Simultaneous knockout of cytosolic and plastidial disproportionating enzymes disrupts grain setting and filling in rice.

Rice (Oryza sativa) plants contain plastidial and cytosolic disproportionating enzymes (DPE1 and DPE2). Our previous studies showed that DPE2 acts on maltose, the major product of starch degradation in pollens, releasing one glucose to fuel pollen tube growth and fertilization, whereas DPE1 participates in endosperm starch synthesis by transferring maltooligosyl groups from amylose to amylopectin, and removing excess short maltooligosaccharides. However, little is known about their integrated function. Here, we report that the coordinated actions of DPE1 and DPE2 contribute to grain setting and filling in rice. The dpe1dpe2 mutants could not be isolated from the progeny of heterozygous parental plants but were obtained via anther culture. Unlike that reported in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and potato (Solanum tuberosum), the dpe1dpe2 rice plants grew normally but only yielded a small number of empty, unfilled seeds. In the dpe1dpe2 seeds, nutrient accumulation was substantially reduced, and dorsal vascular bundles were also severely malnourished. Zymogram analyses showed that changes in activities of the major starch-synthesizing enzymes matched well with various endosperm phenotypes of mutant seeds. Mechanistically, DPE1 deficiency allowed normal starch mobilization in leaves and pollens but affected starch synthesis in endosperm, while DPE2 deficiency blocked starch degradation, resulting in substantially decreased levels of the sugars available for pollen tube growth and grain filling. Overall, our results demonstrate the great potential of DPE1-DPE2 as an important regulatory module to realize higher crop yields and present a promising target for regulating nutrient accumulation in cereal crop endosperm.

Integrated waveguide coupled ultralow-loss multimode waveguides based on silicon nitride resonators.

On-chip micro-ring resonators (MRRs) with low loss and large free spectral ranges (FSRs) are important for photonic devices. So far, ultra-low-loss silicon-nitride (Si3N4) waveguides are primarily fabricated in laboratories, as they often demand special processes to reduce transmission losses. While, Si3N4 waveguides fabricated by the standard multi-project wafer (MPW)-based processes often suffer from significant sidewall scattering, resulting in high scattering losses. Here, we present an innovative approach to photonics by introducing a compact and multi-mode structure. This approach significantly reduces the contact between the optical field and the rough sidewalls in the high-confinement Si3N4 waveguide. By incorporating modified Euler bends, and a weakly tapered gap directional coupler, adiabatic transmission with simultaneous ultra-low loss and compact size is achieved even in 7-µm wide waveguide. Results show that the intrinsic quality factor Qi of MRR is (6.8 ± 0.4) × 106 at the wavelength of 1550 nm, which is approximately four times higher than the previously reported by the same fabrication process. An ultra-low loss of 0.051 ± 0.003 dB/cm is achieved based on the standard LIGENTEC-AN800 technology. This accomplishment addresses a critical challenge in high-confinement waveguides. Our work provides new insights into the low propagation loss in Si3N4 waveguides and provides a broader prospect for integrated photonics in the ultra-high-Q regime.

Role of env gene and LTR sequence in the pathogenesis of subgroup K avian leukosis virus.

Avian leukosis virus (ALV) is a retrovirus that induces tumours in infected birds; ALV is divided into different subgroups according to the env gene and cellular tropism. In general, ALV subgroup J (ALV-J) is considered to be the most pathogenic and prevalent subgroup while subgroup K (ALV-K), a newly identified subgroup, only causes mild symptoms. To illuminate the roles of the env viral gene and LTR sequence in pathogenic differences between ALV-J and ALV-K, rescued ALV-J strain rSDAU1005, rescued ALV-K strain rJS11C1, and recombinant strains rENV(J)-LTR(K) and rENV(K)-LTR(J) were characterized and investigated in this study. Among rescued viruses, rSDAU1005 had the highest replication efficiency while rJS11C1 replicated the slowest (replication efficiency rankings were rSDAU1005 >rENV(K)-LTR(J)>rENV(J)-LTR(K)>rJS11 C1). The luciferase reporter gene assay results showed that the promoter activity of ALV-K LTR was lower than that of the ALV-J LTR promoter, which may have accounted for the slower replication efficiency of ALV-K. Pathogenicity of the four rescued viruses was determined via inoculating the yolk sacs of specific-pathogen-free chickens. The results demonstrated that all four viruses were pathogenic; rSDAU1005 caused the most severe growth retardation and immunosuppression. rENV(J)-LTR(K) was more pathogenic when compared to rENV(K)-LTR(J), indicating that env and the LTR sequence play important roles in pathogenicity between ALV-K and ALV-J. Additionally, env seemed to especially play a role in ALV-K pathogenesis. This study provided scientific data and insight to improve detection methods and judgement criteria in ALV clearance and surveillance.

Utility of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone in preventing astrocytic and synaptic deficits in the hippocampus elicited by PTSD.

Astrocytic functions and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) signaling pathways are impaired in stress-related neuropsychiatric diseases. Previous studies have reported neuroprotective effects of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a TrkB activator. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using a modified single-prolonged stress (SPS&S) model and the potential beneficial effects of 7,8-DHF. SPS&S reduced the hippocampal expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker of astrocytes, and induced morphological changes in astrocytes. From the perspective of synaptic function, the SPS&S model displayed reduced expression of BDNF, p-TrkB, postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 (GluA1), NMDA receptor subunit N2A/N2B ratio, calpain-1, phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt) and phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and conversely, higher phosphatase and tension homolog (PTEN) expression in the hippocampus. Acute or continuous intraperitoneal administration of 7,8-DHF (5 mg/kg) after SPS&S procedures prevented SPS&S-induced fear memory generalization and anxiety-like behaviors as well as abnormalities of hippocampal oscillations. Most importantly, 7,8-DHF attenuated SPS&S-induced abnormal BDNF-TrkB signaling and calpain-1-dependent cascade of synaptic deficits. Furthermore, treatment with a TrkB inhibitor completely blocked while an mTOR inhibitor partially blocked the effects of 7,8-DHF on behavioral changes of SPS&S model mice. Our collective findings suggest that 7,8-DHF effectively alleviates PTSD-like symptoms, including fear generalization and anxiety-like behavior, potentially by preventing astrocytic and synaptic deficits in the hippocampus through targeting of TrkB.

Circulating miRNA-1-3p as Biomarker of Accelerated Sarcopenia in Patients Diagnosed with Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: While sarcopenia is an important clinical finding in individuals diagnosed with chronic heart failure (CHF), efforts to identify a reliable biomarker capable of predicting the overall muscular and functional decline in CHF patients have been unsuccessful to date. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to study the diagnostic utility of MicroRNA (miRNA)-1-3p as a predictor of sarcopenia status in individuals diagnosed with CHF. Methods: In total, 80 individuals with heart failure exhibiting a left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% were enrolled in this study. All patients were analyzed to assess miR-1-3p expression levels, with body composition being evaluated through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and sarcopenia being defined based on the sum of appendicular lean muscle mass (ALM) divided by height in meters squared and handgrip strength (HGS). In addition, the activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was evaluated in these individuals. Results: In total, 40 of the enrolled patients (50%) exhibited sarcopenia. Sarcopenic patients presented with increased miR-1-3p expression levels as compared to non-sarcopenic individuals (1.69 ± 0.132 vs. 1.22 ± 0.106; p < 0.05). With respect to sarcopenic indices, appendicular skeletal mass index was most strongly correlated with miR-1-3p expression, which was also strongly correlated with HGS. High levels of Akt/mTOR signaling pathway components were expressed in sarcopenic individuals, highlighting a significant relationship between miR-1-3p activity and signaling through this pathway. Moreover, miR-1-3p was identified as a specific marker for sarcopenia in individuals with CHF. Conclusions: These results suggest that circulating miR-1-3p levels are related to Akt/mTOR pathway activation and can offer valuable insight into the overall physical capacity and muscular integrity of CHF patients as a predictor of sarcopenia. (Rev Invest Clin. 2022;74(5):276-83).

Monitoring the Zero-Inflated Time Series Model of Counts with Random Coefficient.

In this research, we consider monitoring mean and correlation changes from zero-inflated autocorrelated count data based on the integer-valued time series model with random survival rate. A cumulative sum control chart is constructed due to its efficiency, the corresponding calculation methods of average run length and the standard deviation of the run length are given. Practical guidelines concerning the chart design are investigated. Extensive computations based on designs of experiments are conducted to illustrate the validity of the proposed method. Comparisons with the conventional control charting procedure are also provided. The analysis of the monthly number of drug crimes in the city of Pittsburgh is displayed to illustrate our current method of process monitoring.

Electroacupuncture Involved in Motor Cortex and Hypoglossal Neural Control to Improve Voluntary Swallowing of Poststroke Dysphagia Mice.

The descending motor nerve conduction of voluntary swallowing is mainly launched by primary motor cortex (M1). M1 can activate and regulate peripheral nerves (hypoglossal) to control the swallowing. Acupuncture at "Lianquan" acupoint (CV23) has a positive effect against poststroke dysphagia (PSD). In previous work, we have demonstrated that electroacupuncture (EA) could regulate swallowing-related motor neurons and promote swallowing activity in the essential part of central pattern generator (CPG), containing nucleus ambiguus (NA), nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), and ventrolateral medulla (VLM) under the physiological condition. In the present work, we have investigated the effects of EA on the PSD mice in vivo and sought evidence for PSD improvement by electrophysiology recording and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI). Four main conclusions can be drawn from our study: (i) EA may enhance the local field potential in noninfarction area of M1, activate the swallowing-related neurons (pyramidal cells), and increase the motor conduction of noninfarction area in voluntary swallowing; (ii) EA may improve the blood flow in both M1 on the healthy side and deglutition muscles and relieve PSD symptoms; (iii) EA could increase the motor conduction velocity (MCV) in hypoglossal nerve, enhance the EMG of mylohyoid muscle, alleviate the paralysis of swallowing muscles, release the substance P, and restore the ability to drink water; and (iv) EA can boost the functional compensation of M1 in the noninfarction side, strengthen the excitatory of hypoglossal nerve, and be involved in the voluntary swallowing neural control to improve PSD. This research provides a timely and necessary experimental evidence of the motor neural regulation in dysphagia after stroke by acupuncture in clinic.

CD8+ lineage dendritic cells determine adaptive immune responses to inflammasome activation upon sterile skin injury.

The molecular links between sterile inflammation and induction of adaptive immunity have not been fully identified. Here, we examine how damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), as opposed to pathogen-associated molecules (PAMPs), regulate the immune response to non-self-antigens presented at the site of a physical injury. Heat applied briefly to the skin invokes sterile inflammation, characterized by local cell death and caspase-1 activation without demonstrably disrupting skin integrity. Co-delivery of ovalbumin (OVA) with heat injury induces OVA-specific CD8+ T-cell responses, and this is dependent on caspase-1 activation and MyD88 signalling. Using Id2flox/flox-CD11cCre+ mice, we demonstrate that CD8+ lineage DCs are required to induce OVA-specific CD8+ T-cell responses following heat injury. Consistent with this observation, intradermal administration of CD8+ lineage DCs but not CD11b+ lineage DCs restores priming of CD8+ T-cell responses in Casp-1-/- mice. Thus, we conclude that a sterile injury induces CD8+ T-cell immune responses to local antigen through caspase-1 activation and requires CD8+ lineage DCs, a finding of significance for immunotherapy and for the pathogenesis of autoimmunity.

Vertical transmission of avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) from hens infected through artificial insemination with ALV-J infected semen.

BACKGROUND: Avian leukosis virus (ALV) is one of the main causes of tumour development within the poultry industry in China. The subgroup J avian leukosis viruses (ALV-J), which induce erythroblastosis and myelocytomatosis, have the greatest pathogenicity and transmission ability within this class of viruses. ALV can be transmitted both horizontally and vertically; however, the effects of ALV infection in chickens-especially roosters-during the propagation, on future generations is not clear. Knowing the role of the cock in the transmission of ALV from generation to generation might contribute to the eradication programs for ALV. RESULTS: The results showed that two hens inseminated with ALV-J-positive semen developed temporary antibody responses to ALV-J at 4-5 weeks post insemination. The p27 antigen was detected in cloacal swabs of six hens, and in 3 of 26 egg albumens at 1-6 weeks after insemination. Moreover, no viremia was detected at 6 weeks after insemination even when virus isolation had been conducted six times at weekly intervals for each of the 12 females. However, ALV-J was isolated from 1 of their 34 progeny chicks at 1 week of age, and its gp85 had 98.4%-99.2% sequence identity with the gp85 of ALV-J isolated from semen samples of the six cocks. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that females that were late horizontally infected with ALV-J by artificial insemination might transmit the virus to progeny through eggs, which amounts to vertical transmission.

Protein-peptide nutritional material prepared from surimi wash-water using immobilized chymotrypsin-trypsin.

BACKGROUND: In the production process of surimi, large quantities of wastewater are produced. Thus it would be interesting to develop an efficient protocol for the recovery of protein from hairtail surimi wash-water. RESULTS: A technique involving the use of immobilized chymotrypsin-trypsin (I-CT) was developed, providing a practical method for the preparation of protein-peptide nutritional material (PPNM). Under optimized reaction conditions, the recovery rate of nitrogen of surimi wash-water was measured as 98.3 ± 2.9%. Nutritional evaluation of the protein-peptide fraction demonstrated that it contained all essential amino acids (EAA) for humans, accounting for 44.1% of the total amino acid (TAA) content, which was determined to be 78.2 g per 100 g dry matter. The essential amino acid index (EAAI) and biological value (BV) were 101.7 (>95) and 76.7 respectively. A wide range of volatile flavor compounds (>50), including aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, hydrocarbons and heterocyclic compounds, were identified in PPNM by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. CONCLUSION: An efficient and practical protocol for the recovery of protein from hairtail surimi wash-water has been developed. The PPNM prepared in this work could be used as a nutraceutical and as an ingredient of functional foods. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Genome analysis and pathogenicity of reticuloendotheliosis virus isolated from a contaminated vaccine seed against infectious bursal disease virus: first report in China.

Specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were inoculated with the virus seed of an infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV)-attenuated vaccine, and positive reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) antibody levels were subsequently detected in the chicken sera, indicating potential REV contamination of the vaccine. After neutralization with IBDV-positive blood serum, the vaccine was inoculated into DF-1 cells for REV isolation and identification. An REV strain, designated IBD-C1605, was identified using an immunofluorescence assay test. Three pairs of primers were employed for the amplification, cloning and sequencing of three overlapping fragments of the IBD-C1605 genome, and the whole-genome sequence of this isolate was obtained after gene assembly. The genome was 8362 base pairs (nt) in length and its homology with the nucleotide sequences of different reference strains varied between 94.2 and 99.2 %. Isolate IBD-C1605 was inoculated into 1-day-old SPF chickens to observe its pathogenicity. Infection with this organism slowed down the weight gain of SPF chickens and caused atrophy of their immune organs, such as the bursa of Fabricius and thymus gland. Furthermore, the chicken antibody levels decreased significantly after Newcastle disease virus and avian influenza virus subtype H9 vaccine immunization. This is the first report on the isolation and identification of REV from attenuated vaccine virus seeds in China, and is also the first study on the pathogenicity of REV from a contaminated vaccine in China. Our findings contribute towards a better understanding of the detrimental effects of vaccine contamination with exogenous viruses such as REV.

Rescue of avian leukosis subgroup-J-associated acutely transforming viruses carrying different lengths of the v-fps oncogene and analysis of their tumorigenicity.

In our previous study, six subgroup J strains of avian leukosis virus (ALV-J)-associated acutely transforming viruses carrying different lengths of the v-fps oncogene, designated as Fu-J and Fu-J1-5, were isolated and characterized from fibrosarcomas in ALV-J-infected chickens. In the present study, the oncogenic potential of Fu-J and Fu-J1-5 was investigated using a reverse genetics technique. Six replication-defective viruses, named rFu-J and rFu-J1-5, were rescued with the replication-competent rescued ALV-J strain rSDAU1005 as a helper virus by co-transfection of chicken embryo fibroblast monolayers with infectious clone plasmids. Experimental bird studies were performed, demonstrating that only the rescued rFu-J virus carrying the complete v-fps oncogene with rSDAU1005 as the helper virus could induce acute fibrosarcoma after inoculation in specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. These results provide direct evidence that the replication-defective acutely transforming Fu-J virus, with the complete v-fps oncogene, was associated with acute fibrosarcoma in chickens infected with ALV-J in the field, as reported previously.

[Discovering L-type calcium channels inhibitors of antihypertensive drugs based on drug repositioning].

This study was amid to construct the pharmacophore model of L-type calcium channel antagonist in the application of screening Drugbank and TCMD. This paper repositions the approved drugs resulting from virtual screening and discusses the relocation-based drug discovery methods, screening antihypertensive drugs with L-type calcium channel function from TCMD. Qualitative hypotheses wre generated by HipHop separately on the basis of 12 compounds with antagonistic action on L-type calcium channel expressed in rabbit cardiac muscle. Datebase searching method was used to evaluate the generated hypotheses. The optimum hypothesis was used to search Drugbank and TCMD. This paper repositions the approved drugs and evaluates the antihypertensive effect of the chemical constituent of traditional Chinese medicine resulting from virtual screening by the matching score and literature. The results showed that optimum qualitative hypothesis is with six features, which were two hydrogen-bond acceptors, four hydrophobic groups, and the CAI value of 2.78. Screening Drugbank achieves 93 approved drugs. Screening TCMD achieves 285 chemical constituents of traditional Chinese medicine. It was concluded that the hypothesis is reliable and can be used to screen datebase. The approved drugs resulting from virtual screening, such as pravastatin, are potentially L-type calcium channels inhibitors. The chemical constituents of traditional Chinese medicine, such as Arctigenin III and Arctigenin are potentially antihypertensive drugs. It indicates that Drug Repositioning based on hypothesis is possible.

Synthesis and anti-hypertensive effects of the twin drug of nicotinic acid and quercetin tetramethyl ether.

A novel twin drug consisting of nicotinic acid (VB3) and quercetin tetramethyl ether (QTME) has been synthesized as an antihypertensive in a total yield of 79.2% through methylation, hydrolysis, acylation and esterification starting from rutin. The structures of synthesized compounds were elucidated by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and elemental analysis. The anti-hypertensive effects of an oral daily dose (15 mg/kg) of the synthesized compounds in spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats and normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were analysed. The data demonstrate that the twin drug VB3-QTME both reduces the elevated blood pressure and prolongs the action time in SHR rats without effect on WKY rats. However, definitive evidence of a precise mechanism of action by which VB3-QTME might decrease blood pressure remains elusive. Based on the results, the therapeutic potential of this twin drug is discussed.

Perovskite hydroxide-based laccase mimics with controllable activity for environmental remediation and biosensing.

Constructing relatively inexpensive nanomaterials to simulate the catalytic performance of laccase is of great significance in recent years. Although research on improving laccase-like activity by regulating ligands of copper (amino acids or small organic molecules, etc.) have achieved remarkable success. There are few reports on improving laccase-like activity by adjusting the composition of metal Cu. Here, we used perovskite hydroxide AB(OH)6 as a model to evaluate the relationship between Cu based alloys and their laccase-like activity. We found that when the Cu/Mn alloy ratio of the perovskite hydroxide A point is greater than 1, the laccase-like activity of the binary alloy perovskite hydroxide is higher than that of the corresponding single Cu. Based on the measurements of XPS and ICP-MS, we deduced that the improvements of laccase-like activity mainly attribute to the ratio of Cu+/Cu2+and the content of Cu. Moreover, two types of substrates (toxic pollutants and catechol neurotransmitters) were used to successfully demonstrated such nanozymes' excellent environmental protecting function and biosensing property. This work will provide a novel approach for the construction and application of laccase-like nanozymes in the future.

Effect of electroacupuncture on myocardial transient receptor potential channels in mice with myocardial hypertrophy. / ç”µé’ˆå¯¹å¿ƒè‚Œè‚¥åŽšå°é¼ å¿ƒè‚Œç»„ç»‡çž¬æ—¶å—ä½“ç”µä½é€šé“çš„å½±å“.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Neiguan"(PC6) on cardiac function, cardiac morphology and transient receptor potential channel (TRPC) protein expressions in myocardial tissue of mice with myocardial hypertrophy, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of myocardial hypertrophy. METHODS: Forty-five male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control, model and EA groups (15 mice/group). The myocardial hypertrophy model was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol hydrochloride (15 mg·kg-1·d-1) for 14 days. The mice of the control group received subcutaneous injection of same amount of normal saline. The mice of the EA group received EA stimulation (frequency of 2 Hz, intensity of 1 mA) of bilateral PC6 for 20 min each time, once a day for 14 consecutive days. After the intervention, the body weight, tibia length and heart weight were measured. The left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening index (FS), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVEV), left ventricular end-systolic internal diameter (LVID) and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPW) were measured by using echocardiography for evaluating the cardiac function. The mean number and surface area of myocardial cells was detected by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) staining, and changes of the cardiac morphology were observed under light microscopy after HE staining. The expression levels of TRPC1, TRPC3, TRPC4 and TRPC6 (TRPC1/3/4/6) in the myocardial tissue were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blot, separately. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the heart-body weight ratio(P<0.05) and heart-weight-to-tibia-length ratio (P<0.01), LVEV and LVID levels, the relative surface area, left ventricular area ratio, and the expression levels of cardiac TRPC1/3/4/6 were significantly increased (P<0.01, P<0.05), while the EF, FS, LVPW, number of cardiomyocytes, and the left ventricular posterior wall ratio were obviously decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05) in the model group. In comparison with the model group, the heart/body weight ratio, heart-weight-to-tibia-length ratio, LVEV and LVID levels, relative surface area, left ventricular area ratio, and the expression levels of cardiac TRPC1/3/4/6 were significantly decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), while the EF, FS, LVPW, number of cardiomyocytes and left ventricular posterior wall ratio were significantly increased (P<0.01, P<0.05) in the EA group. H.E. staining showed disordered arrangement of cardiomyocytes and obvious myocardial interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration in the model group, and evident reduction of degree of cardiac fibrosis and interstitial edema in the EA group. CONCLUSIONS: EA of PC6 can improve the cardiac function and cardiac morphology in mice with myocardial hypertrophy, which may be related to its functions in down-regulating the expression of transient receptor potential channels.

Application of multiple strategies to enhance oleanolic acid biosynthesis by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Oleanolic acid and its derivatives are widely used in the pharmaceutical, agricultural, cosmetic and food industries. Previous studies have shown that oleanolic acid production levels in engineered cell factories are low, which is why oleanolic acid is still widely extracted from traditional medicinal plants. To construct a highly efficient oleanolic acid production strain, rate-limiting steps were regulated by inducible promoters and the expression of key genes in the oleanolic acid synthetic pathway was enhanced. Subsequently, precursor pool expansion, pathway refactoring and diploid construction were considered to harmonize cell growth and oleanolic acid production. The multi-strategy combination promoted oleanolic acid production of up to 4.07 g/L in a 100 L bioreactor, which was the highest level reported.

Dehydration-Toughing Dual-Solvent Gels with Viscoelastic Transition for Infectious Wound Treatment.

The modulus of traditional biomedical hydrogels increases exponentially meditated by dehydration-stiffing mechanism, which leads to the failure of interface matching between hydrogels and soft tissue wounds. It is found in the study that the dual-solvent gels exhibit dehydration-toughening mechanism with the slowly increasing modulus that are always match the soft tissue wounds. Therefore, dual-solvent glycerol hydrogels (GCFen-gly DGHs) are prepared with hydrophobically modified catechol chitosan (hmCSC) and gelatin based on the supramolecular interactions. GCFen-gly DGHs exhibit excellent water retention capacity with a total solvent content exceeding 80%, permanent skin-like modulus within a range of 0.45 to 4.13 kPa, and stable photothermal antibacterial abilities against S, aureus, E. coli, as well as MRSA. Infectious full-thickness rat skin defect model and tissue section analysis indicate that GCFen-gly DGHs are able to accelerate infectious wound healing by alleviating the inflammatory response, promoting granulation tissue growth, re-epithelialization, collagen deposition, and vascular regeneration. As a result, GCFen-gly DGHs is expected to become the next-generation biological gel materials for infectious wound treatment.

Dual-Drug-Loaded Core-Shell Electrospun Nanofiber Dressing for Deep Burns.

The epidermis of a deep burn wound is entirely absent and the dermal tissue sustains significant damage, accompanied by a substantial amount of tissue exudate. Due to the excessively humid environment, the formation of a scab on the wound becomes challenging, leaving it highly vulnerable to external bacterial invasion. In this work, a core-shell dual-drug-loaded nanofiber dressing was prepared by electrospinning technology for the synergistic treatment of a deep burn. The shell layer consists of polycaprolactone and chitosan encapsulating asiaticoside, with the core layer comprising the clathrate of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin and curcumin. Upon application to the wound, the dual-drug-loaded nanofiber dressing exhibited rapid release of asiaticoside, stimulating collagen deposition and promoting tissue repair. The core-shell structure and clathrate configuration ensured sustained release of curcumin, providing antibacterial and anti-inflammatory functions for the wound. The mechanical strength, broad-spectrum antibacterial ability, cell proliferation, and adhesion ability of the nanofiber dressing showed its potential as a medical dressing. This dressing also exhibited excellent wound healing promoting effects in the SD rat burn model. This paper provides a strategy for burn wound healing.

Effects of Misalignment of c-axis on the Properties of Hydrogenation-Disproportionation-Desorption-Recombination Particles.

Hydrogenation-Disproportionation-Desorption-Recombination (HDDR) Nd2Fe14B particles have excellent magnetic properties, but the magnetic properties of powder are not uniform across different particle sizes. The remanence and maximum magnetic energy products of samples with a particle size of 120 µm are 14.0 kGs and 41.35 MGOe, while the products of samples with a particle size of 60 µm are only 13.3 kGs and 36.31 MGOe. The macroscopic morphology of HDDR Nd2Fe14B particles and the gradient distribution of microstructures in different micro-regions were observed. By modifying the macroscopic morphology of the particles, the poorly oriented clusters on the surface of the particles were precisely eliminated, and the remanence and maximum magnetic energy products of the particles increased to 14.5 kGs and 45 MGOe, respectively. Compared with the original particles, the samples after mechanical grinding had better grain arrangement. The effects of the nanocrystalline c-axis and field misalignment angle θ on the magnetic properties of HDDR Nd2Fe14B particles were investigated through micromagnetic simulation. The targeted removal of macroscopic defects on the particle surface contributed to a 3.6% increase in remanence and an 8.8% increase in the maximum magnetic energy product, offering a promising approach to enhance the microstructure of high-performance HDDR Nd2Fe14B particles.