Microglia Promote Lymphangiogenesis Around the Spinal Cord Through VEGF-C/VEGFR3-Dependent Autophagy and Polarization After Acute Spinal Cord Injury.

Reducing secondary injury is a key focus in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI). Recent studies have revealed the role of lymphangiogenesis in reducing secondary damage to central nerve. However, the mechanism of lymphangiogenesis is not yet clear. Macrophages have been shown to play an important role in peripheral tissue lymphangiogenesis. Microglia is believed to play a role similar to macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS); we hypothesized that there was a close relationship between microglia and central nerve system lymphangiogenesis. Herein, we used an in vivo model of SCI to explored the relationship between microglia and spinal cord lymphangiogenesis and further investigated the polarization of microglia and its role in promoting spinal cord lymphangiogenesis by a series of in vitro experiments. The current study elucidated for the first time the relationship between microglia and lymphangiogenesis around the spinal cord after SCI. Classical activated (M1) microglia can promote lymphangiogenesis by secreting VEGF-C which further increases polarization and secretion of lymphatic growth factor by activating VEGFR3. The VEGF-C/VEGFR3 pathway activation downregulates microglia autophagy, thereby regulating the microglia phenotype. These results indicate that M1 microglia promote lymphangiogenesis after SCI, and activated VEGF-C/VEGFR3 signaling promotes M1 microglia polarization by inhibiting autophagy, thereby facilitates lymphangiogenesis.

The different paradigms of NK cell death in patients with severe trauma.

Lymphocyte decline, particularly the depletion of NK cells, is a prominent feature of immunosuppression following severe tissue injury, heightening the susceptibility of severe trauma patients to life-threatening infections. Previous research indicates that the reduction in the number of NK cells is closely associated with the process of cell death. Nonetheless, the precise mechanism of NK cell death remains unknown. Here, we discovered that following severe traumatic injury, NK cells undergo several cell death pathways, dominated by apoptosis and pyroptosis with coexistence of necrotic cell death, immunogenic cell death, ferroptosis, and autophagy. These NK cells with different paradigms of death have diverse cytokine expression profiles and diverse interactions with other immune cells. Further exploration revealed that hypoxia was strongly associated with this diverse paradigm of NK cell death. Detailed investigation of paradigms of cell death may help to enhance comprehension of lymphopenia post-severe trauma, to develop new strategy in preventing immunosuppression, and then to improve outcome for severe trauma population.

Isomer engineering for deep understanding of aggregation-induced photothermal enhancement in conjugated systems.

Organic photothermal materials based on conjugated structures have significant potential applications in areas such as biomedical diagnosis, therapy, and energy conversion. Improving their photothermal conversion efficiency through molecular design is critical to promote their practical applications. Especially in similar structures, understanding how the position of heteroatoms affects the conversion efficiency is highly desirable. Herein, we prepared two isomeric small D-A molecules with different sulfur atom positions (TBP-MPA and i-TBP-MPA), which display strong and broad absorption in the UV-visible region due to their strong intramolecular charge transfer characteristics. Compared to i-TBP-MPA, TBP-MPA demonstrates aggregation-induced photothermal enhancement (AIPE). Under simulated sunlight (1 kW m-2) irradiation, the stable temperature of TBP-MPA powder reached 60 °C, significantly higher than the 50 °C achieved by i-TBP-MPA. Experimental and theoretical results indicate that the S⋯N non-covalent interactions in TBP-MPA impart a more rigid conjugated framework to the molecule, inducing ordered molecular stacking during aggregation. This ordered stacking provides additional non-radiative transition channels between TBP-MPA molecules, enhancing their photothermal performance in the aggregated state. Under 1 sun irradiation, TBP-MPA achieved a water evaporation rate of 1.0 kg m-2 h-1, surpassing i-TBP-MPA's rate of 0.92 kg m-2 h-1.

Effect of intercropping and biochar amendments on lead removal capacity by Corchorus olitorius and Zea mays.

Intercropping is a sustainable strategy recognized for boosting crop production and mitigating heavy metal toxicity in contaminated soils. This study investigates the effects of biochar amendments on Pb-contaminated soil, utilizing monocropping and intercropping techniques with C. olitorius and Z. mays. The research assesses Pb removal capacity, nutrient uptake, antioxidant enzymes, and soil Pb fractionation. In monocropping, the phytoremediation ratio for C. olitorius increased from 16.67 to 27.33%, while in intercropping, it rose from 19.00 to 28.33% with biochar amendments. Similarly, Z. mays exhibited an increased phytoremediation ratio from 53.33 to 74.67% in monocropping and from 63.00 to 78.67% in intercropping with biochar amendments. Intercropping significantly increased the peroxidase (POD) activity in Z. mays roots by 22.53%, and there were notable increases in shoot POD of C. olitorius (11.54%) and Z. mays (16.20%) with biochar application. CAT showed consistent improvements, increasing by 37.52% in C. olitorius roots and 74.49% in Z. mays roots with biochar. Biochar amendments significantly increased N content in soil under sole cropping of Z. mays and intercropping systems. In contrast, Cu content increased by 56.34%, 59.05%, and 79.80% in monocropping (C. olitorius and Z. mays) and intercropping systems, respectively. This suggests that biochar enhances nutrient availability, improving phytoremediation efficacy in Pb-contaminated soil. Phyto availability of trace metals (Zn, Mn, Cu, and Fe) exhibited higher levels with biochar amendments than those without. The findings indicate that intercropping and biochar amendments elevate antioxidant enzyme levels, reducing reactive oxygen species and mitigating Pb toxicity effects. This approach improves phytoremediation efficiency and holds promise for soil pollution remediation while enhancing nutrient content and crop quality in Pb-contaminated soil.

Effectiveness of biological drying for citric acid dewatered sludge: Evaluating the impact of energy-efficient ventilation strategies.

The effectiveness of dehydration and utilization processes for citric acid dewatered sludge is hampered by its high concentrations of polysaccharides, proteins, and water-binding properties of microbial extracellular polymers (EPS). This research explores the efficacy and mechanisms involved in extracting water from this type of sludge using biological drying technology, with varying rates of ventilation. Especially pertinent was the use of low ventilation rates as control variables. Our results suggest that a scheduled intermittent ventilation at lower rates allows for the most efficient removal of water, achieving a rate of 41.71 % within eight days, according to the zero-order kinetic model. Remarkably, the peak temperature registered was 60 °C, reaching this threshold in just 0.1 days and maintaining high temperatures for approximately 5.9 days. Component analysis of organic matter illustrated a preferential degradation process for lipids under these ventilation conditions which is pivotal for releasing and transforming bound water for efficient extraction, as well as facilitating the breakdown of easily hydrolysable materials. Further, polysaccharide/protein (EPS) decomposition contributed to water removal, though less significantly. The periodic ventilation strategy allowed for the maximum cumulative temperature to be sustained, demonstrating superior efficiency in harnessing bio-generated heat (82.77 % for water evaporation), resulting in dry sludge suitable for self-sustained combustion at relatively low cost ($26.61/t). Highlighted by this study is the considerable potential of energy-efficient ventilation methods in the biological drying treatment of citric acid fermented sludge and similar industrial waste materials.

SDACS: Blockchain-Based Secure and Dynamic Access Control Scheme for Internet of Things.

With the rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), massive terminal devices are connected to the network, generating a large amount of IoT data. The reliable sharing of IoT data is crucial for fields such as smart home and healthcare, as it promotes the intelligence of the IoT and provides faster problem solutions. Traditional data sharing schemes usually rely on a trusted centralized server to achieve each attempted access from users to data, which faces serious challenges of a single point of failure, low reliability, and an opaque access process in current IoT environments. To address these disadvantages, we propose a secure and dynamic access control scheme for the IoT, named SDACS, which enables data owners to achieve decentralized and fine-grained access control in an auditable and reliable way. For access control, attribute-based control (ABAC), Hyperledger Fabric, and interplanetary file system (IPFS) were used, with four kinds of access control contracts deployed on blockchain to coordinate and implement access policies. Additionally, a lightweight, certificateless authentication protocol was proposed to minimize the disclosure of identity information and ensure the double-layer protection of data through secure off-chain identity authentication and message transmission. The experimental and theoretical analysis demonstrated that our scheme can maintain high throughput while achieving high security and stability in IoT data security sharing scenarios.

High-Efficiency Corrosion Inhibitor of Biomass-Derived High-Yield Carbon Quantum Dots for Q235 Carbon Steel in 1 M HCl Solution.

Eco-friendly self-doped carbon quantum dots (ZCQDs) with excellent corrosion inhibition ability were prepared via solid-phase pyrolysis only using Zanthoxylum bungeanum leaves as the raw material. Compared with the relevant research, a simpler and higher yield (25%) preparation process for carbon quantum dots was proposed. ZCQDs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the average size of ZCQDs with multitudes of O- and N-containing functional groups was about 2.53 nm. The prepared ZCQDs were used to inhibit the corrosion of Q235 steel in HCl solution, and the inhibition behavior was investigated through weight loss, electrochemical test, surface analysis, and adsorption thermodynamic analyses. The results showed that the ZCQDs, acted as a mixed corrosion inhibitor, have an effective corrosion inhibition for Q235, the corrosion inhibition efficiency reached 95.98% at 200 mg/L, and at this concentration, effective protection of at least 132h (IE > 90%) is provided. Moreover, the adsorption mechanism of ZCQDs was consistent with that of Redlich-Peterson adsorption, including chemisorption and physisorption. A new corrosion inhibition mechanism of ZCQDs has been thoroughly studied and proposed; ZCQDs have functional groups containing O and N, which can form a protective barrier through physical adsorption and chemisorption, but the coverage of the protective film is low at low concentrations. With the increase of concentration, the protective film formed by ZCQDs on the metal surface will first increase the coverage and then adsorb more ZCQDs on the protective film to form a thicker and denser protective film to protect the metal. The carbon quantum dots prepared in this paper have advantages including a green, renewable precursor, a fast method, high yield, and excellent corrosion inhibition. Therefore, this work can inspire and facilitate, to a certain extent, the future application of doped carbon quantum dots as efficient corrosion inhibitors in HCl solutions.

Variable stiffness soft robotic gripper: design, development, and prospects.

The advent of variable stiffness soft robotic grippers furnishes a conduit for exploration and manipulation within uncharted, non-structured environments. The paper provides a comprehensive review of the necessary technologies for the configuration design of soft robotic grippers with variable stiffness, serving as a reference for innovative gripper design. The design of variable stiffness soft robotic grippers typically encompasses the design of soft robotic grippers and variable stiffness modules. To adapt to unfamiliar environments and grasp unknown objects, a categorization and discussion have been undertaken based on the contact and motion manifestations between the gripper and the things across various dimensions: points contact, lines contact, surfaces contact, and full-bodies contact, elucidating the advantages and characteristics of each gripping type. Furthermore, when designing soft robotic grippers, we must consider the effectiveness of object grasping methods but also the applicability of the actuation in the target environment. The actuation is the propelling force behind the gripping motion, holding utmost significance in shaping the structure of the gripper. Given the challenge of matching the actuation of robotic grippers with the target scenario, we reviewed the actuation of soft robotic grippers. We analyzed the strengths and limitations of various soft actuation, providing insights into the actuation design for soft robotic grippers. As a crucial technique for variable stiffness soft robotic grippers, variable stiffness technology can effectively address issues such as poor load-bearing capacity and instability caused by the softness of materials. Through a retrospective analysis of variable stiffness theory, we comprehensively introduce the development of variable stiffness theory in soft robotic grippers and showcase the application of variable stiffness grasping technology through specific case studies. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of variable stiffness grasping robots from several perspectives of applications and technologies.

From feedstock to digestion: Unraveling the impact of humic acid composition on anaerobic digestion.

In the anaerobic digestion (AD) process, the effects of humic acid (HA) derived from different feedstocks on AD are influenced by the variations in their structural composition and oxygen-containing functional groups. Thus, clarifying the structural differences of HA obtained from different feedstocks is crucial for understanding their impact on AD. In this study, the structure of five humic acids (HAs) derived from liquid digestate, food waste, silage corn straw, lignite and commercial HA, and their effects on AD were investigated. The study found that HA from food waste had more carboxyl groups, while straw-derived HA had more phenolic hydroxyl groups. Both types of HA had higher aromaticity and humification degree and showed significant inhibition effect on AD. HA from food waste had an average methanogenic inhibition rate of 43.5 % with 1 g/L HA added. In addition, commercial HA and HA derived from lignite had similar functional group types and aromaticity, with an average methanogenic inhibition rate of about 20 %. The study revealed that HAs with more carboxyl groups exhibited greater effectiveness in inhibiting AD, thereby confirming the influence of HA structures derived from different feedstocks on AD. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the mechanism of HA effect on AD and offers guidance for future research focused on enhancing AD efficiency.

Discovery of Cycloalkyl[c]thiophenes as Novel Scaffolds for Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2α Inhibitors.

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are heterodimeric transcription factors induced in diverse pathophysiological settings. Inhibition of HIF-2α has become a strategy for cancer treatment since the discovery that small molecules, upon binding into a small cavity of the HIF-2α PAS B domain, can alter its conformation and disturb the activity of the HIF dimer complex. Herein, the design, synthesis, and systematic SAR exploration of cycloalkyl[c]thiophenes as novel HIF-2α inhibitors are described, providing the first chemotype featuring an alkoxy-aryl scaffold. X-ray data confirmed the ability of these inhibitors to induce perturbation of key amino acids by appropriately presenting key pharmacophoric elements in the hydrophobic cavity. Selected compounds showed inhibition of VEGF-A secretion in cancer cells and prevention of Arg1 expression and activity in IL4-stimulated macrophages. Moreover, in vivo target gene modulation was demonstrated with compound 35r. Thus, the disclosed HIF-2α inhibitors represent valuable tools for investigating selective HIF-2α inhibition and its effect on tumor biology.

The Role of Interchain Force and/or Chain Entanglement in the Melt Strength and Ductility of PLA-Based Materials.

As an eco-friendly material, PLA was a desirable alternative to polyethylene and polypropylene films due to its biodegradability. The preferable melt strength of PLA-based materials was a key factor in ensuring its processing using extrusion blow. This paper focuses on the influence of interchain force and/or chain entanglement on the melt strength and ductility of PLA-based materials in recent years. In addition, the preparation of PLA-based materials via physical blending or reactive processing was also summarized. The blending of PLA with a flexible heteropolymer, driven by the interchain force and/or chain entanglements, were characterized as a practicable method for toughening PLA-based materials. Also, the restructuring of PLA chains, by branching based on chain entanglement, was suitable for increasing chain entanglements in PLA matrix, yielding satisfactory melt strength and ductility. This review aims to elucidate the relationship between interchain forces and/or entanglement with the melt strength and ductility of PLA-based materials. An essential and systematic understanding of the tailoring melt strength and rheological properties of PLA by interchain forces and/or entanglement was apt to improve and perfect the processing technology of the extrusion blow, and consequently improve the tensile strength and toughness of PLA films.

Neuroprotective Effects of Dammarane Sapogenins Against lipopolysaccharide-induced Cognitive Impairment, Neuroinflammation and Synaptic Dysfunction.

Neuroinflammation is a critical driver in the pathogenesis and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. Dammarane sapogenins (DS), a deglycosylated product of ginsenoside, possess a variety of potent biological activities. The present study aimed to explore the neuroprotective effects of DS in a rat model of neuroinflammation induced by intracerebroventricular injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our study revealed that DS pretreatment effectively improved LPS-induced associative learning and memory impairments in the active avoidance response test and spatial learning and memory in Morris water maze test. DS also remarkably inhibited LPS-induced neuroinflammation by suppressing microglia overactivation, pro-inflammatory cytok ine release (TNF-α and IL-1ß) and reducing neuronal loss in the CA1 and DG regions of the hippocampus. Importantly, pretreatment with DS reversed LPS-induced upregulation of HMGB1 and TLR4 and inhibited their downstream NF-κB signaling activation, as evidenced by increased IκBα and decreased p-NF-κB p65 levels. Furthermore, DS ameliorated LPS-induced synaptic dysfunction by decreasing MMP-9 and increasing NMDAR1 expression in the hippocampus. Taken together, this study suggests that DS could be a promising treatment for preventing cognitive impairments caused by neuroinflammation.

Comparison of antivascular endothelial growth factor treatment for myopia choroidal neovascularisation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy for myopia choroidal neovascularisation (CNV), and to compare the efficacy of two different anti-VEGF retreatment criteria. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to 31 July 2022. STUDY SELECTION: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing anti-VEGF with sham, photodynamic therapy (PDT) or PDT combination therapy in patients with myopia CNV were reviewed and selected. RCTs comparing visual acuity (VA) stabilisation or disease activity as anti-VEGF retreatment criteria were also included in the study. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two reviewers independently conducted data extraction and quality assessment. We used a random-effects model for all analyses. Primary outcomes included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness. Secondary outcomes included number of patients who gained more than three lines in BCVA, number of anti-VEGF injections and ocular adverse event (AE). RESULTS: Seven RCTs involving 1007 patients were included. Compared with sham and PDT therapy, anti-VEGF therapy achieved better BCVA gains of -0.28 logMAR (95% CI -0.36 to -0.20, p<0.00001) and -0.14 logMAR (95% CI -0.17 to -0.10, p<0.00001), respectively. Both ranibizumab and bevacizumab improved patients' vision better than PDT therapy and no definitive increased risk of ocular AE was observed. Analysis of two small RCTs showed that PDT combination therapy had similar visual improvement and needed fewer anti-VEGF injections compared with anti-VEGF monotherapy (weighted mean difference (WMD)=1.30; 95% CI 1.24 to 1.37, p<0.00001). Anti-VEGF retreatment guided by disease activity criteria resulted in comparable visual improvement and reduced anti-VEGF injections compared with retreatment guided by VA stabilisation (WMD=0.83; 95% CI 0.42 to 1.25, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Anti-VEGF therapy is effective and well-tolerated for myopia CNV patients. Anti-VEGF retreatment guided by disease activity criteria can achieve comparable efficacy and potentially reduce anti-VEGF injections. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021292806.

Advances in attractive therapeutic approach for macrophage activation syndrome in COVID-19.

Nowadays, people have relaxed their vigilance against COVID-19 due to its declining infection numbers and attenuated virulence. However, COVID-19 still needs to be concern due to its emerging variants, the relaxation of restrictions as well as breakthrough infections. During the period of the COVID-19 infection, the imbalanced and hyper-responsive immune system plays a critical role in its pathogenesis. Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) is a fatal complication of immune system disease, which is caused by the excessive activation and proliferation of macrophages and cytotoxic T cells (CTL). COVID-19-related hyperinflammation shares common clinical features with the above MAS symptoms, such as hypercytokinemia, hyperferritinemia, and coagulopathy. In MAS, immune exhaustion or defective anti-viral responses leads to the inadequate cytolytic capacity of CTL which contributes to prolonged interaction between CTL, APCs and macrophages. It is possible that the same process also occurred in COVID-19 patients, and further led to a cytokine storm confined to the lungs. It is associated with the poor prognosis of severe patients such as multiple organ failure and even death. The main difference of cytokine storm is that in COVID-19 pneumonia is mainly the specific damage of the lung, while in MAS is easy to develop into a systemic. The attractive therapeutic approach to prevent MAS in COVID-19 mainly includes antiviral, antibiotics, convalescent plasma (CP) therapy and hemadsorption, extensive immunosuppressive agents, and cytokine-targeted therapies. Here, we discuss the role of the therapeutic approaches mentioned above in the two diseases. And we found that the treatment effect of the same therapeutic approach is different.

Efficacy and Safety of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Drugs for Coats' Disease Treatment: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: The efficacy and safety of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment for Coats' disease remains controversial. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anti-VEGF treatment for Coats' disease. Methods: PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials, CNKI, and WanFang databases were systematically searched for clinical efficacy and safety studies on anti-VEGF treatment for Coats' disease through June 2021. Study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment were independently performed by 2 reviewers. Quality assessments were performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools and GRADE-CERQual. Results: A total of 1,501 articles were retrieved and reviewed, of which 24 case series involving 378 patients (range: 3-67 patients each with 3-71 eyes) were included in the analysis. No randomized controlled trials, case-controlled studies, or cohort studies were available for analysis. Most patients were male (60.0%-92.9%), aged 1.35-42.3 years, with a median follow-up time ranging from 3 to 63 months. Among the 24 case series, 22 reported changes in the visual acuity (VA) after anti-VEGF treatment and 21 reported safety outcomes. The results showed that VA improved in 73 patients (37.63%), was stable in 89 (45.87%), and worsening VA was observed in 12 cases (6.19%). The most common adverse event was fibrotic changes (n = 35). Systemic complications were not observed. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that anti-VEGF drugs provide an effective and relatively safe treatment strategy for Coats' disease. However, conducting well-designed, prospective, randomized clinical trials are necessary to confirm our findings.

The effect of posterior cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fracture on functional outcomes in knees with concomitant ipsilateral lower limb fractures: a matched-cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: At present, the optimal treatment for posterior cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fracture (PCLTAF) combined with concomitant ipsilateral lower limb fractures remains unclear. The present study aimed to assess the preliminary outcomes of treatment for PCLTAF with concomitant ipsilateral lower limb fractures by open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of patients who sustained PCLTAF with concomitant ipsilateral lower limb fractures between March 2015 and February 2019 and underwent treatment at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging examinations performed at the time of injury were applied to identify concomitant ipsilateral lower limb fractures. We used 1:2 matching between patients with PCLTAF combined with concomitant ipsilateral lower limb fractures (combined group; n = 11) and those with isolated PCLTAF (isolated group; n = 22). Outcome data were collected, including the range of motion (ROM) and visual analogue scale (VAS), Tegner, Lysholm, and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores. At the final follow-up, the clinical outcomes were compared between the combined and isolated groups and between patients who underwent early-stage surgery and those who underwent delayed treatment for PCLTAF. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients (26 males, 7 females) were included in this study, with eleven patients having PCLTAF and concomitant ipsilateral lower limb fractures and a follow-up of 3.1 to 7.4 years (average, 4.8 years). Compared to patients in the isolated group, patients in the combined group demonstrated significantly worse Lysholm scores (85.7 ± 5.8 vs. 91.5 ± 3.9, p = 0.040), Tegner scores (4.4 ± 0.9 vs. 5.4 ± 0.8, p = 0.006), and IKDC scores (83.6 ± 9.3 vs. 90.5 ± 3.0, p = 0.008). Inferior outcomes were found in patients with delayed treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Inferior results were found in patients with concomitant ipsilateral lower limb fractures, while better outcomes were obtained in patients with PCLTAF through early-stage ORIF using the posteromedial approach. The present findings may help determine the prognoses of patients with PCLTAF combined with concomitant ipsilateral lower limb fractures treated through early-stage ORIF.

The CRISPR/Cas System: A Customizable Toolbox for Molecular Detection.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their associated proteins (Cas) are promising molecular diagnostic tools for rapidly and precisely elucidating the structure and function of genomes due to their high specificity, programmability, and multi-system compatibility in nucleic acid recognition. Multiple parameters limit the ability of a CRISPR/Cas system to detect DNA or RNA. Consequently, it must be used in conjunction with other nucleic acid amplification techniques or signal detection techniques, and the reaction components and reaction conditions should be modified and optimized to maximize the detection performance of the CRISPR/Cas system against various targets. As the field continues to develop, CRISPR/Cas systems have the potential to become an ultra-sensitive, convenient, and accurate biosensing platform for the detection of specific target sequences. The design of a molecular detection platform employing the CRISPR/Cas system is asserted on three primary strategies: (1) Performance optimization of the CRISPR/Cas system; (2) enhancement of the detection signal and its interpretation; and (3) compatibility with multiple reaction systems. This article focuses on the molecular characteristics and application value of the CRISPR/Cas system and reviews recent research progress and development direction from the perspectives of principle, performance, and method development challenges to provide a theoretical foundation for the development and application of the CRISPR/CAS system in molecular detection technology.

Mediating role of resilience in the relationship between COVID-19 related stigma and mental health among COVID-19 survivors: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused many negative effects on physical and mental health of patients who have survived COVID-19. Apart from some long-lasting physical sequelae, those COVID-19 survivors are also suffering stigma and discrimination at different levels around the world. The current study aims to assess the role resilience played in stigma and mental disorders among COVID-19 survivors. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was carried out among former COVID-19 patients in Jianghan District (Wuhan, China) from June 10 to July 25, 2021. The demographic questions, the Impact of Events Scale-Revised, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Resilience Style Questionnaire and the Short Version of COVID-19 Stigma Scale of 12 items were used to collect relevant information of the participants. Descriptive analyses, Pearson correlation analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were used to make data description and analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1541 out of 1601 COVID-19 survivors (887 females and 654 males) were included in the analysis. Perceived stigma of those COVID-19 survivors correlates significantly with anxiety (r = 0.335, P < 0.001), depression (r = 0.325, P < 0.001) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (r = 0.384, P < 0.001). It has a direct effect on COVID-19 survivors' anxiety (ß = 0.326, P < 0.001), depression (ß = 0.314, P < 0.001), PTSD (ß = 0.385, P < 0.001) and their resilience (ß = - 0.114, P < 0.01). Resilience partially mediated the association between perceived stigma and anxiety (ß = 0.020, P < 0.01), depression (ß = 0.020, P < 0.01), and PTSD (ß = 0.014, P < 0.01) among COVID-19 survivors. CONCLUSION: Stigma has a significant negative impact on mental health, while resilience plays a mediator role in the relationship between stigma and mental health among COVID-19 survivors. Based on our study, we suggested that when designing psychological interventions for COVID-19 survivors, consideration should be taken into account to reduce stigma and improve resilience.

The Role of the Interface of PLA with Thermoplastic Starch in the Nonisothermal Crystallization Behavior of PLA in PLA/Thermoplastic Starch/SiO2 Composites.

Corn starch was plasticized by glycerol suspension in a twin-screw extruder, in which the glycerol suspension was the pre-dispersion mixture of glycerol with nano-SiO2. Polylactide (PLA)/thermoplastic starch/SiO2 composites were obtained through melt-blending of PLA with thermoplastic starch/SiO2 in a twin-screw extruder. The nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PLA in the composites was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. An interface of PLA with thermoplastic starch was proven to exist in the composites, and its interfacial bonding characteristics were analyzed. The interfacial binding energy stemming from PLA with thermoplastic starch exerts a significant influence on the segmental mobility of PLA at the interface. The segmental mobility of PLA is gradually improved by increasing interfacial binding energy, and consequently, the relative crystallinity on the interface exhibits progressive promotion. The Jeziorny model could well describe the primary crystallization of PLA in the composites. The extracted Avrami exponents based on the Jeziorny model indicate that the primary crystallization of PLA follows heterogeneous nucleation and three-dimensional growth. This study has revealed the intrinsic effect of the interfacial segmental mobility on the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PLA in composites, which is of technological significance for its blow molding.

In-vitro assessment of a novel plant rhizobacterium, Citrobacter freundii, for degrading and biocontrol of food mycotoxin deoxynivalenol.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most harmful and well-known toxins present in food and animal feed throughout the world. Citrobacter freundii (C. freundii-ON077584), a novel DON-degrading strain, was isolated from rice root-linked soil samples. The degrading properties, including DON concentrations, incubation pH, incubation temperatures, bacterial concentrations, and acid treatment effect on degradation, were evaluated. At pH 7 and an incubation temperature of 37 °C, C. freundii demonstrated the capability to degrade more than 90% of DON. The degraded products of DON were identified as 3-keto-DON and DOM-1, which were confirmed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography hyphenated with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analyses. The mechanism of DON degradation into 3-keto-DON and DOM-1 by this bacterial strain will be further explored to identify and purify novel degrading enzymes that can be cloned to the microorganism and added to the animal feed to degrade the DON in the digestion tract.