H2O2-dependent oxidation of the transcription factor GmNTL1 promotes salt tolerance in soybean.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an essential role in plant growth and responses to environmental stresses. Plant cells sense and transduce ROS signaling directly via hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-mediated posttranslational modifications (PTMs) on protein cysteine residues. Here, we show that the H2O2-mediated cysteine oxidation of NAC WITH TRANS-MEMBRANE MOTIF1-LIKE 1 (GmNTL1) in soybean (Glycine max) during salt stress promotes its release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and translocation to the nucleus. We further show that an oxidative posttranslational modification on GmNTL1 residue Cys-247 steers downstream amplification of ROS production by binding to and activating the promoters of RESPIRATORY BURST OXIDASE HOMOLOG B (GmRbohB) genes, thereby creating a feed-forward loop to fine-tune GmNTL1 activity. In addition, oxidation of GmNTL1 Cys-247 directly promotes the expression of CATION H+ EXCHANGER 1 (GmCHX1)/SALT TOLERANCE-ASSOCIATED GENE ON CHROMOSOME 3 (GmSALT3) and Na+/H+ Antiporter 1 (GmNHX1). Accordingly, transgenic overexpression of GmNTL1 in soybean increases the H2O2 levels and K+/Na+ ratio in the cell, promotes salt tolerance, and increases yield under salt stress, while an RNA interference-mediated knockdown of GmNTL1 elicits the opposite effects. Our results reveal that the salt-induced oxidation of GmNTL1 promotes its relocation and transcriptional activity through an H2O2-mediated posttranslational modification on cysteine that improves resilience of soybean against salt stress.

Chronic sleep deprivation impairs retinal circadian transcriptome and visual function.

Sleep loss is common in modern society and is increasingly associated with eye diseases. However, the precise effects of sleep loss on retinal structure and function, particularly on the retinal circadian system, remain largely unexplored. This study investigates these effects using a chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) model in mice. Our investigation reveals that CSD significantly alters the retinal circadian transcriptome, leading to remarkable changes in the temporal patterns of enriched pathways. This perturbation extends to metabolic and immune-related transcriptomes, coupled with an accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the retina. Notably, CSD rhythmically affects the thickness of the ganglion cell complex, along with diurnal shifts in microglial migration and morphology within the retina. Most critically, we observe a marked decrease in both scotopic and photopic retinal function under CSD conditions. These findings underscore the broad impact of sleep deprivation on retinal health, highlighting its role in altering circadian gene expression, metabolism, immune response, and structural integrity. Our study provides new insights into the broader impact of sleep loss on retinal health.

Enhancing and monitoring spore production in Clostridium butyricum using pH-based regulation strategy and a robust soft sensor based on back-propagation neural networks.

Clostridium butyricum is a probiotic that forms anaerobic spores and plays a crucial role in regulating gut microbiota. However, the total viable cell count and spore yield of C. butyricum in industrial production are comparatively low. To this end, we investigated the metabolic characteristics of the strain and proposed three distinct pH regulation strategies for enhancing spore production. In addition, precise measurement of fermentation parameters such as substrate concentration, total viable cell count, and spore concentration is crucial for successful industrial probiotics production. Nevertheless, online measurement of these intricate parameters in the fermentation of C. butyricum poses a considerable challenge owing to the complex, nonlinear, multivariate, and strongly coupled characteristics of the production process. Therefore, we analyzed the capacitance and conductivity acquired from a viable cell sensor as the core parameters for the fermentation process. Subsequently, a robust soft sensor was developed using a seven-input back-propagation neural network model with input variables of fermentation time, capacitance, conductivity, pH, initial total sugar concentration, ammonium ion concentration, and calcium ion concentration. The model enables the online monitoring of total viable biomass count, substrate concentrations, and spore yield, and can be extended to similar fermentation processes with pH changes as a characteristic feature.

An analysis of differences in Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales in different regions: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the characteristics of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) in different regions of Henan Province to provide evidence for the targeted prevention and treatment of CRE. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. CRE screening was conducted in the ICUs of 78 hospitals in Henan Province, China, on March 10, 2021. The patients were divided into provincial capital hospitals and nonprovincial capital hospitals for comparative analysis. RESULTS: This study involved 1009 patients in total, of whom 241 were CRE-positive patients, 92 were in the provincial capital hospital and 149 were in the nonprovincial capital hospital. Provincial capital hospitals had a higher rate of CRE positivity, and there was a significant difference in the rate of CRE positivity between the two groups. The body temperature; immunosuppressed state; transfer from the ICU to other hospitals; and use of enemas, arterial catheters, carbapenems, or tigecycline at the provincial capital hospital were greater than those at the nonprovincial capital hospital (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the distribution of carbapenemase strains or enzymes between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The detection rate of CRE was significantly greater in provincial capital hospitals than in nonprovincial capital hospitals. The source of the patients, invasive procedures, and use of advanced antibiotics may account for the differences. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-KPN) was the most prevalent strain. Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) was the predominant carbapenemase enzyme. The distributions of carbapenemase strains and enzymes were similar in different regions.

GmDFB1, an ARM-repeat superfamily protein, regulates floral organ identity through repressing siRNA- and miRNA-mediated gene silencing in soybean.

The development of flowers in soybean (Glycine max) is essential for determining the yield potential of the plant. Gene silencing pathways are involved in modulating flower development, but their full elucidation is still incomplete. Here, we conducted a forward genetic screen and identified an abnormal flower mutant, deformed floral bud1-1 (Gmdfb1-1), in soybean. We mapped and identified the causal gene, which encodes a member of the armadillo (ARM)-repeat superfamily. Using small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq), we found an abnormal accumulation of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNA (miRNAs) in the Gmdfb1 mutants. We further demonstrated that GmDFB1 interacts with the RNA exosome cofactor SUPER KILLER7 (GmSKI7). Additionally, GmDFB1 interacts with the PIWI domain of ARGONAUTE 1 (GmAGO1) to inhibit the cleavage efficiency on the target genes of sRNAs. The enhanced gene silencing mediated by siRNA and miRNA in the Gmdfb1 mutants leads to the downregulation of their target genes associated with flower development. This study revealed the crucial role of GmDFB1 in regulating floral organ identity in soybean probably by participating in two distinct gene silencing pathways.

Adsorption and Dispersion Effect of Sodium Lignosulfonate on Fine SiC Particles in Aqueous Media.

This study presented a novel modification method for fine SiC powder by using sodium lignosulfonate as a dispersant. The adsorption behavior of sodium lignosulfonate on the SiC/water interface and its effect on the performance of a fine SiC slurry were systematically investigated. The adsorption results showed that sodium lignosulfonate formed monolayer adsorption on the surface of fine SiC and that the saturated adsorption capacity was 1.3263 mg/g. The adsorption reached equilibrium within 3 h and was mainly controlled by active sites on the SiC surface. The dispersion, stability, and zeta potential of modified SiC powder were improved after sodium lignosulfonate adsorption. The zeta potential of modified SiC reached a minimum value of -44.8 mV at pH 12. Modified SiC suspensions had great stability in a wider pH range of 6-12. Modified SiC slurry with 54 vol % solid loading had a low viscosity of 173 mPa·s at pH 10. Subsequently, coarse SiC powder was added for slip casting. A mixed slurry with high solid loading (69 vol %) and low viscosity (583 mPa·s) was prepared using modified SiC and coarse SiC powders at a mass ratio of 2:3. Finally, recrystallized SiC green body with high density (2.6492 g/cm3) was obtained.

Mechanism of action and side effects of colchicine based on biomechanical properties of cells.

Many diseases are related to changes in the biomechanical properties of cells; their study can provide a theoretical basis for drug screening and can explain the internal working of living cells. In this study, the biomechanical properties of nephrocytes (VERO cells), hepatocytes (HL-7702 cells), and hepatoma cells (SMCC-7721 cells) in culture were detected by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to analyse the side effects of colchicine at different concentrations (0.1 µg/mL (A) and 0.2 µg/mL (B)) at the nanoscale for 2, 4 and 6 h. Compared with the corresponding control cells, the damage to the treated cells increased in a dose-dependent manner. Among normal cells, the injury of nephrocytes (VERO cells) was markedly worse than that of hepatocytes (HL-7702 cells) in both colchicine solutions A and B. Based on the analyses of biomechanical properties, the colchicine solution reduced the rate of division and inhibited metastasis of SMCC-7721 cells. By comparing these two concentrations, we found that the anticancer effect of colchicine solution A was greater than that of solution B. Studying the mechanical properties of biological cells can help understand the mechanism of drug action at the molecular level and provide a theoretical basis for preventing the emergence and diagnosis of diseases at the nanoscale.

Significant but Inequitable Cost-Effective Benefits of a Clean Heating Campaign in Northern China.

Residential emissions significantly contribute to air pollution. To address this issue, a clean heating campaign was implemented to replace coal with electricity or natural gas among 13.9 million rural households in northern China. Despite great success, the cost-benefits and environmental equity of this campaign have never been fully investigated. Here, we modeled the environmental and health benefits, as well as the total costs of the campaign, and analyzed the inequality and inequity. We found that even though the campaign decreased only 1.1% of the total energy consumption, PM2.5 emissions and PM2.5 exposure experienced 20% and 36% reduction, respectively, revealing the amplification effects along the causal pathway. Furthermore, the number of premature deaths attributable to residential emissions reduced by 32%, suggesting that the campaign was highly beneficial. Governments and residents shared the cost of 2,520 RMB/household. However, the benefits and the costs were unevenly distributed, as the residents in mountainous areas were not only less benefited from the campaign but also paid more because of the higher costs, resulting in a notably lower cost-effectiveness. Moreover, villages in less developed areas tended to choose natural gas with a lower initial investment but a higher total cost (2,720 RMB/household) over electricity (2,190 RMB/household). With targeted investment and subsidies in less developed areas and the promotion of electricity and other less expensive alternatives, the multidevelopment goals of improved air quality, reduced health impacts, and reduced inequity in future clean heating interventions could be achieved.

Tumor-Specific T Cells Exacerbate Mortality and Immune Dysregulation during Sepsis.

Sepsis induces significant immune dysregulation characterized by lymphocyte apoptosis and alterations in the cytokine milieu. Because cancer patients exhibit a 10-fold greater risk of developing sepsis compared with the general population, we aimed to understand how pre-existing malignancy alters sepsis-induced immune dysregulation. To address this question, we assessed the impact of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells on the immune response in a mouse model of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis. Tumor-bearing animals containing Thy1.1+ tumor-specific CD8+ T cells were subjected to CLP, and groups of animals received anti-Thy1.1 mAb to deplete tumor-specific CD8+ T cells or isotype control. Results indicated that depleting tumor-specific T cells significantly improved mortality from sepsis. The presence of tumor-specific CD8+ T cells resulted in increased expression of the 2B4 coinhibitory receptor and increased apoptosis of endogenous CD8+ T cells. Moreover, tumor-specific T cells were not reduced in number in the tumors during sepsis but did exhibit impaired IFN-γ production in the tumor, tumor draining lymph node, and spleen 24 h after CLP. Our research provides novel insight into the mechanisms by which pre-existing malignancy contributes to increased mortality during sepsis.

Biomimetic Hierarchically Silver Nanowire Interwoven MXene Mesh for Flexible Transparent Electrodes and Invisible Camouflage Electronics.

Flexible transparent electrodes demand high transparency, low sheet resistance, as well as excellent mechanical flexibility simultaneously, however they still remain to be a great challenge due to"trade-off" effect. Herein, inspired by a hollow interconnected leaf vein, we developed robust transparent conductive mesh with biomimetic interwoven structure via hierarchically self-assembles silver nanowires interwoven metal carbide/nitride (MXene) sheets along directional microfibers. Strong interfacial interactions between plant fibers and conductive units facilitate hierarchically interwoven conductive mesh constructed orderly on flexible and lightweight veins while maintaining high transparency, effectively avoiding the trade-off effect between optoelectronic properties. The flexible transparent electrodes exhibit sheet resistance of 0.5 Ω sq-1 and transparency of 81.6%, with a remarkably high figure of merit of 3523. In addition, invisible camouflage sensors are further successfully developed as a proof of concept that could monitor human body motion signals in an imperceptible state. The flexible transparent conductive mesh holds great potential in high-performance wearable optoelectronics and camouflage electronics.

A GmSIN1/GmNCED3s/GmRbohBs Feed-Forward Loop Acts as a Signal Amplifier That Regulates Root Growth in Soybean Exposed to Salt Stress.

Abscisic acid (ABA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) act as key signaling molecules in the plant response to salt stress; however, how these signals are transduced and amplified remains unclear. Here, a soybean (Glycine max) salinity-induced NAM/ATAF1/2/CUC2 (NAC) transcription factor encoded by SALT INDUCED NAC1 (GmSIN1) was shown to be a key component of this process. Overexpression of GmSIN1 in soybean promoted root growth and salt tolerance and increased yield under salt stress; RNA interference-mediated knockdown of GmSIN1 had the opposite effect. The rapid induction of GmSIN1 in response to salinity required ABA and ROS, and the effect of GmSIN1 on root elongation and salt tolerance was achieved by boosting cellular ABA and ROS contents. GmSIN1 upregulated 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase coding genes in soybean (GmNCED3s, associated with ABA synthesis) and Respiratory burst oxidase homolog B genes in soybean (GmRbohBs, associated with ROS generation) by binding to their promoters at a site that has not been described to date. Together, GmSIN1, GmNCED3s, and GmRbohBs constitute a positive feed-forward system that enables the rapid accumulation of ABA and ROS, effectively amplifying the initial salt stress signal. These findings suggest that the combined modulation of ABA and ROS contents enhances soybean salt tolerance.

Highly Efficient Trityl-Nitroxide Biradicals for Biomolecular High-Field Dynamic Nuclear Polarization.

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is a powerful method to enhance the sensitivity of solid-state magnetic nuclear resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy. However, its biomolecular applications at high magnetic fields (preferably>14 T) have so far been limited by the intrinsically low efficiency of polarizing agents and sample preparation aspects. Herein, we report a new class of trityl-nitroxide biradicals, dubbed SNAPols that combine high DNP efficiency with greatly enhanced hydrophilicity. SNAPol-1, the best compound in the series, shows DNP enhancement factors at 18.8 T of more than 100 in small molecules and globular proteins and also exhibits strong DNP enhancements in membrane proteins and cellular preparations. By integrating optimal sensitivity and high resolution, we expect widespread applications of this new polarizing agent in high-field DNP/ssNMR spectroscopy, especially for complex biomolecules.

High-reliability graphene-wrapped nanoprobes for scanning probe microscopy.

The nanoprobe is a powerful tool in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) that is used to explore various fields of nanoscience. However, the tips can wear out very fast due to the low stability of conventional probes, especially after the measurement of high currents or lateral friction, which results in image distortion and test imprecision. Herein, a novel functional nanoprobe is presented using graphene sheets in a high-quality graphene solution wrapped round a plasma-treated conventional Pt-Ir coated nanoprobe, which shows highly stability and resistance to degradation, leading to a significantly increased lifetime. Furthermore, we show that the graphene-wrapped nanoprobes have the advantages of enhanced electrical conductivity and reduced tip-sample friction, compared with Pt-Ir coated nanoprobes. The simplicity and low cost of this method make it valuable to various functional graphene-wrapped nanoprobes and applications.

Electrical conductivity measurement ofλDNA molecules by conductive atomic force microscopy.

Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) is a powerful tool used in the microelectronics analysis by applying a certain bias voltage between the conducting probe and the sample and obtaining the electrical information of sample. In this work, the surface morphological information and current images of the lambda DNA (λDNA) molecules with different distributions were obtained by C-AFM. The 1 and 10 ngµl-1DNA solutions were dripped onto mica sheets for making randomly distributed DNA and DNA network samples, and another 1 ngµl-1DNA sample was placed in a DC electric field with a voltage of 2 V before being dried for stretching the DNA sample. The results show that the current flowing through DNA networks was significantly higher than the stretched and random distribution of DNA in the experiment. TheI-Vcurve of DNA networks was obtained by changing the bias voltage of C-AFM from -9 to 9 V. The currents flowing through stretched DNA at different pH values were studied. When the pH was 7, the current was the smallest, and the current was gradually increased as the solution became acidic or alkaline.

Updated Global Black Carbon Emissions from 1960 to 2017: Improvements, Trends, and Drivers.

Accurate estimation of black carbon (BC) emissions is essential for assessing the health and climate impact of this pollutant. Past emission inventories were associated with high uncertainty due to data limitations, and recent information has provided a unique updating opportunity. Moreover, understanding the drivers that cause temporal emission changes is of research value. Here, we update the global BC emission estimates using new data on the activities and emission factors (EFs). The new inventory covers 73 detailed sources at 0.1° × 0.1° spatial resolution and monthly temporal resolution from 1960 to 2017. The estimated annual emissions were 32% higher than the average of several previous inventories, which was primarily due to field-measured EFs for residential stoves and differentiated EFs for motor vehicles. In addition, the updated emissions show an inverse U-shaped temporal trend, which was mainly driven by the interaction between the positive effects of population growth, per capita energy consumption, and vehicle fleet and the negative effects of residential energy switching, stove upgrading, phasing out of beehive coke ovens, and reduced EFs for vehicles and industrial processes. Urbanization caused a significant increase in urban emissions accompanied by a more significant decline in rural emissions.

Direct and Inverse Reduced-Form Models for Reciprocal Calculation of BC Emissions and Atmospheric Concentrations.

Atmospheric black carbon (BC) concentrations are governed by both emissions and meteorological conditions. Distinguishing these effects enables quantification of the effectiveness of emission mitigation actions by excluding meteorological effects. Here, we develop reduced-form models in both direct (RFDMs) and inverse (RFIMs) modes to estimate ambient BC concentrations. The models were developed based on outputs from multiyear simulations under three conditional scenarios with realistic or fixed emissions and meteorological conditions. We established a set of probabilistic functions (PFs) to quantify the meteorological influences. A significant two-way linear relationship between multiyear annual emissions and mean ambient BC concentrations was revealed at the grid cell scale. The correlation between them was more significant at grid cells with high emission densities. The concentrations and emissions at a given grid cell are also significantly correlated with emissions and concentrations of the surrounding areas, respectively, although to a lesser extent. These dependences are anisotropic depending on the prevailing winds and source regions. The meteorologically induced variation at the monthly scale was significantly higher than that at the annual scale. Of the major meteorological parameters, wind vectors, temperature, and relative humidity were found to most significantly affect variation in ambient BC concentrations.

Coal Is Dirty, but Where It Is Burned Especially Matters.

Coal abatement actions for pollution reduction often target total coal consumption. The health impacts of coal uses, however, vary extensively among sectors. Here, we modeled the sectorial contributions of coal uses to emissions, outdoor and indoor PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 mm) concentrations, exposures, and health outcomes in China from 1970 to 2014. We show that in 2014, residential coal accounted for 2.9% of total energy use but 34% of premature deaths associated with PM2.5 exposure, showing that effects were magnified substantially along the causal path. The number of premature deaths attributed to unit coal consumption in the residential sector was 40 times higher than that in the power and industrial sectors. Emissions of primary PM2.5 were more important than secondary aerosol precursors in terms of health consequences, and indoor exposure accounted for 97% and 91% of total premature deaths attributable to PM2.5 from coal combustion in 1974 and 2014, respectively. Our assessment raises a critical challenge in the switching of residential coal uses to effectively mitigate PM2.5 exposure in the Chinese population.

The gut microbiome alters immunophenotype and survival from sepsis.

The microbiome is increasingly implicated in immune regulation and mortality from sepsis. Mice with identical genetic backgrounds but distinct microbiomes were obtained from different vendors and analyzed following cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). ß diversity of the microbiome measured from feces demonstrated significant differences between The Jackson Laboratory (Jax; Bar Harbor, ME, USA) and Charles River Laboratories (CR; Wilmington, MA, USA) C57/B6 mice. Jax mice had 7-d mortality of 90% following CLP, whereas CR mice had a mortality of 53%. Differences in vendor were associated with altered immunophenotype with increased splenic IFN-γ+CD4+ T cells, effector memory CD4+ T cells, and central memory CD4+ T cells and increased Peyer's patch effector memory CD4+ T cells in septic CR mice. To determine whether differences in the microbiome were responsible for these differences, Jax and CR mice were cohoused for 3 wk, after which they assumed a similar microbiota composition. Cohoused mice had improved survival following CLP compared to Jax mice and had similar survival regardless of their vendor of origin. All differences in immunophenotype between septic Jax and CR mice disappeared following cohousing. These findings suggest that the microbiome plays a crucial role in survival and the host immune response from sepsis and represents a potential target for therapeutic intervention.-Fay, K. T., Klingensmith, N. J., Chen, C.-W., Zhang, W., Sun, Y., Morrow, K. N., Liang, Z., Burd, E. M., Ford, M. L., Coopersmith, C. M. The gut microbiome alters immunophenotype and survival from sepsis.

A disulfiram-loaded electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride) nanofibrous scaffold for cancer treatment.

Disulfiram (DSF), an FDA approved drug for the treatment of alcoholism, has shown its effectiveness against diverse cancer types. Thus, we developed a disulfiram-loaded scaffold using the electrospinning method to enhance the stability of DSF and to facilitate its appropriate distribution to tumor tissues. The drug release profile of the disulfiram-loaded scaffold was examined by high-performance liquid chromatography. We obtained mechanical and morphological characterizations of A549 cells treated with different scaffolds by various techniques to evaluate its antitumor properties. This work revealed that the cells after the treatment with the disulfiram-loaded scaffold exhibited a lower height and a larger elastic modulus compared with the untreated cells and those treated with the neat electrospun fibers. The changes were the indicators of cell apoptosis. Taken collectively, the results indicate that DSF was successfully incorporated into the electrospun fibers, and the disulfiram-loaded scaffold has great potential for inhibiting the regional recurrence of cancer.

Differentiated-Rate Clean Heating Strategy with Superior Environmental and Health Benefits in Northern China.

Residential heating using solid fuels contributes significantly to air pollution and has subsequent health impacts in China. To mitigate emissions, a clean heating campaign (CHC-1) covering 28 municipalities has been implemented. Although only a single penetration rate was initially planned by CHC-1 for all municipalities, outcomes in the different municipalities varied considerably. Recently, a second phase (CHC-2) has been launched for the remaining 128 municipalities in northern China with once again a fixed penetration rate set. Here, we quantified factors that affected the penetration rates of CHC-1, developed an intervention scheme with differentiated targets for CHC-2, and compared the environmental and health benefits of the fixed- and differentiated-rate strategies. We found that the penetration rates of CHC-1 depended on per capita income, terrain slope, and population density and that such relationships could be quantified using a piecewise regression model. This model was applied to develop a differentiated-rate strategy for CHC-2. It clearly evidenced that a differentiated scheme would be more environmentally beneficial. Although the same number of rural households can achieve clean heating under both intervention scenarios, the proposed differentiated strategy can prevent 30 000 (23 000-34 000) premature deaths associated with residential heating annually compared to the 26 000 (21 000-31 000) premature deaths prevented under the fixed-rate scheme. Differences among gender and age groups and the effects of urbanization and aging are also discussed.