Innovative Thermocatalytic H2 Sensor with Double-Sided Pd Nanocluster Films on an Ultrathin Mica Substrate.

Hydrogen (H2) is crucial in the future global energy landscape due to its eco-friendly properties, but its flammability requires precise monitoring. This study introduces an innovative thermocatalytic H2 sensor utilizing ultrathin mica sheets as substrates, coated on both sides with Pd nanocluster (NC) films. The ultrathin mica substrate ensures robustness and flexibility, enabling the sensor to withstand high temperatures and mechanical deformation. Additionally, it simplifies the fabrication process by eliminating the need for complex microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. Constructed through cluster beam deposition, the sensor exhibits exceptional characteristics, including a wide concentration range (from 500 ppm to 4%), rapid response and recovery times (3.1 and 2.4 s for 1% H2), good selectivity, high stability, and repeatability. The operating temperature can be as low as 40 °C, achieving remarkably low power consumption. The study explores the impact of double-sided versus single-sided catalytic layers, revealing significantly higher sensitivity and response with the double-sided configuration due to the increased catalytic surface area. Additionally, the research investigates the relationship between the deposition amount of Pd NCs and the sensor's sensitivity, identifying an optimal value that maximizes performance without excessive use of Pd. The sensor's innovative design and excellent performance position it as a promising candidate for meeting the demands of a hydrogen-based energy economy.

Morphological and genetic differences in legs of a polygamous beetle between sexes, Glenea cantor (Coleopter: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae).

The legs of insects play an important role in their daily behaviour, especially reproduction. Entomologists have performed much research on the role of the leg in different behaviours of beetles, an important group in the insect family, but relatively little has been done to study the ultrastructure and transcriptome of their legs. Hence, we systematically studied the ultrastructure and gene expression of the leg of G. cantor, a polygynous beetle, and compared its male and female diversity. In this study, we found the fore-leg, mid-leg and hind-leg of the female were significantly longer than those of the male. From the perspective of intuitive structural differences, we also compared the ultrastructures of the adhesion structure (tarsal) of males and females. The tarsal functional structure of the adult leg mainly includes sensilla and an adhesion structure. The sensilla on the tarsal joint mainly include sensilla chaetica (SCh II, SCh III) and sensilla trichodea (ST II). The adhesion structure includes disc-shaped bristles (di), lanceolate bristles (la), serrated bristles (se), spatula-shaped bristles (spl) and mushroom-shaped bristles (mus). Although there was no significant difference in sensillum distribution or type between males and females, there were significant differences in the distribution and species of adhesion structures between the fore-leg, mid-leg, and hind-leg of the same sex and between males and females. Therefore, different adhesion structures play different roles in various behaviours of beetles. On the other hand, the transcriptome results of male and female legs were screened for a subset of olfaction- and mechanics-related genes. We discovered that the male leg showed upregulation of 1 odorant binding protein (OBP), 2 Olfactory receptors (ORs) and 2 Chemosensory proteins (CSPs). Meanwhile, the female leg showed upregulation of 3 OBPs, 1 OR, 1 Gustatory receptor (GR) and 3 Mechanosensitive proteins (MSPs). An in-depth examination of the ultrastructure and molecular composition of the legs can elucidate its function in the reproductive behavior of G. cantor. Moremore, this investigation will serve as a cornerstone for subsequent research into the underlying behavioral mechanisms.

Deciphering the comprehensive knowledgebase landscape featuring infertility with IDDB Xtra.

Infertility affects ∼15% of couples globally and half of cases are related to genetic disorders. Despite growing data and unprecedented improvements in high-throughput sequencing technologies, accumulated fertility-related issues concerning genetic diagnosis and potential treatment are urgent to be solved. However, there is a lack of comprehensive platforms that characterise various infertility-related records to provide research applications for exploring infertility in-depth and genetic counselling of infertility couple. To solve this problem, we provide IDDB Xtra by further integrating phenotypic manifestations, genomic datasets, epigenetics, modulators in collaboration with numerous interactive tools into our previous infertility database, IDDB. IDDB Xtra houses manually-curated 2369 genes of human and nine model organisms, 273 chromosomal abnormalities, 884 phenotypes, 60 genomic datasets, 464 epigenetic records, 1144 modulators relevant to infertility diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, IDDB Xtra incorporated customized graphical applications for researchers and clinicians to decipher in-depth disease mechanisms from the perspectives of developmental atlas, mutation effects, and clinical manifestations. Users can browse genes across developmental stages of human and mouse, filter candidate genes, mine potential variants and retrieve infertility biomedical network in an intuitive web interface. In summary, IDDB Xtra not only captures valuable research and data, but also provides useful applications to facilitate the genetic counselling and drug discovery of infertility. IDDB Xtra is freely available at https://mdl.shsmu.edu.cn/IDDB/and http://www.allostery.net/IDDB.

Human Mitochondrial Protein HSPD1 Binds to and Regulates the Repair of Deoxyinosine in DNA.

The generation of deoxyinosine (dI) in DNA is one of the most important sources of genetic mutations, which may lead to cancer and other human diseases. A further understanding of the biological consequences of dI necessitates the identification and functional characterizations of dI-binding proteins. Herein, we employed a mass spectrometry-based proteomics approach to detect the cellular proteins that may sense the presence of dI in DNA. Our results demonstrated that human mitochondrial heat shock protein 60 (HSPD1) can interact with dI-bearing DNA. We further demonstrated the involvement of HSPD1 in the sodium nitrite-induced DNA damage response and in the modulation of dI levels in vitro and in human cells. Together, these findings revealed HSPD1 as a novel dI-binding protein that may play an important role in the mitochondrial DNA damage control in human cells.

Characterization of aging cancer-associated fibroblasts draws implications in prognosis and immunotherapy response in low-grade gliomas.

Background: Due to the highly variable prognosis of low-grade gliomas (LGGs), it is important to find robust biomarkers for predicting clinical outcomes. Aging cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) within the senescent stroma of a tumor microenvironment (TME) have been recently reported to play a key role in tumor development. However, there are few studies focusing on this topic in gliomas. Methods and Results: Based on the transcriptome data from TCGA and CGGA databases, we identified aging CAF-related genes (ACAFRGs) in LGGs by the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) method, followed by which LGG samples were classified into two aging CAF-related gene clusters with distinct prognosis and characteristics of the TME. Machine learning algorithms were used to screen out eight featured ACAFRGs to characterize two aging CAF-related gene clusters, and a nomogram model was constructed to predict the probability of gene cluster A for each LGG sample. Then, a powerful aging CAF scoring system was developed to predict the prognosis and response to immune checkpoint blockage therapy. Finally, the ACAFRGs were verified in two glioma-related external datasets. The performance of the aging CAF score in predicting the immunotherapy response was further validated in two independent cohorts. We also confirmed the expression of ACAFRGs at the protein level in glioma tissues through the Human Protein Atlas website and Western blotting analysis. Conclusion: We developed a robust aging CAF scoring system to predict the prognosis and immunotherapy response in LGGs. Our findings may provide new targets for therapeutics and contribute to the exploration focusing on aging CAFs.

Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Analysis of the Roles of DNA Polymerases ν and θ in the Replicative Bypass of 8-Oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine in Human Cells.

DNA polymerase (Pol) ν and Pol θ are two specialized A-family DNA polymerases that function in the translesion synthesis of certain DNA lesions. However, the biological functions of human Pols ν and θ in cellular replicative bypass of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG), an important carcinogenesis-related biomarker of oxidative DNA damage, remain unclear. Herein, we showed that depletion of Pols ν and θ in human cells could cause an elevated hypersensitivity to oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide. Using next-generation sequencing-based lesion bypass and mutagenesis assay, we further demonstrated that Pols ν and θ had important roles in promoting translesion synthesis of 8-oxoG in human cells. We also found that the depletion of Pol ν, but not Pol θ, caused a substantial reduction in G → T mutation frequency for 8-oxoG. These findings provided novel insights into the involvement of A-family DNA polymerases in oxidative DNA damage response.

Metal Nanocluster-Metal Organic Framework-Polymer Hybrid Nanomaterials for Improved Hydrogen Detection.

The development of hydrogen sensors is of paramount importance for timely leak detection and remains a crucial unmet need. Palladium-based materials, well known as hydrogen sensors, still suffer from poisoning and deactivation. Here, a hybrid hydrogen sensor consisting of a Pd nanocluster (NC) film, a metal-organic framework (MOF), and a polymer, are proposed. The polymer coating, as a protection layer, endows the sensor with excellent H2 selectivity and CO-poisoning resistance. The MOF serves as an interface layer between the Pd NC film and the polymer layer, which alters the nature of the interaction with hydrogen and leads to significant sensing performance improvements, owing to the interfacial electronic coupling between Pd NCs and the MOF. The strategy overcomes the shortcomings of retarded response speed and degraded sensitivity induced by the polymer coating of a Pd NC film-polymer hybrid system. This is the first exhibition of a hydrogen-sensing enhancement mechanism achieved by engineering the electronic coupling between Pd and a MOF. The work establishes a deep understanding of the hydrogen-sensing enhancement mechanism at the nanoscale and provides a feasible strategy to engineer next-generation gas-sensing nanodevices with superior sensing figures of merit via hybrid material systems.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus zz-1 exerts preventive effects on chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression in mice via regulating the intestinal microenvironment.

Depression remains one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, and it has been confirmed that it is related to the dysfunction of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Manipulation of the gut microenvironment by probiotics might improve mental health and prevent stress-related psychiatric disorders. The present study aimed to determine whether Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) zz-1 could prevent the occurrence of depression and its potential mechanisms using a mouse model with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). The results indicated that L. rhamnosus zz-1 intervention ameliorated CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors of mice with reduced body growth rate, lowered sucrose preference, increased immobility time, as well as decreased curiosity and mobility. Moreover, L. rhamnosus zz-1 significantly inhibited hormones released due to hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, alleviated CUMS-induced deficits of monoamine neurotransmitters, and increased the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB). These benefits were partially linked to the regulation of the intestinal microenvironment. L. rhamnosus zz-1 alleviated intestinal damage and reduced intestinal inflammation of the depressed mice. Meanwhile, L. rhamnosus zz-1 effectively adjusted the dysbiosis of mouse gut microbiota induced by CUMS, such as changes in the abundance of the Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, Bacteroides, and Muribaculum. Taken together, these results demonstrated that L. rhamnosus zz-1 was effective in preventing depression from chronic stress, adding new evidence to support the mental benefits of probiotics.

Ferroptosis-mediated Crosstalk in the Tumor Microenvironment Implicated in Cancer Progression and Therapy.

Ferroptosis is a recently recognized form of non-apoptotic regulated cell death and usually driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation and has arisen to play a significant role in cancer biology. Distinct from other types of cell death in morphology, genetics, and biochemistry, ferroptosis is characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxides and lethal reactive oxygen species controlled by integrated oxidant and antioxidant systems. Increasing evidence indicates that a variety of biological processes, including amino acid, iron, lactate, and lipid metabolism, as well as glutathione, phospholipids, NADPH, and coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis, are closely related to ferroptosis sensitivity. Abnormal ferroptotic response may modulate cancer progression by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment (TME). The TME is widely associated with tumor occurrence because it is the carrier of tumor cells, which interacts with surrounding cells through the circulatory and the lymphatic system, thus influencing the development and progression of cancer. Furthermore, the metabolism processes play roles in maintaining the homeostasis and evolution of the TME. Here, this review focuses on the ferroptosis-mediated crosstalk in the TME, as well as discussing the novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.

Maternal exposure to life events during pregnancy and congenital heart disease in offspring: a case-control study in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that maternal stress could increase the risk of some adverse pregnancy outcomes, but evidence on congenital heart disease (CHD) is limited. We aimed to explore the association between maternal exposure to life events during pregnancy and CHD in offspring. METHODS: The data was based on an unmatched case-control study about CHD conducted in Shaanxi province of China from 2014 to 2016. We included 2280 subjects, 699 in the case group and 1581 in the control group. The cases were infants or fetuses diagnosed with CHD, and the controls were infants without any birth defects. The life events were assessed by the Life Events Scale for Pregnant Women, and were divided into positive and negative events for synchronous analysis. A directed acyclic graph was drawn to screen the confounders. Logistic regression was employed to estimate the odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for the effects of life events on CHD. RESULTS: After controlling for the potential confounders, the pregnant women experiencing the positive events during pregnancy had lower risk of CHD in offspring than those without positive events (OR = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.30 ~ 0.48). The risk of CHD in offspring could increase by 62% among the pregnant women experiencing the negative events compared to those without (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.29 ~ 2.03). Both effects showed a certain dose-response association. Besides, the positive events could weaken the risk impact of negative events on CHD. CONCLUSION: It may suggest that maternal exposure to negative life events could increase the risk of CHD in offspring, while experiencing positive events could play a potential protective role.

Fabrication and Characterization of Gelatin/Zein Nanofiber Films Loading Perillaldehyde for the Preservation of Chilled Chicken.

Perillaldehyde is a natural antibacterial agent extracted from perilla essential oil. In our methodology, five antibacterial nanofiber packaging films are prepared by loading different concentrations of perillaldehyde (P) into gelatin/zein (G/Z) polymers. Morphology observations show that the G/Z/P film had a good uniform microstructure and nano-diameter as the weight ratio of 5:1:0.02 (G/Z/P). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray indicate that these three ingredients had good compatibility and strong interaction via hydrogen bonding. Water contact angle results show that the G/Z/P films gradually change from hydrophilic to hydrophobic with the increase of perillaldehyde. Thermal analysis indicates that the G/Z/P (5:1:0.02) film has good thermal stability. Antibacterial and storage analysis indicates that G/Z/P (5:1:0.02) film is effective to inactivate Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enteritidis, and obviously reduces the increasing rate of total bacteria counts and volatile basic nitrogen of chicken breasts. This study indicates that the G/Z/P (5:1:0.02) is a kind of potential antibacterial food packaging film.

Geographical variations in maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy associated with birth weight in Shaanxi province, Northwestern China.

The geographical variation of maternal dietary patterns related to birth outcomes is important for improving the health of mothers and children; however, it is currently unknown. Thus, the objective of the study was to investigate geographical variations of maternal dietary pattern during pregnancy, and evaluate the spatial varying association of maternal dietary patterns in pregnancy with abnormal birth weight. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Shaanxi province in Northwest China in 2013 to evaluate the relationship between abnormal birth weight and dietary pattern using the Geographically Weighted Logistic Regression (GWLR). Three dietary patterns during pregnancy were extracted through factor analysis, explaining approximately 45.8% of the variability of food intake. Approximately 81.6% of mothers with higher scores on the equilibrium pattern was more unlikely to have small for gestational age (SGA) infants, with the lower OR observed in Central and South Shaanxi. The snacks pattern was positively associated with low birth weight (LBW) for 23.2% of participants, with the highest OR in Central Shaanxi. Among about 80.0% of participants with higher scores on the snacks pattern living in South and Central Shaanxi, there was a higher risk for SGA. The OR values tend to descend from South to North Shaanxi. The OR values of the negative association between prudent pattern and LBW decreased from South to North Shaanxi among approximately 59.3% of participants. The prudent pattern was also negatively associated with the increasing risk of fetal macrosomia among 19.2% of participants living mainly in South Shaanxi. The association of maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy with abnormal birth weight varied geographically across Shaanxi province. The findings emphasize the importance of geographical distribution to improve the dietary patterns among disadvantaged pregnant women.

The effect of sociodemographic factors on COVID-19 incidence of 342 cities in China: a geographically weighted regression model analysis.

BACKGROUND: Since December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread quickly among the population and brought a severe global impact. However, considerable geographical disparities in the distribution of COVID-19 incidence existed among different cities. In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of sociodemographic factors on COVID-19 incidence of 342 cities in China from a geographic perspective. METHODS: Official surveillance data about the COVID-19 and sociodemographic information in China's 342 cities were collected. Local geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) model and traditional generalized linear models (GLM) Poisson regression model were compared for optimal analysis. RESULTS: Compared to that of the GLM Poisson regression model, a significantly lower corrected Akaike Information Criteria (AICc) was reported in the GWPR model (61953.0 in GLM vs. 43218.9 in GWPR). Spatial auto-correlation of residuals was not found in the GWPR model (global Moran's I = - 0.005, p = 0.468), inferring the capture of the spatial auto-correlation by the GWPR model. Cities with a higher gross domestic product (GDP), limited health resources, and shorter distance to Wuhan, were at a higher risk for COVID-19. Furthermore, with the exception of some southeastern cities, as population density increased, the incidence of COVID-19 decreased. CONCLUSIONS: There are potential effects of the sociodemographic factors on the COVID-19 incidence. Moreover, our findings and methodology could guide other countries by helping them understand the local transmission of COVID-19 and developing a tailored country-specific intervention strategy.

Contamination and Biofilm Formation of Foodborne and Opportunistic Pathogens in Yellow-Feathered Chicken Carcass.

This study aims to analyze the contamination and biofilm formation of foodborne and opportunistic pathogens in yellow-feathered chicken carcasses sampled in different seasons and to prove the relationship between biofilm-forming ability and bacterial extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production. A total of 78 strains were isolated from chicken samples. The strains consisted of 30.8% Escherichia coli, 14.1% Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 12.8% Salmonella enteritidis, 12.8% Klebsiella pnenmoniae, 10.2% Enterobacter cloacae, 8.9% Proteus mirabilis, 5.1% Klebsiella oxytoca, 1.3% Staphylococcus aureus, and 1.3% Citrobacter braakii. Crystal violet staining assay revealed six strains with strong biofilm-forming ability, namely, E. coli S7, K. oxytoca B12, K. pnenmoniae B6, S. enteritidis H4, P. aeruginosa M5, and S. aureus G1, which showed had high abilities of cell motility and EPS production. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that all six strains can form mature biofilm architectures after 5 d of cultivation. This study may serve as a reference to control the contamination of foodborne pathogens in yellow-feathered chicken and enhance the quality and shelf life of these chicken products.

Preparation and characterization of gelatin/chitosan/3-phenylacetic acid food-packaging nanofiber antibacterial films by electrospinning.

In this study, antibacterial nanofiber films were prepared by electrospinning gelatin, chitosan, and 3-phenyllactic acid (PLA). The addition of PLA improved the microstructures of the nanofibers, and the nanofiber films (GCP-1 and GCP-2) had uniform and continuous structures with a diameter range of 40--70 nm when the PLA concentrations in the polymers were 1% and 2%. Under acidic conditions, chitosan and PLA interacted and formed hydrogen bonds, which decreased the crystallinity of the nanofiber films. The GCP-2 nanofiber film had the best thermal stability, water stability, and water vapor permeability. Compared with the control GCP-0 film, the four nanofiber films with PLA (GCP-1, GCP-2, GCP-3, and GCP-4) had more effective antibacterial effects, and GCP-2 film reduced approximately 4 log CFU/mL of Salmonella enterica Enteritidis and Staphylococcus aureus in 30 min. Results suggested that the GCP-2 nanofiber film mat can be used as an active food packaging.

Preparation and antibacterial properties of ε-polylysine-containing gelatin/chitosan nanofiber films.

An effective antibacterial nanofiber film was prepared through the incorporation of ε-polylysine (ε-PL) into gelatin/chitosan-based polymers. All nanofiber films had uniformly disordered fibrous structure with good diameter distribution. The weight ratio of the gelatin/chitosan/ε-PL (G/C/P) influenced the solution property and nanofiber morphology. The addition of ε-PL can decrease the viscosity and increase the conductivity of solutions, which lead to a decrease in the diameter of nanofibers. The three polymers of gelatin, chitosan, and ε-PL were interacted by hydrogen bonding, and the crystallinity of nanofiber films was decreased by the electrospinning process. The addition of ε-PL can enhance the thermal stability, and decrease the water vapor permeability and oxygen permeability of the films, and ε-PL did not easily release from the nanofiber films. The G/C/P (6:1:0.125) nanofiber film was more effective to control six foodborne pathogens than the G/C nanofiber films by destroying the bacterial cell membranes. The result indicated that the gelatin/chitosan/ε-PL nanofiber films can be used as a food-packaging material to reduce the risk of foodborne pathogens.

Geographical variations in maternal lifestyles during pregnancy associated with congenital heart defects among live births in Shaanxi province, Northwestern China.

In this study, we aimed to explore regional differences in maternal lifestyle during pregnancy related to congenital heart defects (CHD) in Shaanxi province, Northwestern China. A large-scale epidemiologic survey of birth defects among infants born during 2010-2013, was conducted in Shaanxi province. Non-spatial and geographic weighted logistic regression models were used for analysis. The spatial model indicated that passive smoking frequency was positively associated with CHD for 43.3% of participants (P < 0.05), with the highest OR in North Shaanxi and the lowest in South Shaanxi. Approximately 49.2% of all mothers who ever drink tea were more likely to have an infant with CHD (P < 0.05), with the highest OR values observed in North and Central Shaanxi. Additionally, maternal alcohol intake frequency ≥ 1/week was significantly correlated with CHD among about 24.7% of participants (P < 0.05), with OR values ranging from 0.738 (Central Shaanxi) to 1.198 (North Shaanxi). The rates of unhealthy maternal lifestyles during pregnancy associated with CHD differed in various areas of the province. The role of geographical variations in these factors may provide some possible clues and basis for tailoring site-specific intervention strategies.