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This study explores the knowledge base of non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) working in the Canadian English as a second language (ESL) context. By examining NNESTs’ experiences in seeking employment and teaching ESL in Canada, and investigating ESL program administrators’ perceptions and hiring practices in relation to NNESTs, it identifies the knowledge base of NNESTs that allows them to gain access to the ESL profession and become effective ESL teachers. This knowledge base consists of six categories, which are content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, contextual knowledge, continuity with past experiences, and support knowledge. Strategies to develop the knowledge base of NNESTs are also identified. The study contributes to a better understanding of the professional knowledge of NNESTs working in ESL contexts. It also demystifies the hiring practices of ESL programs and reveals how these practices could affect NNESTs’ job search experience. The findings have implications for teacher educators, language program administrators, and other stakeholders in similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to test an integrative model in which peer relations at different levels of social complexity (friendship quality, social preference, and proximity prestige) are associated with children's loneliness, with children's self-perceived social competence acting as a mediator of these associations. A middle childhood sample of 509 Chinese children (233 girls and 276 boys; 3rd to 6th grade) completed a battery of sociometric and self-report questionnaires. Bootstrap analysis showed that self-perceived social competence mediated the relations between each peer variable and loneliness. In the integrative model tested with SEM, the mediating effect of self-perceived social competence in the relation between friendship quality and loneliness and between social preference and loneliness remained significant. However, self-perceived social competence no longer mediated the association between proximity prestige and loneliness, when considering the simultaneous influences of the three peer variables (friendship quality, social preference, and proximity prestige). The whole model accounted for 56% of the variance in loneliness. These findings suggest that self-perceived social competence played an important role in children's loneliness, that the quality and the quantity of direct peer relations (friendship quality, social preference, and part of proximity prestige) were associated with loneliness, and that indirect friends had a relatively lower but significant influence on children's loneliness. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for preventing children's loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the beliefs of Chinese junior high school English teachers about foreign language teaching and influencing contextual factors in a time when curriculum innovation is confronting deep-rooted cultural traditions and complex teaching realities. Drawing upon data collected by means of questionnaires and interviews, this study reveals a multi-dimensional structure of teachers’ beliefs. On the whole, teachers’ beliefs are congruent with the constructivism-oriented curriculum reform, but a closer examination suggests that both traditional and constructivist beliefs exist. Constructivist beliefs favour student participation, interactive class, and learning strategy training while traditional beliefs involve focus on grammar and language form, drill and practice, rote memorization, and teacher authority. A variety of contextual factors are found to exert a strong influence on teachers’ beliefs, such as Confucian culture, curriculum reform, high-stakes testing, and school environment. These factors interact to facilitate or constrain the development of teachers’ beliefs. The study highlights the situated nature of teachers’ beliefs with implications for curriculum reform, teacher development and many other important issues in secondary foreign language education in China and other similar contexts internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyberbullying has become a common occurrence among adolescents worldwide; however, it has yet to receive adequate scholarly attention in China, especially in the mainland. The present study investigated the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of cyberbullying, utilizing a sample of 1,438 high school students from central China. Findings revealed that cyberbullying among high school students in the heartland of central China is relatively common with 34.84% (N = 501) of participants reported having bullied someone and 56.88% (N = 818) reported having been bullied by online. Significant gender differences were found, suggesting that boys are more likely to be involved in cyberbullying both as perpetrators and victims. Students with lower academic achievement were more likely to be perpetrators online than were students with better academic achievement. Students who spend more time on online, have access to the internet in their bedrooms, have themselves experienced traditional bullying as victims, and are frequently involved in instant-messaging and other forms of online entertainment are more likely to experience cyberbullying. Increased parent and teacher supervision reduced students’ involvement in cyberbullying. Implications for intervention are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Know-Want-Learn (KWL) strategy, advanced in the 1980s, is an instructional reading strategy widely used in reading classes in the USA. The KWL process reflects the cognitive process in language acquisition, and it is currently used in the writing classes on Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) campuses as an instructional writing strategy. Relevant studies on this strategy have been reported by some overseas educators. Though such lead-in activities as warm-up or pre-reading derive from similar instructional schemes, KWL has not so far drawn academic attention from the foreign language teaching community in China. This paper, taking a lesson plan as an example, attempts to illustrate a manageable way to integrate the KWL reading strategy and writing strategy in English language teaching for non-English majors (hereafter referred to as “ELT for non-majors”). The learners’ response to the KWL instructional scheme will be included in this research. It is hoped that this strategy can be brought into full play in ELT for non-majors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report presents an overall picture of the state of research and recent highlights of English writing in China by describing the Sixth National Symposium on EFL Writing Research and Teaching in China, which was held in Beijing in fall 2008. Major themes emerging from the symposium are grouped into five categories: (1) The state-of-the-art of L2 writing research at home and abroad; (2) Writing instruction; (3) Student writers and China English; (4) Evaluation and assessment; and (5) Professional development of L2 writing teachers. The report concludes with an analysis of the trends of EFL writing in China based on conference discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Early screening and dynamic monitoring of pulmonary vascular disease (PVD) in bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) high‐risk infants is of great clinical significance. Pulmonary artery acceleration time (PAAT) is a reliable and non‐invasive method for assessing PVD in children over 1 year, but to date, few studies have used PAAT to assess pulmonary hemodynamics of preterm infants, especially those with BPD. Through dynamic monitoring the main hemodynamic indicators reflected PVD after birth, this study aimed to assess the value of PAAT in evaluating early PVD in BPD infants. Methods: All 81 preterm infants at risk of BPD were divided into BPD and non‐BPD groups according to whether BPD occurred. Clinical characteristics, PAAT, right ventricular ejection time (RVET) and other main hemodynamic indicators at four different time points after birth were studied and compared. Results: PAAT and PAAT/RVET increased gradually within 72 h after birth in the BPD group (p <.05), but the curve tended to be flat over time after 72 h (p >.05). At PMA32 and 36 weeks, the PAAT (49.7 ± 4.8 vs. 54.8 ± 5.7, p =.001; 50.0 ± 5.3 vs. 57.0 ± 5.3, p =.001) and PAAT/RVET (.33 ±.04 vs..35 ±.03, p =.001;.34 ±.03 vs..37 ±.04, p =.001) in BPD group were significantly lower than those in the non‐BPD group. Conclusions: PAAT and PAAT/RVET in the BPD group infants showed different change patterns compared to non‐BPD group infants. PAAT can be used as a noninvasive and reliable screening method for screening and dynamic monitoring of PVD in BPD high‐risk infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are plant pests that infect the roots of host plants. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) nematicidal proteins exhibited toxicity to nematodes. However, the application of nematicidal proteins for plant protection is hampered by the lack of effective delivery systems in transgenic plants. In this study, we discovered the accumulation of leucoplasts (root plastids) in galls and RKN-induced giant cells. RKN infection causes the degradation of leucoplasts into small vesicle-like structures, which are responsible for delivering proteins to RKNs, as observed through confocal microscopy and immunoelectron microscopy. We showed that different-sized proteins from leucoplasts could be taken up by Meloidogyne incognita female. To further explore the potential applications of leucoplasts, we introduced the Bt crystal protein Cry5Ba2 into tobacco and tomato leucoplasts by fusing it with a transit peptide. The transgenic plants showed significant resistance to RKNs. Intriguingly, RKN females preferentially took up Cry5Ba2 protein when delivered through plastids rather than the cytosol. The decrease in progeny was positively correlated with the delivery efficiency of the nematicidal protein. In conclusion, this study offers new insights into the feeding behavior of RKNs and their ability to ingest leucoplast proteins, and demonstrates that root leucoplasts can be used for delivering nematicidal proteins, thereby offering a promising approach for nematode control. This study uncovers that root-knot nematodes (RKNs) can absorb proteins from root leucoplasts. Based on this finding, an efficient system using root leucoplasts to deliver Bt nematicidal proteins is developed for controlling RKNs , offering a novel strategy for nematode control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voice is an important topic in second language writing research and pedagogy, but there have been limited attempts to understand the voice of second language writers from diverse backgrounds. This article aims to achieve a thorough and up-to-date understanding of Chinese students' voice in English academic writing by adopting a holistic and dynamic perspective to examine factors influencing Chinese students' voice. The article first critiques previous claims about the negative, deterministic influence of traditional Chinese culture and language on students' voice and adopts a more positive and agentive view of voice in relation to language and culture. Then it moves on to analyze the influence of various educational factors on Chinese students' voice development, which has largely been overlooked in previous discussion on this topic. After examining how the dynamic changes in Chinese culture, language, and education in a globalized society may impact Chinese students' voice development, the article further suggests that these broader contextual factors interact with the more immediate context of writing to shape the complexity of Chinese students' voice in English. This work has implications for curriculum, pedagogy, and teacher development in various writing contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Invasive plants may interact with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and mutualistic rhizosphere bacteria such as Bacillus mutualists, which are known to be influenced by soil nutrient levels. They interact in the rhizosphere, thereby enhancing and altering plant growth; however, few studies have compared the specific interactions between AMF and Bacillus under different soil nutrient levels. To elucidate these mechanisms, we examined the effect of the interaction between AMF and Bacillus on the growth of invasive Flaveria bidentis in both nutrient-rich and -deficient soils. Methods: Pot cultures of invasive F. bidentis and native Eclipta prostrata were grown in monoculture and a mixture under different nutrient levels. Mono/coinoculation with an AMF (Rhizoglomus intraradices) and Bacillus megaterium (BM) was conducted to test their effect on the growth of F. bidentis under different nutrient levels. Results: The effect of RI and BM on F. bidentis varied according to different soil nutrient levels. RI promoted the growth of F. bidentis by absorbing nitrogen from the soil regardless of nutrient level, and the growth of F. bidentis increased in conjunction with the AMF colonization rate. However, the influence of BM on the growth of F. bidentis was promotive in nutrient-rich soils and inhibitive in nutrient-deficient soils depending on soil nutrient levels. Meanwhile, compared with the monoinoculation of RI on F. bidentis, coinoculation with RI and BM in nutrient-deficient soil inhibited F. bidentis growth for BM and decreased its AMF colonization rate. Monoinoculation and the coinoculation always inhibited E. prostrata growth when competing with F. bidentis under different nutrient levels. Conclusions: RI and BM promoted the competitive growth ability of F. bidentis by inhibiting E. prostrata growth at different soil nutrient levels, suggesting that F. bidentis may employ a different mechanism to enhance its competitive ability under different nutrient levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, inorganic cesium–lead halide perovskites with high thermal stability have attracted much attention as promising light‐emitting material for research of perovskite‐based light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs) toward high‐definition displays. However, the CsPbI3‐based red PeLEDs still suffer low external quantum efficiency (EQE) and poor device stability due to the spontaneous phase transition from cubic CsPbI3 (α‐CsPbI3) to nonradiative orthorhombic phase (δ‐CsPbI3) under ambient conditions. Here, a feasible approach is reported on phase engineering by incorporating the long‐chain cation (e.g., 2‐(naphthalene‐1‐yl)ethanamine (NEA)) in CsPbI3 for stable and high‐performance CsPbI3‐based red light‐emitting diodes (LEDs). A high EQE of 8.65% is successfully achieved for the characteristic red emission at ≈682 nm representing the highest value among Cs‐based red PeLEDs up to now. More importantly, the corresponding PeLEDs exhibit outstanding stability with EQE retaining 90% after 3 months of storage. These results verify the potential of using cesium‐based inorganic perovskite as viable alternatives to methylammonium (MA)‐ or formamidinium (FA)‐based perovskite for desirable practical applications. Stable α‐CsPbI3 is synthesized by incorporating cation 2‐(naphthalene‐1‐yl)ethanamine (NEA) for perovskite‐based light‐emitting diodes (PeLED). A high external quantum (EQE) of 8.65% is successfully demonstrated for the characteristic red emission ≈682 nm representing the highest value among Cs‐based red PeLEDs up to now. More importantly, corresponding PeLEDs exhibit outstanding stability with EQE retaining 90% after 3 months storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) are widely used to produce small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) for gene silencing. Here we design an alternative siRNA precursor, named single-stranded, Argonaute 2 (Ago2)-processed interfering RNA (saiRNA), containing a 16-18 bp stem and a loop complementary to the target transcript. The introduction of a self-cleaving ribozyme derived from hepatitis delta virus to the 3′ end of the transcribed saiRNA dramatically improves its silencing activity by generating a short 3′ overhang that facilitates the efficient binding of saiRNA to Ago2. The same ribozyme also enhances the activity of Dicer-dependent shRNAs. Unlike a classical shRNA, the strand-specific cleavage of saiRNA by Ago2 during processing eliminates the passenger strand and prevents the association of siRNA with non-nucleolytic Ago proteins. As a result, off-target effects are reduced. In addition, saiRNA exhibits less competition with the biogenesis of endogenous miRNAs. Therefore, ribozyme-enhanced saiRNA provides a reliable tool for RNA interference applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRISPR-Cas systems endow the bacterial and archaeal species with adaptive immune mechanisms to fend off invading phages and foreign plasmids. The class 2 type VI CRISPR/Cas effector Cas13d has been harnessed to confer the protection against RNA viruses in diverse eukaryotic species. However a vast number of different viruses can potentially infect the same host plant resulting in mixed infection, thus necessitating the generation of crops with broad-spectrum resistance to multiple viruses. Here we report the repurposing of CRISPR/Cas13d coupled with an endogenous tRNA-processing system (polycistronic tRNA-gRNA, PTG) to target the multiple potato RNA viruses. Expression of Cas13d and four different gRNAs were observed in transgenic potato lines expressing the Cas13d/PTG construct. We show that the Cas13d/PTG transgenic plants exhibit resistance to either PVY, PVS, PVX or PLRV alone or two/three viruses simultaneously by reducing viral accumulation in plant cells. In sum, our findings provide an efficient strategy for engineering crops that can simultaneously resist infection by multiple RNA viruses. CRISPR/Cas13d coupled with an endogenous tRNA-processing system can be used to engineer resistance to multiple RNA viruses in potato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, blue quantum‐dot light‐emitting diodes (QLEDs) remain the bottleneck limiting the development of QLED‐based applications. To achieve high‐performance blue QLEDs, poly‐N‐vinylcarbazole (PVK) is usually employed as the hole‐transport layer (HTL) to reduce the hole injection barrier. However, fabrication of efficient blue QLEDs with PVK HTL remains challenging and empirical/accidental. Here, it is demonstrated that PVK layer can trap electrons and hence resulting in low device efficiency. This is why the performance of blue QLEDs is highly dependent on the PVK batch received from the manufacturers. As an interlayer, ZnSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are inserted between PVK and blue ZnCdSe/ZnS QD emitters. The resulted device presents an external quantum efficiency of 20.6% under 2920 cd m−2, enhanced by ≈35% compared with that of PVK‐alone device. The remarkable enhancement is owing to the QD interlayer that not only suppresses the electron trapping in PVK, increasing the probability of exciton recombination within the emissive layer, but also facilitates the hole injection, improving the charge balance in blue devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Exotic plant invasion often drives soil microorganisms to affect soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas microbial taxa that played a key role in the SOC changes and the related mechanisms remain unclear.In this study, a long-term simulation of the invasion process of exotic plants, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Bidens pilosa, was carried out to evaluate the relationships between soil microorganisms and SOC during the invasion of exotic plants. A metagenomic method was conducted to study the microbial communities and carbon metabolic pathways in the rhizosphere soil.Our results showed that the invasion of two exotic plants significantly increased the concentrations of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and SOC by shifting carbon metabolic pathways mediated by key microbial taxa. The dominant carbon metabolic pathways were transformed into the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and dicarboxylate-hydroxybutyrate cycle in the rhizosphere soil of two exotic species after long-time interaction, and these three pathways were closely correlated to Bradyrhizobium, Mycobacterium, and Sphingomonas. The structural equation model revealed that the invasion of A. artemisiifolia and B. pilosa were more likely to affect the SOC via affecting MBC concentration rather than directly affecting SOC, suggesting MBC played a key role in SOC accumulation in the exotic plant’s rhizosphere.The similar microbial mechanism of SOC in two exotic species, suggests that exotic plant invasion may affect the SOC cycle by adjusting soil microbiota and microbial metabolic activities.Methods: Exotic plant invasion often drives soil microorganisms to affect soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas microbial taxa that played a key role in the SOC changes and the related mechanisms remain unclear.In this study, a long-term simulation of the invasion process of exotic plants, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Bidens pilosa, was carried out to evaluate the relationships between soil microorganisms and SOC during the invasion of exotic plants. A metagenomic method was conducted to study the microbial communities and carbon metabolic pathways in the rhizosphere soil.Our results showed that the invasion of two exotic plants significantly increased the concentrations of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and SOC by shifting carbon metabolic pathways mediated by key microbial taxa. The dominant carbon metabolic pathways were transformed into the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and dicarboxylate-hydroxybutyrate cycle in the rhizosphere soil of two exotic species after long-time interaction, and these three pathways were closely correlated to Bradyrhizobium, Mycobacterium, and Sphingomonas. The structural equation model revealed that the invasion of A. artemisiifolia and B. pilosa were more likely to affect the SOC via affecting MBC concentration rather than directly affecting SOC, suggesting MBC played a key role in SOC accumulation in the exotic plant’s rhizosphere.The similar microbial mechanism of SOC in two exotic species, suggests that exotic plant invasion may affect the SOC cycle by adjusting soil microbiota and microbial metabolic activities.Results: Exotic plant invasion often drives soil microorganisms to affect soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas microbial taxa that played a key role in the SOC changes and the related mechanisms remain unclear.In this study, a long-term simulation of the invasion process of exotic plants, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Bidens pilosa, was carried out to evaluate the relationships between soil microorganisms and SOC during the invasion of exotic plants. A metagenomic method was conducted to study the microbial communities and carbon metabolic pathways in the rhizosphere soil.Our results showed that the invasion of two exotic plants significantly increased the concentrations of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and SOC by shifting carbon metabolic pathways mediated by key microbial taxa. The dominant carbon metabolic pathways were transformed into the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and dicarboxylate-hydroxybutyrate cycle in the rhizosphere soil of two exotic species after long-time interaction, and these three pathways were closely correlated to Bradyrhizobium, Mycobacterium, and Sphingomonas. The structural equation model revealed that the invasion of A. artemisiifolia and B. pilosa were more likely to affect the SOC via affecting MBC concentration rather than directly affecting SOC, suggesting MBC played a key role in SOC accumulation in the exotic plant’s rhizosphere.The similar microbial mechanism of SOC in two exotic species, suggests that exotic plant invasion may affect the SOC cycle by adjusting soil microbiota and microbial metabolic activities.Conclusions: Exotic plant invasion often drives soil microorganisms to affect soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas microbial taxa that played a key role in the SOC changes and the related mechanisms remain unclear.In this study, a long-term simulation of the invasion process of exotic plants, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Bidens pilosa, was carried out to evaluate the relationships between soil microorganisms and SOC during the invasion of exotic plants. A metagenomic method was conducted to study the microbial communities and carbon metabolic pathways in the rhizosphere soil.Our results showed that the invasion of two exotic plants significantly increased the concentrations of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and SOC by shifting carbon metabolic pathways mediated by key microbial taxa. The dominant carbon metabolic pathways were transformed into the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and dicarboxylate-hydroxybutyrate cycle in the rhizosphere soil of two exotic species after long-time interaction, and these three pathways were closely correlated to Bradyrhizobium, Mycobacterium, and Sphingomonas. The structural equation model revealed that the invasion of A. artemisiifolia and B. pilosa were more likely to affect the SOC via affecting MBC concentration rather than directly affecting SOC, suggesting MBC played a key role in SOC accumulation in the exotic plant’s rhizosphere.The similar microbial mechanism of SOC in two exotic species, suggests that exotic plant invasion may affect the SOC cycle by adjusting soil microbiota and microbial metabolic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, different concentrations of lemon essential oils (LEO) were incorporated into chitosan/zein complex film (C/Z/L films) to improve its antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity, and the effects of C/Z/L films on mushroom quality were evaluated at 4 °C for 12 d. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of C/Z films were effectively improved by addition of LEO in a concentration-dependent manner. What's more, EAB value and gas permeability increased while TS value and water vapor permeability decreased upon the gradual increase of LEO content. During the entire storage, C/Z/L films were effective in suppressing PPO and POD activity of mushrooms as well as inhibiting the growth of microorganism. Mushrooms packaged with the film containing 6% LEO showed the lowest browning index and respiration rate. In addition, the C/Z/L film-treated mushrooms exhibited higher antioxidant capacity and more satisfactory texture properties. The results of our study presented that C/Z active film loaded with LEO could be used to maintain the postharvest quality of mushrooms. • The effect of LEO on physical properties of C/Z film were evaluated. • Addition of LEO to C/Z film enhanced the antioxidant and antibacterial activity. • The films containing LEO was effective on maintaining antioxidant capacity of mushrooms. • The films containing LEO delayed the browning process and microbiological growth of mushrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotaviruses are important causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in children. In China, rotavirus infection has a prevalence rate of 30% and is therefore considered a serious public health problem. This study was carried out to investigate the clinical and molecular epidemiological characteristics of rotavirus infections in children under 5 years old with acute diarrhea in Shandong province, China. From July 2017 to June 2018, a total of 1211 fecal specimens were tested, and the prevalence of rotavirus infection was 32.12%. The mean age of the infected children was 12.2 ± 10.9 months, and the highest infection rate was observed in children aged 7-12 months, with a rate of 41.64%. G9P[8] (76.61%) was the most prevalent genotype combination, followed by G2P[4] (7.20%), G3P[8] (3.60%), and G9P[4] (2.06%). In addition to diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and dehydration were the most common clinical signs. In general, there was no significant difference in clinical manifestations among different age groups. However, the clinical manifestations differed significantly between vaccinated and unvaccinated children. Vaccinated children showed lower incidence and frequency of vomiting, lower incidence and degree of dehydration, and lower incidence of severe cases than unvaccinated children. These findings suggest that it is necessary to continuously monitor changes in the characteristics of rotavirus infections. Moreover, the introduction of vaccines into the national immunization program to prevent and control rotavirus infection is needed in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: B7-H3, an immune-checkpoint molecule and a transmembrane protein, is overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), making it an attractive therapeutic target. Here, we aimed to systematically evaluate the value of B7-H3 as a target in NSCLC via T cells expressing B7-H3-specific chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and bispecific killer cell engager (BiKE)-redirected natural killer (NK) cells. Methods: We generated B7-H3 CAR and B7-H3/CD16 BiKE derived from an anti-B7-H3 antibody omburtamab that has been shown to preferentially bind tumor tissues and has been safely used in humans in early-phase clinical trials. Antitumor efficacy and induced-immune response of CAR and BiKE were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The effects of B7-H3 on aerobic glycolysis in NSCLC cells were further investigated. Results: B7-H3 CAR-T cells effectively inhibited NSCLC tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. B7-H3 redirection promoted highly specific T-cell infiltration into tumors. Additionally, NK cell activity could be specially triggered by B7-H3/CD16 BiKE through direct CD16 signaling, resulting in significant increase in NK cell activation and target cell death. BiKE improved antitumor efficacy mediated by NK cells in vitro and in vivo, regardless of the cell surface target antigen density on tumor tissues. Furthermore, we found that anti-B7-H3 blockade might alter tumor glucose metabolism via the reactive oxygen species-mediated pathway. Conclusions: Together, our results suggest that B7-H3 may serve as a target for NSCLC therapy and support the further development of two therapeutic agents in the preclinical and clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Our aim was to determine whether there is a synergistic interaction between the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Rhizoglomus intraradices and the bacterium Brevibacterium frigoritolerans, and to understand how R. intraradices and B. frigoritolerans affect the competitive growth of Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze in nutrient-deficient soil. Methods: Pot culture of F. bidentis and Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. under nutrient-limited soil conditions was used to test the effect of R. intraradices and B. frigoritolerans on the competitive growth of F. bidentis. Results: Inoculation with B. frigoritolerans and co-inoculation with R. intraradices and B. frigoritolerans increased the biomass of F. bidentis, and a single inoculation of B. frigoritolerans gave E. prostrata a competitive advantage over F. bidentis. However, we found higher R. intraradices colonization of exotic F. bidentis roots than native E. prostrata roots. Conclusions: R. intraradices and B. frigoritolerans probably play different roles in the invasion of F. bidentis. R. intraradices may give the invader a competitive advantage through the accumulation of higher foliar levels of N, and B. frigoritolerans may facilitate the uptake of available N from the soil. Therefore, the results support the hypothesis that the AM fungus-soil bacteria cooperation makes N available to F. bidentis and facilitates its competitive growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The therapeutic efficacy of cuproptosis combined with phototheranostics is still hindered by easy copper efflux, nonspecific accumulation and limited light penetration depth. Here, a high-performance NIR-II semiconductor polymer was first synthesized through dual-donor engineering. Then a biomimetic cuproptosis amplifier (PCD@CM) was prepared by Cu(II)-mediated coordinative self-assembly of NIR-II ultrasmall polymer dots and the chemotherapeutic drug DOX, followed by camouflaging of tumor cell membranes. After homologous targeting delivery to tumor cells, overexpressed GSH in the tumor microenvironment (TME) triggers the disassembly of the amplifier and the release of therapeutic components through the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I), which enable NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging-guided NIR-II photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy. The released Cu(I) induces the aggregation of lipoylated mitochondrial proteins accompanied by the loss of iron-sulfur proteins, leading to severe proteotoxic stress and eventually cuproptosis. NIR-II PTT and GSH depletion render tumor cells more sensitive to cuproptosis. The amplified cuproptosis sensitization provokes significant immune surveillance, triggering the immunogenic cell death (ICD) to promote cytotoxic T lymphocyte infiltration together with aPD-L1-mediated immune checkpoint blockade. This work proposes a new strategy to develop cuproptosis sensitization systems enhanced by NIR-II phototheranostics with homologous targeting and anti-tumor immune response capabilities. [Display omitted] • High-performance NIR-II semiconductor polymer synthesized by dual-donor engineering. • Cuproposis amplifier by coordination self-assembly and tumor cell membrane camouflage. • Tumor microenvironment responsive drug release and NIR-II photoimmunotherapy. • NIR-II PTT and GSH depletion sensitize cuproptosis, provoking immunogenic cell death. • Enhanced immunotherapy combined with aPD-L1 mediated immune checkpoint blockade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We surveyed the practices and abilities of 103 students at 4 universities in China to write from sources in English, documenting in their first and second years of Bachelors’ and Masters’ programs (longitudinally and cross-sectionally): (a) students’ self-reported approaches to writing from sources and instruction that had helped them; (b) the frequency, accuracy, and functions of citations in samples of their course papers; and (c) their abilities to summarize a reading passage under test-like conditions. The students wrote with some proficiency in English and emerging competencies in writing from academic sources, confirming, in this context where English is a foreign language, tendencies such as nascent senses of authorial identities and patchwriting documented in prior case studies of Chinese and other students writing at English-dominant universities internationally. Limited evidence for development from the first to second year appeared in undergraduate students increasing the frequency, accuracy, and functions of their citations, moving toward the tendencies maintained by graduate students in both years’ course papers. In their second years, most students also reported greater success in acknowledging source materials and focus on formal aspects of writing course papers. Only half the students indicated they had taken courses that helped them to write from sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface layers, referred simply as S-layers, are the two-dimensional crystalline arrays of protein or glycoprotein subunits on cell surface. They are one of the most common outermost envelope components observed in prokaryotic organisms ( Archaea and Bacteria ). Over the past decades, S-layers have become an issue of increasing interest due to their ubiquitousness, special features and functions. Substantial work in this field provides evidences of an enormous diversity in S-layers. This paper reviews and illustrates the diversity from several different aspects, involving the S-layer-carrying strains, the structure of S-layers, the S-layer proteins and genes, as well as the functions of S-layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our study fills a gap in the lack of studies predicting death in patients with cerebral infarction in the ICU. • KKNN, LR, NNET, RF, SVM, XGOOST are used as classification algorithms. • Two large datasets with no intersection were used to build and validate the model. Both internal and external validation showed that our model has excellent performance, and that the RF model is more in line with clinical reality. • Interpretive analysis shows that the RF model's decisions are consistent with clinical knowledge. Research on patients with cerebral infarction in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is still lacking. Our study aims to develop and validate multiple machine-learning (ML) models using two large ICU databases—Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care version III (MIMIC-III) and eICU Research Institute Database (eRI)—to guide clinical practice. We collected clinical data from patients with cerebral infarction in the MIMIC-III and eRI databases within 24 h of admission. The opinion of neurologists and the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression was used to screen for relevant clinical features. Using eRI as the training set and MIMIC-III as the test set, we developed and validated six ML models. Based on the results of the model validation, we select the best model and perform the interpretability analysis on it. A total of 4,338 patients were included in the study (eRI:3002, MIMIC-III:1336), resulting in a total of 18 clinical characteristics through screening. Model validation results showed that random forest (RF) was the best model, with AUC and F1 scores of 0.799 and 0.417 in internal validation and 0.733 and 0.498 in external validation, respectively; moreover, its sensitivity and recall were the highest of the six algorithms for both the internal and external validation. The explanatory analysis of the model showed that the three most important variables in the RF model were Acute Physiology Score-III, Glasgow Coma Scale score, and heart rate, and that the influence of each variable on the judgement of the model was consistent with medical knowledge. Based on a large sample of patients and advanced algorithms, our study bridges the limitations of studies on this area. With our model, physicians can use the admission information of cerebral infarction patients in the ICU to identify high-risk groups among them who are prone to in-hospital death, so that they could be more alert to this group of patients and upgrade medical measures early to minimize the mortality of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a core-shell ZnO@PDA/Ag-Ag 2 O nanocomposite with high photocatalytic efficiency was synthesized via a solvothermal method. Due to polydopamine (PDA) coating and Ag-Ag 2 O doping, ZnO@PDA/Ag-Ag 2 O nanocomposite yielded a high amount of singlet oxygen (1O 2) upon visible light irradiation, compared with unmodified ZnO and ZnO@PDA nanosheets. Under LED irradiation, ZnO@PDA/Ag-Ag 2 O nanocomposite with a p-n heterojunction exhibited remarkable photocatalytic efficiency for removing rhodamine B and eliminating Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, ZnO@PDA/Ag-Ag 2 O nanocomposite demonstrated high stability and photocatalytic activity after five consecutive cycles. It also effectively eliminated established biofilms and inhibited the generation of new biofilms. Wound-healing infected by S. aureus in vivo indicated that ZnO@PDA/Ag-Ag 2 O nanocomposite with LED irradiation inhibited microbial infection of wound and promoted wound healing. Therefore, 1O 2 -mediated ZnO@PDA/Ag-Ag 2 O nanocomposite is expected to be a promising photocatalyst in the fields of sewage treatment, antibacterial agents, and nanomedicines. • PDA coating and Ag-Ag 2 O NPs enhance the 1O 2 yields of ZnO@PDA/Ag-Ag 2 O. • The nanocomposites strongly degrade RhB and kill bacteria under LED light. • ZnO@PDA/Ag-Ag 2 O effectively eliminates and inhibits bacterial biofilms. • The wound-healing in vivo reveals good biocompatibility of ZnO@PDA/Ag-Ag 2 O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A biomimetic-synthesized TiO 2 -Ag-AgCl composite was fabricated. • The composite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity degradating RhB and CIP. • The composite had high disinfection capability towards E.coli under visible-light irradiation. • h+ and O 2 – were main active species during photocatalytic degradation of E.coli. • ROS led to the upregulation of expression of bacterial outer membrane genes. The design and production of highly efficient photocatalysts are required to resolve environmental issues. Herein, a TiO 2 -Ag-AgCl photocatalyst is fabricated using polydopamine-mediated biomimetic mineralization. The as-prepared composite is able to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) efficiently, and has strong bactericidal capability against E. coli upon the irradiation of visible light. Moreover, TiO 2 -Ag-AgCl composite can efficiently destruct existing E. coli biofilm. The trapping experiment and electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR) analysis show that h+ and O 2 – are dominating reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the elimination of organic pollutants and E. coli. Also, the cellular response to ROS damage is determined using RNA-seq transcriptomics analysis. Some chemotaxis-related outer membrane genes, such as ompA , ahpC , ypfH and ompX , were up-regulated; especially ypfH is first found to be related to cellular defense against photo-disinfection. The current work presents a novel method to synthesize a promising photocatalyst to degrade organic pollutants and disinfect bacteria in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Detecting avian influenza virus (AIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) at low concentrations from tracheal and cloacal swabs of avian influenza- and Newcastle disease-infected poultry was carried out using a highly sensitive immunological-polymerase chain reaction (immuno-PCR) method. Magnetic gold particles were pre-coated with a capture antibody, either a monoclonal anti-AIV/H5 or monoclonal anti-NDV/F and viruses serially diluted ten-fold from 102 to 10−5 EID50/ml. A biotinylated detection antibody bound to the viral antigen was then linked via a streptavidin bridge to biotinylated reporter DNA. After extensive washing, reporter DNA was released by denaturation, transferred to PCR tubes, amplified, electrophoresed and visualized. An optimized immuno-PCR method was able to detect as little as 10−4 EID50/ml AIV and NDV. To further evaluate the specificity and the clinical application of this IPCR assay for AIV H5N1 and NDV, the tracheal swab specimens, taken from chickens which were infected with H5N1/AIV, H9N2/AIV, H7N2/AIV, NDV, IBDV, IBV/H120, were detected by IPCR. Our data demonstrated that this monoclonal antibody-based immuno-PCR method provides a platform capable of rapid screening of clinical samples for trace levels of AIV H5 and NDV in one step. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Salmonella is one of the most common causative agents of infectious diarrhea in humans, but in China, there are very limited data on the presence of Salmonella in aquatic products. This study describes the isolation of Salmonella from aquatic products in Weifang, China, from April 2022 to April 2023. Seven out of 160 (4.38%) retail aquatic product samples were positive for Salmonella . Two distinct serotypes were identified: Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Senftenberg ( n = 4) and S. enterica subsp. diarizonae serovar IIIb 59:z10:z57 ( n = 3). The results of molecular typing of isolates with the same serotype were consistent. Only one of the isolates was resistant to ampicillin, while the other isolates were not resistant to the tested antibiotics, suggesting that Salmonella in aquatic products in this region are relatively susceptible to antibiotics. There were 17 resistance genes in the 7 strains, 13 of which were shared. golS, MdtK, mdsA , and mdtG were unique to S. Senftenberg. A total of 155 virulence genes were annotated in the S. Senftenberg isolates, and 136 virulence genes were annotated in the S. IIIb 59:z10:z57 isolates. The S. Senftenberg isolates harbored more adhesion-related genes than the S. IIIb 59:z10:z57 isolates. Multilocus sequence typing analysis revealed that ST34 has been the most prevalent type of Salmonella in China since 2020, followed by ST11. The predominant type of Salmonella in aquaculture is ST14. This study provided additional genetic information about Salmonella in aquatic sources, providing a basis for subsequent research related to risk assessment, antibiotic resistance mechanisms, and so forth.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas have been recognized as powerful genome-editing tools in diverse eukaryotic species, including plants, and thus hold great promise for engineering virus resistance in plants. Nevertheless, further attention is required regarding various issues associated with applying new powerful technologies in the field. This mini-review focuses on the recent advances in using CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cas13 systems to combat DNA and RNA viruses in plants. We explored the utility of CRISPR/Cas for targeting the viral genome and editing host susceptibility genes in plants. We also provide insights into the limitations and challenges of using CRISPR/Cas for plant virus interference and propose individual combinatorial solutions. In conclusion, CRISPR/Cas technology has the potential to offer innovative and highly efficient approaches for controlling viruses in important crops in the near future.

Background: To investigate changes in pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), blood indices, and myocardial microcirculation in rats returning from high altitude (HA) to moderate altitude (MA)., Methods: Forty 4-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups with ten rats in each group. One group was transported to the MA area (MA-group), and the other three groups were transported to HA (HA-group-A, HA-group-B, and HA-group-C). After 28 weeks of age, the rats from the HA area were transported to the MA area for 0 days, 10 days, and 20 days, respectively. PAP, routine blood tests, and computed tomography myocardial perfusion indices were measured., Results: Compared with the MA-group, the body weight of HA-groups decreased (p < 0.05), and PAP in HA-group-A and HA-group-B increased (p < 0.05). In the HA groups, PAP initially increased and then decreased. Compared with the MA-group, red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), and hematocrit (HCT) of rats in HA-group-A increased (p < 0.05). Compared with the HA-group-A, RBC, HGB, and HCT of HA-group-B gradually decreased (p < 0.05) while MCV decreased (p < 0.05), and PLT of HA-group-C increased (p < 0.05). Compared with the MA group, blood flow (BF) and blood volume (BV) of the HA-group-A decreased (p < 0.05). Compared with the HA-group-A, TTP increased first and then decreased (p < 0.05), and BF and BV increased gradually (p < 0.05). Pathological results showed that myocardial fiber arrangement was disordered, and cell space widened in the HA group., Conclusion: PAP, blood parameters, and myocardial microcirculation in rats returning from high to MA exhibited significant changes., Relevance Statement: This study provides an experimental basis for understanding the physiological and pathological mechanisms during the process of deacclimatization to HA and offers new insights for the prevention and treatment of deacclimatization to HA syndrome., Key Points: Forty rats were raised in a real plateau environment. Myocardial microcirculation was detected by CT myocardial perfusion imaging. The PAP of the unacclimated rats increased first and then decreased. The myocardial microcirculation of the deacclimated rats showed hyperperfusion changes., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The Medical Ethics Committee of Qinghai Provincial People’s Hospital approved the study (2020-115). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors have no competing interests to declare., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A wide-color-gamut display enableby a narrow emission linewidth facilitates a visually immersive experience akin to the real world. Quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) with excellent color purity and high efficiency hold great promise as future candidates for high-definition displays. However, most devices typically exhibit emission linewidths exceeding 20 nm, and lack a universal strategy for further enhancing the color purity. In this study, a planar microcavity structure for realizing ultra-narrow emissions is developed by incorporating a distributed Bragg reflector into normal electroluminescent devices. By leveraging the strong optical resonance effect derived from this microcavity structure, red QLEDs are successfully fabricated with an extraordinary full width at half maximum of 11 nm in the normal direction, beyond the BT.2020 color coordinates. The fabricated red-microcavity QLEDs exhibit a considerable enhancement in the external quantum efficiency, which increases from 28.2% to 35.6%, together with an extended operating lifetime. The strategy adopted herein will serve as an effective reference for achieving ultra-narrow emission and high-efficiency QLEDs., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objective: To examine the relationship between the expressions of mismatch repair proteins, MutS homolog 2 (MSH2) and MutS homolog 6 (MSH6), and villin and the pathological features in patients with colon cancer., Methods: A total of 310 cases of colon cancer patients who were treated at our hospital between January 2017 and September 2021 were selected. The diagnosis of colon cancer of all patients was verified by pathological evaluation. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the protein expressions of MSH2, MSH6, and villin. The correlation between the expressions of MSH2, MSH6, and villin and the clinicopathological parameters in patients with colon cancer was analyzed accordingly. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between the expressions of MSH2, MSH6, and villin and the clinicopathological parameters of colon cancer. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to compare the 2-year survival rates of colon cancer patients with different expression levels of the proteins., Results: Among the 310 patients with colon cancer, the negative expression rates of MSH2, MSH6, and villin proteins in cancer tissues were 8.71% (27/310), 9.35% (29/310), and 46.13% (143/310), respectively. The negative expression rates of the three proteins in tissues adjacent to cancer were 3.23% (10/310), 4.19% (13/310), and 9.68% (30/310), respectively. The negative expression rates of the three proteins in cancer tissues were all higher than those in adjacent tissues ( P <0.05). Regression analysis showed that the expression of MSH2 and MSH6 in cancer tissues was correlated with the age, the location of tumor lesions, tumor differentiation degree, and lymph node metastasis in colon cancer patients ( P <0.05). The expression of villin in the cancer tissue is correlated with the depth of tumor infiltration, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and clinical staging status in colon cancer patients ( P <0.05). The 2-year survival rates of patients with negative expressions of MSH2 and MSH6 were 51.85% and 44.83%, respectively, which were lower than those of patients with positive expression of MSH2 and MSH6 (79.51% and 80.43%, P <0.05). Thirteen patients (4.1%) had negative expression of MSH2, MSH6, and villin (referred to as "triple negative expressions") in the cancer tissues, and their 2-year survival rate was 30.77%, which was lower than that of colon cancer patients who did not meet the criteria for triple negative expressions (79.12% [235/297], P <0.05)., Conclusion: The expressions of MSH2, MSH6, and villin are closely correlated with the pathological features of colon cancer patients. Evaluating the expression of the three proteins may assist in the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis evaluation of colon cancer., Competing Interests: 利益冲突　所有作者均声明不存在利益冲突, (© 2024《四川大学学报（医学版）》编辑部 版权所有Copyright ©2024 Editorial Office of Journal of Sichuan University (Medical Sciences).)

Background: Plants have evolved various defense mechanisms against insect herbivores, including the formation of physical barriers, the synthesis of toxic metabolites, and the activation of phytohormone responses. Although plant-associated microbiota influence plant growth and health, whether they play a role in plant defense against insect pests in natural ecosystems is unknown., Results: Here, we show that leaves of beetle-damaged weeping willow (Salix babylonica) trees are more resistant to the leaf beetle Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera) than those of undamaged leaves. Bacterial community transplantation experiments demonstrated that plant-associated microbiota from the beetle-damaged willow contribute to the resistance of the beetle-damaged willow to P. versicolora. Analysis of the composition and abundance of the microbiome revealed that Pseudomonas spp. is significantly enriched in the phyllosphere, roots, and rhizosphere soil of beetle-damaged willows relative to undamaged willows. From a total of 49 Pseudomonas strains isolated from willows and rhizosphere soil, we identified seven novel Pseudomonas strains that are toxic to P. versicolora. Moreover, re-inoculation of a synthetic microbial community (SynCom) with these Pseudomonas strains enhances willow resistance to P. versicolora., Conclusions: Collectively, our data reveal that willows can exploit specific entomopathogenic bacteria to enhance defense against P. versicolora, suggesting that there is a complex interplay among plants, insects, and plant-associated microbiota in natural ecosystems., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic hepatic disease. The incidence and prevalence of NAFLD have increased greatly in recent years, and there is still a lack of effective drugs. Autophagy plays an important role in promoting liver metabolism and maintaining liver homeostasis, and defects in autophagy levels are considered to be related to the development of NAFLD. However, the molecular mechanisms of autophagy in NAFLD still remain unknown. In this study, we identified 6 autophagy-associated hub genes using gene expression profiles obtained from the GSE48452 and GSE89632 datasets. Biomarkers were screened according to gene significance (GS) and module membership (MM) using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and the immune infiltration landscape of the liver in NAFLD patients was explored using the CIBERSORT algorithm. Subsequently, we analyzed the relationship between liver non-parenchymal cells and autophagy-related hub genes using scRNA-seq data (GSE129516). Finally, we separated the NAFLD patients into two groups based on 6 hub genes by consensus clustering and screened 10 potential autophagy-related small molecules based on the cMAP database.

Background: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has shown important prognostic value in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the present low sensitivity of CTC capture technology restricts their clinical application. This study aims to explore the feasibility of combining the peripheral blood cell (PBC)-derived inflammation-based score with CTCs to increase the prognostic value of CTCs in NSCLC., Methods: Sixty volunteers diagnosed with NSCLC were recruited. CTC count and six inflammation-based scores were examined and the association with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was explored. The changes in the CTC counts before and after the immunotherapy were observed., Results: Multivariate analysis showed that CTCs >7 [hazard ratio (HR) =9.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.68-22.37, P<0.001] and monocytes-to-lymphocytes ratio (MLR) > 0.2 (HR =3.07; 95% CI: 1.21-7.84; P=0.01) were associated with shorter OS and PFS in patients with NSCLC. Patients with CTCs >7 and MLR >0.2 had 12.30 times increased risk of death (P<0.001) and 6.10 times increased risk of disease progression (P=0.002) compared with those with CTCs ≤7 and MLR ≤0.2. Decreased CTC counts after immunotherapy were closely related to disease control (r=0.535, P=0.01)., Conclusions: CTCs and MLR are both independent risk factors for prognosis in patients with NSCLC. The combination of CTCs with MLR significantly increased the prognostic value of CTCs, which would contribute to stratification of NSCLC patients and providing precise treatment. Dynamic monitoring of CTCs efficiently shows the immunotherapy response in NSCLC., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tcr-24-10/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Background: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and its crystal toxin or δ-endotoxins (Cry) offer great potential for the efficient control of crop pests. A vast number of pests can potentially infect the same host plant, either simultaneously or sequentially. However, no effective Bt-Cry protein has been reported to control both aphids and plant parasitic nematodes due to its highly specific activity., Results: Our study indicated that the Cry5Ba2 protein was toxic to the green peach aphid Myzus persicae, which had a median lethal concentration (LC 50 ) of 9.7 ng μL -1 and fiducial limits of 3.1-34.6 ng μL -1 . Immunohistochemical localization of Cry5Ba2 revealed that it could bind to the apical tip of microvilli in midgut regions. Moreover, transgenic tobacco plants expressing Cry5Ba2 exhibited significant resistance to Myzus persicae, as evidenced by reduced insect survival and impaired fecundity, and also intoxicated the Meloidogyne incognita as indicated by a decrease in galls and progeny reproduction., Conclusion: In sum, we identified a new aphicidal Bt toxin resource that could simultaneously control both aboveground and belowground pests, thus extending the application range of Bt-based strategy for crop protection. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

An induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line (SDUCHi001-A) was established using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a healthy 6 years old boy. Reprogramming of the PBMCs was achieved through non-integrating delivery of OCT4, SOX2, KFL4, BCL-XL, and c-MYC. The iPSC line expressed pluripotency markers, had a normal karyotype and trilineage differentiation potential., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest 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., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

MAX phases have great research value and application prospects, but it is challenging to synthesize the MAX phases containing Cd and Sb for the time being. In this paper, we confirmed the existence of the 312 MAX phases of Zr 3 CdC 2 and Zr 3 SbC 2 , both from theoretical calculations and experimental synthesis. The Zr 3 AC 2 (A = Cd, Sb) phase was predicted by the first-principles calculations, and the two MAX phases were confirmed to meet the requests of thermal, thermodynamic, and mechanical stabilities using formation energy, phonon dispersion, and the Born-Huang criteria. Their theoretical mechanical properties were also systematically investigated. It was found that the elastic moduli of Zr 3 CdC 2 and Zr 3 SbC 2 were 162.8 GPa and 164.3 GPa, respectively. Then, differences in the mechanical properties of Zr 3 AC 2 (A = Cd, In, Sn, and Sb) were explained using bond layouts and charge transfers. The low theoretical Vickers hardness of the Zr 3 CdC 2 (5.4 GPa) and Zr 3 SbC 2 (4.3 GPa) phases exhibited excellent machinability. Subsequently, through spark plasma sintering, composites containing Zr 3 CdC 2 and Zr 3 SbC 2 phases were successfully synthesized at the temperatures of 850 °C and 1300 °C, respectively. The optimal molar ratio of Zr:Cd/Sb:C was determined as 3:1.5:1.5. SEM and the EDS results analysis confirmed the typical layered microstructure of Zr 3 CdC 2 and Zr 3 SbC 2 grains.

Pseudomonas fluorescens group, such as Pseudomonas protegens and Pseudomonas chlororaphis, can be utilized as insect-killing agents. Most insecticidal Pseudomonas described so far have high toxicity for insects of the order Lepidoptera. In this study, Pseudomonas strain PcR3-3 was isolated from the willow root. It showed a high mortality for the coleopteran species Plagiodera versicolora (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), but not for the lepidopteran Helicoverpa armigera. Strain PcR3-3 displayed high colonization ability in the P. versicolora compared with P. chlororaphis PCL1391, indicating that the insecticidal activities correlated with the colonization ability of Pseudomonas strain in the host. Phylogenetic analysis of the genome revealed that PcR3-3 belonged to P. chlororaphis subsp. aureofaciens. Numerous insecticidal protein-encoding genes, typical biosynthetic gene clusters for some insecticidal metabolite and type VI secretion system, known to be involved in insect pathogenicity, were present in the P. chlororaphis PcR3-3 genome. However, the insecticidal toxin Fit-encoding gene which commonly presents in P. chlororaphis, was not found in the P. chlororaphis PcR3-3 genome. Furthermore, there are some divergent insecticidal genes between P. chlororaphis PcR3-3 and P. chlororaphis PCL1391. This finding implies that P. chlororaphis PcR3-3 is a promising biocontrol agent for pest management applications. The P. chlororaphis-P. versicolora association can be used as a model system to study the interaction between Pseudomonas and coleopteran insects., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

High-altitude areas are characterized by low pressure and hypoxia, which have a significant impact on various body systems. This study aimed to investigate the alterations in cardiac index and right ventricular hypertrophy index(RVHI) in rats at different altitudes.Twenty-one male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats aged 4 weeks were randomly divided into three groups based on altitude. The rats were raised for 28 weeks and then transferred to Qinghai University Plateau Medicine Laboratory. Body weight was measured, heart organs were isolated and weighed, and cardiac index and right ventricular hypertrophy index were determined. Statistical analysis was performed on the data from the three groups. Compared with the plain group, the body weight of the middle-altitude group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and cardiac index, RVHI-1, RVHI-2 increased significantly ((P < 0.05). The body weight, whole heart mass, right ventricular mass were significantly decreased in high-altitude group (P < 0.05), RVHI-1 and RVHI-2 were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with the middle-altitude group, the body weight, whole heart mass and right ventricular mass of the high-altitude group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and RVHI-1 and RVHI-2 were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Increasing altitude led to a decrease in body weight, whole heart mass, and right ventricular mass in rats, indicating structural changes in the right heart. Additionally, the proportion of right heart to body weight and whole heart increased with altitude., 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., (© 2024 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)