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CO2 Conversion, Encapsulation, Hydrogenation, Strong Metal-Support Interactions, Ultrasonication The encapsulation degree of metal nanoparticles by reducible oxide overlayers can be modulated by the ultrasonication parameters. Keywords: CO2 Conversion; Encapsulation; Hydrogenation; Strong Metal-Support Interactions; Ultrasonication EN CO2 Conversion Encapsulation Hydrogenation Strong Metal-Support Interactions Ultrasonication 1 1 1 05/05/23 20230508 NES 230508 B A strong-metal support interaction b construction was induced via ultrasonication in water as described by Zhenzhen Yang, Sheng Dai et al. in their Communication (e202214322). [Extracted from the article]

Cover Picture: Ultrasonication-Induced Strong Metal-Support Interaction Construction in Water Towards Enhanced Catalysis (Angew. Keywords: CO2 Conversion; Encapsulation; Hydrogenation; Strong Metal-Support Interactions; Ultrasonication EN CO2 Conversion Encapsulation Hydrogenation Strong Metal-Support Interactions Ultrasonication 1 1 1 05/05/23 20230508 NES 230508 B A strong-metal support interaction b construction was induced via ultrasonication in water as described by Zhenzhen Yang, Sheng Dai et al. in their Communication (e202214322). CO2 Conversion, Encapsulation, Hydrogenation, Strong Metal-Support Interactions, Ultrasonication. [Extracted from the article]

In this study, a sensitive hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method was developed to determine pseudojervine (PJV), veratrosine (VTS), jervine (JV), veratramine (VTM), veramarine (VA) and veratroylzygadenine (VTG) in rat plasma. Separations were carried out using LC–MS/MS with a Chrom Matrix HP amide column (5 m, 10 cm × 3.0 mm i.d.). The mobile phases were (A) 0.01 mm formic acid and (B) acetonitrile. Good linearity was found for all analytes (R2 > 0.995) in the concentration range from 5 to 1000 μg/L with LLOQ at 5 μg/L for VTM and VTS; and from 1 to 1000 μg/L with LLOQ at 1 μg/L for PJV, JV, VA and VTG. Accuracy of the assay varied from 90.5 to 108.1%. The extraction recovery and matrix effect of six analytes ranged from 72.2 to 95.5% and from 79.2 to 98.4%. According to the stability test, six analytes in rat plasma were stable during the analysis process. On the basis of validation of the assay, the pharmacokinetics of the six steroid alkaloids were investigated after oral administration of Lilu extracts to rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing efficient materials is crucial to meeting specific requirements in various electrochemical energy applications. Mono-/bimetallic doped and heterostructure engineering have attracted considerable research interest due to their unique functionalities and potential for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. However, addressing material imperfections such as low conductivity and poor active sites requires a strategic approach to design. This review explores the latest advancements in materials modified by mono-/bimetallic doped and heterojunction strategies for electrochemical energy applications. It can be subdivided into three key points: (i) the regulatory mechanisms of metal doping and heterostructure engineering for materials; (ii) the preparation methods of materials with various engineering strategies; and (iii) the synergistic effects of two engineering approaches, further highlighting their applications in supercapacitors, alkaline ion batteries, and electrocatalysis. Finally, the review concludes with perspectives and recommendations for further research to advance these technologies., (© 2024 Battelle Memorial Institute and The Author(s). ChemSusChem published by Chemistry Europe and Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Inorganic fillers play an important role in improving the ionic conductivity of solid composite electrolytes (SCEs) for Li-ion batteries. Among inorganic fillers, perovskite-type lithium lanthanum titanate (LLTO) stands out for its high bulk Li + conductivity on the order of 10 -3 S cm -1 at room temperature. According to a literature survey, the optimal LLTO filler should possess the following characteristics: i) a single-crystal structure to minimize grain boundaries; ii) a small particle size to increase the filler/polymer interface area; iii) a 1D morphology for efficient interface channels; and iv) cubic symmetry to facilitate rapid bulk Li + diffusion within the filler. However, the synthesis of single crystal, 1D LLTO nanomaterials with cubic symmetry is challenging. Herein, a flux strategy is developed to synthesize La 0.5 M 0.5 TiO 3 (LMTO, M═Li, Na, and K) single-crystal nanorods with an A-site-disordered, cubic perovskite phase. The flux media promotes the oriented growth of nanorods, prevents nanorods from sintering, and provides multiple alkali metal ion doping at M sites to stabilize the cubic phase. SCEs compositing the Li + -conducting LMTO nanorods as fillers and poly[vinylene carbonate-co-lithium sulfonyl(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide methacrylate] matrix exhibit more than twice the conductivity of the neat polymer electrolyte (30.6 vs 14.0 µS cm -1 at 303 K)., (© 2024 Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT‐Battelle LLC. Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objective . In magneto-acousto-electrical tomography (MAET), linearly frequency-modulated (LFM) signal stimulation uses much lower peak voltage than the spike pulse stimulation, lengthening the operation life of the transducer. However, due to the uneven frequency responses of the transducer, the low-noise amplifier (LNA), and the bandpass filter (BPF), MAET using LFM signal stimulation suffers from longitudinal resolution loss. In this paper, frequency response compensated linearly frequency-modulated (FRC-LFM) signal stimulation is investigated to resolve the problem. Approach . The physical model of measurement of the frequency responses of the transducer and the cascading module of the detection electrodes, the LNA, and the BPF is constructed. The frequency responses are approximated by fitting a curve to the measurement data. The frequency response compensation function is set to the reciprocal of the product of the frequency responses. The digital FRC-LFM signal is generated in MATLAB and converted to analog signal through an arbitrary waveform generator. Two groups of MAET experiments are designed to confirm the performance of the FRC-LFM signal stimulation. Pure agar phantom with rectangular through-holes and agar phantom with pork tissue inclusion serve as the samples. Main results . The pulse-compressed magneto-acousto-electrical signal obtained using FRC-LFM stimulation has narrower main-lobe than that obtained using LFM excitation, although the signal to noise pulse interference ratio of the former is little lower than that of the latter, which is due to the limitation of the power amplifier. FRC-LFM also proves to be an effective method to utilize the frequency outside the working band of the transducer in MAET. Significance . The method in this study compensates for the longitudinal resolution loss due to the uneven frequency responses. Combining with high-capability power amplifier and high-performance LNA, the MAET using FRC-LFM signal stimulation can potentially achieve high longitudinal resolution and high sensitivity, advancing MAET toward the clinical application., (© 2024 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine. All rights, including for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.)

The covalent organic frameworks (COFs) possessing high crystallinity and capability to capture low-concentration CO 2 (400 ppm) from air are still underdeveloped. The challenge lies in simultaneously incorporating high-density active sites for CO 2 insertion and maintaining the ordered structure. Herein, a structure engineering approach is developed to afford an ionic pair-functionalized crystalline and stable fluorinated COF (F-COF) skeleton. The ordered structure of the F-COF is well maintained after the integration of abundant basic fluorinated alcoholate anions, as revealed by synchrotron X-ray scattering experiments. The breakthrough test demonstrates its attractive performance in capturing (400 ppm) CO 2 from gas mixtures via O─C bond formation, as indicated by the in situ spectroscopy and operando nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy using 13 C-labeled CO 2 sources. Both theoretical and experimental thermodynamic studies reveal the reaction enthalpy of ≈-40 kJ mol -1 between CO 2 and the COF scaffolds. This implies weaker interaction strength compared with state-of-the-art amine-derived sorbents, thus allowing complete CO 2 release with less energy input. The structure evolution study from synchrotron X-ray scattering and small-angle neutron scattering confirms the well-maintained crystalline patterns after CO 2 insertion. The as-developed proof-of-concept approach provides guidance on anchoring binding sites for direct air capture (DAC) of CO 2 in crystalline scaffolds., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Keloid is a fibroproliferative disease with unsatisfactory therapeutic effects and a high recurrence rate. exosomes produced by adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC-Exos) have attracted significant interest due to their ability to treat fibrosis. However, the molecular mechanisms of ADSC-Exos in keloids remain inconclusive., Objective: Our study revealed the relationship between ferroptosis and fibrosis in keloids. Subsequently, this study aimed to explore further the anti-fibrotic effect of ADSC-Exos on keloids through ferroptosis and the potential underlying mechanisms., Methods: To investigate the impact of ferroptosis on keloid fibrosis, Erastin and ferrostatin-1 (fer-1) were utilized to treat keloid fibroblast. Keloid keloids treated with Erastin and fer-1 were cocultured with ADSC-Exos to validate the impact of ferroptosis on the effect of ADSC-Exos on keloid anti-ferrotic protein, peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and anti-fibrotic effects in vivo and in vitro by Western blot, as well as variations in iron metabolite expression, malondialdehyde (MDA), liposomal peroxidation (LPO) and glutathione (GSH) were analyzed. The effect of solute carrier family 7-member 11 (SLC7A11) silencing on ADSC-Exo-treated keloid fibroblast was investigated., Results: Iron metabolite dysregulation was validated in keloids. Fibrosis progression is enhanced by Erastin-induced ferroptosis. The anti-fibrotic effects of ADSC-Exos and fer-1 are related to their ability to prevent iron metabolism. ADSC-Exos effectively suppressed keloid fibrosis progression and increased GSH and GPX4 gene expression. Additionally, the use of Erastin limits the effect of ADSC-Exos in keloids. Furthermore, the effect of ADSC-Exos on keloids was associated with SLC7A11-GPX4 signaling pathway., Conclusion: We demonstrated a new potential mechanism by which anti-ferroptosis inhibits the progression of keloid fibrosis and identified an ADSC-Exo-based keloid therapeutic strategy. Resisting the occurrence of ferroptosis and the existence of the SLC7A11-GPX4 signaling pathway might serve as a target for ADSC-Exos., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Tian, Li, Cheng, Chen, Xu, Yuan, Diao and Hao.)

In recent years, brainprint recognition has emerged as a novel method of personal identity verification. Although studies have demonstrated the feasibility of this technology, some limitations hinder its further development into the society, such as insufficient efficiency (extended wear time for multi-channel EEG cap), complex experimental paradigms (more time in learning and completing experiments), and unclear neurobiological characteristics (lack of intuitive biomarkers and an inability to eliminate the impact of noise on individual differences). Overall, these limitations are due to the incomplete understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the neural mechanisms behind brainwave recognition and simplify the operation process. We recorded prefrontal resting-state EEG data from 40 participants, which is followed up over nine months using a single-channel portable brainwave device. We found that portable devices can effectively and stably capture the characteristics of different subjects in the alpha band (8-13Hz) over long periods, as well as capturing their individual differences (no alpha peak, 1 alpha peak, or 2 alpha peaks). Through correlation analysis, alpha-band activity can reveal the uniqueness of the subjects compared to others within one minute. We further used a descriptive model to dissect the oscillatory and non-oscillatory components in the alpha band, demonstrating the different contributions of fine oscillatory features to individual differences (especially amplitude and bandwidth). Our study validated the feasibility of portable brainwave devices in brainwave recognition and the underlying neural oscillation mechanisms. The fine characteristics of various alpha oscillations will contribute to the accuracy of brainwave recognition, providing new insights for the development of future brainwave recognition technology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest S.H., J.M., F.W., Y.L., and W.C. are employees of Shenzhen Shuimu AI Technology Co., Ltd. The authors declare that no other competing interests exist. The other authors declare no competing financial conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: The diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) is commonly based on the subjective evaluation by experienced psychiatrists using clinical scales. Hence, it is particularly important to find more objective biomarkers to aid in diagnosis and further treatment. Alpha-band activity (7-13 Hz) is the most prominent component in resting electroencephalogram (EEG), which is also thought to be a potential biomarker. Recent studies have shown the existence of multiple sub-oscillations within the alpha band, with distinct neural underpinnings. However, the specific contribution of these alpha sub-oscillations to the diagnosis and treatment of MDD remains unclear., Methods: In this study, we recorded the resting-state EEG from MDD and HC populations in both open and closed-eye state conditions. We also assessed cognitive processing using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB)., Results: We found that the MDD group showed significantly higher power in the high alpha range (10.5-11.5 Hz) and lower power in the low alpha range (7-8.5 Hz) compared to the HC group. Notably, high alpha power in the MDD group is negatively correlated with working memory performance in MCCB, whereas no such correlation was found in the HC group. Furthermore, using five established classification algorithms, we discovered that combining alpha oscillations with MCCB scores as features yielded the highest classification accuracy compared to using EEG or MCCB scores alone., Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the potential of sub-oscillations within the alpha frequency band as a potential distinct biomarker. When combined with psychological scales, they may provide guidance relevant for the diagnosis and treatment of MDD., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The co-authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Although the human cerebellum has a surface that is about 80% of that of the cerebral cortex and has about four times as many neurons, its functional organization is still very much uncharted. Despite recent attempts to provide resting-state and task-based parcellations of the cerebellum, these two approaches lead to large discrepancies. This article describes a comprehensive task-based functional parcellation of the human cerebellum based on a large-scale functional database, NeuroSynth, involving an unprecedented diversity of tasks, which were reliably associated with ontological key terms referring to psychological functions. Involving over 44,500 participants from this database, we present a parcellation that exhibits replicability with earlier resting-state parcellations across cerebellar and neocortical structures. The functional parcellation of the cerebellum confirms the major networks revealed in prior work, including sensorimotor, directed (dorsal) attention, divided (ventral) attention, executive control, mentalizing (default mode) networks, tiny patches of a limbic network, and also a unilateral language network (but not the visual network), and the association of these networks with underlying ontological key terms confirms their major functionality. The networks are revealed at locations that are roughly similar to prior resting-state cerebellar parcellations, although they are less symmetric and more fragmented across the two hemispheres. This functional parcellation of the human cerebellum and associated key terms can provide a useful guide in designing studies to test specific functional hypotheses and provide a reference for interpreting the results., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The brain regulates multiple physiological processes in fish. Despite this, knowledge about the basic structure and function of distinct brain regions in non-model fish species remains limited due to their diversity and the scarcity of common biomarkers. In the present study, four major brain parts, the telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon and rhombencephalon, were isolated in largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides . Within these parts, nine brain regions and 74 nuclei were further identified through morphological and cytoarchitectonic analysis. Transcriptome analysis revealed a total of 7153 region-highly expressed genes and 176 region-specifically expressed genes. Genes related to growth, reproduction, emotion, learning, and memory were significantly overexpressed in the olfactory bulb and telencephalon (OBT). Feeding and stress-related genes were in the hypothalamus (Hy). Visual system-related genes were predominantly enriched in the optic tectum (OT), while vision and hearing-related genes were widely expressed in the cerebellum (Ce) region. Sensory input and motor output-related genes were in the medulla oblongata (Mo). Osmoregulation, stress response, sleep/wake cycles, and reproduction-related genes were highly expressed in the remaining brain (RB). Three candidate marker genes were further identified for each brain regions, such as neuropeptide FF ( npff ) for OBT, pro-melanin-concentrating hormone ( pmch ) for Hy, vesicular inhibitory amino acid transporter ( viaat ) for OT, excitatory amino acid transporter 1 ( eaat1 ) for Ce, peripherin ( prph ) for Mo, and isotocin neurophysin ( itnp ) for RB. Additionally, the distribution of seven neurotransmitter-type neurons and five types of non-neuronal cells across different brain regions were analyzed by examining the expression of their marker genes. Notably, marker genes for glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons showed the highest expression levels across all brain regions. Similarly, the marker gene for radial astrocytes exhibited high expression compared to other markers, while those for microglia were the least expressed. Overall, our results provide a comprehensive overview of the structural and functional characteristics of distinct brain regions in the largemouth bass, which offers a valuable resource for understanding the role of central nervous system in regulating physiological processes in teleost., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Yang, Zhang, Zhang and Liu.)

Social norms are pivotal in guiding social interactions. The current study investigated the potential contribution of the posterior cerebellum, a critical region involved in perceiving and comprehending the sequential dynamics of social actions, in detecting actions that either conform to or deviate from social norms. Participants engaged in a goal-directed task in which they observed others navigating towards a goal. The trajectories demonstrated either norm-violating (trespassing forbidden zones) or norm-following behaviors (avoiding forbidden zones). Results revealed that observing social norm-violating behaviors engaged the bilateral posterior cerebellar Crus 2 and the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) from the mentalizing network, and the parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) to a greater extent than observing norm-following behaviors. These mentalizing regions were also activated when comparing social sequences against non-social and non-sequential control conditions. Reproducing norm-violating social trajectories observed earlier, activated the left cerebellar Crus 2 and the right PHG compared to reproducing norm-following trajectories. These findings illuminate the neural mechanisms in the cerebellum associated with detecting norm transgressions during social navigation, emphasizing the role of the posterior cerebellum in detecting and signaling deviations from anticipated sequences., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Spatial trajectory planning and execution in a social context play a vital role in our daily lives. To study this process, participants completed a goal-directed task involving either observing a sequence of preferred goals and self-planning a trajectory (Self Sequencing) or observing and reproducing the entire trajectory taken by others (Other Sequencing). The results indicated that in the observation phase, witnessing entire trajectories created by others (Other Sequencing) recruited cerebellar mentalizing areas (Crus 2 and 1) and cortical mentalizing areas in the precuneus, ventral and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction more than merely observing several goals (Self Sequencing). In the production phase, generating a trajectory by oneself (Self Sequencing) activated Crus 1 more than merely reproducing the observed trajectories from others (Other Sequencing). Additionally, self-guided observation and planning (Self Sequencing) activated the cerebellar lobules IV and VIII more than Other Sequencing. Control conditions involving non-social objects and non-sequential conditions where the trajectory did not have to be (re)produced revealed no differences with the main Self and Other Sequencing conditions, suggesting limited social and sequential specificity. These findings provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying trajectory observation and production by the self or others during social navigation., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

While strategies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy have become the first-line standard therapies for patients with advanced or metastatic cancer, acquired resistance is still inevitable in most cases. The introduction of antibody‒drug conjugates (ADCs) provides a novel alternative. ADCs are a new class of anticancer drugs comprising the coupling of antitumor mAbs with cytotoxic drugs. Compared with chemotherapeutic drugs, ADCs have the advantages of good tolerance, accurate target recognition, and small effects on noncancerous cells. ADCs occupy an increasingly important position in the therapeutic field. Currently, there are 13 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‒approved ADCs and more than 100 ADC drugs at different stages of clinical trials. This review briefly describes the efficacy and safety of FDA-approved ADCs, and discusses the related problems and challenges to provide a reference for clinical work., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common yet difficult-to-treat condition, which is an important psychosocial problem. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has been considered as a promising treatment for AGA. However, the current evidence on the efficacy of PRP for treating AGA is still controversial. This study evaluated the efficacy of PRP monotherapy in the treatment of AGA., Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science to collect randomized controlled trials on use of PRP in AGA for a meta-analysis., Results: Ten trials with a total 555 treatment units were identified. The hair density in PRP group was significantly higher than control group [MD = 25.09, 95%CI: 9.03-41.15, p = 0.002], but there was no significant difference in hair diameter between two groups [SMD = 0.57, 95%CI: - 0.23 to 1.38, p = 0.16]. Subgroup analyses indicated that hair density was significantly higher among the male-only trials than in the mixed-sex samples (p = 0.02). In addition, neither the split-head design nor the year of publication affected hair density (p = 0.05, p = 0.06). However, hair density was significantly higher in trials with a sample size less than 30 (p = 0.0004)., Conclusions: PRP treatment increased hair density in participants with AGA, but not hair diameter. In terms of hair density, PRP elicits stronger effects in male patients. There was a trend toward differed treatment effect by gender with PRP injection, which warrants further investigation. Especially in the case of female., Level of Evidence Iii: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors https://www.springer.com/00266 ., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO 2 by solid porous materials represents an attractive "negative emission" technology. However, state-of-the-art sorbents based on supported amines still suffer from unsolved high energy consumption and stability issues. Herein, taking clues from the CO 2 interaction with superbase-derived ionic liquids (SILs), high-performance and tunable sorbents in DAC of CO 2 was developed by harnessing the power of CaO- and SIL-engineered sorbents. Deploying mesoporous silica as the substrate, a thin CaO layer was first introduced to consume the surface-OH groups, and then active sites with different basicities (e. g., triazolate and imidazolate) were introduced as a uniformly distributed thin layer. The as-obtained sorbents displayed high CO 2 uptake capacity via volumetric (at 0.4 mbar) and breakthrough test (400 ppm CO 2 source), rapid interaction kinetics, facile CO 2 releasing, and stable sorption/desorption cycles. Operando diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformation spectroscopy (DRIFTS) analysis under simulated air atmosphere and solid-state NMR under 13 CO 2 atmosphere demonstrated the critical roles of the SIL species in low-concentration CO 2 capture. The fundamental insights obtained in this work provide guidance on the development of high-performance sorbents in DAC of CO 2 by leveraging the combined advantages of porous solid scaffolds and the unique features of CO 2 -philic ionic liquids., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Direct air capture (DAC) of CO 2 has emerged as the most promising "negative carbon emission" technologies. Despite being state-of-the-art, sorbents deploying alkali hydroxides/amine solutions or amine-modified materials still suffer from unsolved high energy consumption and stability issues. In this work, composite sorbents are crafted by hybridizing a robust metal-organic framework (Ni-MOF) with superbase-derived ionic liquid (SIL), possessing well maintained crystallinity and chemical structures. The low-pressure (0.4 mbar) volumetric CO 2 capture assessment and a fixed-bed breakthrough examination with 400 ppm CO 2 gas flow reveal high-performance DAC of CO 2 (CO 2 uptake capacity of up to 0.58 mmol g -1 at 298 K) and exceptional cycling stability. Operando spectroscopy analysis reveals the rapid (400 ppm) CO 2 capture kinetics and energy-efficient/fast CO 2 releasing behaviors. The theoretical calculation and small-angle X-ray scattering demonstrate that the confinement effect of the MOF cavity enhances the interaction strength of reactive sites in SIL with CO 2 , indicating great efficacy of the hybridization. The achievements in this study showcase the exceptional capabilities of SIL-derived sorbents in carbon capture from ambient air in terms of rapid carbon capture kinetics, facile CO 2 releasing, and good cycling performance., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

This study aimed to summarize the experience of precise nursing in 6 patients who experienced failed allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (allo-HSCTs) that underwent second allo-HSCT salvage treatment. The key points of nursing care included strictly implementing infection prevention and control measures to prevent secondary infections, precise symptom management to improve the graft survival rate of patients, formulating reasonable nutrition programs to meet their requirements, and paying attention to the psychological care of patients to enhance their self-confidence in overcoming diseases. The patients developed different degrees of complications in the process of transplantation. During the transplantation, 2 patients had oral mucositis, 2 had hemorrhagic cystitis, 3 had a perianal infection, and one had lower gastrointestinal bleeding. After careful treatment and nursing, the neutrophils transplanted in the 6 patients were alive at a median of 16.5 (13-20) days after the second allo-HSCT, and the patients were successfully transferred out of the laminar flow chamber., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All the authors declare no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs) are large cell-surface glycoproteins playing important roles in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions in nervous system. Recent study identified a homologue of NCAM (CgNCAM) from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Its ORF was of 2634 bp which encodes a protein (877 amino acids) consisting of five immunoglobulin domains and two fibronectin type III domains. CgNCAM transcripts were broadly distributed in oyster tissues especially in mantle, labial palp and haemolymph. CgNCAM showed up-regulated expression in haemocytes of oysters after Vibrio splendidus and Staphylococcus aureus stimulation. The recombinant CgNCAM protein (rCgNCAM) was able to bind manose, lipopolysaccharide and glucan, as well as different microbes including Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. rCgNCAM displayed bacterial agglutination and hemagglutination activity. CgNCAM improved the phagocytosis of haemocytes towards V. splendidus by regulating the expression of CgIntegrin, CgRho J and CgMAPKK. Moreover, CgNCAM was involved in the extracellular trap establishment of haemocytes after V. splendidus stimulation. The results collectively indicated that CgNCAM acted as a recognition receptor executing multiple immune functions to recognize and eliminate invading microorganisms in innate immunity of oysters., 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Boron-enriched scaffolds have demonstrated unique features and promising performance in the field of catalysis towards the activation of small gas molecules. However, there is still a lack of facile approaches capable of achieving high B doping and abundant porous channels in the targeted catalysts. Herein, construction of boron- and nitrogen-enriched nanoporous π-conjugated networks (BN-NCNs) was achieved via a facile ionothermal polymerization procedure with hexaazatriphenylenehexacarbonitrile [HAT(CN) 6 ] sodium borohydride as the starting materials. The as-produced BN-NCN scaffolds were featured by high heteroatoms doping (B up to 23 wt. % and N: up to 17 wt. %) and permanent porosity (surface area up to 759 m 2  g -1 mainly contributed by micropores). With the unsaturated bonded B species acting as the active Lewis acid sites and defected N species acting as the active Lewis base sites, those BN-NCNs delivered attractive catalytic performance towards H 2 activation/dissociation in both gaseous and liquid phase, acting as efficient metal-free heterogeneous frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) catalysts in hydrogenation procedures., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: In the past few decades, liver disease has gradually become one of the major causes of death and illness worldwide. Hepatitis is one of the most common liver diseases in China. There have been intermittent and epidemic outbreaks of hepatitis worldwide, with a tendency toward cyclical recurrences. This periodicity poses challenges to epidemic prevention and control., Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the periodic characteristics of the hepatitis epidemic and local meteorological elements in Guangdong, China, which is a representative province with the largest population and gross domestic product in China., Methods: Time series data sets from January 2013 to December 2020 for 4 notifiable infectious diseases caused by hepatitis viruses (ie, hepatitis A, B, C, and E viruses) and monthly data of meteorological elements (ie, temperature, precipitation, and humidity) were used in this study. Power spectrum analysis was conducted on time series data, and correlation and regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between the epidemics and meteorological elements., Results: The 4 hepatitis epidemics showed clear periodic phenomena in the 8-year data set in connection with meteorological elements. Based on the correlation analysis, temperature demonstrated the strongest correlation with hepatitis A, B, and C epidemics, while humidity was most significantly associated with the hepatitis E epidemic. Regression analysis revealed a positive and significant coefficient between temperature and hepatitis A, B, and C epidemics in Guangdong, while humidity had a strong and significant association with the hepatitis E epidemic, and its relationship with temperature was relatively weak., Conclusions: These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying different hepatitis epidemics and their connection to meteorological factors. This understanding can help guide local governments in predicting and preparing for future epidemics based on weather patterns and potentially aid in the development of effective prevention measures and policies., (©Xixi Zhao, Meijia Li, Naem Haihambo, Xinni Wang, Bin Wang, Meirong Sun, Mingrou Guo, Chuanliang Han. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org), 15.06.2023.)

Accumulating evidence shows that the posterior cerebellum is involved in mentalizing inferences of social events by detecting sequence information in these events, and building and updating internal models of these sequences. By applying anodal and sham cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the posteromedial cerebellum of healthy participants, and using a serial reaction time (SRT) task paradigm, the current study examined the causal involvement of the cerebellum in implicitly learning sequences of social beliefs of others (Belief SRT) and non-social colored shapes (Cognitive SRT). Apart from the social or cognitive domain differences, both tasks were structurally identical. Results of anodal stimulation (i.e., 2 mA for 20 min) during the social Belief SRT task, did not show significant improvement in reaction times, however it did reveal generally faster responses for the Cognitive SRT task. This improved performance could also be observed after the cessation of stimulation after 30 min, and up to one week later. Our findings suggest a general positive effect of anodal cerebellar tDCS on implicit non-social Cognitive sequence learning, supporting a causal role of the cerebellum in this learning process. We speculate that the lack of tDCS modulation of the social Belief SRT task is due to the familiar and overlearned nature of attributing social beliefs, suggesting that easy and automatized tasks leave little room for improvement through tDCS., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

Gamma-band activity was thought to be related to several high-level cognitive functions, and Gamma ENtrainment Using Sensory stimulation (GENUS, 40 Hz sensory combined visual and auditory stimulation) was found to have positive effects on patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Other studies found, however, that neural responses induced by single 40 Hz auditory stimulation were relatively weak. To address this, we included several new experimental conditions (sounds with sinusoidal or square wave; open-eye and closed-eye state) combined with auditory stimulation with the aim of investigating which of these induces a stronger 40 Hz neural response. We found that when participant´s eyes were closed, sounds with 40 Hz sinusoidal wave induced the strongest 40 Hz neural response in the prefrontal region compared to responses in other conditions. More interestingly, we also found there is a suppression of alpha rhythms with 40 Hz square wave sounds. Our results provide potential new methods when using auditory entrainment, which may result in a better effect in preventing cerebral atrophy and improving cognitive performance., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-022-09834-x., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no competing conflicts of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2022.)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with multiple associated deficits in both social and cognitive functioning. Diagnosing ASD usually relies on subjective clinical competencies, and research on objective criteria for diagnosing ASD in the early stage is still in its infancy. A recent animal study showed that the looming-evoked defensive response was impaired in mice with ASD, but whether the effect will be observed in human and contribute to finding a robust clinical neural biomarker remain unclear. Here, to investigate the looming-evoked defense response in humans, electroencephalogram responses toward looming and corresponding control stimuli (far and missing type) were recorded in children with ASD and typical developed (TD) children. Results revealed that alpha-band activity in the posterior brain region was strongly suppressed after looming stimuli in the TD group, but remained unchanged in the ASD group. This method could be a novel, objective way to detect ASD earlier. These findings suggest that further investigation of the neural mechanism underlying innate fear from the oscillatory view could be a helpful direction in the future., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11571-022-09839-6., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestAll authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2022.)

The posterior cerebellum contributes to dynamic social cognition by building representations and predictions about sequences in which social interactions typically take place. However, the extent to which violations of prior social expectations during human interaction activate the cerebellum remains largely unknown. The present study examined inconsistent actions, which violate the expectations of desired goal outcomes, by using a social navigation paradigm in which a protagonist presented a gift to another agent that was liked or not. As an analogous non-social control condition, a pen was transported via an assembly line and filled with ink that matched the pen's cap or not. Participants (n = 25) were required to memorize and subsequently reproduce the sequence of the protagonist's or pen's trajectory. As hypothesized, expectation violations in social (vs non-social) sequencing were associated with activation in the posterior cerebellum (Crus 1/2) and other cortical mentalizing regions. In contrast, non-social (vs social) sequencing recruited cerebellar lobules IV-V, the action observation network and the navigation-related parahippocampal gyrus. There was little effect in comparison with a social non-sequencing control condition, where participants only had to observe the trajectory. The findings provide further evidence of cerebellar involvement in signaling inconsistencies in social outcomes of goal-directed navigation., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Recent advances in social neuroscience have highlighted the critical role of the cerebellum and especially the posterior cerebellar Crus in social mentalizing (i.e., theory of mind). Research in the past 5 years has provided growing evidence supporting the view that the posterior cerebellum builds internal action models of our social interactions to predict how other people's actions will be executed, and what our most likely responses to these actions will be. This paper presents an overview of a series of fMRI experiments on novel tasks involving a combination of (a) the learning or generation of chronological sequences of social actions either in an explicit or implicit manner, which (b) require social mentalizing on another person's mental state such as goals, beliefs, and implied traits. Together, the results strongly confirm the central role of the posterior cerebellar Crus in identifying and automatizing action sequencing during social mentalizing, and in predicting future action sequences based on social mentalizing inferences about others. This research program has important implications: It provides for the first time (a) fruitful starting points for diagnosing and investigating social sequencing dysfunctions in a variety of mental disorders which have also been related to cerebellar dysfunctions, (b) provides the necessary tools for testing whether non-invasive neurostimulation targeting the posterior cerebellum has a causal effect on social functioning, and (c) whether these stimulation techniques and training programs guided by novel cerebellar social sequencing insights, can be exploited to increase posterior cerebellar plasticity in order to alleviate social impairments in mental disorders., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Phthalocyanines (Pc)-derived materials represent an attractive category of porous organic scaffolds featured by extensive π-conjugated networks, but their construction is still limited to the solution-based pathways, producing materials with inferior conductivity and porosity. Herein, a mechanochemistry-driven approach was developed leveraging the on-surface polymerization of aromatic nitrile monomers with ortho-positioned dicyano groups in the presence of metal catalysts (magnesium, zinc, or aluminum) under neat and ambient conditions. Diverse Pc-functionalized conjugated porous networks (Pc-CPNs) were obtained featured by extensively and fully π-conjugated skeletons, high surface areas, and hierarchical porosities. The monomers in this mechanochemical approach could be extended to those difficult to be handled in solution-based procedures. The Pc-CPNs displayed attractive electrochemical performance as supercapacitor and anodes in batteries, together with superb long-term stability., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Chromium (Cr) contamination in soil poses a serious security risk for the development of medicine and food with ginseng as the raw material. Microbiome are critical players in the functioning and service of soil ecosystems, but their feedback to Cr-contaminated ginseng growth is still poorly understood. To study this hypothesis, we evaluated the effects of microbiome and different Cr exposure on the soil microbial community using Illumina HiSeq high-throughput sequencing. Our results indicated that 2467 OTUs and 1785 OTUs were obtained in 16S and ITS1 based on 97% sequence similarity, respectively. Bacterial and fungal diversity were affected significantly in Cr-contaminated soil. Besides, Cr contamination significantly changed the composition of the soil bacterial and fungal communities, and some biomarkers were identified in the different classification level of the different Cr-contaminated treatments using LEfSe. Finally, a heatmap of Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) indicated that Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Acidobacteria, Verrucomicobia, and Parcubacteria in phylum level and Acidimicrobiia, Gemmatimonadetes, and Deltaproteobacteria in class level were positively correlated with AK, AP, and NO 3 - -N (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01), but negatively correlated with total Cr and available Cr (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Similarly, in the fungal community, Tubaria, Mortierellaceae, and Rhizophagus in the phylum level and Glomeromycetes, Agaricomycetes, and Exobasidiomycetes in the class level were positively correlated with AK, AP, and NO 3 - -N (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01), but negatively correlated with total Cr and available Cr (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Our findings provide new insight into the effects of Cr contamination on the microbial communities in ginseng-growing soil., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soil poses a serious safety risk for the development of medicine and food with ginseng as the raw material. Microorganisms are key players in the functioning and service of soil ecosystems, but the effects of Cd-contaminated ginseng growth on these microorganisms is still poorly understood. To study this hypothesis, we evaluated the effects of microorganisms and Cd (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg kg -1 of Cd) exposure on the soil microbial community using Illumina HiSeq high-throughput sequencing., Results: Our results indicated that Cd-contaminated soil affected the soil microbial diversity and composition, and bacterial diversity was affected more than fungal diversity in Cd-contaminated soil, especially according to Shannon indices. The abundance of the soil microbial community decreased and the composition changed according to the relative abundances at the phylum level, including those of Saccharibacteria and Gemmatimonadetes in bacteria and Mortierellomycota in fungi. The LEfSe algorithm was used to identify active biomarkers, and 45 differentially abundant bacterial taxonomic clades and 16 differentially abundant fungal taxonomic clades were identified with LDA scores higher than 4.0. Finally, a heatmap of Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) indicated that some key biomarkers, Arenimonas, Xanthomonadales, Nitrosomonadaceae, Methylophilales, Caulobacterales, Aeromicrobium, Chitinophagaceae, Acidimicrobiales, Nocardioidaceae, Propionibacteriales, Frankiales, and Gemmatimonadaceae, were positively correlated with the total and available Cd (p<0.05) but negatively correlated with AK, AP, and pH (p<0.05) in the bacterial community. Similarly, in the fungal community, Tubaria, Mortierellaceae, and Rhizophagus were positively correlated with the total and available Cd but negatively correlated with AK, AP, TK, and pH., Conclusion: Cd contamination significantly affected microbial diversity and composition in ginseng-growing soil. Our findings provide new insight into the effects of Cd contamination on the microbial communities in ginseng-growing soil., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Rab protein plays an important role in a variety of cellular activities, especially the fusion process of the inner membrane during endocytosis. In the present study, a Rab1 protein (CgRab1) was identified from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The full-length cDNA sequence of CgRab1 was of 2248 bp with an open reading frame of 618 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 205 amino acids containing a Rab domain. The deduced amino acid sequence of CgRab1 shared 94.2% and 89.3% identity with Rab1 from Pomacea canaliculata and Homo sapiens respectively. In the phylogenetic tree, CgRab1 was firstly clustered with the Rab1s from Aplysia californica and Pomacea canaliculata to form a sister group with Rab1 from invertebrates. The recombinant CgRab1 protein (rCgRab1) was able to bind GTP. The mRNA transcripts of CgRab1 were highly expressed in oyster haemocytes, and its expression level in oyster haemocytes was significantly up-regulated at 24 h after the stimulations with Vibro splendidus, which was 2.43-fold (p < 0.01) of that in the control group. After the expression of CgRab1 was knocked down (0.38-fold of that in EGFP-RNAi experimental group) by RNAi，the protein expression of Cgcathepsin L1 were reduced (0.63-fold, p < 0.01) compared with that in EGFP-RNAi experimental group. The phagocytic rate and phagocytic index of haemocytes in CgRab1-RNAi oysters decreased after V. splendidus stimulation, which was 0.50-fold (p < 0.01) and 0.58-fold (p < 0.01) of that in EGFP-RNAi experimental group. These results indicated that CgRab1 was involved in the process of haemocytes phagocytosis by regulating the expression of Cgcathepsin L1 in oyster C. gigas., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Potassium fulvic acid (BSFA) and potassium humate (KHM), as organic fertilizers, can improve soil structure, increase soil nutrient levels and prevent plant diseases. However, knowledge is limited regarding how BSFA and KHM influence soil microbial communities and the interrelationships between community members associated with Panax ginseng. Soil pH and nutrient content increased significantly as a result of the addition of BSFA and KHM. The pH, NH 4 + -N, NO 3 - -N, AP and AK increased by 1.72 %-5.55 %, 70.09 %-108.39 %, 35.38 %-216.20 %, 1.21 %-14.19 % and 3.40 %-5.94 %, respectively, in the BSFA and KHM treatments. The soil nutrient increase may be related to Micrococcaceae and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The structure of the microbial community also changed radically from that of the control group, and Chloroflexi (2.69 %-3.15 %), Actinobacteria (4.33 %-7.53 %) and Acidobacteria (9.44 %-11.62 %) were the dominant microorganisms at the phylum level in bacteria. In contrast, the dominant fungi at the phylum level were Ascomycota (77.39 %-78.08 %), Glomeromycota (0.36 %-2.68), Olpidiomycota (0.02 %-3.78 %) and Basidiomycota (0.80 %-1.17 %). Fusarium oxysporum and Ascomycota were biomarkers for BSFA and KHM, which may be related to pathogenic bacteria. Network analysis revealed that the association among members of the soil microbial community was more positive than negative following application of KHM, and more positive (62.5 %) than negative (37.5 %) correlations were observed between bacteria, whereas the fungal community exhibited more positive (97.3 %) than negative (2.7 %) correlations. PICRUST predicted the microbial function of adding KHM and BSFA to the soil, and these pathways mainly belong to the degradation and metabolism of organic matter, saprophytic organisms and plant pathogens. In summary, our study demonstrated that the addition of BSFA and KHM increased the nutrients in the ginseng soil and reshaped the microbial function in soils, providing a theoretical foundation for soil improvement and biological control of ginseng diseases. However, due to the limitations of greenhouse cultivation, additional long-term experiments on farmland with different climate changes are recommended., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Calmodulin (CaM) is a highly conserved second messenger protein transducing calcium signals by binding and modulating intracellular calcium ions (Ca 2+ ), and involves in the Ca 2+ -dependent physical processes including host defense in vertebrates. In the present study, a CaM homologue (designated as CgCaM) was identified from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The open reading frame of CgCaM cDNA was of 471 bp encoding a polypeptide of 156 amino acid residues. There were four EFh domains predicted in CgCaM, which shared high homologies with those in CaMs from oyster C. virginica and other invertebrates. The mRNA transcripts of CgCaM were constitutively expressed in all the tested tissues including labellum, mantle, gonad, gills, adductor muscle, haemocytes and hepatopancreas, with the highest expression level in haemocytes. The mRNA expression level of CgCaM in haemocytes decreased significantly (0.31-fold of that in blank, p < 0.05) at 3 h after LPS stimulation, while the intracellular Ca 2+ (1.57-fold of that in blank, p < 0.05) and the mRNA expression of cytokine CgIL17-1 (4.87-fold of that in blank, p < 0.05) both increased in haemocytes. Meanwhile, an oyster miRNA scaffold659&#95;26519 was identified, and it was proved to target the 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTR) of CgCaM mRNA by luciferase reporter assay. The expression of scaffold659&#95;26519 increased significantly at 3 h (43.523-fold of that of blank, p < 0.05) and 6 h (55.91-fold of that of blank, p < 0.05) after LPS stimulation. When the expression of scaffold659&#95;26519 was inhibited by transfection with its inhibitor in vitro, the expression of CgIL17-1 declined significantly to 0.58-fold of that in LPS stimulation group. These findings indicated that the miRNA scaffold659&#95;26519 targeted CaM was involved in the early inflammatory response of oyster immunity, and provided a new evidence for CaM-mediated immune mechanism in molluscs., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the impact of humidity and temperature on the spread of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) by statistically comparing modelled pandemic dynamics (daily infection and recovery cases) with daily temperature and humidity of three climate zones (Mainland China, South America and Africa) from January to August 2020. We modelled the pandemic growth using a simple logistic function to derive information of the viral infection and describe the growth of infected and recovered cases. The results indicate that the infected and recovered cases of the first wave were controlled in China and managed in both South America and Africa. There is a negative correlation between both humidity (r = - 0.21; p = 0.27) and temperature (r = -0.22; p = 0.24) with spread of the virus. Though this study did not fully encompass socio-cultural factors, we recognise that local government responses, general health policies, population density and transportation could also affect the spread of the virus. The pandemic can be managed better in the second wave if stricter safety protocols are implemented. We urge various units to collaborate strongly and call on countries to adhere to stronger safety protocols in the second wave., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Glutaminase, an amidohydrolase enzyme that hydrolyzes glutamine to glutamate, plays crucial roles in various immunomodulatory processes such as cell apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and secretion of cytokines. In the present study, a glutaminase homologue (designated as CgGLS-1) was identified from Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas, whose open reading frame was of 1836 bp. CgGLS-1 exhibited high sequence identity with vertebrate kidney-type GLS, and closely clustered with their homologues from mollusc C. virginica. The enzyme activity of recombinant CgGLS-1 protein (rCgGLS-1) was estimated to be 1.705 U/mg. CgGLS-1 mRNA was constitutively expressed in all the tested tissues of oysters, with the highest expression level in hemocytes. CgGLS-1 mRNA expression in hemocytes was significantly up-regulated and peaked at 6 h (2.07-fold, p < 0.01) after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. The CgGLS-1 protein was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm with a significant co-location with mitochondria in oyster hemocytes. The content of Glu in the oyster serum was significantly decreased after the inhibition of CgGLS-1 using specific inhibitor Bis-2- [5-(phenyl acetamido)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl] ethyl sulfide (BPTES), and the expression levels of CgmGluR6, CgAP-1, cytokines CgIL17-5 and CgTNF-1 were significantly decreased after BPTES and LPS stimulation. The transcripts of CgCaspase3 as well as the apoptosis index of hemocytes were also decreased. These results collectively suggest that CgGLS-1 is the enzyme to synthesize Glu in oyster, which can modulate anti-bacterial immunity by regulating the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines CgIL17-5 and CgTNF-1, as well as hemocyte apoptosis.

Recurrent outbreaks of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have occurred in many countries around the world. We developed a twofold framework in this study, which is composed by one novel descriptive model to depict the recurrent global outbreaks of COVID-19 and one dynamic model to understand the intrinsic mechanisms of recurrent outbreaks. We used publicly available data of cumulative infected cases from 1 January 2020 to 2 January 2021 in 30 provinces in China and 43 other countries around the world for model validation and further analyses. These time series data could be well fitted by the new descriptive model. Through this quantitative approach, we discovered two main mechanisms that strongly correlate with the extent of the recurrent outbreak: the sudden increase in cases imported from overseas and the relaxation of local government epidemic prevention policies. The compartmental dynamical model (Susceptible, Exposed, Infectious, Dead and Recovered (SEIDR) Model) could reproduce the obvious recurrent outbreak of the epidemics and showed that both imported infected cases and the relaxation of government policies have a causal effect on the emergence of a new wave of outbreak, along with variations in the temperature index. Meanwhile, recurrent outbreaks affect consumer confidence and have a significant influence on GDP. These results support the necessity of policies such as travel bans, testing of people upon entry, and consistency of government prevention and control policies in avoiding future waves of epidemics and protecting economy., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no competing interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2021.)

The programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4) is a newly defined transcriptional and translational inhibitor, which plays a key role in regulating the synthesis of inflammatory cytokines in vertebrates species. In the present study, the full-length cDNA of PDCD4 from oyster Crassostrea gigas (designed as CgPDCD4) was identified to explore its possible involvement in immune response. The open reading frame of pdcd4 gene was of 1344 bp encoding a polypeptide of 447 amino acids with two conserved MA-3 domains. The deduced amino acid sequence of CgPDCD4 shared 60.18% similarity with PDCD4 from Mizuhopecten yessoensis. The mRNA transcripts of CgPDCD4 could be detected in all the tested tissues with a higher expression level in adductor muscle and hemocytes. The mRNA expression of CgPDCD4 in hemocytes was significantly down-regulated at 3 h and 6 h (0.61-fold and 0.42-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01, respectively) after LPS stimulation. In hemocytes, CgPDCD4 protein was found to be mainly located in the cytoplasm. After the mRNA expression of CgPDCD4 in hemocytes was knocked down (0.40-fold of that in EGFP-RNAi group) by CgPDCD4 dsRNA (dsCgPDCD4) injection, the CgIL17-5 transcripts were up-regulated (20.11-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01) post LPS stimulation, which was significantly higher than that in dsEGFP-injected oysters (7.06-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01). Meanwhile, the nuclear translocation of CgRel (homologue of Rel/NF-κB) was significantly enhanced (about 1.36-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01), but it was similar as that in EGFP-RNAi group (about 1.52-fold of that in PBS group, p < 0.01) after LPS stimulation. All the results suggested that CgPDCD4 in oysters played the same role as PDCD4 of vertebrates in negatively regulating the production of interleukin in immune response, but the underpinning signal pathway was not conserved during evolution., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Tumor necrosis factors (TNFs) are a group of multifunctional inflammatory cytokines involved in various pathological and immune processes. Recently, a few primitive TNFs have been characterized from molluscs, which play important roles in modulating cell apoptosis, phagocytosis and production of immune-related enzymes. In the present study, a novel TNF (named as CgTNF-2) with the activity to mediate antibacterial response was identified from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The open reading frame of CgTNF-2 was of 783 bp encoding a putative polypeptide of 261 amino acids with a typical TNF domain. The deduced amino acid sequence of CgTNF-2 shared high identity with that of TNFs previously identified from other molluscs, such as 96.1% identity with that in oyster C. hongkongensis, 33.7% identity with that in scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis and 33.0% identity with CgTNF-1 in oyster C. gigas. There were two distinct TNF branches of vertebrate and invertebrate in the phylogenetic tree, and CgTNF-2 was firstly clustered with TNF-14 from C. hongkongensis, and then clustered with other molluscan TNFs. The mRNA transcripts of CgTNF-2 were widely expressed in various oyster tissues, with the highest expression level in hemocytes. The expression level of CgTNF-2 increased significantly at 6 h (2.45-fold and 6.20-fold, respectively, p < 0.05) after peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharides treatments, and peaked at 12 h (31.86-fold and 7.90-fold, respectively, p < 0.05). The recombinant protein of CgTNF-2 (rCgTNF-2) inhibited the growth of human alveolar basal epithelial (A549) cells at a concentration of 800 ng/mL. After the oysters received an injection of rCgTNF-2, the serum from those oysters exhibited significantly higher antibacterial activity compared to that from control group, evidenced by inhibiting the growth of Vibrio splendidus. Moreover, the lysozyme activity as well as the contents of nitric oxide in the oyster serum also increased significantly. The above results collectively suggested that CgTNF-2 was a novel member of bivalve TNF-α family, which could prompt the antibacterial activity by inducing the lysozyme activity and the production of nitric oxide in the innate immune response of oyster., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) is one of key rate-limiting enzymes converting dopamine to norepinephrine. It locates not only in catecholaminergic neuron system, but also in immunocytes and plays roles in the immune response of vertebrates. However, the knowledge about the function of DBH in immune system is still very limited in invertebrates. In the present study, the DBH gene family with seven members was screened from Crassostrea gigas genome, and their mRNA expressions in various tissues were recorded. Among them, one DBH (designated CgDBH-1) with high expression level in oyster hemocytes was further characterized. The deduced amino acid sequence of CgDBH-1 was predicted to contain a transmembrane domain and shared 30.1% and 30.9% similarity with that in Mus musculus and Homo sapiens, respectively. CgDBH-1 was closely clustered with DBH from Aplysia californica in the phylogenetic tree. The recombinant protein of CgDBH-1 (rCgDBH-1) exhibited significant enzymatic activity (0.54 ± 0.019 pmol L -1 min -1 ) to synthesize norepinephrine. Importantly, the mRNA transcript of CgDBH-1 was highly expressed in oyster hemocytes, and the highest expression level was observed in granulocytes among the three types of hemocytes, which was 8.18-fold (p < 0.01) of that in agranulocytes. Moreover, the expression of CgDBH-1 in hemocytes was significantly increased at the late stage of immune response. The CgDBH-1 protein was mainly co-localized with the granules and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of granulocytes. These results collectively suggested that CgDBH-1, as a novel molluscan norepinephrine synthesizing enzyme highly expressed in granulocytes, involved in the late-stage immune response of oysters, which provided vital insight to understand the crosstalk between neuroendocrine and immune systems in invertebrates., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Dicer, as a member of ribonuclease III family, functions in RNA interference (RNAi) pathway to direct sequence-specific degradation of cognate mRNA. It plays important roles in antiviral immunity and production of microRNAs. In the present study, a Dicer gene was identified from oyster Crassostrea gigas, and its open reading frame (ORF) encoded a polypeptide (designed as CgDicer) of 1873 amino acids containing two conserved ribonuclease III domains (RIBOc) and a double-stranded RNA-binding motif (DSRM). The deduced amino acid sequence of CgDicer shared identities ranging from 18.5% to 46.6% with that of other identified Dicers. The mRNA transcripts of CgDicer were detectable in all the examined tissues of adult oysters, with the highest expression in hemocytes (11.21 ± 1.64 fold of that in mantle, p < 0.05). The mRNA expression level of CgDicer in hemocytes was significantly up-regulated (36.70 ± 11.10 fold, p < 0.01) after the oysters were treated with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). In the primarily cultured oyster hemocytes, the mRNA transcripts of CgDicer were significantly induced at 12 h after the stimulation with poly(I:C), which were 2.04-fold (p < 0.05) higher than that in control group. Immunocytochemistry assay revealed that CgDicer proteins were mainly distributed in the cytoplasm of hemocytes. The two most important functional domains of CgDicer, DSRM and RIBOc, were recombinant expressed in Escherichia coli transetta (DE3), and the recombinant DSRM protein displayed significantly binding activity to dsRNA and poly(I:C) in vitro, while the recombinant RIBOc protein exhibited significantly dsRNase activity to cleave dsRNA in vitro. These results collectively suggested that CgDicer functioned as either an intracellular recognition molecule to bind dsRNA or an effector with ribonuclease activity, which might play a crucial role in anti-viral immunity of oyster., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Akirin, a recently discovered nuclear factor, participates in regulating various processes, including cell proliferation and differentiation, embryonic development, and immunity. In the present study, a novel Akirin was identified from Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis (designated as EsAkirin), and its primary functions in regulating antimicrobial peptides were explored. The open reading frame of EsAkirin was of 615 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 204 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequence of EsAkirin shared high similarities ranging from 44.1% to 89.2% with other Akirins. In the phylogenetic tree, EsAkirin was firstly clustered with Akirins from shrimp and then assigned into the invertebrate branch. The mRNA transcripts of EsAkirin were constitutively expressed in all the tested tissues, with the highest expression level (5.07-fold compared to the stomach, p < 0.01) in hepatopancreas. The mRNA expression of EsAkirin in hemocytes was significantly increased at 6 h, and reached the maximum level at 24 h post stimulations with either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5.04-fold, p < 0.01) or Aeromonas hydrophila (3.10-fold, p < 0.01). After the injection of EsAkirin-dsRNA, the mRNA expressions of EsALF2, EsLYZ, EsCrus2 and EsDWD1 were significantly decreased (p < 0.01) upon LPS stimulation. EsAkirin protein was prominently distributed in the nucleus of E. sinensis hemocytes after LPS and A. hydrophila stimulations. The relative luciferase reporter system analysis revealed that the activity of nuclear factor-κB was significantly up-regulated (2.64-fold, p < 0.01) in human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cells after the over-expression of EsAkirin. Collectively, these results suggested that EsAkirin might play an important role in the immune responses of E. sinensis by regulating the expression of antimicrobial peptides., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Most of the bivalve C1q domain containing proteins (C1qDCs) are either only composed of the globular head domain, or contain an N-terminal coiled-coil domain, presumed to cover a role in oligomerization. On the other hand, collagen regions, widespread in vertebrate C1qDCs, are very uncommon in bivalves. In the present study, a C1qDC with a collagen-like domain (designated CgC1qDC-6) was identified from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas and its possible involvement in immune responses was also characterized. The coding sequence of CgC1qDC-6 was of 756 bp, encoding a peptide of 251 amino acids with an N-terminal signal peptide, a central collagen-like domain, and a C-terminal ghC1q domain. CgC1qDC-6 was clustered with the C1qDCs from several mollusks in the phylogenetic tree. CgC1qDC-6 was detected at both mRNA and protein levels in all tested tissues including hepatopancreas, gonad, gill, mantle, adductor muscle, and hemocytes. The recombinant CgC1qDC-6 protein (rCgC1qDC-6) exhibited binding activity to various pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) including LPS, PGN, mannose and Poly I:C, and microorganisms including Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Vibrio splendidus), Gram-positive bacteria (Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus aureus), and fungus (Pichia pastoris). The phagocytic rates of oyster hemocytes towards V. splendidus pre-incubation with rCgC1qDC-6 were significantly enhanced (p < 0.05). In the chemotaxis assay, rCgC1qDC-6 could mediate the migration of oyster hemocytes in a dose-dependent manner, which exhibited a positive chemotactic effect at low concentration (<10 nM). These results collectively indicated that CgC1qDC-6 could serve as a pattern recognition receptor and mediate the hemocyte phagocytosis and migration to eliminate the invading pathogens., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

As one of the most important neuropeptides identified only in invertebrates of Mollusca, Annelida and Arthropoda, FMRFamide (Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH 2 ) involves in multiple physiological processes, such as mediating cardiac frequency and contraction of somatic and visceral muscles. However, its modulatory role in the immune defense has not been well understood. In the present study, an FMRFamide precursor (designed as CgFMRFamide) was identified in oyster Crassostrea gigas, which could be processed into nineteen FMRFamide peptides. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CgFMRFamide shared high similarity with other identified FMRFamides in mollusks. The mRNA of CgFMRFamide was mainly concentrated in the tissues of visceral ganglia, hepatopancreas and hemocytes, and a consistent distribution of FMRFamide peptide was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry assays. The mRNA expression level of CgFMRFamide in hemocytes was significantly up-regulated after immune stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After the concentration of FMRFamide was increased by exogenous injection, the in vivo expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokine CgIL17-5, as well as the apoptosis-related CgCaspase-1 and CgCaspase-3 in hemocytes were promptly increased (p < 0.05), but the concentration of signal molecule nitric oxide (NO) was significantly down-regulated (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, an increased phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase in hemocytes was also detected after the FMRFamide injection. These results collectively demonstrated that the conserved FMRFamide could not only respond to immune stimulation, but also regulate the expression of immune effectors and apoptosis-related genes, which might be mediated by p38 MAP kinase pathway, thereby effectively involved in clearing pathogens and maintaining homeostasis in oysters., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Granulocytes are known as the main immunocompetent hemocytes that play important roles in the immune defense of oyster Crassostrea gigas. In the present study, an alcohol acyltransferase (designed as CgAATase) with specific expression pattern was identified from oyster C. gigas, and it could be employed as a potential marker for the isolation of oyster granulocytes. The open reading frame (ORF) of CgAATase was of 1431 bp, encoding a peptide of 476 amino acids with a typically conserved AATase domain. The mRNA transcripts of CgAATase were highest expressed in hemocytes, lower expressed in hepatopancreas, mantle, gonad, gill, ganglion, adductor muscle, and labial palp. The mRNA expression level of CgAATase in hemocytes was significantly up-regulated at 3-12 h and reached the highest level (27.40-fold compared to control group, p < 0.05) at 6 h after Vibrio splendidus stimulation. The total hemocytes were sorted as granulocytes, semi-granulocytes and agranulocytes by Percoll ® density gradient centrifugation. CgAATase transcripts were dominantly observed in granulocytes, which was 8.26-fold (p < 0.05) and 2.80-fold (p < 0.05) of that in agranulocytes and semi-granulocytes, respectively. The monoclonal antibody against CgAATase was produced and employed for the isolation of granulocytes with the immunomagnetic bead. CgAATase protein was mainly detected on the cytomembrane of granulocytes. About 85.7 ± 4.60% of the granulocytes were positive for CgAATase and they could be successfully separated by flow cytometry with immunomagnetic bead coated with anti-CgAATase monoclonal antibody, and 97.7 ± 1.01% of the rest hemocytes (agranulocytes and semi-granulocytes) were negative for CgAATase. The isolated primary granulocytes could maintain cell activity for more than one week in vitro culture that exhibited numerous filopodia. These results collectively suggested that CgAATase was a potential marker of oyster granulocytes, and the granulocytes could be effectively isolated from total circulating hemocytes by immunomagnetic bead coated with the anti-CgAATase monoclonal antibody., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

P38 mitogen-activated protein kinases are serine/threonine protein kinases reportedly involved in the innate immunity of vertebrates and invertebrates. In the present study, a P38 homolog (CgP38) was characterized from the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The full-length cDNA of CgP38 was of 1515 bp containing a 1101 bp open reading frame. A serine/threonine protein kinase (S&#95;TKc) domain with a conserved Thr-Gly-Tyr motif and an ATRW substrate-binding site was found in the deduced amino acid sequence of CgP38. CgP38 shared a close evolutionary relationship with ChP38 from the Hong Kong oyster Crassostrea hongkongensis. The transcript levels of CgP38 in hemocytes increased significantly from 12 h to 48 h after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation and from 12 h to 24 h after Vibrio splendidus stimulation. The phosphorylation level of CgP38 in oyster hemocytes increased significantly at 2 h after LPS stimulation. CgP38 positively regulated the expression of interleukins, such as CgIL17-1, CgIL17-2, CgIL17-3, CgIL17-4 and CgIL17-6, and tumor necrosis factor CgTNF after LPS or V. splendidus stimulation. These results suggested that CgP38 participated in oyster immune response by regulating the expressions of inflammatory cytokines., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis lives in saline or fresh water during different life stages and exhibits a complex life history, making it an ideal model to study the salinity adaptation of euryhaline animals. In this study, RNA-seq techniques, and determinations of free amino acids (FAAs), monoamine neurotransmitters, and Na + /K + pump activity, were employed to understand the osmoregulatory mechanism in Chinese mitten crab. A total of 15,138 differentially expressed genes were obtained from 12 transcriptome libraries. GO enrichment analysis revealed that the mRNA expression profiles were completely remodeled from 12 to 24 h after salinity stress. The neuroendocrine system was activated under stimulation, and the monoamine neurotransmitters including dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) were released to modulate osmoregulation. Furthermore, the Na + /K + pump in crab hemocytes was significantly inhibited post salinity stress, resulting in increased intracellular ion concentrations and osmotic pressure to sustain the osmotic balance. Moreover, six key FAAs, including alanine (Ala), proline (Pro), glycine (Gly), glutamate (Glu), arginine (Arg), and aspartate (Asp), were overexpressed to modulate the extracellular osmotic balance during salinity adaptation. Interestingly, the immune genes were not enriched in the GO analysis, implying that the immune system might not contribute fundamentally to the tolerance upon fluctuating ambient salinity in the Chinese mitten crab. These results collectively demonstrated that the Chinese mitten crab had evolved an efficient regulation mechanism by modulating the FAAs production and Na + /K + pump activity to sustain the osmotic balance independent of the immune system, in which the neuroendocrine modulation, especially generated by the monoamine neurotransmitter, played an indispensable role.

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a member of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) highly conserved from yeast to mammals and participates in regulating many physiological and pathological processes. In the present study, a novel JNK was identified from oyster Crassostrea gigas (designated as CgJNK) and its biological functions were investigated in response against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. The CgJNK consists of 415 amino acids, which includes a serine/threonine protein kinase (S&#95;TKc) domain with a conserved Thr-Pro-Tyr (TPY) motif. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CgJNK shared high similarity with other members of the JNK subfamily. CgJNK mRNA was detected in all the tested tissues and CgJNK mRNA expression levels in hemocytes were significantly up-regulated from 6 to 72 h after LPS stimulation and reached the highest level (16.1-fold, p < 0.01) at 24 h. The phosphorylation level of CgJNK in C. gigas hemocytes was increased at 2 h after LPS stimulation. The subcellular localization of CgJNK phosphorylation in hemocytes was analyzed after LPS stimulation, and CgJNK phosphorylation could be detected in both cytoplasm and nucleus of oyster hemocytes at 2 h post LPS stimulation. Additionally, the interleukins (CgILs) were detected in hemocytes of CgJNK-knockdown oysters. CgIL17-1, CgIL17-2, CgIL17-4 and CgIL17-6 transcripts were decreased significantly in CgJNK-knockdown oysters at 24 h post LPS stimulation. In summary, these results suggested that CgJNK played an important role in the immune response of oysters by regulating IL expression., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)