Structural and spectroscopic characterization of RufO indicates a new biological role in rufomycin biosynthesis.

Rufomycins constitute a class of cyclic heptapeptides isolated from actinomycetes. They are secondary metabolites that show promising treatment against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections by inhibiting a novel drug target. Several nonproteinogenic amino acids are integrated into rufomycins, including a conserved 3-nitro-tyrosine. RufO, a cytochrome P450 (CYP)-like enzyme, was proposed to catalyze the formation of 3-nitro-tyrosine in the presence of O2 and NO. To define its biological function, the interaction between RufO and the proposed substrate tyrosine is investigated using various spectroscopic methods that are sensitive to the structural change of a heme center. However, a low- to high-spin state transition and a dramatic increase in the redox potential that are commonly found in CYPs upon ligand binding have not been observed. Furthermore, a 1.89-Å crystal structure of RufO shows that the enzyme has flexible surface regions, a wide-open substrate access tunnel, and the heme center is largely exposed to solvent. Comparison with a closely related nitrating CYP reveals a spacious and hydrophobic distal pocket in RufO, which is incapable of stabilizing a free amino acid. Molecular docking validates the experimental data and proposes a possible substrate. Collectively, our results disfavor tyrosine as the substrate of RufO and point to the possibility that the nitration occurs during or after the assembly of the peptides. This study indicates a new function of the unique nitrating enzyme and provides insights into the biosynthesis of nonribosomal peptides.

Fat mass and obesity-associated factor (FTO)-mediated N6-methyladenosine regulates spermatogenesis in an age-dependent manner.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent reversible RNA modification in the mammalian transcriptome. It has recently been demonstrated that m6A is crucial for male germline development. Fat mass and obesity-associated factor (FTO), a known m6A demethylase, is widely expressed in human and mouse tissues and is involved in manifold biological processes and human diseases. However, the function of FTO in spermatogenesis and male fertility remains poorly understood. Here, we generated an Fto knockout mouse model using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing techniques to address this knowledge gap. Remarkably, we found that loss of Fto in mice caused spermatogenesis defects in an age-dependent manner, resulting from the attenuated proliferation ability of undifferentiated spermatogonia and increased male germ cell apoptosis. Further research showed that FTO plays a vital role in the modulation of spermatogenesis and Leydig cell maturation by regulating the translation of the androgen receptor in an m6A-dependent manner. In addition, we identified two functional mutations of FTO in male infertility patients, resulting in truncated FTO protein and increased m6A modification in vitro. Our results highlight the crucial effects of FTO on spermatogonia and Leydig cells for the long-term maintenance of spermatogenesis and expand our understanding of the function of m6A in male fertility.

Injured sensory neurons-derived galectin-3 contributes to neuropathic pain via programming microglia in the spinal dorsal horn.

Emerging studies have demonstrated spinal microglia play a critical role in central sensitization and contribute to chronic pain. Although several mediators that contribute to microglia activation have been identified, the mechanism of microglia activation and its functionally diversified mechanisms in pathological pain are still unclear. Here we report that injured sensory neurons-derived Galectin-3 (Gal3) activates and reprograms microglia in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) and contributes to neuropathic pain. Firstly, Gal3 is predominantly expressed in the isolectin B4 (IB4)-positive non-peptidergic sensory neurons and significantly up-regulated in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and primary afferent terminals in SDH in the partial sciatic nerve ligation (pSNL)-induced neuropathic pain model. Gal3 knockout (Gal3 KO) mice showed a significant decrease in mechanical allodynia and Gal3 inhibitor TD-139 produced a significant anti-allodynia effect in the pSNL model. Furthermore, pSNL-induced microgliosis was compromised in Gal3 KO mice. Additionally, intrathecal injection of Gal3 produces remarkable mechanical allodynia by direct activation of microglia, which have enhanced inflammatory responses with TNF-α and IL-1ß up-regulation. Thirdly, using single-nuclear RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), we identified that Gal3 targets microglia and induces reprogramming of microglia, which may contribute to neuropathic pain establishment. Finally, Gal3 enhances excitatory synaptic transmission in excitatory neurons in the SDH via microglia activation. Our findings reveal that injured sensory neurons-derived Gal3 programs microglia in the SDH and contribute to neuropathic pain.

Capsaicin combined with stem cells improved mitochondrial dysfunction in PIG3V cells, an immortalized human vitiligo melanocyte cell line, by inhibiting the HSP70/TLR4/mTOR/FAK signaling axis.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a common autoimmune skin disease. Capsaicin has been found to exert a positive effect on vitiligo treatment, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are also confirmed to be an ideal cell type. This study aimed to explore the influence of capsaicin combined with stem cells on the treatment of vitiligo and to confirm the molecular mechanism of capsaicin combined with stem cells in treating vitiligo. METHODS AND RESULTS: PIG3V cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected using CCK-8 and TUNEL assays, MitoSOX Red fluorescence staining was used to measure the mitochondrial ROS level, and JC-1 staining was used to detect the mitochondrial membrane potential. The expression of related genes and proteins was detected using RT‒qPCR and Western blotting. Coimmunoprecipitation was used to analyze the protein interactions between HSP70 and TLR4 or between TLR4 and mTOR. The results showed higher expression of HSP70 in PIG3V cells than in PIG1 cells. The overexpression of HSP70 reduced the proliferation of PIG3V cells, promoted apoptosis, and aggravated mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagy abnormalities. The expression of HSP70 could be inhibited by capsaicin combined with MSCs, which increased the levels of Tyr, Tyrp1 and DCT, promoted the proliferation of PIG3V cells, inhibited apoptosis, activated autophagy, and improved mitochondrial dysfunction. In addition, capsaicin combined with MSCs regulated the expression of TLR4 through HSP70 and subsequently affected the mTOR/FAK signaling pathway CONCLUSIONS: Capsaicin combined with MSCs inhibits TLR4 through HSP70, and the mTOR/FAK signaling pathway is inhibited to alleviate mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagy abnormalities in PIG3V cells.

An individual-level weighted artificial neural network method to improve the systematic bias in BrainAGE analysis.

BrainAGE is a commonly used machine learning technique to measure the accelerated/delayed development pattern of human brain structure/function with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, recent studies have shown a systematic bias ("regression toward mean" effect) in the BrainAGE method, which indicates that the prediction error is not uniformly distributed across Chronological Ages: for the older individuals, the Brain Ages would be under-estimated but would be over-estimated for the younger individuals. In the present study, we propose an individual-level weighted artificial neural network method and apply it to simulation datasets (containing 5000 simulated subjects) and a real dataset (containing 135 subjects). Results show that compared with traditional machine learning methods, the individual-level weighted strategy can significantly reduce the "regression toward mean" effect, while the prediction performance can achieve the comparable level with traditional machine learning methods. Further analysis indicates that the sigmoid active function for artificial neural network shows better performance than the relu active function. The present study provides a novel strategy to reduce the "regression toward mean" effect of BrainAGE analysis, which is helpful to improve accuracy in exploring the atypical brain structure/function development pattern of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Bi-directional association between outdoor or social activities and cognitive function: do the PM2.5 exposure catalyze the detrimental inactivity-poor cognition cycle?

BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown that lack of leisure activities, either outdoor or social activities, impedes cognitive function. However, the interrelationship between poor cognition and deficient activities is understudied. In addition, whether exposure to air pollution, such as PM2.5, can accelerate the detrimental 'inactivity-poor cognition' cycle, is worthy of investigation. METHODS: We used data from the 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). We assessed the frequency of outdoor or social activities at each wave. The cognitive function was examined using a China-Modified Mini-mental State Examination. We estimated the residential exposure to fine particular matter (PM2.5) via a satellite-based model. We applied cross-lagged panel (CLP) model to examine the bi-directional relationship between outdoor or social activities and cognitive function. We then examined the effect of PM2.5 exposure with sequent cognitive function and activities using generalized estimation equation (GEE) model. FINDINGS: Overall, we observed significant bi-directional associations between outdoor or social activities and cognitive function. Participants with better cognitive function in the last wave were more likely to engage in outdoor or social activities in the following wave (outdoor activities: ß = 0.37, 95% CI [0.27,0.48], P < 0.01; social activities: ß = 0.05, 95% CI [0.02,0.09] P < 0.01). Meanwhile, higher engagement in outdoor or social activities in the last wave was associated with more favorable cognitive function in the following wave (outdoor activities: ß = 0.06, 95% CI [0.03,0.09], P < 0.01; social activities: ß = 0.10, 95% CI [0.03,0.18], P < 0.01). Notably, an increase in PM2.5 exposure during the preceding year was significantly associated with a declining cognitive function (ß = -0.05, 95% CI [-0.08,-0.03], P < 0.01), outdoor activities (ß = -0.02, 95% CI [-0.04, -0.01], P < 0.01) and social activities (ß = -0.02, 95% CI [-0.02, -0.01], P < 0.01) in the current year; the lagged effects of the PM2.5 exposure in the past year of the last wave on activities and cognitive function of the following wave were also observed. INTERPRETATION: Our findings not only indicate the bi-directional links between the frequency of outdoor or social activities and cognitive function, but also report that PM2.5 exposure plays a role in catalyzing the detrimental inactivity-poor cognition cycle. Future research should investigate whether the policy-driven interventions, such as clean air policies, can break the unfavorable activity-cognition cycle, and thereby promoting health from the dual gains in leisure activities and cognition.

Combination of 308-nm excimer laser and piperine promotes melanocyte proliferation, migration, and melanin content production via the miR-328/SFRP1 axis.

OBJECTIVE: Both piperine and a 308-nm excimer laser have significant curative effects on vitiligo. This study mainly explored the molecular mechanism of a 308-nm excimer combined with piperine in regulating melanocyte proliferation. METHODS: Epidermal melanocytes were cultured in piperine solution, and the cells were irradiated by an XTRAC excimer laser treatment system at 308-nm output monochromatic light. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were for detecting the expression levels of genes or proteins. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Transwell method was for assessing cell viability and migration capacity. The content of melanin was also detected. RESULTS: The combination of the 308-nm excimer laser and piperine enhanced the cell proliferation, migration, and melanin production of melanocytes and upregulated the level of miR-328, and restraint of miR-328 reversed the influence of the 308-nm excimer laser and piperine. Secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) is a direct target gene of miR-328, and miR-328 can inhibit the expression of SFRP1 and elevate the protein level of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: The 308-nm excimer laser combined with piperine may be more efficient than piperine alone in the remedy of vitiligo, and the miR-328/SFRP1 and Wnt/ß-catenin pathways are participated in the proliferation, migration, and melanin synthesis of melanocytes.

The bi-directional relationships between diversified leisure activity participation and cognitive function in older adults in China: separating between-person effects from within-person effects.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the bi-directorial association between diversified leisure activity participation and cognitive function over a 7-year period. METHODS: Data analyzed was from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), a large-scale longitudinal national study. The baseline survey was conducted in 2011 with follow-up every three years. We traced a total of 2718 participants over a period of 7 years. We used adjusted random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) to examine the bi-directorial associations between diversified leisure activity participation and cognitive function. RESULTS: We observed bi-directorial associations between diversity of leisure activity and cognitive function across waves at the between-person and within-person levels. The adjusted random intercept cross-lagged panel models fitted the data appropriately, and the 3-year cross-lagged effects of prior diversified leisure activity participation on cognitive function (ß = 0.058, p < 0.01) and cognitive function on subsequent diversified leisure activity participation (ß = 0.047, p < 0.05) were significant. The results remained after adjusting the model for baseline sex, age, educational level, marital status and current residence, the number of chronic diseases, ADL, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, smoking, and drinking. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that a reciprocal causality relationship between diversified leisure activity participation and cognitive function, indicating a "positive circle" that further promotes cognition over time.

Homeodomain-interacting protein kinase HIPK4 regulates phosphorylation of manchette protein RIMBP3 during spermiogenesis.

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) is the most serious form of spermatogenesis abnormalities in male infertility. Genetic factors are important to consider as elements leading to NOA. Although many pathogenic genes have been reported, the causative genes of NOA for many patients are still unknown. In this study, we found ten point mutations in the gene encoding homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 4 (HIPK4) in patients with NOA, and using in vitro studies, we determined a premature termination point mutation (p. Lys490∗, c.1468A>T) that can cause decreased expression of HIPK4. Our phosphoproteomic analysis of Hipk4-/- testes revealed phosphorylation of multiple proteins regulated by HIPK4 during spermiogenesis. We also confirmed that a substrate of HIPK4 with four downregulated phosphorylation sites matching the xSPx motif is the known manchette-related protein RIMS-binding protein 3, which is required for sperm head morphogenesis. Therefore, we conclude HIPK4 regulates the phosphorylation of manchette protein RIMS-binding protein 3 and plays essential roles in sperm head shaping and male fertility.

Comparative analysis of two kinds of garlic seedings: qualities and transcriptional landscape.

BACKGROUND: Facility cultivation is widely applied to meet the increasing demand for high yield and quality, with light intensity and light quality being major limiting factors. However, how changes in the light environment affect development and quality are unclear in garlic. When garlic seedlings are grown, they can also be exposed to blanching culture conditions of darkness or low-light intensity to ameliorate their appearance and modify their bioactive compounds and flavor. RESULTS: In this study, we determined the quality and transcriptomes of 14-day-old garlic and blanched garlic seedlings (green seedlings and blanched seedlings) to explore the mechanisms by which seedlings integrate light signals. The findings revealed that blanched garlic seedlings were taller and heavier in fresh weight compared to green garlic seedlings. In addition, the contents of allicin, cellulose, and soluble sugars were higher in the green seedlings. We also identified 3,872 differentially expressed genes between green and blanched garlic seedlings. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis suggested enrichment for plant-pathogen interactions, phytohormone signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, and other metabolic processes. In functional annotations, pathways related to the growth and formation of the main compounds included phytohormone signaling, cell wall metabolism, allicin biosynthesis, secondary metabolism and MAPK signaling. Accordingly, we identified multiple types of transcription factor genes involved in plant-pathogen interactions, plant phytohormone signaling, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites among the differentially expressed genes between green and blanched garlic seedlings. CONCLUSIONS: Blanching culture is one facility cultivation mode that promotes chlorophyll degradation, thus changing the outward appearance of crops, and improves their flavor. The large number of DEGs identified confirmed the difference of the regulatory machinery under two culture system. This study increases our understanding of the regulatory network integrating light and darkness signals in garlic seedlings and provides a useful resource for the genetic manipulation and cultivation of blanched garlic seedlings.

Nicardipine is a putative EED inhibitor and has high selectivity and potency against chemoresistant prostate cancer in preclinical models.

BACKGROUND: It is imperative to develop novel therapeutics to overcome chemoresistance, a significant obstacle in the clinical management of prostate cancer (PCa) and other cancers. METHODS: A phenotypic screen was performed to identify novel inhibitors of chemoresistant PCa cells. The mechanism of action of potential candidate(s) was investigated using in silico docking, and molecular and cellular assays in chemoresistant PCa cells. The in vivo efficacy was evaluated in mouse xenograft models of chemoresistant PCa. RESULTS: Nicardipine exhibited high selectivity and potency against chemoresistant PCa cells via inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Computational, molecular, and cellular studies identified nicardipine as a putative inhibitor of embryonic ectoderm development (EED) protein, and the results are consistent with a proposed mechanism of action that nicardipine destabilised enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) and inhibited key components of noncanonical EZH2 signalling, including transducer and activator of transcription 3, S-phase kinase-associated protein 2, ATP binding cassette B1, and survivin. As a monotherapy, nicardipine effectively inhibited the skeletal growth of chemoresistant C4-2B-TaxR tumours. As a combination regimen, nicardipine synergistically enhanced the in vivo efficacy of docetaxel against C4-2 xenografts. CONCLUSION: Our findings provided the first preclinical evidence supporting nicardipine as a novel EED inhibitor that has the potential to be promptly tested in PCa patients to overcome chemoresistance and improve clinical outcomes.

Anoxygenic phototrophic arsenite oxidation by a Rhodobacter strain.

Microbially mediated arsenic redox transformations are key for arsenic speciation and mobility in rice paddies. Whereas anaerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis coupled to arsenite (As(III)) oxidation has been widely examined in arsenic-replete ecosystems, it remains unknown whether this light-dependent process exists in paddy soils. Here, we isolated a phototrophic purple bacteria, Rhodobacter strain CZR27, from an arsenic-contaminated paddy soil and demonstrated its capacity to oxidize As(III) to arsenate (As(V)) using malate as a carbon source photosynthetically. Genome sequencing revealed an As(III)-oxidizing gene cluster (aioXSRBA) encoding an As(III) oxidase. Functional analyses showed that As(III) oxidation under anoxic phototrophic conditions correlated with transcription of the large subunit of the As(III) oxidase aioA gene. Furthermore, the non-As(III) oxidizer Rhodobacter capsulatus SB1003 heterologously expressing aioBA from strain CZR27 was able to oxidize As(III), indicating that aioBA was responsible for the observed As(III) oxidation in strain CZR27. Our study provides evidence for the presence of anaerobic photosynthesis-coupled As(III) oxidation in paddy soils, highlighting the importance of light-dependent, microbe-mediated arsenic redox changes in paddy arsenic biogeochemistry.

Comparative analysis of the chrysanthemum transcriptome with DNA methylation inhibitors treatment and silencing MET1 lines.

BACKGROUND: As one of the ten most famous flowers in China, the chrysanthemum has rich germplasm with a variety of flowering induction pathways, most of which are photoperiod-induced. After treatment with DNA methylation inhibitors, it was found that DNA methylation plays an important role in flowering regulation, but the mechanism of action remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, curcumin, 5-azaC, their mixed treatment, and MET1-RNAi lines were used for transcriptome sequencing to find out how different treatments affected gene expression in chrysanthemums at different stages of flowering. RESULTS: Genomic DNA methylation levels were measured using HPLC technology. The methylation level of the whole genome in the vegetative growth stage was higher than that in the flowering stage. The methylation level of DNA in the vegetative growth stage was the lowest in the curcumin and mixed treatment, and the methylation level of DNA in the transgenic line, mixed treatment, and curcumin treatment was the lowest in the flowering stage. The flowering rate of mixed treatment and curcumin treatment was the lowest. Analysis of differentially expressed genes in transcriptomes showed that 5-azaC treatment had the most differentially expressed genes, followed by curcumin and transgenic lines, and mixed treatment had the fewest. In addition, 5-azaC treatment resulted in the differential expression of multiple DNA methylation transferases, which led to the differential expression of many genes. Analysis of differentially expressed genes in different treatments revealed that different treatments had gene specificity. However, the down-regulated GO pathway in all 4 treatments was involved in the negative regulation of the reproductive process, and post-embryonic development, and regulation of flower development. Several genes associated with DNA methylation and flowering regulation showed differential expression in response to various treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Both DNA methylase reagent treatment and targeted silencing of the MET1 gene can cause differential expression of the genes. The operation of the exogenous application is simple, but the affected genes are exceedingly diverse and untargeted. Therefore, it is possible to construct populations with DNA methylation phenotypic diversity and to screen genes for DNA methylation regulation.

Exploring and engineering PAM-diverse Streptococci Cas9 for PAM-directed bifunctional and titratable gene control in bacteria.

The RNA-guided Cas9s serve as powerful tools for programmable gene editing and regulation; their targeting scopes and efficacies, however, are always constrained by the PAM sequence stringency. Most Streptococci Cas9s, including the prototype SpCas9 from S. pyogenes, specifically recognize a canonical NGG PAM via a conserved RxR PAM-binding motif within the PAM-interaction (PI) domain. Here, SpCas9-based mining unveils three distinct and rarely presented PAM-binding motifs (QxxxR, QxQ and RxQ) among Streptococci Cas9 orthologs. With the catalytically-dead QxxxR-containing SedCas9 from S. equinus, we dissect its NAG PAM specificity and elucidate its underlying recognition mechanism via computational prediction and mutagenesis analysis. Replacing the SedCas9 PI domain with alternate PAM-binding motifs rewires its PAM specificity to NGG or NAA. Moreover, a semi-rational design with minimal mutation creates a SedCas9-NQ variant showing robust activity towards expanded NNG and NAA PAMs, based upon which we engineered a compact ω-SedCas9-NQ transcriptional regulator for PAM-directed bifunctional and titratable gene control. The ω-SedCas9-NQ mediated metabolic reprogramming of endogenous genes in Escherichia coli affords a 2.6-fold increase of 4-hydroxycoumarin production. This work reveals new Cas9 scaffolds with distinct PAM-binding motifs for PAM relaxation and creates a new PAM-diverse Cas9 variant for versatile gene control in bacteria.

Plant-based dietary pattern and low muscle mass: a nation-wide cohort analysis of Chinese older adults.

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether plant-based or animal-based dietary patterns are more beneficial for older adults more in maintaining muscle mass. Using a prospective cohort with nationwide sample of China older adults in this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between adhering to plant-based diet patterns or animal-based diet patterns and muscle loss. METHODS: We included 2771 older adults (≥ 65 years) from the Chinese Longitudinal Health Longevity Survey (CLHLS) with normal muscle mass at baseline (2011 and 2014 waves), which followed up into 2018. Plant-based dietary pattern scores and preference subgroups were constructed using 16 common animal-based and plant-based food frequencies. We used the corrected appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) prediction formula to assess muscle mass. We applied the Cox proportional hazard risk regression to explore associations between dietary patterns and low muscle mass (LMM). RESULTS: During a mean of 4.1 years follow-up, 234 (8.4%) participants with normal muscle mass at baseline showed LMM. The plant-based dietary pattern reduced the risk of LMM by 5% (Hazard Ratios [HR]: 0.95, 95% confidence intervals [95%CI]: 0.92-0.97). In addition, a high plant-based food company with a high animal-based food intake pattern reduced the risk of LMM by 60% (HR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.240-0.661) and 73% (HR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.11-0.61) in the BADL disability and IADL disability population compared with a low plant-based food and high animal-based food intake, whereas a high plant-based food and low animal-based food intake was more beneficial in reducing the risk of LMM in the normal BADL functioning (HR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.35-0.90) and IADL functioning (HR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.28-0.91) population. CONCLUSIONS: When it comes to maintaining muscle mass in older Chinese people with functional independence, a plant-based diet pattern is more beneficial and effective than the animal-based one. People with functional dependence may profit from a combination of plant-based and animal-based diets to minimize muscle loss.

Epidemiology and Burden of Astigmatism: A Systematic Literature Review.

SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first literature review to report the epidemiology, patient burden, and economic burden of astigmatism in the general adult population. The unmet needs of astigmatism patients with coexisting ocular conditions (cataract, glaucoma, dry eye, presbyopia, or macular degeneration) and risks associated with untreated astigmatism are also reviewed and reported. PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify, report, and summarize the published literature on epidemiology, patient burden, and economic burden of astigmatism using a systematic literature review. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched (January 1996 to May 2021). Search results were limited to the English language. Proceedings (2018 to 2021) from ophthalmology congresses were searched along with gray literature using the Google Scholar platform. RESULTS: The literature search yielded 6804 citations, of which 125 met the inclusion criteria (epidemiology, 68; patient burden, 60; economic burden, 6). Astigmatism prevalence in the general population varied from 8 to 62%, with higher rates in individuals 70 years or older. The prevalence of with-the-rule astigmatism was higher in individuals 40 years or younger, whereas rates of against-the-rule and oblique astigmatism increased with age. Astigmatic patients experienced decreased vision quality, increased glare (53 to 77%), haloes (28 to 80%), night-time driving difficulties (66%), falls, and spectacle dependence (45 to 85%). Astigmatic patients performed vision-related tasks slower (1 D, 9% slower; 2 D, 29% slower) and made more errors (1 D, 38% more errors; 2 D, 370% more errors) compared with fully corrected individuals. In cataract patients with astigmatism, the annual mean per-patient productivity loss costs ranged from €55 ($71) to €84 ($108), and mean informal care costs ranged from €30 ($39) to €55 ($71) with a mean of 2.3 to 4.1 hours spent on informal care. CONCLUSIONS: Uncorrected astigmatism decreases patients' vision-related quality of life, decreases productivity among working-age adults, and poses an economic burden on patients and their families.

Lateral layered semiconductor multijunctions for novel electronic devices.

Layered semiconductors, represented by transition metal dichalcogenides, have attached extensive attention due to their unique and tunable electrical and optical properties. In particular, lateral layered semiconductor multijunctions, including homojunctions, heterojunctions, hybrid junctions and superlattices, present a totally new degree of freedom in research on electronic devices beyond traditional materials and their structures, providing unique opportunities for the development of new structures and operation principle-based high performance devices. However, the advances in this field are limited by the precise synthesis of high-quality junctions and greatly hampered by ambiguous device performance limits. Herein, we review the recent key breakthroughs in the design, synthesis, electronic structure and property modulation of lateral semiconductor multijunctions and focus on their application-specific devices. Specifically, the synthesis methods based on different principles, such as chemical and external source-induced methods, are introduced stepwise for the controllable fabrication of semiconductor multijunctions as the basics of device application. Subsequently, their structure and property modulation are discussed, including control of their electronic structure, exciton dynamics and optical properties before the fabrication of lateral layered semiconductor multijunction devices. Precise property control will potentially result in outstanding device performances, including high-quality diodes and FETs, scalable logic and analog circuits, highly efficient optoelectronic devices, and unique electrochemical devices. Lastly, we focus on several of the most essential but unresolved debates in this field, such as the true advantages of few-layer vs. monolayer multijunctions, how sharp the interface should be for specific functional devices, and the superiority of lateral multijunctions over vertical multijunctions, highlighting the next-phase strategy to enhance the performance potential of lateral multijunction devices.

Microglial Cannabinoid CB2 Receptors in Pain Modulation.

Pain, especially chronic pain, can strongly affect patients' quality of life. Cannabinoids ponhave been reported to produce potent analgesic effects in different preclinical pain models, where they primarily function as agonists of Gi/o protein-coupled cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors. The CB1 receptors are abundantly expressed in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. The central activation of CB1 receptors is strongly associated with psychotropic adverse effects, thus largely limiting its therapeutic potential. However, the CB2 receptors are promising targets for pain treatment without psychotropic adverse effects, as they are primarily expressed in immune cells. Additionally, as the resident immune cells in the central nervous system, microglia are increasingly recognized as critical players in chronic pain. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the expression of CB2 receptors is significantly increased in activated microglia in the spinal cord, which exerts protective consequences within the surrounding neural circuitry by regulating the activity and function of microglia. In this review, we focused on recent advances in understanding the role of microglial CB2 receptors in spinal nociceptive circuitry, highlighting the mechanism of CB2 receptors in modulating microglia function and its implications for CB2 receptor- selective agonist-mediated analgesia.

Identifying Drug Candidates for COVID-19 with Large-Scale Drug Screening.

Papain-like protease (PLpro) is critical to COVID-19 infection. Therefore, it is a significant target protein for drug development. We virtually screened a 26,193 compound library against the PLpro of SARS-CoV-2 and identified several drug candidates with convincing binding affinities. The three best compounds all had better estimated binding energy than those of the drug candidates proposed in previous studies. By analyzing the docking results for the drug candidates identified in this and previous studies, we demonstrate that the critical interactions between the compounds and PLpro proposed by the computational approaches are consistent with those proposed by the biological experiments. In addition, the predicted binding energies of the compounds in the dataset showed a similar trend as their IC50 values. The predicted ADME and drug-likeness properties also suggested that these identified compounds can be used for COVID-19 treatment.

Effects of fermented broccoli stem and leaf residue on growth performance, serum characteristics and meat quality of growing pigs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of fermented broccoli stem and leaf residue (FBR) on the growth performance, serum biochemical characteristics, and meat quality of growing pigs. A total of 72 growing pigs (Durox × Landrace × Yorkshire) were subjected to three dietary treatments with different levels (0%, 5% and 10%) of FBR with three replicates for an experimental period of 70 day. The average daily feed intake of growing pigs was higher (p < 0.05) in the 5% FBR treatment compared with the control group (0% FBR). The serum urea nitrogen content in growing pigs was lower (p < 0.05) in the 5% and 10% FBR treatments. The lightness value was higher (p < 0.05) in the longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs fed 5% and 10% FBR diets compared with the control group, and the yellowness value was increased in pigs fed the 10% FBR diet compared with pigs fed the control diet. Overall, the beneficial effects of FBR supplementation on serum biochemical parameters, and meat colour without undermining the growth performance indicate that up to 10% FBR could be used in diets to enhance the production of growing pigs.