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[Display omitted] • Multifunctional cotton fabrics (Cotton-Si-EU) were prepared by eugenol modification. • Cotton-Si-EU showed over 99.99% antibacterial rate after 50 washing cycles. • Cotton-Si-EU displayed 73% anti-mite, and 75% mosquito repellent rates. • The excellent properties of the original cotton were maintained. Cotton fabrics are widely used in everyday life; however, increasing their versatility through green modifications remains a challenge. The current mainstream approach merely physically attaches the additives onto the fibers, resulting in low binding affinity. In this study, novel cotton fabrics (Cotton-Si-EU) with long-lasting antibacterial, anti-mite, and mosquito-repellent properties were facilely fabricated in a green procedure. In contrast to conventional coating and physical addition methods, the eugenol graft modification ensured the safety, environmental friendliness and long-lasting functionality of the Cotton-Si-EU. In addition, Cotton-Si-EU fabrics retained the softness, comfort, breathability, and moisture absorption originating from the cotton fabric. Cotton-Si-EU also showed over 99.99% antibacterial, 73% anti-mite, and 75% mosquito repellent rates, simultaneously destroying microorganisms and insects through oxidative stress, inhibiting enzyme activity, affecting cell structure, and other mechanisms. More importantly, after 50 washing cycles, the fabrics still exhibited durable antibacterial properties higher than the AAA requirements, indicating high functional longevity. In addition, good cytocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and negligible skin irritation demonstrated excellent biological safety. Therefore, this study is of great significance in providing a reference for modifying cotton fabrics using an infinite number of natural products after screening, which will broaden the application scope and improve the safety level of functional cotton fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Heavy metals have been reported to affect liver function. However, there is currently little and inconsistent knowledge about the effects of combined and individual urinary metals on specific parameters of liver function in the general population. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate their associations. This study involved 807 general population from the China National Human Biomonitoring of Zhejiang Province 2017–2018. Concentrations of urinary metals, including Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Nickle (Ni), Arsenic (As), Selenium (Se), Molybdenum (Mo), Cadmium (Cd), Thallium (Tl) and Lead (Pb) were measured. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), direct bilirubin (DBIL), total bilirubin (TBIL) as liver function biomarkers. Multivariable linear regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were employed to explore the associations of urinary metals with liver function biomarkers. Subgroup analysis stratified by gender and age, excluding smokers and drinkers for sensitivity analysis. Both statistical models indicated that urinary metals were positively associated with ALT and AST, while negatively with TP, ALB, DBIL and TBIL. In the WQS analysis, each quartile increase in the ln-transformed levels of metal mixtures was associated with 4.11 IU/L (95% CI: 1.07, 7.15) higher ALT and 3.00 IU/L (95% CI: 1.75, 4.25) higher AST, as well as, with 0.67 g/L (95% CI: 1.24, −0.11) lower TP, 0.74 g/L (95% CI: 1.09, −0.39) lower ALB, 0.38 μmol/L (95% CI: 0.67, −0.09) lower DBIL, and 1.56 μmol/L (95% CI: 2.22, −0.90) lower TBIL. The association between urinary metals and ALT was primarily driven by Cd (55.8%), Cr contributed the most to the association with AST (20.2%) and TBIL (45.2%), while the association with TP was primarily driven by Ni (38.2%), the association with ALB was primarily driven by As (32.8%), and the association with DBIL was primarily driven by Pb (30.9%). The associations between urinary metals and liver function might differ by sex and age. Urinary metals were significantly associated with liver function parameters. Further studies are required to clarify the relationship between heavy metals and liver function. [Display omitted] • Urinary metals were significantly associated with liver function biomarkers individually in the general population. • Both statistical models indicated that urinary metals were positively associated with ALT and AST, and negatively associated with TP, ALB, DBIL, and TBIL. • The associations between urinary metals and liver function might differ by sex and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Low chemosensitivity considerably restricts the therapeutic efficacy of gemcitabine (GEM) in pancreatic cancer treatment. Using immunohistochemical evaluation, we investigated that decreased expression of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1 (hENT1, which is the major GEM transporter across cell membranes) and increased expression of ribonucleotide reductase subunit 2 (RRM2, which decreases the cytotoxicity of GEM) was associated with low GEM chemosensitivity. To solve these problems, we employed a nanomedicine-based formulation of cationic liposomes for co-delivery of GEM along with siRNA targeting RRM2. Due to the specific endocytic uptake mechanism of nanocarriers and gene-silencing effect of RRM2 siRNA, this nanomedicine formulation significantly increased GEM chemosensitivity in tumor models of genetically engineered Panc1 cells with low hENT1 or high RRM2 expression. Moreover, in a series of patient-derived cancer cells, we demonstrated that the therapeutic benefits of the nanomedicine formulations were associated with the expression levels of hENT1 and RRM2. In summary, we found that the essential factors of GEM chemosensitivity were the expression levels of hENT1 and RRM2, and synthesized nanoformulations can overcome these problems. This unique design of nanomedicine not only provides a universal platform to enhance chemosensitivity but also contributes to the precision design and personalized treatment in nanomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The abundant sugar and water content make grapes highly susceptible to rot by pathogenic bacteria, which accounts for millions of dollars in revenue loss each year. Herein, to alleviate this problem, rot-proof bronopol embedded-polyurethane hybrid films (PBV) containing 3 g/100 g of Vitamin C (Vc) were developed by electrospinning. PBV films had the lowest water vapor transmission rate when compared to the other groups, with a value of 2.57 mg·cm−2·h−1 (23 °C, 75%), and achieved over 99.99% inhibition of E. coli , S aureus , and B. subtilis. For the PBV films packaged grapes, the content of organic acids increased by more than 10% and the weight loss rate was lowered by over 50%. More importantly, the production rate of CO 2 is 1.64 ppm·g−1·h−1 that can substantially delay grape ripening and spoilage resulting from transpiration. This study offers a facile manufacturing route to develop multifunctional composite films for grape preservation. • PBV film was prepared by electrospinning of TPU and intrinsically antimicrobial PBND.with intrinsic antimicrobial properties was prepared • Mechanical properties of PBV films are qualified for grape packaging. • Antioxidant capacity of PBV films can effectively preserve the nutrients of grapes. • This novel packaging films can reduce the respiration rate of grapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Ara h 2 is considered a major allergen in peanut. Due to the difficulty of separation, Ara h 2 had not been fully studied. Immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) column can separate target protein with high selectivity, which made it possible to purify Ara h 2 from different samples. In this study, IAC method was developed to purify Ara h 2 and its effect was evaluated. By coupling polyclonal antibody (pAb) on CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B, the column for specific extraction was constructed. The coupling efficiency of the IAC column was higher than 90%, which made the capacity of column reached 0.56 mg per 0.15 g medium (dry weight). The recovery of Ara h 2 ranged from 93% to 100% for different concentrations of pure Ara h 2 solutions in 15 min. After using a column 10 times, about 88% of the column capacity remained. When applied to extract Ara h 2 from raw peanut protein extract and boiled peanut protein extract, the IAC column could recovery 94% and 88% target protein from the mixture. SDS-PAGE and Western blotting analysis confirmed the purified protein was Ara h 2, its purity reached about 90%. Significantly, the IAC column could capture dimer of Ara h 2, which made it feasible to prepared derivative of protein after processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Amifostine, an organic thiophosphate prodrug, has been clinically utilized for selective protection of normal tissues with high expression of alkaline phosphatase from oxidative damage elicited by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. However, the patients receiving amifostine suffer from severe dose-dependent adverse effects. Strategies for improvement of the protective efficacy and toxicity profile of amifostine are urgently required. Here we constructed a PEGylated amifostine (PEG-amifostine) through conjugation of amifostine to the 4-arm PEG (5000 Da) by a mild one-step reaction. The relatively large PEG-amifostine molecules clustered into spherical nanoparticles, resulting in distinct hydrolysis properties, cell uptake profile and antioxidative activity compared with the free small molecules. PEGylation prolonged the hydrolysis time of amifostine, providing sustained transformation to its functional metabolites. PEG-amifostine could be internalized into cells and translocated to acidic organelles in a time-dependent manner. The intrinsic cytotoxicity of amifostine, which is related to the reductive reactivity of its metabolites and their ability to diffuse readily, was attenuated after PEGylation. This modification impeded the interaction between free sulfhydryls and functional biomolecules, providing PEG-amifostine with an improved safety profile in vitro . Moreover, PEG-amifostine showed higher efficiency in the elimination of reactive oxygen species and prevention of cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity compared with free amifostine. Overall, our study for the first time developed a PEGylated form of amifostine which significantly improved the efficacy and decreased the adverse effects of this antioxidant in vitro with great promise for clinical translation. In vivo study is urgently needed to confirm and redeem the cytoprotective effects of the PEG-amifostine in chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Despite the fact that transcatheter cardiovascular interventions are increasingly prevalent nowadays, friction damage caused by mechanical interaction between blood vessel and cardiovascular catheter limit their therapeutic utility. Based on dopamine-modified hyaluronic (HA-DN) acid and chitosan (CHI), a layer-by-layer lubricating coating for cardiovascular catheters was designed and assessed in this work. Results showed that the CHI/HA-DN composite coatings became more hydrophilic as the deposition layers were increased. The (CHI/HA-DN) 8 assembly effectively reduced the coefficient of friction (COF) and related frictional energy dissipation. Besides, the fluorescent intensity, number of nucleus, SEM morphology and histological slices after friction experiment demonstrated that the (CHI/HA-DN) 8 coating can protect the aorta from mechanical injury related to the control group. In conclusion, the CHI/HA-DN assembly can provide an alternative selection for low-damage lubricating cardiovascular catheter. [Display omitted] • The CHI/HA-DN coatings were successful deposited on PTFE surface. • The deposited coatings showed good hydrophilicity with increasing deposition layers. • The COF and frictional energy dissipation both showed a significant decline. • The deposited coatings showed no significant difference for HUVECs growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Manufacturing facile and low-cost wound dressings that simultaneously meet the needs of the entire repair process remains the major challenge of effective wound healing. Herein, a series of curdlan-tannic acid hybrid hydrogels were successfully fabricated through the annealing technique. Notedly, when the mixing weigh ratio was 1:1, the hydrogel exhibited excellent physicochemical properties, including swellability, degradability, water retention, porosity, and rheology. Additionally, the hydrogel did not display significant cytotoxicity to fibroblasts and the hemolysis rate at 12 h was 3%. Interestingly, the hybrid hydrogel showed multifunctional properties, including remarkable antioxidant, antibacterial, and rapid hemostasis effects reduce blood loss by 0.35 g, that were achieved through the temperature-dependent release of tannic acid. Moreover, a full-thickness skin defect animal model was used to verify that the multifunctional hydrogel could accelerate wound healing in vivo. These results suggest that this hybrid hydrogel is a promising candidate for the clinical treatment of full-thickness wounds. [Display omitted] • A novel curdlan/tannic acid hydrogel was prepared by annealing technology. • Curdlan/tannic acid hydrogel performed adjustable physicochemical properties. • The developed hydrogel represented high safety features on mammalian cells. • The developed hydrogel showed an outstanding effect on wound healing progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

• Aqueous PAI-MoS 2 -graphite bonded solid lubricating coatings are novel green lubricated materials. • Aqueous coating with the MRGM of 0.3 exhibits more excellent mechanical and tribological properties. • Tribological mechanisms of aqueous coatings are systematically investigated concerning the morphology, structure and chemical compositions of wear scars. In this paper, a series of the environmental-friendly aqueous PAI-MoS 2 -graphite bonded solid-lubricating coatings (BSLCs) are prepared depending on the design concept of the recombination of two-component lubricant and aqueous resin, and the mechanical strength and wear resistance of the coatings are deeply optimized by virtue of the synergy of the components of coatings. The experimental results demonstrate that the successful preparation of aqueous BSLCs greatly reduces the utilization of toxic organic solvents and is conducive to environmental protection and resource conservation. Doping an appropriate amount of graphite into the aqueous BSLCs is beneficial to maximize the promotion of the mechanical and tribological properties of the coating, and when the mass ratio of graphite to MoS 2 (MRGM) is 0.3, the mechanical strength, friction reduction and wear resistance of the coatings display the comparable level as that of the organic-solvent based BSLCs. Based on the analysis of the variations of the morphology, structure and chemical composition of the wear scars, the corresponding active mechanisms on the mechanical and tribological properties of the coating are investigated in depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The development of prophylactic cancer vaccines typically involves the selection of combinations of tumour-associated antigens, tumour-specific antigens and neoantigens. Here we show that membranes from induced pluripotent stem cells can serve as a tumour-antigen pool, and that a nanoparticle vaccine consisting of self-assembled commercial adjuvants wrapped by such membranes robustly stimulated innate immunity, evaded antigen-specific tolerance and activated B-cell and T-cell responses, which were mediated by epitopes from the abundant number of antigens shared between the membranes of tumour cells and pluripotent stem cells. In mice, the vaccine elicited systemic antitumour memory T-cell and B-cell responses as well as tumour-specific immune responses after a tumour challenge, and inhibited the progression of melanoma, colon cancer, breast cancer and post-operative lung metastases. Harnessing antigens shared by pluripotent stem cell membranes and tumour membranes may facilitate the development of universal cancer vaccines., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors G.N., R.Z. and N.L. are inventors on a filed provisional application for China patent no. CN2024103159244 (An immune composition and its application) and no. CN2024113741833 (Tumour-shared surface antigen epitope peptide and its screening method), submitted by the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, covering the potential application of tumour prevention of iPM nanovax. The authors declare no other competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.) more...

Autologous tumor cell membrane antigen-based vaccines (TMVs) have garnered extensive attention as personalized immunotherapy. However, patients who take TMVs therapy usually undergo various treatments prior to surgery, and these processes modulate the immunogenicity of the tumor membrane and the tumor immune microenvironment. Herein, we investigate the impact of preoperative chemotherapy on the efficacy of TMVs. Liposomal doxorubicin ameliorates the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and enhances immunological molecule expression on the tumor membrane. This has driven TMVs to elicit a more robust immune response than doxorubicin, resulting in more effective immune protection. The TMVs formulated from liposomal doxorubicin-treated tumors induce superior dendritic cell maturation and T cell activation compared to doxorubicin, thus demonstrating better efficacy in preventing recurrence and metastasis in the postoperative murine model. Collectively, our study suggests that chemotherapy can induce immunomodulatory changes that augment the therapeutic potential of immunotherapy and provides valuable insights into the clinical utilization of TMVs., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

Objectives: To investigate the frailty status of inpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and analyse its influencing factors, so as to provide evidence for the early identification of high-risk groups and frailty management., Background: Early identification of frailty can guide the development and implementation of holistic and individualized treatment plans. However, at present, the frailty of patients with CHF has not attracted enough attention., Design: A cross-sectional study., Methods: From June 2022 to June 2023, a convenience sample of 256 participants were recruited at a hospital in China. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of frailty in patients with CHF, and an ROC curve was drawn to determine the cut-off values for each influencing factor. STROBE checklist guides the reporting of the manuscript., Results: A total of 270 questionnaires were sent out during the survey, and 256 valid questionnaires were ultimately recovered, resulting in an effective recovery rate of 94.8%. The incidence of frailty in hospitalized patients with CHF was 68.75%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that age, self-care ability, nutritional risk, Kinesiophobia and NT-proBNP were risk factors for frailty, while albumin and LVEF were protective factors., Conclusion: Multidimensional frailty was prevalent in hospitalized patients with CHF. Medical staff should take measures as early as possible from the aspects of exercise, nutrition, psychology and disease to delay the occurrence and development of frailty and reduce the occurrence of clinical adverse events caused by frailty., Relevance to Clinical Practice: This study emphasizes the importance of the early identification of multidimensional frailty and measures can be taken to delay the occurrence and development of frailty through exercise, nutrition, psychology and disease treatment., Patient or Public Contribution: Patients contributed through sharing their information required for the case report form and filling out questionnaires., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) more...

The potential for mitigating intestinal inflammation through the gut-bone axis in the treatment of osteoporosis is significant. While various gut-derived postbiotics or bacterial metabolites have been created as dietary supplements to prevent or reverse bone loss, their efficacy and safety still need improvement. Herein, a colon-targeted drug delivery system is developed using surface engineering of polyvinyl butyrate nanoparticles by shellac resin to achieve sustained release of postbiotics butyric acid at the colorectal site. These engineered postbiotics nanoparticles can effectively suppress macrophage inflammatory activation, modulate the redox balance, and regulate the composition of the gut microbiota, thereby restoring epithelial barriers, inhibiting bacterial invasion, and down-regulating pro-inflammatory responses. As a result, the remission of systemic inflammation is accompanied by a rebalancing of osteoblast and osteoclast activity, alleviating inflammatory bowel disease-related and post-menopausal bone loss. Specifically, the treatment of engineered postbiotics nanoparticles can also improve the quality and quantity of bone with restoration of deteriorative mechanical properties, which indicating a therapeutic potential on fracture prevention. This study provides valuable insights into the gut-bone axis and establishes a promising and safe therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis., Competing Interests: Competing interests: T.Y., R.B., Z.W., Y.Q., R.Z., B.H., and G.N. are inventors on a filed provisional application for China patent No. 2024115617826 (“A composite butyrate nanoparticle and its synthesis strategy and application”) submitted by Peking University School of Stomatology and the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology that covers the synthesis strategy and potential therapeutic use of BuNP@Shellac for inflammatory bowel disease and osteoporosis treatment. T.Y., R.B., Z.W., Y.Q., R.Z., B.H., and G.N. declare no other competing interests. J.W. and Y.W. declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Pyro-phototronic effect (PPE) can significantly boost the performance of hybrid perovskite (HPs) photodetectors due to the effective modulation of photogenerated charge carrier separations, transportation, and extraction. However, there are few reports on the application of PPE in lead-free HPs. Herein, a polar lead-free HP (1,3-BMACH)BiBr 5 [1,3-BMACH = 1,3- bis (aminomethyl)cyclohexane] is synthesized and realized broadband self-powered photoresponse from X-rays to near-infrared (NIR) through the PPE. Particularly, this light-induced PPE in lead-free HPs breaks the limitation of the optical band gap, making them suitable for broadband self-powered photodetection. Under 405 nm illumination, compared with a purely photovoltaic system, I photo+pyro is boosted by 3100%, and R and D * are both enhanced by 260% after coupled PPE. It is particularly interesting that an obvious X-ray-induced PPE phenomenon is also observed, which endows (1,3-BMACH)BiBr 5 with a high sensitivity of 154 μC Gy -1 cm -2 and a low detection limit of 307 nGy s -1 under the self-powered mode. The implementation of light-induced PPE from X-rays to NIR in lead-free HPs provides a new approach for constructing environmentally friendly, broadband, and self-powered optoelectronic devices in the future. more...

Cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a widely grown oilseed crop worldwide; however, the events leading to its origin and diversification are not fully understood. Here by combining chloroplast and whole-genome sequence data from a large germplasm collection, we show that the two subspecies of A. hypogaea (hypogaea and fastigiata) likely arose from distinct allopolyploidization and domestication events. Peanut genetic clusters were then differentiated in relation to dissemination routes and breeding efforts. A combination of linkage mapping and genome-wide association studies allowed us to characterize genes and genomic regions related to main peanut morpho-agronomic traits, namely flowering pattern, inner tegument color, growth habit, pod/seed weight and oil content. Together, our findings shed light on the evolutionary history and phenotypic diversification of peanuts and might be of broad interest to plant breeders., (© 2024. The Author(s).) more...

Ferroelectric materials with Curie temperature ( T c ) below room temperature severely limit their practical applications. Although research on hybrid perovskite photoferroelectrics is ongoing, effective regulation of T c still poses significant challenges. Herein, we utilized the cationic size effect to successfully regulate the T c of hybrid perovskite photoferroelectric semiconductors. As the perovskitizer was replaced by a smaller-sized MA + (methylammonium) with a larger-sized EA + (ethylammonium), not only was the ferroelectricity of the hybrid perovskite well maintained but the T c of (PA) 2 (MA) 2 Pb 3 Br 10 (315 K) to (PA) 2 (EA) 2 Pb 3 Br 10 (385 K) (PA is n -propylaminium) increased by 70 K, which was mainly due to the significant increase in the energy barriers that the system needed to overcome during the phase transition. Subsequently, we achieved efficient self-powered X-ray detection through the ferroelectric-induced bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) in (PA) 2 (EA) 2 Pb 3 Br 10 . The devices based on (PA) 2 (EA) 2 Pb 3 Br 10 single crystals exhibit an outstanding sensitivity of 95 μC Gy -1 cm -2 and a low detection limit of 239 nGy s -1 at 0 V bias under X-ray radiation. This study provides an effective approach for designing and constructing high-temperature multilayer photoferroelectric semiconductors in the future. more...

The objective of this study was to explore changes in miRNA133 levels as a basis for clinical diagnostic markers in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A total of 100 chest pain patient cases admitted to a hospital from June 2021 to December 2022 were used. The study involved the selection of 50 patients: 25 patients with unstable undetermined heart pain and 25 healthy subjects were included in the control group of 50 patients with non-AMI patients. Meanwhile, 50 patients with AMI were designated as the experimental group. Changes in miRNA133 levels in patients' plasma were analyzed for expression using quantitative fluorescence analysis. When the serum TPI, plasma NT-ProBNP, glycosylated hemoglobin, and plasma D-dimer index values were compared between the control and experimental groups, there was a statistically significant difference (P < .05). mi-RNA-133 had a mean plasma level value of 2.60 ± 1.01, the mean level value of mi-RNA-133 in patients with non-AMI was 1.34 ± 1.18, and the patients in the AMI group showed significantly high values of the mean plasma level of mi-RNA-133. The relative expression level value of cTnl in patients with AMI was 10.84 ± 12.64. Of the specificity and sensitivity diagnostics, mi-RNA-133 had the best diagnostic effect. The area under mi-RNA-133 in the regression curve was 95.4%, the specificity of the whole combination of indicators was 89.4% and the sensitivity was 100%. Finally, the correlation between mi-RNA-133 and white blood cell count (WBC) and TG was statistically significant (P < .05). In conclusion, changes in the level of mi-RNA-133 may be an important marker for diagnosing the status of patients with AMI, while a faster and more accurate method will emerge along with the improvement of the detection technology, and at the same time, due to the variability of the study cases and other limitations, further research will be carried out subsequently., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.) more...

Background: Peanut is an important oil crop worldwide. Peanut web blotch is a fungal disease that often occurs at the same time as other leaf spot diseases, resulting in substantial leaf drop, which seriously affects the peanut yield and quality. However, the molecular mechanism underlying peanut resistance to web blotch is unknown., Results: The cytological examination revealed no differences in the conidium germination rate between the web blotch-resistant variety ZH and the web blotch-susceptible variety PI at 12-48 hpi. The appressorium formation rate was significantly higher for PI than for ZH at 24 hpi. The papilla formation rate at 36 hpi and the hypersensitive response rate at 60 and 84 hpi were significantly higher for ZH than for PI. We also compared the transcriptional profiles of web blotch-infected ZH and PI plants at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 84 hpi using an RNA-seq technique. There were more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ZH and PI at 12, 36, 60, and 84 hpi than at 24 and 48 hpi. Moreover, there were more DEGs in PI than in ZH at each time-point. The analysis of metabolic pathways indicated that pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis; monobactam biosynthesis; cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis; and ether lipid metabolism are specific to the active defense of ZH against YY187, whereas porphyrin metabolism as well as taurine and hypotaurine metabolism are pathways specifically involved in the passive defense of ZH against YY187. In the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, most of the interacting proteins were serine acetyltransferases and cysteine synthases, which are involved in the cysteine synthesis pathway. The qRT-PCR data confirmed the reliability of the transcriptome analysis., Conclusion: On the basis of the PPI network for the significantly enriched genes in the pathways which were specifically enriched at different time points in ZH, we hypothesize that serine acetyltransferases and cysteine synthases are crucial for the cysteine-related resistance of peanut to web blotch. The study results provide reference material for future research on the mechanism mediating peanut web blotch resistance., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.) more...

Population and genotype data are essential for genetic mapping. The multi-parent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population is a permanent mapping population used for precisely mapping quantitative trait loci. Moreover, genotyping-by-target sequencing (GBTS) is a robust high-throughput genotyping technology characterized by its low cost, flexibility, and limited requirements for information management and support. In this study, an 8-way MAGIC population was constructed using eight elite founder lines. In addition, GenoBaits Peanut 40K was developed and utilized for the constructed MAGIC population. A subset (297 lines) of the MAGIC population at the S2 stage was genotyped using GenoBaits Peanut 40K. Furthermore, these lines and the eight parents were analyzed in terms of pod length, width, area, and perimeter. A total of 27 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were revealed to be significantly associated with peanut pod size-related traits according to a genome-wide association study. The GenoBaits Peanut 40K provided herein and the constructed MAGIC population will be applicable for future research to identify the key genes responsible for important peanut traits., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-023-01417-w., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2023.) more...

Manipulating the tumor immune contexture towards a more active state can result in better therapeutic outcomes. Here we describe an easily accessible bacterial biomineralization-generated immunomodulator, which we name Ausome (Au + [exo]some). Ausome comprises a gold nanoparticle core covered by bacterial components; the former affords an inducible hyperthermia effect, while the latter mobilizes diverse immune responses. Multiple pattern recognition receptors actively participate in Ausome-initiated immune responses, which lead to the release of a broad spectrum of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the activation of effector immune cells. Upon laser irradiation, tumor-accumulated Ausome elicits a hyperthermic response, which improves tissue blood perfusion and contributes to enhanced infiltration of immunostimulatory modules, including cytokines and effector lymphocytes. This immune-modulating strategy mediated by Ausome ultimately brings about a comprehensive immune reaction and selectively amplifies the effects of local antitumor immunity, enhancing the efficacy of well-established chemo- or immuno-therapies in preclinical cancer models in female mice., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.) more...

Epidemic-related information and resources have proven to have a significant impact on the spread of the epidemic during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The various orientation role of information has different effects on the epidemic spreading process, which will affect the individual' awareness of resources allocation and epidemic spreading scale. Based on this, a three-layer network is established to describe the dynamic coevolution process among information dissemination, resource allocation, and epidemic spreading. In order to analyze dynamic coevolution process, the microscopic Markov chain (MMC) theory is used. Then, the threshold of epidemic spreading is deduced. Our results indicated that the official information orientation intensity inhibits the epidemics spreading, while rumor orientation intensity promotes epidemic spreading. At the same time, the efficiency of resource utilization restrains the expansion of the infection scale. The two kinds of information are combined with resources respectively. Official information will enhance the inhibitory effect of resources epidemics spreading, while rumor will do the opposite., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Authors.) more...

Here we present a protocol for the construction and use of two types of nanocarrier based on bacterial membrane materials for cancer vaccine delivery. Cancer vaccines induce tumor regression through triggering the specific T-cell responses against tumor neoantigens, a process that can be enhanced by nanocarrier delivery. Inspired by the body's natural immune defenses against bacterial invasion, we have developed two different types of nanocarrier based on bacterial membrane materials, which employ genetically engineered outer-membrane vesicles (OMVs), or hybrid membrane vesicles containing bacterial cytoplasmic membrane, respectively. The OMV-based nanocarriers can rapidly display different tumor antigens through the surface modified Plug-and-Display system, suitable for customized cancer vaccines when the tumor neoantigens can be identified. The hybrid membrane-based nanocarriers are prepared through fusion of the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane and the primary tumor cell membrane from surgically removed tumor tissues, possessing unique advantages as personalized cancer vaccines when the neoantigens are not readily available. Compared with chemically synthesized nanocarriers such as liposomes and polymer without intrinsic adjuvant properties, owing to the large amounts of pathogen-associated molecular patterns, the two nanocarriers can activate the antigen-presenting cells while delivering multiple antigens, thus inducing effective antigen presentation and robust adaptive immune activation. Excluding bacterial culture and tumor tissue collection, the preparation of OMV- and hybrid membrane-based nanocarriers takes ~8 h and 10 h for tumor vaccine construction, respectively. We also detail how to use these nanocarriers to create cancer nanovaccines and evaluate their immunostimulatory and antitumor effects., (© 2022. Springer Nature Limited.) more...

An effective tumor vaccine vector that can rapidly display neoantigens is urgently needed. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) can strongly activate the innate immune system and are qualified as immunoadjuvants. Here, we describe a versatile OMV-based vaccine platform to elicit a specific anti-tumor immune response via specifically presenting antigens onto OMV surface. We first display tumor antigens on the OMVs surface by fusing with ClyA protein, and then simplify the antigen display process by employing a Plug-and-Display system comprising the tag/catcher protein pairs. OMVs decorated with different protein catchers can simultaneously display multiple, distinct tumor antigens to elicit a synergistic antitumour immune response. In addition, the bioengineered OMVs loaded with different tumor antigens can abrogate lung melanoma metastasis and inhibit subcutaneous colorectal cancer growth. The ability of the bioengineered OMV-based platform to rapidly and simultaneously display antigens may facilitate the development of these agents for personalized tumour vaccines. more...

Objective: Salivagram is one of the imaging modalities to detect pulmonary aspiration in children. This study aims to optimize the classification of pulmonary aspiration detected by salivagram with a semi-quantitative analytical method., Methods: This is a retrospective study involving 737 patients (471 males, 266 females; aged 1 month to 8 years; mean age 5.3 months, median age 3.0 months old) with suspected pulmonary aspiration, who had salivagram done between January 2018 and June 2019. Positive cases were divided into 10 groups (Grade 1, R2, L2, R2L2, R3, L3, R3L2, R2L3, R3L3, and 4) according to the scintigraphic findings. Aspiration index was determined as the ratio of the count in the respiratory tract to the total count in the image field of view and compared among different groups using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis., Results: A total of 180 cases had positive scintigraphic findings of various grades of aspiration (24.4%, 180/737). There is a high consistency among the two independent nuclear medicine physicians involved in the study, in determining both the disease gradings (κ = 0.919;95% CI: 0.915-0.923) and aspiration index (ICC = 0.994;95% CI: 0.993-0.996). There is no significant difference (p > 0.05) in aspiration index among the gradings in "mild" group (grade 1, R2, L2, L2R2), and "moderate" group (grade R3, R3L2, R3L3). After dividing the different grades into "mild", "moderate" and "severe" groups, the aspiration index of "mild" group is 4.40 ± 2.01, that of "moderate" group is 16.43 ± 8.20, and that of "severe" group is 46.94 ± 14.81. Difference in groups was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). In ROC curve analysis, AUC of "mild" and "moderate" groups is 0.970 and that of "moderate" and "severe" groups is 0.943; the cut-off value with highest diagnostic efficiency is 6.75 between "mild" and "moderate" groups and 38.00 between "moderate" and "severe" groups., Conclusions: We introduced a semi-quantitative analytical method in pulmonary aspiration on salivagram, to optimize and supplement to the current classification of pulmonary aspiration. more...

A major challenge in cancer vaccine therapy is the efficient delivery of antigens and adjuvants to stimulate a controlled yet robust tumour-specific T-cell response. Here, we describe a structurally well defined DNA nanodevice vaccine generated by precisely assembling two types of molecular adjuvants and an antigen peptide within the inner cavity of a tubular DNA nanostructure that can be activated in the subcellular environment to trigger T-cell activation and cancer cytotoxicity. The integration of low pH-responsive DNA 'locking strands' outside the nanostructures enables the opening of the vaccine in lysosomes in antigen-presenting cells, exposing adjuvants and antigens to activate a strong immune response. The DNA nanodevice vaccine elicited a potent antigen-specific T-cell response, with subsequent tumour regression in mouse cancer models. Nanodevice vaccination generated long-term T-cell responses that potently protected the mice against tumour rechallenge. more...

In the present paper, agarose acetate (AGA) nanofibrous membranes containing different weight percentages of β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) were successfully developed through electrospinning. The fibers in the nanofibrous membranes had a rough surface due to the β-TCP particles which were uniformly dispersed within or on the surface of AGA fibers. Rat-bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) were cultured on the AGA based nanofibrous membranes while showed a good adhesion and proliferation. It was found that more rBMSCs were differentiated to osteoblast-like cells on the β-TCP containing nanofibrous membranes compared with the single AGA membrane, and more alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and mineralized matrix could be detected when rBMSCs were cultured on the β-TCP containing nanofibrous membranes. The nanofibrous membranes were implanted into Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats for biocompatibility test. Gross examination and histological analysis of the AGA based nanofibrous membranes results showed that there was less inflammatory response. All of experimental results suggested that the AGA based nanofibrous membranes had the great potential application in bone tissue engineering., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) more...

Objective: Meckel's diverticulum scintigraphy (MDS) is a common method for diagnosing ectopic gastric mucosa (EGM), but atypical images are difficult to diagnose. This study aimed to improve the understanding of the existing diagnostic criteria through a review of confirmed cases., Subjects and Methods: A total of 352 patients underwent MDS. Among 120 patients with a positive diagnosis, 106 underwent surgery. This study analyzed the imaging presentation, surgical records, and pathological results. The existing diagnostic criteria included the location, shape, and radioactive appearance of the lesions. Data from surgical records with typical or atypical images were compared., Results: One hundred cases (100/106) were surgically confirmed to be Meckel's diverticulum (MD). The remaining 6 were intestinal polyps, intestinal duplication, duodenal ulcer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and hiatal hernia. Out of the 100 MD cases, 93 had complete operation records and 59/93 of the MDS 63.4% MD were located in the right lower quadrant, and 81.7% had a round shape in the scintiscan. The onset of the lesions activity in 96.8% (90/93) of the cases corresponded with the onset of the gastric activity. The radioactivity of 97.8% (91/93) of the lesions gradually increased during the examination. There were no significant differences between the typical and atypical scintiscan images: in the distance of MD from the ileocecal valve, in the MD length, and the basal diameter of MD for lesions at different scintiscans (P>0.05), or of different shapes (P>0.05)., Conclusion: Location in the right lower quadrant and round shape of the lesions are not the primary diagnostic factors for Meckel's diverticulum. The establishment of the diagnosis of MD requires careful consideration of other imaging characteristics such as: a) The onset of lesions' radioactivity to correspond with the onset of the gastric activity and b) The lesions' radioactivity to gradually increase during the scan procedure. more...

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) occurs when apoptotic tumor cell elicits a specific immune response, which may trigger an anti-tumor effect, via the release of immunostimulatory damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). Hypothesizing that nanomedicines may impact ICD due to their proven advantages in delivery of chemotherapeutics, we encapsulated oxaliplatin (OXA) or gemcitabine (GEM), an ICD and a non-ICD inducer respectively, into the amphiphilic diblock copolymer nanoparticles. Neither GEM nor nanoparticle-encapsulated GEM (NP-GEM) induced ICD, while both OXA and nanoparticle-encapsulated OXA (NP-OXA) induced ICD. Interestingly, NP-OXA treated tumor cells released more DAMPs and induced stronger immune responses of dendritic cells and T lymphocytes than OXA treatment in vitro. Furthermore, OXA and NP-OXA exhibited stronger therapeutic effects in immunocompetent mice than in immunodeficient mice, and the enhancement of therapeutic efficacy was significantly higher in the NP-OXA group than the OXA group. Moreover, NP-OXA treatment induced a higher proportion of tumor infiltrating activated cytotoxic T-lymphocytes than OXA treatment. This general trend of enhanced ICD by nanoparticle delivery was corroborated in evaluating another pair of ICD inducer and non-ICD inducer, doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil. In conclusion, although nanoparticle encapsulation did not endow a non-ICD inducer with ICD-mediated anti-tumor capacity, treatment with a nanoparticle-encapsulated ICD inducer led to significantly enhanced ICD and consequently improved anti-tumor effects than the free ICD inducer. The proposed nanomedicine approach may impact cancer immunotherapy via the novel cell death mechanism of ICD., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.) more...

The catalytic cracking method of PAHs for the pyrolysis gaseous products is proposed to control their pollution to the environment. In this study, the Py-GC-MS is used to investigate in situ the catalytic effect of CaO and Fe2O3 on the 16 PAHs from Pingshuo coal pyrolysis under different catalytic temperatures and catalyst particle sizes. The results demonstrate that Fe2O3 is effective than that of CaO for catalytic cracking of 16 PAHs and that their catalytic temperature corresponding to the maximum PAHs cracking rates is different. The PAHs cracking rate is up to 60.59% for Fe2O3 at 600°C and is 52.88% at 700°C for CaO. The catalytic temperature and particle size of the catalysts have a significant effect on PAHs cracking rate and CaO will lose the capability of decreasing 16 PAHs when the temperature is higher than 900°C. The possible cracking process of 16 PAHs is deduced by elaborately analyzing the cracking effect of the two catalysts on 16 different species of PAHs. more...

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression has been associated with the grade, prognosis and recurrence of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder. In this study, sulforaphane, a dietary isothiocyanate, down-regulated COX-2 expression in human bladder transitional cancer T24 cells at both transcriptional- and translational levels. Sulforaphane (5-20 microM) induced nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB and reduced its binding to the COX-2 promoter, a key mechanism for suppressing COX-2 expression by sulforaphane. Moreover, sulforaphane increased expression of p38 and phosphorylated-p38 protein. A specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK, SB202190, was used to further investigate its pivotal role in sulforaphane-mediated down-regulation of COX-2. Exposure of T24 cells to SB202190 1 hour prior to sulforaphane treatment abolished the effect of sulforaphane on COX-2 mRNA down-regulation, but enhanced COX-2 transcription. Furthermore, SB202190 alone induced NF-kappaB translocation to the nucleus, promoted NF-kappaB binding to the COX-2 promoter and resulted in up-regulation of COX-2 expression. Taken together, these data suggest that p38 is essential in sulforaphane-mediated COX-2 suppression and provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of sulforaphane in the chemoprevention of bladder cancer. more...

Objective: To compare the immunoenhancement of six polysaccharides on the murine immunological cells in vitro., Methods: The immunoenhancement of the polysaccharide on the murine splenocytes were tested by MTt assay. The effects of polysaceharides on IgG secretion of spleen lymphocytes were detected by ELISA. The activation of peritoneal macrophages were tested by the method of neutral red phagocytosis assay. The phagocytic activity of spleen NK cells were detected by the method of LDH., Results: Lentinan and Ganoderan could promote spleen lymphocyte proliferation with ConA significantly. Astragalan, Ganoderan and Lentinan had stronger function in promoting the IgG secretion and proliferation of spleen lymphocyte with LPS. Lichenan and Astragalan could significantly enhance activation of peritoneal macrophages and splenic NK., Conclusion: The immuno-regulation mechanism and effects of six polysaccharides were indivadually variable. The polysaccharide aiming at different effect targets could be combined into the most immunopotentiating agent by the most appropriate doses ratio. more...