Ir(III) Metal Emitters with Cyano-Modified Imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-2-ylidene Chelates for Deep-Blue Organic Light-Emitting Diodes.

Ir(III) carbene complexes have been explored as one of the best blue phosphors for their high performance. Herein, the authors designed and synthesized a series of blue-emitting Ir(III) phosphors (f-ct9a-c), featuring fac-coordinated cyano-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-2-ylidene cyclometalates. These Ir(III) complexes exhibit true-blue emission with a peak maximum spanning 448-467 nm, with high photoluminescence quantum yields of 81-88% recorded in degassed toluene. Moreover, OLED devices bearing phosphors f-ct9a and f-ct9b deliver maximum external quantum efficiencies (EQEmax) of 25.9% and 30.3%, together with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIEx,y) coordinates of (0.157, 0.225) and (0.142, 0.169), respectively. Remarkably, the f-ct9b-based device displays an incredible EQE of 29.0% at 5000 cd·m-2. The hyper-OLED device based on f-ct9b and ν-DABNA exhibits an EQEmax of 34.7% and CIEx,y coordinates of (0.122, 0.131), affirming high potentials in achieving efficient blue electroluminescence.

An integrated microfluidic and fluorescence platform for probing in vivo neuropharmacology.

Neurotechnologies and genetic tools for dissecting neural circuit functions have advanced rapidly over the past decade, although the development of complementary pharmacological method-ologies has comparatively lagged. Understanding the precise pharmacological mechanisms of neuroactive compounds is critical for advancing basic neurobiology and neuropharmacology, as well as for developing more effective treatments for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, integrating modern tools for assessing neural activity in large-scale neural networks with spatially localized drug delivery remains a major challenge. Here, we present a dual microfluidic-photometry platform that enables simultaneous intracranial drug delivery with neural dynamics monitoring in the rodent brain. The integrated platform combines a wireless, battery-free, miniaturized fluidic microsystem with optical probes, allowing for spatially and temporally specific drug delivery while recording activity-dependent fluorescence using genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECIs), neurotransmitter sensors GRAB NE and GRAB DA , and neuropeptide sensors. We demonstrate the performance this platform for investigating neuropharmacological mechanisms in vivo and characterize its efficacy in probing precise mechanistic actions of neuroactive compounds across several rapidly evolving neuroscience domains.

Risk factors and prediction models for cardiovascular complications of hypertension in older adults with machine learning: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Hypertension has emerged as a chronic disease prevalent worldwide that may cause severe cardiovascular complications, particularly in older patients. However, there is a paucity of studies that use risk factors and prediction models for cardiovascular complications associated with hypertension in older adults. Objectives: To identify the risk factors and develop prediction models for cardiovascular complications among older patients with hypertension. Methods: A convenience sample of 476 older patients with hypertension was recruited from a university-affiliated hospital in China. Demographic data, clinical physiological indicators, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, medication adherence, and lifestyle information were collected from participants. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to screen for preliminary risk factors associated with cardiovascular complications. Two machine learning methods, Back-Propagation neural network, and random forest were applied to develop prediction models for cardiovascular complications among the study cohort. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, receiver operating characteristic curve, and area under the curve (AUC) values were used to assess the performance of the prediction models. Results: Binary logistic regression identified nine risk factors for cardiovascular complications among older patients with hypertension. The machine learning models displayed excellent performance in predicting cardiovascular complications, with the random forest model (AUC 0.954) outperforming the Back-Propagation neural network model (AUC 0.811), as confirmed by model comparison analysis. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the Back-Propagation neural network model compared to the random forest model were 74.2% vs. 86.5%, 75.2% vs. 94.3%, and 74.7% vs. 90.4%, respectively. Conclusion: The machine learning methods employed in this study demonstrated feasibility in predicting cardiovascular complications among older patients with hypertension, with the random forest model based on nine risk factors exhibiting excellent prediction performance. These models could be used to identify high-risk populations and suggest early interventions aimed at preventing cardiovascular complications in such cohorts.

Role function and job satisfaction of community nurses in China: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To evaluate role function and job satisfaction, determine their relationship, and explore the factors influencing job satisfaction among community nurses in China. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study was conducted between March and June 2020 on a cluster random sampling of 302 community nurses from 24 community health centres and stations in Xi'an, China. Self-reported data were collected using the Demographics Questionnaire, Role Function of Community Nurses Questionnaire, and Job Satisfaction of Community Nurses Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to analyse data. RESULTS: Community nurses' main role function was organiser and manager (M = 2.56, SD = 0.987) and coordinator (M = 2.43, SD = 0.971). The lowest job satisfaction was for salary and benefits (M = 3.12, SD = 0.891) and personal development (M = 3.65, SD = 0.738). A positive correlation was found between the roles of caregiver, educator, navigator, and salary and benefits (p < 0.05) among community nurses. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that monthly income and working experience in nursing explained 61.1% of the variance in job satisfaction.

Efficacy of Bleomycin-Lauromacrogol Foam in Pediatric Macrocystic Lymphatic Malformations With and Without Intracapsular Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Sclerotherapy is purportedly less effective in patients with hemorrhagic than with non-hemorrhagic lymphatic malformations (LMs). We aimed to compare the efficacy of bleomycin-lauromacrogol foam (BLF) sclerotherapy in the treatment of macrocystic LMs with and without intralesional hemorrhage. METHODS: Fifty-five children with macrocystic LMs admitted to the Pediatric Surgery Department were retrospectively included. The patients were allocated into a hemorrhage group (23 cases) or a non-hemorrhage group (32 cases) based on the occurrence of an intracapsular hemorrhage. The diagnosis was confirmed by physical examination, color ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and puncture findings. BLF was injected into the capsule after draining the cystic fluid under color ultrasound guidance. Patients whose lesions were unchanged or showed minor change after 1 month were treated again using the same method. Changes in lesion size and the number of treatments were recorded. Effectiveness was classified as excellent (volume reduction ≥90%), good (50%≤volume reduction<90%), or poor (volume reduction <50%). RESULTS: In the hemorrhage group, 17, 6, and 0 patients' outcomes were classified as excellent, good, and poor, respectively. The overall efficacy rate was 100%. In the non-hemorrhage group, 23, 7, and 2 patients' outcomes were classified as excellent, good, and poor, respectively. The overall efficacy rate was 93.8%. There was no significant difference in efficacy rate between groups (P = 0.767). CONCLUSIONS: BLF is an effective and safe treatment for macrocystic LMs with bleeding. The results were similar in patients with and without bleeding. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Treatment, Level III.

Differences in clinical characteristics of early-onset and late-onset severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections in neonates.

Differences in clinical characteristics of early-onset and late-onset severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in neonates remain unclear. This study aimed to determine whether there are differences in the main clinical, radiological, and laboratory features of early-onset and late-onset SARS-CoV-2 infections in neonates. This single-center, prospective cohort study enrolled neonates with SARS-CoV-2 infection from December 7, 2022, to January 3, 2023, and evaluated their clinical characteristics during hospitalization. All neonates (N = 58) infected with SARS-CoV-2 within 28 days of birth who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Taizhou Hospital were included. These neonates were classified into the early-onset (diagnosed within 7 days of birth) and late-onset (diagnosed more than 7 days after birth) groups. The symptoms, treatment, and prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection were the main study outcomes. The incidence of hospitalization attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection was 10.6% (58 of 546 neonates) in Linhai. Sixteen (28%) of the 58 SARS-CoV-2 infections were early-onset cases, and 42 (72%) were late-onset cases. The common symptoms among the late-onset group were fever (p < 0.001) and cough (p < 0.001). Neonates with late-onset SARS-CoV-2 infection (p < 0.001) were significantly more likely to develop pneumonia.  Conclusion: The clinical symptoms and rates of pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection in neonates differed between the early-onset and late-onset groups. Different clinical management is necessary for neonates with early-onset and late-onset SARS-CoV-2 infections. What is Known: • Neonates are susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). • Differences in clinical characteristics of early-onset and late-onset SARS-CoV-2 infections in neonates remain unclear. What is New: • Fever and cough were the most common symptoms among neonates with late-onset infection. • Neonates with late-onset SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to develop pneumonia.

Downregulation of MTHFD2 Inhibits Proliferation and Enhances Chemosensitivity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma via PI3K/AKT Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Despite the substantial impact of methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) on cancer progression, its significance in the regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell proliferation and chemosensitivity remains poorly defined. METHODS: We evaluated MTHFD2 expression in a total of 95 HCC tissues by immunohistochemistry and analyzed the association of MTHFD2 with clinicopathologic features. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were conducted to verify MTHFD2 expression levels. Bioinformatics analysis such as gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were used to predict the signaling pathways involved in MTHFD2. In addition, to investigate the anti-tumor effects of MTHFD2 knockdown, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and EdU assays were used. RESULTS: We found that MTHFD2 was frequently upregulated in HCC, and the combination of increased expression of MTHFD2 and Ki67 was associated with poor HCC prognosis. MTHFD2 knockdown significantly inhibited HCC cell proliferation and effectively sensitized HCC cells to sorafenib and lenvatinib. PI3K/AKT pathway was involved in MTHFD2-mediated modulation of proliferation and chemosensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that MTHFD2 plays an important role in proliferation and chemosensitivity of HCC, indicating that it may serve as a novel pharmacological target for improving HCC therapy.

Bacillus subtilis YZ-1 surfactins are involved in effective toxicity against agricultural pests.

BACKGROUND: Insect pests negatively affect crop quality and yield. The excessive use of chemical pesticides has serious impacts on the environment and food safety. Therefore, development of effective management strategies in the form of bio-agents have important agricultural applications. Tenebrio molitor, a storage pest, causes losses of grains, medicinal materials, and various agricultural and related products in the warehouse. Bacillus subtilis YZ-1 isolated from naturally deceased Pieris rapae has been found to exhibit significant toxicity against T. molitor. RESULTS: Treatment with B. subtilis YZ-1 fermentation broth resulted in a 90-95% mortality rate of T. molitor within 36 h post-treatment, indicating some active substances may have insecticidal activity in the bacterial supernatant. A bioactivity-guided fractionation method was used to isolate the insecticidal compounds from YZ-1, which led to the identification of surfactins. Additionally, a surfactin deletion mutant YZ-1△srfAA was constructed and the surfactin production by the mutant YZ-1△srfAA was verified through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Further, YZ-1△srfAA exhibited loss of insecticidal activity against T. molitor, Plutella xylostella and Achelura yunnanensis. The insecticidal activity and surfactins contents of several strains of Bacillus sp. were also tested and correlation was found between varying surfactins yield and insecticidal activity exhibited by different strains. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, our results suggest that B. subtilis YZ-1 may provide a novel approach for plant protection against agricultural pests. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effectiveness of nurse-led electronic health interventions on illness management in patients with chronic heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a global health concern, and nurse-led electronic health is an effective management strategy for this condition. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify current patterns and strategies for nurse-led electronic health interventions and examine the effects of nurse-led electronic health interventions for illness management in patients with chronic heart failure. DESIGN: This study combined a systematic review and meta-analyses. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four articles, involving a total of 3660 patients, met the inclusion criteria. METHODS: We conducted a large amount of literature review using seven English databases: namely PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and SCOPUS, along with three Chinese databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), WanFang, and the VIP Database. Databases were searched from inception until September 2022. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The studies were independently screened by two reviewers who extracted of the details of those meeting the inclusion criteria study. The Joanna Briggs Institute randomized controlled trial checklist was used to evaluate the methodological value of each incorporation study. Meta-analysis was performed by the use of Manager 5.3. RESULTS: The main patterns of electronic health intervention involve smartphone, Internet and specialized (portable) electronic monitoring devices that are used for the illness management of patients with chronic heart failure, mainly including providing self-management guidance for chronic heart failure, and tracking of the patient's health information, providing peer support, and facilizing medical and health resources. The collective findings of 9 studies reported that electronic health interventions improved self-care (MD: 15.30, 95 % CI: 1.59 to 29.02, p < 0.05). Regarding psychosocial well-being outcomes, the incorporative conclusions indicated that electronic health interventions effectively increased quality of life, reduced depression and anxiety, and improved patient satisfaction. Regarding disease-related examinations, electronic health interventions significantly increased cardiac function during the 6-minute walk test. Regarding healthy economic outcomes, electronic health interventions significantly decreased the rehospitalization rate and the cost of medical care services. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this review suggest that nurse-led electronic health interventions involving multiple patterns have an active influence on managing patients with chronic heart failure, including enhancing self-care, and medication adherence; increasing quality of life; reducing depression, anxiety, and improved patient satisfaction; increasing cardiac function, and reducing rehospitalization rate and hospitalization costs. Thus, it could be a promising alternative in the clinical settings. REGISTRATION: CRD42023389450.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens AK-12 Helps Rapeseed Establish a Protection against Brevicoryne brassicae.

Aphids are a serious threat to rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) production, and cause unmanageable loss. Therefore, effective prevention and management strategies are urgently required to avoid losses. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens AK-12 isolated from a dead aphid with aphicidal activity was tagged with a green fluorescent protein through a natural transformation. The transformed strains were checked for stability and growth, and the best-performing strain was tested for its colonization inside and outside the rapeseed plant. The stability of AK-12-GFP reached more than 95%, and the growth curve was consistent with that of AK-12. After 30 days of treatment, the colonization of 1 × 106 CFU/g was recorded in rapeseed leaves. Interestingly, AK-12 reduced the aphid transmission rate compared with the control and improved the growth of the rapeseed seedlings. Meanwhile, the AK-12 strain also exhibited phosphorus, potassium-solubilizing, and nitrogen-fixing activity, and produced 2.61 µg/mL of IAA at 24 h. Regulation in the activity of four enzymes was detected after the AK-12 treatment. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) was recorded at a maximum of 86.84 U/g after 36 h, and catalase (CAT) decreased after 48 h; however, peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) reached the maximum within 12 h of AK-12 application. Additionally, important resistance genes related to these enzymes were upregulated, indicating the activation of a defense response in the rapeseed against aphids. In conclusion, defense enzymes and defense-related gene activation could improve the pest resistance in rapeseed, which has good application prospects for the future to be developed into biopesticide.

CDK5 destabilizes PD-L1 via chaperon-mediated autophagy to control cancer immune surveillance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In the past few years, immunotherapies of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), have achieved durable clinical benefits. However, only a fraction of HCC patients showed objective clinical response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade alone. Despite the impact on post-translational modifications of PD-L1 being substantial, its significance in resistance to HCC immunotherapy remains poorly defined. METHODS: Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) expression was knocked down in HCC cells, CDK5 and PD-L1 protein levels were examined by Western blot. Coimmunoprecipitation was conducted to evaluate the interaction between proteins. Preclinical HCC mice model was constructed to evaluate the effect of CDK5 inhibitor alone or in combination with PD-1 antibody. Clinical HCC samples were used to elucidate the clinical relevance of CDK5, PD-L1, and PD-L1 T290 phosphorylation in HCC. RESULTS: We find that CDK5 deficiency upregulates PD-L1 protein expression in HCC cells and decipher a novel molecular mechanism under which PD-L1 is downregulated by CDK5, that is, CDK5 mediated PD-L1 phosphorylation at T290 promotes its binding with chaperon protein heat-shock cognate protein 70 (HSC70) and degradation through chaperon-mediated autophagy. Notably, treatment of CDK5 inhibitor, PNU112455A, effectively upregulates the tumorous PD-L1 level, promotes the response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy,and prolongs the survival time of mice bearing HCC tumors. What is more, the T290 phosphorylation status of PD-L1 correlates with the prognosis of HCC. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting CDK5 can synergize with PD-1 blockade to suppress HCC growth, which may have clinical benefits. Our study reveals a unique regulation of the degradation of PD-L1 in HCC, and provides an attractive therapeutic target, a potential drug, and a new prognostic marker for the clinical treatment of HCC.

Soil enzyme activities, physiological indicators, agronomic traits and yield of common buckwheat under herbicide combined with safeners.

In the pursuit of green agricultural development, alleviating the harmful effects of herbicides is critical. Herbicide safeners have been identified as an effective solution to safeguard crops without compromising the herbicidal efficacy. However, the impact of combined applications of herbicide and safeners on the physiological characteristics, growth, yield of common buckwheat, and soil enzyme activities remains unclear. Therefore, a two-year (2021 and 2022) field experiment was conducted in the Loess Plateau region of Northwest China under seven treatments: herbicide metolachlor application alone (H1); herbicide metolachlor combined with gibberellin (H1S1); herbicide metolachlor combined with brassinolide (H1S2); herbicide metolachlor combined with naian (H1S3); herbicide metolachlor combined with jiecaotong (H1S4); manual weeding (CK1) and spraying the same volume of water (CK2). The results indicated that H1S3 minimized herbicide toxicity while sustaining the herbicide control efficacy. H1S2 treatment significantly increased the chlorophyll content (SPAD value), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) activities, and decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of the leaves compared to H1 treatment. Additionally, the safeners helped restore the biochemical homeostasis of the soil by preventing the inhibition of invertase and urease activities and increasing soil catalase activity. Furthermore, H1S2 promotion of dry matter accumulation, alleviation of herbicide inhibition on plant height, stem diameter, grainnumber per plant and thousand-grain weight resulted in a significant increase in grain yield (14.36 % in 2021 and 27.78 % in 2022) compared to other safener treatments. Overall, this study demonstrates that brassinolide as a safener can effectively mitigate the negative effects of herbicide on the growth and development of common buckwheat while also improving grain yield. These findings provide valuable technical guidance for sustainable and intensive production of common buckwheat in the Loess Plateau of Northwest China.

3D-printed epidermal sweat microfluidic systems with integrated microcuvettes for precise spectroscopic and fluorometric biochemical assays.

Systems for capture, storage and analysis of eccrine sweat can provide insights into physiological health status, quantify losses of water, electrolytes, amino acids and/or other essential species, and identify exposures to adverse environmental species or illicit drugs. Recent advances in materials and device designs serve as the basis for skin-compatible classes of microfluidic platforms and in situ colorimetric assays for precise assessments of sweat rate, sweat loss and concentrations of wide-ranging types of biomarkers in sweat. This paper presents a set of findings that enhances the performance of these systems through the use of microfluidic networks, integrated valves and microscale optical cuvettes formed by three dimensional printing in hard/soft hybrid materials systems, for accurate spectroscopic and fluorometric assays. Field studies demonstrate the capability of these microcuvette systems to evaluate the concentrations of copper, chloride, and glucose in sweat, along with the pH of sweat, with laboratory-grade accuracy and sensitivity.

[Change in Granulation Potential and Microbial Enrichment Characteristics of Sludge Induced by Microplastics].

Microplastics (MPs), as a new type of pollutant, are widely detected in sewage treatment plants. Currently, research on MPs in traditional sewage treatment systems has mainly been focused on the pollution level and distribution characteristics, with a lack of studying the impact of MPs on the sludge granulation. In order to explore the effect of MPs on the granulation process, a microplastic exposure test was conducted by adding polyethylene terephthalate microplastics (PET-MPs), which are widespread in the environment. The operating performance of the system, extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) composition, and flora enrichment were analyzed on the sludge granulation. The results showed that the exposure of PET-MPs significantly accelerated the sludge granulation process, whereas the increase in EPS content dominated by PN enhanced the sludge surface hydrophobicity; the granulation rate and EPS secretion were proportional to the exposed particle size. Microplastics and EPS secretions synergistically promoted the formation of granular sludge. However, continuous microplastic exposure led to deterioration of the system decontamination performance and inhibited the degradation process of pollutants, with the most negative effect of nitrite nitrogen accumulation under 250 µm PET-MPs exposure, as high as (5.08±0.24) mg·L-1. The high-throughput sequencing revealed that the microbial community diversity fell in the experimental group. The dominant bacteria at the phylum level were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota on the sludge granulation. Rhodocyclaceae, Sphingomonadaceae, Flavobacteriaceae, and Rhodanobacteraceae promoted flocculation by increasing EPS secretion. The decrease in Comamonadaceae and Chitinophagaceae weakened the ammonia and nitrite oxidation capacity of the system, whereas the decrease in Rhodobacteraceae, Hyphomonadaceae, and Xanthomonadaceae inhibited the removal of nitrate nitrogen.

Blue Electrophosphorescence from Iridium(III) Phosphors Bearing Asymmetric Di-N-aryl 6-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-2-ylidene Chelates.

Efficient blue phosphors remain a formidable challenge for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). To circumvent this obstacle, a series of Ir(III)-based carbene complexes bearing asymmetric di-N-aryl 6-(trifluoromethyl)-2H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridin-2-ylidene chelates, namely, f-ct6a-c, are synthesized, and their structures and photophysical properties are comprehensively investigated. Moreover, these emitters can undergo interconversion in refluxing 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, catalyzed by a mixture of sodium acetate (NaOAc) and p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate (TsOH·H2 O) without decomposition. All Ir(III) complexes present good photoluminescence quantum yield (ΦPL = 83-88%) with peak maximum (max.) at 443-452 nm and narrowed full width at half maximum (FWHM = 66-73 nm). Among all the fabricated OLED devices, f-ct6b delivers a max. external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 23.4% and Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage CIEx , y coordinates of (0.14, 0.12), whereas the hyper-OLED device based on f-ct6a and 5H,9H,11H,15H-[1,4] benzazaborino [2,3,4-kl][1,4]benzazaborino[4',3',2':4,5][1,4]benzazaborino[3,2-b]phenazaborine-7,13-diamine, N7,N7,N13,N13,5,9,11,15-octaphenyl (ν-DABNA) exhibits max. EQE of 26.2% and CIEx , y of (0.12, 0.13). Finally, the corresponding tandem OLED with f-ct6b as dopant gives a max. luminance of over 10 000 cd m-2 and max. EQE of 42.1%, confirming their candidacies for making true-blue OLEDs.

Guided construction of single cell reference for human and mouse lung.

Accurate cell type identification is a key and rate-limiting step in single-cell data analysis. Single-cell references with comprehensive cell types, reproducible and functionally validated cell identities, and common nomenclatures are much needed by the research community for automated cell type annotation, data integration, and data sharing. Here, we develop a computational pipeline utilizing the LungMAP CellCards as a dictionary to consolidate single-cell transcriptomic datasets of 104 human lungs and 17 mouse lung samples to construct LungMAP single-cell reference (CellRef) for both normal human and mouse lungs. CellRefs define 48 human and 40 mouse lung cell types catalogued from diverse anatomic locations and developmental time points. We demonstrate the accuracy and stability of LungMAP CellRefs and their utility for automated cell type annotation of both normal and diseased lungs using multiple independent methods and testing data. We develop user-friendly web interfaces for easy access and maximal utilization of the LungMAP CellRefs.

Effects of biochar coupled with chemical and organic fertilizer application on physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) starch.

Common buckwheat starch, a functional ingredient, has wide food and non-food applications. Excessive chemical fertilizer application during grain cultivation decreases quality. This study examined the effects of different combinations of chemical fertilizer, organic fertilizer, and biochar treatment on the physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility of starch. The amendment of both organic fertilizer and biochar was observed to have a greater impact on the physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility of common buckwheat starch in comparison to organic fertilizer amendment solely. The combined application of biochar, chemical, and organic nitrogen in an 80:10:10 ratio significantly increased the amylose content, light transmittance, solubility, resistant starch content, and swelling power of the starch. Simultaneously, the application reduced the proportion of amylopectin short chains. Additionally, this combination decreased the size of starch granules, weight-average molecular weight, polydispersity index, relative crystallinity, pasting temperature, and gelatinization enthalpy of the starch compared to the utilization of chemical fertilizer alone. The correlation between physicochemical properties and in vitro digestibility was analyzed. Four principal components were obtained, which accounted for 81.18 % of the total variance. These findings indicated that the combined application of chemical fertilizer, organic fertilizer, and biochar would improve common buckwheat grain quality.

First report of Aloe root and stem rot caused by Phytophthora palmivora in Yunnan Province, China.

Aloe genus plants are perennial evergreen herb belonging to Liliaceae family which is widely used in food, medicine, beauty, and health care (Kumar et al. 2019). In August 2021, symptoms of root and stem rot was observed in approximately 20% of Aloe vera plantings in Yuanjiang County, Yunnan Province, China (23° 64' 53" N, 101° 99' 84" E). The most typical symptoms were stem and root rot, browning and necrosis of vascular tissues, gradual greening, and reddish-browning of leaves from bottom to top, abscission, and eventual plant death (Fig. S1). Therefore, to isolate and identify the pathogen, the plants showing the above symptoms were collected. The plant tissues were cut from the edges of root and stem lesions, followed by disinfection with 75% ethanol for 1 min, rinsed three times with sterilized distilled water, and cut into 3 × 3 mm small squares after excision of marginal tissues. The tissues were transferred to the oomycetes selective medium (Liu et al. 2022) and incubated at 28 °C in the dark for 3~5 days, and suspected colonies were purified. The colonies were then inoculated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), V8-juice agar (V8), and oatmeal agar (OA) medium plates for morphological characteristics. Finally, 18 isolates with the same colonial and morphological characteristics were obtained from 30 lesioned tissue and one of them was named as ARP1. On PDA, V8 and OA medium plates, the ARP1 colonies were white. On PDA plate, the mycelia were dense and the colonies were petal-like; on V8 plate, the mycelia were cashmere and the colonies were radial or star-like. Whereas, on OA plate, the mycelia were cotton-like and the colonies were fluffy and radial (Fig. S2 A~C). Mycelium did not have septum with high branching and swelling. Sporangia were abundant, semi-papillate, varying in shape from ovoid-ellipsoid to long-ellipsoid, 18-26 × 45-63 µm (average: 22 × 54 µm, n = 30), sporangia released numerous zoospores from the papillate after maturation. The chlamydospores were spherical, 20-35 µm in diameter (average: 27.5 µm, n = 30) (Fig. S2 D~F). These morphological features were like those of the pathogenic species of the oomycetes (Chen et al. 2022). For the molecular characterization, the genomic DNA of the isolate was extracted using the cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide method, and the translation elongation factor 1α (tef-1α) (Stielow et al. 2015), ß-tubulin (ß-tub) (Kroon et al. 2004) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (White et al. 1990) of isolated strain ARP1 were amplified using primer pairs EF1-1018F/EF1-1620R, TUBUF2/TUBUR1 and ITS1/ITS4, respectively. The tef-1α, ß-tub genes and ITS region of ARP1 were directly sequenced and their sequence information was deposited in GenBank under accession numbers OQ506129, OQ506127 and OQ449628. ARP1 was clustered on the same evolutionary branch with Phytophthora palmivora (Fig. S3). To confirm the pathogenicity of ARP1, the main root of A. vera was wounded to 1 cm long and 2 mm deep with a scalpel blade followed by inoculation with 50 ml suspension of ARP1 zoospores at a concentration of 1 × 106 spores / ml per potted plant, and an equal volume of water as control. All inoculated plants were placed in the greenhouse at 28°C, 12 h / 12 h light / dark. After 15 dpi, the inoculated plants showed typical symptoms of wilted and drooping leaves and stem and root rot, same as observed in the field condition (Fig. S4). After inoculation with ARP1, a strain with the same morphological and molecular characteristics as the original isolate was re-isolated, confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. palmivora causing root and stem rot of A. vera in the study region. This disease could be a potential risk for aloe production and therefore appropriate management measures should be taken.

Immune and inflammatory mechanisms and therapeutic targets of gout: An update.

Gout is an autoimmune disease characterized by acute or chronic inflammation and damage to bone joints induced due to the precipitation of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. In recent years, with the continuous development of animal models and ongoing clinical investigations, more immune cells and inflammatory factors have been found to play roles in gouty inflammation. The inflammatory network involved in gout has been discovered, providing a new perspective from which to develop targeted therapy for gouty inflammation. Studies have shown that neutrophil macrophages and T lymphocytes play important roles in the pathogenesis and resolution of gout, and some inflammatory cytokines, such as those in the interleukin-1 (IL-1) family, have been shown to play anti-inflammatory or proinflammatory roles in gouty inflammation, but the mechanisms underlying their roles are unclear. In this review, we explore the roles of inflammatory cytokines, inflammasomes and immune cells in the course of gout development and the research status of therapeutic drugs used for inflammation to provide insights into future targeted therapy for gouty inflammation and the direction of gout pathogenesis research.

DNA methylation levels of TaP5CS and TaBADH are associated with enhanced tolerance to PEG-induced drought stress triggered by drought priming in wheat.

Drought priming is a promising strategy to enhance tolerance to recurred drought in wheat. However, the underlying mechanisms of priming-induced tolerance are far from clear. Here, three different priming intensities (P1D, P2D, P3D) and two varieties with different sensitivities to drought priming were used to investigate the effects and mechanisms of drought priming. Results showed light (P1D) or moderate (P2D) drought priming intensity induced positive effects for the drought sensitive variety (YM16), while high (P3D) priming intensity brought a negative impact on the plant drought resistant. For drought insensitive one (XM33), light priming intensity had no significant effect on tolerance to drought, while moderate or high intensity showed better priming effects. Moderate priming induced higher leaf water potential and also the osmolytes levels. Consistent with the proline and betaine, the related synthetic enzymatic activities, as well as the expression of TaP5CS and TaBADH were higher in P2D in YM16 and P3D in XM33. The contents of proline and betaine showed a positive correlation with activities of SOD, CAT, GR, AsA, and GSH contents, and a negative correlation with O2.-, H2O2, and MDA contents. Further analysis revealed CG demethylation of ATG-proximal regions in the promoter of TaP5CS and TaBADH were involved in promoting the synthesis of proline and betaine in primed plants. Collectively, these findings demonstrate drought priming effect was variety independent but depended on the priming severity, and demethylation of TaP5CS and TaBADH involved in the accumulation of osmolytes which contribute to the enhanced drought tolerance induced by priming.