Golden-flower fungus (Eurotiwm Cristatum) presents fungal flower aroma as well as accelerates the aging of white tea (Shoumei).

Golden-flower fungus (Eurotiwm Cristatum, EC) is widely inoculated in dark tea to endow a typical fungal floral aroma. Recently, Golden Flower White Tea (GFWT), prepared by transplanting EC-mediated fermentation to white tea (Shoumei, SM) to reform the roughness and coarseness, has attracted much attention attributed to coordinated flavor. However, the bio-chemistry reactions between EC and SM, along with origination of composited aroma are still unclear. Thus, the rejected EC, GFWT leaves and stems after EC removal were separated by layer-by-layer stripping following sensory evaluation, volatiles and microstructure analysis to uncover aroma formation mechanism. In GFWT, EC presents fungal flower aroma rather than contribution of extracellular enzymes secreted by fungus in Fu brick tea. Moreover, the short "flowering process" (7 days) endows SM with a stale, jujube, and sweet aroma, which is regarded as the typical characteristic of aged white tea. This inspires EC-mediated fermentation as a promising rapid aging process.

The antidepressant effects of protein arginine methyltransferase 2 involve neuroinflammation.

Protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) 2 catalyzes the methylation of arginine residues in histones. Depression is associated with histone methylation; however, more comprehensive research is needed on how PRMT2 regulates depression. The present study aimed to investigate the effects and possible mechanism(s) of PRMT2 overexpression on depression-like behavior induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in rats, and whether lentivirus-mediated PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus suppresses depression-like behavior. Furthermore, the PRMT2 inhibitor MS023 was administered to the animals to investigate whether the antidepressant effect of PRMT2 overexpression could be reversed. Behavioral experiments were performed to detect depression-like behavior in rats. Western blotting was used to determine protein expression levels of PRMT2, histone H3R8 asymmetric dimethylation (H3R8me2a), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and arginase 1 (Arg1) in rat hippocampal tissues. Hippocampal microglia and PRMT2 were stained using immunofluorescence techniques. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the levels of various inflammatory factors in rat hippocampal tissue. Results of analysis revealed that PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus exerted an antidepressant effect. PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus reduced the proportion of activated microglia in the hippocampus, upregulated Arg1 and H3R8me2a expression, and downregulated iNOS expression. PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory factors and promoted the release of anti-inflammatory factors. In summary, PRMT2 overexpression in the hippocampus promoted the conversion of microglia from the M1 to M2 type, resulting in an antidepressant effect. These results suggest that PRMT2 may be a potential therapeutic target to prevent and treat depression.

A newly-discovered tea population variety processed Bai Mu Dan white tea: Flavor characteristics and chemical basis.

The quality of white tea (WT) is impacted by selected tea cultivars. To explore the organoleptic quality of a recently-discovered WT ("Caicha", CC), HS-SPME/GC-MS and UPLC were employed to identify volatile and non-volatile compounds in tea samples. Multiple statistical methods demonstrated the distinctions between CC and four mainstream WT varieties from main producing areas. CC exhibited abundant volatile alcohol, terpenoids, ketone, aldehyde and ester, as well as non-volatile lignans and coumarins, phenolic acids and low-molecular carbohydrates. These substances combinedly contributed to the flavor attributes of CC, characterized by an intense herbal/citrus-like cleanness and flower/fruit-like sweetness, scarce in existing commercial WT varieties. Sensory evaluation corroborated these findings. In conclusion, we have processed a new tea variety (CC) with WT manufacturing technology, and discovered the unique cleanness and sweetness of it. This study enriches the raw material database for WT production and blending, and boosts the development of more premium WT varieties.

Influence of Various Tea Utensils on Sensory and Chemical Quality of Different Teas.

The choice of tea utensils used for brewing significantly impacts the sensory and chemical attributes of tea. In order to assess the influence of various tea sets on the flavor and chemical composition of different tea varieties, a combination of sensory evaluation and high-performance liquid chromatography was employed. The results showed that the content of amino acids in the tea liquid brewed with tin tea utensils was relatively higher, which could exhibit freshness in taste, thus suitable for brewing green tea and white tea. The content of polyphenols, soluble carbohydrates, and water extract in the tea liquid brewed with a porcelain tea set was relatively higher; the sweetness and thickness of the tea liquid were increased, so it was more beneficial to brew black tea. The purple sand tea set was suitable for brewing oolong tea and dark tea, and could endow their respective quality characteristics. Ultimately, these research findings provide a scientific basis for the selection of tea utensils tailored to different types of tea.

Decoding the Chemical Signatures and Sensory Profiles of Enshi Yulu: Insights from Diverse Tea Cultivars.

Enshi Yulu, a renowned Chinese steamed green tea, is highly valued for its unique sensory attributes. To enhance our comprehensive understanding of the metabolic variation induced by steaming fixation, we investigated the overall chemical profiles and organoleptic quality of Enshi Yulu from different tea cultivars (Longjing 43, Xiapu Chunbolv, and Zhongcha 108). The relationships between sensory traits and non-volatiles/volatiles were evaluated. A total of 58 volatiles and 18 non-volatiles were identified as characteristic compounds for discriminating among the three tea cultivars, and the majority were correlated with sensory attributes. The "mellow" taste was associated with L-aspartic acid, L-asparagine, L-tyrosine, L-valine, EGC, EC, and ECG, while gallic acid and theobromine contributed to the "astringent" taste. "Kokumi" contributors were identified as L-methionine, L-lysine, and GCG. Enshi Yulu displayed a "pure" and "clean and refreshing" aroma associated with similar volatiles like benzyl alcohol, δ-cadinene, and muurolol. The composition of volatile compounds related to the "chestnut" flavor was complex, including aromatic heterocycles, acids, ketones, terpenes, and terpene derivatives. The key contributors to the "fresh" flavor were identified as linalool oxides. This study provides valuable insights into the sensory-related chemical profiles of Enshi Yulu, offering essential information for flavor and quality identification of Enshi Yulu.

Chemometrics-based investigation of non-volatiles/volatiles flavor of tencha (Camellia sinensis cv. Yabukita, Longjing 43 and Baiye 1).

The increasing demand for tea consumption calls for the development of more products with distinct characteristics. The sensory quality of tencha is significantly determined by innate differences among tea cultivars. However, the correlations between the chemical composition and sensory traits of tencha are still unclear. To enhance the understanding of the flavor formation mechanism in tencha and further to develop new cultivars resources, we investigated non-volatiles and volatile metabolites as well as sensory traits in tencha from different tea cultivars (Camellia sinensis cv. Yabukita, Longjing 43 and Baiye 1); the relationships between the flavor traits and non-volatiles/volatiles were further evaluated by partial least squares - discriminate analysis (PLS-DA), multiple factor analysis (MFA) and multidimensional alignment (MDA) analysis. A total of 64 non-volatiles and 116 volatiles were detected in all samples, among which 71 metabolites were identified as key flavor-chemical contributors involving amino acids, flavonol glycosides, flavones, catechins, ketones, alcohols, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, esters and acids. The levels of taste-related amino acids, flavonol glycosides and gallic acid varied significantly among the tencha samples made from different tea cultivars. All the samples exhibited typical quality characteristics of tencha. The tencha from Camellia sinensis cv. Longjing 43 and Camellia sinensis cv. Baiye 1 (cultivated in the open) exhibited higher levels of amino acids and gallic acid, which were associated with the umami taste and mellow taste of tea infusion. Abundant flavonol glycosides were related to the astringency, while partial tri-glycosides specifically quercetin-3-O-galactoside-rhamnoside-glucoside and total of flavonol galactoside-rhamnoside-glucoside were associated with mellow taste. The floral alcohols were identified as significant contributors to the refreshing aroma traits of tencha. The green, almond-like, acidic and fruity odorants were associated with a green and fresh aroma, while the green, cheesy and waxy odorants such as ketones, esters, acids and hydrocarbons were associated with seaweed-like aroma. This study provides insight into sensory-related chemical profiles of tencha from different tea cultivars, supplying valuable information on flavor and quality identification for tencha.

Vanin-1-Activated Chemiluminescent Probe: Help to Early Diagnosis of Acute Kidney Injury with High Signal-to-Noise Ratio through Urinalysis.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common medical condition with high morbidity and mortality. Although urinalysis provides a noninvasive and convenient diagnostic method for AKI at the molecular level, the low sensitivity of current chemical probes used in urinalysis hinders the time diagnosis of AKI. Herein, we achieved the sensitive and early diagnosis of AKI by the development of a chemiluminescent probe CL-Pa suitable for detection of urinary Vanin-1. Vanin-1 is considered as an early and sensitive biomarker for AKI, while few chemical probes have been applied to for its efficient detection. By virtue of the low autofluorescence interference during urine imaging in the chemiluminescence model, CL-Pa could realize the monitoring of the up-regulated urinary Vanin-1 with a high signal-to-noise ratio (∼588). Importantly, under the help of CL-Pa, the up-regulation of urinary Vanin-1 of cisplatin-induced AKI mice at 12 h post cisplatin injection was detected, which was much earlier than clinical biomarkers (sCr and BUN) and change of kidney histology (48 h post cisplatin injection). Furthermore, using this probe, the fluctuation of urinary Vanin-1 of mice with different degrees of AKI was monitored. This study demonstrated the ability of CL-Pa in sensitively detecting drug-induced AKI through urinalysis and suggested the great potential of CL-Pa for early diagnosis of AKI and evaluate the efficiency of anti-AKI drugs clinically.

Nonlinear and Anisotropic Ion Transport in Black Phosphorus Nanochannels.

Two-dimensional material nanochannels with molecular-scale confinement can be constructed by Van der Waals assembly and show unexpected fluid transport phenomena. The crystal structure of the channel surface plays a key role in controlling fluid transportation, and many strange properties are explored in these confined channels. Here, we use black phosphorus as the channel surface to enable ion transport along a specific crystal orientation. We observed a significant nonlinear and anisotropic ion transport phenomenon in the black phosphorus nanochannels. Theoretical results revealed an anisotropy of ion transport energy barrier on the black phosphorus surface, with the minimum energy barrier along the armchair direction approximately ten times larger than that along the zigzag direction. This difference in energy barrier affects the electrophoretic and electroosmotic transport of ions in the channel. This anisotropic transport, which depends on the orientation of the crystal, may provide new approaches to controlling the transport of fluids.

Designing a Brightness-Restored Rhodamine Derivative by the Ortho-Compensation Effect for Assessing Drug-Induced Acute Kidney Injury.

Effective monitoring of essential bioindicators with high-contrast fluorescence imaging is highly crucial to reveal the pathological progression of diseases. However, most reported probes based on asymmetric amino-rhodamine (ARh) derivatives are often limited in practical application due to the low signal-to-noise ratios. Herein, a new fluorophore, 3-methoxy-amino-rhodamine (3-MeOARh), with improved fluorescence quantum yield (0.51 in EtOH) is designed and synthesized by introducing methoxy group in the ortho-position of amino in asymmetric amino-rhodamine. Notably, the good properties of the ortho-compensation effect further effectively enable the construction of an activatable probe with a high signal-to-noise ratio. As a proof of concept, the probe (3-MeOARh-NTR) was successfully synthesized for nitroreductase detection with high selectivity, excellent sensitivity, and good stability. More importantly, the relationship between drug-induced kidney hypoxia and elevated nitroreductase concentration was first uncovered in living tissues through high-contrast imaging. Therefore, the study presents the activatable probe for kidney hypoxia imaging while highlighting the 3-MeOARh structure with a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio. It is believed that 3-MeOARh can serve as an efficient platform for activatable probe construction to reveal the pathological progression of different diseases.

Heat treatment-induced autophagy promotes breast cancer cell invasion and metastasis via TGF-ß2-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transitions.

Background: Insufficient thermal ablation can accelerate malignant behaviors and metastases in some solid tumors, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and autophagy are involved in tumor metastasis. It has been found that TGF-ß2 which belongs to the family of transforming growth factors often associated with cancer cell invasiveness and EMT. However, whether the interactions between autophagy and TGF-ß2 induce EMT in breast cancer (BC) cells following insufficient microwave ablation (MWA) remains unclear. Methods: BC cells were treated with sublethal heat treatment to simulate insufficient MWA, and the effects of heat treatment on the BC cell phenotypes were explored. CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, Transwell, and wound healing assays were performed to evaluate the influence of sublethal heat treatment on the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration of BC cells. Western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy were carried out to determine the changes in markers associated with autophagy and EMT following sublethal heat treatment. Results: Results showed that heat treatment promoted the proliferation of surviving BC cells, which was accompanied by autophagy induction. Heat treatment-induced autophagy up-regulated TGF-ß2/Smad2 signaling and promoted EMT phenotype, thereby enhancing BC cells' migration and invasion abilities. An increase or decrease of TGF-ß2 expression resulted in the potentiation and suppression of autophagy, as well as the enhancement and abatement of EMT. Autophagy inhibitors facilitated apoptosis and repressed proliferation of BC cells in vitro, and thwarted BC cell tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis in vivo. Conclusion: Heat treatment-induced autophagy promoted invasion and metastasis via TGF-ß2/Smad2-mediated EMTs. Suppressing autophagy may be a suitable strategy for overcoming the progression and metastasis of residual BC cells following insufficient MWA.

Effect of Yellowing Duration on the Chemical Profile of Yellow Tea and the Associations with Sensory Traits.

The yellowing process is the crucial step to form the characteristic sensory and chemical properties of yellow tea. To investigate the chemical changes and the associations with sensory traits during yellowing, yellow teas with different yellowing times (0-13 h) were prepared for sensory evaluation and chemical analysis. The intensities of umami and green-tea aroma were reduced whereas sweet taste, mellow taste and sweet aroma were increased under long-term yellowing treatment. A total of 230 chemical constituents were determined, among which 25 non-volatiles and 42 volatiles were the key chemical contributors to sensory traits based on orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA), multiple factor analysis (MFA) and multidimensional alignment (MDA) analysis. The decrease in catechins, flavonol glycosides and caffeine and the increase in certain amino acids contributed to the elevated sweet taste and mellow taste. The sweet, woody and herbal odorants and the fermented and fatty odorants were the key contributors to the characteristic sensory feature of yellow tea with sweet aroma and over-oxidation aroma, including 7 ketones, 5 alcohols, 1 aldehyde, 5 acids, 4 esters, 5 hydrocarbons, 1 phenolic compound and 1 sulfocompound. This study reveals the sensory trait-related chemical changes in the yellowing process of tea, which provides a theoretical basis for the optimization of the yellowing process and quality control of yellow tea.

The optimal probe tone frequency for eSRT measurements at individual electrodes in children with cochlear implants.

BACKGROUND: Higher probe tone frequencies have been shown to increase the elicitation rates in electrically evoked stapedius reflex threshold (eSRT) measurements. OBJECTIVES: To determine the optimal probe tone frequency for contralateral eSRT measurements at individual electrodes in children with unilateral cochlear implants and to assess the relationship between eSRTs for this frequency and most comfortable levels (M-levels). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Contralateral eSRT measurements with three probe tone frequencies (226, 678, and 1000 Hz) at individual electrodes were performed on 26 paediatric Advanced Bionics cochlear implant recipients. RESULTS: The elicitation rates of eSRTs for 226, 678, and 1000 Hz probe tones were 73.08% (57/78), 88.46% (69/78), and 88.46% (69/78), respectively. The average eSRT for the 1000 Hz probe tone was significantly lower than those for 226 and 678 Hz probe tones (p<.001 and p=.009, respectively). ESRTs for the 1000 Hz probe tone and M-levels were significantly correlated at all tested electrodes (all p<.001). CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The optimal probe tone frequency for contralateral eSRT measurement at individual electrodes in children with unilateral cochlear implants is 1000 Hz. ESRTs for the 1000 Hz probe tone are significantly correlated with M-levels and can be used to guide the M-levels setting in these children.

Widely targeted metabolomics analysis of white peony teas with different storage time and association with sensory attributes.

The sensory features of white peony teas (WPTs) significantly change with storage age; however, their comprehensive associations with composition are still unclear. This study aimed to clarify the sensory quality-related chemical changes in WPTs during storage. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based on widely targeted metabolomics analysis was performed on WPTs of 1-13 years storage ages. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to correlate metabolites with sensory traits including color difference values and taste attributes. 323 sensory trait-related metabolites were obtained from six key modules via WGCNA, verified by multiple factor analysis. The decline and transformation of abundant flavonoids, tannins and amino acids were related to the reduced astringency, umami and increased browning of tea infusions. In contrast, the total contents of phenolic acids and organic acids increased with storage. This study provides a high-throughput method for the association of chemical compounds with various sensory traits of foods.

Tunable Optical Rotation in Twisted Black Phosphorus.

Black phosphorus (BP) is a typical two-dimensional (2D) layered material with strong in-plane anisotropy and large birefringence, making it possible to manipulate the light field with atomically controlled devices for various optoelectronic and photonic applications-for instance, atomic thickness waveplates. The twist angle in twisted black phosphorus (TBP) can be presented as a new tunable dimension to control BP's optical anisotropy. Here, we report a large and tunable optical rotation effect in TBP, the result of regulating the twist angle and BP thickness. To accurately study the optical rotation and the impact of the twist angle, we developed a new method to prepare TBP. A lab-made polarimeter microscope was used to visualize the optical rotation mapping of TBP. A large polarization-plane rotation (PORA) of 0.49° per atomic layer was observed from an air/BP/SiO2/Si Fabry-Pérot cavity at 600 nm, an order of magnitude higher than the PORA of 0.05° per atomic layer reported earlier. For the same thickness, the PORA of TBP can be tuned from 0.48° to 7.75° based on the twist angle from 0° to 90°. Our work provides an efficient method to investigate the anisotropy of 2D materials and their heterojunctions. TBP could help us design novel optical and optoelectronic devices such as tunable nanoscale polarization controllers.

A Specific Nucleic Acid Microfluidic Capture Device Based on Stable DNA Nanostructure.

Benefiting from superior programmability and good biocompatibility, DNA nanomaterials have received considerable attention with promising prospects in biological detection applications. However, their poor stability and operability severely impede further development of the applications of DNA nanomaterials. Here, a thermally stable DNA nanomesh structure is integrated into a microfluidic chip. The specificity of the nucleic acid microfluidic capture device could reach the single-base mismatch level while capturing the ssDNA sample. The microfluidic chip provides a closed environment for the DNA nanomesh, giving the device excellent storage stability. After 6 months of storage at room temperature, the device still has a specific capture function on ssDNA samples with low concentration. The specific nucleic acid microfluidic capture device can be applied to the enrichment of ctDNA in the future and contribute to the early diagnosis of cancer.

Probing Dynamic Features of Phagosome Maturation in Macrophage using Au@MnOx @SiO2 Nanoparticles as pH-Sensitive Plasmonic Nanoprobes.

Phagosome maturation in macrophage is essential to the clearance of pathogenic materials in host defence but the dynamic features remain difficult to be measured in real time. Herein, we reported the multilayered Au@MnOx @SiO2 nanoparticle as a robust pH-sensitive plasmonic nanosensor for monitoring the dynamic acidification features over the phagosome maturation process in macrophage under darkfield microscopy. For this multilayered nanosensor, the gold nanoparticle core plays a role of signal reporter, the MnOx shell and the outmost SiO2 act as the sensing layer and the protecting layer, respectively. After subject to the acidic buffer solution, the MnOx layer in the multilayered nanoprobe could be decomposed rapidly, resulting in a remarkable spectral shift and color change under darkfield microscopy. We demonstrated this nanosensor for the investigation of single phagosome acidification dynamics by monitoring the color changes of nanoprobes after phagocytosis over time. The nanoprobes after phagocytosized in macrophage displayed a slight color change within the first hour and then cost several minutes to change from red to green in the next stage, indicating the phagosome undergoes a slow first and then fast acidification feature as well as a slow-to-fast acidification translation over the phagosome maturation process. Moreover, we validated that the slow-to-fast acidification translation was dependent on the activation of V-ATPase from the ATP depletion assay. We believed that this nanosensor is promising for studying the dynamic acidification features as well as disorders in phagosome maturation in phagocytic cells, which might provide valuable information for understanding the disease pathogenesis related to phagosome dysfunctions.

Laser Writable Multifunctional van der Waals Heterostructures.

Achieving multifunctional van der Waals nanoelectronic devices on one structure is essential for the integration of 2D materials; however, it involves complex architectural designs and manufacturing processes. Herein, a facile, fast, and versatile laser direct write micro/nanoprocessing to fabricate diode, NPN (PNP) bipolar junction transistor (BJT) simultaneously based on a pre-fabricated black phosphorus/molybdenum disulfide heterostructure is demonstrated. The PN junctions exhibit good diode rectification behavior. Due to different carrier concentrations of BP and MoS2 , the NPN BJT, with a narrower base width, renders better performance than the PNP BJT. Furthermore, the current gain can be modulated efficiently through laser writing tunable base width WB , which is consistent with the theoretical results. The maximum gain for NPN and PNP is found to be ≈41 (@WB ≈600 nm) and ≈12 (@WB ≈600 nm), respectively. In addition, this laser write processing technique also can be utilized to realize multifunctional WSe2 /MoS2 heterostructure device. The current work demonstrates a novel, cost-effective, and universal method to fabricate multifunctional nanoelectronic devices. The proposed approach exhibits promise for large-scale integrated circuits based on 2D heterostructures.

Photoresponse in a Strain-Induced Graphene Wrinkle Superlattice.

Applied strain introduces significant changes in the carbon-carbon bond of graphene and thereby forms electronic superlattices. The electron/phonon coupling and existence of pseudogauge fields within these superlattices render unique electronic and magnetism properties. However, the interfacial interactions between strained and pristine graphene have rarely been studied. Herein, we report a prominent increase in photocurrent at the interface between pristine graphene and the strain-induced superlattice (i.e., the graphene wrinkle). The photocurrent distribution indicates a large increase in the bending lattice of graphene. These results demonstrate that the photocurrent enhancement is due to the difference in the Seebeck coefficient between pristine graphene and deformed superlattices, resulting in a significant increase in the photothermoelectric effect at the interface.

pH stimulus-disaggregated BODIPY: an activated photodynamic/photothermal sensitizer applicable to tumor ablation.

Herein, we report a pH stimulus-disaggregated BODIPY sensitizer (PTS) with low background-toxicity for achieving activated photodynamic/photothermal tumor therapy. Both the photodynamic and photothermal properties of PTS can be activated under acidic conditions, and PTS exhibits excellent antitumor properties, which is revealed by both in vitro and in vivo tests.

A gate-tunable symmetric bipolar junction transistor fabricated via femtosecond laser processing.

Two-dimensional (2D) bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) with van der Waals heterostructures play an important role in the development of future nanoelectronics. Herein, a convenient method is introduced for fabricating a symmetric bipolar junction transistor (SBJT), constructed from black phosphorus and MoS2, with femtosecond laser processing. This SBJT exhibits good bidirectional current amplification owing to its symmetric structure. We placed a top gate on one side of the SBJT to change the difference in the major carrier concentration between the emitter and collector in order to further investigate the effects of electrostatic doping on the device performance. The SBJT can also act as a gate-tunable phototransistor with good photodetectivity and photocurrent gain of ß = ∼21. Scanning photocurrent images were used to determine the mechanism governing photocurrent amplification in the phototransistor. These results promote the development of the applications of multifunctional nanoelectronics based on 2D materials.