Potential of an Amphiphilic Artificial Corneal Endothelial Layer as a Replacement Option for Damaged Corneal Endothelium.

Bullous keratopathy, a condition severely impacting vision and potentially leading to corneal blindness, necessitates corneal transplantation. However, the shortage of donor corneas and complex surgical procedures drive the exploration of tissue-engineered corneal endothelial layers. This study develops a transparent, amphiphilic, and cell-free membrane for corneal endothelial replacement. The membrane, securely attached to the posterior surface of the cornea, is created by mixing hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate (EGDMA) in a 10:1 ratio. A 50 µL volume is used to obtain a 60 µm hydrophobic membrane on both sides, with one side treated with a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution. The resulting membrane is transparent, foldable, biocompatible, amphiphilic, and easily handled. When exposed to 20% sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), the hydrophilic side of the membrane adheres tightly to the corneal Descemet's membrane, preventing water absorption into the corneal stroma, and thus treating bullous keratopathy. Histological test confirms its effectiveness, showing normal corneal structure and low inflammation when implanted in rabbits for up to 100 d. This study showcases the potential of this membrane as a viable option for corneal endothelial replacement, offering a novel approach to address donor tissue scarcity in corneal transplantation.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of hepatopancreas reveals that more genes are involved in the exposure response of Vibrio parahaemolyticus PirAvp compared to PirBvp.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP-AHPND) is regarded as one of the main pathogens that caused acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. PirAvp and PirBvp toxin proteins are the main pathogenic proteins of AHPND in shrimp. Knowledge about the mechanism of shrimp response to PirAvp or PirBvp toxin is very helpful for developing new prevention and control strategy of AHPND in shrimp. In this study, the pathological sections showed that after 4 h treatment, significant pathological changes were observed in the PirBvp treated group, and no obvious pathological changes was found in PirAvp treated group. In order to learn the mechanism of shrimp response to PirAvp and PirBvp, comparative transcriptome was applied to analyze the different expressions of genes in the hepatopancreas of shrimp after treatment with PirAvp or PirBvp. A total of 9978 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between PirAvp or PirBvp-treated and PBS control shrimp, including 6616 DEGs in the PirAvp treated group and 3362 DEGs in the PirBvp treated group. There were 2263 DEGs that were commonly expressed, 4353 DEGs were only expressed in PirAvp VS PBS group and 1099 DEGs were uniquely expressed in PirBvp VS PBS group. Among these DEGs, the anti-apoptosis related pathways and immune response related genes significantly expressed in the commonly expressed DEGs of PirAvp VS PBS group and PirBvp VS PBS group, and small GTPase-mediated signaling and DNA metabolic process might relate to the host special reaction towards PirAvp and PirBvp exposure. The data suggested that the differential expression of these immune and metabolic-related genes in hepatopancreas might contribute to the pathogenicity variations of shrimp to VP-AHPND. The identified genes in this study will be useful for clarifying the response mechanism of shrimp toward different toxins of VP-AHPND and will further provide molecular basis for understanding the pathogenic mechanism of VP-AHPND.

Strong adsorption enhances mass transfer and promotes efficient hydrolysis of cellulose to sugar by solid acids.

Efficient conversion of cellulose to glucose is a crucial challenge for the energy and materialization of non-food biomass. Solid acids' adsorption strength is essential to affecting mass transfer efficiency. In this study, solid acids with different particle sizes (from 0.25 to 10.10 µm) modified with -OH and -PO3H2 were obtained by hydrothermal method. Hydrolysis of cellulose at 180 °C for 4 h revealed that the particle size of the solid acids was directly proportional to the cellulose conversion (R2 = 0.925). Still, there was no significant correlation with the glucose yield (R2 = 0.632). Eventually, the cellulose conversion reached 98.9 %, with a 30 % glucose yield. The solid acids demonstrated good stability and recoverability. This study fills the gap in the influence of solid acid particle size and reveals the mechanism of strong adsorptive mass transfer and hydrolysis efficiency. It provides the theoretical basis for the design of high-performance solid acids.

The Role of Microvascular Variations in the Process of Intervertebral Disk Degeneration and Its Regulatory Mechanisms: A Literature Review.

Microvascular changes are considered key factors in the process of intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD). Microvascular invasion and growth into the nucleus pulposus (NP) and cartilaginous endplates are unfavorable factors that trigger IDD. In contrast, the rich distribution of microvessels in the bony endplates and outer layers of the annulus fibrosus is an important safeguard for the nutrient supply and metabolism of the intervertebral disk (IVD). In particular, the adequate supply of microvessels in the bony endplates is the main source of the nutritional supply for the entire IVD. Microvessels can affect the progression of IDD through a variety of pathways. Many studies have explored the effects of microvessel alterations in the NP, annulus fibrosus, cartilaginous endplates, and bony endplates on the local microenvironment through inflammation, apoptosis, and senescence. Studies also elucidated the important roles of microvessel alterations in the process of IDD, as well as conducted in-depth explorations of cytokines and biologics that can inhibit or promote the ingrowth of microvessels. Therefore, the present manuscript reviews the published literature on the effects of microvascular changes on IVD to summarize the roles of microvessels in IVD and elaborate on the mechanisms of action that promote or inhibit de novo microvessel formation in IVD.

Predicting visual outcomes in keratoprosthesis surgery with critical flicker fusion frequency, B-scan, visual electrophysiology and endoscopy.

PURPOSE: This study evaluates the predictive power of the critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) test for visual outcomes in keratoprosthesis (KPro) candidates, comparing its accuracy with B-scan ultrasound, flash visual evoked potentials (fVEP) and endoscopy. METHODS: The study included 42 patients (42 eyes) scheduled for KPro surgery with a median follow-up period of 6 months. The receiver operating characteristic curve identified the cut-off threshold for CFF in the model development study (17 eyes). All patients in the comparison study (25 eyes) underwent preoperative assessments including trichromatic CFF (red, green and yellow), B-scan ultrasound, fVEP and perioperative endoscopy. Results were classified as either favourable or unfavourable predictors of visual outcomes based on predefined criteria. Sensitivity and specificity of each assessment were calculated based on postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA)≥20/200. The Bland-Altman test assessed the consistency between CFF-predicted BCVA and actual BCVA. RESULTS: Among the trichromatic CFF tests, the yellow-CFF (yCFF) exhibited the highest area under the curve value of 0.97 and a cut-off threshold at 10 Hz for predicting postoperative BCVA≥20/200 (p<0.05). yCFF achieved 90% sensitivity and 80% specificity in predicting satisfactory postoperative outcomes. Endoscopy had 80% sensitivity and 80% specificity, B-scan showed 70% sensitivity and 60% specificity, and fVEP had 75% sensitivity and 40% specificity. yCFF showed a mean bias of 0.091 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) in postoperative prediction. CONCLUSIONS: The CFF test provides robust visual function evaluation in KPro candidates. It demonstrates superior predictive accuracy for visual prognosis compared with routine ophthalmologic examinations, such as B-scan ultrasonography, fVEP and endoscopy.

Efficacy and safety of navigation robot-assisted versus conventional oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion with internal fixation in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases: A retrospective study.

Effective internal fixation with pedicle screw is a key factor in the success of lumbar fusion with internal fixation. Whether navigation robots can improve the efficacy and safety of screw placement is controversial. Thirty-eight patients who underwent oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion internal fixation from March 2022 to May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, 16 cases in the navigational robot group and 22 cases in the fluoroscopy group. Using visual analog score (VAS) for the low back and lower limbs, Oswestry Disability Index to compare the clinical efficacy of the 2 groups; using perioperative indexes such as the duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, and postoperative hospital stay to compare the safety of the 2 groups; and using accuracy of pedicle screws (APS) and the facet joint violation (FJV) to compare the accuracy of the 2 groups. Postoperative follow-up at least 6 months, there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in the baseline data (P > .05). The navigational robot group's VAS-back was significantly lower than the fluoroscopy group at 3 days postoperatively (P < .05). However, the differences between the 2 groups in VAS-back at 3 and 6 months postoperatively, and in VAS-leg and Oswestry Disability Index at 3 days, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively were not significant (P > .05). Although duration of surgery in the navigational robot group was significantly longer than in the fluoroscopy group (P > .05), the intraoperative blood loss and the intraoperative fluoroscopy times were significantly lower than in the fluoroscopy group (P < .05). The difference in the PHS between the 2 groups was not significant (P > .05). The APS in the navigation robot group was significantly higher than in the fluoroscopy group, and the rate of FJV was significantly lower than in the fluoroscopy group (P < .05). Compared with the traditional fluoroscopic technique, navigation robot-assisted lumbar interbody fusion with internal fixation provides less postoperative low back pain in the short term, with less trauma, less bleeding, and lower radiation exposure, as well as better APS and lower FJV, resulting in better clinical efficacy and safety.

Preparation and Application of Nanostructured ZnO in Radiation Detection.

In order to adapt to the rapid development of high-speed imaging technology in recent years, it is very important to develop scintillators with an ultrafast time response. Because of its radiation-induced ultrafast decay time, ZnO has become an important material for radiation detection and dosimetry. According to different detection sources and application scenarios, ZnO is used in various radiation detectors in different structures, including nanoarrays and nanocomposites. In this paper, the synthesis methods and research status of various nanostructured ZnO-based materials and their applications in the detection of high-energy rays (X-rays, γ-rays) and high-energy particles (α, ß and neutron) are reviewed. The performance discussion mainly includes spatial resolution, decay time and detection efficiency.

Associations of dietary inflammatory index scores and serum inflammatory factors with the risk of osteoporosis: a cross-sectional study from Xinjiang, China.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that the inflammatory potential of the diet is associated with a variety of chronic noncommunicable diseases characterized by a chronic low-grade inflammatory response. However, the relationships between dietary inflammatory potential and organismal inflammatory status and osteoporosis have been less studied. This study aimed to investigate the relationships among inflammatory diet, inflammatory state and osteoporosis in the Xinjiang multiethnic population. METHODS: The participants consisted of 4452 adults aged 35 to 74 years from Xinjiang, China. The dietary inflammatory index (DII) was calculated using dietary data collected with a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, and information about osteoporosis was derived from quantitative ultrasound measurements. The relationships of the DII score and inflammatory factors with the risk of osteoporosis were analysed using multivariate logistic regression, and the nonlinear associations between DII and osteoporosis were further analysed using restricted cubic splines. RESULTS: The results showed that proinflammatory diets were associated with a greater risk of osteoporosis (T3 vs. T1: OR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.44, 2.45) and that there was no nonlinear relationship between the DII and the risk of osteoporosis. Increased concentrations of the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17, and IL-23 were associated with a greater risk of osteoporosis. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of osteoporosis can be reduced by increasing the consumption of an appropriate anti-inflammatory diet.

Structural equation model analysis of the effect of visceral fat on osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a considerable public health challenge in Moyu County, Xinjiang. Here, we evaluated the influencing factors of osteoporosis in this region. METHODS: We recruited 7,761 participants and randomized them into normal and osteoporotic populations based on T-score. The effects of general conditions, body composition, calcium sources and exercise, respiratory exposure, and daily diet on osteoporosis were analyzed. Furthermore, a structural equation model was constructed to uncover the direct and indirect influencing factors of osteoporosis. RESULTS: Among the participants, 1,803 (23.23%) had normal bone mass while 1,496 (19.28%) had osteoporosis. The univariate analysis showed significant differences in the general conditions, body composition, calcium sources and exercise, respiratory exposure, and daily diet. Stratification based on age (45 years) and body mass index (BMI) (18.5 kg/m2) showed variations in the body composition between the two groups; however, the visceral fat differed significantly. Logistic regression analysis affirmed the association of visceral fat index as it was included in all equations, except for age and female menopause. The structural equation exhibited that the general conditions, body composition, and, calcium sources, and exercise were direct factors of osteoporosis, while respiratory exposure and daily diet were indirect factors. The standardized path coefficient was highest in general conditions, followed by body composition, and lastly, calcium sources and exercise. CONCLUSION: Obesity, besides age and female menopause, is also an influencing factor of osteoporosis. The visceral fat index plays a vital role in osteoporosis. Our findings may provide experimental evidence for early prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

The activity of early-life gene regulatory elements is hijacked in aging through pervasive AP-1-linked chromatin opening.

A mechanistic connection between aging and development is largely unexplored. Through profiling age-related chromatin and transcriptional changes across 22 murine cell types, analyzed alongside previous mouse and human organismal maturation datasets, we uncovered a transcription factor binding site (TFBS) signature common to both processes. Early-life candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs), progressively losing accessibility during maturation and aging, are enriched for cell-type identity TFBSs. Conversely, cCREs gaining accessibility throughout life have a lower abundance of cell identity TFBSs but elevated activator protein 1 (AP-1) levels. We implicate TF redistribution toward these AP-1 TFBS-rich cCREs, in synergy with mild downregulation of cell identity TFs, as driving early-life cCRE accessibility loss and altering developmental and metabolic gene expression. Such remodeling can be triggered by elevating AP-1 or depleting repressive H3K27me3. We propose that AP-1-linked chromatin opening drives organismal maturation by disrupting cell identity TFBS-rich cCREs, thereby reprogramming transcriptome and cell function, a mechanism hijacked in aging through ongoing chromatin opening.

Ego4D: Around the World in 3,000 Hours of Egocentric Video.

We introduce Ego4D, a massive-scale egocentric video dataset and benchmark suite. It offers 3,670 hours of daily-life activity video spanning hundreds of scenarios (household, outdoor, workplace, leisure, etc.) captured by 931 unique camera wearers from 74 worldwide locations and 9 different countries. The approach to collection is designed to uphold rigorous privacy and ethics standards, with consenting participants and robust de-identification procedures where relevant. Ego4D dramatically expands the volume of diverse egocentric video footage publicly available to the research community. Portions of the video are accompanied by audio, 3D meshes of the environment, eye gaze, stereo, and/or synchronized videos from multiple egocentric cameras at the same event. Furthermore, we present a host of new benchmark challenges centered around understanding the first-person visual experience in the past (querying an episodic memory), present (analyzing hand-object manipulation, audio-visual conversation, and social interactions), and future (forecasting activities). By publicly sharing this massive annotated dataset and benchmark suite, we aim to push the frontier of first-person perception. Project page: https://ego4d-data.org/.

The impact of the donors' COVID-19 status on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a multi-center retrospective study.

Introduction: To explore the impact of donors' COVID-19 status on allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), we compared the transplant outcomes of 74 participants. Methods: This multi-center retrospective study included nine participants receiving grafts from COVID-19 positive donors (CPD), 45 from COVID-19 experienced donors (CED), and 20 from COVID-19 naive donors (CND). We evaluated engraftment, complications, and survival rates among the three groups. Results: All apheresis procedures were successful with no significant differences in CD34+ cells or lymphocytes in grafts among the three groups. All patients achieved engraftment by day 30 post-HSCT. The incidence of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) was 55.6%, 20%, and 10% in the CPD, CED, and CND groups, respectively (p = 0.024). Multivariate analysis indicated that COVID-19 positivity in donors at the time of apheresis was an independent risk factor for II-IV aGVHD (p = 0.020, OR = 12.159, 95% CI 1.783 -135.760). No differences were observed among the groups in terms of chronic GVHD, viral infection, or sinusoidal obstruction syndrome. The 6-month overall survival and disease-free survival rates were also similar among the three groups. Discussion: Our results suggest that the COVID-19-positive status of donors might not impact graft collection, engraftment, or short-term survival of allo-HSCT recipients but might increase the risk of aGVHD. Further research is needed to explore the influence of donors' COVID-19 status on long-term complications and survival in allo-HSCT recipients.

Lysosome-Targeted and pH-Activatable Phototheranostics for NIR-II Fluorescence Imaging-Guided Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Phototherapy.

Currently, clinical therapeutic strategies for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) confront insurmountable dilemmas in which surgical resection is incomplete and chemotherapy/radiotherapy has significant side effects. Phototherapy offers a maneuverable, effective, and noninvasive pattern for NPC therapy. Herein, we developed a lysosome-targeted and pH-responsive nanophototheranostic for near-infrared II (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) of NPC. A lysosome-targeted S-D-A-D-S-type NIR-II phototheranostic molecule (IRFEM) is encapsulated within the acid-sensitive amphiphilic DSPE-Hyd-PEG2k to form IRFEM@DHP nanoparticles (NPs). The prepared IRFEM@DHP exhibits a good accumulation in the acidic lysosomes for facilitating the release of IRFEM, which could disrupt lysosomal function by generating an amount of heat and ROS under laser irradiation. Moreover, the guidelines of NIR-II fluorescence enhance the accuracy of PTT/PDT for NPC and avoid damage to normal tissues. Remarkably, IRFEM@DHP enable efficient antitumor effects both in vitro and in vivo, opening up a new avenue for precise NPC theranostics.

Compact step-added T-type PAC for enhanced hydrogen detection: A photoacoustic frequency shift approach.

In this study, we introduce an innovative photoacoustic frequency shift (PAFS) technique for hydrogen (H2) detection, complemented by both theoretical models and practical experiments. To mitigate cross-sensitivity, we analyzed the sound speeds of six different gases, confirming minimal interference with H2 due to significant velocity disparities. Central to our approach is the design of a miniaturized step-added T-type Photoacoustic Cell (PAC), with parameters meticulously optimized for enhanced performance. Using COMSOL Multiphysics' Thermal Viscous Acoustics module, we conducted simulations to evaluate the quality factor and acoustic pressure, both crucial for the sensor's efficiency. Additionally, we assessed the system's stability, influenced by gas flow, through gas velocity distribution analyses using the Computational Fluid Dynamics module. Experimental investigations focused on the system's sensing performance, revealing a distinct frequency shift of âˆ¼45 Hz for every 1 % change in H2 concentration, with a high linear correlation (R2 = 0.99825). The system's response and recovery times were measured at 1.09 s and 1.25 s, respectively. Long-term stability, evaluated over 3000 s using Allan deviation, indicated a minimum detection limit (MDL) of 102.47 ppm at an integration time of 375 s. These findings validate the efficacy of the step-added T-type PAC in H2 detection.

Adaptor protein 14-3-3zeta promotes corneal wound healing via regulating cell homeostasis, a potential novel therapy for corneal injury.

Severe corneal injury can lead to blindness even after prompt treatment. 14-3-3zeta, a member of an adaptor protein family, contributes to tissue repair by enhancing cellular viability and inhibiting fibrosis and inflammation in renal disease or arthritis. However, its role in corneal regeneration is less studied. In this study, filter disc of 2-mm diameter soaked in sodium hydroxide with a concentration of 0.5 N was placed at the center of the cornea for 30 s to establish a mouse model of corneal alkali injury. We found that 14-3-3zeta, which is mainly expressed in the epithelial layer, was upregulated following injury. Overexpression of 14-3-3zeta in ocular tissues via adeno-associated virus-mediated subconjunctival delivery promoted corneal wound healing, showing improved corneal structure and transparency. In vitro studies on human corneal epithelial cells showed that 14-3-3zeta was critical for cell proliferation and migration. mRNA-sequencing in conjunction with KEGG analysis and validation experiments revealed that 14-3-3zeta regulated the mRNA levels of ITGB1, PIK3R1, FGF5, PRKAA1 and the phosphorylation level of Akt, suggesting the involvement of the PI3K-Akt pathway in 14-3-3zeta-mediated tissue repair. 14-3-3zeta is a potential novel therapeutic candidate for treating severe corneal injury.

Causes of Corneal Melt After the Boston Keratoprosthesis Type I: The Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital Experience.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term incidence, risk factors, and the management of corneal melt following Boston type I keratoprosthesis (B-KPro I) implantation. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational case series. Data were collected regarding demographics, preoperative characteristics, incidence, and outcomes of corneal melt in 102 patients who underwent B-KPro I in the Chinese PLA General Hospital between 2011 and 2018, with a follow-up period ranging from 4 to 11 years. RESULTS: Chemical burn was the most common indication for B-KPro I (n = 56; 53.8%), followed by ocular trauma (n = 26; 25.0%). During the follow-up period (107 ± 25.7 months), corneal melt occurred in 60 cases among 37 eyes (35.6%), with an incidence of 20.2% at 1 year after surgery. Fourteen cases presented with recurrent corneal melt. Patients with multiple corneal allograft failures had a higher risk of corneal melt. Thermal burns, compared with alkali burns, significantly elevated the odds ratio (OR) of corneal melt (OR, 5.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-24.86; P = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Corneal melt significantly reduced the retention time of KPro ( P < 0.01), and its coexistence with other complications further shortened the retention time. A specific pattern of corneal melt occurrence was identified, with a peak incidence at 1 year postoperatively. Our findings suggest variations in the risk of corneal melt among different indications, with thermal burns carrying the highest OR. Moreover, each previous failed keratoplasty doubled the risk of corneal melt after B-KPro I.

Statistical Models for High-Risk Intestinal Metaplasia with DNA Methylation Profiling.

We consider the newly developed multinomial mixed-link models for a high-risk intestinal metaplasia (IM) study with DNA methylation data. Different from the traditional multinomial logistic models commonly used for categorical responses, the mixed-link models allow us to select the most appropriate link function for each category. We show that the selected multinomial mixed-link model (Model 1) using the total number of stem cell divisions (TNSC) based on DNA methylation data outperforms the traditional logistic models in terms of cross-entropy loss from ten-fold cross-validations with significant p-values 8.12×10-4 and 6.94×10-5. Based on our selected model, the significance of TNSC's effect in predicting the risk of IM is justified with a p-value less than 10-6. We also select the most appropriate mixed-link models (Models 2 and 3) when an additional covariate, the status of gastric atrophy, is available. When the status is negative, mild, or moderate, we recommend Model 2; otherwise, we prefer Model 3. Both Models 2 and 3 can predict the risk of IM significantly better than Model 1, which justifies that the status of gastric atrophy is informative in predicting the risk of IM.

Genome-Wide Identification of GAST Family Members and Their Potential Roles in Epicotyl Dormancy in Chinese Cork Oak (Quercus variabilis).

Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis Blume) is a widespread tree species with high economic and ecological values. Chinese cork oak exhibits epicotyl dormancy, causing emergence heterogeneity and affecting the quality of seedling cultivation. Gibberellic acid-stimulated transcript (GAST) is a plant-specific protein family that plays a crucial regulatory role in plant growth, development, and seed germination. However, their evolution in Chinese cork oak and roles in epicotyl dormancy are still unclear. Here, a genome-wide identification of the GAST gene family was conducted in Chinese cork oak. Ten QvGAST genes were identified, and nine of them were expressed in seed. The physicochemical properties and promoter cis-acting elements of the selected Chinese cork oak GAST family genes indicated that the cis-acting elements in the GAST promoter are involved in plant development, hormone response, and stress response. Germinated seeds were subjected to gibberellins (GAs), abscisic acid (ABA), and fluridone treatments to show their response during epicotyl dormancy release. Significant changes in the expression of certain QvGAST genes were observed under different hormone treatments. QvGAST1, QvGAST2, QvGAST3, and QvGAST6 exhibited upregulation in response to gibberellin. QvGAST2 was markedly upregulated during the release of epicotyl dormancy in response to GA. These findings suggested that QvGAST2 might play an important role in epicotyl dormancy release. This study provides a basis for further analysis of the mechanisms underlying the alleviation of epicotyl dormancy in Chinese cork oak by QvGASTs genes.

For a Colorful Life: Recent Advances in Anthocyanin Biosynthesis during Leaf Senescence.

Leaf senescence is the last stage of leaf development, and it is accompanied by a leaf color change. In some species, anthocyanins are accumulated during leaf senescence, which are vital indicators for both ornamental and commercial value. Therefore, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation during leaf senescence, which would provide new insight into autumn coloration and molecular breeding for more colorful plants. Anthocyanin accumulation is a surprisingly complex process, and significant advances have been made in the past decades. In this review, we focused on leaf coloration during senescence. We emphatically discussed several networks linked to genetic, hormonal, environmental, and nutritional factors in regulating anthocyanin accumulation during leaf senescence. This paper aims to provide a regulatory model for leaf coloration and to put forward some prospects for future development.

Phenotypic comparison and the potential antitumor function of immortalized bone marrow-derived macrophages (iBMDMs).

Introduction: Macrophages are an important component of innate immunity and involved in the immune regulation of multiple diseases. The functional diversity and plasticity make macrophages to exhibit different polarization phenotypes after different stimuli. During tumor progression, the M2-like polarized tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) promote tumor progression by assisting immune escape, facilitating tumor cell metastasis, and switching tumor angiogenesis. Our previous studies demonstrated that functional remodeling of TAMs through engineered-modifying or gene-editing provides the potential immunotherapy for tumor. However, lack of proliferation capacity and maintained immune memory of infused macrophages restricts the application of macrophage-based therapeutic strategies in the repressive tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Although J2 retrovirus infection enabled immortalization of bone marrow-derived macrophages (iBMDMs) and facilitated the mechanisms exploration and application, little is known about the phenotypic and functional differences among multi kinds of macrophages. Methods: HE staining was used to detect the biosafety of iBMDMs, and real-time quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence staining, and ELISA were used to detect the polarization response and expression of chemokines in iBMDMs. Flow cytometry, scratch assay, real-time quantitative PCR, and crystal violet staining were used to analyze its phagocytic function, as well as its impact on tumor cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. Not only that, the inhibitory effect of iBMDMs on tumor growth was detected through subcutaneous tumor loading, while the tumor tissue was paraffin sectioned and flow cytometry was used to detect its impact on the tumor microenvironment. Results: In this study, we demonstrated iBMDMs exhibited the features of rapid proliferation and long-term survival. We also compared iBMDMs with RAW264.7 cell line and mouse primary BMDMs with in vitro and in vivo experiments, indicating that the iBMDMs could undergo the same polarization response as normal macrophages with no obvious cellular morphology changes after polarization. What's more, iBMDMs owned stronger phagocytosis and pro-apoptosis functions on tumor cells. In addition, M1-polarized iBMDMs could maintain the anti-tumor phenotypes and domesticated the recruited macrophages of receptor mice, which further improved the TIME and repressed tumor growth. Discussion: iBMDMs can serve as a good object for the function and mechanism study of macrophages and the optional source of macrophage immunotherapy.