Allele-dependent expression and functionality of lipid enzyme phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase affect diatom carbon storage and growth.

In the acyl-CoA-independent pathway of triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis unique to plants, fungi, and algae, TAG formation is catalyzed by the enzyme phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (PDAT). The unique PDAT gene of the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum strain CCMP2561 boasts 47 single nucleotide variants within protein coding regions of the alleles. To deepen our understanding of TAG synthesis, we observed the allele-specific expression of PDAT by the analysis of 87 published RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data and experimental validation. The transcription of one of the two PDAT alleles, Allele 2, could be specifically induced by decreasing nitrogen concentrations. Overexpression of Allele 2 in P. tricornutum substantially enhanced the accumulation of TAG by 44% to 74% under nutrient stress; however, overexpression of Allele 1 resulted in little increase of TAG accumulation. Interestingly, a more serious growth inhibition was observed in the PDAT Allele 1 overexpression strains compared with Allele 2 counterparts. Heterologous expression in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) showed that enzymes encoded by PDAT Allele 2 but not Allele 1 had TAG biosynthetic activity, and 7 N-terminal and 3 C-terminal amino acid variants between the 2 allele-encoded proteins substantially affected enzymatic activity. P. tricornutum PDAT, localized in the innermost chloroplast membrane, used monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine as acyl donors as demonstrated by the increase of the 2 lipids in PDAT knockout lines, which indicated a common origin in evolution with green algal PDATs. Our study reveals unequal roles among allele-encoded PDATs in mediating carbon storage and growth in response to nitrogen stress and suggests an unsuspected strategy toward lipid and biomass improvement for biotechnological purposes.

A Multimode Optical Sensor for Selective and Sensitive Detection of Harmful Heavy Metal Cr(VI) in Fresh Water and Sea Water.

Water pollution originating from heavy metals has shown great impacts on the ecological environment and human health due to their extremely low biodegradability. Hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), as one harmful heavy metal with strong oxidation, high biological permeability, and high carcinogenicity, is becoming an increasingly serious threat to human health. Therefore, conveniently but accurately, monitoring the Cr(VI) level in water to maintain its normal level and ensuring the stability of the ecosystem and human health become very valuable. However, most of these heavy metal sensors reported are turn-off type single-emission sensors. In this work, a ratiometric fluorescence/colorimetry/smartphone triple-mode turn-on optical sensor for Cr(VI) was developed based on a multifunctional metal-organic framework platform. The detection limits for these three mutual verification modes were only 1.28, 4.89, and 68.4 nM, respectively. Additionally, the color changes of the detection system under sunlight can also be observed directly by the naked eye. The accuracy and practicability of this multimode sensor were further proved by the detection of Cr(VI) in actual water and seawater samples, and the recovery rate ranged from 97.308 to 104.041%.

Fabrication of a Near-Infrared-Emissive Probe for Detecting Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 in the Liver of Diabetic Mice and Clinical Serum.

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) plays a key role in glucose metabolism, which has been a close target for diabetes pathology and treatment. It is significant for the evaluation of cellular DPP4 activity in various biological systems. Fluorescence imaging technology is currently a popular method for detecting enzymes in living cells due to its advantages of high selectivity, high sensitivity, high spatiotemporal resolution, and real-time visualization. Herein, a near-infrared (NIR)-emissive probe NEDP with a large Stokes shift (153 nm) was developed for the assay of DPP4 activity. Upon addition of DPP4, NEDP can emit a significant turn-on NIR fluorescence signal (673 nm) with high sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, NEDP can successfully be used for imaging of intracellular DPP4, confirming the regulation of DPP4 expression in hyperglucose and its treatment in living cells. Most importantly, NEDP can not only monitor the changes of DPP4 in vivo but also show that DPP4 in diabetes is mainly up-regulated in the liver, and the level of DPP4 is positively correlated with the pathological damage of the liver. In addition, NEDP can identify the serum of diabetic patients from healthy people through the fluorescence response to DPP4. These results demonstrated that the designed probe NEDP provides a prospective visual tool to explore the relationship between DPP4 and diabetes and would be applied for detecting serum of diabetes in the clinic.

Visual Omics: a web-based platform for omics data analysis and visualization with rich graph-tuning capabilities.

SUMMARY: With the continuous development of high-throughput sequencing technology, bioinformatic analysis of omics data plays an increasingly important role in life science research. Many R packages are widely used for omics analysis, such as DESeq2, clusterProfiler and STRINGdb. And some online tools based on them have been developed to free bench scientists from programming with these R packages. However, the charts generated by these tools are usually in a fixed, non-editable format and often fail to clearly demonstrate the details the researchers intend to express. To address these issues, we have created Visual Omics, an online tool for omics data analysis and scientific chart editing. Visual Omics integrates multiple omics analyses which include differential expression analysis, enrichment analysis, protein domain prediction and protein-protein interaction analysis with extensive graph presentations. It can also independently plot and customize basic charts that are involved in omics analysis, such as various PCA/PCoA plots, bar plots, box plots, heat maps, set intersection diagrams, bubble charts and volcano plots. A distinguishing feature of Visual Omics is that it allows users to perform one-stop omics data analyses without programming, iteratively explore the form and layout of graphs online and fine-tune parameters to generate charts that meet publication requirements. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Visual Omics can be used at http://bioinfo.ihb.ac.cn/visomics. Source code can be downloaded at http://bioinfo.ihb.ac.cn/software/visomics/visomics-1.1.tar.gz. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Exosome lncRNA IFNG-AS1 derived from mesenchymal stem cells of human adipose ameliorates neurogenesis and ASD-like behavior in BTBR mice.

BACKGROUND: The transplantation of exosomes derived from human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) has emerged as a prospective cellular-free therapeutic intervention for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), as well as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Nevertheless, the efficacy of hADSC exosome transplantation for ASD treatment remains to be verified, and the underlying mechanism of action remains unclear. RESULTS: The exosomal long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) from hADSC and human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSC) were sequenced and 13,915 and 729 lncRNAs were obtained, respectively. The lncRNAs present in hADSC-Exos encompass those found in hUCMSC-Exos and are associated with neurogenesis. The biodistribution of hADSC-Exos in mouse brain ventricles and organoids was tracked, and the cellular uptake of hADSC-Exos was evaluated both in vivo and in vitro. hADSC-Exos promote neurogenesis in brain organoid and ameliorate social deficits in ASD mouse model BTBR T + tf/J (BTBR). Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) confirmed lncRNA Ifngas1 significantly increased in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of adult mice after hADSC-Exos intraventricular injection. The lncRNA Ifngas1 can act as a molecular sponge for miR-21a-3p to play a regulatory role and promote neurogenesis through the miR-21a-3p/PI3K/AKT axis. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated hADSC-Exos have the ability to confer neuroprotection through functional restoration, attenuation of neuroinflammation, inhibition of neuronal apoptosis, and promotion of neurogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. The hADSC-Exos-derived lncRNA IFNG-AS1 acts as a molecular sponge and facilitates neurogenesis via the miR-21a-3p/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thereby exerting a regulatory effect. Our findings suggest a potential therapeutic avenue for individuals with ASD.

Enhanced cartilage regeneration by icariin and mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles combined in alginate-hyaluronic acid hydrogel.

OBJECTIVE: Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by progressive cartilage degeneration and absence of curative therapies. Therefore, more efficient therapies are compellingly needed. Both mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) and Icariin (ICA) are promising for repair of cartilage defect. This study proposes that ICA may be combined to potentiate the cartilage repair capacity of MSC-EVs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MSC-EVs were isolated from sodium alginate (SA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) composite hydrogel (SA-HA) cell spheroid culture. EVs and ICA were combined in SA-HA hydrogel to test therapeutic efficacy on cartilage defect in vivo. RESULTS: EVs and ICA were synergistic for promoting both proliferation and migration of MSCs and inflammatory chondrocytes. The combination therapy led to strikingly enhanced repair on cartilage defect in rats, with mechanisms involved in the concomitant modulation of both cartilage degradation and synthesis makers. CONCLUSION: The MSC-EVs-ICA/SA-HA hydrogel potentially constitutes a novel therapy for cartilage defect in OA.

The effects of clinical learning environment and career adaptability on resilience: A mediating analysis based on a survey of nursing interns.

BACKGROUND: The resilience education of intern nursing students has significant implications for the development and improvement of the nursing workforce. The clinical internship period is a critical time for enhancing resilience. AIMS: To evaluate the resilience level of Chinese nursing interns and explore the effects of factors affecting resilience early in their careers, focusing on the mediating roles of career adaptability between clinical learning environment and resilience. METHODS: The cross-sectional study design was adopted. From March 2022 to May 2023, 512 nursing interns in tertiary care hospitals were surveyed online with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Clinical Learning Environment Scale for Nurse and the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale. Structural equation modelling was used to clarify the relationships among these factors. Indirect effects were tested using bootstrapped confidence intervals. RESULTS: The nursing interns showed a moderately high level of resilience [M (SD) = 70.15 (19.90)]. Gender, scholastic attainment, scholarship, career adaptability and clinical learning environment were influencing factors of nursing interns' resilience. Male interns with good academic performance showed higher levels of resilience. Career adaptability and clinical learning environment positively and directly affected their resilience level (ß = 0.62, 0.18, respectively, p < .01). Career adaptability was also positively affected by the clinical learning environment (ß = 0.36, p < .01), and mediated the effect of clinical learning environment on resilience (ß = 0.22, p < .01). CONCLUSION: Clinical learning environment can positively affect the resilience level of nursing interns. Career adaptability can affect resilience directly and also play a mediating role between clinical learning environment and resilience. Thus, promotion of career adaptability and clinical teaching environment should be the potential strategies for nursing interns to improve their resilience, especially for female nursing interns with low academic performance.

Transcriptome analysis revealed the existence of family-specific regulation of growth traits in grass carp.

The grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is the world's most prolific freshwater fish. Little is known, however, about the functional genes and genetic regulatory networks that govern its growth traits. We created three grass carp families in this study by using two grass carp parents with fast-growing offspring and two grass carp parents with slow-growing offspring, namely the fast-growing × fast-growing family (FF), the slow-growing × slow-growing family (SS), and the fast-growing × slow-growing family (FS). Under the satiation and starvation feeding modes, the average body weight of these families' offspring exhibited a consistent ordering (FF > FS > SS). The transcriptomes of grass carp whole brain and hepatopancreas were then acquired for each family, and it was discovered that the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the different organs demonstrated family specificity. DEGs were mostly identified in the hepatopancreas of FF and the whole brain of SS, but they were more evenly distributed in FS. There were 14 DEGs that were found in all three families, including three that were negatively correlated in hepatopancreas (ahsg2, lect2) or in brain (drd5), and 11 that were positively connected in hepatopancreas (sycn, pabpc4, zgc:112294, cel, endou, ela2, prss3, zbtb41, ela3) or in brain (fabp7, endod1). The deletion of ahsg2 boosted the growth rate only in certain zebrafish, suggesting that the growth-promoting effects of ahsg2 varies among individuals. Furthermore, we examined the SNP in each family and conducted preliminary research on the probable genetic pathways of family-specific control of growth traits. The family specificity of the growth regulation mechanism of grass carp at the transcriptional level was revealed for the first time in this study, and it was discovered that growth differences among individuals in the FF family were primarily due to differences in nutrient metabolism, whereas growth differences among individuals in the SS family may be primarily due to differences in foraging ability caused by differences in brain development. This research adds to our understanding of the genetic regulatory mechanism of grass carp growth.

BAP31 Plays an Essential Role in Mouse B Cell Development via Regulation of BCR Signaling.

B cell receptor-associated protein 31 (BAP31) is a transmembrane protein that is widely expressed and primarily located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). B cells play a crucial role in the immune system, and BAP31 significantly contributes to the functions of various immune cells. However, the specific role of BAP31 in B lymphocytes development remains unknown. In this study, we utilized a mouse model with BAP31 deleted from B cells to investigate its effects. Our findings reveal a block in early B cell development in the bone marrow and a significant decrease in the number of B cells in peripheral lymphoid organs taken from BAP31 B cell conditional knockout (BAP31-BCKO) mice. B cell receptor (BCR) signaling is crucial for the normal development and differentiation of B lymphocytes. BAP31, an endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein, directly regulates the BCR signaling pathway and was shown to be significantly positively correlated with B cell activation and proliferation. These findings establish BAP31 as a crucial regulator of early B cell development.

The effectiveness of faecal collection devices in preventing moderate to severe incontinence-associated dermatitis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) is a common problem among critically ill patients with faecal incontinence (FI). However, there are few studies comparing the effects of different faecal collection devices impact the prevention of moderate to severe IAD in this patient population. AIM: This review aims to compare the effectiveness of various devices for collecting faecal matter in preventing moderate to severe IAD in critically ill patients suffering from FI through a network meta-analysis. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, ProQuest, CENTRAL, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan fang, Wei Pu, and China Biomedicine (CBM) from their inception until May 4, 2023. The selected studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Two researchers independently performed study selection and data extraction. We assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool Version 2.0. RevMan 5.4 was utilized for conventional pairwise meta-analysis of direct comparisons, while Stata16.0 was employed for network meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies, involving 1345 patients, were included in the analysis. Pairwise meta-analysis showed that an anal bag[odds ratio(OR): 0.07(0.03, 0.20)], a balloon catheter[(OR:0.30(0.15, 0.62)], and an anal bag connected to negative pressure and flushing [(OR: 0.09(0.01,0.68)] all reduced the incidence of moderate to severe IAD in critically ill patients compared with usual care measures, respectively. The cumulative rank probabilities indicated that moderate to severe IAD prevention was more effective when employing balloon catheters connected to negative pressure [surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA): 20.8%] and anal bags connected to negative pressure (SUCRA: 27.0%) among critically ill patients with FI. CONCLUSION: FI is a common problem among severely ill patients, and the reduction of moderate and severe IAD incidence is deemed essential. In this review, it is suggested that both balloon catheters connected to negative pressure and anal bags connected to negative pressure are associated with a higher effectiveness in preventing moderate and severe IAD. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings of this review can assist healthcare professionals in the selection of suitable stool management devices for the prevention of moderate to severe IAD in critically ill patients with FI.

Research progress on the role of ET-1 in diabetic kidney disease.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the common complications of diabetes mellitus, which usually progresses to end-stage renal disease and causes great damage to the health of patients. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a molecule closely associated with the progression of DKD, has increased expression in response to high glucose stimulation and is involved in hemodynamic changes, inflammation, glomerular and tubular dysfunction in the kidney, causing an increase in proteinuria and a decrease in glomerular filtration function, ultimately leading to glomerulosclerosis and renal failure. This paper aims to review the molecular level changes, regulatory mechanisms, and mechanisms of action of ET-1 under DKD, clinical trials of ET-1 receptor antagonists in recent years and current problems, to provide basic information and new research directions and ideas for the treatment of DKD and ET-1-related research.

Independent and joint associations of general and abdominal obesity with the risk of conventional adenomas and serrated polyps: A large population-based study in East Asia.

Evidence regarding associations of general and abdominal obesity with the risk of conventional adenomas (ADs) and serrated polyps (SPs) from Asian population is scarce. Our study aimed to investigate the independent and joint associations of general obesity assessed by body mass index (BMI) and abdominal obesity assessed by waist circumference (WC) or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) with the risk of ADs and SPs among 25 222 participants recruited by a population-based screening program. Compared to participants with normal BMI, those with a BMI ≥28 kg/m2 had increased risk of ADs (odds ratio [OR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.36-1.70) and SPs (OR 1.69, 95% CI: 1.38-2.07). For participants with a WC ≥102 cm (≥88 cm for females), the risk of ADs (OR 1.37, 95% CI: 1.25-1.51) and SPs (OR 1.81, 95% CI: 1.52-2.16) was higher than that of the reference group. For participants with a WHR ≥0.95 (≥0.90 for females), the risk of ADs (OR 1.26, 95% CI: 1.16-1.36) and SPs (OR 1.46, 95% CI: 1.26-1.69) was higher than that of the reference group. Moreover, participants with both BMI ≥28 kg/m2 and WC ≥102 cm (≥88 cm for females) had 61% and 119% higher risk of ADs (OR 1.61, 95% CI: 1.39-1.85) and SPs (OR 2.19, 95% CI: 1.70-2.82) compared to those with both normal BMI and WC. These findings indicate that both general and abdominal obesity are associated with SPs and ADs, presenting stronger association with SPs than ADs. Moreover, the association is more evident when both obesities exist.

Selective CDK9 knockdown sensitizes TRAIL response by suppression of antiapoptotic factors and NF-kappaB pathway.

The aberrantly up-regulated CDK9 can be targeted for cancer therapy. The CDK inhibitor dinaciclib (Dina) has been found to drastically sensitizes cancer response to TRAIL-expressing extracellular vesicle (EV-T). However, the low selectivity of Dina has limited its application for cancer. We propose that CDK9-targeted siRNA (siCDK9) may be a good alternative to Dina. The siCDK9 molecules were encapsulated into EV-Ts to prepare a complexed nanodrug (siEV-T). It was shown to efficiently suppress CDK9 expression and overcome TRAIL resistance to induce strikingly augmented apoptosis in lung cancer both in vitro and in vivo, with a mechanism related to suppression of both anti-apoptotic factors and nuclear factor-kappa B pathway. Therefore, siEV-T potentially constitutes a novel, highly effective and safe therapy for cancers.

Influence of l-NAME -induced hypertension on spermatogenesis and sperm tsRNA profile in mice.

Sperm is the key media between the father's aberrant exposure and the offspring's phenotype. Whether paternal hypertension affects offspring through sperm epigenetics remains to be explored. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we constructed a hypertensive mice model induced by drinking l-NAME and found that spermatocytes and spermatids in the testis were increased significantly after l-NAME treatment. The sequencing of sperm showed that tsRNA profiles changed with 315 tsRNAs (195 up-regulated and 120 down-regulated) altered. Meanwhile, KEGG pathway analysis showed that the target genes of these altered tsRNAs were involved in influencing some important signaling pathways, such as the cAMP signaling path, the mTOR signaling path, the Hippo signaling path, and the Ras signaling path. Bioinformatics of tsRNA-miRNA-mRNA pathway interactions revealed several ceRNA mechanisms, such as tsRNA-00051, the ceRNA of miR-128-1-5p, co-targeting Agap1. This study provides evidence for enriching and further understanding the pathophysiology and paternal epigenetic mechanisms of testicular reproduction, as well as contributing to a rethinking of the transgenerational reprogramming mechanisms of paternal exposure in hypertension.

Radiotherapy Improves Survival of Patients With Lymphovascular Invasion in pT1b Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer After Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.

INTRODUCTION: Adjuvant radiotherapy is recommended for pT1b esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). However, it is unclear whether additional radiotherapy can improve patient survival. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant radiotherapy after ESD for pT1b ESCC. METHODS: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study involving 11 hospitals in China. Between January 2010 and December 2019, patients with T1bN0M0 ESCC treated with or without adjuvant radiotherapy after ESD were included. Survival between groups was compared. RESULTS: Overall, 774 patients were screened, and 161 patients were included. Forty-seven patients (29.2%) received adjuvant radiotherapy after ESD (RT group) and 114 (70.8%) underwent ESD alone (non-RT group). There were no significant differences in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between the RT and non-RT groups. Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) was the only prognostic factor. In the LVI+ group, adjuvant radiotherapy significantly improved survival (5-year OS: 91.7% vs 59.5%, P = 0.050; 5-year DFS: 92.9% vs 42.6%, P = 0.010). In the LVI- group, adjuvant radiotherapy did not improve survival (5-year OS: 83.5% vs 93.9%, P = 0.148; 5-year DFS: 84.2% vs 84.7%, P = 0.907). The standardized mortality ratios were 1.52 (95% confidence interval 0.04-8.45) in the LVI+ group with radiotherapy and 0.55 (95% confidence interval 0.15-1.42) in the LVI- group without radiotherapy. DISCUSSION: Adjuvant radiotherapy could improve survival in pT1b ESCC with LVI+ other than LVI- after ESD. Selective adjuvant radiotherapy based on LVI status achieved survival rates similar to those of the general population.

Highly Selective N2 Electroreduction to NH3 Using a Boron-Vacancy-Rich Diatomic NbB Catalyst.

The ambient electrochemical N2 reduction reaction (NRR) is a future approach for the artificial NH3 synthesis to overcome the problems of high-energy consumption and environmental pollution by Haber-Bosch technology. However, the challenge of N2 activation on a catalyst surface and the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction make the current NRR unsatisfied. Herein, this work demonstrates that NbB2 nanoflakes (NFs) exhibit excellent selectivity and durability in NRR, which produces NH3 with a production rate of 30.5 µg h-1 mgcat -1 and a super-high Faraday efficiency (FE) of 40.2%. The high-selective NH3 production is attributed to the large amount of active B vacancies on the surface of NbB2 NFs. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the multiple atomic adsorption of N2 on both unsaturated Nb and B atoms results in a significantly stretched N2 molecule. The weakened NN triple bonds are easier to be broken for a biased NH3 production. The diatomic catalysis is a future approach for NRR as it shows a special N2 adsorption mode that can be well engineered.

A systematic evaluation of bioinformatics tools for identification of long noncoding RNAs.

High-throughput RNA sequencing unveiled the complexity of transcriptome and significantly increased the records of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which were reported to participate in a variety of biological processes. Identification of lncRNAs is a key step in lncRNA analysis, and a bunch of bioinformatics tools have been developed for this purpose in recent years. While these tools allow us to identify lncRNA more efficiently and accurately, they may produce inconsistent results, making selection a confusing issue. We compared the performance of 41 analysis models based on 14 software packages and different data sets, including high-quality data and low-quality data from 33 species. In addition, computational efficiency, robustness, and joint prediction of the models were explored. As a practical guidance, key points for lncRNA identification under different situations were summarized. In this investigation, no one of these models could be superior to others under all test conditions. The performance of a model relied to a great extent on the source of transcripts and the quality of assemblies. As general references, FEELnc_all_cl, CPC, and CPAT_mouse work well in most species while COME, CNCI, and lncScore are good choices for model organisms. Since these tools are sensitive to different factors such as the species involved and the quality of assembly, researchers must carefully select the appropriate tool based on the actual data. Alternatively, our test suggests that joint prediction could behave better than any single model if proper models were chosen. All scripts/data used in this research can be accessed at http://bioinfo.ihb.ac.cn/elit.

Machine learning based on the graph convolutional self-organizing map method increases the accuracy of pollution source identification: A case study of trace metal(loid)s in soils of Jiangmen City, south China.

Rapid economic development and industrialization may include environmentally harmful human activities that cause heavy-metal accumulation in soils, ultimately threatening the quality of the soil environment and human health. Therefore, accurate identification of pollution sources is an important weapon in efforts to control and prevent pollution. The self-organizing map (SOM) method is widely used in pollution source identification because of its capacity for visualization of high-dimensional data. The SOM ignores the graph structure relationship among chemical elements in soils; the SOM analysis of pollution sources has high uncertainty. Here, we propose a new analysis method, i.e., the graph convolutional self-organizing map (GCSOM), which uses a graph convolutional network (GCN) to extract the graph structure relationship among the chemical elements in soils, then performs data visualization using an SOM. We compared the performances of GCSOM and SOM, then assessed the pollution source characteristics of trace metal(loid)s (TMs, mostly heavy metals) in Jiangmen City using the GCSOM. Our experimental results showed that the GCSOM is superior to the SOM for identification of TM sources, while the TMs in the soil of Jiangmen originate from three main sources: agricultural activities (mainly in Taishan City, Jiangmen), traffic emissions (mainly in Xinhui and Pengjiang Districts), and industrial activities (mainly in Xinhui District). The risk assessment indicated that the risk of all TMs was within threshold.

Transcriptomes of Zebrafish in Early Stages of Multiple Viral Invasions Reveal the Role of Sterols in Innate Immune Switch-On.

Although it is widely accepted that in the early stages of virus infection, fish pattern recognition receptors are the first to identify viruses and initiate innate immune responses, this process has never been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we infected larval zebrafish with four different viruses and analyzed whole-fish expression profiles from five groups of fish, including controls, at 10 h after infection. At this early stage of virus infection, 60.28% of the differentially expressed genes displayed the same expression pattern across all viruses, with the majority of immune-related genes downregulated and genes associated with protein synthesis and sterol synthesis upregulated. Furthermore, these protein synthesis- and sterol synthesis-related genes were strongly positively correlated in the expression pattern of the rare key upregulated immune genes, IRF3 and IRF7, which were not positively correlated with any known pattern recognition receptor gene. We hypothesize that viral infection triggered a large amount of protein synthesis that stressed the endoplasmic reticulum and the organism responded to this stress by suppressing the body's immune system while also mediating an increase in steroids. The increase in sterols then participates the activation of IRF3 and IRF7 and triggers the fish's innate immunological response to the virus infection.

BAP31 Knockout in Macrophages Affects CD4+T Cell Activation through Upregulation of MHC Class II Molecule.

The differentiation of CD4+T cells is a crucial component of the immune response. The spleen and thymus, as immune organs, are closely associated with the differentiation and development of T cells. Previous studies have suggested that BAP31 may play a role in modulating T cell activation, but the specific impact of BAP31 on T cells through macrophages remains uncertain. In this study, we present evidence that BAP31 macrophage conditional knockout (BAP31-MCKO) mice display an enlarged spleen and thymus, accompanied by activated clustering and disrupted differentiation of CD4+T cells. In vitro co-culture studies were conducted to investigate the impact of BAP31-MCKO on the activation and differentiation of CD4+T cells. The examination of costimulatory molecule expression in BMDMs and RAW 264.7 cells, based on the endoplasmic reticulum function of BAP31, revealed an increase in the expression of antigen presenting molecules, particularly MHC-II molecule, in the absence of BAP31 in BMDMs or RAW264.7 cells. These findings suggest that BAP31 plays a role in the activation and differentiation of CD4+T cells by regulating the MHC class II molecule on macrophages. These results provide further support for the importance of BAP31 in developing interaction between macrophages and CD4+T cells.