNAs during PTI. Moreover, polysome profiling showed that m 6 A enhances immune-associated translation by binding to the ECT2/3/4 readers. We propose that m 6 A plays a positive role in plant immunity by destabilizing defense mRNAs while enhancing their translation efficiency to create a transient surge in the production of defense proteins., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:X.D. is a founder of Upstream Biotechnology Inc. and a member of its scientific advisory board, as well as a scientific advisory board member of Inari Agriculture Inc. and Aferna Bio, Inc. G.H.G. is a founder of Upstream Biotechnology Inc. C.H. is a scientific founder, a member of the scientific advisory board and equity holder of Aferna Bio, Inc. and Ellis Bio Inc., a scientific cofounder and equity holder of Accent Therapeutics, Inc., and a member of the scientific advisory board of Rona Therapeutics and Element Biosciences.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa harbors sophisticated transcription factor (TF) networks to coordinately regulate cellular metabolic states for rapidly adapting to changing environments. The extraordinary capacity in fine-tuning the metabolic states enables its success in tolerance to antibiotics and evading host immune defenses. However, the linkage among transcriptional regulation, metabolic states and antibiotic tolerance in P. aeruginosa remains largely unclear. By screening the P. aeruginosa TF mutant library constructed by CRISPR/Cas12k-guided transposase, we identify that rccR (PA5438) is a major genetic determinant in aminoglycoside antibiotic tolerance, the deletion of which substantially enhances bacterial tolerance. We further reveal the inhibitory roles of RccR in pyruvate metabolism (aceE/F) and glyoxylate shunt pathway (aceA and glcB), and overexpression of aceA or glcB enhances bacterial tolerance. Moreover, we identify that 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate (KDPG) is a signal molecule that directly binds to RccR. Structural analysis of the RccR/KDPG complex reveals the detailed interactions. Substitution of the key residue R152, K270 or R277 with alanine abolishes KDPG sensing by RccR and impairs bacterial growth with glycerol or glucose as the sole carbon source. Collectively, our study unveils the connection between aminoglycoside antibiotic tolerance and RccR-mediated central carbon metabolism regulation in P. aeruginosa, and elucidates the KDPG-sensing mechanism by RccR., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Background: In recent years, facial feminization surgery (FFS) has gained increasing popularity because of increases in transgender individuals and the acceptance of diversity in gender identity. However, there is still a scarcity of anthropometric research to guide evidence-based practices for FFS in Taiwan., Aim and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to provide a reference for surgeons to achieve optimal outcomes for patients undergoing FFS. The anthropometric analysis could help surgeons meet patients' specific requirements and improve patients' alignment with their gender identity., Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 100 patients (50 males and 50 females) who had undergone cranial computed tomography at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan because of the indication of blunt injuries to the head and face with suspected skull and facial fractures. The computed tomography images were imported into the OsiriX image software to conduct an anthropometric evaluation. The parameters used in the measurements included 2 aspects: bone and soft tissue anthropometric analysis., Results: Anthropometric data were obtained from 50 males (age 32.6 ± 11.4 years) and 50 females (age 33.7 ± 10.3 years). The results for bone measurements showed that both the forehead bossing length and nasal bone width in the male group were significantly greater. The frontal angle in both bone and soft tissue in the male group was significantly smaller. The chin height and bigonial width in both bone and soft tissue in the male group were significantly greater. Although the average gonial angle was greater in the female group, the difference was not significant. For the measurements of lip projection, the results showed that there was no significant difference. Although this group of Asian males had more acute nasolabial angles, the difference was not statistically significant. However, the average nasofrontal angle among females was significantly more obtuse than among males., Conclusion: The results revealed that Asian males tend to have more prominent superior orbital rims, wider nasal bones, and wider and taller mandibles compared with Asian females. Despite showing some trends, the gonial angle and lip projections did not reveal any significant differences, which is likely because of a large amount of variation., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and source of funding: The authors declare that the article content was composed in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate mandibular asymmetry in unilateral posterior crossbite (UPXB) patients and compare the asymmetry between adolescents and adults with UPXB., Methods: This study included and analyzed cone-beam computed tomography scans of 125 subjects. The subjects were divided into a UPXB group and a control group according to the presence or absence of UPXB, and each group included adolescent patients (aged 10-15 years) and adult patients (aged 20-40 years). Linear, angular, and volumetric measurements were obtained to evaluate the asymmetries of the mandibles., Results: Both adolescent and adult patients in the UPXB group presented asymmetries in condylar unit length, ramal height, body length, and mediolateral ramal inclination (P <0.05). Adult patients with UPXB showed greater asymmetries than adolescents. Differences with condylar unit length, condylar unit width, ramal height, condylar unit volume, and hemimandibular volume were significantly greater in adult UPXB patients than adolescent UPXB patients (P <0.05)., Conclusions: The worsening of mandibular asymmetries in UPXB adults suggests that asymmetry in UPXB patients may progress over time; therefore, early treatment should be considered for UPXB adolescent patients. Further studies are still needed to evaluate the effectiveness of early treatment., (Copyright © 2023 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) has been increasingly recognized as a new and important regulator of gene expression. To date, transcriptome-wide m6A detection primarily relies on well-established methods using next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform. However, direct RNA sequencing (DRS) using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) platform has recently emerged as a promising alternative method to study m6A. While multiple computational tools are being developed to facilitate the direct detection of nucleotide modifications, little is known about the capabilities and limitations of these tools. Here, we systematically compare ten tools used for mapping m6A from ONT DRS data. We find that most tools present a trade-off between precision and recall, and integrating results from multiple tools greatly improve performance. Using a negative control could improve precision by subtracting certain intrinsic bias. We also observed variation in detection capabilities and quantitative information among motifs, and identified sequencing depth and m6A stoichiometry as potential factors affecting performance. Our study provides insight into the computational tools currently used for mapping m6A based on ONT DRS data and highlights the potential for further improving these tools, which may serve as the basis for future research., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Geriatric maxillofacial trauma has become an increasingly pressing clinical issue in Taiwan because of increased life expectancy., Aim and Objectives: The purposes of this study were to investigate the anthropometric changes and the posttrauma outcomes in the aging population and to optimize the management strategies for geriatric facial fractures., Materials and Methods: From 2015 to 2020, a total of 30 patients 65 years or older were identified to have suffered from maxillofacial fractures and presented at the emergency department of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH). These patients were categorized into group III, representing the elderly group. Two other groups (group I, age 18-40 years; group II, age 41-64 years) of patients were categorized based on their age. After applying propensity score matching to reduce bias caused by a large case number difference, patient demographics, anthropometric data, and management methods were compared and analyzed., Results: Among 30 patients 65 years or older who met the inclusion criteria, the mean age of the matched group III was 77.31 ± 14.87 years, and the mean number of retained teeth was 11.77 (range, 3-20 teeth). The elderly patients had a significantly lower number of retained teeth (group I vs group II vs group III, 27.3 vs 25.23 vs 11.77; P < 0.001). Anthropometric data showed that facial bone structure degenerated significantly with advancing age. Outcome analysis demonstrated that falls accounted for 43.3% of injury mechanisms in the elderly group, followed by motorcycle accidents (30%) and car accidents (23.3%). Nineteen elderly patients (63%) received nonsurgical management. On the other hand, 86.7% of cases in the other 2 age groups underwent surgery. The average numbers of total hospital and intensive care unit stays in group III patients were 16.9 (range, 3-49 days) and 4.57 (range, 0-47 days), which was significantly longer than the other 2 age groups., Conclusions: Our results suggested that not only surgery is feasible for elderly patients with facial fractures, but an acceptable result is often obtainable. However, an eventful course, including extended hospital/intensive care unit stays and an increased risk of associated injuries and complications, may be expected., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: The authors declare that the article content was composed in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

N 6 -deoxyadenosine methylation (6mA) is the most widespread type of DNA modification in prokaryotes and is also abundantly distributed in some unicellular eukaryotes. However, 6mA levels are remarkably low in mammals. The lack of a precise and comprehensive mapping method has hindered more advanced investigations of 6mA. Here, we report a new method MM-seq (modification-induced mismatch sequencing) for genome-wide 6mA mapping based on a novel detection principle. We found that modified DNA bases are prone to form a local open region that allows capture by antibody, for example, via a DNA breathing or base-flipping mechanism. Specified endonuclease or exonuclease can recognize the antibody-stabilized mismatch-like structure and mark the exact modified sites for sequencing readout. Using this method, we examined the genomic positions of 6mA in bacteria (E. coli), green algae (C. reinhardtii), and mammalian cells (HEK239T, Huh7, and HeLa cells). In contrast to bacteria and green algae, human cells possess a very limited number of 6mA sites which are sporadically distributed across the genome of different cell types. After knocking out the RNA m 6 A methyltransferase METTL3 in mouse ES cells, 6mA becomes mostly diminished. Our results imply that rare 6mA in the mammalian genome is introduced by RNA m 6 A machinery via a non-targeted mechanism., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) worldwide. However, the role of mechanical stress caused by hypertension on downregulating the L-type calcium current (I Ca,L ), which is vital for AF occurrence, remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of Piezo1, a mechanically activated ion channel, in the decrease of I Ca,L in response to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP, one of the principal mechanical stresses) at 40 mmHg, and to elucidate the underlying pathways. Experiments were conducted using left atrial appendages from patients with AF, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) treated with valsartan (Val) at 30 mg/kg/day and atrium-derived HL-1 cells exposed to HHP. The protein expression levels of Piezo1, Calmodulin (CaM), and Src increased, while that of the L-type calcium channel a1c subunit protein (Cav1.2) decreased in the left atrial tissue of AF patients and SHRs. SHRs were more vulnerable to AF, with decreased I Ca,L and shortened action potential duration, which were ameliorated by Val treatment. Validation of these results in HL-1 cells in the context of HHP also demonstrated that Piezo1 is required for the decrease of I Ca,L by regulating Ca 2+ transient and activating CaM/Src pathway to increase the expression of paired like homeodomain-2 (Pitx2) in atrial myocytes. Together, these data demonstrate that HHP stimulation increases AF susceptibility through Piezo1 activation, which is required for the decrease of I Ca,L via . the CaM/Src/Pitx2 pathway in atrial myocytes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Fang, Li, Li, Luo, Kuang, Luo, Li, Yang, Liu, Deng, Xue, Wu and Rao.)

Recent years have witnessed rapid progress in the field of epitranscriptomics. Functional interpretation of the epitranscriptome relies on sequencing technologies that determine the location and stoichiometry of various RNA modifications. However, contradictory results have been reported among studies, bringing the biological impacts of certain RNA modifications into doubt. Here, we develop a synthetic RNA library resembling the endogenous transcriptome but without any RNA modification. By incorporating this modification-free RNA library into established mapping techniques as a negative control, we reveal abundant false positives resulting from sequence bias or RNA structure. After calibration, precise and quantitative mapping expands the understanding of two representative modification types, N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) and 5-methylcytosine (m 5 C). We propose that this approach provides a systematic solution for the calibration of various RNA-modification mappings and holds great promise in epitranscriptomic studies., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

Deficiency of the N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) methyltransferase complex results in global reduction of m 6 A abundance and defective cell development in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, it's unclear whether regional m 6 A methylation affects cell fate decisions due to the inability to modulate individual m 6 A modification in ESCs with precise temporal control. Here, a targeted RNA m 6 A erasure (TRME) system is developed to achieve site-specific demethylation of RNAs in human ESCs (hESCs). TRME, in which a stably transfected, doxycycline-inducible dCas13a is fused to the catalytic domain of ALKBH5, can precisely and reversibly demethylate the targeted m 6 A site of mRNA and increase mRNA stability with limited off-target effects. It is further demonstrated that temporal m 6 A erasure on a single site of SOX2 is sufficient to control the differentiation of hESCs. This study provides a versatile toolbox to reveal the function of individual m 6 A modification in hESCs, enabling cell fate control studies at the epitranscriptional level., (© 2021 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The RNA modification N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) has critical roles in many biological processes 1,2 . However, the function of m 6 A in the early phase of mammalian development remains poorly understood. Here we show that the m 6 A reader YT521-B homology-domain-containing protein 1 (YTHDC1) is required for the maintenance of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells in an m 6 A-dependent manner, and that its deletion initiates cellular reprogramming to a 2C-like state. Mechanistically, YTHDC1 binds to the transcripts of retrotransposons (such as intracisternal A particles, ERVK and LINE1) in mouse ES cells and its depletion results in the reactivation of these silenced retrotransposons, accompanied by a global decrease in SETDB1-mediated trimethylation at lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9me3). We further demonstrate that YTHDC1 and its target m 6 A RNAs act upstream of SETDB1 to repress retrotransposons and Dux, the master inducer of the two-cell stage (2C)-like program. This study reveals an essential role for m 6 A RNA and YTHDC1 in chromatin modification and retrotransposon repression.

Background: The infectious disease Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbroke in 2019 spread to multiple countries. The quick spread of the virus and isolation strategies may trigger psychological problems. Our aim was to explore the dynamic network structure of the psychological state before and during the epidemic. Methods: A web-based survey was conducted in two stages: the T1 stage (1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019) and the T2 stage (1 February 2020 to 8 March 2020). In both stages, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to assess depression, anxiety, and sleep, respectively. Results: We matched the data based on IP addresses. We included 1,978, 1,547, and 2,061 individuals who completed the depression, anxiety, and sleep assessments, respectively, at both stages. During epidemics, psychomotor agitation/retardation, inability to relax, restless behavior, and the frequency of using medicine had high centrality. Meanwhile, the network structure of psychological symptoms becomes stronger than before the epidemic. Conclusion: Symptoms of psychomotor agitation/retardation, inability to relax, and restless behavior should be treated preferentially. It is necessary to provide mental health services, including timely and effective early psychological intervention. In addition, we should also pay attention to the way patients use medicines to promote sleep quality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Ge, Zheng, Wan, Luo and Zhang.)

Genetically identical female honeybee larvae with different diets develop into sterile workers or fertile queens. It remains unknown whether the reversible RNA N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) mark functionally impact this "caste differentiation." Here, we profile the transcriptome-wide m 6 A methylome of honeybee queen and worker larvae at three instar stages and discover that m 6 A methylation dynamics are altered by differential feeding. Multiple methylome comparisons show an obvious increase in m 6 A marks during larval development and reveal a negative correlation between gene expression and m 6 A methylation. Notably, we find that worker larvae contain more hypermethylated m 6 A peaks than do queen larvae, and many caste-differentiation-related transcripts are differentially methylated. Chemical suppression of m 6 A methylation in worker larvae by 3-deazaadenosine (DAA) reduces overall m 6 A methylation levels and triggers worker larvae to develop queen caste features. Thus, our study demonstrates that m 6 A functionally impacts caste differentiation and larval development, yet it does not exclude potential contributions from other factors., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A Cu 2+ -modified carboxylated hollow carbon nanospheres (Cu 2+ -HCNSs-COOH) was designed with enhanced peroxidase-like activity for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and degradation of methylene blue (MB). Hollow polymer nanospheres were fabricated from aniline, pyrrole, Triton-100, and ammonium persulfate via confined interfacial copolymerization reaction, which can be pyrolyzed to create HCNSs with the hollow gap diameter of about 20 nm under high temperature. Combining the synergistic effect of coordination and electrostatic interaction, Cu 2+ -HCNSs-COOH was constructed by anchoring Cu 2+ on the surface of HCNSs-COOH. Furthermore, Cu 2+ -HCNSs-COOH has higher affinity for 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine and H 2 O 2 of 0.20 mM and 0.88 mM, respectively. Based on the rapid response of Cu 2+ -HCNSs-COOH to H 2 O 2 , we constructed a colorimetric sensing platform by detecting the absorbance of the 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine-H 2 O 2 system at 652 nm for quantifying H 2 O 2 , which holds good linear relationship between 1 and 150 μM and has a detection limit of 0.61 μM. We also investigated the degradation of MB in the presence of Cu 2+ -HCNSs-COOH and H 2 O 2 , which can degrade 80.7% pollutants within 30 min. This research developed an unusual nanozyme for bioassays and water pollution treatment, which broadened the way for the rapid development of clinical diagnostics and water pollution treatment.

Modification on nucleic acid plays a pivotal role in controlling gene expression. Various kinds of modifications greatly increase the information-encoding capacity of DNA and RNA by introducing extra chemical group to existing bases instead of altering the genetic sequences. As a marker on DNA or RNA, nucleic acid modification can be recognized by specific proteins, leading to versatile regulation of gene expression. However, modified and regular bases are often indistinguishable by most conventional molecular methods, impeding detailed functional studies that require the information of genomic location. Recently, new technologies are emerging to resolve the positions of varied modifications on both DNA and RNA. Intriguingly, by integrating regional targeting tools and effector proteins, researchers begin to actively control the modification status of desired gene in vivo. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of DNA and RNA modifications, the available mapping and editing tools, and the potential application as well as deficiency of these technologies in basic and translational researches., (© 2020 The Authors.)

In this paper, we address the problem of representing and recognizing human actions from videos on matrix manifolds. For this purpose, we propose a new vector representation method, named tangent Fisher vector, to describe video sequences in the Fisher kernel framework. We first extract dense curved spatio-temporal cuboids from each video sequence. Compared with the traditional 'straight cuboids', the dense curved spatio-temporal cuboids contain much more local motion information. Each cuboid is then described using a linear dynamical system (LDS) to simultaneously capture the local appearance and dynamics. Furthermore, a simple yet efficient algorithm is proposed to learn the LDS parameters and approximate the observability matrix at the same time. Each video sequence is thus represented by a set of LDSs. Considering that each LDS can be viewed as a point in a Grassmann manifold, we propose to learn an intrinsic GMM on the manifold to cluster the LDS points. Finally a tangent Fisher vector is computed by first accumulating all the tangent vectors in each Gaussian component, and then concatenating the normalized results across all the Gaussian components. A kernel is defined to measure the similarity between tangent Fisher vectors for classification and recognition of a video sequence. This approach is evaluated on the state-of-the-art human action benchmark datasets. The recognition performance is competitive when compared with current state-of-the-art results.

The outbreak of H9N2 avian influenza virus (H9N2 AIV) brings high mortality and huge economic losses every year. Sensitive and reliable detection methods are essential to timely diagnosis and treatment. Herein, a dual-modality immunoassay is proposed for H9N2 AIV detection by employing fluorescent-magnetic-catalytic nanospheres (FMCNs) as labels and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)-induced metallization as a signal amplification strategy. The excellent magnetic properties of FMCNs endow the assay a potential application in complex samples. Also, the excellent fluorescence properties of FMCNs enable fluorescence modality readout. The antibodies on the FMCN surface can achieve efficient capture and separation of targets. Amplified electrochemical modality readout can be obtained through ALP-catalyzed silver deposition. Dual-modality immunoassay combined the advantages of electrochemical assay with fluorescence assay and provides accurate detection results to meet different testing needs. With two quantitative analysis forms, H9N2 AIV can be detected by electrochemical signals with a quantitation range of 0.1 to 1000 ng/mL and a detection limit of 10 pg/mL. The linear range is 300 to 1000 ng/mL with a detection limit of 69.8 ng/mL by the fluorescence signal readout. Moreover, the specificity, anti-interference ability, accuracy, and diversity of the proposal have unlimited potential for early diagnosis of suspect infections.

N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) is one of the most abundant messenger RNA modifications in eukaryotes involved in various pivotal processes of RNA metabolism. The most popular high-throughput m 6 A identification method depends on the anti-m 6 A antibody but suffers from poor reproducibility and limited resolution. Exact location information is of great value for understanding the dynamics, machinery, and functions of m 6 A. Here, we developed a precise and high-throughput antibody-independent m 6 A identification method based on the m 6 A-sensitive RNA endoribonuclease recognizing ACA motif (m 6 A-sensitive RNA-Endoribonuclease-Facilitated sequencing or m 6 A-REF-seq). Whole-transcriptomic, single-base m 6 A maps generated by m 6 A-REF-seq quantitatively displayed an explicit distribution pattern with enrichment near stop codons. We used independent methods to validate methylation status and abundance of individual m 6 A sites, confirming the high reliability and accuracy of m 6 A-REF-seq. We applied this method on five tissues from human, mouse, and rat, showing that m 6 A sites are conserved with single-nucleotide specificity and tend to cluster among species.

Background: The extent to which infertility treatment predicts severe maternal morbidity is not well known. We examined the association between infertility treatment and severe maternal morbidity in pregnancy and the postpartum period., Methods: We conducted a cohort study using population-based registries from Ontario between 2006 and 2012. Pregnancies achieved using infertility treatment (ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection) were compared with unassisted pregnancies using propensity score matching, based on demographic, reproductive and obstetric factors. The primary outcome was a validated composite of severe maternal morbidity or maternal death from 20 weeks' gestation to 42 days postpartum. We also calculated the odds ratio of a woman having 1, 2, or 3 or more severe maternal morbidity indicators in relation to invasive (e.g., in vitro fertilization) or noninvasive (e.g., intrauterine insemination) infertility treatment., Results: We matched 11 546 infertility treatment pregnancies with 47 553 untreated pregnancies. Severe maternal morbidity or maternal death occurred in 356 infertility-treated pregnancies (30.8 per 1000 deliveries) versus 1054 untreated pregnancies (22.2 per 1000 deliveries); relative risk 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-1.56). The likelihood of a woman having 3 or more severe maternal morbidity indicators was increased in women who received invasive infertility treatment (odds ratio [OR] 2.28, 95% CI 1.56-3.33) but not in those who received noninvasive infertility treatment (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.57-1.72)., Interpretation: Women who undergo infertility treatment, particularly in vitro fertilization, are at somewhat higher risk of severe maternal morbidity or death. Efforts are needed to identify patient- and treatment-specific predictors of severe maternal morbidity that may influence the type of treatment a woman is offered., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© 2019 Joule Inc. or its licensors.)

Background: N 6 -methyldeoxyadenosine (6mA or m 6 dA) was shown more than 40 years ago in simple eukaryotes. Recent studies revealed the presence of 6mA in more prevalent eukaryotes, even in vertebrates. However, functional characterizations have been limited., Results: We use Tetrahymena thermophila as a model organism to examine the effects of 6mA on nucleosome positioning. Independent methods reveal the enrichment of 6mA near and after transcription start sites with a periodic pattern and anti-correlation relationship with the positions of nucleosomes. The distribution pattern can be recapitulated by in vitro nucleosome assembly on native Tetrahymena genomic DNA but not on DNA without 6mA. Model DNA containing artificially installed 6mA resists nucleosome assembling compared to unmodified DNA in vitro. Computational simulation indicates that 6mA increases dsDNA rigidity, which disfavors nucleosome wrapping. Knockout of a potential 6mA methyltransferase leads to a transcriptome-wide change of gene expression., Conclusions: These findings uncover a mechanism by which DNA 6mA assists to shape the nucleosome positioning and potentially affects gene expression.

Promoting the ignition of boron powders in propellants, explosives and pyrotechnics has been a promising research direction. In this paper, a new strategy for covalently bonded energetic boron powders was designed. Specifically, 2,4-toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATZ) were used as grafting molecules, and then acidification, carbamation and ureylene addition were performed serially on the surface of the boron particles. The reaction conditions were optimized using infrared (IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). At lower temperatures, the addition of carbamation or ureylene can improve the yield and stability of isocyanate and urea groups. The chemical composition, microstructure and surface properties of the boron powders were analyzed with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and contact angle (CA) analysis, respectively. The covalent bonding type was confirmed by the typical peaks at 155.7 and 157.5 ppm in the 13 C NMR spectra of the intermediate isocyanate-grafting boron powders (TB) and target product triazole-grafting boron powders (TTB). The static water contact angles on the surfaces of TB and TTB were 148.3° and 37.0°, respectively. Influences of surface modification of boron powders on the rheological properties of boron/hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) composites were investigated. Moreover, the prepared samples were characterized by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to investigate the thermal stability and reaction activity, and the results showed that this grafting strategy could significantly reduce the critical reaction temperature of B/KNO 3 . Consequently, it is anticipated that the modified boron powders can potentially be used in propellants, explosives and pyrotechnics with high impulses., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Leakage of paraffin wax (PW) is a major concern in the development of polymer bonded explosive (PBX) systems because it relates to the amount of PW that can be used as a desensitizer or a fuel, which, in turn, affects the mechanical performance and tolerance of PBX in high-temperature environments. Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binders significantly contribute desirable polymer features to PBX. Thus, a three-dimension (3D) high-temperature non-flowing diurea-paraffin wax (DU-PW) composite was synthesized and creatively employed to a HTPB binder. DU-PW/PW/HTPB composites with different contents of the 3D DU-PW phase change material (PCM) were prepared through a cast molding process. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results demonstrate that these composites can show high phase-change enthalpies and good thermal reliability. As observed from the scanning electron microscope (SEM) photographs, adding DU-PW can clearly reduce the number of holes caused by the leaked PW on the fracture surface of DU-PW/HTPB. Moreover, the addition of DU-PW can remarkably reduce the leakage of PW and improve the thermal stability as well as mechanical properties of the PW-based HTPB. These observations present the potential of utilizing form-stable PCM (FSPCM) to solve the problem of PW leakage in PBX systems., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) is the most abundant internal modification of eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA) and plays critical roles in RNA biology. The function of this modification is mediated by m 6 A-selective 'reader' proteins of the YTH family, which incorporate m 6 A-modified mRNAs into pathways of RNA metabolism. Here, we show that the m 6 A-binding protein YTHDC1 mediates export of methylated mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in HeLa cells. Knockdown of YTHDC1 results in an extended residence time for nuclear m 6 A-containing mRNA, with an accumulation of transcripts in the nucleus and accompanying depletion within the cytoplasm. YTHDC1 interacts with the splicing factor and nuclear export adaptor protein SRSF3, and facilitates RNA binding to both SRSF3 and NXF1. This role for YTHDC1 expands the potential utility of chemical modification of mRNA, and supports an emerging paradigm of m 6 A as a distinct biochemical entity for selective processing and metabolism of mammalian mRNAs.

The DNA-adenine modification N 6 -methyladenine (6mA), initially thought to be mainly restricted to prokaryotes and certain unicellular eukaryotes, has recently been found in metazoans. Proposed functions vary from gene activation to transposon suppression. However, since most metazoan genomes possess 5-methylcytosine (5mC) as a dominant epigenetic mark, it raises the question of why 6mA is required. This Perspective summarizes the latest discoveries and suggests potential functional roles for 6mA in metazoan genomes.

How do different cell types acquire their specific identities and functions is a fundamental question of biology. Previously significant efforts have been devoted to search for cell-type-specifically expressed genes, especially transcription factors, yet how do ubiquitously expressed genes participate in the formation or maintenance of cell-type-specific features remains largely unknown. Here, we have identified 110 mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) specifically expressed transcripts with cell-stage-specific alternative transcription start sites (SATS isoforms) from 104 ubiquitously expressed genes, majority of which have active epigenetic modification- or stem cell-related functions. These SATS isoforms are specifically expressed in mESCs, and tend to be transcriptionally regulated by key pluripotency factors through direct promoter binding. Knocking down the SATS isoforms of Nmnat2 or Usp7 leads to differentiation-related phenotype in mESCs. These results demonstrate that cell-type-specific transcription factors are capable to produce cell-type-specific transcripts with alternative transcription start sites from ubiquitously expressed genes, which confer ubiquitously expressed genes novel functions involved in the establishment or maintenance of cell-type-specific features., (© 2016 The Authors.)

To investigate the dynamic change rules of volatile components from Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma with different stir-baking degrees (from slight stir-baking, stir-baking to yellow, stir-baking to brown, to stir-baking to scorch). In the present experiment, the Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma samples with different stir-baking degrees were collected at different processing time points. The contents of volatile oil in various samples were determined by steam distillation method, and the volatile compounds were extracted by using static headspace sampling method. Gas chromatography-mass spectrography (GC-MS) and automated mass spectral deconrolution and identification system (AMDIS) were combined with Kováts retention index to analyze the chemical constituents of the volatile compounds. The results showed that with the deepening of the stir-baking degree, the content of volatile oil was decreased step by step in 4 phases, and both the compositions and contents of volatile components from Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma showed significant changes. The results showed that the dynamic change rules of volatile components from Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma in the process of stir-baking were closely related to the processing degree; in addition, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and honey bran had adsorption on each other. These results can provide a scientific basis for elucidating the stir-baking (with bran) mechanism of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Red phosphors AMF6:Mn(4+) (A = Na, K, Cs, Ba, Rb; M = Si, Ti, Ge) have been widely studied due to the narrow red emission bands around 630 nm. The different emission of the zero-phonon line (ZPL) may affect the color rendering index of white light-emitting diodes (WLED). The primary reason behind the emergence and intensity of ZPL, taking KNaSiF6:Mn(4+) as an example, was investigated here. The effects of pressure on crystal structure and luminescence were determined experimentally and theoretically. The increase of band gap, red shift of emission spectrum and blue shift of excitation spectrum were observed with higher applied pressure. The angles of ∠FMnF and ∠FMF(M = Si, Ti, Ge) were found clearly distorted from 180° in MF6(2-) octahedron with strong ZPL intensity. The larger distorted SiF6(2-) octahedron, the stronger ZPL intensity. This research provides a new perspective to address the ZPL intensity problem of the hexafluorosilicate phosphors caused by crystal distortion and pressure-dependence of the luminescence. The efficacy of the device featuring from Y3Al5O12:Ce(3+) (YAG) and KNaSiF6:Mn(4+) phosphor was 118 lm/W with the color temperature of 3455 K. These results reveal that KNaSiF6:Mn(4+) presents good luminescent properties and could be a potential candidate material for application in back-lighting systems.

Although extensively studied in prokaryotes, the prevalence and significance of DNA N(6)-methyladenine (6mA or m(6)dA) in eukaryotes had been underappreciated until recent studies, which have demonstrated that 6mA regulates gene expression as a potential heritable mark. To interrogate 6mA sites at single-base resolution, we report DA-6mA-seq (DpnI-Assisted N(6)-methylAdenine sequencing), an approach that uses DpnI to cleave methylated adenine sites in duplex DNA. We find that DpnI cuts other sequence motifs besides the canonical GATC restriction sites, thereby expanding the utility of this method. DA-6mA-seq achieves higher sensitivity with nanograms of input DNA and lower sequencing depth than conventional approaches. We study 6mA at base resolution in the Chlamydomonas genome and apply the new method to two other eukaryotic organisms, Plasmodium and Penicillium. Combined with conventional approaches, our method further shows that most 6mA sites are fully methylated on both strands of DNA at various sequence contexts.

DNA N(6)-adenine methylation (N(6)-methyladenine; 6mA) in prokaryotes functions primarily in the host defence system. The prevalence and significance of this modification in eukaryotes had been unclear until recently. Here, we discuss recent publications documenting the presence of 6mA in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans; consider possible roles for this DNA modification in regulating transcription, the activity of transposable elements and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance; and propose 6mA as a new epigenetic mark in eukaryotes.

N(6)-methyladenosine (m(6)A) is the most abundant internal modification in eukaryotic messenger RNA (mRNA). Recent discoveries of demethylases and specific binding proteins of m(6)A as well as m(6)A methylomes obtained in mammals, yeast and plants have revealed regulatory functions of this RNA modification. Although m(6)A is present in the ribosomal RNA of bacteria, its occurrence in mRNA still remains elusive. Here, we have employed ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QQQ-MS/MS) to calculate the m(6)A/A ratio in mRNA from a wide range of bacterial species, which demonstrates that m(6)A is an abundant mRNA modification in tested bacteria. Subsequent transcriptome-wide m(6)A profiling in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa revealed a conserved m(6)A pattern that is distinct from those in eukaryotes. Most m(6)A peaks are located inside open reading frames and carry a unique consensus motif of GCCAU. Functional enrichment analysis of bacterial m(6)A peaks indicates that the majority of m(6)A-modified genes are associated with respiration, amino acids metabolism, stress response and small RNAs, suggesting potential functional roles of m(6)A in these pathways., (© The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

N(6) -methyladenosine (m(6) A) is an abundant internal modification in eukaryotic mRNA and plays regulatory roles in mRNA metabolism. However, methods to precisely locate the m(6) A modification remain limited. We present here a photo-crosslinking-assisted m(6) A sequencing strategy (PA-m(6) A-seq) to more accurately define sites with m(6) A modification. Using this strategy, we obtained a high-resolution map of m(6) A in a human transcriptome. The map resembles the general distribution pattern observed previously, and reveals new m(6) A sites at base resolution. Our results provide insight into the relationship between the methylation regions and the binding sites of RNA-binding proteins., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A photo-crosslinking-assisted strategy has been developed and applied to the high-resolution mapping of N(6)-methylation of adenosine (N(6)-methyladenosine or m(6)A/6mA, we chose to use m(6)A to represent the RNA methylation, and 6mA to represent the DNA methylation in order to be consistent with DNA 5mC methylation nomenclature) in transcriptome and genome. The new approach introduces a covalent interaction between the anti-m(6)A antibody and the RNA/DNA molecule, followed by multiple washing steps which reduce nonspecific binding in immunoprecipitation and nuclease digestion in order to significantly increase the resolution by removing unprotected polynucleotides. By using this protocol, a high-resolution transcriptome-wide human m(6)A map and genome-wide Chlamydomonas 6mA map were obtained, providing new insights into the distribution and biological functions of the m(6)A/6mA. This well-established strategy is reproducible and widely applicable to other biological systems for high-throughput sequencing investigations of other RNA/DNA modifications., (© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Protein synthesis inhibitors paradoxically increase the expression of early-gene products, including various cytokines, through a process known as superinduction. Superinduction is cell-specific and the mechanisms involved are not fully understood but are usually attributed to decreased mRNA degradation. There is, however, increasing evidence that activation of signaling cascades and increased transcriptional activation may be involved as well. Recent studies suggest that IL-6 production in the intestinal mucosa is particularly important due to its anti-inflammatory and protective effects. The effect of protein synthesis inhibitors on IL-6 production in enterocytes, however, is unknown. Treatment of Caco-2 cells with cycloheximide (10 microg/ml) increased IL-6 mRNA and protein levels in IL-1beta-treated cells and this was associated with increased mRNA stabilization. In addition, cycloheximide suppressed IkappaBalpha resynthesis and prolonged p38MAP kinase activation and these changes were associated with sustained activation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB. NF-kappaB activation, in turn, was prevented by the specific p38MAP kinase inhibitor SB208350. Our results suggest that superinduction of IL-6 by cycloheximide in enterocytes results from both increased mRNA stabilization and upregulated transcriptional activity mediated by prolonged activation of the p38 MAP kinase and NF-kappaB., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)