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Zinc-iodine (Zn-I2) batteries are gaining popularity due to cost-effectiveness and ease of manufacturing. However, challenges like polyiodide shuttle effect and Zn dendrite growth hinder their practical application. Here, we report a cation exchange membrane to simultaneously prevent the polyiodide shuttle effect and regulate Zn2+ deposition. Comprised of rigid polymers, this membrane shows superior swelling resistance and ion selectivity compared to commercial Nafion. The resulting Zn-I2 battery exhibits a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.4% and low self-discharge rate of 4.47% after 48 h rest. By directing a uniform Zn2+ flux, the membrane promotes a homogeneous electric field, resulting in a dendrite-free Zn surface. Moreover, its microporous structure enables pre-adsorption of additional active materials prior to battery assembly, boosting battery capacity to 287 mA h g-1 at 0.1 A g-1. At 2 A g-1, the battery exhibits a steady running for 10,000 cycles with capacity retention up to 96.1%, demonstrating high durability of the membrane. The practicality of the membrane is validated via a high loading (35 mg cm-2) pouch cell with impressive cycling stability, paving a way for membrane design towards advanced Zn-I2 batteries.
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The second messenger cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (c-di-GMP) regulates a wide range of bacterial behaviours through diverse mechanisms and binding receptors. Single-domain PilZ proteins, the most widespread and abundant known c-di-GMP receptors in bacteria, act as trans-acting adaptor proteins that enable c-di-GMP to control signalling pathways with high specificity. This study identifies a single-domain PilZ protein, XAC3402 (renamed N5MapZ), from the phytopathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc), which modulates Xcc virulence by directly interacting with the methyltransferase HemK. Through yeast two-hybrid, co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent staining, we demonstrated that N5MapZ and HemK interact directly under both in vitro and in vivo conditions, with the strength of the protein-protein interaction decreasing at high c-di-GMP concentrations. This finding distinguishes N5MapZ from other characterized single-domain PilZ proteins, as it was previously known that c-di-GMP enhances the interaction between those single-domain PilZs and their protein partners. This observation is further supported by the fact that the c-di-GMP binding-defective mutant N5MapZR10A can interact with HemK to inhibit the methylation of the class 1 translation termination release factor PrfA. Additionally, we found that HemK plays an important role in Xcc pathogenesis, as the deletion of hemK leads to extensive phenotypic changes, including reduced virulence in citrus plants, decreased motility, production of extracellular enzymes and stress tolerance. Gene expression analysis has revealed that c-di-GMP and the HemK-mediated pathway regulate the expression of multiple virulence effector proteins, uncovering a novel regulatory mechanism through which c-di-GMP regulates Xcc virulence by mediating PrfA methylation via the single-domain PilZ adaptor protein N5MapZ.
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Proteínas Bacterianas , GMP Cíclico , Metiltransferasas , Xanthomonas , Xanthomonas/patogenicidad , Xanthomonas/metabolismo , Xanthomonas/genética , GMP Cíclico/metabolismo , GMP Cíclico/análogos & derivados , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Metiltransferasas/metabolismo , Metiltransferasas/genética , Virulencia , Enfermedades de las Plantas/microbiología , Unión ProteicaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The morphology of tumor thrombus varies from person to person and it may affect surgical methods and tumor prognosis. However, studies on the morphology of tumor thrombus are limited. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the impact of tumor thrombus morphology on surgical complexity. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 229 patients with renal cell carcinoma combined with inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombus who underwent surgical treatment at Peking University Third Hospital between January 2014 and December 2021. The patients were divided into floating morphology (107 patients) and filled morphology (122 patients) tumor thrombi groups. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Postoperative complications were evaluated using the Clavien-Dindo surgical complication classification method. RESULTS: Patients with filled morphology tumor thrombus required more surgical techniques than those with floating morphology tumor thrombus, which was reflected in more open surgeries (P < 0.001), more IVC interruptions (Pâ<0.001), lesser use of the delayed occlusion of the proximal inferior vena cava (DOPI) technique (P < 0.001), and a greater need for cut-off of the short hepatic vein (P < 0.001) and liver dissociation (P = 0.001). Filled morphology significantly increased the difficulty of surgery in patients with renal cell carcinoma with tumor thrombus, reflected in longer operation time (P < 0.001), more surgical blood loss (Pâ<0.001), more intra-operative blood transfusion (P < 0.001), and longer postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.001). Filled morphology tumor thrombus also led to more postoperative complications (53% vs. 20%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Compared with floating morphology thrombus, filled morphology thrombus significantly increased the difficulty of surgery in patients with renal cell carcinoma with IVC tumor thrombus.
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Carcinoma de Células Renales , Neoplasias Renales , Células Neoplásicas Circulantes , Vena Cava Inferior , Trombosis de la Vena , Humanos , Carcinoma de Células Renales/cirugía , Carcinoma de Células Renales/patología , Neoplasias Renales/cirugía , Neoplasias Renales/patología , Vena Cava Inferior/patología , Vena Cava Inferior/cirugía , Femenino , Masculino , Estudios Retrospectivos , Persona de Mediana Edad , China/epidemiología , Células Neoplásicas Circulantes/patología , Trombosis de la Vena/patología , Trombosis de la Vena/cirugía , Anciano , Nefrectomía/métodos , Complicaciones Posoperatorias/epidemiología , AdultoRESUMEN
Medical applications of machine learning (ML) have shown promise in analyzing patient data to support clinical decision-making and provide patient-specific outcomes. In transplantation, several applications of ML exist which include pretransplant: patient prioritization, donor-recipient matching, organ allocation, and posttransplant outcomes. Numerous studies have shown the development and utility of ML models, which have the potential to augment transplant medicine. Despite increasing efforts to develop robust ML models for clinical use, very few of these tools are deployed in the healthcare setting. Here, we summarize the current applications of ML in transplant and discuss a potential clinical deployment framework using examples in organ transplantation. We identified that creating an interdisciplinary team, curating a reliable dataset, addressing the barriers to implementation, and understanding current clinical evaluation models could help in deploying ML models into the transplant clinic setting.
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Aprendizaje Automático , Trasplante de Órganos , Humanos , Aprendizaje Automático/tendencias , Trasplante de Órganos/tendencias , Toma de Decisiones Clínicas , Técnicas de Apoyo para la Decisión , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LT) is offered as a cure for Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however 15-20% develop recurrence post-transplant which tends to be aggressive. In this study, we examined the transcriptome profiles of patients with recurrent HCC to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), the involved pathways, biological functions, and potential gene signatures of recurrent HCC post-transplant using deep machine learning (ML) methodology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the transcriptomic profiles of primary and recurrent tumor samples from 7 pairs of patients who underwent LT. Following differential gene expression analysis, we performed pathway enrichment, gene ontology (GO) analyses and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with top 10 hub gene networks. We also predicted the landscape of infiltrating immune cells using Cibersortx. We next develop pathway and GO term-based deep learning models leveraging primary tissue gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify gene signatures in recurrent HCC. RESULTS: The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and cytokine-mediated signaling pathway were particularly activated in HCC recurrence. The recurrent tumors exhibited upregulation of an immune-escape related gene, CD274, in the top 10 hub gene analysis. Significantly higher infiltration of monocytes and lower M1 macrophages were found in recurrent HCC tumors. Our deep learning approach identified a 20-gene signature in recurrent HCC. Amongst the 20 genes, through multiple analysis, IL6 was found to be significantly associated with HCC recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our deep learning approach identified PI3K/Akt signaling as potentially regulating cytokine-mediated functions and the expression of immune escape genes, leading to alterations in the pattern of immune cell infiltration. In conclusion, IL6 was identified to play an important role in HCC recurrence.
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Carcinoma Hepatocelular , Aprendizaje Profundo , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica , Neoplasias Hepáticas , Trasplante de Hígado , Recurrencia Local de Neoplasia , Humanos , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/genética , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patología , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/cirugía , Neoplasias Hepáticas/genética , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patología , Neoplasias Hepáticas/cirugía , Trasplante de Hígado/efectos adversos , Recurrencia Local de Neoplasia/genética , Recurrencia Local de Neoplasia/patología , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica/genética , Transcriptoma/genética , Perfilación de la Expresión Génica , Transducción de Señal/genética , Redes Reguladoras de Genes/genética , Mapas de Interacción de Proteínas/genética , Masculino , Femenino , Biomarcadores de Tumor/genética , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
The order Acipenseriformes, which includes sturgeons and paddlefishes, represents "living fossils" with complex genomes that are good models for understanding whole-genome duplication (WGD) and ploidy evolution in fishes. Here, we sequenced and assembled the first high-quality chromosome-level genome for the complex octoploid Acipenser sinensis (Chinese sturgeon), a critically endangered species that also represents a poorly understood ploidy group in Acipenseriformes. Our results show that A. sinensis is a complex autooctoploid species containing four kinds of octovalents (8n), a hexavalent (6n), two tetravalents (4n), and a divalent (2n). An analysis taking into account delayed rediploidization reveals that the octoploid genome composition of Chinese sturgeon results from two rounds of homologous WGDs, and further provides insights into the timing of its ploidy evolution. This study provides the first octoploid genome resource of Acipenseriformes for understanding ploidy compositions and evolutionary trajectories of polyploid fishes.
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Evolución Molecular , Peces , Genoma , Poliploidía , Secuenciación Completa del Genoma , Animales , Peces/genética , Secuenciación Completa del Genoma/métodos , Genoma/genética , FilogeniaRESUMEN
Analyzing polysorbate 20 (PS20) composition and the impact of each component on stability and safety is crucial due to formulation variations and individual tolerance. The similar structures and polarities of PS20 components make accurate separation, identification, and quantification challenging. In this work, a high-resolution quantitative method was developed using single-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with charged aerosol detection (CAD) to separate 18 key components with multiple esters. The separated components were characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) with an identical gradient as the HPLC-CAD analysis. The polysorbate compound database and library were expanded over 7-time compared to the commercial database. The method investigated differences in PS20 samples from various origins and grades for different dosage forms to evaluate the composition-process relationship. UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS identified 1329 to 1511 compounds in 4 batches of PS20 from different sources. The method observed the impact of 4 degradation conditions on peak components, identifying stable components and their tendencies to change. HPLC-CAD and UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS results provided insights into fingerprint differences, distinguishing quasi products.
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The rapid development of ultrawideband (UWB) communication systems has resulted in increasing performance requirements for the antenna system. In addition to a wide bandwidth, fast propagation rates and compact dimensions, flexibility, wearability or portability are also desirable for UWB antennas, as are excellent notch characteristics. Although progress has been made in the development of flexible/wearable antennas desired notch properties are still rather limited. Moreover, most presently available flexible UWB antennas are fabricated using environmentally not attractive subtractive etching-based processes. The usage of facile additive sustainably inkjet printing processes also utilizing low temperature plasma-activated conductive inks is rarely reported. In addition, the currently used tri-notched flexible UWB antenna designs have a relatively large footprint, which poses difficulties when integrated into miniaturized and compact communication devices. In this work, a silver nano ink is used to fabricate the antenna via inkjet printing and an efficient plasma sintering procedure. For the targeted UWB applications miniaturized tri-notched flexible antenna is realized on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate with a compact size of 17.6 mm × 16 mm × 0.12 mm. The antenna operates in the UWB frequency band (2.9-10.61 GHz), and can shield interferences from WiMAX (3.3-3.6 GHz), WLAN (5.150-5.825 GHz) and X-uplink (7.9-8.4 GHz) bands, as well as exhibits a certain of bendability. Three nested "C" slots of different sizes were adopted to achieve notch features. The simulation and test results demonstrate that the proposed antenna can generate signal radiation in the desired UWB frequency band while retaining the desired notch properties and having acceptable SAR values on-body, making it a viable candidate for usage in flexible or wearable communication transmission devices. The research provides a facile and highly efficient method for fabricating flexible/wearable UWB antennas, that is, the effective combination of inkjet printing processing, flexible substrates, low temperature-activated conductive ink and antenna structure design.
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Brownian motion allows microscopically dispersed nanoparticles to be stable in ferrofluids, as well as causes magnetization relaxation and prohibits permanent magnetism. Here we decoupled the particle Brownian motion from colloidal stability to achieve a permanent fluidic magnet with high magnetization, flowability and reconfigurability. The key to create such permanent fluidic magnets is to maintain a stable magnetic colloidal fluid by using non-Brownian magnetic particles to self-assemble a three-dimensional oriented and ramified magnetic network structure in the carrier fluid. This structure has high coercivity and permanent magnetization, with long-term magnetization stability. We establish a scaling theory model to decipher the permanent fluid magnet formation criteria and formulate a general assembly guideline. Further, we develop injectable and retrievable permanent-fluidic-magnet-based liquid bioelectronics for highly sensitive, self-powered wireless cardiovascular monitoring. Overall, our findings highlight the potential of permanent fluidic magnets as an ultrasoft material for liquid devices and systems, from bioelectronics to robotics.
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Quantifying the relationship between light and stands or individual trees is of great significance in understanding tree competition, improving forest productivity, and comprehending ecological processes. However, accurately depicting the spatiotemporal variability of light under complex forest structural conditions poses a challenge, especially for precise forest management decisions that require a quantitative study of the relationship between fine-scale individual tree structure and light. 3D RTMs (3-dimensional radiative transfer models), which accurately characterize the interaction between solar radiation and detailed forest scenes, provide a reliable means for depicting such relationships. This study employs a 3D RTM and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) data to characterize the light environment of larch plantations at a fine spatiotemporal scale, further investigating the relationship between absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and forest structures. The impact of specific tree structural parameters, such as crown diameter, crown area, crown length, crown ratio, crown volume, tree height, leaf area index, and a distance parameter assessing tree competition, on the daily-scale cumulative APAR per tree was investigated using a partial least squares regression (PLSR) model. Furthermore, variable importance in projection (VIP) was also calculated from the PLSR. The results indicate that among the individual tree structure parameters, crown volume is the most important one in explaining individual tree APAR (VIP = 4.19), while the competition from surrounding trees still plays a role in explaining individual tree APAR to some extent (VIP = 0.15), and crown ratio contributes the least (VIP = 0.03). Regarding the spatial distribution of trees, the average cumulative APAR per tree of larch plots does not increase with an increase in canopy gap fraction. Tree density and average cumulative APAR per tree were fitted using a natural exponential equation, with a coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.89), and a small mean absolute percentage error (MAPE = 0.03). This study demonstrates the potential of combining 3D RTM with LiDAR data to quantify fine-scale APAR in plantations, providing insights for optimizing forest structure, enhancing forest quality, and implementing precise forest management practices, such as selective breeding for superior tree species.
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BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of traditional clinical indicators for locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma is limited because of their inability to reflect intratumor heterogeneity. We aimed to develop a radiomic signature to reveal tumor immune heterogeneity and predict survival in locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study included 921 patients with locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. A machine learning signature and nomogram based on pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging features were developed for predicting overall survival in a training cohort and validated in 2 independent cohorts. A clinical nomogram and an integrated nomogram were constructed for comparison. Nomogram performance was evaluated by concordance index and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Accordingly, patients were classified into risk groups. The biological characteristics and immune infiltration of the signature were explored by RNA-sequencing analysis. RESULTS: The machine learning signature and nomogram demonstrated comparable prognostic ability to a clinical nomogram, achieving concordance indexes of 0.729, 0.718, and 0.731 in the training, internal, and external validation cohorts, respectively. Integration of the signature and clinical variables statistically improved the predictive performance. The proposed signature effectively distinguished patients between risk groups with statistically distinct overall survival rates. Subgroup analysis indicated the recommendation of local salvage treatments for low-risk patients. Exploratory RNA-sequencing analysis revealed differences in interferon response and lymphocyte infiltration between risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: A magnetic resonance imaging-based radiomic signature predicted overall survival more accurately. The proposed signature associated with tumor immune heterogeneity may serve as a valuable tool to facilitate prognostic stratification and guide individualized management for locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.
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Carcinoma Nasofaríngeo , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas , Recurrencia Local de Neoplasia , Nomogramas , Radiómica , Adulto , Anciano , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Aprendizaje Automático , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Carcinoma Nasofaríngeo/mortalidad , Carcinoma Nasofaríngeo/inmunología , Carcinoma Nasofaríngeo/diagnóstico por imagen , Carcinoma Nasofaríngeo/patología , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/mortalidad , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/diagnóstico por imagen , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/inmunología , Neoplasias Nasofaríngeas/patología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Tasa de SupervivenciaRESUMEN
We present the newly isolated Streptomyces sungeiensis SD3 strain as a promising microbial chassis for heterologous production of secondary metabolites. S. sungeiensis SD3 exhibits several advantageous traits as a microbial chassis, including genetic tractability, rapid growth, susceptibility to antibiotics, and metabolic capability supporting secondary metabolism. Genomic and transcriptomic sequencing unveiled the primary metabolic capabilities and secondary biosynthetic pathways of S. sungeiensis SD3, including a previously unknown pathway responsible for the biosynthesis of streptazone B1. The unique placement of S. sungeiensis SD3 in the phylogenetic tree designates it as a type strain, setting it apart from other frequently employed Streptomyces chassis. This distinction makes it the preferred chassis for expressing biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) derived from strains within the same phylogenetic or neighboring phylogenetic clade. The successful expression of secondary biosynthetic pathways from a closely related yet slow-growing strain underscores the utility of S. sungeiensis SD3 as a heterologous expression chassis. Validation of CRISPR/Cas9-assisted genetic tools for chromosomal deletion and insertion paved the way for further strain improvement and BGC refactoring through rational genome editing. The addition of S. sungeiensis SD3 to the heterologous chassis toolkit will facilitate the discovery and production of secondary metabolites.
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Streptomyces , Streptomyces/genética , Streptomyces/metabolismo , Filogenia , Antibacterianos/metabolismo , Genómica , Metabolismo Secundario/genética , Familia de MultigenesRESUMEN
Conductive inks are one of the most important functional materials for printed flexible electronic devices, and their properties determine the methods of subsequent patterning and metallization. In comparison with copper nanoparticle or nanowire inks, copper particle-free inks employing copper(II) formate (Cuf) as a precursor have attracted the interest of researchers due to their flexibility in preparation, excellent stability, and lower conversion temperature. Alkanolamines can provide Cuf with excellent solubility in alcohols while being less toxic and having a certain reducibility, making them preferable ligands in comparison with aliphatic amines and pyridine. However, there have been few studies on the effects of the alkanolamine types on the performance of Cuf inks. Also, the decomposition mechanism of copper-alkanolamine complex inks is not clear. In this work, different kinds of alkanolamines were chosen as ligands to formulate Cuf inks to address the mentioned issues. The influences of amine types on the stability, wettability, thermal decomposition behavior, and electrical performance of the formulated Cuf particle-free inks were investigated in detail. The results show that the utilization of alkanolamines could provide Cuf with excellent solubility in alcohols, resulting in an ink with good stability and favorable wetting properties. The thermal decomposition temperature and electrical performance of the formulated copper ink are largely dependent on the amine used. When amines with a longer carbon chain and more branches were utilized to prepare the ink, a decreased decomposition temperature was observed on the derived inks because of the steric hindrance effect. Copper films with good morphology and conductivity could be obtained at low temperatures by selecting the appropriate alkanolamine. Copper particle-free conductive ink from 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol demonstrated better morphology and electrical performance (16.09 µΩ·cm) and was successfully used for conductive circuits by direct-writing.
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Bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP upregulation is associated with the transition from planktonic to sessile microbial lifestyle, inhibiting cellular motility, and virulence. However, in-depth elucidation of the cellular processes resulting from c-di-GMP upregulation has not been fully explored. Here, we report the role of upregulated cellular c-di-GMP in promoting planktonic cell growth of Escherichia coli K12 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. We found a rapid expansion of cellular growth during initial cellular c-di-GMP upregulation, resulting in a larger planktonic bacterial population. The initial increase in c-di-GMP levels promotes bacterial swarming motility during the growth phase, which is subsequently inhibited by the continuous increase of c-di-GMP, and ultimately facilitates the formation of biofilms. We demonstrated that c-di-GMP upregulation triggers key bacterial genes linked to bacterial growth, swarming motility, and biofilm formation. These genes are mainly controlled by the master regulatory genes csgD and csrA. This study provides us a glimpse of the bacterial behavior of evading potential threats through adapting lifestyle changes via c-di-GMP regulation.
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Proteínas Bacterianas , GMP Cíclico/análogos & derivados , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Regulación hacia Arriba , Biopelículas , Regulación Bacteriana de la Expresión Génica , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/genética , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/metabolismoRESUMEN
Type VI secretion systems (T6SS) are bacterial macromolecular complexes that secrete effectors into target cells or the extracellular environment, leading to the demise of adjacent cells and providing a survival advantage. Although studies have shown that the T6SS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is regulated by the Quorum Sensing system and second messenger c-di-GMP, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that the c-di-GMP-binding adaptor protein PA0012 has a repressive effect on the expression of the T6SS HSI-I genes in P. aeruginosa PAO1. To probe the mechanism by which PA0012 (renamed TssZ, Type Six Secretion System -associated PilZ protein) regulates the expression of HSI-I genes, we conducted yeast two-hybrid screening and identified HinK, a LasR-type transcriptional regulator, as the binding partner of TssZ. The protein-protein interaction between HinK and TssZ was confirmed through co-immunoprecipitation assays. Further analysis suggested that the HinK-TssZ interaction was weakened at high c-di-GMP concentrations, contrary to the current paradigm wherein c-di-GMP enhances the interaction between PilZ proteins and their partners. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that the non-c-di-GMP-binding mutant TssZR5A/R9A interacts directly with HinK and prevents it from binding to the promoter of the quorum-sensing regulator pqsR. The functional connection between TssZ and HinK is further supported by observations that TssZ and HinK impact the swarming motility, pyocyanin production, and T6SS-mediated bacterial killing activity of P. aeruginosa in a PqsR-dependent manner. Together, these results unveil a novel regulatory mechanism wherein TssZ functions as an inhibitor that interacts with HinK to control gene expression.
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Proteínas Bacterianas , Regulación Bacteriana de la Expresión Génica , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Transcripción Genética , Sistemas de Secreción Tipo VI , Proteínas Bacterianas/química , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , GMP Cíclico/análogos & derivados , GMP Cíclico/metabolismo , Ensayo de Cambio de Movilidad Electroforética , Inmunoprecipitación , Mutación , Regiones Promotoras Genéticas , Unión Proteica , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/genética , Pseudomonas aeruginosa/metabolismo , Piocianina/metabolismo , Percepción de Quorum , Sistemas de Mensajero Secundario , Técnicas del Sistema de Dos Híbridos , Sistemas de Secreción Tipo VI/genética , Sistemas de Secreción Tipo VI/metabolismoRESUMEN
Future exploitation of marine resources in a sustainable and eco-friendly way requires autonomous underwater robotics with human-like perception. However, the development of such intelligent robots is now impeded by the lack of adequate underwater haptic sensing technology. Inspired by the populational coding strategy of the human tactile system, we harness the giant magnetoelasticity in soft polymer systems as an innovative platform technology to construct a multimodal underwater robotic skin for marine object recognition with intrinsic waterproofness and a simple configuration. The bioinspired magnetoelastic artificial skin enables multiplexed tactile modality in each single taxel and obtains an impressive classification rate of 95% in identifying seven types of marine creatures and marine litter. By introducing another degree of freedom in underwater haptic sensing, this work represents a milestone toward sustainable marine resource exploitation.
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Robótica , Piel Artificial , Humanos , Tecnología Háptica , Inteligencia , PolímerosRESUMEN
PURPOSE: To evaluate factors that effectively predict indistinct plane (IP) in patients who underwent holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). METHODS: Data of 208 consecutive patients from our HoLEP database were reviewed and analyzed. IP was defined in 107 cases, as the plane could be identified only depending on endoscopic beak dissection rather than laser dissection in the initial stage of HoLEP, whereas the control group consisted of 101 cases. Variables including age, body mass index, prostatic volume (PV), intravesical prostatic protrusion, prostate-specific antigen, prostate-specific antigen density, bladder stones, urinary tract infection, microscopic hematuria, prior biopsy (PB), diabetes, hypertension, history of acute urinary retention, 5-alpha reductase inhibitor treatment, catheter dependency, residual urine, region, smoking, and alcohol consumption were compared between the two groups. The risk factors for predicting the presence of IP were determined using a multivariable binary logistic regression model using a forward selection approach with a focus on improvement in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: The incidence of IP was 51.4% (107/208). PV (OR = 0.977, p < 0.001) and PB (OR = 0.297, p = 0.028) were identified as the independent predictors of capsule plane status. PV with a cutoff of 54 ml had the best predictive effectiveness for IP based on AUC (0.727; 95% CI 0.659-0.795). The specificity and sensitivity of this cutoff were 82.2% and 53.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: PV is the most reliable factor to predict IP during HoLEP procedures. There is a high possibility of IP in patients with a PV less than 54 ml.
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Terapia por Láser , Antígeno Prostático Específico , Animales , Masculino , Humanos , Procedimientos Quirúrgicos Urológicos , Biopsia , Disección , HolmioRESUMEN
Octacosamicin A is an antifungal metabolite featuring a linear polyene-polyol chain flanked by N-hydroxyguanidine and glycine moieties. We report here that sub-inhibitory concentrations of streptomycin elicited the production of octacosamicin A in Amycolatopsis azurea DSM 43854T . We identified the biosynthetic gene cluster (oca BGC) that encodes a modular polyketide synthase (PKS) system for assembling the polyene-polyol chain of octacosamicin A. Our analysis suggested that the N-hydroxyguanidine unit originates from a 4-guanidinobutyryl-CoA starter unit, while the PKS incorporates an α-hydroxyketone moiety using a (2R)-hydroxymalonyl-CoA extender unit. The modular PKS system contains a non-canonical terminal module that lacks thioesterase (TE) and acyl carrier protein (ACP) domains, indicating the biosynthesis is likely to employ an unconventional and cryptic off-loading mechanism that attaches glycine to the polyene-polyol chain via an intermolecular amidation reaction.
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Glicina , Sintasas Poliquetidas , Sintasas Poliquetidas/genética , Sintasas Poliquetidas/metabolismo , PolienosRESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a common complication of liver disease defined by abnormal oxygenation and intrapulmonary vascular dilatation, treated with liver transplantation. Little is known about changes in HPS physiological parameters over time. We sought to describe baseline clinical and physiological characteristics in HPS and their relationships, temporal changes in physiological parameters before and after transplant, and predictors of changes in oxygenation. APPROACH AND RESULTS: This was a retrospective cohort study in the Canadian HPS Program (n = 132). Rates of change after diagnosis were: -3.7 (-6.4, -0.96) mm Hg/year for partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO 2 ); -26 (-96, 44) m/year for 6-minute walk distance, and 3.3% (-6.6, -0.011) predicted/year for diffusion capacity. Noninvasive shunt of ≥ 20% predicted a slower PaO 2 decline by 0.88 (0.36, 1.4) mm Hg/month. We identified 2 PaO 2 deterioration classes-"very severe disease, slow decliners" (PaO 2 45.0 mm Hg; -1.0 mm Hg/year); and "moderate disease, steady decliners" (PaO 2 65.5 mm Hg; -2.5 mm Hg/year). PaO 2 increased by 6.5 (5.3, 7.7) mm Hg/month in the first year after transplant. The median time to normalization was 149 (116, 184) days. Posttransplant improvement in PaO 2 was 2.5 (0.1, 4.9) mm Hg/month faster for every 10 mm Hg greater pretransplant orthodeoxia. CONCLUSIONS: We present a large and long longitudinal data analysis in HPS. In addition to rates of physiological decline and improvement before and after liver transplantation, we present novel predictors of PaO 2 decline and improvement rates. Our findings enhance our understanding of the natural history of HPS and provide pathophysiologic clues. Importantly, they may assist providers in prognostication and prioritization before and after transplant.