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Tea's popularity and flavor are influenced by factors like cultivation and processing methods and shaping techniques also have an impact on tea flavor. This study employed targeted metabolomics and chemometrics to investigate how shaping techniques affect the flavor of milk-flavored white tea (MFWT). The results showed that the tea cake sample with the shortest pressing time (Y90) has the highest amino acid content and milky aroma intensity. There were variations in amino acids, catechins, and soluble sugars among MFWT samples with different shaping techniques. The total contents of amino acids and catechins in tea cake sample (Y90) were significantly lower than those in the loose tea sample (SC) and bundle-like tea sample (SG), while the total sugar content was significantly higher than that in SC (P1) in Y90 remained lower relative to SC and SG (P

Tebufenozide, an efficient insect growth regulator (IGR) against lepidopteran pests, presents a novel mode of action with minimal non-target impact. By competing with ecdysteroids for ecdysone receptor (EcR) binding, it regulates insect growth precisely. This study explores tebufenozide's potential as a multitarget IGR, targeting both EcR and Ostrinia furnacalis chitinase I (OfChtI). The inhibitory activity against OfChtI is comparable to that of substrates (GlcNAc)5, with an IC50 of 45.77 ​μM. Our computational findings indicate that tebufenozide binds at the subsite −1 to +1 of OfChtI through various interactions. Notably, tebufenozide establishes a pi-pi interaction with the flipped sidechain of Trp107, enabling tebufenozide to deeply penetrate into the S1 pocket, thereby obstructing substrate binding to OfChtI. These insights highlight the potency of multitarget strategies, laying the groundwork for innovative IGR designs that offer comprehensive pest management solutions.

In order to investigate the suitable tea types of wolfberry, this study prepared 4 kinds of wolfberry tea made from two kinds of wolfberry plant respectively with green tea or white tea processing technology. Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-TOF-MS), biochemical compositional analysis and sensory evaluation combined with principal component analysis (PCA), aroma activity value (OAV) and multivariate statistical analysis were used to analyze the flavor characteristics of the four types of wolfberry tea processed from bud and leaf. The results showed that green tea processed by M plant had the highest sensory quality score, followed by white tea processed by M and A plant respectively, and green tea processed by A plant had the lowest score. The highest flavonoid contents were found in green tea processed by M, meanwhile, the highest water extracts were found in green tea processed by A. A total of 58 volatiles were detected in the four teas, among which geranylacetone, n-hexanol, dihydrokiwi lactone, phenylethanol, benzyl alcohol, naphthalene, and α-pinitol were the characteristic aroma components of AB and MB presenting sweet floral and light aroma. 1-octen-3-ol was the characteristic aroma component of AL presenting fruity aroma, and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 3,5-octadien-2-one, β-cyclic citral, benzaldehyde, foliate acetate and hexyl acetate were the characteristic aroma components of ML presenting floral, fruity and light aroma. It could be seen that M plant was suitable for green tea and white tea, A plant was suitable for white tea, A and M processed white tea were floral, light flavor characteristics, A plant processed green tea was fruity flavor characteristics, M plant processed green tea was floral, fruity, light flavor characteristics. This study clarified the suitable tea types of wolfberry A and M plant and the flavor characteristics of wolfberry buds and leaves tea, and provided reference for the excavation and utilization of wolfberry buds and leaves tea.

Abstract Background The anatomic structure of the anterior chamber (AC) helps to explain differences in refractive status in school-aged children and is closely associated with primary angle closure (PAC). The aim of this study was to quantify and analyze the anterior chamber and angle (ACA) characteristics in Chinese children with different refractive status by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Methods In a cross-sectional observational study, 383 children from two primary schools in Shandong Province, China, underwent a complete ophthalmic examination. First, the anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber width (ACW), angle-opening distance (AOD), and trabecular-iris space area (TISA) were evaluated automatically using a CASIA2 imaging device. AOD and TISA were measured at 500, 750 μm nasal (N1 and N2, respectively), and temporal (T1 and T2, respectively) to the scleral spur (SS). Cycloplegic refraction and axial length (AL) were then measured. According to spherical equivalent refraction (SER), the children were assigned to hyperopic (SER > 0.50D), emmetropic (-0.50D

Abstract Background Building on our prior work that RNA alternative splicing modulates the druggability of kinase fusions, this study probes the clinical significance of sole reciprocal fusions. These rare genomic arrangements, despite lacking kinase domains at the DNA level, demonstrated potential RNA‐level druggability in sporadic cases from our prior research. Methods Utilizing the large‐scale multicenter approach, we performed RNA sequencing and clinical follow‐up to evaluate a broad spectrum of kinase fusions, including ALK, ROS1, RET, BRAF, NTRK, MET, NRG1, and EGFR, in 1943 patients. Results Our findings revealed 51 instances (2.57%) of sole reciprocal fusions, predominantly in lung (57%), colorectal (14%), and glioma (10%) cancers. Comparative analysis with an MSKCC cohort confirmed the prevalence in diverse cancer types and identified unique fusion partners and chromosomal locales. Cross‐validation through RNA‐NGS and FISH authenticated the existence of functional kinase domains in subsets including ALK, ROS1, RET, and BRAF, which correlated with positive clinical responses to targeted kinase inhibitors (KIs). Conversely, fusions involving EGFR, NRG1, and NTRK1/2/3 generated nonfunctional transcripts, suggesting the need for alternative therapeutic interventions. Conclusion This inaugural multicenter study introduces a novel algorithm for detecting and treating sole reciprocal fusions in advanced cancers, expanding the patient population potentially amenable to KIs.

Abstract Soil biodiversity contains the metabolic toolbox supporting organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling in the soil. However, as soil develops over millions of years, the buildup of plant cover, soil carbon and microbial biomass may relax the dependence of soil functions on soil biodiversity. To test this hypothesis, we evaluate the within-site soil biodiversity and function relationships across 87 globally distributed ecosystems ranging in soil age from centuries to millennia. We found that within-site soil biodiversity and function relationship is negatively correlated with soil age, suggesting a stronger dependence of ecosystem functioning on soil biodiversity in geologically younger than older ecosystems. We further show that increases in plant cover, soil carbon and microbial biomass as ecosystems develop, particularly in wetter conditions, lessen the critical need of soil biodiversity to sustain function. Our work highlights the importance of soil biodiversity for supporting function in drier and geologically younger ecosystems with low microbial biomass.

Abstract Paddy fields are hotspots of microbial denitrification, which is typically linked to the oxidation of electron donors such as methane (CH4) under anoxic and hypoxic conditions. While several anaerobic methanotrophs can facilitate denitrification intracellularly, whether and how aerobic CH4 oxidation couples with denitrification in hypoxic paddy fields remains virtually unknown. Here we combine a ~3300 km field study across main rice-producing areas of China and 13CH4-DNA-stable isotope probing (SIP) experiments to investigate the role of soil aerobic CH4 oxidation in supporting denitrification. Our results reveal positive relationships between CH4 oxidation and denitrification activities and genes across various climatic regions. Microcosm experiments confirm that CH4 and methanotroph addition promote gene expression involved in denitrification and increase nitrous oxide emissions. Moreover, 13CH4-DNA-SIP analyses identify over 70 phylotypes harboring genes associated with denitrification and assimilating 13C, which are mostly belonged to Rubrivivax, Magnetospirillum, and Bradyrhizobium. Combined analyses of 13C-metagenome-assembled genomes and 13C-metabolomics highlight the importance of intermediates such as acetate, propionate and lactate, released during aerobic CH4 oxidation, for the coupling of CH4 oxidation with denitrification. Our work identifies key microbial taxa and pathways driving coupled aerobic CH4 oxidation and denitrification, with important implications for nitrogen management and greenhouse gas regulation in agroecosystems.

Abstract Background To analyse the association among the simultaneous effects of dietary intake, daily life behavioural factors, and frailty outcomes in older Chinese women, we predicted the probability of maintaining physical robustness under a combination of different variables. Methods The Fried frailty criterion was used to determine the three groups of “frailty”, “pre-frailty”, and “robust”, and a national epidemiological survey was performed. The three-classification decision tree model was fitted, and the comprehensive performance of the model was evaluated to predict the probability of occurrence of different outcomes. Results Among the 1,044 participants, 15.9% were frailty and 50.29% were pre-frailty; the overall prevalence first increased and then decreased with age, reaching a peak at 70–74 years of age. Through univariate analysis, filtering, and embedded screening, eight significant variables were identified: staple food, spices, exercise (frequency, intensity, and time), work frequency, self-feeling, and family emotions. In the three-classification decision tree, the values of each evaluation index of Model 3 were relatively average; the accuracy, recall, specificity, precision, and F1 score range were between 75% and 84%, and the AUC was also greater than 0.800, indicating excellent performance and the best interpretability of the results. Model 3 takes exercise time as the root node and contains 6 variables and 10 types, suggesting the impact of the comprehensive effect of these variables on robust and non-robust populations (the predicted probability range is 6.67–93.33%). Conclusion The combined effect of these factors (no exercise or less than 0.5 h of exercise per day, occasional exercise, exercise at low intensity, feeling more tired at work, and eating too many staple foods (> 450 g per day) are more detrimental to maintaining robustness.

ABSTRACTObjectives Identifying the specific biomarkers and molecular signatures of MM might provide novel evidence for MM prognosis and targeted therapy.Methods Bioinformatic analyses were performed through GEO and TCGA datasets. The differential expression of HIST1H2BH in MM sample was validated by the qRT-PCR. And the CCK-8 assay was performed to detect the proliferation activity of HIST1H2BH on MM cell lines.Results A total of 793 DEGs were identified between bone marrow plasma cells from newly diagnosed myeloma and normal donors in GSE6477. Among them, four vital genes (HIST1H2AC, HIST1H2BH, CCND1 and TCF7L2) modeling were constructed. The increased HIST1H2BH expression was correlated with worse survival of MM based on TCGA datasets. The transcriptional expression of HIST1H2BH was significantly up-regulated in primary MM patients. And knockdown HIST1H2BH decreased the proliferation of MM cell lines.Conclusions We have identified up-regulated HIST1H2BH in MM patients associated with poor prognosis using integrated bioinformatical methods.

Nylon 54 is a novel, biodegradable polyamide with excellent thermal resistance and water absorption properties. It can be polymerized using bio-based cadaverine and succinic acid as monomers. Traditional separation methods isolate individual monomers from the fermentation broth through acidification or alkalization, resulting in significant amounts of waste salts; however, synchronous separation of dibasic acids and diamines has not been reported. This study investigated an integrated process for the separation and extraction of nylon 54 salts from a co-fermentation broth without acidification or alkalization. We meticulously optimized the operational parameters of the integrated process to achieve maximum separation efficiency. Following microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and decolorization, the bacterial eliminating rate was ≥99.83%, and the protein concentration was ≤40 mg/L. The absorbance of the decolorized solution was ≤0.021 at 430 nm, and the recovery rate of nylon 54 salt reached 97%. Then, the pretreated solution was passed through sequential chromatographic columns, which effectively removed organic acid by-products (such as acetic acid and lactic acid), SO42−, and NH4+ from the fermentation broth, resulting in a cadaverine yield of 98.01% and a succinic acid yield of 89.35%. Finally, by concentrating and crystallizing the eluent, the simulated fermentation broth yielded nylon 54 salt with a purity of 99.16% and a recovery rate of 58%, and the real fermentation broth yielded nylon 54 salt with a purity of 98.10% and a recovery rate of 56.21%. This integrated process offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly pathway for the complete biosynthesis of nylon 54 salt and has the potential to be extended to the preparation of other nylon salts.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2R) is an attractive option for storing renewable electricity and for the sustainable production of valuable chemicals and fuels. In this roadmap, we review recent progress in fundamental understanding, catalyst development, and in engineering and scale-up. We discuss the outstanding challenges towards commercialization of electrochemical CO2R technology: energy efficiencies, selectivities, low current densities, and stability. We highlight the opportunities in establishing rigorous standards for benchmarking performance, advances in in operando characterization, the discovery of new materials towards high value products, the investigation of phenomena across multiple-length scales and the application of data science towards doing so. We hope that this collective perspective sparks new research activities that ultimately bring us a step closer towards establishing a low- or zero-emission carbon cycle.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: This study firstly identified an IncHI5 plasmid pK254-KPC_NDM co-carrying two different class carbapenemase genes blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-1 in Klebsiella michiganensis K254. Methods: The strain K254 was sequenced by high-throughput genome sequencing. A detailed genomic and phenotypic characterization of pK254-KPC_NDM was performed. Results: pK254-KPC_NDM displayed the conserve IncHI5 backbone and carried a resistant accessory region: Tn1696-related transposon Tn7414 containing blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-1. A sequence comparison was applied to a collection of four Tn1696-related transposons (Tn7414–Tn7417) harbouring carbapenemase genes. For all these four transposons, the blaNDM-1 was carried by Tn125 derivatives within three different mobile genetic elements. Tn7414 further acquired another carbapenemase gene, blaKPC-2, because of the integration of the local blaKPC-2 genetic environment from Tn6296, resulting in the high-level carbapenem resistance of K. michiganensis K254. The conjugal transfer and plasmid stability experiments confirmed that pK254-KPC_NDM could be transferred intercellularly and keep the stable vertical inheritance in different bacteria, which would contribute to the further dissemination of multiple carbapenemase genes and enhance the adaption and survival of K. michiganensis under complex and diverse antimicrobial selection pressures. Conclusion: This study was the first to report the K. michiganensis isolate coharbouring blaKPC-2 and blaNDM-1 in the Tn1696-related transposon in IncHI5 plasmid. The emergence of novel transposons simultaneously carrying multiple carbapenemase genes might contribute to the further dissemination of high-level carbapenem resistance in the isolates of the hospital settings and pose new challenges for the treatment of nosocomial infection.

Artificial photosynthesis systems are proposed as an efficient alternative route to capture CO2 to produce additional food for growing global demand. Here a two-step CO2 electrolyser system was developed to produce a highly concentrated acetate stream with a 57% carbon selectivity (CO2 to acetate), allowing its direct use for the heterotrophic cultivation of yeast, mushroom-producing fungus and a photosynthetic green alga, in the dark without inputs from biological photosynthesis. An evaluation of nine crop plants found that carbon from exogenously supplied acetate incorporates into biomass through major metabolic pathways. Coupling this approach to existing photovoltaic systems could increase solar-to-food energy conversion efficiency by about fourfold over biological photosynthesis, reducing the solar footprint required. This technology allows for a reimagination of how food can be produced in controlled environments.