Dynamics of magnetization at infinite temperature in a Heisenberg spin chain

Understanding universal aspects of quantum dynamics is an unresolved problem in statistical mechanics. In particular, the spin dynamics of the one-dimensional Heisenberg model were conjectured as to belong to the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) universality class based on the scaling of the infinite-temperature spin-spin correlation function. In a chain of 46 superconducting qubits, we studied the probability distribution of the magnetization transferred across the chain's center, [Formula: see text]. The first two moments of [Formula: see text] show superdiffusive behavior, a hallmark of KPZ universality. However, the third and fourth moments ruled out the KPZ conjecture and allow for evaluating other theories. Our results highlight the importance of studying higher moments in determining dynamic universality classes and provide insights into universal behavior in quantum systems.

Stable quantum-correlated many-body states through engineered dissipation

Engineered dissipative reservoirs have the potential to steer many-body quantum systems toward correlated steady states useful for quantum simulation of high-temperature superconductivity or quantum magnetism. Using up to 49 superconducting qubits, we prepared low-energy states of the transverse-field Ising model through coupling to dissipative auxiliary qubits. In one dimension, we observed long-range quantum correlations and a ground-state fidelity of 0.86 for 18 qubits at the critical point. In two dimensions, we found mutual information that extends beyond nearest neighbors. Lastly, by coupling the system to auxiliaries emulating reservoirs with different chemical potentials, we explored transport in the quantum Heisenberg model. Our results establish engineered dissipation as a scalable alternative to unitary evolution for preparing entangled many-body states on noisy quantum processors.

"Triple-Punch" Strategy Exosome-Mimetic Nanovesicles for Triple Negative Breast Cancer Therapy

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most malignant breast cancer, with high rates of relapse and metastasis. Because of the nonspecific targeting of chemotherapy and insurmountable aggressiveness, TNBC therapy lacks an effective strategy. Exosomes have been reported as an efficient drug delivery system (DDS). CD82 is a tumor metastasis inhibitory molecule that is enriched in exosomes. Aptamer AS1411 specifically targets TNBC cells due to its high expression of nucleolin. We generated a "triple-punch" cell membrane-derived exosome-mimetic nanovesicle system that integrated with CD82 overexpression, AS1411 conjugation, and doxorubicin (DOX) delivery. CD82 enrichment effectively inhibits the migration of TNBC cells. AS1411 conjugation specifically targets TNBC cells. DOX loading effectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of TNBC cells. Our results demonstrate a system of exosome-mimetic nanovesicles with "triple-punch" that may facilitate TNBC therapeutics.

Impacts of climate change on herpetofauna diversity in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Although numerous studies on the impacts of climate change on biodiversity have been published, only a handful are focused on the intraspecific level or consider population-level models (separate models per population). We endeavored to fill this knowledge gap relative to the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau (QTP) by combining species distribution modeling (SDMs) with population genetics (i.e., population-level models) and phylogenetic methods (i.e., phylogenetic tree reconstruction and phylogenetic diversity analyses). We applied our models to 11 endemic and widely distributed herpetofauna species inhabiting high elevations in the QTP. We aimed to determine the influence of environmental heterogeneity on species' responses to climate change, the magnitude of climate-change impacts on intraspecific diversity, and the relationship between species range loss and intraspecific diversity losses under 2 shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP245 and SSP585) and 3 future periods (2050s, 2070s, and 2090s). The effects of global climatic change were more pronounced at the intraspecific level (22% of haplotypes lost and 36% of populations lost) than the morphospecies level in the SSP585 climate change scenario. Maintenance of genetic diversity was in general determined by a combination of factors including range changes, species genetic structure, and the part of the range predicted to be lost. This is owing to the fact that the loss and survival of populations were observed in species irrespective of the predicted range changes (contraction or expansion). In the southeast (mountainous regions), climate change had less of an effect on range size (>100% in 3 species) than in central and northern QTP plateau regions (range size <100% in all species). This may be attributed to environmental heterogeneity, which provided pockets of suitable climate in the southeast, whereas ecosystems in the north and central regions were homogeneous. Generally, our results imply that mountainous regions with high environmental heterogeneity and high genetic diversity may buffer the adverse impacts of climate change on species distribution and intraspecific diversity. Therefore, genetic structure and characteristics of the ecosystem may be crucial for conservation under climate change.

Synthetic pentatrideca-valent triazolylsialoside inhibits influenza virus hemagglutinin/neuraminidase and aggregates virion particles

A synthetic multivalent hemagglutinin and neuraminidase inhibitor was developed by the conjugation of a septa-valent triazolylsialoside to bovine serum albumin using di-(N-succinimidyl) adipate. Matrixassisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) confirmed the attachment of five septa-valent sialyl lactosides to the protein backbone, resulting in a pentatrideca-valent sialyl conjugate. This pseudo-glycoprotein demonstrated a high affinity for hemagglutinin/neuraminidase as well as for the drug-resistant NA mutation on the influenza virus surface due to the cluster effect. The conjugate also exhibited potent antiviral activity against a wide range of virus strains without cytotoxicity at high concentrations. Mechanistic studies revealed that the pentatrideca-valent sialyl conjugate bound strongly to the influenza virion particles through interactions with HA/NA on the virion surfaces. The KD of the interaction was approximately 1 μM, as determined by isothermal calorimetric titration, allowing the capture and trapping of the influenza virions and preventing their further infection of host cells. These findings provide insight into the development of new antiviral agents using multivalent sialic acid clusters.

Evaluation of packaging capacity at the genomic 2C/3A junction region in Porcine enterovirus G

Porcine enterovirus G (EV-G) is endogenous to most pig farming countries worldwide. Reports that a papain-like protease (PLP) gene has been naturally inserted into the 2C/3A junction region of the EV-G genome, has increased the potential public health threats from this virus. We constructed a full-length infectious cDNA clone of EV-G, CH/17GXQZ/2017, in order to determine the packaging capacity at the 2C/3A insertion site. Subsequently, recombinants viruses containing the coding tags, GFP, iLOV and His at the 2C/3A junction region, were synthesized. The infectious virus was successfully rescued only with the insertion of the His-tag, which displayed similar virological and molecular properties to its parental strain. This study determined the packaging capacity of the 2C/3A insertion site, and it provides a practical tool for studying the functions and pathogenic mechanisms of EV-G in pigs.

2, 2-dimethylthiazolidine hydrochloride protects against experimental contrast-induced acute kidney injury via inhibition of tubular ferroptosis

Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) has become the third leading cause of AKI acquired in hospital, lacking of effective interventions. In the study, we identified the renal beneficial role of 2, 2-dimethylthiazolidine hydrochloride (DMTD), a safer compound which is readily hydrolyzed to cysteamine, in the rodent model of CI-AKI. Our data showed that administration of DMTD attenuated the impaired renal function and tubular injury induced by the contrast agent. Levels of MDA, 4-hydroxynonenal, ferrous iron and morphological signs showed that contrast agent induced ferroptosis, which could be inhibited in the DMTD group. In vitro, DMTD suppressed ferroptosis induced by ioversol in the cultured tubular cells. Treatment of DMTD upregulated glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Moreover, we found that DMTD promoted the ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation of Keap1, and thus increased the activity of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Mechanistically, increase of the ubiquitylation degradation of Keap1 mediates the upregulated effect of DMTD on Nrf2. Consequently, activated Nrf2/Slc7a11 results in the increase of GSH and GPX4, and therefore leads to the inhibition of ferroptosis. Herein, we imply DMTD as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of CI-AKI.

Measurement-induced entanglement and teleportation on a noisy quantum processor

Measurement has a special role in quantum theory1: by collapsing the wavefunction, it can enable phenomena such as teleportation2 and thereby alter the 'arrow of time' that constrains unitary evolution. When integrated in many-body dynamics, measurements can lead to emergent patterns of quantum information in space-time3-10 that go beyond the established paradigms for characterizing phases, either in or out of equilibrium11-13. For present-day noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) processors14, the experimental realization of such physics can be problematic because of hardware limitations and the stochastic nature of quantum measurement. Here we address these experimental challenges and study measurement-induced quantum information phases on up to 70 superconducting qubits. By leveraging the interchangeability of space and time, we use a duality mapping9,15-17 to avoid mid-circuit measurement and access different manifestations of the underlying phases, from entanglement scaling3,4 to measurement-induced teleportation18. We obtain finite-sized signatures of a phase transition with a decoding protocol that correlates the experimental measurement with classical simulation data. The phases display remarkably different sensitivity to noise, and we use this disparity to turn an inherent hardware limitation into a useful diagnostic. Our work demonstrates an approach to realizing measurement-induced physics at scales that are at the limits of current NISQ processors.

Four-Color SERS Monitoring of Size-dependent Nanoparticle Delivery in the Same Tumor

The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles (NPs) significantly influence their deposition at the disease site, ultimately impacting the overall therapeutic efficacy; however, precisely assessing the effects of various factors on NP accumulation within a single cell/tumor tissue is challenging due to the lack of appropriate labeling techniques. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) tag is a powerful encoding method that has recently been intensively employed for immunodetection of biomarkers. Herein, we introduce a multiplexed SERS tracking approach for systematic investigation of size-dependent accumulation and distribution of NPs within the same tumor. Four-sized (34, 60, 108, and 147 nm) NPs encoded with different SERS "colors" were fabricated, mixed, and incubated with monolayer tumor cells, multicellular tumor spheroids, or injected into mouse models bearing xenograft solid tumors in a single dose. Multicolor SERS detection of the specimens revealed that NP accumulation in tumor cells, tumor spheroids, and solid tumors was in the order of 34 nm > 60 nm > 108 nm > 147 nm, 60 nm > 34 nm > 108 nm > 147 nm, and 34 nm > 147 nm > 108 nm > 60 nm, respectively. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy determination performed in parallel samples were in alignment with the four-color SERS probing results, demonstrating the effectiveness of this multiplexed evaluation assay. Furthermore, in combination with fluorescence labeling of specific biomolecules, this method can be applied for the colocalization of different NPs in various pathological structures and provide additional information for analysis of the possible mechanisms.

Effects of incineration and pyrolysis on removal of organics and liberation of cathode active materials derived from spent ternary lithium-ion batteries

Removing organics via thermal treatment to liberate active materials from spent cathode sheets is essential for recovering lithium-ion batteries. In this study, the effects of incineration, N2 pyrolysis, and CO2 pyrolysis on the removal of organics and liberation of ternary cathode active materials (CAMs) were compared. The results indicated that the organics in the spent ternary cathode sheets comprised a residual electrolyte and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder. Moreover, the organics could be removed to promote the liberation of CAMs via incineration, N2 pyrolysis, and CO2 pyrolysis. When the temperature was <200 °C, the chemical properties of the volatilized ester electrolyte remained unchanged during both N2 and CO2 pyrolysis, indicating that the electrolyte can be collected by controlling the pyrolysis temperature and condensation. Furthermore, PVDF binder decomposition occurred at 200-600 °C. The optimal temperatures of incineration, N2 pyrolysis, and CO2 pyrolysis were 550, 500, and 450 °C, respectively, and these treatments increased the liberation efficiency of CAMs from 81.49 % to 98.75 %, 99.26 %, and 97.98 %, respectively. In addition, heat-treated CAMs required less time to achieve adequate liberation. Following three thermal treatment processes, the sizes of the CAM particles were mainly concentrated in the ranges of 0.075-0.1 mm and <0.075 mm. Furthermore, for all types of CAMs examined, the Al concentration decreased from 1.09 % to <0.35 %, which increased the separation efficiency and improved the chemical metallurgical performance.

GsPKS24, a calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinase gene from Glycine soja, positively regulates tolerance to pH stress and ABA signal transduction

SOS2-like protein kinases (PKS/CIPK) family genes are known to be involved in various abiotic stresses in plants. Even though, its functions have been well characterized under salt and drought stresses. The roles of PKS genes associated with alkaline stress response are not fully established yet. In this study, we identified 56 PKS family genes which could be mainly classified into three groups in wild soybean (Glycine soja). PKS family genes transcript profiles revealed different expression patterns under alkali stress. Furthermore, we confirmed the regulatory roles of GsPKS24 in response to NaHCO3, pH and ABA treatments. Overexpression of GsPKS24 enhanced plant tolerance to pH stress in Arabidopsis and soybean hairy roots but conferred suppressed pH tolerance in Arabidopsis atpks mutant. Additionally, Overexpression of GsPKS24 decreased the ABA sensitivity compared to Arabidopsis atpks mutant which displayed more sensitivity towards ABA. Moreover, upregulated expression of stress responsive and ABA signal-related genes were detected in GsPKS24 overexpression lines. In conclusion, we identified the wild soybean PKS family genes, and explored the roles of GsPKS24 in positive response to pH stress tolerance, and in alleviation of ABA sensitivity.

Biological Characteristics and Pathogenicity Analysis of a Low Virulence G2a Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus

Since the outbreak caused by a porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) variant in 2010, the current epidemic of PEDV genotype 2 (G2) has caused huge economic losses to the pig industry in China. In order to better understand the biological characteristics and pathogenicity of the current PEDV field strains, 12 PEDV isolates were collected and plaque purified during 2017 to 2018 in Guangxi, China. The neutralizing epitopes of the spike proteins and the ORF3 proteins were analyzed to evaluate genetic variations, and they were compared with the reported G2a and G2b strains. Phylogenetic analysis of the S protein showed that the 12 isolates were clustered into the G2 subgroup (with 5 and 7 strains in G2a and G2b, respectively) and that they shared 97.4 to 99.9% amino acid identities. Among them, one of the G2a strains, CH/GXNN-1/2018, which had a titer of 106.15 PFU/mL, was selected for pathogenicity analysis. Although piglets infected with the CH/GXNN-1/2018 strain exhibited severe clinical signs and the highest level of virus shedding within 24 h postinfection (hpi), recovery and decreased virus shedding were seen after 48 hpi, and no piglets died during the whole process. Thus, the CH/GXNN-1/2018 strain had low virulence in suckling piglets. Virus neutralizing antibody analysis showed that the CH/GXNN-1/2018 strain induced cross-protection against both homologous G2a and heterologous G2b PEDV strains as early as 72 hpi. These results are of great significance for understanding PEDV in Guangxi, China, and they provide a promising naturally occurring low-virulent vaccine candidate for further study. IMPORTANCE The current epidemic of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) G2 has caused huge economic losses to the pig industry. Evaluation for low virulence of the PEDV strains of subgroup G2a would be useful for the future development of effective vaccines. In this study, 12 field strains of PEDV were obtained successfully, and they were characterized from Guangxi, China. The neutralizing epitopes of the spike proteins and the ORF3 proteins were analyzed to evaluate antigenic variations. One of the G2a strains, CH/GXNN-1/2018, was selected for pathogenicity analysis, and it showed that the CH/GXNN-1/2018 strain had low virulence in suckling piglets. These results provide a promising naturally occurring low-virulent vaccine candidate for further study.

Non-Abelian braiding of graph vertices in a superconducting processor

Indistinguishability of particles is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics¹. For all elementary and quasiparticles observed to date-including fermions, bosons and Abelian anyons-this principle guarantees that the braiding of identical particles leaves the system unchanged^2,3. However, in two spatial dimensions, an intriguing possibility exists: braiding of non-Abelian anyons causes rotations in a space of topologically degenerate wavefunctions^4-8. Hence, it can change the observables of the system without violating the principle of indistinguishability. Despite the well-developed mathematical description of non-Abelian anyons and numerous theoretical proposals^9-22, the experimental observation of their exchange statistics has remained elusive for decades. Controllable many-body quantum states generated on quantum processors offer another path for exploring these fundamental phenomena. Whereas efforts on conventional solid-state platforms typically involve Hamiltonian dynamics of quasiparticles, superconducting quantum processors allow for directly manipulating the many-body wavefunction by means of unitary gates. Building on predictions that stabilizer codes can host projective non-Abelian Ising anyons^9,10, we implement a generalized stabilizer code and unitary protocol²³ to create and braid them. This allows us to experimentally verify the fusion rules of the anyons and braid them to realize their statistics. We then study the prospect of using the anyons for quantum computation and use braiding to create an entangled state of anyons encoding three logical qubits. Our work provides new insights about non-Abelian braiding and, through the future inclusion of error correction to achieve topological protection, could open a path towards fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Ultrasensitive iodide detection in biofluids based on hot electron-induced reduction of p-Nitrothiophenol on Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles

Surveillance of iodine intake is important because either inadequate or excessive amount of iodine may lead to thyroid malfunctions. Herein, we report a method for fast iodide quantification based on a plasmonic hot electron-driven chemical reaction, which occurs on Au@Ag core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) coated with p-nitrothiophenol (PNTP) molecules. Upon resonant light illumination, hot electron-hole pairs are generated in the NPs. The hot holes capture iodide ions (I^-) and form AgI which decomposes under light; while the hot electrons are shifted to the electron orbital (LUMO) of PNTP and trigger its reduction to p-aminothiophenol (PATP). By measuring characteristic surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopic (SERS) peaks of PNTP and PATP, the concentration of I^- in water can be quantitatively determined, with a linear response in the 0.5-20 μM range and a detection limit of 0.30 μM. The Au@Ag nanosensor was then applied for I^- detection in various biofluids including urine, serum and saliva, exhibiting superior detection sensitivity and high selectivity. This sensing assay requires a small sample volume of ∼10 μL and completes the entire detection process in ∼2 min, and therefore holds significant potential for application in point-of-care settings.

STMHCpan, an accurate Star-Transformer-based extensible framework for predicting MHC I allele binding peptides

Peptide-major histocompatibility complex I (MHC I) binding affinity prediction is crucial for vaccine development, but existing methods face limitations such as small datasets, model overfitting due to excessive parameters and suboptimal performance. Here, we present STMHCPan (STAR-MHCPan), an open-source package based on the Star-Transformer model, for MHC I binding peptide prediction. Our approach introduces an attention mechanism to improve the deep learning network architecture and performance in antigen prediction. Compared with classical deep learning algorithms, STMHCPan exhibits improved performance with fewer parameters in receptor affinity training. Furthermore, STMHCPan outperforms existing ligand benchmark datasets identified by mass spectrometry. It can also handle peptides of arbitrary length and is highly scalable for predicting T-cell responses. Our software is freely available for use, training and extension through Github (https://github.com/Luckysoutheast/STMHCPan.git).

Empty and Full AAV Capsid Charge and Hydrophobicity Differences Measured with Single-Particle AFM

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is showing promise as a therapy for diseases that contain a single-gene deletion or mutation. One major scale-up challenge is the removal of empty or non-gene of interest containing AAV capsids. Analytically, the empty capsids can be separated from full capsids using anion exchange chromatography. However, when scaled up to manufacturing, the minute changes in conductivity are difficult to consistently obtain. To better understand the differences in the empty and full AAV capsids, we have developed a single-particle atomic force microscopy (AFM) method to measure the differences in the charge and hydrophobicity of AAV capsids at the single-particle level. The atomic force microscope tip was functionalized with either a charged or a hydrophobic molecule, and the adhesion force between the functionalized atomic force microscope tip and the virus was measured. We measured a change in the charge and hydrophobicity between empty and full AAV2 and AAV8 capsids. The charge and hydrophobicity differences between AAV2 and AAV8 are related to the distribution of charge on the surface and not the total charge. We propose that the presence of nucleic acids inside the capsid causes minor but measurable changes in the capsid structure that lead to measurable surface changes in charge and hydrophobicity.

Process parameters and biological mechanism of efficient removal of Cd(II) ion from wastewater by a novel Bacillus subtilis TR1

The safe treatment of heavy metals in wastewater is directly related to the human health and social development. In this paper, a new biological strain has been isolated from electroplating wastewater, which can effectively remove metal ions in wastewater. The results of 16 S rDNA sequencing analysis and NCBI GenBank database comparison show that the strain belongs to a novel Bacillus genus and names Bacillus subtilis TR1 with the accession number of OL441606. The removal rate of Cd(II) reaches to 85.68% with the conditions of pH = 7, C_0Cd(II) = 20 mg L^-1, t = 48 h, m = 0.1 g, and T = 35 °C. The biological removal mechanism of Cd(II) is in-depth studied by FTIR and XRD combined with third-generation sequencing. The results indicate that Bacillus subtilis TR1 removes Cd(II) mainly through two synergistic pathways, namely, extracellular chemisorption and intracellular bioaccumulation: 1) The groups carried on the surface of the strain, such as -COOH, -NH, -OH and C-H, have good chemisorption properties for Cd(II) and easily form cadmium containing chelation (-COO-Cd(II), -N-Cd(II), etc.) with these groups. The appearance of TR1 strain changes from cylindrical to spherical after Cd(II) adsorption, which is due to the biotoxicity of Cd(II); 2) Cd(II) exchanges on the surface of TR1 strain with K and Na ions released from the intracellular cytoplasm and enters the cytoplasm under the transfer of biological transport medium. This part of Cd(II) is converted into its own components by anabolic enzymes and accumulates in the cytoplasm. These data provide a new biological agent for the efficient treatment of heavy metal ions in wastewater and enrich relevant theoretical knowledge.

Correlations of Omentin-1 and Leptin with Bone Metabolism and Plasma Glucose Upon Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Osteoporosis

BACKGROUND

The goal was to investigate the correlations of peripheral blood Omentin-1 and leptin (LEP) levels with bone metabolism and plasma glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) complicated with oste-oporosis (OP).

METHODS

One hundred patients with T2DM admitted from September 2019 to September 2021 were divided into group A (n = 36, OP with T-score ≤ -2.5), group B (n = 50, osteopenia with T-score between -1 and -2.5), and group C (n = 14, non-OP with T-score > -1) according to the values of bone mineral density (BMD). Thirty healthy adults physically examined in the same period were selected as group D. The levels of peripheral blood Omentin-1 and LEP, bone metabolism, and plasma glucose were compared among the four groups. The correlations of peripheral blood Omentin-1 and LEP levels with bone metabolism and plasma glucose were explored by Pearson's analysis.

RESULTS

In group A, the levels of Omentin-1 and LEP in peripheral blood were lowest, the serum levels of beta C-terminal cross-linked telopeptides of type I collagen (β-CTX) and osteocalcin (OCN) were highest, the serum level of total N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (tPINP) was lowest, and the levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-hours postprandial plasma glucose (2hPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were highest, se-quentially followed by those of group B, group C, and group D (p < 0.05). Omentin-1 and LEP in peripheral blood were negatively correlated with β-CTX, OCN, 2hPG, and HbA1c and positively correlated with tPINP and FPG (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The expressions of Omentin-1 and LEP in peripheral blood have correlations with bone metabolism and plasma glucose in patients with T2DM complicated with OP.

Hyperexcited limbic neurons represent sexual satiety and reduce mating motivation

Transient sexual experiences can have long-lasting effects on behavioral decisions, but the neural coding that accounts for this change is unclear. We found that the ejaculation experience selectively activated estrogen receptor 2 (Esr2)-expressing neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST)-BNST^Esr2-and led to persistent decreases in firing threshold for days, during which time the mice displayed sexual satiety. Inhibition of hyperexcited BNST^Esr2 elicited fast mating recovery in satiated mice of both sexes. In males, such hyperexcitability reduced mating motivation and was partially mediated by larger HCN (hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated) currents. Thus, BNST^Esr2 not only encode a specific mating action but also represent a persistent state of sexual satiety, and alterations in a neuronal ion channel contribute to sexual experience-dependent long-term changes to mating drive.

METTL16 promotes translation and lung tumorigenesis by sequestering cytoplasmic eIF4E2

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) plays crucial roles in regulating RNA metabolisms. METTL16 identified as a single-component methyltransferase catalyzes m⁶A formation in the nucleus; whether it regulates cytoplasmic RNA fate remains unknown. Here, we detected the dual localization of METTL16 in the nucleus and cytoplasm. METTL16 depletion attenuates protein synthesis, but the methyltransferase activity is not required for its translation-promoting function. Mechanistically, we identified an interactor of METTL16, eIF4E2, which represses translation by acting as a competitor of eIF4E. The METTL16-eIF4E2 interaction impedes the recruitment of eIF4E2 to 5' cap structure, promoting the cap recognition by eIF4E and selective protein synthesis. Depletion of METTL16 suppresses lung tumorigenesis by downregulating the translation of key oncogenes. Collectively, our study reports a role of METTL16 in modulating translation and provides a therapeutic target for lung cancer treatment.

p38 and ERK1/2-dependent activation of c-Jun is required for the downregulation of oxidative stress-induced ERα in hypothalamic astrocytes

INTRODUCTION

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that plays important roles in the female fertility. Accumulating evidence suggests that ERα present in the astrocytes of the hypothalamus region is essential for production of GnRH. The astrocytes display age-related senescence associated to oxidative stress induced by the estrogen metabolites. However, it is still unclear whether and how ERα expression changes during astrocyte aging.

METHODS

Immunofluorescence was performed to analyze the ERα gene levels in hypothalamic astrocytes of natural aging C57BL/6J female mice. We employed an oxidative stress cell model receiving 2OH-E2 intervention to confirm the downregulation of ERα expression in primary astrocytes. Western blot analysis was used to explore which oxidative stress signaling pathways induced loss of the ERα gene. Finally, ChIP-qPCR was employed to evaluate whether the c-Jun protein is able to regulate ERα gene expression.

RESULTS

Compared to young mice, we found that the ERα expression of mid-aged mice was significantly decreased. In hypothalamic astrocytes, 2OH-E2 treatment significantly reduced the expression of the ERα gene. Moreover, we observed that transcription factor c-Jun could directly inhibit transcriptional ERα gene expression and might also reduce it by decreasing H3K27 acetylation at promotor regions. Administration of the antioxidants Rg1 and AST significantly attenuated the decrease in ERα gene expression induced by oxidative stress.

CONCLUSIONS

The current data demonstrate that oxidative stress leads to loss of ERα involving the activation of the p38 and ERK1/2 pathways and the induction of the c-Jun protein in hypothalamic astrocytes. C-Jun protein regulates ERα gene expression via direct transcriptional repression or involving histone acetylation modifications at ERα gene promoter sites.

Protein adsorption on core-shell resins for flow-through purifications: Effect of protein molecular size, shape, and salt concentration

This work addresses the functional properties of the core-shell resins Capto Core 400 and 700 for a broad range of proteins spanning 66.5 to 660 kDa in molecular mass, including bovine serum albumin (BSA) in monomer and dimer form, fibronectin, thyroglobulin, and BSA conjugates with 10 and 30 kDa poly(ethylene glycol) chains. Negatively charged latex nanoparticles (NPs) with nominal diameters of 20, 40, and 100 nm are also studied as surrogates for bioparticles. Protein binding and its trends with respect to salt concentration depend on the protein size and are different for the two agarose-based multimodal resins. For the smaller proteins, the amount of protein bound over practical time scales is limited by the resin surface area and is larger for Capto Core 400 compared with Capto Core 700. For the larger proteins, diffusion is severely restricted in Capto Core 400, resulting in lower binding capacities than those observed for Capto Core 700 despite the larger surface area. Adding 500 mM NaCl reduces the local bound protein concentration and diffusional hindrance resulting in higher binding capacities for the large proteins in Capto Core 400 compared with low ionic strength conditions. The NPs are essentially completely excluded from the Capto Core 400 pores. However, 20 and 40 nm NPs bind significantly to Capto Core 700, further hindering protein diffusion. A model is provided to predict the dynamic binding capacities as a function of residence time.

Circuit-wide proteomics profiling reveals brain region-specific protein signatures in the male WKY rats with endogenous depression

BACKGROUND

Although the Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat has been consistently recognized as an animal model with endogenous depression, the exact molecular mechanisms underlying its genetic susceptibility to depression remain undetermined.

METHODS

Compared with the Wistar rats, the depression-like behaviors of the male WKY ones were evaluated by both the sucrose preference test and forced swimming test. Golgi staining analysis was conducted to access the dendritic morphology. TMT-labelled quantitative proteomics analyses were respectively performed in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and hippocampus (Hip), followed by KEGG enrichment-based clustering analysis, Venn diagram analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis.

RESULTS

The WKY strain showed significant differences in both the depression-like behaviors and synaptic plasticity. Moreover, the WKY model displayed markedly distinct differentially-expressed protein (DEP) profiles, with minor differences between the WKY subgroups. A cerebral regional commonality and specificity were evident in the signaling pathways enriched in the WKY model, and a total of 15 brain region-specific DEPs were identified to closely correlate with the depression-like phenotypes (in the mPFC: Lrrc8d, Dcun1d2, and Mtnd5; in the NAc: Ccdc154, Sec14l2, Kif2a, LOC680322, Me1, Mknk1, and Ret7; in the Hip: Sec14l2, Serpinf2, LOC103694855, Fam13c, and Loxl1). Data were available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD029079.

LIMITATIONS

Female WKY rats are not included, and the roles of these candidate DEPs in depression remain further elucidation.

CONCLUSION

The present study further evidences the brain region-specific protein signatures in the male WKY model with endogenous depression, providing novel insights into the pathogenesis of depression in males.

Formation of robust bound states of interacting microwave photons

Systems of correlated particles appear in many fields of modern science and represent some of the most intractable computational problems in nature. The computational challenge in these systems arises when interactions become comparable to other energy scales, which makes the state of each particle depend on all other particles1. The lack of general solutions for the three-body problem and acceptable theory for strongly correlated electrons shows that our understanding of correlated systems fades when the particle number or the interaction strength increases. One of the hallmarks of interacting systems is the formation of multiparticle bound states2-9. Here we develop a high-fidelity parameterizable fSim gate and implement the periodic quantum circuit of the spin-½ XXZ model in a ring of 24 superconducting qubits. We study the propagation of these excitations and observe their bound nature for up to five photons. We devise a phase-sensitive method for constructing the few-body spectrum of the bound states and extract their pseudo-charge by introducing a synthetic flux. By introducing interactions between the ring and additional qubits, we observe an unexpected resilience of the bound states to integrability breaking. This finding goes against the idea that bound states in non-integrable systems are unstable when their energies overlap with the continuum spectrum. Our work provides experimental evidence for bound states of interacting photons and discovers their stability beyond the integrability limit.

Noise-resilient edge modes on a chain of superconducting qubits

Inherent symmetry of a quantum system may protect its otherwise fragile states. Leveraging such protection requires testing its robustness against uncontrolled environmental interactions. Using 47 superconducting qubits, we implement the one-dimensional kicked Ising model, which exhibits nonlocal Majorana edge modes (MEMs) with ℤ 2 parity symmetry. We find that any multiqubit Pauli operator overlapping with the MEMs exhibits a uniform late-time decay rate comparable to single-qubit relaxation rates, irrespective of its size or composition. This characteristic allows us to accurately reconstruct the exponentially localized spatial profiles of the MEMs. Furthermore, the MEMs are found to be resilient against certain symmetry-breaking noise owing to a prethermalization mechanism. Our work elucidates the complex interplay between noise and symmetry-protected edge modes in a solid-state environment.

An emission-free controlled potassium pyrosulfate roasting-assisted leaching process for selective lithium recycling from spent Li-ion batteries

Recycling critical metals from spent Li-ion batteries (LIBs) is important for the overall sustainability of future batteries. This study reports an improved sulfation roasting technology to efficiently recycle Li and Co from spent LiCoO₂ LIBs using potassium pyrosulfate as sulfurizing reagent. By sulfation roasting, LiCoO₂ was converted into water-soluble lithium potassium sulfate and water-insoluble cobalt oxide. Under optimal conditions, 98.51% Li was leached in water, with a selectivity of 99.86%. More importantly, sulfur can be recirculated thoroughly, and the sulfur atomic efficiency can be significantly enhanced by controlling the amount of potassium pyrosulfate. Li ions from the water leaching process were recovered by chemical precipitation. Furthermore, application of this technology to other spent LIBs, such as LiMn₂O₄ and LiNi_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3O₂, verified its effectiveness for selective recovery Li. These findings can provide some inspiration for high efficiency and environmentally friendly recovery metal from spent LIBs.

Combined legumain- and integrin-targeted nanobubbles for molecular ultrasound imaging of breast cancer

Molecular ultrasound imaging is a promising strategy for non-invasive and precise cancer diagnosis. Previously reported ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) are mostly microbubbles or nanobubbles (NBs) larger than 200 nm, leading to less efficient tumor delivery. Here we synthesized NBs with a small size (~49 nm) and modified the NB surface with alanine-alanine-asparagine (NB-A) or arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide (NB-R) for concurrent active targeting towards legumain in tumor cells and integrin in tumor neovasculature. In vitro, the NB-A and NB-R presented echogenicity comparable with SonoVue MBs and showed specific binding with tumors cells and endothelial cells, respectively. In vivo, the combined NB-A/NB-R accumulated in tumor tissues selectively and provided ultrasound signals with prolonged duration and that were significantly stronger than non-targeted NBs, single-targeted NBs and SonoVue MBs. Overall, the dual targeted NBs served as efficient UCAs for specific imaging of breast cancer, and hold great potential for general cancer diagnosis/monitoring in the future.

Ganoderma Lucidum Triterpenoids Improve Maternal Separation-Induced Anxiety- and Depression-like Behaviors in Mice by Mitigating Inflammation in the Periphery and Brain

Although early life stress (ELS) can increase susceptibility to adulthood psychiatric disorders and produce a greater inflammatory response in a stressful event, targeted preventive and therapeutic drugs still remain scarce. Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids (GLTs) can exert anti-inflammatory effects in the periphery and central nervous systems. This study employed a combined model of “childhood maternal separation + adulthood sub-stress” to explore whether GLTs may alleviate anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in male and female mice by mitigating inflammation. Male and female pups were separated from their mothers for four hours per day from postnatal day 1 (PND 1) to PND 21; starting from PND 56, GLTs were administered intraperitoneally once daily for three weeks and followed by three days of sub-stress. Results showed that maternal separation increased the anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in both male and female mice, which disappeared after the preemptive GLTs treatment (40 mg/kg) before adulthood sub-stress. Maternal separation up-regulated the pro-inflammatory markers in the periphery and brain, and activated microglia in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. All the abnormalities were reversed by GLTs administration, with no adverse effects on immune organ indices, liver, and renal function. Our findings suggest that GLTs can be a promising candidate in treating ELS-induced psychiatric disorders.

3D printing of Ti3C2-MXene-incorporated composite scaffolds for accelerated bone regeneration

Grafting of bone-substitute biomaterials plays a vital role in the reconstruction of bone defects. However, the design of bioscaffolds with osteoinductive agents and biomimetic structures for regeneration of critical-sized bone defects is difficult. Ti3C2 MXene-belonging to a new class of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials-exhibits excellent biocompatibility, and antibacterial properties, and promotes osteogenesis. However, its application in preparing 3D-printed tissue-engineered bone scaffolds for repairing bone defects has not been explored. In this work, Ti3C2 MXene was incorporated into composite scaffolds composed of hydroxyapatite (HA) and sodium alginate (SA) via extrusion-based 3D printing to evaluate its potential in bone regeneration. MXene composite scaffolds were fabricated and characterized by SEM, XPS, mechanical properties and porosity. The biocompatibility and osteoinductivity of MXene composite scaffolds were evaluated by cell adhesion, CCK-8 test, qRT-PCR, ALP activity and ARS tests of BMSCs. A rat calvarial defect model was performed to explore the osteogenic activity of the MXene composite scaffolds in vivo. The results showed the obtained scaffold had a uniform structure, macropore morphology, and high mechanical strength. In vitro experimental results revealed that the scaffold exhibited excellent biocompatibility with bone mesenchymal stem cells, promoted cell proliferation, upregulated osteogenic gene expression, enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity, and promoted mineralized-nodule formation. The experimental results confirmed that the scaffold effectively promoted bone regeneration in a model of critical-sized calvarial- bone-defect in vivo and promoted bone healing to a significantly greater degree than scaffolds without added Ti3C2 MXene did. Conclusively, the Ti3C2 MXene composite 3D-printed scaffolds are promising for clinical bone defect treatment, and the results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the development of practical applications for tissue-engineered bone scaffolds.

Asparagine endopeptidase-targeted Ultrasound-responsive Nanobubbles Alleviate Tau Cleavage and Amyloid-β Deposition in an Alzheimer's Disease Model

Inhibition of asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) has been implied to be effective for treating tau- and amyloid-beta-mediated neurodegenerative diseases, although a method for targeted intracerebral delivery of AEP inhibitors has not yet been achieved. Here, we fabricated ultrasound-responsive nanobubbles (NBs) to load AEP inhibitor RR-11a, and modified the NB surface with either AEP recognizable peptide AAN or pro-transendothelial transversal motif RGD, i.e. NB(11a)-A and NB(11a)-R, for AEP-targeted treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The developed NBs were uniform, small in size (50.1 ± 1.5 nm), with strong echogenicity and high drug loading efficiency (∼91.97%). When intravenously co-injected in the APP/PS1 mouse model, NB(11a)-R could adhere to endothelial cells and enhance transient opening of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) upon focused ultrasound oscillations, allowing the rest NBs/localized released RR-11a molecules to enter the brain, and then NB(11a)-A could selectively bind with the impaired neurons and deposit RR-11a molecules at the AD lesion. As a result, co-administration of NB(11a)-A and NB(11a)-R significantly promoted accumulation of RR-11a in the mouse brain, and substantially alleviated both tau cleavage and amyloid plaques deposition in the hippocampus. Most strikingly, the cognitive ability of the AD model mice was dramatically improved, achieving a level close to the normal mice. Overall, this unique AEP-targeted nanobubble design provides an efficient intracerebral drug delivery strategy and significantly enhances treatment efficacy of AD. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) is an innovative therapeutic target simultaneously involved in Aβ and tau-mediated Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, but targeted delivery of AEP inhibitors has not been achieved yet. Here we developed an efficient strategy to deliver AEP inhibitor RR-11a towards impaired neurons. We fabricated RR-11a-loaded ultrasound-responsive nanobubbles (NBs) and modified the NB surface with RGD peptide to promote BBB crossing upon focused ultrasound oscillations, or with AAN peptide to increase binding of NBs on the neurons. Our results indicated that, co-administration of the NB(11a)-A and NB(11a)-R significantly enhanced accumulation of RR-11a molecules at the AD lesion, alleviated both tau cleavage and amyloid plaques deposition in the hippocampus, and consequently restored cognitive function of the AD model mice.

Loss of legumain induces premature senescence and mediates aging-related renal fibrosis

Aging is an independent risk factor for acute kidney injury and subsequent chronic kidney diseases, while the underlying mechanism is still elusive. Here, we found that renal tubules highly express a conserved lysosomal endopeptidase, legumain, which is significantly downregulated with the growing of age. Tubule‐specific legumain‐knockout mice exhibit spontaneous renal interstitial fibrosis from the 3rd month. In the tubule‐specific legumain‐knockout mice and the cultured legumain‐knockdown HK‐2 cells, legumain deficiency induces the activation of tubular senescence and thus increases the secretion of profibrotic senescence‐associated cytokines, which in turn accelerates the activation of fibroblasts. Blockage of senescence mitigates the fibrotic lesion caused by legumain deficiency. Mechanistically, we found that silencing down of legumain leads to the elevated lysosome pH value, enlargement of lysosome size, and increase of lysosomal voltage dependent membrane channel proteins. Either legumain downregulation or aging alone induces the activation of nuclear transcription factors EB (TFEB) while it fails to further upregulate in the elderly legumain‐knockdown tubules, accompanied with impaired mitophagy and increased mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) accumulation. Therapeutically, supplementation of exosomal legumain ameliorated fibronectin and collagen I production in an in vitro coculture system of tubular cells and fibroblasts. Altogether, our data demonstrate that loss of legumain in combined with aging dysregulates lysosomal homeostasis, although either aging or legumain deficiency alone induces lysosome adaptation via stimulating lysosomal biogenesis. Consequently, impaired mitophagy leads to mtROS accumulation and therefore activates tubular senescence and boosts the interstitial fibrosis.

Ghrelin signaling in dCA1 suppresses neuronal excitability and impairs memory acquisition via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β cascades

Ghrelin is a circulating peptide hormone that promotes feeding and regulates metabolism in humans and rodents. The action of ghrelin is mediated by the growth hormone secretagogue receptor type 1a (GHSR-1a) that is widely distributed in the brain, including the hippocampus. Studies have demonstrated the critical role of hippocampal ghrelin/GHS-R1a signaling in synaptic physiology and memory. However, those findings are controversial, and the mechanism underlying ghrelin modulation of learning and memory is uncertain. Here, we report that micro-infusion of ghrelin in the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus during training specifically impairs memory acquisition. The activation of GHS-R1a and the subsequent PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling cascades are involved in this process. Moreover, we report that bath application of ghrelin suppresses the intrinsic excitability of dCA1 pyramidal neurons through activating GHS-R1a, and PI3K inhibitor LY294002 blocks ghrelin's effect. However, LY294002 fails to rescue ghrelin-induced LTP impairment. Our findings support an adverse effect of ghrelin-dependent activation of GHS-R1a on memory acquisition, and suggest that PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling-dependent repression of neuronal intrinsic excitability is an important novel mechanism underlying memory inhibition of ghrelin in the hippocampus.

Systematic review of the prevalence and nature of drug‐related problems in paediatric patients

What is known and objective

Methods

Results

What is new and conclusion

Co-Delivery of Paclitaxel and shMCL-1 by Folic Acid-Modified Nonviral Vector to Overcome Cancer Chemotherapy Resistance

Acquired chemoresistance presents a major clinical impediment, which is an urgent problem to be solved. Interestingly, myeloma cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) and folate receptor expression levels are higher in chemotherapy-resistant patients than in pretreatment patients. In this study, a multifunctional folic acid (FA)-targeting core-shell structure is presented for simultaneous delivery of shMCL-1 and paclitaxel (PTX). The transfection efficiency of shMCL-1 with the FA-targeting delivery system is higher than with a nontargeting delivery system in Skov3 and A2780T cells. The FA-targeting system significantly inhibits cell growth, blocks cell cycles, and promotes apoptosis of cancer cells in vitro. The mechanisms involved in inhibiting growth are related to Bcl-2/Bax and cdc2/Cyclin B1 pathways. An analysis of RNA sequencing suggests that shMCL-1 reverses chemoresistance through regulating genes such as regulator of chromosome condensation 2 (RCC2). The synergetic effect of shMCL-1 and PTX effectively inhibits tumor growth in both PTX-resistant and normal cancer models by inducing tumor apoptosis, inhibiting proliferation, and limiting tumor angiogenesis. The study results indicate that a FA-targeting delivery system combining shMCL-1 with PTX can simultaneously target tumor sites and restore the sensitivity of chemotherapy-resistant cancer to PTX. These findings have important implications for patients with normal or PTX-resistant cancer.

Low-Medium Temperature-Selective Catalytic Reduction of NO with NH3 over a Mn/Co-MOF-74 Catalyst

To realize the selective catalytic reduction of NO at low-medium temperatures and avoid secondary pollution, a highly active catalyst Mn/Co-MOF-74 was synthesized. X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, and scanning electron microscopy were employed to analyze the physicochemical properties of catalysts with different Mn/Co molar ratios and conjecture about the difference in the catalytic activity. Meanwhile, the effects of the molar ratio of Mn/Co, catalyst dosage, catalyst synthesis conditions, GHSV, and temperature on the NO conversion efficiencies were investigated and found that an optimal NO conversion efficiency of 93.5% was obtained at 200-225 °C. In the end, the stability of Mn/Co-MOF-74 was investigated and found that the catalyst has better sulfur and water resistance, and the NO conversion mechanism was speculated on the basis of characterizations and literature data.

Realizing topologically ordered states on a quantum processor

[Figure: see text].

The Phytochemical Rhein Mediates M6A-Independent Suppression of Adipocyte Differentiation

Adipogenesis is mediated by the complex gene expression networks involving the posttranscriptional modifications. The natural compound rhein has been linked to the regulation of adipogenesis, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Herein, we systematically analyzed the effects of rhein on adipogenesis at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Rhein remarkably suppresses adipogenesis in the stage-specific and dose-dependent manners. Rhein has been identified to inhibit fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) demethylase activity. Surprisingly, side-by-side comparison analysis revealed that the rhein treatment and Fto knockdown triggered the differential gene regulatory patterns, resulting in impaired adipocyte formation. Specifically, rhein treatment mildly altered the transcriptome with hundreds of genes dysregulated. N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) methylome profile showed that, although the supply of rhein induced increased m⁶A levels on a small subset of messenger RNAs (mRNAs), few of them showed dramatic transcriptional response to this compound. Moreover, the specific rhein-responsive mRNAs, which are linked to mitotic pathway, are barely methylated or contain m⁶A peaks without dramatic response to rhein, suggesting separate regulation of global m⁶A pattern and adipogenesis mediated by rhein. Further identification of m⁶A-independent pathways revealed a positive regulator, receptor expressing-enhancing protein 3 (REEP3), in guidance of adipogenesis. Hence, this study provides the mechanistic view of the cellular actions of rhein in the modulation of adipogenesis and identifies a potential novel target for obesity therapeutic research.

Comparative study of the distribution and expression of Neuroglobin and Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in the adult and young Yak Brain

BACKGROUND

The brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals.

AIM

The study examined the expression of Neuroglobin (Ngb) and Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (Hif-1α) in adult and young yak brain tissues, and provided researchers with meaningful insight into the anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of this mammal.

METHOD

The study employed immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and Western blot (WB) to obtain the results.

RESULTS

Ngb and Hif-1α were significantly (P<0.05) expressed in the cerebellar cortex, piriform lobe, medulla, and corpus callosum of the adult yak while in the young yak brain tissues, the protein expressions were significantly found in the white matter of the cerebellum, pineal gland, corpus callosum, and cerebellar cortex. The Ngb and Hif-1α expression showed similarities and differences. This may have resulted from similar animal species, source of nutrition, age factors, brain size, emotional activities, and communication. The findings documented that Ngb and Hif-1α are commonly expressed in various adult and young yak brain tissues. Multiple roles in the brain tissues of the adult and young yaks are involved in the expression and distribution and are proposed to play a significant role in the adaptation of the yak to the high altitude environment.

CONCLUSION

This study provides meaningful data to understand the adaptive mechanism to hypoxia and recommended researchers to expand on the adaptive mechanism and brain tissues that are not recorded.

Comparative study on the distribution and expression of Neuroglobin and Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in the telencephalon of yak and cattle

The telencephalon refers to the most highly developed and anterior part of the forebrain, consisting mainly of the cerebral hemispheres. The study determined Neuroglobin (Ngb) and Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α) expression in the telencephalon of yak and cattle, and compare the expression and distribution pattern of Ngb and HIF-1α in the two animals. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), and Western blot (WB) were employed to investigate Ngb and Hif-1α expression in the telencephalon of yak and cattle. mRNA and protein expressions of Ngb and HIF-1α showed positive in different tissues of the yak and cattle telencephalon. Ngb expression in tissues of the yak recorded higher as compare to cattle while HIF-1α expression was found higher in cattle than yak. The HIF-1α expression in some tissues of yak telencephalon was consistent with the cattle. The results documented that HIF-1α may have a direct or indirect synergistic effect on Ngb expression in the yak telencephalon to improve hypoxia adaptation. It is suggested that yak may need more Ngb expression for adaptation, but the expression of HIF-1α seems to be down-regulated during long-term adaptation, and the specific causes of this phenomenon needs to be further verified.

Recycling of mullite from high-alumina coal fly ash by a mechanochemical activation method: Effect of particle size and mechanism research

High-alumina coal fly ash (HAFA) is a special solid waste since its alumina content can reach 40-50 wt%, which is seen as a potential resource for mullite material production. However, obtaining an ideal mullite material from HAFA is difficult because of its low Al₂O₃/SiO₂ mass ratio. In this work, the microstructure characteristics of HAFA were systematically analyzed by combining multiple characterization techniques. It was found that HAFA had a core-shell structure with a mullite/corundum crystal core and a silica-rich amorphous phase shell. The novel mechanochemical activation-desilication process was used to remove amorphous phase from HAFA and elevate the Al₂O₃/SiO₂ mass ratio. In particular, the effect of particle size after mechanical treatment and mechanism of the desilication process were extensively investigated. On decreasing the particle size, a high leaching rate of alumina was achieved during mechanochemical activation, thus generating a hydroxysodalite coating layer as desilication was suppressed, and the amorphous phase was effectively removed. The mineralogical phase of the desilicated HAFA is mainly mullite and corundum, and the Al₂O₃/SiO₂ mass ratio was elevated from 1.29 to 3.02. Mullite refractory obtained from the desilicated HAFA exhibited excellent physical properties. This study provides insights into further high-valued utilization of HAFA.

Comparative Characterization and Pathogenicity of a Novel Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) with a Naturally Occurring Truncated ORF3 Gene Coinfected with PEDVs Possessing an Intact ORF3 Gene in Piglets

Coinfection caused by various genotypes of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a new disease situation. We previously reported the coexistence of PEDV strains containing different ORF3 genotypes in China. In this study, the PEDV strains 17GXCZ-1ORF3d and 17GXCZ-1ORF3c were isolated and plaque-purified from the same piglet, which had a natural large deletion at the 172–554 bp position of the ORF3 gene or possessed a complete ORF3 gene, respectively. Meanwhile, 17GXCZ-1ORF3d had >99% nt identity with 17GXCZ-1ORF3c in the 5′UTR, ORF1a/1b, S, E, M, N and 3′UTR regions but only demonstrated low nucleotide identities (80.5%) in the ORF3 gene. To elucidate the pathogenicity, 7-day-old piglets were infected. Piglets infected with these two PEDV strains exhibited severe clinical signs and shed the virus at the highest level within 96 hpi. Compared with the piglets inoculated with the 17GXCZ-1ORF3c strain, the piglets inoculated with the 17GXCZ-1ORF3d strain had higher mortality rates (75% vs. 50%), an earlier onset of clinical signs with a significantly higher diarrhea score, lower VH:CD ratios and a higher percentage of PEDV-positive enterocytes. This study is the first to report PEDV coinfections with different ORF3 genotypes, and a PEDV strain with a large deletion in the ORF3 gene might have the advantage of a potential genetic marker, which would be useful during vaccine development.

Isolation, Identification, and Evaluation of the Pathogenicity of a Porcine Enterovirus G Isolated From China

Enterovirus G (EV-G) infects porcine populations worldwide and the infections are generally asymptomatic, with the insertion of the papain-like cysteine protease gene (PLCP) increasing the potential public health threats. However, the genetic and pathogenic characteristics of EV-G itself are not fully understood as yet. In the present study, one EV-G strain, named CH/17GXQZ/2017, was isolated and purified from piglets with diarrheic symptoms from the Guangxi Province, China. This strain produced stable cytopathic effects on Marc-145 cells with a titer of 5 × 10⁶ PFU/mL. The spherical enterovirus particles with diameters of 25–30 nm were observed by using transmission electron microscopy. The whole genome sequence of the CH/17GXQZ/2017 strain consists of 7,364 nucleotides, and the phylogenetic tree based on the amino acid sequences of VP1 indicated this strain was clustered to the G1 genotype. Seven-day-old piglets were inoculated orally with the CH/17GXQZ/2017 strain in order to evaluate its pathogenicity. Although none of the infected piglets died during the experiment, clinical neurological symptoms were observed manifesting as mild hyperemia and Nissl bodies vacuolization in the cerebrum. In addition, the infection with the CH/17GXQZ/2017 strain decelerated the weight gain of suckling piglets significantly. This study demonstrates that CH/17GXQZ/2017 is pathogenic to neonatal piglets and advance knowledge on the biological characteristics, evolution and pathogenicity of EV-G.

Genetic Characteristics and Pathogenicity of a Novel Porcine Deltacoronavirus Southeast Asia-Like Strain Found in China

Farmers involved in the lucrative pork trading business between China and Southeast Asian countries should be aware of a recently discovered novel porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) in Guangxi province, China. A PDCoV strain, CHN/GX/1468B/2017, was isolated from the small intestinal contents of piglets with diarrhea from this region, with a titer of 1 × 10^8.0 TCID₅₀/mL on LLC-PK cells. The full-length genome sequence consists of 25,399 nt as determined by next-generation sequencing and this was deposited in the GenBank (accession number MN025260.1). Genomic analysis showed that CHN/GX/1468B/2017 strain had 96.9~99.4% nucleotide homology with other 87 referenced PDCoV strains from different areas, and contained 6 and 9-nt deletions at positions 1,733~1,738 and 2,804~2,812, respectively, in the ORF1a gene. Phylogenetic analyses based on the whole gene sequence as well as S protein and ORF1a/1b protein sequences all showed that this strain was closely related to the Southeast Asia strain. When 7-day-old piglets were inoculated orally with the CHN/GX/1468B/2017 strain, they developed severe diarrhea, with a peak of fecal viral shedding at 4 days post-infection. Although no death or fever were observed, the CHN/GX/1468B/2017 strain produced a wide range of tissue tropism, with the main target being the intestine. Importantly, the VH:CD ratios of the jejunum and ileum in infected piglets were significantly lower than controls. These results indicate that CHN/GX/1468B/2017, isolated in China, is a novel PDCoV Southeast Asia-like strain with distinct genetic characteristics and pathogenicity. This finding enriches the international information on the genetic diversity of PDCoV.

Exosomes in the lung cancer microenvironment: biological functions and potential use as clinical biomarkers

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumours worldwide. however, emerging immunotherapy and targeted therapies continue to show limited efficacy. In the search for new targets for lung cancer treatment, exosomes have become a major focus of research. Exosomes play an important role in the tumour microenvironment (TME) of lung cancer and affect invasion, metastasis, and treatment responses. This review describes our current understanding of the release of exosomes derived from different cells in the TME, the effects of exosomes on T/Tregs, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, tumour-associated macrophages, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, and the role of exosomes in the endothelial–mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and cancer-associated fibroblasts. In particular, this review focuses on the potential clinical applications of exosomes in the lung cancer microenvironment and their prognostic and diagnostic value.