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The intramuscular fat (IMF) content and fatty acid composition are important meat quality traits that are mostly affected by the cattle breed. Muscle, adipose tissue and liver are important organs involved in the development of intramuscular adipose tissue. Thus, we hypothesized that there were marked differences in the adipogenesis and lipid metabolism of these tissues between Wagyu-cross and Holstein steers during the finishing phases. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the expression levels of adipogenesis- and lipid metabolism-related genes in longissimus muscle (LM), subcutaneous fat (SCF) and liver from Wagyu-cross and Holstein steers at 26 months of age. The IMF content and fatty acid profile of LM were determined. Wagyu-cross steers had a higher IMF content and MUFA percentages in the LM than Holstein steers (P

The article presents a study which showed that avian influenza virus (AIV) NS2 protein help to overcome mammalian ANP32A/B-mediated restriction to avian vPol activity by promoting avian viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) assembly and enhancing mammalian ANP32A/B vRNP interactions. Topics discussed include regulation of the activity of the avian H9N2 virus vPol by NS2, significance of SIM of NS2 for efficient replication of AIV in mammalian cells, and cell lines and constructs.

A hexa‐substituted ethane thermal iniferter, diethyl‐2,3‐dicyano‐2,3‐di(p‐tolyl) succinate (DCDTS), was firstly used as the initiator in the reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (RATRP) of acrylonitrile. FeCl3 coordinated by isophthalic acid (IA) was used as the catalyst in this system. The polymerization in N,N‐dimethylformamide not only shows the best control of molecular weight and its distribution but also provides rather rapid reaction rate with the ratio of [AN] : [DCDTS] : [FeCl3] : [IA] at 500 : 1 : 2 : 4. The polymers obtained were end‐functionalized by chlorine atom, and they were used as macroinitiators to proceed the chain extension polymerization in the presence of FeCl2/IA catalyst system via a conventional ATRP process and polyacrylonitrile obtained was with Mn = 39,260, PDI = 1.25. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a nanomanipulation tool has been discussed for more than a decade. However, its lack of real-time visual feedback during manipulation has hindered its wide application. Fortunately, this problem has been overcome by our recently developed augmented reality system. By locally updating the AFM image based on real-time force information during manipulation, not only can this new system provide real-time force feedback but also real-time visual feedback. The real-time visual display combined with the real-time force feedback provides an augmented reality environment, in which the operator not only can feel the interaction forces but also observe the real-time changes of the nano-environment. This augmented reality system capable of nanolithography and manipulation of nano-particles helps the operator to perform several operations without the need of a new image scan, which makes AFM-based nano-assembly feasible and applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract Drought stress is a serious problem worldwide that reduces crop productivity. The laser has been shown to play a positive physiological role in enhancing plant seedlings tolerance to various abiotic stresses. However, little information is available about the molecular mechanism of He-Ne laser irradiation induced physiological changes for wheat adapting to drought conditions. Here, we performed a large-scale transcriptome sequencing to determine the molecular roles of He-Ne laser pretreated wheat seedlings under drought stress. There were 98.822 transcripts identified, and, among them, 820 transcripts were found to be differentially expressed in He-Ne laser pretreated wheat seedlings under drought stress compared with drought stress alone. Furthermore, most representative transcripts related to photosynthesis, nutrient uptake and transport, homeostasis control of reactive oxygen species and transcriptional regulation were expressed predominantly in He-Ne laser pretreated wheat seedlings. Thus, the up-regulated physiological processes of photosynthesis, antioxidation and osmotic accumulation because of the modified expressions of the related genes could contribute to the enhanced drought tolerance induced by He-Ne laser pretreatment. These findings will expand our understanding of the complex molecular events associated with drought tolerance conferred by laser irradiation in wheat and provide abundant genetic resources for future studies on plant adaptability to environmental stresses.

Flexible and comfortable wearable electronics are as a second skin for humans as they can collect the physiology of humans and show great application in health and fitness monitoring. MXene Ti3C2Tx have been used in flexible electronic devices for their unique properties such as high conductivity, excellent mechanical performance, flexibility, and good hydrophilicity, but less research has focused on MXene-based cotton fabric strain sensors. In this work, a high-performance wearable strain sensor composed of two-dimensional (2D) MXene d-Ti3C2Tx nanomaterials and cotton fabric is reported. Cotton fabrics were selected as substrate as they are comfortable textiles. As the active material in the sensor, MXene d-Ti3C2Tx exhibited an excellent conductivity and hydrophilicity and adhered well to the fabric fibers by electrostatic adsorption. The gauge factor of the MXene@cotton fabric strain sensor reached up to 4.11 within the strain range of 15%. Meanwhile, the sensor possessed high durability (>500 cycles) and a low strain detection limit of 0.3%. Finally, the encapsulated strain sensor was used to detect subtle or large body movements and exhibited a rapid response. This study shows that the MXene@cotton fabric strain sensor reported here have great potential for use in flexible, comfortable, and wearable devices for health monitoring and motion detection.

Catalytic hydrolysis of silanes mediated by chlorodicarbonylrhodium(l) dimer [RhCl(CO)2]2 to produce silanols and dihydrogen efficiendy under mild conditions is reported. Second-order kinetics and activation parameters are determined by monitoring the rate of dihydrogen evolution. The mixing of [RhCl-(CO)2]2 and HSiCl3 results in rapid formation of a rhodium silane σ complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) functionalized with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) is prepared using a femtosecond laser ablation in liquids method. By ablating the mixed aqueous solutions of silver nitrate and graphene oxide (GO) using femtosecond laser pulses, Ag ions and GO are simultaneously reduced and well-dispersed Ag NPs supported on rGO are obtained. The effect of laser power, irritation time and Ag ion concentration on the optical property and morphology of the products are systematically studied. The nonlinear optical responses of the functionalized graphene are studied using a nanosecond Z-scan technique. The rGO hybrid shows an enhanced nonlinear absorption (NLA) effect compared with GO and rGO, and thus exhibits an excellent optical limiting (OL) property with very low activating threshold, which is estimated to be about 0.38 J cm−2. The enhanced NLA effect in rGO hybrids makes it possible to fabricate solid-state optical limiter, improving the practicality of graphene materials in the OL area.

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J), a member of the genus Alpharetrovirus, possesses a small genome and exploits a vast array of host factors during its replication cycle. To identify host factors required for ALV-J replication and potentially guide the development of key therapeutic targets for ALV-J prevention, we employed a chicken genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout library to screen host factors involved in ALV-J infection within DF-1 cells. This screening revealed 42 host factors critical for ALV-J infection. Subsequent knockout assays showed that the absence of the genes encoding cycle-regulatory proteins, namely, Cables1, CDK1, and DHFR, significantly inhibited ALV-J replication. Notably, Cables1 knockout cell lines displayed the most pronounced inhibitory effect. Conversely, overexpression assays confirmed that Cables1 significantly promotes ALV-J replication. Immunoprecipitation assays further indicated that Cables1 specifically interacts with the viral protein p15 (viral protease) among all ALV-J proteins, enhancing ALV-J p15 polyubiquitination. Additionally, we identified 26 lysine residues of ALV-J p15 as key sites for ubiquitination, and their replacement with arginine attenuated the replication ability of ALV-J in both in vitro and in vivo assays. This study demonstrates that Cables1 is a critical replication-dependent host factor of ALV-J by enhancing p15 ubiquitination and thereby promoting viral replication. Overall, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the ALJ-V replication mechanism and offer a potential target for the prevention and control of ALV-J infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, xanthine oxidase immobilized silica coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2-XO) were successfully prepared and characterized by transmission electron microscope, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. The average diameter of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles was about 300 nm to 350 nm with a shell thickness of 60 nm. The maximum saturation magnetization of the Fe3O4@SiO2-XO nanoparticles was 44.9 emu/g, which ensured the separation from the medium within one minute by using an ordinary magnet. A xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor screening method using Fe3O4@SiO2-XO nanoparticles was established and utilized in the extract of Clerodendranthus spicatus. Under the optimized conditions, two compounds were screened out and identified as gardenin B and eupatorin. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of these two compounds were 1.488 μg/mL and 11.197 μg/mL, respectively. The interactions between these two compounds and XO were investigated by the fluorescence spectroscopic method. The results suggested that the quenching effects of gardenin B and eupatorin were due to a static quenching mechanism. Furthermore, gardenin B showed stronger binding capacity than that of eupatorin. In conclusion, this screening method exhibited efficiency and reusability in screening, identification and analysis of enzyme inhibitors from complex mixtures.

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute and fatal immunosuppressive disease caused by infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). As an obligate intracellular parasite, IBDV infection is strictly regulated by host factors. Knowledge on the antiviral activity and possible mechanism of host factors might provide the theoretical basis for the prevention and control of IBD. In this study, RNA-sequencing results indicated that many host factors were induced by IBDV infection, among which the expression levels of OASL (2',5'-oligadenylate synthetase-like protein) was significantly upregulated. OASL overexpression significantly inhibited IBDV replication, whereas OASL knockdown promoted IBDV replication. Interestingly, the antiviral ability of OASL was independent of its canonical enzymatic activity, i.e., OASL targeted viral protein VP2 for degradation, depending on the autophagy receptor p62/SQSTM1 in the autophagy pathway. Additionally, the 316 lysine (K) of VP2 was the key site for autophagy degradation, and its replacement with arginine disrupted VP2 degradation induced by OASL and enhanced IBDV replication. Importantly, our results for the first time indicate a unique and potent defense mechanism of OASL against double-stranded RNA virus by interaction with viral proteins, which leads to their degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-NICI-MS) method was established for the determination of fipronil and its metabolites fipronil sulfone and fipronil sulfoxide in tea. Fipronil and its metabolites were extracted from samples with acetonitrile, purified by liquid-liquid partition with n-hexane followed by chromatography on a PSA-SPE column, detected by GC-NICI-MS, and quantified by external standard method. The results showed that chromatographic separation was achieved within 16 min. The linear range for the four analytes was 0.002–0.200 μg/mL, with correlation coefficient (R2) larger than 0.999. The detection limit (RSN = 10) was 0.002 mg/kg, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 5%. At spiked concentration levels of 0.002, 0.010 and 0.020 mg/kg, the recoveries ranged from 96.33% to 102.50%. The developed method has a wide linear range, high accuracy and good repeatability, and allows the rapid and accurate detection of trace amounts of fipronil and its metabolites in commercially available tea.

Chicken Na+/H+ exchanger type I (chNHE1), a multispan transmembrane protein, is a cellular receptor of the subgroup J avian leukosis virus (ALV-J). To identify the functional determinants of chNHE1 responsible for the ALV-J receptor activity, a series of chimeric receptors was created by exchanging the extracellular loops (ECL) of human NHE1 (huNHE1) and chNHE1 and by ECL replacement with a hemagglutinin (HA) tag. These chimeric receptors then were used in binding and entry assays to map the minimal ALV-J gp85-binding domain of chNHE1. We show that ECL1 of chNHE1 (chECL1) is the critical functional ECL that interacts directly with ALV-J gp85; ECL3 is also involved in ALV-J gp85 binding. Amino acid residues 28 to 39 of the N-terminal membrane-proximal region of chECL1 constitute the minimal domain required for chNHE1 binding of ALV-J gp85. These residues are sufficient to mediate viral entry into ALV-J nonpermissive cells. Point mutation analysis revealed that A30, V33, W38, and E39 of chECL1 are the key residues mediating the binding between chNHE1 and ALV-J gp85. Further, the replacement of residues 28 to 39 of huNHE1 with the corresponding chNHE1 residues converted the nonfunctional ALV-J receptor huNHE1 to a functional one. Importantly, soluble chECL1 and huECL1 harboring chNHE1 residues 28 to 39 both could effectively block ALV-J infection. Collectively, our findings indicate that residues 28 to 39 of chNHE1 constitute a domain that is critical for receptor function and mediate ALV-J entry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]