Search

Abstract Hard X‐rays are needed for non‐destructive nano‐imaging of solid matter. Synchrotron radiation facilities (SRF) provide the highest‐quality images with single‐digit nm resolution using advanced techniques such as X‐ray ptychography. However, the resolution or field of view is ultimately constrained by the available coherent flux. To address this, the beam's incoherent fraction can be exploited using multiple parallel beams in an X‐ray multibeam ptychography (MBP) approach. This expands the domain of X‐ray ptychography to larger samples or more rapid measurements. Both qualities favor the study of complex composite or functional samples, such as catalysts, energy materials, or electronic devices. The challenge of performing ptychography at high energy and with many parallel beams must be overcome to extract the full advantages for extended samples while minimizing beam attenuation. Here, that challenge is overcome by creating a lens array using cutting‐edge laser printing technology and applying it to perform scanning with MBP with up to 12 beams and at photon energies of 13 and 20 keV. This exceeds the measurement limits of conventional hard X‐ray ptychography without compromising image quality for various samples: Siemens star test pattern, Ni/Al2O3 catalyst, microchip, and gold nano‐crystal clusters.

Summary: Fish cells, such as grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) kidney (CIK) cells, are harder to transfect than mammalian cells. There is a need for an efficient gene delivery system for fish cells. Here, we used CIK cell line as a model to develop a strategy to enhance RNA and plasmid DNA transfection efficiency using a nanocarrier generated from α-lactalbumin (α-NC). α-NC absorbed nucleic acid cargo efficiently and exhibited low cytotoxicity. Plasmid transfection was more efficient with α-NC than with liposomal transfection reagents. We used α-NC to co-transfect Tol2 transposase mRNA and a plasmid containing Cas9 and GFP, generating a stable transgenic CIK cell line. Genome and RNA sequencing revealed that the Cas9 and GFP fragments were successfully inserted into the genome of CIK cells and efficiently transcribed. In this study, we established an efficient transfection system for fish cells using α-NC, simplifying the process of generating stable transgenic fish cell lines.

The composition and content of fatty acids (FAs) and amino acids (AAs) are important nutritional and sensory traits in aquaculture fish. To meet increasing demand while retaining quality, genetic selection in breeding programs is urgently needed to improve these traits. In this study, we performed the genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify genetic variants and candidate genes potentially linked to FA and AA compositions in grass carp muscle. We focused on key dietary components, including unsaturated FAs and essential AAs. Through profiling of total FA and AA contents, we identified strong positive correlations among the compositions of most FAs and AAs. From our GWAS panel, 4,913,199 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified across the genome, of which 32 SNPs linked to 18 candidate genes were significantly associated with FA levels, and 202 SNPs linked to 115 candidate genes associated with AA contents. In addition, we categorized our sequencing population by region and detected allele frequencies of SNPs across four geographic locations. Notably, four FA-associated SNPs and 28 AA-associated SNPs exhibited geographic specificity. These results offered valuable insights into the complex genetic basis of FA and AA metabolism and deposition. Furthermore, this work provides potential genetic markers for selective breeding aimed at enhancing flesh quality in the economically important fish species, grass carp.

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of microbial contamination in domestic freezers and evaluate the microbial improvement effects of professional refrigerator cleaning.MethodsSamples were collected aseptically from the food dividers， vegetable frames， and door seals of 15 household refrigerators before and after cleaning in Chengdu City. A total of 90 samples were obtained. The total number of bacteria， fungi， and coliforms in the samples was determined to reflect the sanitary conditions of the refrigerator. Coliform bacteria， Staphylococcus aureus， Salmonella， Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica were isolated and cultured to determine the contamination status of these pathogenic bacteria. The effect of refrigerator cleaning was analyzed comprehensively according to microorganism detection and clearance rates before and after cleaning.ResultsBefore cleaning， the total number of bacteria in the refrigerator ranged from 2.4×103 to 1.4×105 CFU/cm2. After cleaning， the total number of bacteria ranged from 0 to 230 CFU/cm2. The bacterial clearance rates of the food dividers， vegetable frames， and door seals were 99.90%， 99.89%， and 99.81%， respectively. Before cleaning， the total number of fungi in the refrigerator ranged from 0 to 750 CFU/cm2. After cleaning， the total number of fungi in the refrigerator ranged from 0 to 58 CFU/cm2. The fungal clearance rates for the partition， vegetable frame， and door seal were 99.40%， 96.99%， and 99.41%， respectively. Before cleaning， the average detection rates of coliform bacteria， Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella， were 64.44%， 13.33%， and 2.22%， respectively； Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica were not detected. After washing， the average coliform bacteria detection rate was 13.33%； Staphylococcus aureus， Salmonella， Listeria monocytogenes， and Yersinia enterocolitica were not detected.ConclusionThis study revealed the presence of a high number of bacteria and fungi in the freezers of domestic refrigerators before cleaning， with S. aureus and Salmonella contamination. After professional cleaning， their sterility significantly improved， notably reducing potential food safety risks.

Cisplatin (CDDP) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent that has remarkable antineoplastic effects. However, CDDP can cause severe acute kidney injury (AKI), which limits its clinical application. Agrimol B is the main active ingredient found in Agrimonia pilosa Ledeb and has a variety of pharmacological activities. The effect of agrimol B on CDDP-induced renal toxicity has not been determined. To investigate whether agrimol B has a protective effect against CDDP-induced AKI, we first identify Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) as a critical target protein of agrimol B in regulating AKI through network pharmacology analysis. Subsequently, the AKI mouse model is induced by administering a single dose of CDDP via intraperitoneal injection. By detecting the serum urea nitrogen and creatinine levels, as well as the histopathological changes, we confirm that agrimol B effectively reduces CDDP-induced AKI. In addition, treatment with agrimol B counteracts the increase in renal malondialdehyde level and the decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione levels induced by CDDP. Moreover, western blot results reveal that agrimol B upregulates the expressions of Sirt1, SOD2, nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2, and downstream molecules, including heme oxygenase 1 and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1. However, administration of the Sirt1 inhibitor EX527 abolishes the effects of agrimol B. Finally, we establish a tumor-bearing mouse model and find that agrimol B has a synergistic antitumor effect with CDDP. Overall, agrimol B attenuates CDDP-induced AKI by activating the Sirt1/Nrf2 signaling pathway to counteract oxidative stress, suggesting that this compound is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of CDDP-induced AKI.

Abstract Background Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with the highest mortality worldwide. Abnormalities in the ubiquitin proteasome system are considered to be contributed to lung cancer progression with deleterious effects. DDB1 and CUL4 associated factor 13 (DCAF13) is a substrate receptor of the E3 ubiquitin ligase CRL4, but its role in lung cancer remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of DCAF13 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods So as to investigate the effect of DCAF13 on lung adenocarcinoma cell function using in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, we have identified the downstream targets of DCAF13 by using RNA-sequencing, as well as ubiquitination assays, co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and chromatin immunoprecipitation - qPCR experiments. Results Our findings reveal that DCAF13 is a carcinogenic factor in LUAD, as it is highly expressed and negatively correlated with clinical outcomes in LUAD patients. Through RNA-sequencing, it has been shown that DCAF13 negatively regulates the p53 signaling pathway and inhibits p53 downstream targets including p21, BAX, FAS, and PIDD1. We also demonstrate that DCAF13 can bind to p53 protein, leading to K48-linked ubiquitination and degradation of p53. Functionally, we have shown that DCAF13 knockdown inhibits cell proliferation and migration. Our results highlight the significant role of DCAF13 in promoting LUAD progression by inhibiting p53 protein stabilization and the p53 signaling pathway. Furthermore, our findings suggest that high DCAF13 expression is a poor prognostic indicator in LUAD, and DCAF13 may be a potential therapeutic target for treating with this aggressive cancer. Conclusions The DCAF13 as a novel negative regulator of p53 to promote LUAD progression via facilitating p53 ubiquitination and degradation, suggesting that DCAF13 might be a novel biomarker and therapeutical target for LUAD.

Objective： This study aimed to investigate the active ingredients, and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as the correlation between each other of different food water extracts. Methods： Black rice, black soybean, black sesame, Auricularia auricula, diospyros lotus, black corn, oat and millet were selected for the comparison study of the content of total flavonoids and polyphenols in the aqueous extract, and then the 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging ability and iron ion reduction capacity were determined to evaluate their antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the NO and IL-6 inhibitory activities on Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced RAW264.7 cells were tested to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities. Results： The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were positively correlated with the contents of total flavonoids and polyphenols, and the two activities were also positively correlated. Among them, diospyros lotus showed the highest content of total flavonoids and polyphenols with 1.716 mg/g and 3.043 mg/g respectively, and the radical clearance capacity of DPPH was 89.48% at 1 mg/mL which was significantly higher than the others. It also showed anti-inflammatory activity with 65.92% and 78.62% inhibitory rates against NO and IL-6 at 5 mg/mL on LPS induced RAW264.7 cells. Meanwhile, black rice had a strong DPPH scavenging ability and iron ion reducing ability, and it also showed strong inhibitory activities against NO and IL-6. Millet, a non-black food, showed obvious advantages in hydroxyl free radical scavenging activity and anti-inflammatory effect compared with black corn and A. auricula. Conclusion： Water extracts from eight kinds of food had varying degrees of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities which were positively correlated with the contents of total flavonoids and polyphenols. Among them, diospyros lotus had the highest content of total flavonoids and polyphenols with the strongest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out more in-depth application research on diospyros lotus.

Rice is one of the important cereal crops in the world, and its yield and quality have always been the focus of breeders, which are related to global food security and human health. Rice grain type, mainly includes grain length, grain width and grain thickness, is an important quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes, and it not only directly affects rice yield, but is also closely related to rice quality. A good understanding of the formation and regulation mechanism of grain type will help to further increase rice yield per plant and improve rice quality. The development of molecular biology and the study of genomics have brought new changes to the exploration of the internal regulation mechanism of rice. A large number of quantitative trait locus (QTL) of rice grain type have been successfully identified and analyzed, and the functions of genes related to them have been verified. So far, several pathways regulating grain type have been identified, such as ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway, G protein signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, transcription factor regulation pathway, plant hormone pathway and MiRNA-related pathways. However, the regulatory network of grain type is extremely complex, and the mechanisms of the upstream and downstream regulatory components of many genes are still unclear, and there are even some cross interactions among the pathways that affect grain type. This review discussed the research progress of genes related to different signaling pathways affecting rice grain type and the interaction between key grain type genes, summarized the application of grain type genes in breeding in recent years, and proposed to analyze the regulation mechanism of rice grain type with multi-omics, with an aim to better serve the molecular design and breeding and provide support for the development of new high-yield and high-quality rice breeding.