Pretreatment of chitin depolymerization by expansin-like protein to improve hydrolysis efficiency.

Chitin is a polysaccharide similar to cellulose that contains abundant hydrogen bonds. Expansin-like proteins disrupt hydrogen bond networks, causing cellulose to swell and accelerating its degradation. We examined the effects of pretreatment with two expansin-like proteins, CxEXL22 (Arthrobotrys sp. CX1) and HcEXL (Hahella chejuensis), on chitin depolymerisation and enzymatic degradation. The efficiency of chitin degradation increased more than two-fold after pretreatment with expansin-like proteins. Following pretreatment with expansin-like proteins, chitin had a lower crystallinity index, greater d-spacing and crystallite size, and weaker hydrogen bonds, and the loosened porous microfibrils were more exposed than in untreated chitin. The rupture characterisation of crystalline chitin indicated that expansin-like proteins loosened the hydrogen bonds of the chitin polysaccharide chains, causing significant depolymerisation to expose more porous structures and enhance chitin accessibility.

Secondary Phase Precipitation in Fe-22Mn-9Al-0.6C Low-Density Steel during Continuous Cooling Process.

Secondary phase precipitation in Fe-22Mn-9Al-0.6C low-density steel was investigated during a continuous cooling process with different cooling rates through a DIL805A thermal expansion dilatometer, and the changes in microstructures and hardness by different cooling rates were discussed. The results showed that the matrix of the Fe-22Mn-9Al-0.6C was composed of austenite and δ-ferrite; moreover, the secondary phases included κ-carbide, ß-Mn and DO3 at room temperature. The precipitation temperatures of 858 °C, 709 °C and 495 °C corresponded to the secondary phases B2, κ-carbide and ß-Mn, respectively, which were obtained from the thermal expansion curve by the tangent method. When the cooling rate was slow, it had enough time to accommodate C-poor and Al-rich regions in the austenite due to amplitude modulation decomposition. Furthermore, the Al enrichment promoted δ-ferrite formation. Meanwhile, the subsequent formation of κ-carbide and ß-Mn occurred through the continuous diffusion of C and Mn into austenite. In addition, the hardness of austenite was high at 0.03 °C/s due to the κ-carbide and ß-Mn production and C enrichment, and it was inversely proportional to the cooling rate. It can be concluded that the presence of κ-carbide, DO3 and ß-Mn produced at the austenitic/ferrite interface when the cooling rate was below 0.1 °C/s resulted in κ-carbide and ß-Mn precipitating hardly at cooling rates exceeding 0.1 °C/s, which provides a guideline for the industrial production of Fe-Mn-Al-C low-density steel in the design of the hot working process.

Permanent fluidic magnets for liquid bioelectronics.

Brownian motion allows microscopically dispersed nanoparticles to be stable in ferrofluids, as well as causes magnetization relaxation and prohibits permanent magnetism. Here we decoupled the particle Brownian motion from colloidal stability to achieve a permanent fluidic magnet with high magnetization, flowability and reconfigurability. The key to create such permanent fluidic magnets is to maintain a stable magnetic colloidal fluid by using non-Brownian magnetic particles to self-assemble a three-dimensional oriented and ramified magnetic network structure in the carrier fluid. This structure has high coercivity and permanent magnetization, with long-term magnetization stability. We establish a scaling theory model to decipher the permanent fluid magnet formation criteria and formulate a general assembly guideline. Further, we develop injectable and retrievable permanent-fluidic-magnet-based liquid bioelectronics for highly sensitive, self-powered wireless cardiovascular monitoring. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of permanent fluidic magnets as an ultrasoft material for liquid devices and systems, from bioelectronics to robotics.

Cellular ATP redistribution achieved by deleting Tgparp improves lignocellulose utilization of Trichoderma under heat stress.

BACKGROUND: Thermotolerance is widely acknowledged as a pivotal factor for fungal survival across diverse habitats. Heat stress induces a cascade of disruptions in various life processes, especially in the acquisition of carbon sources, while the mechanisms by which filamentous fungi adapt to heat stress and maintain carbon sources are still not fully understood. RESULTS: Using Trichoderma guizhouense, a representative beneficial microorganism for plants, we discover that heat stress severely inhibits the lignocellulases secretion, affecting carbon source utilization efficiency. Proteomic results at different temperatures suggest that proteins involved in the poly ADP-ribosylation pathway (TgPARP and TgADPRase) may play pivotal roles in thermal adaptation and lignocellulose utilization. TgPARP is induced by heat stress, while the deletion of Tgparp significantly improves the lignocellulose utilization capacity and lignocellulases secretion in T. guizhouense. Simultaneously, the absence of Tgparp prevents the excessive depletion of ATP and NAD+, enhances the protective role of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and elevates the expression levels of the unfolded protein response (UPR)-related regulatory factor Tgire. Further investigations reveal that a stable MMP can establish energy homeostasis, allocating more ATP within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to reduce protein accumulation in the ER, thereby enhancing the lignocellulases secretion in T. guizhouense under heat stress. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these findings underscored the significance of Tgparp as pivotal regulators in lignocellulose utilization under heat stress and provided further insights into the molecular mechanism of filamentous fungi in utilizing lignocellulose.

An attention-based approach for assessing the effectiveness of emotion-evoking in immersive environment.

Visual stimuli within an immersive virtual environment impact human perception and behavior in notably different ways compared to the real world. Previous studies have presented evidence indicating that individuals in various emotional states exhibit an unconscious attentional bias toward either positive or negative stimuli. However, whether these findings can be replicated within an immersive virtual environment remains uncertain. In this study, we devised an attention-based experiment to explore whether the correlation between participants' emotional states and the valence of visual stimuli influences their attentional bias. Participants (n=28) viewed 360-degree videos with varying valence levels (positive and negative) to evoke emotions. Subsequently, we utilized standard emotional human faces as stimuli to assess how the consistency in video valence and emotional faces affects reaction time (RT) in Go tasks and error rates in No-go tasks. We employed the Ex-Gaussian approach to analyze the RT data. The parameters-mu (µ), sigma (σ), and tau (τ)-were computed to denote response speed and attentional lapses, respectively. Our findings revealed a significant increase in tau (τ) when the valence of the video and emotional faces aligned. This suggests that the Go/No-go paradigm is effective in evaluating the impact of emotion-evoking stimuli within an immersive environment.

Efficacy of acupuncture and rehabilitation therapy on brain function activation area and neurological function in ischemic stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The probability of motor deficits after stroke is relatively high. At the same time many studies have reported that acupuncture and rehabilitation therapy have a significant effect on the treatment of stroke. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical value of acupuncture and rehabilitation therapy on brain eloquent areas and neurological function in ischemic stroke. METHODS: Seven databases were electronically searched to screen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of different intervention methods (acupuncture, rehabilitation) in the treatment of ischemic stroke. The search time is from January 1, 2000 to April 20, 2023, and the search languages are limited to Chinese and English. Two researchers independently screened literature and extracted data. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. RESULTS: A total of 17 randomized controlled studies were included, including 699 patients, with a maximum sample size of 144 cases and a minimum sample size of 11 cases. Among them, 3 studies reported the brain function in SM1 area. The effective rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group [relative risk (OR) = 3.24, 95%CI: 1.49 to 7.05, P < 0.05]. The FMA score of patients in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group [mean difference (MD) = 4.79, 95% CI: 3.86 to 5.71, P < 0.00001]. The NIHSS score of patients in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group [mean difference (MD) = -4.12, 95% CI: -6.99 to -1.26, P < 0.05].None of studies reported adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture rehabilitation for ischemic stroke can activate corresponding brain functional areas and improve neurological deficits. The therapeutic effect of acupuncture rehabilitation treatment is better than that of basic western medicine treatment, and it is more effective in improving neurological deficits. At the same time, clinical research needs to use high-quality randomized double-blind controlled trials with more detailed and larger sample designs, long-term efficacy evaluation and evidence-based research methods.

A multimodal magnetoelastic artificial skin for underwater haptic sensing.

Future exploitation of marine resources in a sustainable and eco-friendly way requires autonomous underwater robotics with human-like perception. However, the development of such intelligent robots is now impeded by the lack of adequate underwater haptic sensing technology. Inspired by the populational coding strategy of the human tactile system, we harness the giant magnetoelasticity in soft polymer systems as an innovative platform technology to construct a multimodal underwater robotic skin for marine object recognition with intrinsic waterproofness and a simple configuration. The bioinspired magnetoelastic artificial skin enables multiplexed tactile modality in each single taxel and obtains an impressive classification rate of 95% in identifying seven types of marine creatures and marine litter. By introducing another degree of freedom in underwater haptic sensing, this work represents a milestone toward sustainable marine resource exploitation.

Planar oligomerization of reconfigurable gold nanorod dimers.

Reconfigurable chiral plasmonic complexes are fabricated by planar assembly of multiple individual gold nanorod dimers using DNA origami templates. Additionally, each chiral center can be controlled to switch among achiral, left-handed, and right-handed states. We demonstrate that their overall circular dichroism is determined by the coupling of individual chiral centers and is heavily influenced by the precise number and arrangement of these centers. Our study offers a novel self-assembly method for constructing intricate and dynamic chiral plasmonics as well as investigating the interactions among several plasmonic chiral centers.

Cysteine facilitates the lignocellulolytic response of Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU4742 by indirectly up-regulating membrane sugar transporters.

BACKGROUND: Filamentous fungi possess a rich CAZymes system, which is widely studied and applied in the bio-conversion of plant biomass to alcohol chemicals. Carbon source acquisition is the fundamental driver for CAZymes-producing sustainability and secondary metabolism, therefore, a deeper insight into the regulatory network of sugar transport in filamentous fungi has become urgent. RESULTS: This study reports an important linkage of sulfur assimilation to lignocellulose response of filamentous fungus. Inorganic sulfur addition facilitated biodegradation of rice straw by Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU4742. Cysteine and glutathione were revealed as major intracellular metabolites responsive to sulfur addition by metabolomics, cysteine content was increased in this process and glutathione increased correspondingly. Two membrane sugar transporter genes, Tgmst1 and Tgmst2, were identified as the critical response genes significantly up-regulated when intracellular cysteine increased. Tgmst1 and Tgmst2 were both positively regulated by the glucose regulation-related protein (GRP), up-regulation of both Tgmst1 and Tggrp can cause a significant increase in intracellular glucose. The transcriptional regulatory function of GRP mainly relied on GSH-induced glutathionylation, and the transcription activating efficiency was positively related to the glutathionylation level, furthermore, DTT-induced deglutathionylation resulted in the down-regulation of downstream genes. CONCLUSIONS: Inorganic sulfur addition induces a rise in intracellular Cys content, and the conversion of cysteine to glutathione caused the increase of glutathionylation level of GRP, which in turn up-regulated Tgmst1 and Tgmst2. Subsequently, the sugar transport efficiency of single cells was improved, which facilitated the maintenance of vigorous CAZymes metabolism and the straw-to-biomass conversion.

An antioxidant feedforward cycle coordinated by linker histone variant H1.2 and NRF2 that drives nonsmall cell lung cancer progression.

Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is highly malignant with limited treatment options, platinum-based chemotherapy is a standard treatment for NSCLC with resistance commonly seen. NSCLC cells exploit enhanced antioxidant defense system to counteract excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), which contributes largely to tumor progression and resistance to chemotherapy, yet the mechanisms are not fully understood. Recent studies have suggested the involvement of histones in tumor progression and cellular antioxidant response; however, whether a major histone variant H1.2 (H1C) plays roles in the development of NSCLC remains unclear. Herein, we demonstrated that H1.2 was increasingly expressed in NSCLC tumors, and its expression was correlated with worse survival. When crossing the H1c knockout allele with a mouse NSCLC model (KrasLSL-G12D/+), H1.2 deletion suppressed NSCLC progression and enhanced oxidative stress and significantly decreased the levels of key antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and GCLC, the catalytic subunit of rate-limiting enzyme for GSH synthesis. Moreover, high H1.2 was correlated with the IC50 of multiple chemotherapeutic drugs and with worse prognosis in NSCLC patients receiving chemotherapy; H1.2-deficient NSCLC cells presented reduced survival and increased ROS levels upon cisplatin treatment, while ROS scavenger eliminated the survival inhibition. Mechanistically, H1.2 interacted with NRF2, a master regulator of antioxidative response; H1.2 enhanced the nuclear level and stability of NRF2 and, thus, promoted NRF2 binding to GCLC promoter and the consequent transcription; while NRF2 also transcriptionally up-regulated H1.2. Collectively, these results uncovered a tumor-driving role of H1.2 in NSCLC and indicate an "H1.2-NRF2" antioxidant feedforward cycle that promotes tumor progression and chemoresistance.

Linker histone variant H1.2 is a brake on white adipose tissue browning.

Adipose-tissue is a central metabolic organ for whole-body energy homeostasis. Here, we find that highly expressed H1.2, a linker histone variant, senses thermogenic stimuli in beige and brown adipocytes. Adipocyte H1.2 regulates thermogenic genes in inguinal white-adipose-tissue (iWAT) and affects energy expenditure. Adipocyte H1.2 deletion (H1.2AKO) male mice show promoted iWAT browning and improved cold tolerance; while overexpressing H1.2 shows opposite effects. Mechanistically, H1.2 binds to the promoter of Il10rα, which encodes an Il10 receptor, and positively regulates its expression to suppress thermogenesis in a beige cell autonomous manner. Il10rα overexpression in iWAT negates cold-enhanced browning of H1.2AKO male mice. Increased H1.2 level is also found in WAT of obese humans and male mice. H1.2AKO male mice show alleviated fat accumulation and glucose intolerance in long-term normal chow-fed and high fat diet-fed conditions; while Il10rα overexpression abolishes these effects. Here, we show a metabolic function of H1.2-Il10rα axis in iWAT.

Effects of electroacupuncture therapy on intractable facial paralysis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assessment effects of electroacupuncture (EA) therapy on intractable facial paralysis. METHODS: The articles of EA treatment for intractable facial paralysis were retrieved from seven databases, the publication period was from its inception to November 30, 2022. Primary measure was the total effective rate, and other measures included the cure rate, Portmann scores, House-Brackmann scores, Sunnybrook scores and adverse events. The effect size of meta-analysis was expressed using relative risk (RR) or standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: A total of 18 studies with 1,119 participants were included, all of them had various aspects of bias risk. Meta-analysis results revealed that EA ways improved total effective rate more effectively compared with non-EA counterparts (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.17-1.31, I2 = 0%, 18 studies, 1119 participants), and improved cure rate more significantly than non-EA groups (RR 2.04, 95% CI 1.70-2.44, I2 = 0%, 18 studies, 1119 participants). None of studies reported adverse events. CONCLUSION: EA therapy is more beneficial for patients with intractable facial paralysis than non-EA, but we lack sufficient evidence to evaluate its safety and follow-up effect. Therefore, more clinical trials with high quality methodologies are needed to further verify long-term effects of EA for IFP and improve the level of evidence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number: CRD42021278541.

A renal YY1-KIM1-DR5 axis regulates the progression of acute kidney injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) exhibits high morbidity and mortality. Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM1) is dramatically upregulated in renal tubules upon injury, and acts as a biomarker for various renal diseases. However, the exact role and underlying mechanism of KIM1 in the progression of AKI remain elusive. Herein, we report that renal tubular specific knockout of Kim1 attenuates cisplatin- or ischemia/reperfusion-induced AKI in male mice. Mechanistically, transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1), which is downregulated upon AKI, binds to the promoter of KIM1 and represses its expression. Injury-induced KIM1 binds to the ECD domain of death receptor 5 (DR5), which activates DR5 and the following caspase cascade by promoting its multimerization, thus induces renal cell apoptosis and exacerbates AKI. Blocking the KIM1-DR5 interaction with rationally designed peptides exhibit reno-protective effects against AKI. Here, we reveal a YY1-KIM1-DR5 axis in the progression of AKI, which warrants future exploration as therapeutic targets.

Loss of renal tubular G9a benefits acute kidney injury by lowering focal lipid accumulation via CES1.

Surgery-induced renal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury and nephrotoxic drugs like cisplatin can cause acute kidney injury (AKI), for which there is no effective therapy. Lipid accumulation is evident following AKI in renal tubules although the mechanisms and pathological effects are unclear. Here, we report that Ehmt2-encoded histone methyltransferase G9a is upregulated in patients and mouse kidneys after AKI. Renal tubular specific knockout of G9a (Ehmt2Ksp ) or pharmacological inhibition of G9a alleviates lipid accumulation associated with AKI. Mechanistically, G9a suppresses transcription of the lipolytic enzyme Ces1; moreover, G9a and farnesoid X receptor (FXR) competitively bind to the same promoter regions of Ces1. Ces1 is consistently observed to be downregulated in the kidney of AKI patients. Pharmacological inhibition of Ces1 increases lipid accumulation, exacerbates renal I/R-injury and eliminates the beneficial effects on AKI observed in Ehmt2Ksp mice. Furthermore, lipid-lowering atorvastatin and an FXR agonist alleviate AKI by activating Ces1 and reducing renal lipid accumulation. Together, our results reveal a G9a/FXR-Ces1 axis that affects the AKI outcome via regulating renal lipid accumulation.

In Situ Grown Silver-Polymer Framework with Coordination Complexes for Functional Artificial Tissues.

Self-sensing actuators are critical to artificial robots with biomimetic proprio-/exteroception properties of biological neuromuscular systems. Existing add-on approaches, which physically blend heterogeneous sensor/actuator components, fall short of yielding satisfactory solutions, considering their suboptimal interfaces, poor adhesion, and electronic/mechanical property mismatches. Here, a single homogeneous material platform is reported by creating a silver-polymer framework (SPF), thus realizing the seamless sensing-actuation unification. The SPF-enabled elastomer is highly stretchable (1200%), conductive (0.076 S m-1 ), and strong (0.76 MPa in-strength), where the stretchable polymer matrix synthesis and in situ silver nanoparticles reduction are accomplished simultaneously. Benefiting from the multimodal sensing capability from its architecture itself (mechanical and thermal cues), self-sensing actuation (proprio-deformations and external stimuli perceptions) is achieved for the SPF-based pneumatic actuator, alongside an excellent load-lifting attribute (up to 3700 times its own weight), substantiating its advantage of the unified sensing-actuation feature in a single homogenous material. In view of its human somatosensitive muscular systems imitative functionality, the reported SPF bodes well for use with next-generation functional tissues, including artificial skins, human-machine interfaces, self-sensing robots, and otherwise dynamic materials.

Implantable Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Cardiovascular Healthcare.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have gained significant traction in recent years in the bioengineering community. With the potential for expansive applications for biomedical use, many individuals and research groups have furthered their studies on the topic, in order to gain an understanding of how TENGs can contribute to healthcare. More specifically, there have been a number of recent studies focusing on implantable triboelectric nanogenerators (I-TENGs) toward self-powered cardiac systems healthcare. In this review, the progression of implantable TENGs for self-powered cardiovascular healthcare, including self-powered cardiac monitoring devices, self-powered therapeutic devices, and power sources for cardiac pacemakers, will be systematically reviewed. Long-term expectations of these implantable TENG devices through their biocompatibility and other utilization strategies will also be discussed.

Spherical Magnetoelastic Generator for Multidirectional Vibration Energy Harvesting.

Vibration is a common, usually wasted energy, and an attractive target for sustainable electricity generation. In this work, we introduce a new working mechanism to the vibration energy harvesting community by contributing a spherical magnetoelastic generator (S-MEG), which permits multidirectional vibration and is highly adaptable to many natural oscillation frequencies, exhibiting a resonant frequency of 24 Hz and a relatively wide working bandwidth of 15 Hz in the low-frequency range. It also features a low internal impedance of 70 Ω, which can respectively deliver a maximum short-circuit current density of 7.962 A·m-2 and a power density of 15.1 mW·m-2. To demonstrate the capability of S-MEG for ambient vibration energy harvesting, a 220 µF commercial capacitor was successfully charged to 2 V within 25 s, sustainably driving wearable bioelectronics for multiple physiological information monitoring. It could also harvest multidirectional vibration energy from both hand-shaking and bicycle-riding, generating approximately 2.5 mA and 6 mA alternating current from the motions, respectively, even with heavy perspiration or on a rainy day without the need for encapsulation. In summary, this work brings forth an appealing platform technology to the community of vibration energy harvesting, holding a collection of compelling features, including high current density, low inner impedance, intrinsic waterproofness, and scalability for large-scale vibration energy harvesting.

Sample size estimation in acupuncture imaging research. / æ ·æœ¬é‡ä¼°ç®—åœ¨é’ˆç¸å½±åƒå­¦ç ”ç©¶ä¸­çš„åº”ç”¨ä¸Žæ€è€ƒ.

The size of the sample significantly impacts the accuracy of research outcomes. While preliminary results have been achieved in acupuncture imaging research, sample size estimation is often subjective and arbitrary, leading to insufficient reliability of study results. This article reviews the current application of sample size estimation in acupuncture imaging research, and provides recommendations to address existing issues. It is suggested that future researches should include the sample sizes that meet statistical power based on the characteristics of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocols, with group sizes of 12 and 20-30 cases having become the "minimum requirement" for confirmatory studies and a common choice. Additionally, the adoption of adaptive design approaches, which dynamically adjust sample sizes based on accumulated data, can be considered. Furthermore, efforts should be made to establish an open platform for sharing acupuncture imaging data to enhance data accessibility, and consequently, improve the quality and overall impact of acupuncture imaging research.

Immediate neural effects of acupuncture manipulation time for stroke with motor dysfunction: a fMRI pilot study.

Introduction: Acupuncture is widely utilized as a beneficial intervention for the treatment of motor dysfunction after stroke, and its effectiveness depends on the stimulation dose. Manipulation time is an important factor affecting the dose. This trial aimed use fMRI to explore the immediate neural effects in stroke patients with motor dysfunction by different acupuncture manipulation times, to reveal the neural mechanism of acupuncture manipulation. Methods: Thirty participants were divided into three groups according to different acupuncture times. Each group received the same acupoint prescription, although the continuous manipulation time of each acupoint in three groups was 1-min, 2-min, and 3-min, respectively. The NIHSS, FMA and fMRI-BOLD in each participant we obtained before and after acupuncture manipulation. Then, we used the regional homogeneity (ReHo) algorithm to analyze the changes of brain function and to compare the neural effects at different acupuncture manipulation times. Results: There were no significant differences in NIHSS and FMA scores between and within groups. Longitudinal analysis of ReHo values indicated that the right inferior frontal gyrus was activated in the 1-min group, the right insula in the 2-min group, and the right inferior temporal gyrus in the 3-min group. Compared with the 1-min group, the 2-min group showed the ReHo values of the right precentral gyrus was decreased, and the 3-min group showed the left cerebellum posterior lobe was increased, the right posterior cingulate gyrus and the right anterior cingulate gyrus were decreased. Compared with the 2-min group, the 3-min group showed the ReHo values of the right cerebellum anterior lobe was increased. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that acupuncture at different manipulation times caused different changes of the neural effects in stroke patients, and the volume of activated voxel clusters is positively correlated with the manipulation time. Longer acupuncture manipulation could drive SMN and DMN in stroke patients, which may be the potential neurological mechanism of acupuncture manipulation affecting the recovery of motor dysfunction.