DEC1 is involved in circadian rhythm disruption-exacerbated pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: The alveolar epithelial type II cell (AT2) and its senescence play a pivotal role in alveolar damage and pulmonary fibrosis. Cell circadian rhythm is strongly associated with cell senescence. Differentiated embryonic chondrocyte expressed gene 1 (DEC1) is a very important circadian clock gene. However, the role of DEC1 in AT2 senescence and pulmonary fibrosis was still unclear. RESULTS: In this study, a circadian disruption model of light intervention was used. It was found that circadian disruption exacerbated pulmonary fibrosis in mice. To understand the underlying mechanism, DEC1 levels were investigated. Results showed that DEC1 levels increased in lung tissues of IPF patients and in bleomycin-induced mouse fibrotic lungs. In vitro study revealed that bleomycin and TGF-ß1 increased the expressions of DEC1, collagen-I, and fibronectin in AT2 cells. Inhibition of DEC1 mitigated bleomycin-induced fibrotic changes in vitro and in vivo. After that, cell senescence was observed in bleomycin-treated AT2 cells and mouse models, but these were prevented by DEC1 inhibition. At last, p21 was confirmed having circadian rhythm followed DEC1 in normal conditions. But bleomycin disrupted the circadian rhythm and increased DEC1 which promoted p21 expression, increased p21 mediated AT2 senescence and pulmonary fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, circadian clock protein DEC1 mediated pulmonary fibrosis via p21 and cell senescence in alveolar epithelial type II cells.

Impact of homocysteine on acute ischemic stroke severity: possible role of aminothiols redox status.

BACKGROUND: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is one of the most common cerebrovascular diseases which accompanied by a disruption of aminothiols homeostasis. To explore the relationship of aminothiols with neurologic impairment severity, we investigated four aminothiols, homocysteine (Hcy), cysteine (Cys), cysteinylglycine (CG) and glutathione (GSH) in plasma and its influence on ischemic stroke severity in AIS patients. METHODS: A total of 150 clinical samples from AIS patients were selected for our study. The concentrations of free reduced Hcy (Hcy), own oxidized Hcy (HHcy), free reduced Cys (Cys), own oxidized Cys (cysteine, Cyss), free reduced CG (CG) and free reduced GSH (GSH) were measured by our previously developed hollow fiber centrifugal ultrafiltration (HFCF-UF) method coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The concentration ratio of Hcy to HHcy (Hcy/HHcy), Cys to Cyss (Cys/Cyss) were also calculated. The neurologic impairment severity of AIS was evaluated using National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The Spearman correlation coefficient and logistic regression analysis was used to estimate and perform the correlation between Hcy, HHcy, Cys, Cyss, CG, GSH, Hcy/HHcy, Cys/Cyss and total Hcy with NIHSS score. RESULTS: The reduced Hcy and Hcy/HHcy was both negatively correlated with NIHSS score in AIS patients with P = 0.008, r=-0.215 and P = 0.002, r=-0.249, respectively. There was no significant correlation of Cys, CG, GSH, HHcy, Cyss, Cys/Cyss and total Hcy with NIHSS score in AIS patients with P value > 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: The reduced Hcy and Hcy/HHcy, not total Hcy concentration should be used to evaluate neurologic impairment severity of AIS patient.

Fast annealing fabrication of porous CuWO4photoanode for charge transport in photoelectrochemical water oxidation.

Ternary-phase CuWO4oxide with an electronic band gap of 2.2-2.4 eV is a potential candidate photoanode material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Herein, we present an efficient method to prepare CuWO4film photoanode by combining hydrothermal method and hybrid microwave annealing (HMA) process. In comparison with conventional thermal annealing (CTA), HMA can achieve CuWO4thin film within minutes by using SiC susceptor. When the CuWO4photoanode is prepared by HMA, its PEC water oxidation performance improves from 0.21 to 0.29 mA cm-2at 1.23 VRHEcomparing with the one prepared by CTA. The origin of the enhanced photocurrent was investigated by means of complementary physical characterizations and PEC methods. The results demonstrated that the obtained HMA processed CuWO4photoanode not only exhibited intrinsic porous nanostructures but also abundant surface hydroxyl groups, which facilitated sufficient mass transport and the charge transfer. Our results highlight the application of HMA for the fast fabrication of porous film photo-electrodes without using sacrificial template.

Insights into Aerosol Emission Control in the Postcombustion CO2 Capture Process: From Cluster Formation to Aerosol Growth.

Aerosols produced in the amine carbon capture process can lead to secondary environmental pollution. This study employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate cluster formation, amine behavior, and aerosol growth of amines, essential for reducing amine aerosol emissions. Results showed that the cluster evolution process can be divided into cluster formation and growth in terms of molecular content, and the nucleation rate for the present systems was estimated in the order of 1028 cm-3 s-1. CO2 absorption was observed alongside successful nucleation, with CO2 predominantly localizing in the cluster's outer layer postabsorption. Monoethanolamine (MEA) exhibited robust electrostatic interactions with other components via hydrogen bonding, leading to its migration toward regions where CO2 and H2O coexisted within the cluster. While MEA presence markedly spurred cluster formation, its concentration had a marginal effect on the final cluster size. Elevating water content can augment the aerosol growth rate. However, altering the gas saturation is possible only within narrow confines by introducing vapor. Contrarily, gas cooling introduced dual, opposing effects on aerosol growth. These findings, including diffusion coefficients and growth rates, enhance theoretical frameworks for predicting aerosol formation in absorbers, aiding in mitigating environmental impacts of amine-based carbon capture.

N6-Methyladenosine (m6A) Sequencing Reveals Heterodera glycines-Induced Dynamic Methylation Promoting Soybean Defense.

Unraveling the intricacies of soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) race 4 resistance and susceptibility in soybean breeding lines-11-452 (highly resistant) and Dongsheng1 (DS1, highly susceptible)-was the focal point of this study. Employing cutting-edge N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and RNA sequencing techniques, we delved into the impact of m6A modification on gene expression and plant defense responses. Through the evaluation of nematode development in both resistant and susceptible roots, a pivotal time point (3 days postinoculation) for m6A methylation sequencing was identified. Our sequencing data exhibited robust statistics, successful soybean genome mapping, and prevalent m6A peak distributions, primarily in the 3' untranslated region and stop codon regions. Analysis of differential methylation peaks and differentially expressed genes revealed distinctive patterns between resistant and susceptible genotypes. In the highly resistant line (11-452), key resistance and defense-associated genes displayed increased expression coupled with inhibited methylation, encompassing crucial players such as R genes, receptor kinases, and transcription factors. Conversely, the highly susceptible DS1 line exhibited heightened expression correlated with decreased methylation in genes linked to susceptibility pathways, including Mildew Locus O-like proteins and regulatory elements affecting defense mechanisms. Genome-wide assessments, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses, and differential methylation peak/differentially expressed gene overlap emphasized the intricate interplay of m6A modifications, alternative splicing, microRNA, and gene regulation in plant defense. Protein-protein interaction networks illuminated defense-pivotal genes, delineating divergent mechanisms in resistant and susceptible responses. This study sheds light on the dynamic correlation between methylation, splicing, and gene expression, providing profound insights into plant responses to nematode infection.

Freeform reflector light source used for space traceable spectral radiance calibration on the solar reflected band.

For purpose of improving the accuracy of in-orbit radiometric calibration of Chinese Space-based Radiometric Benchmark (CSRB) reference payload on the reflected solar band and reduce resource consumption, this paper proposed a freeform reflector radiometric calibration light source system based on the beam shaping characteristics of the freeform surface. The design method of initial structure discretization based on Chebyshev points was used to design and solve the freeform surface, and the feasibility of the design method was verified by optical simulation. The designed freeform surface is machined and tested, and the test results show that the surface roughness root mean square (RMS) of the freeform reflector is 0.61 µm, which indicates that the continuity of the machined surface is good. The optical characteristics of the calibration light source system are measured, the results show that the irradiance uniformity and radiance uniformity are better than 98% in the effective illumination area of 100 mm × 100 mm on the target plane. The constructed freeform reflector calibration light source system can meet the requirements of large area, high uniformity and light weight for onboard calibration of the payload of the radiometric benchmark, improving the measurement accuracy of spectral radiance on the reflected solar band.

PEEP application during mechanical ventilation contributes to fibrosis in the diaphragm.

BACKGROUND: Positive end-expiratory airway pressure (PEEP) is a potent component of management for patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV). However, PEEP may cause the development of diaphragm remodeling, making it difficult for patients to be weaned from MV. The current study aimed to explore the role of PEEP in VIDD. METHODS: Eighteen adult male New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups at random: nonventilated animals (the CON group), animals with volume-assist/control mode without/ with PEEP 8 cmH2O (the MV group/ the MV + PEEP group) for 48 h with mechanical ventilation. Ventilator parameters and diaphragm were collected during the experiment for further analysis. RESULTS: There was no difference among the three groups in arterial blood gas and the diaphragmatic excursion during the experiment. The tidal volume, respiratory rate and minute ventilation were similar in MV + PEEP group and MV group. Airway peak pressure in MV + PEEP group was significantly higher than that in MV group (p < 0.001), and mechanical power was significantly higher (p < 0.001). RNA-seq showed that genes associated with fibrosis were enriched in the MV + PEEP group. This results were further confirmed on mRNA expression. As shown by Masson's trichrome staining, there was more collagen fiber in the MV + PEEP group than that in the MV group (p = 0.001). Sirius red staining showed more positive staining of total collagen fibers and type I/III fibers in the MV + PEEP group (p = 0.001; p = 0.001). The western blot results also showed upregulation of collagen types 1A1, III, 6A1 and 6A2 in the MV + PEEP group compared to the MV group (p < 0.001, all). Moreover, the positive immunofluorescence of COL III in the MV + PEEP group was more intense (p = 0.003). Furthermore, the expression of TGF-ß1, one of the most potent fibrogenic factors, was upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels in the MV + PEEP group (mRNA: p = 0.03; protein: p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that PEEP application for 48 h in mechanically ventilated rabbits will cause collagen deposition and fibrosis in the diaphragm. Moreover, activation of the TGF-ß1 signaling pathway and myofibroblast differentiation may be the potential mechanism of this diaphragmatic fibrosis. These findings might provide novel therapeutic targets for PEEP application-induced diaphragm dysfunction.

Accurately quantified plasma free glycine concentration as a biomarker in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

We developed a hollow fiber centrifugal ultrafiltration (HFCF-UF) method to study the change of plasma levels of free glycine (Gly) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Twenty-four patients with AIS confirmed by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) were enrolled. During the study period, the patients did not receive any supplemental amino acids therapy that could affect the obtained results. Our results showed that although AIS patients adopted different methods of treatment (thrombolytic and non-thrombolytic), the clinical NIHSS score of AIS showed a downward trend whereas Gly concentration showed increased trend. Moreover, plasma free Gly concentration was positively correlated with ASPECTS score. The correlation between Gly levels and infarct volume showed a statistical significance. That is to say, higher Gly level predicted smaller infarct size. Thus, the change of free Gly level in plasma could be considered as a potential biomarker of AIS.

BMAL1/p53 mediating bronchial epithelial cell autophagy contributes to PM2.5-aggravated asthma.

BACKGROUND: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with increased incidence and severity of asthma. PM2.5 exposure disrupts airway epithelial cells, which elicits and sustains PM2.5-induced airway inflammation and remodeling. However, the mechanisms underlying development and exacerbation of PM2.5-induced asthma were still poorly understood. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (BMAL1) is a major circadian clock transcriptional activator that is also extensively expressed in peripheral tissues and plays a crucial role in organ and tissue metabolism. RESULTS: In this study, we found PM2.5 aggravated airway remodeling in mouse chronic asthma, and exacerbated asthma manifestation in mouse acute asthma. Next, low BMAL1 expression was found to be crucial for airway remodeling in PM2.5-challenged asthmatic mice. Subsequently, we confirmed that BMAL1 could bind and promote ubiquitination of p53, which can regulate p53 degradation and block its increase under normal conditions. However, PM2.5-induced BMAL1 inhibition resulted in up-regulation of p53 protein in bronchial epithelial cells, then increased-p53 promoted autophagy. Autophagy in bronchial epithelial cells mediated collagen-I synthesis as well as airway remodeling in asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results suggest that BMAL1/p53-mediated bronchial epithelial cell autophagy contributes to PM2.5-aggravated asthma. This study highlights the functional importance of BMAL1-dependent p53 regulation during asthma, and provides a novel mechanistic insight into the therapeutic mechanisms of BMAL1. Video Abstract.

Characteristics of children with IgA nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the demographic and clinical characteristics of children with immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy using data in the first pages of electronic health records of 22 hospitals from 2016 to 2018. METHODS: Information collected included gender, age, infection site, etiological infection, acute kidney injury (AKI), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 2-5. We analyzed the gender and age distribution of children with IgA nephropathy, the characteristics of children complicated with AKI and CKD, and the influence of geographical distribution and economic status on the incidence of IgA nephropathy. RESULTS: We included a total of 4006 patients with IgA nephropathy. Incidence in males gradually increased with age. Seventy-nine cases (1.97%) had AKI. We found no significant difference in gender (P = 0.19) or age (P = 0.07) between the AKI and non-AKI groups. Twenty-nine patients had CKD (0.72%), who were significantly older than those in the non-CKD group (P < 0.0001). The incidence of IgA nephropathy in less-developed areas was significantly lower than that in developed areas (P = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of IgA nephropathy was high mainly in males. Age was an important factor affecting CKD. The disease was related to environment and economic status. IMPACT: We analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics of children with immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy using data in the first pages of electronic health records. This is a large sample, multi-center study. The incidence of IgA nephropathy in males increased gradually with age. Age was an important factor affecting CKD. The disease was related to environment and economic status.

VEGFR2 targeted microbubble-based ultrasound molecular imaging improving the diagnostic sensitivity of microinvasive cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: The current diagnostic methods of microinvasive cervical cancer lesions are imaging diagnosis and pathological evaluation. Pathological evaluation is invasive and imaging approaches are of extremely low diagnostic performance. There is a paucity of effective and noninvasive imaging approaches for these extremely early cervical cancer during clinical practice. In recent years, ultrasound molecular imaging (USMI) with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 2 (VEGFR2) targeted microbubble (MBVEGFR2) has been reported to improve the early diagnosis rates of breast cancer (including ductal carcinoma in situ), pancreatic cancer and hepatic micrometastases. Herein, we aimed to assess the feasibility of MBVEGFR2-based USMI in extremely early cervical cancer detection to provide an accurate imaging modality for microinvasive cervical cancer (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage IA1 and IA2). RESULTS: We found MBVEGFR2-based USMI could successfully distinguish extremely early lesions in diameter < 3 mm from surrounding normal tissues (all P < 0.05), and the sensitivity gradually decreased along with increasing tumor diameter. Moreover, normalized intensity difference (NID) values showed a good linear correlation with microvessel density (MVD) (R2 = 0.75). In addition, all tumors could not be identified from surrounding muscles in subtracted ultrasound images when mice were administered MBCon. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, MBVEGFR2-based USMI has huge potential for clinical application for the early detection of microinvasive cervical cancer (FIGO Stage IA1 and IA2), providing the foothold for future studies on the imaging screening of this patient population.

Cellular senescence contributes to mechanical ventilation-induced diaphragm dysfunction by upregulating p53 signalling pathways.

BACKGROUND: Mechanical ventilation can cause acute atrophy and injury in the diaphragm, which are related to adverse clinical results. However, the underlying mechanisms of ventilation-induced diaphragm dysfunction (VIDD) have not been well elucidated. The current study aimed to explore the role of cellular senescence in VIDD. METHODS: A total of twelve New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups: (1) spontaneously breathing anaesthetized animals (the CON group) and (2) mechanically ventilated animals (for 48 h) in V-ACV mode (the MV group). Respiratory parameters were collected during ventilation. Diaphragm were collected for further analyses. RESULTS: Compared to those in the CON group, the percentage and density of sarcomere disruption in the MV group were much higher (p < 0.001, both). The mRNA expression of MAFbx and MuRF1 was upregulated in the MV group (p = 0.003 and p = 0.006, respectively). Compared to that in the CON group, the expression of MAFbx and MuRF1 detected by western blotting was also upregulated (p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively). Moreover, RNA-seq showed that genes associated with senescence were remarkably enriched in the MV group. The mRNA expression of related genes was further verified by q-PCR (Pai1: p = 0.009; MMP9: p = 0.008). Transverse cross-sections of diaphragm myofibrils in the MV group showed more intensive positive staining of SA-ßGal than those in the CON group. p53-p21 axis signalling was elevated in the MV group. The mRNA expression of p53 and p21 was significantly upregulated (p = 0.02 and p = 0.05, respectively). The western blot results also showed upregulation of p53 and p21 protein expression (p = 0.03 and p = 0.05, respectively). Moreover, the p21-positive staining in immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry in the MV group was much more intense than that in the CON group (p < 0.001, both). CONCLUSIONS: In a rabbit model, we demonstrated that mechanical ventilation in A/C mode for 48 h can still significantly induce ultrastructural damage and atrophy of the diaphragm. Moreover, p53-dependent senescence might play a role in mechanical ventilation-induced dysfunction. These findings might provide novel therapeutic targets for VIDD.

Associations of long-term exposure to air pollution and physical activity with the risk of systemic inflammation-induced multimorbidity in Chinese adults: results from the China multi-ethnic cohort study (CMEC).

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies proved the effect of long-term exposure to air pollution or physical activity (PA) on the risk of systemic inflammation-induced multimorbidity (SIIM), while the evidence regarding their joint effects was rare, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, we aimed to examine the extent of interaction or joint relations of PA and air pollution with SIIM. METHODS: This study included 72,172 participants from China Multi-Ethnic Cohort.The average concentrations of ambient particulate matter pollutants (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) were estimated using satellite-based random forest models. Self-reported information on a range of physical activities related to occupation, housework, commuting, and leisure activities was collected by an interviewer-administered questionnaire. A total of 11 chronic inflammatory systemic diseases were assessed based on self-reported lifetime diagnosis or medical examinations. SIIM was defined as having ≥ 2 chronic diseases related to systemic inflammation. Logistic regression models were used to assess the complex associations of air pollution particulate matter and PA with SIIM. RESULTS: We found positive associations between long-term air pollution particulates exposure and SIIM, with odds ratios (95%CI) of 1.07 (1.03 to 1.11), 1.18 (1.13 to 1.24), and 1.08 (1.05 to 1.12) per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. No significant multiplicative interaction was found between ambient air pollutant exposure and PA on SIIM, whereas negative additive interaction was observed between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and PA on SIIM. The positive associations between low volume PA and SIIM were stronger among those exposed to high-level air pollution particulates. Compared with individuals engaged in high volume PA and exposed to low-level ambient air pollutants, those engaged in low volume PA and exposed to high-level ambient air pollutants had a higher risk of SIIM (OR = 1.49 in PM1 exposure, OR = 1.84 in PM2.5 exposure, OR = 1.19 in PM10 exposure). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term (3 years average) exposure to PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 was associated with an increased risk of SIIM. The associations were modified by PA, highlighting PA's importance in reducing SIIM for all people, especially those living in high-level air pollution regions.

Integrated Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking to Elucidate the Efficacy and Potential Mechanisms of Tea Ingredients in Sepsis Treatment.

Sepsis, a critical health condition induced by an overactive innate immune response and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-driven host damage through apoptosis and ferroptosis, continues to pose a significant mortality risk. Despite accumulating evidence of the potential therapeutic properties of tea ingredients, their specific anti-sepsis potential remains inadequately explored. This study comprehensively investigates the targeted genes of tea ingredients, notably epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), and their correlation with sepsis signature genes. Our findings elucidate that tea ingredients, especially EGCG, exhibit substantial potential in mitigating inflammation and sepsis-induced damage. Through the inhibition of the MAPK cascade and macrophage activation and by impeding the transcriptional activity of RELA (transcription factor p65) in sepsis, EGCG demonstrates significant anti-sepsis efficacy. Molecular docking analysis further underpins this by revealing the close proximity of EGCG and (-)-catechin gallate binding sites to that of RELA on DNA. Subsequent in vitro assays illuminated EGCG's instrumental role in modulating macrophage M2 polarization, balancing M1 and M2 differentiation of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), curtailing inflammatory factor secretion, and inhibiting ROS production. Moreover, EGCG effectively suppresses the expression of ferroptosis/apoptosis markers in LPS-induced macrophages during their early stages. Our study advances our understanding of sepsis prevention and treatment strategies, suggesting that tea ingredients such as EGCG could play a pivotal role in developing future sepsis therapies due to their protective effects.

Overexpression of MicroRNA-155 aggravates pulpitis by targeting kinesin superfamily Proteins-5C based on illumina high-throughput sequencing.

AIM: To investigate the regulatory role of miR-155 and Kinesin Superfamily Proteins-5C (KIF-5C) in the progression of pulpitis based on bioinformatic analysis. METHODOLOGY: Normal pulp tissues and pulpitis pulp tissues were collected and subjected to high-throughput sequencing and the differentially expressed miRNAs were determined. An in vitro and in vivo pulpitis model was established. HE, IHC staining and histological evaluation were used to verify the inflammatory state of human and mouse pulp tissues. The mRNA expression of IL-1ß and TGF-ß1 were determined by RT-qPCR and protein expression of IL-1α, IL-4, IL-8, IL-13, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10 and MCP-1 were determined by protein chip. The target genes of miR-155 were predicted by miRanda database and verified by Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RT-qPCR and western blotting. MiR-155 lentivirus were used to upregulate or downregulate miR-155 and the siRNA of KIF-5C was used to downregulate KIF-5C. The expression of miR-155 or KIF-5C was determined by RT-qPCR. All statistics were analysed using GraphPad prism 8.2. RESULTS: The high-throughput sequencing results showed that 6 miRNAs (miR-155, miR-21, miR-142, miR-223, miR-486, miR-675) were significantly upregulated in diseased human pulp tissues, and miR-155 was significantly elevated among the six miRNAs. RT-qPCR results demonstrated that miR-155 expression was upregulated in human pulpitic tissue, mice pulpitic tissue and LPS-HDPCs. IL-1ß was increased while TGF-ß1 was decreased in lenti-miR-155 transfected LPS-HDPCs. Analysis of protein chip results indicated that lenti-miR-155 transfected LPS-HDPCs produced higher levels of IL-8, IL-6, MCP-1. The opposite results were obtained when miR-155 was inhibited. Through miRanda database screen and Dual-luciferase reporter assay, the target gene (KIF-5C) of miR-155 was identified. In lenti-miR-155 transfected LPS-HDPCs, the expression of KIF-5C was downregulated. However, when shRNA-miR-155 was transfected to LPS-HDPCs, the opposite result was obtained. Silent RNA was used to knock down KIF-5C, the results showed that when both KIF-5C and miR-155 were knocked down simultaneously, the downregulated expression of inflammatory factors observed in LPS-HDPCs following miR-155 knockdown was rescued. CONCLUSION: MiR-155 plays an important role in promoting pulpitis through targeting KIF-5C and may serve as a potential therapeutic target.

Residential greenness associated with decreased risk of metabolic- dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: Evidence from a large population-based epidemiological study.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have shown that residential greenness positively correlates with enhanced health. Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) affects about a quarter of the population while lacking specific treatments. Given that the association between green space and MAFLD is still unknown, we explored the association between residential greenness and MAFLD as well as the potential mechanisms based on the baseline survey of the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC). METHODS: Residential greenness was expressed as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI). MAFLD was assessed through hepatic steatosis, the presence of overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and evidence of metabolic dysregulation. We used logistic regression to examine the association between NDVI/EVI and the prevalence of MAFLD. Moreover, we utilized causal mediation analyses to explore the role of physical activity and ambient particulate matters (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) on the association between residential greenness and MAFLD. RESULTS: We included 72,368 participants from the CMEC and found that residential greenness was negatively associated with the prevalence of MAFLD. For an interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI500 m and EVI500 m, the odds ratio (OR) of MAFLD were 0.78 (95 %CI: 0.75, 0.81) and 0.81 (95 %CI: 0.78, 0.84), respectively. Greater association between residential greenness and MAFLD was observed among males. Air pollutants and physical activity could mediate a partial effect (8.5-22.9 %) of residential greenness on MAFLD. CONCLUSION: Higher residential greenness was associated with decreased risk of MAFLD. Moreover, the association was greater among males. The protective effects of residential greenness may be achieved by mitigating the hazardous effects of air pollutants and encouraging physical activity.

Wettability Controlled Surface for Energy Conversion.

To achieve clean and high-efficiency utilization of renewable energy, functional surfaces with controllable and patternable wettability are becoming a fast-growing research focus. In this work, a laser scribing strategy to fabricate patterned graphene surfaces that are capable of energy conversion in different forms is demonstrated. Using the laser raster-scanning and vector-scanning modes, two distinct surface structures are constructed on polybenzoxazine substrate, yielding a superhydrophilic (LSHL) surface and superhydrophobic (LSHB) surface, respectively. Of particular note is that the unique hierarchical structure of LSHB surface has endowed it with quite a robust superwetting behaviors. Further profiting from the flexibility of the processing method, wettability patterns with spatially resolved LSHL and LSHB regions are designed, achieving the conversion of surface energy to liquid kinetic energy. This also offers a tractable approach to fabricate wettability-engineered devices that enable the directional, pumpless transport of water by capillary pressure gradient and the selective surface cooling via jet impingement. In addition, the LSHB surface demonstrates the high conversion of electric-to-thermal energy (222 °C cm2 W-1 ) and light-to-thermal energy (88%). Overall, the material system and processing method present a promising step forward to developing easy-fabricated graphene surfaces with spatially controlled wettability for efficient energy utilization and conversion.

High-Efficiency Capture of Cells by Softening Cell Membrane.

The capture of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) by nanostructured substrate surface is a useful method for early diagnosis of cancer. At present, most methods used to improve the cell capture efficiency are based on changing substrate surface properties. However, there are still some gaps between these methods and practical applications. Here, a method is presented for improving cell capture efficiency from a different perspective, that is, changing the properties of the cells. Concretely, the mechanical properties of the cell membrane are changed by adding Cytochalasin D to soften the cell membrane. Furthermore, a corresponding theoretical model is proposed to explain the experimental results. It is found that cell softening can reduce the resistance of cell adhesion, which makes the adhesion ability stronger. The high-efficiency capture of cells by softening the cell membrane provides a potential method to improve the detection performance of CTCs.

Characterization and Genomic Analysis of ɸSHP3, a New Transposable Bacteriophage Infecting Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

This study describes a novel transposable bacteriophage, ɸSHP3, continuously released by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain c31. Morphological observation and genomic analysis revealed that ɸSHP3 is a siphovirus with a 37,611-bp genome that encodes 51 putative proteins. Genomic comparisons indicated that ɸSHP3 is a B3-like transposable phage. Its genome configuration is similar to that of Pseudomonas phage B3, except for the DNA modification module. Similar to B3-like phages, the putative transposase B of ɸSHP3 is a homolog of the type two secretion component ExeA, which is proposed to serve as a potential virulence factor. Moreover, most proteins of ɸSHP3 have homologs in transposable phages, but only ɸSHP3 carries an RdgC-like protein encoded by gene 3, which exhibits exonuclease activity in vitro Two genes and their promoters coding for ɸSHP3 regulatory proteins were identified and appear to control the lytic-lysogenic switch. One of the proteins represses one promoter activity and confers immunity to ɸSHP3 superinfection in vivo The short regulatory region, in addition to the canonical bacterial promoter sequences, displays one LexA and two CpxR recognition sequences. This suggests that LexA and the CpxR/CpxA two-component system might be involved in the control of the ɸSHP3 genetic switch.IMPORTANCES. maltophilia is an emerging global pathogenic bacterium that displays genetic diversity in both environmental and clinical strains. Transposable phages have long been known to improve the genetic diversity of bacterial strains by transposition. More than a dozen phages of S. maltophilia have been characterized. However, no transposable phage infecting S. maltophilia has been reported to date. Characterization of the first transposable phage, ɸSHP3, from S. maltophilia will contribute to our understanding of host-phage interactions and genetic diversity, especially the interchange of genetic materials among S. maltophilia.

Berry-Phase Switch in Electrostatically Confined Topological Surface States.

Here, we visualize the trapping of topological surface states in the circular n-p junctions on the top surface of the seven-quintuple-layer three dimensional (3D) topological insulator (TI) Sb_{2}Te_{3} epitaxial films. As shown by spatially dependent and field-dependent tunneling spectra, these trapped resonances show field-induced splittings between the degenerate time-reversal-symmetric states at zero magnetic field. These behaviors are attributed unambiguously to Berry-phase switch by comparing the experimental data with both numerical and semiclassical simulations. The successful electrostatic trapping of topological surface states in epitaxial films and the observation of Berry-phase switch provide a rich platform of exploiting new ideas for TI-based quantum devices.