The OsGAPC3 mutation significantly affects grain quality traits and improves the nutritional quality of rice.

The glycolytic enzyme cytoplasmic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPC3) is involved in multiple biological processes in plants, including transcriptional regulation, and material metabolism. However, the relationship between OsGAPC3 and the quality traits of rice is poorly understood. Here we identify OsGAPC3 mutations that enhance the protein content and grain nutritional quality of rice by regulating the OsAAP6 gene expression. The number and volume of type-II protein bodies in the endosperm of the OsGAPC3 mutants, and GPC increase significantly. We report significant increases in chalkiness area and degree, and decreases for starch content, gel consistency, and taste value. Results of proteomic detection and analysis reveal that OsGAPC3 affects the major storage substances (proteins and starch) metabolism in rice, and the accumulation of proteins and starch in the endosperm. Additionally, the OsGAPC3 mutation significantly decreases the rice-seedling salt tolerance. Therefore, OsGAPC3 affects multiple quality traits of rice, participates in regulating rice-seedling salt-stress response. These data can be used to design better-quality and stronger salt-resistant rice varieties.

Convergent evolution in high-altitude and marine mammals: Molecular adaptations to pulmonary fibrosis and hypoxia.

High-altitude and marine mammals inhabit distinct ecosystems but share a common challenge: hypoxia. To survive in low-oxygen environments, these species have evolved similar phenotypic pulmonary adaptations, characterized by a high density of elastic fibers. In this study, we explored the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations, focusing on pulmonary fibrosis and hypoxia tolerance through comparative genomics and convergent evolution analyses. We observed significant expansions and contractions in certain gene families across both high-altitude and marine mammals, closely associated with processes involved in pulmonary fibrosis. Notably, members of the keratin gene family, such as KRT17 and KRT14, appear to be associated with the development of the dense elastic fiber phenotype observed in the lungs of hypoxia-tolerant mammals. Through selection pressure and amino acid substitution analyses, we identified multiple genes exhibiting convergent accelerated evolution, positive selection, and amino acid substitution in these species, associated with adaptation to hypoxic environments. Specifically, the convergent evolution of ZFP36L1, FN1, and NEDD9 was found to contribute to the high density of elastic fibers in the lungs of both high-altitude and marine mammals, facilitating their hypoxia tolerance. Additionally, we identified convergent amino acid substitutions and gene loss events associated with sperm development, differentiation, and spermatogenesis, such as amino acid substitutions in SLC26A3 and pseudogenization of CFAP47, as confirmed by PCR. These genetic alterations may be linked to changes in the reproductive capabilities of these animals. Overall, this study offers novel perspectives on the genetic and molecular adaptations of high-altitude and marine mammals to hypoxic environments, with a particular emphasis on pulmonary fibrosis.

PD-L1+ neutrophils induced NETs in malignant ascites is a potential biomarker in HCC.

BACKGROUND: Since differentiating malignant ascites from benign ascites has always been a clinical difficult, recognition of novel biomarkers in malignant ascites of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients could be helpful for establishing a diagnosis for HCC patients with ascitic fluids. METHODS: Thirty-five HCC patients with malignant ascites and chronic liver diseases patients with benign ascites were enrolled. Serum and ascites specimens were collected to determine TAN subpopulations and NETs concentration. Then, the correlation between ascitic NETs levels and clinical features were analyzed, and ROC curves were generated to evaluate the diagnostic value of NETs. For in vitro study, fresh neutrophils were employed to explore the underlying mechanism of TAN polarization and NETs formation using RNAseq analysis. RESULTS: Significantly increased pro-tumor PD-L1+ TANs and higher lactate levels were measured in HCC ascites. RNAseq data showed that lactate regulated genes expression involving PD-L1 expression and NETs formation, suggesting that ascitic lactate might be responsible for tumor progression in TME. Then, NETs-related markers including calprotectin, dsDNA, CitH3, MPO and MPO-DNA were found dramatically elevated in malignant ascites. Next, correlation analysis revealed that ascitic NETs levels positively correlated with LDH, a classic ascitic biochemical indicator. Furthermore, we identified the diagnostic values of NETs in discriminating malignant ascites from benign ascites. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlighted that elevated ascitic NETs served as a biomarker in HCC patients with malignant ascites, which provided useful insights for both clinical and basic research for malignant ascites diagnosis and management.

Nomogram for predicting reflux esophagitis with routine metabolic parameters: a retrospective study.

Introduction: The prevalence of reflux esophagitis (RE) is relatively high around the world. We investigated routine metabolic parameters for associations with RE prevalence and severity, creating a user-friendly RE prediction nomogram. Material and methods: We included 10,881 individuals who had upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at a hospital. We employed univariate and multivariate logistic regression for independent risk factors related to RE prevalence, and conducted ordinal logistic regression for independent prognostic factors of RE severity. Subsequently, a nomogram was constructed using multivariate logistic regression analysis, and its performance was assessed through the utilization of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curve (CIC) analysis. Results: In this study, 43.8% (4769 individuals) had confirmed RE. Multivariate analysis identified BMI, age, alcohol use, diabetes, Helicobacter pylori, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), albumin, uric acid (UA), fT3, and fT4 as independent RE risk factors (p < 0.05). The personalized nomogram used 17 factors to predict RE, with an AUC of 0.921 (95% CI: 0.916-0.926), specificity 84.02%, sensitivity 84.86%, and accuracy 84.39%, reflecting excellent discrimination. Calibration, decision, and CIC analyses affirmed the model's high predictive accuracy and clinical utility. Additionally, ordinal logistic regression linked hypertension, diabetes, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG, and TC to RE severity. Conclusions: Our study highlights the association between the routine metabolic parameters and RE prevalence and severity. The nomogram may be of great value for the prediction of RE prevalence.

Afadin mediates cadherin-catenin complex clustering on F-actin linked to cooperative binding and filament curvature.

The E-cadherin-ß-catenin-αE-catenin (cadherin-catenin) complex couples the cytoskeletons of neighboring cells at adherens junctions (AJs) to mediate force transmission across epithelia. Mechanical force and auxiliary binding partners converge to stabilize the cadherin-catenin complex's inherently weak binding to actin filaments (F-actin) through unclear mechanisms. Here we show that afadin's coiled-coil (CC) domain and vinculin synergistically enhance the cadherin-catenin complex's F-actin engagement. The cryo-EM structure of an E-cadherin-ß-catenin-αE-catenin-vinculin-afadin-CC supra-complex bound to F-actin reveals that afadin-CC bridges adjacent αE-catenin actin-binding domains along the filament, stabilizing flexible αE-catenin segments implicated in mechanical regulation. These cooperative binding contacts promote the formation of supra-complex clusters along F-actin. Additionally, cryo-EM variability analysis links supra-complex binding along individual F-actin strands to nanoscale filament curvature, a deformation mode associated with cytoskeletal forces. Collectively, this work elucidates a mechanistic framework by which vinculin and afadin tune cadherin-catenin complex-cytoskeleton coupling to support AJ function across varying mechanical regimes.

Causal relationships of infection with Helicobacter pylori and herpesvirus on periodontitis: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: To explore the causal association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, herpesvirus infection and periodontitis (PD) from a genetic perspective using Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: The PD data were derived from genome-wide association study (GWAS) from the Dental Endpoints (GLIDE) consortium, and the FinnGen Biobank provided data on H. pylori and herpesvirus infections. In addition, we examined GWAS data for subtypes of H. pylori and herpesvirus infection. Inverse variance weighting (IVW) was selected as a major analysis technique, and weighted median (WM), weighted model, simple model, and MR-Egger regression were added as supplementary methods. To verify the findings, the effects of pleiotropy and heterogeneity were assessed. Results: Genetically predicted H. pylori infection (OR = 0.914, 95%CI = 0.693-1.205, P = 0.523), anti-H. pylori VacA (OR = 0.973, 95%CI = 0.895-1.057, P = 0.515), anti-H. pylori CagA (OR = 1.072, 95%CI = 0.986-1.164; P = 0.102), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection (OR = 1.026, 95%CI = 0.940-1.120, P = 0.567), Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection (OR = 0.962, 95%CI = 0.883-1.048, P = 0.372), cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection (OR = 1.025, 95%CI = 0.967-1.088, P = 0.415), EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) (OR = 1.061, 95%CI = 0.930-1.209, P = 0.378), EBV virus capsid antigen (VCA) (OR = 1.043, 95CI% = 0.890-1.222, P = 0.603), HSV-1 (OR = 1.251, 95%CI = 0.782-2.001, P = 0.351), HSV-2 (OR = 1.020, 95%CI = 0.950-1.096, P = 0.585), CMV IgG (OR = 0.990, 95CI% = 0.882-1.111, P = 0.861) were not associated with PD, indicated that H. pylori and herpesvirus infection had no causal relationship to PD. Reverse studies also found no cause effect of PD on H. pylori or herpesvirus infection. The results of the sensitivity analysis suggested the robustness of the MR results. Conclusion: This study offered preliminary proof that H. pylori and herpesvirus infections were not causally linked to PD, and vice versa. However, more robust instrumental variables (IVs) and larger samples of GWAS data were necessary for further MR analysis.

Endoscopic retrosigmoid trans-petrosal fissure approach for vestibular schwannomas: case series.

The management of vestibular schwannoma (VS) remains one of the most formidable challenges in neurosurgery owing to the eloquent nature of surrounding anatomy. Although endoscopy-assisted microsurgery has recently gained momentum in cerebellopontine angle region surgery, the feasibility of pure endoscopic technique has been rarely reported. Here we present the operative technique and preliminary outcomes of fully endoscopic retrosigmoid trans-petrosal fissure approach (ER-TPFA) for VS surgery. Clinical data of 36 consecutive cases of VS treated with the ER-TPFA from March 2021 to March 2023 were analyzed. The patients were placed in a modified lateral park-bench position, with the Dandy incision and suboccipital craniotomy performed. With the endoscopic holder, endoscopic procedures were performed using standard two-hand microsurgical techniques by one surgeon. Arachnoidal dissection of the petrosal fissure was performed for identifying the brainstem end of facial nerve and separating the tumor from the cerebellum, without brain retraction seen in traditional microsurgical technique. The tumors had an averaged size of 3.0 cm in diameter. According to the Hannover classification, nearly all the tumors were grade III-IV (97.3%). Using ER-TPFA, 33 patients (91.7%) achieved gross total resection. Anatomic preservation of the facial nerve was achieved in 35 cases, with 33 patients (91.7%) retaining a House-Brackmann score of 1-2 postoperatively. Four out of ten patients still had serviceable hearing 6 months after operation. Postoperatively, there was no post-craniotomy hematoma, cerebellar edema, and new-onset cerebellar ataxia. With a better visualization of the cerebellopontine angle region, ER-TPFA may help preserve facial nerve function and maintain high gross total resection rate while minimizing complications. We believe this retractorless technique can be a safe and effective alternative for the management of VS with satisfactory clinical results.

miR-19-3p/GRSF1/COX1 axis attenuates early brain injury via maintaining mitochondrial function after subarachnoid haemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Guanine-rich RNA sequence binding factor 1 (GRSF1) is an RNA-binding protein, which is eventually localised to mitochondria and promotes the translation of cytochrome C oxidase 1 (COX1) mRNA. However, the role of the miR-19-3p/GRSF1/COX1 axis has not been investigated in an experimental subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) model. Thus, we investigated the role of the miR-19-3p/GRSF1/COX1 axis in a SAH-induced early brain injury (EBI) course. METHODS: Primary neurons were treated with oxyhaemoglobin (OxyHb) to simulate in vitro SAH. The rat SAH model was established by injecting autologous arterial blood into the optic chiasma cisterna. The GRSF1 level was downregulated or upregulated by treating the rats and neurons with lentivirus-GRSF1 shRNA (Lenti-GRSF1 shRNA) or lentivirus-GRSF1 (Lenti-GRSF1). RESULTS: The miR-19-3p level was upregulated and the protein levels of GRSF1 and COX1 were both downregulated in SAH brain tissue. GRSF1 silence decreased and GRSF1 overexpression increased the protein levels of GRSF1 and COX1 in primary neurons and brain tissue, respectively. Lenti-GRSF1 shRNA aggravated, but Lenti-GRSF1 alleviated, the indicators of neuronal injury and neurological impairment in both in vitro and in vivo SAH conditions. In addition, miR-19-3p mimic reduced the protein levels of GRSF1 and COX1 in cultured neurons while miR-19-3p inhibitor increased them. More importantly, Lenti-GRSF1 significantly relieved mitochondrial damage of neurons exposed to OxyHb or induced by SAH and was beneficial to maintaining mitochondrial integrity. Lenti-GRSF1 shRNA treatment, conversely, aggravated mitochondrial damage in neurons. CONCLUSION: The miR-19-3p/GRSF1/COX1 axis may serve as an underlying target for inhibiting SAH-induced EBI by maintaining mitochondrial integrity.

The kynurenine pathway regulated by intestinal innate lymphoid cells mediates postoperative cognitive dysfunction.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a prevalent neurological complication that can impair learning and memory for days, months, or even years after anesthesia/surgery. POCD is strongly associated with an altered composition of the gut microbiota (dysbiosis), but the accompanying metabolic changes and their role in gut-brain communication and POCD pathogenesis remain unclear. Here, the present study reports that anesthesia/surgery in aged mice induces elevated intestinal indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) expression and activity, which shifts intestinal tryptophan (TRP) metabolism toward more IDO-catalyzed kynurenine (KYN) and less gut bacteria-catabolized indoleacetic acid (IAA). Both anesthesia/surgery and intraperitoneal KYN administration induce increased KYN levels that correlate with impaired spatial learning and memory, whereas dietary IAA supplementation attenuates the anesthesia/surgery-induced cognitive impairment. Mechanistically, anesthesia/surgery increases interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-producing group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1) in the small intestine lamina propria and elevates intestinal IDO expression and activity, as indicated by the higher ratio of KYN to TRP. The IDO inhibitor 1-MT and antibodies targeting IFN-γ or ILCs mitigate anesthesia/surgery-induced cognitive dysfunction, suggesting that intestinal ILC1 expansion and the ensuing IFN-γ-induced IDO upregulation may be the primary pathway mediating the shift to the KYN pathway in POCD. The ILC1-KYN pathway in the intestine could be a promising therapeutic target for POCD.

Myosin forces elicit an F-actin structural landscape that mediates mechanosensitive protein recognition.

Cells mechanically interface with their surroundings through cytoskeleton-linked adhesions, allowing them to sense physical cues that instruct development and drive diseases such as cancer. Contractile forces generated by myosin motor proteins mediate these mechanical signal transduction processes through unclear protein structural mechanisms. Here, we show that myosin forces elicit structural changes in actin filaments (F-actin) that modulate binding by the mechanosensitive adhesion protein α-catenin. Using correlative cryo-fluorescence microscopy and cryo-electron tomography, we identify F-actin featuring domains of nanoscale oscillating curvature at cytoskeleton-adhesion interfaces enriched in zyxin, a marker of actin-myosin generated traction forces. We next introduce a reconstitution system for visualizing F-actin in the presence of myosin forces with cryo-electron microscopy, which reveals morphologically similar superhelical F-actin spirals. In simulations, transient forces mimicking tugging and release of filaments by motors produce spirals, supporting a mechanistic link to myosin's ATPase mechanochemical cycle. Three-dimensional reconstruction of spirals uncovers extensive asymmetric remodeling of F-actin's helical lattice. This is recognized by α-catenin, which cooperatively binds along individual strands, preferentially engaging interfaces featuring extended inter-subunit distances while simultaneously suppressing rotational deviations to regularize the lattice. Collectively, we find that myosin forces can deform F-actin, generating a conformational landscape that is detected and reciprocally modulated by a mechanosensitive protein, providing a direct structural glimpse at active force transduction through the cytoskeleton.

Natural products for enhancing the sensitivity or decreasing the adverse effects of anticancer drugs through regulating the redox balance.

Redox imbalance is reported to play a pivotal role in tumorigenesis, cancer development, and drug resistance. Severe oxidative damage is a general consequence of cancer cell responses to treatment and may cause cancer cell death or severe adverse effects. To maintain their longevity, cancer cells can rescue redox balance and enter a state of resistance to anticancer drugs. Therefore, targeting redox signalling pathways has emerged as an attractive and prospective strategy for enhancing the efficacy of anticancer drugs and decreasing their adverse effects. Over the past few decades, natural products (NPs) have become an invaluable source for developing new anticancer drugs due to their high efficacy and low toxicity. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that many NPs exhibit remarkable antitumour effects, whether used alone or as adjuvants, and are emerging as effective approaches to enhance sensitivity and decrease the adverse effects of conventional cancer therapies by regulating redox balance. Among them are several novel anticancer drugs based on NPs that have entered clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the synergistic anticancer effects and related redox mechanisms of the combination of NPs with conventional anticancer drugs. We believe that NPs targeting redox regulation will represent promising novel candidates and provide prospects for cancer treatment in the future.

A radiomics nomogram based on multiparametric MRI for diagnosing focal cortical dysplasia and initially identifying laterality.

BACKGROUND: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is the most common epileptogenic developmental malformation. The diagnosis of FCD is challenging. We generated a radiomics nomogram based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to diagnose FCD and identify laterality early. METHODS: Forty-three patients treated between July 2017 and May 2022 with histopathologically confirmed FCD were retrospectively enrolled. The contralateral unaffected hemispheres were included as the control group. Therefore, 86 ROIs were finally included. Using January 2021 as the time cutoff, those admitted after January 2021 were included in the hold-out set (n = 20). The remaining patients were separated randomly (8:2 ratio) into training (n = 55) and validation (n = 11) sets. All preoperative and postoperative MR images, including T1-weighted (T1w), T2-weighted (T2w), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and combined (T1w + T2w + FLAIR) images, were included. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select features. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop the diagnosis model. The performance of the radiomic nomogram was evaluated with an area under the curve (AUC), net reclassification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), calibration and clinical utility. RESULTS: The model-based radiomics features that were selected from combined sequences (T1w + T2w + FLAIR) had the highest performances in all models and showed better diagnostic performance than inexperienced radiologists in the training (AUCs: 0.847 VS. 0.664, p = 0.008), validation (AUC: 0.857 VS. 0.521, p = 0.155), and hold-out sets (AUCs: 0.828 VS. 0.571, p = 0.080). The positive values of NRI (0.402, 0.607, 0.424) and IDI (0.158, 0.264, 0.264) in the three sets indicated that the diagnostic performance of Model-Combined improved significantly. The radiomics nomogram fit well in calibration curves (p > 0.05), and decision curve analysis further confirmed the clinical usefulness of the nomogram. Additionally, the contrast (the radiomics feature) of the FCD lesions not only played a crucial role in the classifier but also had a significant correlation (r = -0.319, p < 0.05) with the duration of FCD. CONCLUSION: The radiomics nomogram generated by logistic regression model-based multiparametric MRI represents an important advancement in FCD diagnosis and treatment.

Research on the mechanism of threefold discrepancy in thermal conductivity between room temperature and phase transition temperature for 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) crystals.

Cracks originating from thermal expansion and thermally induced phase transitions significantly hinder thermal conduction in certain energetic materials. For 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) crystals, a classic explosive, their temperature-dependent thermal conductivity serves as a crucial parameter determining safety and stability. In this work, the thermal conductivity of HMX single crystals before and after thermal damage under different heating conditions was measured and calculated, as well as the thermal conductivity of different regions of each single crystal. A threefold discrepancy in thermal conductivity was observed between room temperature and the phase transition temperature of the HMX crystal. The different effects of different types of damage and cracks, characterized by using 3D X-ray computed tomography (CT), on the thermal conduction process of the crystal were further analyzed. The results indicate that different heating methods influence the phase transformation of the crystals and the distributions of fast cracks and small cracks. The strong directivity of the fast cracks will significantly impact the thermal conductivity along two horizontal directions, whereas small cracks exert the greatest influence on the primary direction of heat conduction. The relevant conclusions were also verified by finite element analysis (FEA) modeling.

Association Between Different Metabolic Obesity Phenotypes and Erosive Esophagitis: A Retrospective Study.

Background and Aim: Obesity is association with elevated risks of erosive esophagitis (EE), and metabolic abnormalities play crucial roles in its development. The aim of the study was to assess the association between metabolic obesity phenotypes and the risk of EE. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 11,599 subjects who had undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2023. The enrolled individuals were grouped into four cohorts based on their metabolic health and obesity profiles, namely, metabolically healthy non-obesity (MHNO; n=2134, 18.4%), metabolically healthy obesity (MHO; n=1736, 15.0%), metabolically unhealthy non-obesity (MUNO; n=4290, 37.0%), and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO; n=3439, 29.6%). The relationships of the different phenotypes of metabolic obesity with the risks of developing EE in the different sexes and age groups were investigated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The MUNO, MHO, and MUO cohorts exhibited elevated risks of developing EE than the MHNO cohort. The confounding factors were adjusted for, and the findings revealed that the MUO cohort exhibited the greatest risk of EE, with odds ratios (ORs) of 5.473 (95% CI: 4.181-7.165) and 7.566 (95% CI: 5.718-10.010) for males and females, respectively. The frequency of occurrence of EE increased following an increase in proportion of metabolic risk factors. Subgroup analyses showed that the individuals under and over 60 years of age in the MHO, MUNO, and MUO cohorts exhibited elevated risks of developing EE. Further analysis suggested that obesity has a stronger influence on the risks of developing EE compared to metabolic disorders. Conclusion: Metabolic disorders and obesity are both related with an elevated risk of EE, in which obesity has a potentially stronger influence. Clinical interventions should target both obesity and metabolic disorders to reduce EE risk.

Ultrastructural comparison of the larval midguts between Trypoxylus dichotomus (Linnaeus, 1771) and Anomala corpulenta (Motschulsky, 1854) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

Larvae are the most important feeding and developmental stage in the life cycle of insects. Correspondingly, the larval midguts, as the primary digestive organs, undergo diverse specialization among insect lineages. Larvae of Scarabaeoidae, commomly known as white grubs, exhibit diversity on feeding habits at the familial or subfamilial level. However, the ultrastructure of larval midguts is not yet satisfactorily understood. In this study, the larval midguts of Trypoxylus dichotomus and Anomala corpulenta were compared using light and transmission electron microscopy for the first time, to uncover the ultrastructural differences between the midguts of saprophagous and phytophagous white grubs. The larval midguts of both species are tubular with three circles of the gastric caeca, and share morphological similarities in midgut epithelial cells, layers of basal lamina, and the digestive and regenerative cells. However, the midguts of the two species differ significantly in the shape of the gastric caeca and exhibit slightly differences in muscle structure. The morphology of larval midgut is related to the feeding habits.

Preliminary Validation of Stereotaxic Injection Coordinates via Cryosectioning.

Stereotaxic injection of a specific brain region constitutes a fundamental experimental technique in basic neuroscience. Researchers commonly base their choice of stereotaxic injection parameters on mouse brain atlases or published materials that employed various populations/ages of mice and different stereotaxic equipment, necessitating further validation of the stereotaxic coordinate parameters. The efficacy of calcium imaging, chemogenetic, and optogenetic manipulations relies on the precise expression of reporter genes within the region of interest, often requiring several weeks of effort. Thus, it is a time-consuming task if the coordinates of the target brain region are not verified in advance. Using an appropriate dye instead of a virus and implementing cryosectioning, researchers can observe the injection site immediately following dye administration. This facilitates timely adjustments to coordinate parameters in cases where discrepancies exist between the actual injection site and the theoretical position. Such adjustments significantly enhance the accuracy of viral expression within the target region in subsequent experiments.

Gold nanoparticle-enhanced D-shaped optical fiber sensor for mercury ion detection.

Mercury ions (Hg2+) are highly toxic heavy metal ions that pose serious health risks to humans when present at concentrations above the safety threshold. Therefore, the development of a rapid and effective Hg2+ detection method is of significant importance. In this study, based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology integrated with COMSOL simulation analysis, a highly sensitive and selective Hg2+ sensing system is constructed. Initially, gold nanoparticles and the surface of a fiber-optic gold film are modified by sodium sulfide (Na2S). In the presence of Hg2+, the sulfur ions on the modified gold film and gold nanoparticles specifically bind to Hg2+, forming the composite structure Au/S-Hg2+-S/AuNPS. Due to the strong electromagnetic coupling between the gold nanoparticles and the gold film, a significant SPR wavelength shift occurs. These results show that the Hg2+ sensor has high sensitivity and enhanced selectivity. The detection limit for mercury ions was 8.15 nM, and the recovery rate in real environmental samples was up to 90.1-97.3%. This sensing system provides an alternative method for rapid and accurate determination of mercury content.

Precise and Omnidirectional Opto-Thermo-Elastic Actuation in Van Der Waals Contacting Systems.

Actuation of micro-objects along unconstrained trajectories in van der Waals contacting systems-in the same capacity as optical tweezers to manipulate particles in fluidic environments-remains a formidable challenge due to the lack of effective methods to overcome and exploit surface friction. Herein, a technique that aims to resolve this difficulty is proposed. This study shows that, by utilizing a moderate power beam of light, micro-objects adhered on planar solid substrates can be precisely guided to move in arbitrary directions, realizing sub-nanometer resolution across extended surfaces. The underlying mechanism is the interplay between surface friction and pulsed opto-thermo-elastic deformations, and to render a biased motion with off-centroid light illumination. This technique enables high-precision assembly, separation control of nanogaps, regulation of rotation angles in various material-substrate systems, whose capability is further tested in reconfigurable construction of optoelectronic devices. With simple set-up and theoretical generality, opto-thermo-elastic actuation opens up an avenue for versatile optical manipulation in the solid domain.

Insecticidal activity and underlying molecular mechanisms of a phytochemical plumbagin against Spodoptera frugiperda.

Introduction: Plumbagin is an important phytochemical and has been reported to exhibit potent larvicidal activity against several insect pests, However, the insecticidal mechanism of plumbagin against pests is still poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the insecticidal activities of plumbagin and the underlying molecular mechanisms against a devastating agricultural pest, the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda. Methods: The effects of plumbagin on S. frugiperda larval development and the activities of two detoxification enzymes were initially examined. Next, transcriptomic changes in S. frugiperda after plumbagin treatment were investigated. Furthermore, RNA-seq results were validated by qPCR. Results: Plumbagin exhibited a high larvicidal activity against the second and third instar larvae of S. frugiperda with 72 h LC50 of 0.573 and 2.676 mg/g, respectively. The activities of the two detoxification enzymes carboxylesterase and P450 were significantly increased after 1.5 mg/g plumbagin treatment. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis provided a comprehensive overview of complex transcriptomic changes in S. frugiperda larvae in response to 1.5 mg/g plumbagin exposure, and revealed that plumbagin treatment led to aberrant expression of a large number of genes related to nutrient and energy metabolism, humoral immune response, insect cuticle protein, chitin-binding proteins, chitin synthesis and degradation, insect hormone, and xenobiotic detoxification. The qPCR results further validated the reproducibility and reliability of the transcriptomic data. Discussion: Our findings provide a valuable insight into understanding the insecticidal mechanism of the phytochemical plumbagin.

OsG6PGH1 affects various grain quality traits and participates in the salt stress response of rice.

Cytoplasmic 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (G6PGH) is a key enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway that is involved in regulating various biological processes such as material metabolism, and growth and development in plants. However, it was unclear if OsG6PGH1 affected rice grain quality traits. We perform yeast one-hybrid experiments and reveal that OsG6PGH1 may interact with OsAAP6. Subsequently, yeast in vivo point-to-point experiments and local surface plasmon resonance experiments verified that OsG6PGH1 can bind to OsAAP6. OsG6PGH1 in rice is a constitutive expressed gene that may be localized in the cytoplasm. OsAAP6 and protein-synthesis metabolism-related genes are significantly upregulated in OsG6PGH1 overexpressing transgenic positive endosperm, corresponding to a significant increase in the number of protein bodies II, promoting accumulation of related storage proteins, a significant increase in grain protein content (GPC), and improved rice nutritional quality. OsG6PGH1 positively regulates amylose content, negatively regulates chalkiness rate and taste value, significantly affects grain quality traits such as appearance, cooking, and eating qualities of rice, and is involved in regulating the expression of salt stress related genes, thereby enhancing the salt-stress tolerance of rice. Therefore, OsG6PGH1 represents an important genetic resource to assist in the design of high-quality and multi-resistant rice varieties.