Concentration effects on the local structures and electronic properties of ErxBaY2-xF8: a first-principles study.

Er3+doped barium yttrium fluoride (BaY2F8) crystal has gained long-term attention due to its great potential in laser and medical device applications. However, the local structures of Er3+doped BaY2F8system (Er:BYF) remain uncertain, and the effect of doping concentration on structures and properties is unknown. Therefore, in this study, the first-principles study of the structural evolution of ErxBaY2-xF8(x= 0.125, 0.25) crystals was carried out. By means of density functional theory and particle swarm optimization algorithm, the stable structures of Er:BYF crystals with two different concentrations are shown as standard monoclinic structures withP2 symmetry for the first time. The impurity Er3+ions successfully enter the main lattice, replacing the Y3+ions, and forming a [ErF8]5-polyhedron withC2point group symmetry. By calculating the electronic properties, the band gap values of the two structures are significantly reduced compared with that of pure BaY2F8crystal. However, the conduction band does not break through the Fermi level, and the crystals still maintain the insulation characteristic. According to the calculation of the electron local density function, we conclude that Er-F and Y-F in Er:BYF are connected by ionic bonds. These results fill a theoretical gap in the study of Er:BYF crystals and provide inspiration for structural evolution and material design at different doping concentrations.

FpPEX5 and FpPEX7 are involved in the growth, reproduction, DON toxin production, and pathogenicity in Fusarium pseudograminearum.

Fusarium crown rot, caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, is a devastating disease affecting the yield and quality of cereal crops. Peroxisomes are single-membrane organelles that play a critical role in various biological processes in eukaryotic cells. To functionally characterise peroxisome biosynthetic receptor proteins FpPEX5 and FpPEX7 in F. pseudograminearum, we constructed deletion mutants, ΔFpPEX5 and ΔFpPEX7, and complementary strains, ΔFpPEX5-C and ΔFpPEX7-C, and analysed the functions of FpPEX5 and FpPEX7 proteins using various phenotypic observations. The deletion of FpPEX5 and FpPEX7 resulted in a significant deficiency in mycelial growth and conidiation and blocked the peroxisomal targeting signal 1 and peroxisomal targeting signal 2 pathways, which are involved in peroxisomal matrix protein transport, increasing the accumulation of lipid droplets and reactive oxygen species. The deletion of FpPEX5 and FpPEX7 may reduce the formation of toxigenic bodies and decrease the pathogenicity of F. pseudograminearum. These results indicate that FpPEX5 and FpPEX7 play vital roles in the growth, asexual reproduction, virulence, and fatty acid utilisation of F. pseudograminearum. This study provides a theoretical basis for controlling stem rot in wheat.

Environmental changes impact on vegetables physiology and nutrition - Gaps between vegetable and cereal crops.

Projected changes in climate patterns, increase of weather extreme, water scarcity, and land degradation are going to challenge agricultural production and food security. Currently, studies concerning effects of climate change on agriculture mainly focus on yield and quality of cereal crops. In contrast, there has been little attention on the effects of environmental changes on vegetables that are necessary and key nutrition component for human beings, but quite sensitive to these climatic changes. Therefore, we reviewed the main changes of environmental factors under the current scenario as well as the impacts of these factors on the physiological responses and nutritional alteration of vegetables and the key findings based on modelling. The gaps between cereal crops and vegetables were pinpointed and the actions to take in the future were proposed. The review will enhance our understanding concerning the effects of environmental changes on production, physiological responses, nutrition, and modelling of vegetable plants.

HSP70 positively regulates translation by interacting with the IRES and stabilizes the viral structural proteins VP1 and VP3 to facilitate duck hepatitis A virus type 1 replication.

The maintenance of viral protein homeostasis depends on the interaction between host cell proteins and viral proteins. As a molecular chaperone, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has been shown to play an important role in viral infection. Our results showed that HSP70 can affect translation, replication, assembly, and release during the life cycle of duck hepatitis A virus type 1 (DHAV-1). We demonstrated that HSP70 can regulate viral translation by interacting with the DHAV-1 internal ribosome entry site (IRES). In addition, HSP70 interacts with the viral capsid proteins VP1 and VP3 and promotes their stability by inhibiting proteasomal degradation, thereby facilitating the assembly of DHAV-1 virions. This study demonstrates the specific role of HSP70 in regulating DHAV-1 replication, which are helpful for understanding the pathogenesis of DHAV-1 infection and provide additional information about the role of HSP70 in infection by different kinds of picornaviruses, as well as the interaction between picornaviruses and host cells.

Crystal structure of the long Rib domain of the LPXTG-anchored surface protein from Limosilactobacillus reuteri.

The Rib domain, which is often found as tandem-repeat structural modules in surface proteins of Gram-positive bacteria, plays important roles in mediating interactions of bacteria with their environments and hosts. A comprehensive structural analysis of various Rib domains is essential to fully understand their impact on the structure and functionality of these bacterial adhesins. To date, structural information has been limited for this expansive group of domains. In this study, the high-resolution crystal structure of the second member of the long Rib domain, a unique subclass within the Rib-domain family, derived from Limosilactobacillus reuteri is presented. The data not only demonstrate a highly conserved structure within the long Rib domain, but also highlight an evolutionary convergence in structural architecture with other modular domains found in cell-adhesion molecules.

Niobium-based single-atom catalyst promoted fractionation of lignocellulose in choline chloride-lactic acid deep eutectic solvent.

Pretreatment is the key step to convert lignocelluloses to sustainable biofuels, biochemicals or biomaterials. In this study, a green pretreatment method based on choline chloride-lactic acid deep eutectic solvent (ChCl-LA) and niobium-based single-atom catalyst (Nb/CN) was developed for the fractionation of corn straw and further enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. With this strategy, significant lignin removal of 96.5 % could be achieved when corn straw was pretreated by ChCl-LA (1:2) DES over Nb/CN under 120 °C for 6 h. Enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose-enriched fraction (CEF) presented high glucose yield of 92.7 % and xylose yield of 67.5 %. In-depth investigations verified that the high yields of fractions and monosaccharides was attributed to the preliminary fractionation by DES and the deep fractionation by Nb/CN. Significantly, compared to other reported soluble catalysts, the synthesized single-atom catalyst displayed excellent reusability by simple filtration and enzymatic hydrolysis. The recyclability experiments showed that the combination of ChCl-LA DES and Nb/CN could be repeated at least three times for corn straw fractionation, moreover, the combination displayed remarkable feedstock adaptability.

Metabolomics analysis of advancing humification mechanism in secondary fermentation of composting by fungal bioaugmentation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the differential metabolites and core metabolic pathways caused by fungal bioaugmentation (pH regulation and Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculation) in secondary fermentation of composting, as well as their roles in advancing humification mechanism. Metabolomics analyses showed that inoculation strengthened the expression of carbohydrate, amino acid, and aromatic metabolites, and pH regulation resulted in the up-regulation of the phosphotransferase system and its downstream carbohydrate metabolic pathways, inhibiting Toluene degradation and driving biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids via the Shikimate pathway. Partial least squares path model suggested that lignocellulose degradation, precursors especially amino acids and their metabolism process enhanced by the regulation of pH and Phanerochaete were the main direct factors for humic acid formation in composting. This finding helps to understand the regulating mechanism of fungal bioaugmentation to improve the maturity of agricultural waste composting.

Effect and potential mechanism of nitrite reductase B on nitrite degradation by Limosilactobacillus fermentum RC4.

Nitrite has the potential risk of hypoxic poisoning or cancer in pickled food. In our previous study, Limosilactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum) RC4 is effective in nitrite degradation by producing nitrite reductase B (NirB). To investigate the detailed mechanism from the genome, response, and regulation of NirB, the whole-genome sequence of L. fermentum RC4 was analyzed, the L. fermentum-EGFP-nirB with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) labeled the nitrite reductase large subunit nirB, and the recombined L. fermentum-NirB with overexpression NirB strain was conducted. The key genes within the dominant metabolism pathways may be involved in stress tolerance to regulate the degrading process. The green fluorescence density of EGFP indicated that NirB activity has a threshold and peaked under 300 mg/L nitrite concentration. NirB overexpressed in L. fermentum RC4 boosted the enzyme activity by 39.6% and the degradation rate by 10.5%, when fermented in 300 mg/L for 40 h, compared to the control group. RNA-seq detected 248 differential genes mainly enriched in carbohydrate, amino acid, and energy metabolism. The ackA gene for pyruvate metabolism and the mtnN gene for cysteine metabolism were up-regulated. NirB regulates these genes to produce acid and improve stress resistance for L. fermentum RC4 to accelerate nitrite degradation.

Application progress of nanocellulose in food packaging: A review.

With the increasing environmental and ecological problems caused by petroleum-based packaging materials, the focus has gradually shifted to natural resources for the preparation of functional food packaging materials. In addition to biodegradable properties, nanocellulose (NC) mechanical properties, and rich surface chemistry are also fascinating and desired to be one of the most probable green packaging materials. In this review, we firstly introduce the recent progress of novel applications of NC in food packaging, including intelligent packaging, nano(bio)sensors, and nano-paper; secondly, we focus on the modification techniques of NC to summarize the properties (antimicrobial, mechanical, hydrophobic, antioxidant, and so on) that are required for food packaging, to expand the new synthetic methods and application areas. After presenting all the latest advances related to material design and sustainable applications, an overview summarizing the safety of NC is presented to promote a continuous and healthy movement of NC toward the field of truly sustainable packaging.

E-M349E and NS2A/2B-P1(T) are compensatory mutations of rDTMUV-NS2AB-P1P1'(AA), which regain virus proliferation by enhancing the virus package and restoring NS2A/2B cleavage.

Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) belongs to the Flaviviridae family and mainly infects ducks. The genome of DTMUV is translated into a polyprotein, which is further cleaved into several protein by viral NS2B3 protease and host proteases. Crucially, the cleavage of the NS2A/2B precursor during this process is essential for the formation of replication complexes and viral packaging. Previous research has demonstrated that alanine mutations in NS2A/2B (P1P1' (AA)) result in an attenuated strain (rDTMUV-NS2A/2B-P1P1' (AA)) by disrupting NS2A/2B cleavage. In this study, we investigate the effects of the P1P1' (AA) mutation on the viral life cycle and explore compensatory mutations in rDTMUV-NS2A/2B-P1P1' (AA). Infected ducklings exhibit similar body weight gain and viral tissue loads to DTMUV-WT. Compensatory mutations E-M349E and P1(T) emerge, restoring proliferation levels to those of rDTMUV-WT. Specifically, E-M349E enhances viral packaging, while P1(T) reinstates NS2A/2B proteolysis in vitro. Thus, our findings reveal novel compensatory sites capable of restoring the attenuated DTMUV during polyprotein cleavage and packaging.

SlCathB2 as a negative regulator mediates a novel regulatory pathway upon high-temperature stress response in tomato.

High-temperature stress (HS) is a major abiotic stress that affects the yield and quality of plants. Cathepsin B-like protease 2 (CathB2) has been reported to play a role in developmental processes and stress response, but its involvement in HS response has not been identified. Here, overexpression, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS)and RNA-sequencing analysis were performed to uncover the functional characteristics of SlCathB2-1 and SlCathB2-2 genes for HS response in tomato. The results showed that overexpression of SlCathB2-1 and SlCathB2-2 resulted in reduced heat tolerance of tomato to HS while silencing the genes resulted in enhanced heat tolerance. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that the heat shock proteins (HSPs) exhibited higher expression in WT than in SlCathB2-1 and SlCathB2-2 overexpression lines. Furthermore, the possible molecular regulation mechanism underlying SlCathB2-1 and SlCathB2-2-mediated response to HS was investigated. We found that SlCathB2-1 and SlCathB2-2 negatively regulated antioxidant capacity by regulating a set of genes involved in antioxidant defence and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signal transduction. We also demonstrated that SlCathB2-1 and SlCathB2-2 positively regulated ER-stress-induced PCD (ERSID) by regulating unfolded protein response (UPR) gene expression. Furthermore, SlCathB2-1 and SlCathB2-2 interacting with proteasome subunit beta type-4 (PBA4) was identified in the ERSID pathway using yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) analysis and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) screening. Overall, the study identified both SlCathB2-1 and SlCathB2-2 as new negative regulators to HS and presented a new HS response pathway. This provided the foundation for the construction of heat-tolerant molecular mechanisms and breeding strategies aiming to improve the thermotolerance of tomato plants.

Evolution Path of Precursor-Induced High-Temperature Lithiation Reaction during the Synthesis of Lithium-Rich Cathode Materials.

High-temperature lithiation is one of the crucial steps for the synthesis of Li- and Mn-rich layered metal oxide (LMLO) cathodes. A profound insight of the micromorphology and crystal structure evolution during calcination helps to realize the finely controlled preparation of final cathodes, finally achieving a desired electrochemical performance. In this work, two typical precursors (hydroxide and oxalate) were selected to prepare LMLO. It is found that the influence of the lithium source on reaction pathways is determined by the properties of precursors. In the case of hydroxide as a precursor, whatever lithium sources it is, the flake morphology of LMLO is inherited from hydroxide precursors. This is because the crystal structure of cathode products has a high similarity with its precursor in terms of the oxygen array arrangement, and the topological transformation occurs from hydroxide (P-3ml) to LMLOs (C/2m and R3m). Thus, the morphology and microstructure of LMLO cathodes could be well controlled only by tuning the properties of hydroxide precursors. Conversely, the decomposition of a lithium source has a great influence on the intermediate transformation when oxalate is used as the precursor. This is because a large amount of CO2 is released from the oxalate precursor after the decomposition reaction, resulting in drastic structural changes. At this time, the diffusion ability of the lithium source leads to the competition between the spinel phase and layered phase. Based on this point, the formation of a spinel intermediate phase can be reduced by accelerating the decomposition of the lithium source, contributing to the generation of a highly pure layered phase, thus exhibiting higher electrochemical performance. These insights provide an exciting cue to the rational selection and design of raw materials and lithium sources for the controlled synthesis of LMLO cathodes.

Neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of eicosane on glutamate and NMDA-induced retinal ganglion cell injury.

AIM: To investigate the protective effects, antioxidant potential, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of eicosane on glutamate-induced cell damage and on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced retinal ganglion cell (RGC) injury in a mouse model of glaucoma. METHODS: The protective effects of eicosane on the rat R28 retinal precursor cell line were assessed using cell counting kit-8 assays and Hoechst-propidium iodide staining. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was measured using the fluorescent probe 2'-7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate and flow cytometry. The protective role of eicosane on NMDA-induced RGC injury in a mouse glaucoma model was determined by immunostaining of frozen sections of retina. The effects of eicosane on the metabolome of the retina in mice with NMDA-induced RGC damage were evaluated by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) and untargeted metabolomics analyses. RESULTS: Eicosane treatment significantly attenuated glutamate-induced damage to R28 cells in vitro. Eicosane also protected RGCs against NMDA-induced injury in a mouse glaucoma model. Untargeted metabolomics analyses showed that eicosane increased multiple metabolites, including L-arginine and L-carnitine, in the retina. CONCLUSION: Eicosane has protective effects, antioxidant potential, and anti-inflammatory properties in an in vitro model of glutamate-induced cell damage and in an in vivo model of NMDA-induced RGC injury in mouse glaucoma through modulation of L-arginine and/or L-carnitine metabolism.

The awareness rate of knowledge of chronic diseases and influencing factors among 4790 adults in anhui province: An online survey using WeChat.

Objective: To investigate public awareness about core information regarding chronic diseases and identify factors influencing that awareness among Anhui Province residents, provide a scientific basis for policy-making, and formulate corresponding intervention measures. Methods: From March to April 2021, 12 provincial-level representative counties and districts of Anhui province in the China Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance were selected as survey sites, and 4790 residents were recruited for the survey using stratified multi-stage cluster random sampling. Basic details about the study participants were collected and their awareness of core information about major chronic diseases was measured through an online survey using WeChat. Results: In 2021, the awareness rate of core information about chronic diseases among residents of Anhui Province was 54.93%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a higher awareness rate was associated with the following factors: non-housework occupations (agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery: OR = 1.309, commercial services and production and transportation: OR = 1.450, institutions, and professional and technical personnel: OR = 1.461), a high education level (high school/junior high school/technical school OR = 1.357, college and above OR = 2.133), and residence in the southern and northern Anhui areas (southern Anhui OR = 1.282, northern Anhui OR = 1.431); whereas in rural areas (by district and country) (OR = 0.863), the awareness rate was low (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: The awareness rate of core information about chronic diseases among residents of Anhui, China, is low. It is necessary to strengthen awareness about chronic disease prevention and management by targeting specific groups of people in this region.

IL-22, a vital cytokine in autoimmune diseases.

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is a vital cytokine that is dysregulated in various autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). As the starting point for the activation of numerous signaling pathways, IL-22 plays an important role in the initiation and development of autoimmune diseases. Specifically, imbalances in IL-22 signaling can interfere with other signaling pathways, causing cross regulation of target genes which ultimately leads to the development of immune disorders. This review delineates the various connections between the IL-22 signaling pathway and autoimmune disease, focusing on the latest understanding of the cellular sources of IL-22 and its effects on various cell types. We further explore progress with pharmacological interventions related to targeting IL-22, describing how such therapeutic strategies promise to usher in a new era in the treatment of autoimmune disease.

Legume protein fermented by lactic acid bacteria: Specific enzymatic hydrolysis, protein composition, structure, and functional properties.

In recent years, with increasing emphasis on healthy, green, and sustainable consumption concepts, plant-based foods have gained popularity among consumers. As widely sourced plant-based raw materials, legume proteins are considered sustainable and renewable alternatives to animal proteins. However, legume proteins have limited functional properties, which hinder their application in food products. LAB fermentation is a relatively natural processing method that is safer than chemical/physical modification methods and can enrich the functional properties of legume proteins through biodegradation and modification. Therefore, changes in legume protein composition, structure, and functional properties and their related mechanisms during LAB fermentation are described. In addition, the specific enzymatic hydrolysis mechanisms of different LAB proteolytic systems on legume proteins are also focused in this review. The unique proteolytic systems of different LAB induce specific enzymatic hydrolysis of legume proteins, resulting in the production of hydrolysates with diverse functional properties, including solubility, emulsibility, gelability, and foamability, which are determined by the composition (peptide/amino acid) and structure (secondary/tertiary) of legume proteins after LAB fermentation. The correlation between LAB-specific enzymatic hydrolysis, protein composition and structure, and protein functional properties will assist in selecting legume protein raw materials and LAB strains for legume plant-based food products and expand the application of legume proteins in the food industry.

The effects of combined acupuncture anesthesia and serratus anterior plane block with ropivacaine on postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing chest surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of combined acupuncture anesthesia and ropivacaine on postoperative analgesia and neuro-related factors in patients undergoing chest surgery. METHODS: The analgesic drug dosage, postoperative PCIA pressing times, VAS scores at rest and during activity at 6 h (T1), 12 h (T2), 18 h (T3), and 24 h (T4) postoperatively. RESULTS: The analgesic drug dosage and postoperative PCIA pressing times were lower in the observation group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The VAS scores at T1-T4 postoperatively were lower in the observation group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The SAS scores at T1-T4 postoperatively were lower in the observation group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The levels of IL-6 and IL-10 on postoperative day 1 were higher than those on preoperative day 1 in both groups, with a smaller change in the observation group (p < 0.05). The levels of S100ß protein on postoperative day 1 were higher than those on preoperative day 1 in both groups, while the BDNF levels were lower, with a smaller change in the observation group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the control group (11.36%) and the observation group (15.56%) (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Combined acupuncture anesthesia and ropivacaine can effectively improve postoperative analgesia and agitation in patients undergoing chest surgery, reduce the dosage of analgesic drugs, regulate the levels of inflammatory factors and neurotrophic factors in patients, and do not increase the risk of adverse reactions related to patients.

The clinical value of iodine-125 seed implantation in the treatment of iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Objective: To explore the clinical benefits of 125I seed implantation for iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 36 patients with RAIR-DTC who underwent radioactive 125I seed implantation from January 2015 to February 2022, involving 73 lesions. Prescription dose: 80~120 Gy. All cases were followed up at 1, 3, and 5 months postoperatively to monitor changes in tumor size, serum thyroglobulin (Tg), and serum anti-thyroglobulin antibody levels in thyrotropin-inhibited states, pain scores, and postoperative adverse reactions. The data were processed and analyzed using IBM SPSS 26.0. LER (Local Effective Rate) and LCR (Local Control Rate) were expressed as n (%), tumor diameter, Tg, and pain scores were represented as Median (Q1, Q3). Pairwise comparisons were conducted using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and a p-value of less than 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Results: Tumor size was significantly reduced after treatment (all P < 0.001): tumor length diameters were 32.67 (17.70, 45.72) mm, 27.45 (12.30, 39.98) mm, 20.70 (11.98, 37.58) mm, and 20.39 (10.56, 33.20) mm in the preoperative, 1-, 3-, and 5-months postoperative periods, respectively. Additionally, two consecutive post-treatment results were more minor and statistically significant than the previous results (P < 0.001). The LER at 1-, 3-, and 5-months post-surgery was 23.73%, 38.98%, and 52.54%, respectively, while the LCR at the same time points was 98.31%, 96.61%, and 94.92%, respectively. Patients' serum Tg levels decreased significantly after surgery. (P < 0.001). Serum Tg levels were measured before surgery and 1-, 3-, and 5-months post-surgery. The results showed that serum Tg levels were 249.45 (79.39, 4718.75) ng/ml, 193.40 (44.53, 2829.00) ng/ml, 192.10 (25.58, 1758.00) ng/ml, and 136.25 (16.57, 1553.25) ng/ml, respectively. Two consecutive post-treatment results were more minor and statistically significant than the previous results (P < 0.001). The patients' pain symptoms were significantly relieved after 125I brachytherapy (P < 0.001). The pain scores before 125I seed implantation and at 1, 3, and 5 months after the operation were 5.00 (4.00, 6.00), 3.00 (2.25, 4.00), 2.00 (2.00, 3.00), and 2.00 (1.00, 3.00), respectively. Conclusion: Most lesions treated with 125I seed implantation in RAIR-DTC patients showed shrinkage and improved pain symptoms. Clinical trial registration: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT06362772.

Multiple functions of the nonstructural protein 3D in picornavirus infection.

3D polymerase, also known as RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, is encoded by all known picornaviruses, and their structures are highly conserved. In the process of picornavirus replication, 3D polymerase facilitates the assembly of replication complexes and directly catalyzes the synthesis of viral RNA. The nuclear localization signal carried by picornavirus 3D polymerase, combined with its ability to interact with other viral proteins, viral RNA and cellular proteins, indicate that its noncatalytic role is equally important in viral infections. Recent studies have shown that 3D polymerase has multiple effects on host cell biological functions, including inducing cell cycle arrest, regulating host cell translation, inducing autophagy, evading immune responses, and triggering inflammasome formation. Thus, 3D polymerase would be a very valuable target for the development of antiviral therapies. This review summarizes current studies on the structure of 3D polymerase and its regulation of host cell responses, thereby improving the understanding of picornavirus-mediated pathogenesis caused by 3D polymerase.