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The study aims to explore the development status, trends and shortcomings of the litchi industry in the mainland of China under the new situation, and to propose corresponding countermeasures to enhance farmers' income and facilitate the high-quality development of litchi industry in the future. By using comparative analysis, the production scale and market situation of litchi in the mainland of China in 2021 and 2022 were compared, and the status and trend of industrial development were analyzed. The results showed that, in 2022, the cultivated area of litchi in the mainland of China remained basically stable at about 526 073.33 hm2; total output was 2 222 700 t, decreasing by 21.02% year-on-year but still keeping at a medium to high level; market demand continued to be strong and on the rise; import and export trade of litchi and products from January to August 2022 was US 839 700, decreasing by 20.02% year-on-year; the average yield per hectare of litchi was 5 176.65 kg, declining by 9.82% compared with that of 2021; the total output value of litchi was approximately 35.392 billion yuan with an increase of 46.52% year-on-year. Green, quality, distinctive and branded litchi industry for high quality and sustainable development, must be laid out from the perspective of the whole industry chain, good top-level design, consolidation of the institutional environment, improvement of the market demand-oriented industry chain integration system, science and technology to empower the sustainable development of the industry, enhancement of industrial development supporting services support system, and construction of industrial data integration and information sharing.

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most abundant internal modifications in eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and non‐coding RNAs (ncRNAs). It is a reversible and dynamic RNA modification that has been observed in both internal coding segments and untranslated regions. Studies indicate that m6A modifications play important roles in translation, RNA splicing, export, degradation and ncRNA processing control. In this review, we focus on the profiles and biological functions of RNA m6A methylation on both mRNAs and ncRNAs. The dynamic modification of m6A and its potential roles in cancer development are discussed. Moreover, we discuss the possibility of m6A modifications serving as potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and targets for therapy.

Memristors are recognized as crucial devices for future nonvolatile memory and artificial intelligence. Due to their typical neuron-synapse-like metal–insulator–metal(MIM) sandwich structure, they are widely used to simulate biological synapses and have great potential in advancing biological synapse simulation. However, the high switch voltage and inferior stability of the memristor restrict the broader application to the emulation of the biological synapse. In this study, we report a vertically structured memristor based on few-layer MoS2. The device shows a lower switching voltage below 0.6 V, with a high ON/OFF current ratio of 104, good stability of more than 180 cycles, and a long retention time exceeding 3 × 103 s. In addition, the device has successfully simulated various biological synaptic functions, including potential/depression propagation, paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), and long-term potentiation/long-term depression (LTP/LTD) modulation. These results have significant implications for the design of a two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides composite material memristor that aim to mimic biological synapses, representing promising avenues for the development of advanced neuromorphic computing systems.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is critical for mRNA splicing, nuclear export, stability and translation. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO), the first identified m6A demethylase, is critical for cancer progression. Herein, we developed small-molecule inhibitors of FTO by virtual screening, structural optimization, and bioassay. As a result, two FTO inhibitors namely 18077 and 18097 were identified, which can selectively inhibit demethylase activity of FTO. Specifically, 18097 bound to the active site of FTO and then inhibited cell cycle process and migration of cancer cells. In addition, 18097 reprogrammed the epi-transcriptome of breast cancer cells, particularly for genes related to P53 pathway. 18097 increased the abundance of m6A modification of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) mRNA, which recruited IGF2BP1 to increase mRNA stability of SOCS1 and subsequently activated the P53 signaling pathway. Further, 18097 suppressed cellular lipogenesis via downregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), and C/EBPβ. Animal studies confirmed that 18097 can significantly suppress in vivo growth and lung colonization of breast cancer cells. Collectively, we identified that FTO can work as a potential drug target and the small-molecule inhibitor 18097 can serve as a potential agent against breast cancer.

Post-transcriptional modifications in RNAs regulate their biological behaviors and functions. N1-methyladenosine (m1A), which is dynamically regulated by writers, erasers and readers, has been found as a reversible modification in tRNA, mRNA, rRNA and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). m1A modification has impacts on the RNA processing, structure and functions of targets. Increasing studies reveal the critical roles of m1A modification and its regulators in tumorigenesis. Due to the positive relevance between m1A and cancer development, targeting m1A modification and m1A-related regulators has been of attention. In this review, we summarized the current understanding of m1A in RNAs, covering the modulation of m1A modification in cancer biology, as well as the possibility of targeting m1A modification as a potential target for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Deep ultraviolet light‐emitting diodes (DUV‐LEDs) are considered to be the most promising ultraviolet light sources for effective and fast sterilization under the worldwide spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID‐19). However, it reminds challenging to promote the light extraction of DUV‐LEDs owing to the strong DUV light absorption of conventional encapsulation materials. Herein, solid–liquid hybrid‐state gels (SLHGs) to fabricate organic lenses for DUV‐LEDs, which largely enhance the light extraction efficiency without sacrificing the working stability, are proposed. Solid‐state cross‐linked networks of polydimethylsiloxane are used in the SLHG structure to maintain the liquid components of silicone oil and demonstrate excellent formability, DUV transparency (over 90% transmittance in the UVC range), and thermal stability. The radiant power of DUV‐LEDs (275 nm) with the optimized SLHG organic lens is enhanced by 52.5% compared to a commercial quartz lens, achieving a record packaging optical effiency of 1.31 among solid‐state packaging DUV‐LEDs. A sterilization evaluation for SARS‐CoV‐2 demonstrates that the inactivation time can be reduced by ≈25% using the SLHG organic lens. Consequently, herein, a feasible and effective method to enhance the optical performance of DUV‐LEDs and advance their promising potential for disinfection applications is provided.

Abstract Background tRNA-derived small RNAs (tDRs), which are widely distributed in human tissues including blood and urine, play an important role in the progression of cancer. However, the expression of tDRs in colorectal cancer (CRC) plasma and their potential diagnostic values have not been systematically explored. Methods The expression profiles of tDRs in plasma of CRC and health controls (HCs) are investigated by small RNA sequencing. The level and diagnostic value of 5′-tRF-GlyGCC are evaluated by quantitative PCR in plasma samples from 105 CRC patients and 90 HCs. The mechanisms responsible for biogenesis of 5′-tRF-GlyGCC are checked by in vitro and in vivo models. Results 5′-tRF-GlyGCC is dramatically increased in plasma of CRC patients compared to that of HCs. The area under curve (AUC) for 5′-tRF-GlyGCC in CRC group is 0.882. The combination of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) with 5′-tRF-GlyGCC improves the AUC to 0.926. Consistently, the expression levels of 5′-tRF-GlyGCC in CRC cells and xenograft tissues are significantly greater than that in their corresponding controls. Blood cells co-cultured with CRC cells or mice xenografted with CRC tumors show increased levels of 5′-tRF-GlyGCC. In addition, we find that the increased expression of 5′-tRF-GlyGCC is dependent on the upregulation of AlkB homolog 3 (ALKBH3), a tRNA demethylase which can promote tRNA cleaving to generate tDRs. Conclusions The level of 5′-tRF-GlyGCC in plasma is a promising diagnostic biomarker for CRC diagnosis.

Dysregulation of N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is associated with cancer progression. Here, authors show that m6A methylation of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4) positively regulates its mRNA stability and translation, and consequently affects glycolysis in cancer cells

Abstract N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been implicated in the progression of several cancers. We reveal that during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), one important step for cancer cell metastasis, m6A modification of mRNAs increases in cancer cells. Deletion of methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) down-regulates m6A, impairs the migration, invasion and EMT of cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. m6A-sequencing and functional studies confirm that Snail, a key transcription factor of EMT, is involved in m6A-regulated EMT. m6A in Snail CDS, but not 3’UTR, triggers polysome-mediated translation of Snail mRNA in cancer cells. Loss and gain functional studies confirm that YTHDF1 mediates m6A-increased translation of Snail mRNA. Moreover, the upregulation of METTL3 and YTHDF1 act as adverse prognosis factors for overall survival (OS) rate of liver cancer patients. Our study highlights the critical roles of m6A on regulation of EMT in cancer cells and translation of Snail during this process.

Abstract Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical players in cancer progression, but their functions in colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis have not been systematically clarified. Methods lncRNA expression profiles in matched normal and CRC tissue were checked using microarray analysis. The biological roles of a novel lncRNA, namely RP11-138 J23.1 (RP11), in development of CRC were checked both in vitro and in vivo. Its association with clinical progression of CRC was further analyzed. Results RP11 was highly expressed in CRC tissues, and its expression increased with CRC stage in patients. RP11 positively regulated the migration, invasion and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CRC cells in vitro and enhanced liver metastasis in vivo. Post-translational upregulation of Zeb1, an EMT-related transcription factor, was essential for RP11-induced cell dissemination. Mechanistically, the RP11/hnRNPA2B1/mRNA complex accelerated the mRNA degradation of two E3 ligases, Siah1 and Fbxo45, and subsequently prevented the proteasomal degradation of Zeb1. m6A methylation was involved in the upregulation of RP11 by increasing its nuclear accumulation. Clinical analysis showed that m6A can regulate the expression of RP11, further, RP11 regulated Siah1-Fbxo45/Zeb1 was involved in the development of CRC. Conclusions m6A-induced lncRNA RP11 can trigger the dissemination of CRC cells via post-translational upregulation of Zeb1. Considering the high and specific levels of RP11 in CRC tissues, our present study paves the way for further investigations of RP11 as a predictive biomarker or therapeutic target for CRC.

Shellac resin ammonium salts (SRAS) were prepared from the natural product of shellac resin and ammonium hydroxide by amidation. Resveratrol (RES) was embedded with SRAS to improve its thermostability, antioxidant activity, and bioavailability. The absorption of RES was promoted in the intestinal tract. Meanwhile, an enteric-coated microcapsule-loaded RES was successfully established by spray drying technology. The RES microcapsule exhibited a spherical shape and perfect stability as well as outstanding sustainable release character in simulated intestinal release experiment. Moreover, SRAS/RES presented a dose-dependent manner with a much higher radical scavenging activity of DPPH· and ABTS+ compared to the pure RES. Therefore, a kind of new pH-sensitive RES microcapsule established may act as a favorable carrier for an insoluble antioxidant ingredient in the potentially new food delivery system on functional food supplements.

A fast self-healing hydrogel system with high strength and excellent response to the near infrared light (NIR) was proposed. The effect of graphene oxide (GO) on the mechanical and self-healing properties of poly(N,N-Dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) hydrogels was studied. The results indicated that the self-healing efficiency of pure PDMA hydrogels was lower than that of PDMA-GO hydrogels. Especially, when the content of GO was more than or equal to 3 mg ml ^−1 , the self-healing efficiency can reach to approximately 100% after 2 h. It is due to that the increase in the content of GO could induce a rapid temperature rise of the hydrogel, which was benefit for improving the fast self-healing capacity. Most notably, PDMA-GO hydrogels still exhibited the excellent mechanical properties and the stable loading-unload behavior after the damage parts were healed. It can be contributed that GO forms hydrogen bonds with the three-dimensional network structure of the hydrogel matrix.

The effective removal of uranium from an aqueous solution is a highly valuable process for the environment and health. In this study, we developed a facile and rapid method to synthesize hierarchically porous Cu-BTC (RT-Cu-BTC) using a cooperative template strategy. The as-synthesized RT-Cu-BTC exhibited hierarchically porous structure and excellent thermostability, as revealed by X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Compared with conventional metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and zeolites, the obtained RT-Cu-BTC exhibited enhanced adsorption capacity (839.7 mg·g−1) and high removal efficiency (99.8%) in the capture of uranium (VI) from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the conditions such as adsorbent dose, contact time, and temperature in adsorption of uranium (VI) by RT-Cu-BTC were investigated in detail. The thermodynamics data demonstrated the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the uranium (VI) adsorption process. The Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order models could better reflect the adsorption process of uranium (VI) onto RT-Cu-BTC. In addition, the as-synthesized RT-Cu-BTC showed excellent stability in removing uranium (VI) from an aqueous solution. This work provides a facile and rapid approach for fabricating hierarchically porous MOFs to realize a highly efficient removal of uranium (VI) from aqueous systems.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant modification on eukaryotic mRNA, which regulates all steps of the mRNA life cycle. An increasing number of studies have shown that m6A methylation plays essential roles in tumor development. However, the relationship between m6A and the progression of cancers remains to be explored. Here, we reported that transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ1)-induced epithelial−mesenchymal transition (EMT) was inhibited in methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) knockdown (Mettl3Mut/−) cells. The expression of TGFβ1 was up-regulated, while self-stimulated expression of TGFβ1 was suppressed in Mettl3Mut/− cells. We further revealed that m6A promoted TGFB1 mRNA decay, but impaired TGFB1 translation progress. Besides this, the autocrine of TGFβ1 was disrupted in Mettl3Mut/− cells via interrupting TGFβ1 dimer formation. Lastly, we found that Snail, which was down-regulated in Mettl3Mut/− cells, was a key factor responding to TGFβ1-induced EMT. Together, our research demonstrated that m6A performed multi-functional roles in TGFβ1 expression and EMT modulation, suggesting the critical roles of m6A in cancer progression regulation.

A variation on the rubber hand paradigm creates a striking illusion in which it seems to the participant that she or he is feeling touch through glass. This illusion provides insight about how individuals make use of predictive signals for integrating vision and touch.

Abstract With the growing popularity of cold brewed coffee comes a need for brewing efficiency while preserving the desirable flavor profile. Despite the wide use of full immersion brewing techniques, the effect of brew time on the dynamic sensory profiles of full immersion brewed coffee remains underexplored. Here, we investigated the relationship between coffee sensory quality and extraction dynamics, measured as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Extraction (E) of full immersion brewed coffee at various roast levels, and brewing temperatures (4 °C, 22 °C and 92 °C), over brew time using a generic descriptive analysis method. Specifically, different brew time points were selected for different temperatures based on five targeted coffee extraction stages. Furthermore, the unique experimental design also explored a sensory-driven engineering research process. Roast level had the greatest impact on the sensory profile of the coffees, followed by brewing temperature, but brew time, especially the longer brew times as TDS plateaued, had subtler impacts than expected. Twenty-five of 28 sensory attributes were significantly different among the 30 coffee samples, indicating a single source green coffee blend can produce a wide range of complex sensory profiles using different combinations of roast level, temperature, and brew time. Specifically, the intensity of sweetness was negatively correlated with TDS, and 19 other attribute intensities were positively correlated with TDS. Interestingly, we found that certain long time cold brews had similar sensory profiles to those of some short time hot brews, suggesting the sensory profiles of certain hot brews and cold brews could possibly be matched through controlled preparation. Overall, our study demonstrated an approach of integrating food engineering and sensory analysis for product development, and our findings provide valuable insights into the extraction dynamics and sensory quality of full immersion brewed coffee and opens new brewing avenues for the coffee industry.

Lemna turionifera is native to North America and northern Asia, with significant potential for industrial wastewater remediation. The complete nucleotide sequence of the L. turionifera chloroplast genome (cpDNA) was determined. The cpDNA is a circular molecule of 166,606 bp and containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) measuting 31,663 bp each. These IRs are flanked by a small single-copy region of 13,542 bp and a large single-copy region of 89,738 bp. The chloroplast genome of L. turionifera consisted of 112 unique genes, including 78 protein-encoding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis utilizing cpDNA provided a well-supported resolution of the relationships among subfamilies within the Araceae family. Our findings indicated a close relationship between L. turionifera and a clade consisting of L. minor, L. japonica, and L. gibba. The availability of the complete chloroplast genome sequence of L. turionifera presents valuable data for future phylogenetic investigations within the Lemnaceae family.