Natural compound Alternol actives multiple endoplasmic reticulum stress-responding pathways contributing to cell death.

Background: Alternol is a small molecular compound isolated from the fermentation of a mutant fungus obtained from Taxus brevifolia bark. Our previous studies showed that Alternol treatment induced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent immunogenic cell death. This study conducted a comprehensive investigation to explore the mechanisms involved in Alternol-induced immunogenic cell death. Methods: Prostate cancer PC-3, C4-2, and 22RV1 were used in this study. Alternol interaction with heat shock proteins (HSP) was determined using CETSA assay. Alternol-regulated ER stress proteins were assessed with Western blot assay. Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was measured using ATPlite Luminescence Assay System. Results: Our results showed that Alternol interacted with multiple cellular chaperone proteins and increased their expression levels, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone hypoxia up-regulated 1 (HYOU1) and heat shock protein 90 alpha family class B member 1 (HSP90AB1), as well as cytosolic chaperone heat shock protein family A member 8 (HSPA8). These data represented a potential cause of unfolded protein response (UPR) after Alternol treatment. Further investigation revealed that Alternol treatment triggered ROS-dependent (ER) stress responses via R-like ER kinase (PERK), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α). The double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) but not activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) cascades, leading to ATF-3/ATF-4 activation, C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) overexpression, and X-box binding protein XBP1 splicing induction. In addition, inhibition of these ER stress responses cascades blunted Alternol-induced extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release, one of the classical hallmarks of immunogenic cell death. Conclusion: Taken together, our data demonstrate that Alternol treatment triggered multiple ER stress cascades, leading to immunogenic cell death.

Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Fentanyl and Its Analogs by a Novel Chemiluminescence Immunoassay.

BACKGROUND: Abuse of fentanyl and its analogs is a major contributor to the opioid overdose epidemic in the United States, but detecting and quantifying trace amounts of such drugs remains a challenge without resorting to sophisticated mass spectrometry-based methods. METHODS: A sensitive immunoassay with a sub-picogram limit of detection for fentanyl and a wide range of fentanyl analogs has been developed, using a novel high-affinity antibody fused with NanoLuc, a small-size luciferase that can emit strong and stable luminescence. When used with human urine samples, the assay has a sub-picogram limit of detection for fentanyl, with results fully concordant with LC-MS. RESULTS: When applied to clinical samples, the novel chemiluminescence immunoassay can detect low positive fentanyl missed by routine screening immunoassays, with a limit of detection of 0.8 pg/mL in human urine. When applied to environmental samples, the assay can detect levels as low as 0.25 pg fentanyl per inch2 of environment surface. Assay turnaround time is less than 1 h, with inexpensive equipment and the potential for high-throughput automation or in-field screening. CONCLUSIONS: We have established a novel assay that may have broad applications in clinical, environmental, occupational, and forensic scenarios for detection of trace amounts of fentanyl and its analogs.

Research Progress in the Use of Small Molecule Smac Mimetics in Combination Therapy of Cancer.

Inhibitors of Apoptosis Proteins (IAP) are inhibitors that can block programmed cell death, are expressed at high levels in various cancers, and are recognized as a therapeutic target for cancer therapy. In the past few years, several small molecule IAP protein inhibitors have been designed to mimic the endogenous IAP antagonist, but no IAP inhibitors have been approved for marketing worldwide. Previously, xevinapant has been awarded a breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA. In addition, a combination of Smac-mimetics and chemotherapeutic compounds has been reported to improve anticancer efficacy. According to the phase II clinical data, xevinapant has the potential to significantly enhance the standard therapy for patients with head and neck cancer, which is expected to be approved as an innovative therapy for cancer patients. Therefore, this paper briefly describes the mechanism of IAPs (AT-406, APG-1387, GDC- 0152, TL32711, and LCL161) as single or in combination for cancer treatment, their application status as well as the synthetic pathway, and explores the research prospects and challenges of IAPs antagonists in the tumor combination therapy, with the hope of providing strong insights into the further development of Smac mimics in tumor therapy.

[Pseudo-targeted metabolomics for differential components of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma from three plant species].

Rhei Radix et Rhizoma is common traditional Chinese medicine with multiple original plants. The content and proportion of the active components in Rhei Radix et Rhizoma from different plant species were compared to accurately evaluate the medicine qua-lity and provide a theoretical basis for precise use of this medicine in clinical practice. In this study, fresh Rhei Radix et Rhizoma samples were collected from the four-year-old plants of Rheum palmatum, R. tanguticum, and R. officinale. The relative content of 220 anthraquinones, anthrones, and tannins in the samples were determined by pseudo-targeted metabolomics, and the differential components were screened by multivariate statistical methods. The principal component analysis classified the samples into three clusters according to the original plants. The orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) screened out 117 differential components, including 8 free anthraquinones, 18 anthraquinone glycosides, 80 anthrones, and 11 tannins. Twenty-eight components had the highest content in R. tanguticum, mainly including sennosides, anthraquinone glycosides, and procyanidins. Thirty-five components showed the highest content in R. officinale, mainly including free anthraquinones and catechines. Fifty-four components showed the highest content in R. palmatum, mainly including dianthrones, while the structures of most of them cannot be determined temporarily. The content distribution of differential components in the three original plants indicates that R. tanguticum has the strongest effect of purging, while R. officinale has the strongest effect of clearing heat and purging fire, and both have stronger effects of resolvong stasis and dredging meridians than R. palmatum.

Carbon quantum dots from hemicucur[6]bit and the application for the detection of Pb2.

A macrocyclic compound, hemicucurbit[6]uril (HemiQ[6]), is employed as the carbon source to produce a novel sort of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) with blue fluorescence in aqueous solution. The CQDs are fully identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), zeta potential, ultraviolet/visible (UV-vis) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The nanomaterial is developed for the analysis of Pb2+ in the light of the Resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) changes with the increasing Pb2+ concentration. The proposed probe emerges a high selectivity to Pb2+ and excellent sensitivity in the linear concentration range of 0-6 µM with a detection limit low to 0.42 µM, which is superior to the previous values of Pb2+ sensors, as well as the good anti-interference ability is confirmed by the specifical response to Pb2+ in the presence of other metal cations. Therefore, the proposed analysis of Pb2+ is explored for the application in real samples of tap water and lake water, in satisfied results of acceptable recoveries.

Manufacturing Shape-Controllable Flexible PEDOT/rGO Composite Electrodes for Planar Micro-Supercapacitors.

Flexible electronic products, with their characteristics of flexibility and wearability, have attracted significant attention and have become an important direction in the research and development of the electronics industry. Planar micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) with flexible composite electrodes can provide reliable energy support for these products, propelling their further development. The research employed a quick, effective, and environmentally friendly method of laser scribing to create shape-controllable flexible composite electrodes on composite films of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) and graphene oxide (PEDOT/GO), which were subsequently assembled into MSCs. An analysis of the composite electrode morphology, structure, and elemental distribution was conducted through the utilization of SEM, TEM, and XPS techniques. Following this, a comprehensive evaluation of the electrochemical performance of the flexible MSCs was carried out, which included cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD), and assessment of cyclic stability. The analysis of the CV results indicated that the MSCs achieved the areal capacitance of 5.78 mF/cm2 at 5 mV/s. After 5000 cycles at a current density of 0.05 mA/cm2, the capacitance retention rate was 85.4%. The high areal capacitance and strong cycle stability of MSCs highlight the potential of PEDOT/reduced graphene oxide (PEDOT/rGO) electrodes in electrode applications.

Chemokine receptor 7 contributes to T- and B-cell filtering in ageing bladder, cystitis and bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Research has suggested significant correlations among ageing, immune microenvironment, inflammation and tumours. However, the relationships among ageing, immune microenvironment, cystitis and bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) in the bladder have rarely been reported. METHODS: Bladder single-cell and transcriptomic data from young and old mice were used for immune landscape analysis. Transcriptome, single-cell and The Cancer Genome Atlas Program datasets of BLCA and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) were used to analyse immune cell infiltration and molecular expression. Bladder tissues from mice, IC/BPS and BLCA were collected to validate the results. RESULTS: Eight types of immune cells (macrophages, B-cells, dendritic cells, T-cells, monocytes, natural killer cells, γδ T-cells and ILC2) were identified in the bladder of mice. Aged mice bladder tissues had a significantly higher number of T-cells, γδ T-cells, ILC2 and B-cells than those in the young group (P < 0.05). Three types of T-cells (NK T-cells, γδ T-cells and naïve T-cells) and three types of B-cells (follicular B-cells, plasma and memory B-cells) were identified in aged mice bladder. Chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) is highly expressed in aged bladder, IC/BPS and BLCA (P < 0.05). CCR7 is likely to be involved in T- and B-cell infiltration in aged bladder, IC/BPS and BLCA. Interestingly, the high CCR7 expression on BLCA cell membranes was a prognostic protective factor. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we characterised the expression profiles of immune cells in bladder tissues of aged and young mice and demonstrated that CCR7-mediated T- and B-cell filtration contributes to the development of bladder ageing, IC/BPS and BLCA.

Community integration and its predictors in people with stroke: a multicenter longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the community integration of patients following stroke and determine the predictors of their level of community integration at 1-year follow-up. DESIGN: A multicenter, longitudinal, and observational study. SUBJECTS: Sixty-five inpatients (41 men) with a mean age of 56.9 (standard deviation = 17.0) years, who had their first stroke at least 1 month prior to this study were recruited from 4 rehabilitation inpatient wards in China. METHODS: In the initial assessment, the participants were evaluated using the Community Integration Questionnaire, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, the Berg Balance Scale, the Modified Barthel Index, the Mini Mental State Examination, and the Modified Ashworth Scale. In the follow-up assessments, which were conducted via telephone no less than 1 year after discharge, the participants were evaluated using the Community Integration Questionnaire and also assessed for other disease-related conditions. RESULTS: The participants' scores on the Community Integration Questionnaire in the follow-up assessment were significantly greater than those at the initial assessment (p < 0.05). In addition, the participants' Community Integration Questionnaire scores in the follow-up assessment were significantly correlated with their ages, numbers of years of education, and Modified Barthel Index, Berg Balance Scale, Mini Mental State Examination scores in the initial assessment (p < 0.05), and marginally significantly correlated with their scores on Fugl-Meyer Assessment in the initial assessment (p = 0.058). The participants' ages, numbers of years of education, and Modified Barthel Index, Berg Balance Scale, Mini Mental State Examination, Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the lower extremity, and Fugl-Meyer Assessment scores in the initial assessment were predictive of their Community Integration Questionnaire scores at follow-up, with coefficients of determination ranging from 0.254 to 0.056 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The level of community integration of the participants was generally low, but it was greater at 1-year follow-up than it was initially. Balance function and daily living ability may be key predictors of community integration of patients following stroke.

Interaction Effects between the Main Components of Protein-Rich Biomass during Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis.

The interaction effects between the main components (proteins (P), carbohydrates (C), and lipids (L)) of protein-rich biomass during microwave-assisted pyrolysis were investigated in depth with an exploration of individual pyrolysis and copyrolysis (PC, PL, and CL) of model compounds. The average heating rate of P was higher than those of C and L, and the interactions in all copyrolysis groups reduced the max instant heating rate. The synergistic extent (S) of PC and PL for bio-oil yield was 16.78 and 18.24%, respectively, indicating that the interactions promoted the production of bio-oil. Besides, all of the copyrolysis groups exhibited a synergistic effect on biochar production (S = 19.43-28.24%), while inhibiting the gas generation, with S ranging from -20.17 to -6.09%. Regarding the gaseous products, apart from H2, P, C, and L primarily generated CO2, CO, and CH4, respectively. Regarding bio-oil composition, the interactions occurring within PC, PL, and CL exhibited a significantly synergistic effect (S = 47.81-412.96%) on the formation of N-heterocyclics/amides, amides/nitriles, and acids/esters, respectively. Finally, the favorable applicability of the proposed interaction effects was verified with microalgae. This study offers valuable insights for understanding the microwave-assisted pyrolysis of protein-rich biomass, laying the groundwork for further research and process optimization.

Role of extracellular vesicles in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common health threat to men worldwide, and castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) is the leading cause of PCa-related deaths. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer compartments secreted by living cells that are important mediators of intercellular communication. EVs regulate the biological processes of recipient cells by transmitting heterogeneous cargoes, contributing to CRPC occurrence, progression, and drug resistance. These EVs originate not only from malignant cells, but also from various cell types within the tumor microenvironment. EVs are widely dispersed throughout diverse biological fluids and are attractive biomarkers derived from noninvasive liquid biopsy techniques. EV quantities and cargoes have been tested as potential biomarkers for CRPC diagnosis, progression, drug resistance, and prognosis; however, technical barriers to their clinical application continue to exist. Furthermore, exogenous EVs may provide tools for new therapies for CRPC. This review summarizes the current evidence on the role of EVs in CRPC.

Chondroitin polymerizing factor (CHPF) promotes the progression of colorectal cancer through ASB2-mediated ubiquitylation of SMAD9.

Chondroitin polymerizing factor (CHPF) has been reported to play a pivotal role in the progression of multiple cancers, however, the relationship between CHPF and colorectal cancer (CRC) progression has not been fully understood. The current study revealed that CHPF expression was upregulated in patients with CRC and correlated with an unfavorable prognosis. Also, CHPF knockdown effectively suppressed the viability and mobility of CRC cells and the growth of xenograft tumors. Additionally, SMAD9 was identified as a downstream target of CHPF. SMAD9 knockdown successfully abrogated the promotion of CHPF overexpression in CRC progression, indicating that CHPF regulated the development of CRC through SMAD9. Mechanistically, SMAD9 is ubiquitinated by ASB2, and the regulatory effect of CHPF on SMAD9 activity was exerted via its mediation of ASB2. Collectively, CHPF functioned as a promising prognostic biomarker and tumor-promoter of CRC by regulating the ASB2-mediated ubiquitination of SMAD9.

Selective removal of Cr2O72- in aqueous solution by nonporous pure crystals of cucurbit[6]uril.

Cucurbit[6]uril (Q[6]) could serve as a selective absorbent for the toxic anion Cr2O72-, which was demonstrated by the results of UV-vis, ICP, XPS, SEM, and EDS experiments. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that capture capacity could be attributed to the outer-surface interactions of cucurbit[n]uril between Cr2O72- and the outer surface of Q[6].

Bromine atom introduction improves the F- sensing ability of an indolo[3,2-b]carbazole-salicylaldehyde-based fluorescence turn-on sensor.

The heavy-atom effect usually quenches fluorescence, but scarcely enhances it. Herein, fluorescence turn-on sensors without or with a bromine atom for F- detection are presented, achieving fast response time within 1 min, and the LODs of 1.9 × 10-7 and 8.5 × 10-8 M, reflecting that halogen atom introduction is beneficial for F- detection ability improvement. The sensing mechanism of -OH unit deprotonation is confirmed based on the results of a 1 : 2 stoichiometric ratio, 1H NMR titration and TD-DFT calculation. The water environment F- detection and spiked recovery experiments demonstrate their potential for real sample detection.

HCC portal hypertension imaging score derived from CT predicts re-bleeding and mortality after acute variceal bleeding.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Risk factors for re-bleeding and death after acute variceal bleeding (AVB) in cirrhotic HCC patients are not fully understood.We aimed to (1) explore how the combination of high-risk esophageal varices, HCC status, and portal vein tumor thrombus (i.e., HCC Portal Hypertension Imaging Score [HCCPHTIS]) helps predict increased risk of variceal re-bleeding and mortality; (2) assess predictability and reproducibility of the identified variceal re-bleeding rules. METHODS: This prospective study included 195 HCC patients with first-time AVB and liver cirrhosis, and conducted multivariable Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was calculated to find the optimal sensitivity, specificity, and cutoff values of the variables. The reproducibility of the results obtained was verified in a different but related group of patients. RESULTS: 56 patients (28.7%) had re-bleeding within 6 weeks; HCCPHTIS was an independent risk factor for variceal re-bleeding after AVB (Odd ratio, 2.330; 95% confidence interval: 1.728-3.142, p < 0.001). The positive predictive value of HCCPHTIS cut off value > 3 was 66.2%, sensitivity 83.9%, and specificity 82.3%. HCCPHTIS area under the curve was higher than Child-Pugh score (89% vs. 75%, p < 0.001). 74(37.9%) death occurred within 6 weeks; HCCPHTIS > 4 was associated with increased risk of death within 6 weeks after AVB (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: HCCPHTIS > 3 is a strong predictor of variceal re-bleeding within the first 6 weeks. However, patients with HCCPHTIS > 4 were at increased risk of death within 6 weeks.

The longitudinal relationship between self-compassion and cancer patients' unmet supportive care needs.

OBJECTIVES: Unmet supportive care needs are associated with psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. However, so far, few studies have explored the protective psychological factors of unmet needs. Therefore, this study intends to explore the protective effect of self-compassion on unmet needs of Chinese cancer patients and to examine the predictive role of self-compassion on these needs during treatment. METHODS: A longitudinal study was performed at Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital in Xi'an, China. A total of 153 heterogeneous cancer patients were assessed after the first diagnosis (T1), at the beginning (T2) and end (T3) of medical treatment. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to examine the research questions. RESULTS: Cross-sectional regression analyses showed that self-compassion at T1 was significantly related to psychological needs at T1. Negative self-compassion at T1 was significantly related to total unmet needs, psychological needs, health system, and information and sexual needs. Longitudinal regression analyses showed that self-compassion at T1 significantly predicted total unmet needs; health system and information (HSI) needs at T2, psychological needs at T3, and negative self-compassion at T1 significantly predicted total unmet needs, HSI needs, physical needs, and patient care needs at T2 when controlling for unmet needs at T1. Positive self-compassion was not a predictor of unmet needs. CONCLUSIONS: Self-compassion can be a protective factor of unmet needs in cancer patients. Future intervention studies should focus on improving the overall level of self-compassion and reducing the level of negative self-compassion in cancer patients to reduce patients' unmet needs.

Hydrazyl hydroxycoumarins as new potential conquerors towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

A class of unique hydrazyl hydroxycoumarins (HHs) as novel structural scaffold was developed to combat dreadful bacterial infections. Some HHs could effectively suppress bacterial growth at low concentrations, especially, pyridyl HH 7 exhibited a good inhibition against Pseudomonas aeruginosa 27853 with a low MIC value of 0.5 µg/mL, which was 8-fold more active than norfloxacin. Furthermore, pyridyl HH 7 with low hemolytic activity and low cytotoxicity towards NCM460 cells showed much lower trend to induce the drug-resistant development than norfloxacin. Preliminarily mechanism exploration indicated that pyridyl HH 7 could eradicate the integrity of bacterial membrane, result in the leakage of intracellular proteins, and interact with bacterial DNA gyrase via non-covalent binding, and ADME analysis manifested that compound 7 gave good pharmacokinetic properties. These results suggested that the newly developed hydrazyl hydroxycoumarins as potential multitargeting antibacterial agents should be worthy of further investigation for combating bacterial infection.

[Relationship between dietary nutrition and chronic disease of Jinuo Minority residents aged 20-80 in Jinghong District in 2020].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between food intake and chronic diseases of Jinuo Minority residents living in Yunnan Province. METHODS: A total of 392 Jinuo Minority residents 20-80-year-old among 304 families(male 135, female 257; aged 20-49 years old 140, aged 50-59 years old 136, aged 60-80 years old 116)in Jinghong District in Yunnan Province were selected with stratified multistage cluster sampling method. To apply the method of food frequency questionnaire and questionnaire survey obtain the condition of dietary structure and overweight or obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemia among Jinuo Minority in the past 12 months. Non-conditional Logistic regression analysis was utilized to analyze the correlation between food intake and chronic diseases. RESULTS: In 2020, the prevalence of overweight/obesity, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemias among Jinuo adults in Jinghong District were 38.8%(n=152), 19.1%(n=75), 3.6%(n=14)and 26.3%(n=103). Jinuo residents aged 20 and above who have consumed noodle and instant noodle(OR=1.677, 95%CI 1.028-2.736), fermented soybean curd(OR=3.056, 95%CI 1.853-5.038), grass carp(OR=2.245, 95%CI 1.270-3.971), ethnic food/peanut(OR=1.975, 95%CI 1.162-3.355) were more likely to experience overweight/obesity compared to those who did not consume them. On the other hand, individuals who consumed snacks/bread(OR=0.322, 95%CI 0.190-0.545) were less likely to develop overweight/obesity compared to those who did not consume them. Jinuo residents aged 20 and above who have consumed other cereals and cereals products, such as buckwheat(OR=7.029, 95%CI 1.494-33.070), were more likely to develop diabetes than those who did not consume them. And those who have eaten cabbage vegetables(such as cauliflower/cabbage)(OR=0.155, 95%CI 0.034-0.708), and kernel fruits(such as apple/pear)(OR=0.227, 95% CI 0.069-0.743) were less likely to develop diabetes than those who did not consume them. Adults who consumed cooked meat and other livestock and poultry, such as donkey/horse meat(OR=9.676, 95% CI 1.418-66.027), were more likely to cause dyslipidemias compared to did not consume them. Conversely, individuals who consumed root vegetables(such as radish/lotus root)(OR=0.405, 95%CI 0.204-0.803), cooked pork from animal foods(OR=0.482, 95%CI 0.263-0.885), snacks/snack bread(OR=0.590, 95%CI 0.357-0.974) and plum blossom(OR=0.173, 95%CI 0.038-0.793) were less likely to develop dyslipidemia than those who did not consume them. CONCLUSION: In Jinghong District, the overweight/obesity of Jinuo adults aged 20-80 was positively correlated to the consumption of noodles and instant noodles, fermented bean curd, grass carp, and ethnic food/peanut. And there was a negative correlation with the consumption of snacks/bread. Regarding diabetes, a positive correlation was observed with the consumption of other grains and products, while negative correlations were found with the consumption of cabbage vegetables and kernel fruits. For dyslipidemias, there was a positive correlation with the consumption of cooked meat and other livestock and poultry, and negative correlations were identified with the consumption of root vegetables, cooked pork from animal foods, snacks/snack bread, and prunes.

Solibacillus ferritrahens sp. nov., a novel siderophore-producing bacterium isolated from Wumeng Mountain National Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province.

A gram-stain-positive, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterial strain capable of producing siderophores, named YIM B08730T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from Wumeng Mountain National Nature Reserve, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. Growth occurred at 10-45 °C (optimum, 35-40 â„ƒ), pH 7.0-9.0 (optimum, 7.0) and in the presence of 0-5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0-1 %, w/v). A comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence (1558 bp) of strain YIM B08730T showed the highest similarity to Solibacillus isronensis JCM 13838T (96.2 %), followed by Solibacillus silvestris DSM 12223T (96.0 %) and Solibacillus kalamii ISSFR-015T (95.4 %). The main polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and one unidentified lipid. The main respiratory quinone of strain YIM B08730T was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The major fatty acids were iso-C15:0 and C16:1ω7c alcohol. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strain YIM B08730T and the reference strain S. isronensis JCM 13838T were 24.8 % and 81.2 %, respectively. The G + C content of the genomic DNA was 37.1 mol%. The genome of the novel strain contained genes associated with the production of siderophores, and it also revealed other functional gene clusters involved in plant growth promotion and soil bioremediation. Based on these phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, strain YIM B08730T is considered to be a novel species of the genus Solibacillus, for which the name Solibacillus ferritrahens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM B08730T (= NBRC 116268T = CGMCC 1.60169T).

Predicting the binding configuration and release potential of heavy metals on iron (oxyhydr)oxides: A machine learning study on EXAFS.

Heavy metals raise a global concern and can be easily retained by ubiquitous iron (oxyhydr)oxides in natural and engineered systems. The complex interaction between iron (oxyhydr)oxides and heavy metals results in various mineral-metal binding configurations, such as outer-sphere complexes and edge-sharing inner-sphere complexes, which determine the accumulation and release of heavy metals in the environment. However, traditional experimental approaches are time-consuming and inadequate to elucidate the complex binding relationships and configurations between iron (oxyhydr)oxides and heavy metals. Herein, a workflow that integrates the binding configuration data of 11 heavy metals on 7 iron (oxyhydr)oxides and then trains machine learning models to predict unknown binding configurations was proposed. The well-trained multi-grained cascade forest models exhibited high accuracy (> 90%) and predictive performance (R2 ∼ 0.75). The underlying effects of mineral properties, metal ion species, and environmental conditions on mineral-metal binding configurations were fully interpreted with data mining. Moreover, the metal release rate was further successfully predicted based on mineral-metal binding configurations. This work provides a method to accurately and quickly predict the binding configuration of heavy metals on iron (oxyhydr)oxides, which would provide guidance for estimating the potential release behavior of heavy metals and remediating heavy metal pollution in natural and engineered environments.

A cigarette filter-derived biomimetic cardiac niche for myocardial infarction repair.

Cell implantation offers an appealing avenue for heart repair after myocardial infarction (MI). Nevertheless, the implanted cells are subjected to the aberrant myocardial niche, which inhibits cell survival and maturation, posing significant challenges to the ultimate therapeutic outcome. The functional cardiac patches (CPs) have been proved to construct an elastic conductive, antioxidative, and angiogenic microenvironment for rectifying the aberrant microenvironment of the infarcted myocardium. More importantly, inducing implanted cardiomyocytes (CMs) adapted to the anisotropic arrangement of myocardial tissue by bioengineered structural cues within CPs are more conducive to MI repair. Herein, a functional Cig/(TA-Cu) CP served as biomimetic cardiac niche was fabricated based on structural anisotropic cigarette filter by modifying with tannic acid (TA)-chelated Cu2+ (TA-Cu complex) via a green method. This CP possessed microstructural anisotropy, electrical conductivity and mechanical properties similar to natural myocardium, which could promote elongation, orientation, maturation, and functionalization of CMs. Besides, the Cig/(TA-Cu) CP could efficiently scavenge reactive oxygen species, reduce CM apoptosis, ultimately facilitating myocardial electrical integration, promoting vascular regeneration and improving cardiac function. Together, our study introduces a functional CP that integrates multimodal cues to create a biomimetic cardiac niche and provides an effective strategy for cardiac repair.