MYB transcription factors encoded by diversified tandem gene clusters cause varied Morella rubra fruit color

Chinese bayberry (Morella rubra) is a fruit tree with a remarkable variation in fruit color, ranging from white to dark red as determined by anthocyanin content. In dark red "Biqi" (BQ), red "Dongkui" (DK), pink "Fenhong" (FH), and white "Shuijing" (SJ), we identified an anthocyanin-related MYB transcription factor-encoding gene cluster of four members, i.e. MrMYB1.1, MrMYB1.2, MrMYB1.3, and MrMYB2. Collinear analysis revealed that the MYB tandem cluster may have occurred in a highly conserved region of many eudicot genomes. Two alleles of MrMYB1.1 were observed; MrMYB1.1-1 (MrMYB1.1n) was a full-length allele and homozygous in "BQ", MrMYB1.1-2 (MrMYB1.1d) was a nonfunctional allele with a single base deletion and homozygous in "SJ", and MrMYB1.1n/MrMYB1.1d were heterozygous in "DK" and "FH". In these four cultivars, expression of MrMYB1.1, MrMYB1.2, and MrMYB2 was enhanced during ripening. Both alleles were equally expressed in MrMYB1.1n/MrMYB1.1d heterozygous cultivars as revealed by a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence marker. Expression of MrMYB1.3 was restricted to some dark red cultivars only. Functional characterization revealed that MrMYB1.1n and MrMYB1.3 can induce anthocyanin accumulation while MrMYB1.1d, MrMYB1.2, and MrMYB2 cannot. DNA-protein interaction assays indicated that MrMYB1.1n and MrMYB1.3 can directly bind to and activate the promoters of anthocyanin-related genes via interaction with a MYC-like basic helix-loop-helix protein MrbHLH1. We concluded that the specific genotype of MrMYB1.1 alleles, as well as the exclusive expression of MrMYB1.3 in some dark red cultivars, contributes to fruit color variation. The study provides insights into the mechanisms for regulation of plant anthocyanin accumulation by MYB tandem clusters.

Materials Strategies to Overcome the Foreign Body Response

The foreign body response (FBR) is an immune-mediated reaction that can occur with most biomaterials and biomedical devices. The FBR initiates a deterioration in the performance of implantable devices, representing a longstanding challenge that consistently hampers their optimal utilization. Over the last decade, significant strides are achieved based on either hydrogel design or surface modifications to mitigate the FBR. This review delves into recent material strategies aimed at mitigating the FBR. Further, the authors look forward to future novel anti-FBR materials from the perspective of clinical translation needs. Such prospective materials hold the potential to attenuate local immune responses, thereby significantly enhancing the overall performance of implantable devices.

Visible-light-induced N-alkylation of anilines with 4-hydroxybutan-2-one

The synthesis of amines through N-alkylation is particularly attractive. Herein, a strategy for visible-light-induced N-alkylation of anilines with 4-hydroxybutan-2-one was developed in the presence of NH4Br, which avoid the use of metals, bases and ligands. In addition, gram-scale experiments proved that the system has the potential to be scaled.

Magnetic Soft Microrobot Design for Cell Grasping and Transportation

Manipulating cells at a small scale is widely acknowledged as a complex and challenging task, especially when it comes to cell grasping and transportation. Various precise methods have been developed to remotely control the movement of microrobots. However, the manipulation of micro-objects necessitates the use of end-effectors. This paper presents a study on the control of movement and grasping operations of a magnetic microrobot, utilizing only 3 pairs of electromagnetic coils. A specially designed microgripper is employed on the microrobot for efficient cell grasping and transportation. To ensure precise grasping, a bending deformation model of the microgripper is formulated and subsequently validated. To achieve precise and reliable transportation of cells to specific positions, an approach that combines an extended Kalman filter with a model predictive control method is adopted to accomplish the trajectory tracking task. Through experiments, we observe that by applying the proposed control strategy, the mean absolute error of path tracking is found to be less than 0.155 mm. Remarkably, this value accounts for only 1.55% of the microrobot's size, demonstrating the efficacy and accuracy of our control strategy. Furthermore, an experiment involving the grasping and transportation of a zebrafish embryonic cell (diameter: 800 μm) is successfully conducted. The results of this experiment not only validate the precision and effectiveness of the proposed microrobot and its associated models but also highlight its tremendous potential for cell manipulation in vitro and in vivo.

Tensorial Properties via the Neuroevolution Potential Framework: Fast Simulation of Infrared and Raman Spectra

Infrared and Raman spectroscopy are widely used for the characterization of gases, liquids, and solids, as the spectra contain a wealth of information concerning, in particular, the dynamics of these systems. Atomic scale simulations can be used to predict such spectra but are often severely limited due to high computational cost or the need for strong approximations that limit the application range and reliability. Here, we introduce a machine learning (ML) accelerated approach that addresses these shortcomings and provides a significant performance boost in terms of data and computational efficiency compared with earlier ML schemes. To this end, we generalize the neuroevolution potential approach to enable the prediction of rank one and two tensors to obtain the tensorial neuroevolution potential (TNEP) scheme. We apply the resulting framework to construct models for the dipole moment, polarizability, and susceptibility of molecules, liquids, and solids and show that our approach compares favorably with several ML models from the literature with respect to accuracy and computational efficiency. Finally, we demonstrate the application of the TNEP approach to the prediction of infrared and Raman spectra of liquid water, a molecule (PTAF-), and a prototypical perovskite with strong anharmonicity (BaZrO3). The TNEP approach is implemented in the free and open source software package gpumd, which makes this methodology readily available to the scientific community.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Isolated from the Gut Symbiotic Community of the Plastic-Eating Tenebrio molitor

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) waste is a major environmental challenge. In this study, we found that a PVC-eating insect, Tenebrio molitor, could survive by consuming PVC as a dietary supplement. To understand the gut symbiotic community, metagenomic analysis was performed to reveal the biodiversity of a symbiotic community in the midgut of Tenebrio molitor. Among them, seven genera were enriched from the midgut of the insect under culture conditions with PVC as carbon source. A strain of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was isolated from the midgut symbiotic community of the plastic-eating Tenebrio molitor. To unravel the functional gene for the biodegradation enzyme, we sequenced the whole genome of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and found that orf00390, annotated as a hydrolase, was highly expressed in the PVC culture niche.

Lymph node-biomimetic scaffold boosts CAR-T therapy against solid tumor

The limited infiltration and persistence of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells is primarily responsible for their treatment deficits in solid tumors. Here, we present a three-dimensional scaffold, inspired by the physiological process of T-cell proliferation in lymph nodes. This scaffold gathers the function of loading, delivery, activation and expansion for CAR-T cells to enhance their therapeutic effects on solid tumors. This porous device is made from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) by a microfluidic technique with the modification of T-cell stimulatory signals, including anti-CD3, anti-CD28 antibodies, as well as cytokines. This scaffold fosters a 50-fold CAR-T cell expansion in vitro and a 15-fold cell expansion in vivo. Particularly, it maintains long-lasting expansion of CAR-T cells for up to 30 days in a cervical tumor model and significantly inhibits the tumor growth. This biomimetic delivery strategy provides a versatile platform of cell delivery and activation for CAR-T cells in treating solid tumors.

CovEpiAb: a comprehensive database and analysis resource for immune epitopes and antibodies of human coronaviruses

Coronaviruses have threatened humans repeatedly, especially COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2, which has posed a substantial threat to global public health. SARS-CoV-2 continuously evolves through random mutation, resulting in a significant decrease in the efficacy of existing vaccines and neutralizing antibody drugs. It is critical to assess immune escape caused by viral mutations and develop broad-spectrum vaccines and neutralizing antibodies targeting conserved epitopes. Thus, we constructed CovEpiAb, a comprehensive database and analysis resource of human coronavirus (HCoVs) immune epitopes and antibodies. CovEpiAb contains information on over 60 000 experimentally validated epitopes and over 12 000 antibodies for HCoVs and SARS-CoV-2 variants. The database is unique in (1) classifying and annotating cross-reactive epitopes from different viruses and variants; (2) providing molecular and experimental interaction profiles of antibodies, including structure-based binding sites and around 70 000 data on binding affinity and neutralizing activity; (3) providing virological characteristics of current and past circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and in vitro activity of various therapeutics; and (4) offering site-level annotations of key functional features, including antibody binding, immunological epitopes, SARS-CoV-2 mutations and conservation across HCoVs. In addition, we developed an integrated pipeline for epitope prediction named COVEP, which is available from the webpage of CovEpiAb. CovEpiAb is freely accessible at https://pgx.zju.edu.cn/covepiab/.

Ultrasensitive colorimetric detection of creatinine via its dual binding affinity for silver nanoparticles and silver ions

Creatinine is an important biomarker for the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recently, it has been reported that the concentration of salivary creatinine correlates well with the concentration of serum creatinine, which makes the former useful for the development of non-invasive and point-of-care (POC) detection for CKD diagnosis. However, there exists a technical challenge in the rapid detection of salivary creatinine at low concentrations of 3-18 μM when using the current kidney function test strips as well as the traditional methods employed in hospitals. Herein, we demonstrate a simple, sensitive colorimetric assay for the detection of creatinine with a limit-of-detection (LOD) down to the nanomolar level. Our approach utilises the dual binding affinity of creatinine for citrate-capped silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and Ag(i) ions, which can trigger the aggregation of Ag NPs and thus lead to the colour change of a sample. The quantitative detection of creatinine was achieved using UV-Vis spectroscopy with a LOD of 6.9 nM in artificial saliva and a linear dynamic range of 0.01-0.06 μM. This method holds promise to be further developed into a POC platform for the CKD diagnosis.

An Infrared Image Defect Detection Method for Steel Based on Regularized YOLO

Steel surfaces often display intricate texture patterns that can resemble defects, posing a challenge in accurately identifying actual defects. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a highly robust defect detection model. This study proposes a defect detection method for steel infrared images based on a Regularized YOLO framework. Firstly, the Coordinate Attention (CA) is embedded within the C2F framework, utilizing a lightweight attention module to enhance the feature extraction capability of the backbone network. Secondly, the neck part design incorporates the Bi-directional Feature Pyramid Network (BiFPN) for weighted fusion of multi-scale feature maps. This creates a model called BiFPN-Concat, which enhances feature fusion capability. Finally, the loss function of the model is regularized to improve the generalization performance of the model. The experimental results indicate that the model has only 3.03 M parameters, yet achieves a mAP@0.5 of 80.77% on the NEU-DET dataset and 99.38% on the ECTI dataset. This represents an improvement of 2.3% and 1.6% over the baseline model, respectively. This method is well-suited for industrial detection applications involving non-destructive testing of steel using infrared imagery.

Development of a highly sensitive TaqMan method based on multi-probe strategy: its application in ASFV detection

The establishment of high sensitive detection method for various pathogenic microorganisms remains constantly concerned. In the present study, multi-probe strategy was first systematically investigated followed by establishing a highly sensitive TaqMan real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR) method for detecting African swine fever virus (ASFV). Briefly, four probes based on the B646L gene of ASFV were designed and the effects of different combinations of the probes in a single TaqMan qPCR assay on the detection sensitivity were investigated. As less as 0.5-5 copies/μl of the ASFV gene was detected by the established TaqMan qPCR assay. Furthermore, plasmid harboring the B646L in water samples could be concentrated 1000 times by ultrafiltration to enable a highly sensitive detection of trace viral nucleic acids. Moreover, no cross-reactivity was observed with other common clinical swine viruses such as PCV2, PCV3, PCV4, PEDV, PDCoV, CSFV, PRRSV, and PRV. When detecting 173 clinical porcine serum samples, the coincidence rate between the developed method and WOAH (World Organization of Animal Health) recommended method was 100%. This study might provide an integrated strategy to achieve higher detection sensitivity of trace pathogenic microorganisms and applicably sensitive TaqMan-based qPCR assays.

A social emotional learning intervention to reduce psychosocial difficulties among rural children in central China

Programmes based on social emotional learning (SEL) have been effective in reducing psychosocial difficulties in a number of countries. In Mainland China, there has been no empirical research on the prevention of children's psychosocial difficulties using the SEL approach. This study aimed to assess whether an adapted version of the SEL programme can reduce psychosocial difficulties of primary school children in rural China. The intervention consisted of 16 weekly 90-min class sessions, conducted among 206 children aged 8-12 years (with 290 controls) in a poor rural area of Central China. Self-report questionnaires were administered at baseline, post-intervention and 5-month follow-up. The results suggested that the programme (1) can reduce children's total difficulties (measured using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire) at post-intervention (d = -0.18) and 5-month follow-up (d = -0.19), (2) was more effective among children experiencing verbal abuse (d = -0.21) or physical abuse (d = -0.24) from caregivers and (3) was popular among more than 90% of the participants. The programme is cheap, easy to implement and can be delivered in school hours. Therefore, it has clear potential for replicability and sustainability.

Close-Packed Ices in Nanopores

Water molecules in any of the ice polymorphs organize themselves into a perfect four-coordinated hydrogen-bond network at the expense of dense packing. Even at high pressures, there seems to be no way to reconcile the ice rules with the close packing. Here, we report several close-packed ice phases in carbon nanotubes obtained from molecular dynamics simulations of two different water models. Typically they are in plastic states at high temperatures and are transformed into the hydrogen-ordered ice, keeping their close-packed structures at lower temperatures. The close-packed structures of water molecules in carbon nanotubes are identified with those of spheres in a cylinder. We present design principles of hydrogen-ordered, close-packed structures of ice in nanotubes, which suggest many possible dense ice forms with or without nonzero polarization. In fact, some of the simulated ices are found to exhibit ferroelectric ordering upon cooling.

TheMarker: a comprehensive database of therapeutic biomarkers

Distinct from the traditional diagnostic/prognostic biomarker (adopted as the indicator of disease state/process), the therapeutic biomarker (ThMAR) has emerged to be very crucial in the clinical development and clinical practice of all therapies. There are five types of ThMAR that have been found to play indispensable roles in various stages of drug discovery, such as: Pharmacodynamic Biomarker essential for guaranteeing the pharmacological effects of a therapy, Safety Biomarker critical for assessing the extent or likelihood of therapy-induced toxicity, Monitoring Biomarker indispensable for guiding clinical management by serially measuring patients' status, Predictive Biomarker crucial for maximizing the clinical outcome of a therapy for specific individuals, and Surrogate Endpoint fundamental for accelerating the approval of a therapy. However, these data of ThMARs has not been comprehensively described by any of the existing databases. Herein, a database, named 'TheMarker', was therefore constructed to (a) systematically offer all five types of ThMAR used at different stages of drug development, (b) comprehensively describe ThMAR information for the largest number of drugs among available databases, (c) extensively cover the widest disease classes by not just focusing on anticancer therapies. These data in TheMarker are expected to have great implication and significant impact on drug discovery and clinical practice, and it is freely accessible without any login requirement at: https://idrblab.org/themarker.

Retraction: Enantioselective synthesis of α-tetrasubstituted (3-indolizinyl) (diaryl)methanamines via chiral phosphoric acid catalysis

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1039/D2RA03750E.].

Enantioselective synthesis of α-tetrasubstituted (1-indolizinyl) (diaryl)-methanamines via chiral phosphoric acid catalysis

An enantioselective Friedel-Crafts reaction of cyclic α-diaryl N-acyl imines with indolizines catalyzed by a chiral spirocyclic phosphoric acid has been developed. The asymmetric transformation proceeds smoothly to afford α-tetrasubstituted (1-indolizinyl) (diaryl)methanamines in good yields with up to 98% ee under mild conditions.

Proportion of liver cancer cases and deaths attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors in China

BACKGROUND

Understanding the differences in the burden of liver cancer due to different risk factors across provinces is critical to informing and improving liver cancer prevention and control. In this study, we estimated the population attributable fractions (PAFs) of liver cancer in all 31 provinces of China in 2016.

METHODS

Prevalence estimates of risk factors were derived from representative surveys. We used pooled relative risks obtained from several recent large-scale pooled analyses or high-quality meta-analyses. We calculated PAFs using multiple formulas which included exposure prevalence and relative risk data stratified by sex, age and province, and then combined and created overall PAFs by sex, risk factors and risk factor groups.

RESULTS

Approximately 252 046 liver cancer cases {69.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 52.6, 76.5]} and 212 704 deaths [67.7% (95% CI 50.9, 74.6)] were attributable to modifiable risk factors in China in 2016. The overall PAF for liver cancer was approximately 1.5 times higher in men than in women, with the top three risk factors in men being hepatitis B virus (HBV), smoking and alcohol drinking, whereas in women, they were HBV, excess body weight and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Among the risk factor groups, infectious agents had the highest PAF, followed by behavioural factors and metabolic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The PAF for liver cancer caused by modifiable risk factors varies widely among provinces and socioeconomic and geographical regions in China. The use of tailored primary prevention strategies across provinces and socioeconomic and geographical regions has great potential to reduce the burden and disparities of liver cancer.

Kinetics of H· Transfer from CpCr(CO)3H to Various Enamides: Application to Construction of Pyrrolidines

The rate constants kH (kD) have been determined at 27 °C for H· (D·) transfer from CpCr(CO)3H(D) to the C=C bonds of various enamides. This process leads to the formation of α-amino radicals. Vinyl enamides with N-alkyl and N-phenyl substituents have proven to be good H· acceptors, with rate constants close to those of styrene and methyl methacrylate. A methyl substituent on the incipient radical site decreases kH by a factor of 4; a methyl substituent on the carbon that will receive the H· decreases kH by a factor of 380. The measured kH values indicate that these α-amino radicals can be used for the cyclization of enamides to pyrrolidines. A vanadium hydride, HV(CO)4(dppe), has proven more effective at the cyclization of enamides than Cr or Co hydrides-presumably because the weakness of the V-H bond leads to faster H· transfer. The use of the vanadium hydride is operationally simple, employs mild reaction conditions, and has a broad substrate scope. Calculations have confirmed that H· transfer is the slowest step in these cyclization reactions.

Thorough Optimization for Intrinsically Stretchable Organic Photovoltaics

The development of intrinsically stretchable organic photovoltaics (is-OPVs) with a high efficiency is of significance for practical application. However, their efficiencies lag far behind those of rigid or even flexible counterparts. To address this issue, an advanced top-illuminated OPV is designed and fabricated, which is intrinsically stretchable and has a high performance, through systematic optimizations from material to device. First, the stretchability of the active layer is largely increased by adding a low-elastic-modulus elastomer of styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene tri-block copolymer (SEPS). Second, the stretchability and conductivity of the opaque electrode are enhanced by a conductive polymer/metal (denoted as M-PH1000@Ag) composite electrode strategy. Third, the optical and electrical properties of a sliver nanowire transparent electrode are improved by a solvent vapor annealing strategy. High-performance is-OPVs are successfully fabricated with a top-illuminated structure, which provides a record-high efficiency of 16.23%. Additionally, by incorporating 5-10% elastomer, a balance between the efficiency and stretchability of the is-OPVs is achieved. This study provides valuable insights into material and device optimizations for high-efficiency is-OPVs, with a low-cost production and excellent stretchability, which indicates a high potential for future applications of OPVs.

Trypanocide usage in the cattle belt of southwestern Uganda

Background

Systematic infrastructure and regulatory weaknesses over many decades, in communities struggling with animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) would be expected to create an environment that would promote drug misuse and risk development of drug resistance. Here, we explore rural community practices of livestock keepers, livestock extension officers and drug shop attendants to determine whether appropriate practice was being followed in administration of trypanocides and other drugs.

Methods

A questionnaire-based survey was undertaken in southwestern Uganda in 2022 involving 451 farmers who kept cattle, sheep or goats and 79 "professionals" who were either livestock extension officers or drug shop attendants.

Results

Respondents reported using one or more type of trypanocidal drug on 80.1% of the 451 farms in the last 30 days. Diminazene aceturate was used on around three-quarters of farms, while isometamidium chloride was used on around one-fifth. Homidium bromide was used on less than 1% of farms. Cattle were significantly more likely to be treated with trypanocides than sheep or goats. On around two-thirds of farms, trypanocides were prepared and injected by farmers, with extension officers administering these drugs on most of the other third, especially on cattle farms. Almost all drugs were obtained from privately-owned drug shops. For treatment of AAT with trypanocides, prescription-only medicines were routinely used by farmers without professional supervision and in the absence of a definitive diagnosis. While a far greater proportion of professionals had a better education and had received training on the use of trypanocides than farmers, there was relatively little difference in their ability to use these drugs correctly. Farmers were more likely than professionals to use only DA to treat trypanosomiasis and were more likely to use antibiotics as well as trypanocidal drugs to treat the animal. Furthermore, they estimated, on average, that twice the recommended dose of either diminazene aceturate or isometamidium chloride was needed to treat a hypothetical 400 kg bovine. A minority of both farmers and professionals reported that they observed the recommended withdrawal times following injection of trypanocidal drugs and very few of either group knew the recommended withdrawal times for milk or meat. Only one in six farmers reported using the sanative pair (alternating use of diminazene aceturate and isometamidium chloride), to reduce the risk of drug resistant trypanosome strains emerging, while this approach was more widely used by professionals. Farmers reported using antibiotics more commonly than the professionals, especially in sheep and goats, raising concerns as to overuse and misuse of this critical class of drugs. In addition to using trypanocides, most farmers also reported using a topical veterinary pesticide for the control of ticks and tsetse. On average, farmers spent 12.2% of their income from livestock sales on trypanocides.

Conclusion

This study highlights the complexity of issues involved in the fight against AAT using drug treatment. A multistakeholder campaign to increase awareness among farmers, drug shop attendants, and extension workers of the importance of adherence to recommended drug dosing, using the sanative pair and following recommended drug withdrawal guidance would promote best practice, reduce the risk of emergence of resistant strains of trypanosomes, and support enhanced food safety.

Assessing the impact of ultra-thin diamond nanothreads on the glass transition temperature of a bituminous binder

Low-temperature cracking and rutting are the most destructive problems of bitumen that hinder the application of high-performance bitumen engineering, which is dependent on its glass transition temperature (Tg). Through in silico studies, this work has systematically investigated the Tg of a bituminous binder with the addition of diamond nanothread (DNT) fillers with varying filler content, alignment, distribution, and functional groups. In general, the glass transition phenomenon of the bitumen is determined by the mobility of its constituent molecules. Tg is found to increase gradually with the increase in the weight percentage of DNT and then decreases when the weight percentage exceeds 5.05 wt%. The enhancement effect on Tg is weakened when DNTs are distributed vertically or functionalized with functional groups. Specifically, DNT fillers induce inhomogeneity, which promotes the motion of small molecules while hindering the motion of large molecules. The aggregation of DNTs and the molecular environment in the vicinity of DNTs directly affect Tg. In summary, aggregation and adhesion are the dominant mechanisms affecting the mobility of the constituent molecules in the DNT/bitumen system and thus its glass transition temperature. This work provides in-depth insights into the underlying mechanisms for the glass transition of a bituminous binder, which could serve as theoretical guidance for tuning the low-temperature performance of the bituminous binder.

Prediction of breast cancer risk for sisters of women attending screening

BACKGROUND

Risk assessment is important for breast cancer prevention and early detection. We aimed to examine whether common risk factors, mammographic features, and breast cancer risk prediction scores of a woman were associated with breast cancer risk for her sisters.

METHODS

We included 53 051 women from the Karolinska Mammography Project for Risk Prediction of Breast Cancer (KARMA) study. Established risk factors were derived using self-reported questionnaires, mammograms, and single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping. Using the Swedish Multi-Generation Register, we identified 32 198 sisters of the KARMA women (including 5352 KARMA participants and 26 846 nonparticipants). Cox models were used to estimate the hazard ratios of breast cancer for both women and their sisters, respectively.

RESULTS

A higher breast cancer polygenic risk score, a history of benign breast disease, and higher breast density in women were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer for both women and their sisters. No statistically significant association was observed between breast microcalcifications and masses in women and breast cancer risk for their sisters. Furthermore, higher breast cancer risk scores in women were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer for their sisters. Specifically, the hazard ratios for breast cancer per 1 standard deviation increase in age-adjusted KARMA, Breast and Ovarian Analysis of Disease Incidence and Carrier Estimation Algorithm (BOADICEA), and Tyrer-Cuzick risk scores were 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07 to 1.27), 1.23 (95% CI = 1.12 to 1.35), and 1.21 (95% CI = 1.11 to 1.32), respectively.

CONCLUSION

A woman's breast cancer risk factors are associated with her sister's breast cancer risk. However, the clinical utility of these findings requires further investigation.

Representation of conspecific vocalizations in amygdala of awake marmosets

Human speech and animal vocalizations are important for social communication and animal survival. Neurons in the auditory pathway are responsive to a range of sounds, from elementary sound features to complex acoustic sounds. For social communication, responses to distinct patterns of vocalization are usually highly specific to an individual conspecific call, in some species. This includes the specificity of sound patterns and embedded biological information. We conducted single-unit recordings in the amygdala of awake marmosets and presented calls used in marmoset communication, calls of other species and calls from specific marmoset individuals. We found that some neurons (47/262) in the amygdala distinguished 'Phee' calls from vocalizations of other animals and other types of marmoset vocalizations. Interestingly, a subset of Phee-responsive neurons (22/47) also exhibited selectivity to one out of the three Phees from two different 'caller' marmosets. Our findings suggest that, while it has traditionally been considered the key structure in the limbic system, the amygdala also represents a critical stage of socially relevant auditory perceptual processing.

Genomic estimates of mutation and substitution rates contradict the evolutionary speed hypothesis of the latitudinal diversity gradient

The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) refers to a decrease in biodiversity from the equator to the poles. The evolutionary speed hypothesis, backed by the metabolic theory of ecology, asserts that nucleotide mutation and substitution rates per site per year are higher and thereby speciation rates are higher at higher temperatures, generating the LDG. However, prior empirical investigations of the relationship between the temperature and mutation or substitution rate were based on a few genes and the results were mixed. We here revisit this relationship using genomic data. No significant correlation between the temperature and mutation rate is found in 13 prokaryotes or in 107 eukaryotes. An analysis of 234 diverse trios of bacterial taxa indicates that the synonymous substitution rate is not significantly associated with the growth temperature. The same data, however, reveal a significant negative association between the nonsynonymous substitution rate and temperature, which is explainable by a larger fraction of detrimental nonsynonymous mutations at higher temperatures due to a stronger demand for protein stability. We conclude that the evolutionary speed hypothesis of the LDG is unsupported by genomic data and advise that future mechanistic studies of the LDG should focus on other hypotheses.

Host-guest system of a phosphorylated macrocycle assisting structure determination of oily molecules in single-crystal form

X-ray crystallography is the most reliable method for structure elucidation and absolute configuration determination of organic molecules based on their single-crystal forms. However, many analytes are hard to crystallize because of their low melting points (an oily state at room temperature) or conformational flexibility. Here, we report the crystallization of a macrocycle, CTX[P(O)Ph] (host), which is a cyclotrixylohydroquinoylene (CTX) derivative, with 26 oily organic molecules (guests), which is applied for the structural determination of the guest with X-ray crystallography. With the aid of the host, CTX[P(O)Ph], the guest molecules were well-ordered with full occupancy in crystal structures. In most cases, at least one guest structure without any disorder could be observed; solvent masking was not necessary for the single crystal X-ray structural analysis, and thus the structures of the guests could be successfully determined, and the absolute configuration could be assigned reliably for chiral guests with this method. The crystallization mechanism was further discussed from theoretical and experimental perspectives, suggesting that the negative electrostatic potential surface of CTX[P(O)Ph] and noncovalent interactions between the host and guest were crucial for the ordered arrangements of the guest.

Intake of sugary beverages with chronic conditions and multimorbidity: a prospective cohort study of UK Biobank

BACKGROUND

The burden of chronic conditions associated with sugary beverages is increasing but little is known about the role of different types of sugary beverages in the co-occurrence of multiple chronic conditions ('multimorbidity'). To inform future sugar-reduction guidelines, we aimed to examine the associations of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) and natural juices (NJ) with multimorbidity.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included 184 093 UK Biobank participants aged 40-69 years at baseline who completed at least one occasion of 24-h dietary recall between 2009 and 2012. Daily consumptions of SSB, ASB and NJ were assessed using 24-h dietary recall. Participants were followed from the first 24-h assessment until the onset of two or more new chronic conditions, or the end of follow-up (31 March 2017), whichever occurred first. Logistic regression models, Cox proportional hazard models and quasi-Poisson mixed effects models were used to estimate the association of beverages intakes with chronic conditions and multimorbidity.

RESULTS

A total of 19 057 participants had multimorbidity at baseline and 19 968 participants developed at least two chronic conditions during follow-up. We observed dose-response relationships of SSB and ASB consumptions with the prevalence and incidence of multimorbidity. For example, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs of the incidence of developing at least two chronic conditions ranged from 1.08 (1.01-1.14) for SSB intake of 1.1-2 units/day to 1.23 (1.14-1.32) for >2 units/day compared with 0 units/day. Also, the adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of ASB consumption ranged from 1.08 (1.03-1.13) for 0.1-1 unit/day to 1.28 (1.17-1.40) for >2 units/day compared with non-consumers. Conversely, moderate consumption of NJ was associated with a smaller risk of the prevalence and incidence of multimorbidity. Moreover, higher intakes of SSB and ASB were positively associated whereas moderate intake of NJ was inversely associated with increased number of new-onset chronic conditions during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher SSB and ASB intakes were positively associated whereas moderate NJ intake was inversely associated with the higher risk of multimorbidity and increased number of chronic conditions. Current and intended policy options to decrease the burden of chronic conditions and multimorbidity need a formulation of SSB and ASB reduction strategies.

Morphological, Photoluminescence, and Electrical Measurements of Rare-Earth Metal-Doped Cadmium Sulfide Thin Films

This work is aimed at investigating the viability of utilizing cadmium sulfide (CdS) as a buffer layer in CdTe solar cells by analyzing and assessing its optical, photoluminescence, morphological, and electrical properties. These films were fabricated using a thermal coating technique. Optical microscopy was used to observe the changes in morphology resulting from the doping of rare-earth metals such as samarium (Sm) and lanthanum (La) to CdS, while the granular-like structure of the sample was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. The objective of incorporating Sm and La ions into CdS was to enhance photoconductivity and optimize the optical bandgap, aiming to create a viable charge transport material for photovoltaic devices with enhanced efficiency. Through that process, a noticeable decrease in transmission, from approximately 80 to 68% in the visible region, was observed. Additionally, the bandgap value was reduced from 2.43 to 2.27 eV. Furthermore, during the analysis of the photoluminescence spectra, it was observed that emission peaks occurred in the visible region. These emissions were attributed to electronic transitions that took place via band-to-band and band-to-impurity interactions. The electrical measurements showed an enhancement in conductivity due to the decrease in the bandgap. This notable consequence of the doped materials suggests their utilization in photovoltaic systems.

T cell proliferation requires ribosomal maturation in nucleolar condensates dependent on DCAF13

T cells require rapid proliferation to initiate adaptive immunity to prevent pathogen attacks. The nucleolus, a distinct subnuclear membrane-less compartment for ribosomal biogenesis, is indispensable for cell proliferation. However, specific nucleolar proteins involved in rapid T cell proliferation and their underlying molecular regulatory mechanism remain elusive. Here, we identified an essential nucleolar protein, DCAF13, in T cells and revealed its significant regulation of rapid T cell proliferation. Its depletion drastically impairs T cell proliferation due to severe 18S rRNA maturation failure, consequent abnormal ribosome assembly in nucleoli, and insufficient production of nascent proteins. Mechanistically, we propose that DCAF13 promotes NPM1 phase separation to accelerate pre-RNA enrichment and its endonuclease UTP23 for 18S rRNA maturation during T cell proliferation. Our findings reveal the modulatory effect of nucleolar NPM1/DCAF13 phase separation on ribosomal maturation to ensure rapid T cell proliferation and further pathogen clearance for the first time.

The transcription factor SPL13 mediates strigolactone suppression of shoot branching by inhibiting cytokinin synthesis in Solanum lycopersicum

Plant architecture imposes a large impact on crop yield. IDEAL PLANT ARCHITECTURE 1 (IPA1), which encodes a SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) transcription factor, is a target of molecular design for improving grain yield. However, the roles of SPL transcription factors in regulating tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plant architecture are unclear. Here, we show that the expression of SPL13 is down-regulated in the lateral buds of strigolactone (SL)-deficient ccd mutants and is induced by GR24 (a synthetic analog of SL). Knockout of SPL13 by CRISPR/Cas9 resulted in higher levels of cytokinins (CKs) and transcripts of the CK synthesis gene ISOPENTENYL TRANSFERASES 1 (IPT1) in the stem nodes, and more growth of lateral buds. GR24 suppresses CK synthesis and lateral bud growth in ccd mutants, but is not effective in spl13 mutants. On the other hand, silencing of the IPT1 gene inhibited bud growth of spl13 mutants. Interestingly, SL levels in root extracts and exudates are significantly increased in spl13 mutants. Molecular studies indicated that SPL13 directly represses the transcription of IPT1 and the SL synthesis genes CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 7 (CCD7) and MORE AXILLARY GROWTH 1 (MAX1). The results demonstrate that SPL13 acts downstream of SL to suppress lateral bud growth by inhibiting CK synthesis in tomato. Tuning the expression of SPL13 is a potential approach for decreasing the number of lateral shoots in tomato.

Cryo-electron microscopy structure and translocation mechanism of the crenarchaeal ribosome

Archaeal ribosomes have many domain-specific features; however, our understanding of these structures is limited. We present 10 cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the archaeal ribosome from crenarchaeota Sulfolobus acidocaldarius (Sac) at 2.7-5.7 Å resolution. We observed unstable conformations of H68 and h44 of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in the subunit structures, which may interfere with subunit association. These subunit structures provided models for 12 rRNA expansion segments and 3 novel r-proteins. Furthermore, the 50S-aRF1 complex structure showed the unique domain orientation of aRF1, possibly explaining P-site transfer RNA (tRNA) release after translation termination. Sac 70S complexes were captured in seven distinct steps of the tRNA translocation reaction, confirming conserved structural features during archaeal ribosome translocation. In aEF2-engaged 70S ribosome complexes, 3D classification of cryo-EM data based on 30S head domain identified two new translocation intermediates with 30S head domain tilted 5-6° enabling its disengagement from the translocated tRNA and its release post-translocation. Additionally, we observed conformational changes to aEF2 during ribosome binding and switching from three different states. Our structural and biochemical data provide new insights into archaeal translation and ribosome translocation.

A post-sulfonated one-pot synthesized magnetic cellulose nanocomposite for Knoevenagel and Thorpe-Ziegler reactions

The development of biodegradable and active cellulosic-based heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of different organic compounds would be attractive in pharmaceutical and petrochemical-related industries. Herein, a post-sulfonated composite of one-pot synthesized magnetite (Fe3O4) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) was used as an effective and easily separable heterogeneous catalyst for activating the Knoevenagel and Thorpe-Ziegler reactions. The composite was developed hydrothermally from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), iron chlorides, urea, and hydrochloric acid at 180 °C for 20 h in a one-pot reaction. After collecting the magnetic CNCs (MCNCs), post-sulfonation was performed using chlorosulfonic acid (ClSO3H) in DMF at room temperature producing sulfonated MCNCs (SMCNCs). The results confirmed the presence of sulfonated Fe3O4 and CNCs with a hydrodynamic size of 391 nm (±25). The presence of cellulose was beneficial for preventing Fe3O4 oxidation or the formation of agglomerations without requiring the presence of capping agents, organic solvents, or an inert environment. The SMCNC catalyst was applied to activate the Knoevenagel condensation and the Thorpe-Ziegler reaction with determining the optimal reaction conditions. The presence of the SMCNC catalyst facilitated these transformations under green procedures, which enabled us to synthesize a new series of olefins and thienopyridines, and the yields of some isolated olefins and thienopyridines were up to 99% and 95%, respectively. Besides, the catalyst was stable for five cycles without a significant decrease in its reactivity, and the mechanistic routes of both reactions on the SMCNCs were postulated.

Fabrication of ACP-CCS-PVA composite membrane for a potential application in guided bone regeneration

The barrier membranes of guided bone regeneration (GBR) have been widely used in clinical medicine to repair bone defects. However, the unmatched mechanical strength, unsuitable degradation rates, and insufficient regeneration potential limit the application of the current barrier membranes. Here, amorphous calcium phosphate-carboxylated chitosan-polyvinyl alcohol (ACP-CCS-PVA) composite membranes are fabricated by freeze-thaw cycles, in which the ATP-stabilized ACP nanoparticles are uniformly distributed throughout the membranes. The mechanical performance and osteogenic properties are significantly improved by the ACP incorporated into the CCS-PVA system, but excess ACP would suppress cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. Our work highlights the pivotal role of ACP in GBR and provides insight into the need for biomaterial fabrication to balance mechanical strength and mineral content.

Static and dynamic resting-state brain activity patterns of table tennis players in 7-Tesla MRI

Table tennis involves quick and accurate motor responses during training and competition. Multiple studies have reported considerably faster visuomotor responses and expertise-related intrinsic brain activity changes among table tennis players compared with matched controls. However, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we performed static and dynamic resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) analyses of 20 table tennis players and 21 control subjects using 7T ultra-high field imaging. We calculated the static and dynamic amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) of the two groups. The results revealed that table tennis players exhibited decreased static ALFF in the left inferior temporal gyrus (lITG) compared with the control group. Voxel-wised static functional connectivity (sFC) and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) analyses using lITG as the seed region afforded complementary and overlapping results. The table tennis players exhibited decreased sFC in the right middle temporal gyrus and left inferior parietal gyrus. Conversely, they displayed increased dFC from the lITG to prefrontal cortex, particularly the left middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus-medial, and left superior frontal gyrus-dorsolateral. These findings suggest that table tennis players demonstrate altered visuomotor transformation and executive function pathways. Both pathways involve the lITG, which is a vital node in the ventral visual stream. These static and dynamic analyses provide complementary and overlapping results, which may help us better understand the neural mechanisms underlying the changes in intrinsic brain activity and network organization induced by long-term table tennis skill training.

Catalyst-free thiazolidine formation chemistry enables the facile construction of peptide/protein-cell conjugates (PCCs) at physiological pH

Although numerous genetic, chemical, and physical strategies have been developed to remodel the cell surface landscape for basic research and the development of live cell-based therapeutics, new chemical modification strategies capable of decorating cells with various genetically/non-genetically encodable molecules are still urgently needed. Herein, we describe a remarkably simple and robust chemical strategy for cell surface modifications by revisiting the classical thiazolidine formation chemistry. Cell surfaces harbouring aldehydes can be chemoselectively conjugated with molecules containing a 1,2-aminothiol moiety at physiological pH without the need to use any toxic catalysts and complicated chemical synthesis. Through the combined use of thiazolidine formation and the SpyCatcher-SpyTag system, we have further developed a SpyCatcher-SpyTag Chemistry Assisted Cell Surface Engineering (SpyCASE) platform, providing a modular approach for the construction of large protein-cell conjugates (PCCs) in their native state. Thiazolidine-bridged molecules can also be detached from the surface again through a biocompatible Pd-catalyzed bond scission reaction, enabling reversible modification of living cell surfaces. In addition, this approach allows us to modulate specific cell-cell interactions and generate NK cell-based PCCs to selectively target/kill several EGFR-positive cancer cells in vitro. Overall, this study provides an underappreciated but useful chemical tool to decorate cells with tailor-made functionalities.

Transcription-wide impact by RESCUE-induced off-target single-nucleotide variants in mammalian cells

RNA base editing is a promising tool in precise molecular therapy. Currently, there are two widely used RNA base editors, REPAIR and RESCUE. REPAIR only facilitates A-to-I conversions, while RESCUE performs both A-to-I and C-to-U conversions. Thus, RESCUE can generate twice the number of mutations compared to REPAIR. However, transcription-wide impact due to RESCUE-induced off-target single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) is not fully appreciated. Therefore, to determine the off-target effects of RESCUE-mediated editing, we employed transcription-wide sequencing on cells edited by RESCUE. The SNVs showed different off-target effects on mRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, and miRNA expression patterns and their interacting networks. Our results illustrate the transcription-wide impact of RESCUE-induced off-target SNVs and highlight the need for careful characterization of the off-target impact by this editing platform.

Modulating gastrointestinal microbiota to alleviate diarrhea in calves

The calf stage is a critical period for the development of heifers. Newborn calves have low gastrointestinal barrier function and immunity before weaning, making them highly susceptible to infection by various intestinal pathogens. Diarrhea in calves poses a significant threat to the health of young ruminants and may cause serious economic losses to livestock farms. Antibiotics are commonly used to treat diarrhea and promote calf growth, leading to bacterial resistance and increasing antibiotic residues in meat. Therefore, finding new technologies to improve the diarrhea of newborn calves is a challenge for livestock production and public health. The operation of the gut microbiota in the early stages after birth is crucial for optimizing immune function and body growth. Microbiota colonization of newborn animals is crucial for healthy development. Early intervention of the calf gastrointestinal microbiota, such as oral probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation and rumen microbiota transplantation can effectively relieve calf diarrhea. This review focuses on the role and mechanisms of oral probiotics such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium in relieving calf diarrhea. The aim is to develop appropriate antibiotic alternatives to improve calf health in a sustainable and responsible manner, while addressing public health issues related to the use of antibiotics in livestock.

Not just protons: Chloride also activates lysosomal acidic hydrolases

Lysosomal hydrolases require an acidic lumen for their optimal activities. In this issue, two independent groups (Wu et al. 2023. J. Cell Biol.https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202208155; Zhang et al. 2023. J. Cell. Biol.https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202210063) report that hydrolase activation also requires high intralysosomal Cl-, which is established by the lysosomal Cl-/H+ exchanger ClC-7.

Emergent Ferroelectric Switching Behavior from Polar Vortex Lattice

Topologically protected polar textures have provided a rich playground for the exploration of novel, emergent phenomena. Recent discoveries indicate that ferroelectric vortices and skyrmions not only host properties markedly different from traditional ferroelectrics, but also that these properties can be harnessed for unique memory devices. Using a combination of capacitor-based capacitance measurements and computational models, it is demonstrated that polar vortices in dielectric-ferroelectric-dielectric trilayers exhibit classical ferroelectric bi-stability together with the existence of low-field metastable polarization states. This behavior is directly tied to the in-plane vortex ordering, and it is shown that it can be used as a new method of non-destructive readout-out of the poled state.

The ATP Synthase γ Subunit ATPC1 Regulates RNA Editing in Chloroplasts

RNA editing is the process of modifying RNA molecules by inserting, deleting, or substituting nucleotides. In flowering plants, RNA editing occurs predominantly in RNAs encoded by the organellar genomes of mitochondria and chloroplasts, and the main type of editing involves the substitution of cytidine with uridine at specific sites. Abnormal RNA editing in plants can affect gene expression, organelle function, plant growth, and reproduction. In this study, we report that ATPC1, the gamma subunit of ATP synthase in Arabidopsis chloroplasts, has an unexpected role in the regulation of editing at multiple sites of plastid RNAs. The loss of function of ATPC1 severely arrests chloroplast development, causing a pale-green phenotype and early seedling lethality. Disruption of ATPC1 increases the editing of matK-640, rps12-i-58, atpH-3'UTR-13210, and ycf2-as-91535 sites while decreasing the editing of rpl23-89, rpoA-200, rpoC1-488, and ndhD-2 sites. We further show that ATPC1 participates in RNA editing by interacting with known multiple-site chloroplast RNA editing factors, including MORFs, ORRM1, and OZ1. The transcriptome in the atpc1 mutant is profoundly affected, with a pattern of defective expression of chloroplast development-related genes. These results reveal that the ATP synthase γ subunit ATPC1 is involved in multiple-site RNA editing in Arabidopsis chloroplasts.

Adsorption characteristics of dichloromethane-ethyl acetate/toluene vapor on a hypercrosslinked polystyrene adsorbent

Dichloromethane (DCM), a typical representative of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs), is usually exhausted along with other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as toluene and ethyl acetate, in industrial factories. To address the complexity of the components, the large variation in concentration of each component and the water content of the exhaust gases emitted from the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, the adsorption characteristics of DCM, toluene (MB), and ethyl acetate (EAC) vapors on hypercrosslinked polymeric resins (NDA-88) were studied by dynamic adsorption experiments. Furthermore, the adsorption characteristics of NDA-88 for binary vapor systems of DCM-MB and DCM-EAC at different concentration ratios and the nature of the interaction force with the three VOCs were explored. NDA-88 was found to be suitable for treating binary vapor systems of DCM mixed with low concentrations of MB/EAC, and a small quantity of adsorbed MB or EAC would promote the adsorption of DCM by NDA-88, which is attributed to the microporous filling phenomenon. Finally, the influence of humidity on the adsorption performance of binary vapor systems for NDA-88 and the regeneration adsorption performance of NDA-88 were investigated. The presence of water steam shortened the penetration times of DCM, EAC, and MB, regardless of whether it was in the DCM-EAC or DCM-MB two-component systems. This study has identified a commercially available hypercrosslinked polymeric resin NDA-88, which has excellent adsorption performance and regeneration capacity for both single-component DCM gas and a binary mixture of DCM-low-concentration MB/EAC, providing experimental guidance for the treatment of emissions from pharmaceutical and chemical industries by adsorption.

Synthesis and Characterization of Ferric Vanadate Nanorods for Efficient Electrochemical Detection of Ascorbic Acid

This study reports the synthesis of ferric vanadate (FeVO₄) via a facile hydrothermal method, focusing on demonstrating its exceptional electrochemical (EC) properties on detecting low-density ascorbic acid (AA). The phase purity, crystallinity, structure, morphology, and chemical compositional properties were characterized by employing X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. EC impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry techniques were also adopted in order to assess the EC response of a FeVO₄-modified glassy carbon electrode for sensing AA at room temperature. The AA concentration range adopted in this experiment is 0.1-0.3 mM at a working electric potential of -0.13 V. The result showed functional excellence of this material for the EC determination of AA with good stability and reproducibility, promising its potentiality in connection with relevant sensing applications.

Compromising Charge Generation and Recombination of Organic Photovoltaics with Mixed Diluent Strategy for Certified 19.4% Efficiency

The ternary blend is demonstrated as an effective strategy to promote the device performance of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) due to the dilution effect. While the compromise between the charge generation and recombination remains a challenge. Here, a mixed diluent strategy for further improving the device efficiency of OPV is proposed. Specifically, the high-performance OPV system with a polymer donor, i.e., PM6, and a nonfullerene acceptor (NFA), i.e., BTP-eC9, is diluted by the mixed diluents, which involve a high bandgap NFA of BTP-S17 and a low bandgap NFA of BTP-S16 (similar with that of the BTP-eC9). The BTP-S17 of better miscibility with BTP-eC9 can dramatically enhance the open-circuit voltage (V_OC ), while the BTP-S16 maximizes the charge generation or the short-circuit current density (J_SC ). The interplay of BTP-17 and BTP-S16 enables better compromise between charge generation and recombination, thus leading to a high device performance of 19.76% (certified 19.41%), which is the best among single-junction OPVs. Further analysis on carrier dynamics validates the efficacy of mixed diluents for balancing charge generation and recombination, which can be further attributed to the more diverse energetic landscapes and improved morphology. Therefore, this work provides an effective strategy for high-performance OPV for further commercialization.

Enhanced single RNA imaging reveals dynamic gene expression in live animals

Imaging endogenous mRNAs in live animals is technically challenging. Here, we describe an MS2-based signal amplification with the Suntag system that enables live-cell RNA imaging of high temporal resolution and with 8xMS2 stem-loops, which overcomes the obstacle of inserting a 1300 nt 24xMS2 into the genome for the imaging of endogenous mRNAs. Using this tool, we were able to image the activation of gene expression and the dynamics of endogenous mRNAs in the epidermis of live C. elegans.

Stress mindset, proactive coping behavior, and posttraumatic growth among health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

Recent research suggests that stress mindset influences how people response to stress, however, there is a dearth of research investigates the underlying mechanism accounting for the effects of stress mindset on psychological health. The current research investigated how stress mindset and engagement in proactive coping behaviors predicted posttraumatic growth among health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.

METHOD

Health care professionals (N = 589) from mainland China were invited to participate in this online study through completing the Stress Mindset Measure, Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-X), and measurement on engagement in proactive coping behaviors and demographic variables at their convenience from July 9 to July 17, 2020.

RESULTS

Health care professionals reported high levels of posttraumatic growth at the total scale (58.6%), subdomains (84.9%). Age, stress mindset, and engagement in proactive coping behaviors were significant predictors of posttraumatic growth among health care professionals. Engagement in proactive coping behavior mediated the predicting effect of stress mindset on posttraumatic growth among health care professionals in China.

CONCLUSION

A stress-is-enhancing mindset predicts higher level of posttraumatic growth among health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, and the effect was mediated by engagement in proactive coping behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Unsymmetric N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand Enabled Nickel-Catalysed Arylation of Bulky Primary and Secondary Amines

Arylation of sterically hindered amines represents one of the long-standing challenges in synthetic chemistry. Herein, we report a highly efficient Ni-catalysed arylation of sterically hindered primary and secondary amines with...

Cingulate protein arginine methyltransferases 1 regulates peripheral hypersensitivity via fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein

The deficit of fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP) leads to intellectual disability in human and animal models, which also leads to desensitization of pain after nerve injury. Recently, it was shown that the protein arginine methyltransferases 1 (PRMT1) regulates the phase separation of FMRP. However, the role of PRMT1 in pain regulation has been less investigated. Here we showed that the downregulation of PRMT1 in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) contributes to the development of peripheral pain hypersensitivity. We observed that the peripheral nerve injury decreased the expression of PRMT1 in the ACC; knockdown of the PRMT1 via shRNA in the ACC decreased the paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) of naïve mice. Moreover, the deficits of FMRP abolished the effects of PRMT1 on pain sensation. Furthermore, overexpression of PRMT1 in the ACC increased the PWTs of mice with nerve injury. These observations indicate that the downregulation of cingulate PRMT1 was necessary and sufficient to develop peripheral hypersensitivity after nerve injury. Thus, we provided evidence that PRMT1 is vital in regulating peripheral pain hypersensitivity after nerve injury via the FMRP.

Multiple Sensory Impairments in Relation to Cognitive Function: Two Nationwide Cross-sectional Studies

INTRODUCTION

Sensory impairments (SIs, including visual, hearing, olfactory, and taste impairments) have been individually associated with age-related cognitive function. Little is known regarding their combined associations with cognitive function.

METHODS

We included 2,931 participants (mean age of 69.1 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2011-2014) and 10,785 participants (mean age of 70.2 years) from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS, 2021). Status of visual, hearing, olfactory, and taste functions were self-reported in structured questionnaires. In NHANES, cognitive function was objectively measured by a battery of tests, including memory, verbal fluency, and processing speed. NHIS participants answered a single question about subjective cognitive complaints (SCC). We used regression models to assess the relation of the total number and the individual sensory impairments to z-scores of cognitive domains (linear regression) in NHANES and to SCC (logistic regression) in NHIS.

RESULTS

A larger number of SI was related to poorer domain-specific cognitive function (all Ptrend <0.05), including memory (beta each additional SI = -0.12, 95% confidence interval: -0.17 to -0.08), verbal fluency (-0.05, -0.10 to -0.01), and processing speed (-0.13, -0.16 to -0.09). In NHIS, each additional SI was related to 96% higher odds of SCC. We also observed independent associations of sensory impairments (except olfactory impairment) with specific cognitive domains. In addition, each individual SI was associated with higher odds of SCC (the odds ratios ranged from 1.30 to 1.78).

CONCLUSION

A larger number of SI was related to worse cognitive function and higher odds of SCC.

Evaluation of medical services from the perspective of COVID-19 vaccine demand satisfaction in Hangzhou, China

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a huge global impact, and it continues to test the resilience of medical services to emergencies worldwide. In the current post-epidemic era, vaccination has become a highly effective strategy to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, using conventional mathematical models to evaluate the spatial distribution of medical resources, including vaccination, ignore people's behaviors and choices and make simplifications to the real world. In this study, we use an enhanced model based on the Theory of People Behavior (TPB) to perform a macro analysis of the satisfaction ability of medical resources for vaccination in Hangzhou, China, and attribute the city to a three-level structure. According to the allocation, the supply capacity of vaccination sites is calculated and divided into four categories (good, normal, not bad, and bad). Meanwhile, we raise an assumption based on the result and the general development law of the city and analyze the reasons for the impact of personal behavior on the spatial distribution of medical resources, as well as the relationship between the demand distribution and spatial distribution of medical resources and future development strategies. It is considered that the overall medical resources, especially vaccination in Hangzhou, feature the situation of central supply overflow, and are found to hardly meet the needs of population points in surrounding areas, requiring a more flexible strategy to allocate facilities in these areas.

Toba-CPD: An Extended Chemical Percolation Devolatilization Model for Tobacco Pyrolysis

Tobacco features chemical compositions different from that of raw lignocellulosic biomass. Currently, the performance of network models, like Bio-Chemical Percolation Devolatilization (Bio-CPD), on tobacco pyrolysis is unclear, and only global kinetics have been proposed for tobacco devolatilization, which does not have the versatility for a wide range of heating conditions and tobacco types. To address this issue, the present work first assessed the performance of the Bio-CPD model on tobacco pyrolysis through an a priori study, which showed large deviations. Afterward, an extended Chemical Percolation Devolatilization model for tobacco pyrolysis (Toba-CPD) was developed by modifying the kinetic parameters using a grid-search optimization strategy. The process of grid-search optimization strategy is based on the kinetic parameters of the Bio-CPD model and modified with experimental results of 11 tobacco types under a wide range of heating rates. Finally, the performance of Toba-CPD was measured with experimental results which were not used during parameters optimization. Results demonstrated that the Toba-CPD models could well reproduce the pyrolysis of various tobacco types under a wide range of heating rates (R ² > 0.957).