A faster killing effect of plastid-mediated RNA interference on a leaf beetle through induced dysbiosis of the gut bacteria.

The expression of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) from the plastid genome has been proven to be an effective method for controlling herbivorous pests by targeting essential insect genes. However, there are limitations to the efficiency of plastid-mediated RNA interference (PM-RNAi) due to the initial damage caused by insects and their slow response to RNA interference. In this study, we developed transplastomic poplar plants that expressed dsRNAs targeting the ß-Actin (dsACT) and Srp54k (dsSRP54K) genes of Plagiodera versicolora. Feeding experiments showed that transplastomic poplar plants caused significantly higher mortality in P. versicolora larvae compared to nuclear transgenic or wild-type poplar plants. The efficient killing effect of PM-RNAi on P. versicolora larvae was found to be dependent on the presence of gut bacteria. Importantly, we also demonstrated that the foliar application of a gut bacterial strain, Pseudomonas putida, induced dysbiosis in the gut bacteria of P. versicolora larvae, leading to a significant acceleration in the speed-to-kill by PM-RNAi. Overall, our findings suggest that interfering with gut bacteria could be a promising strategy to enhance the effectiveness of PM-RNAi for insect pest control, offering a novel and effective approach for crop protection based on RNAi technology.

Ni-CoSe2 heterojunction coated by N-doped carbon for modified separators of high-performance Li-sulfur batteries.

Functional separators modified by transition metal compounds have been proven to be effective in suppressing the shuttle effect of polysulfides and accelerating sluggish electrode dynamics in lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). However, the behaviors of heterojunctions composed of transition metals and their compounds in LSBs are still rarely studied. Herein, we report a novel Ni-CoSe2 heterostructure coated with nitrogen-doped carbon. Compared to homogeneous cobalt diselenide, it exhibits much stronger adsorption and catalytic conversion abilities towards polysulfides. With the modified separators, the lithium-sulfur batteries exhibit significantly improved capacity retention and reduced polarization during cycling.

Augmented fluoroscopy-guided dye localization for small pulmonary nodules in hybrid operating room: intrathoracic stamping versus transbronchial marking.

PURPOSE: We developed a novel augmented fluoroscopy-guided intrathoracic stamping technique for localizing small pulmonary nodules in the hybrid operating room. We conducted an observational study to investigate the feasibility of this technique and retrospectively compared two augmented fluoroscopy-guided approaches: intrathoracic and transbronchial. METHODS: From August 2020 to March 2023, consecutive patients underwent single-stage augmented fluoroscopy-guided localization under general anaesthesia. This included intrathoracic stamping and bronchoscopic lung marking, followed by thoracoscopic resection in a hybrid operating room. Comparative analyses were performed between the two groups. RESULTS: The data of 50 patients in the intrathoracic stamping and 67 patients in the bronchoscopic lung marking groups were analysed. No significant difference was noted in demographic data between the groups, except a larger lesion depth in the bronchoscopic lung marking group (14.7 ± 11.7 vs 11.0 ± 5.8 mm, p = 0.029). Dye localization was successfully performed in 49 intrathoracic stamping group patients (98.0%) and 67 bronchoscopic lung marking group patients (100%). No major procedure-related complications occurred in either group; however, the time flow (total anaesthesia time/global operating room time) was longer, and the radiation exposure (fluoroscopy duration/total dose area product) was larger in the bronchoscopic lung marking group. CONCLUSIONS: Augmented fluoroscopic stamping localization under intubated general anaesthesia is feasible and safe, providing an alternative with less global operating room time and lower radiation exposure for image-guided thoracoscopic surgery in the hybrid operating room.

Photonic time-delayed reservoir computing based on series-coupled microring resonators with high memory capacity.

On-chip microring resonators (MRRs) have been proposed to construct time-delayed reservoir computing (RC) systems, which offer promising configurations available for computation with high scalability, high-density computing, and easy fabrication. A single MRR, however, is inadequate to provide enough memory for the computation task with diverse memory requirements. Large memory requirements are satisfied by the RC system based on the MRR with optical feedback, but at the expense of its ultralong feedback waveguide. In this paper, a time-delayed RC is proposed by utilizing a silicon-based nonlinear MRR in conjunction with an array of linear MRRs. These linear MRRs possess a high quality factor, providing enough memory capacity for the RC system. We quantitatively analyze and assess the proposed RC structure's performance on three classical tasks with diverse memory requirements, i.e., the Narma 10, Mackey-Glass, and Santa Fe chaotic timeseries prediction tasks. The proposed system exhibits comparable performance to the system based on the MRR with optical feedback, when it comes to handling the Narma 10 task, which requires a significant memory capacity. Nevertheless, the dimension of the former is at least 350 times smaller than the latter. The proposed system lays a good foundation for the scalability and seamless integration of photonic RC.

Low power consumption grating magneto-optical trap based on planar elements.

The grating-based magneto-optical trap (GMOT) is a promising approach for miniaturizing cold-atom systems. However, the power consumption of a GMOT system dominates its feasibility in practical applications. In this study, we demonstrated a GMOT system based on planar elements that can operate with low power consumption. A high-diffraction-efficiency grating chip was used to cool atoms with a single incident beam. A planar coil chip was designed and fabricated with a low power consumption nested architecture. The grating and coil chips were adapted to a passive pump vacuum chamber, and up to 106 87Rb atoms were trapped. These elements effectively reduce the power consumption of the GMOT and have great potential for applications in practical cold-atom-based devices.

Bioactive solanidane steroidal alkaloids from Solanum lyratum.

Six previously unreported solanidane steroidal alkaloids, namely lyrasolanosides A-F, were isolated from Solanum lyratum. In addition, five known steroidal alkaloids were also identified. The structures of these compounds were determined through the use of NMR, HRESIMS,UV, IR and ECD analysis. To assess their bioactivities, the cytotoxic effects of the six previously unreported compounds were evaluated on A549 cells. The results revealed that lyrasolanoside B (2) exhibited the highest potency among them. Lyrasolanoside B (2) exhibited significant inhibition of cell migration, invasion, and adhesion dramatically. Mechanistically, it was found to suppress the activity of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway by downregulating the expression of phosphorylated JAK2/STAT3 in an exosome-dependent manner. In addition, lyrasolanoside B (2) was found to significantly upregulate the expression of E-cadherin and downregulate the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin. These findings indicate that lyrasolanoside B (2) inhibits the metastasis of A549 cells by suppressing exosome-mediated EMT. These findings suggest that lyrasolanoside B (2) may inhibit the metastasis of lung cancer by regulating A549-derived exosomes.

Cytokinin oxidase gene CKX5 is modulated in the immunity of Arabidopsis to Botrytis cinerea.

In our previous work, cytokinin (CK) signaling and biosynthesis were found to be modulated during Arabidopsis defense against infection by the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Notably, the expression level of CYTOKININ OXIDASE/DEHYDROGENASE 5 (CKX5) was significantly induced in B. cinerea-infected leaves and later in distant B. cinerea-untreated leaves of the same plant. To confirm and determine how CKX5 is involved in the response to B. cinerea infection, transcript levels of CKX family genes were analyzed in B. cinerea-inoculated leaves, and only CKX5 was remarkably induced by B. cinerea infection. Furthermore, CKX5-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants were more resistant to B. cinerea than wild-type plants. Transcription factors (TFs) binding to the CKX5 promoter were then screened by yeast one-hybrid assays. Quantitative Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis further showed that genes encoding TFs, including WRKY40, WRKY33, ERF6, AHL15, AHL17, ANAC003, TCP13 and ANAC019, were also strongly induced in infected leaves, similar to CKX5. Analysis of ERF6-overexpressing plants and ERF6-and AHL15-knockout mutants indicated that ERF6 and AHL15 are involved in plant immunity to B. cinerea. Furthermore, CKX5 upregulation by B. cinerea infection was affected when ERF6 or AHL15 levels were altered. Our work suggests that CKX5 levels are controlled by the plant defense system to defend against attack by the pathogen B. cinerea.

B cell receptor repertoire analysis in primary Sjogren's syndrome salivary glands identifies repertoire features associated with clinical activity.

BACKGROUND: Primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) is a complex autoimmune disease featuring damage to salivary and lacrimal glands, with the possibility of manifestations across multiple organs. Antibody-producing B cells have long been appreciated to play a significant role in pSS pathogenesis, with a number of autoreactive antibody species having been identified to be elevated in pSS patients. While several studies have attempted to characterize the BCR repertoires of peripheral blood B cells in pSS patients, much remains unknown about the repertoire characteristics of gland-infiltrating B cells. METHODS: Through paired scRNAseq and scBCRseq, we profiled the BCR repertoires of both infiltrating and circulating B cells in a small cohort of patients. We further utilize receptor reconstruction analyses to further investigate repertoire characteristics in a wider cohort of pSS patients previously profiled through RNAseq. RESULTS: Via integrated BCR and transcriptome analysis of B cell clones, we generate a trajectory progression pattern for infiltrated memory B cells in pSS. We observe significant differences in BCR repertoires between the peripheral blood and labial gland B cells of pSS patients in terms of relative expansion, isotype usage, and BCR clustering. We further observe significant decreases in IgA2 isotype usage among pSS patient labial and parotid gland B cells these analyses relative to controls as well as a positive correlation between kappa/lambda light chain usage and clinical disease activity. CONCLUSIONS: Through BCR repertoire analysis of pSS patient salivary glands, we identify a number of novel repertoire characteristics that may serve as useful indicators of clinical disease and disease activity. By collecting these BCR repertoires into an accessible database, we hope to also enable comparative analysis of patient repertoires in pSS and potentially other autoimmune disorders.

Numerical analysis of on-chip acousto-optic modulators for visible wavelengths.

On-chip acousto-optic modulators that operate at an optical wavelength of 780 nm and a microwave frequency of 6.835 GHz are proposed. The modulators are based on a lithium-niobate-on-sapphire platform and efficiently excite surface acoustic waves and exhibit strong interactions with tightly confined optical modes in waveguides. In particular, a high-efficiency phase modulator and single-sideband mode converter are designed. We found that for both microwave and optical wavelengths below 1 µm, the interactions at the cross-sections of photonic waveguides are sensitive to the waveguide width and are significantly different from those in previous studies. Our designed devices have small footprints and high efficiencies, making them suitable for controlling rubidium atoms and realizing hybrid photonic-atomic chips. Furthermore, our devices have the potential to extend the acousto-optic modulators to other visible wavelengths for other atom transitions and for visible light applications, including imaging and sensing.

Control of two insect pests by expression of a mismatch corrected double-stranded RNA in plants.

RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as an efficient technology for pest control by silencing the essential genes of targeted insects. Owing to its nucleotide sequence-guided working mechanism, RNAi has a high degree of species-specificity without impacts on non-target organisms. However, as plants are inevitably under threat by two or more insect pests in nature, the species-specific mode of RNAi-based technology restricts its wide application for pest control. In this study, we artificially designed an intermediate dsRNA (iACT) targeting two ß-Actin (ACT) genes of sap-sucking pests Bemisia tabaci and Myzus persicae by mutual correction of their mismatches. When expressing hairpin iACT (hpiACT) from tobacco nuclear genome, transgenic plants are well protected from both B. tabaci and M. persicae, either individually or simultaneously, as evidenced by reduced fecundity and suppressed ACT gene expression, whereas expression of hpRNA targeting BtACT or MpACT in transgenic tobacco plants could only confer specific resistance to either B. tabaci or M. persicae, respectively. In sum, our data provide a novel proof-of-concept that two different insect species could be simultaneously controlled by artificial synthesis of dsRNA with sequence optimization, which expands the range of transgenic RNAi methods for crop protection.

SARS-CoV-2 spike-FLIPr fusion protein plus lipidated FLIPr protects against various SARS-CoV-2 variants in hamsters.

Vaccine-induced mucosal immunity and broad protective capacity against various severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants remain inadequate. Formyl peptide receptor-like 1 inhibitory protein (FLIPr), produced by Staphylococcus aureus, can bind to various Fcγ receptor subclasses. Recombinant lipidated FLIPr (rLF) was previously found to be an effective adjuvant. In this study, we developed a vaccine candidate, the recombinant Delta SARS-CoV-2 spike (rDS)-FLIPr fusion protein (rDS-F), which employs the property of FLIPr binding to various Fcγ receptors. Our study shows that rDS-F plus rLF promotes rDS capture by dendritic cells. Intranasal vaccination of mice with rDS-F plus rLF increases persistent systemic and mucosal antibody responses and CD4/CD8 T-cell responses. Importantly, antibodies induced by rDS-F plus rLF vaccination neutralize Delta, Wuhan, Alpha, Beta, and Omicron strains. Additionally, rDS-F plus rLF provides protective effects against various SARS-CoV-2 variants in hamsters by reducing inflammation and viral loads in the lung. Therefore, rDS-F plus rLF is a potential vaccine candidate to induce broad protective responses against various SARS-CoV-2 variants.IMPORTANCEMucosal immunity is vital for combating pathogens, especially in the context of respiratory diseases like COVID-19. Despite this, most approved vaccines are administered via injection, providing systemic but limited mucosal protection. Developing vaccines that stimulate both mucosal and systemic immunity to address future coronavirus mutations is a growing trend. However, eliciting strong mucosal immune responses without adjuvants remains a challenge. In our study, we have demonstrated that using a recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike-formyl peptide receptor-like 1 inhibitory protein (FLIPr) fusion protein as an antigen, in combination with recombinant lipidated FLIPr as an effective adjuvant, induced simultaneous systemic and mucosal immune responses through intranasal immunization in mice and hamster models. This approach offered protection against various SARS-CoV-2 strains, making it a promising vaccine candidate for broad protection. This finding is pivotal for future broad-spectrum vaccine development.

Insomnia among coronavirus disease 2019 survivors: A single-center cross-sectional study.

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, insomnia has become one of the longer COVID-19 symptoms. This study aimed to investigate insomnia among COVID-19 survivors and explore the occurrence and influencing factors of insomnia. A cross-sectional study was performed from December 2022 to February 2023 through an online questionnaire star survey with 8 questions. The insomnia severity index scale (ISI) was used to assess the severity of insomnia. Univariate analysis was used to analyze the factors related to COVID-19 infection. A total of 564 participants (183 males and 381 females) were surveyed in the present study. The prevalence of insomnia was 63.12%. Among these insomnia patients, there were 202 (35.82%) with sub-threshold symptoms, 116 (20.57%) with moderate symptoms, and 38 (6.74%) with severe symptoms. Univariate analysis indicated that there were statistically significant differences in the prevalence of insomnia among COVID-19 survivors of different ages, occupations, and educational levels (P < .05). Of the 356 insomnia patients, 185 (51.97%) did not take any measures against insomnia, while those who took drugs only, physical exercise only, drugs and physical exercise, and other measures were 90 (25.28%), 42 (11.80%), 17 (4.78%), and 22 (6.18%), respectively. Additionally, of the 107 insomnia patients with drug therapy, 17 (15.89%) took estazolam, 16 (14.95%) took alprazolam, 39 (36.45%) took zopiclone, and 35 (32.71%) took other drugs to improve insomnia symptoms. The prevalence of insomnia symptoms remains high among COVID-19 survivors in China. Education level and occupation may be the influencing factors. Unfortunately, most patients with insomnia do not take corresponding treatment measures.

Measurement of Nanofiber Mechanical Flexural Modes Based on Near-Field Scattering.

We systematically investigated the intrinsic mechanical flexural modes of tapered optical fibers (TOFs) with a high aspect ratio up to 3×10^{4}. Based on the near-field scattering of the hemispherical microfiber tip to the vibrating TOF evanescent field, we detected more than 320 ordered intrinsic mechanical modes through the TOF transmission spectra which was enhanced by 72 dB compared to without near-field scattering. The trend of the vibration amplitude with the mode order was similar to pendulum waves. Our results open a pathway to study the mechanical modes of photonic microstructures-nanostructures that are expected to be used in waveguide QED, cavity optomechanical, and optical sensing.

Repetition rate tuning and locking of solitons in a microrod resonator.

Recently, there has been significant interest in the generation of coherent temporal solitons in optical microresonators. In this Letter, we present a demonstration of dissipative Kerr soliton generation in a microrod resonator using an auxiliary-laser-assisted thermal response control method. In addition, we are able to control the repetition rate of the soliton over a range of 200 kHz while maintaining the pump laser frequency, by applying external stress tuning. Through the precise control of the PZT voltage, we achieve a stability level of 3.9 × 10-10 for residual fluctuation of the repetition rate when averaged 1 s. Our platform offers precise tuning and locking capabilities for the repetition frequency of coherent mode-locked combs in microresonators. This advancement holds great potential for applications in spectroscopy and precision measurements.

MRCK as a Potential Target for Claudin-Low Subtype of Breast Cancer.

To find new molecular targets for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), we analyzed a large-scale drug screening dataset based on breast cancer subtypes. We discovered that BDP-9066, a specific MRCK inhibitor (MRCKi), may be an effective drug against TNBC. After confirming the efficacy and specificity of BDP-9066 against TNBC in vitro and in vivo, we further analyzed the underlying mechanism of specific activity of BDP-9066 against TNBC. Comparing the transcriptome of BDP-9066-sensitive and -resistant cells, the activation of the focal adhesion and YAP/TAZ pathway were found to play an important role in the sensitive cells. Furthermore, YAP/TAZ is indeed repressed by BDP-9066 in the sensitive cells, and active form of YAP suppresses the effects of BDP-9066. YAP/TAZ expression and activity are high in TNBC, especially the Claudin-low subtype, consistent with the expression of focal adhesion-related genes. Interestingly, NF-κB functions downstream of YAP/TAZ in TNBC cells and is suppressed by BDP-9066. Furthermore, the PI3 kinase pathway adversely affected the effects of BDP-9066 and that alpelisib, a PI3 kinase inhibitor, synergistically increased the effects of BDP-9066, in PIK3CA mutant TNBC cells. Taken together, we have shown for the first time that MRCKi can be new drugs against TNBC, particularly the Claudin-low subtype.

Magnetic-free polarization rotation in an atomic vapor cell.

Magnetic-free nonreciprocal optical devices have attracted great attention in recent years. Here, we investigated the magnetic-free polarization rotation of light in an atom vapor cell. Two mechanisms of magnetic-free nonreciprocity have been realized in ensembles of hot atoms, including electromagnetically induced transparency and optically-induced magnetization. For a linearly polarized input probe light, a rotation angle up to 86.4° has been realized with external control and pump laser powers of 10 mW and is mainly attributed to the optically-induced magnetization effect. Our demonstration offers a new approach to realize nonreciprocal devices, which can be applied to solid-state atom ensembles and may be useful in photonic integrated circuits.

Multifunctional Structure-Modified Quaternary Compounds Co9Se8-CuSe2-WSe2 Mixed with MWCNT as a Counter Electrode Material for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

In this study, a trimetallic selenide material with a hollow spherical structure (Co9Se8-CuSe2-WSe2) was synthesized through two consecutive solvothermal reactions. The synergistic effect between the quaternary elements, the benefits of the selenization of metals, and the unique morphology led to the prominent electrocatalytic ability of Co9Se8-CuSe2-WSe2 hollow spheres. Co9Se8-CuSe2-WSe2 hollow spheres were then mixed with oxygen plasma-treated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) as counter electrode (CE) material for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), achieving a photoelectric conversion efficiency (η) of 9.23% under one sun condition (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm-2), surpassing the 8.08% of devices with platinum counter electrodes (PtCEs). For indoor conditions, a T5 light source was applied to the DSSCs with Co9Se8-CuSe2-WSe2 + MWCNT CE, and the efficiency increased to 14.14% under 3600 lx irradiance. Finally, Co9Se8-CuSe2-WSe2 + MWCNT CE demonstrated good stability with 92.23% retention after 1000 cycles of cyclic voltammetry, exceeding the 82.49% of PtCE. Therefore, Co9Se8-CuSe2-WSe2 + MWCNT shows potential as a substitute for platinum as CE material for DSSCs.

The life experiences of living alone among Indonesia dwelling widowed women: A phenomenological study.

In this study, the researchers aimed to understand the life experience of older widowed women living alone. Employing a phenomenological approach, we interviewed 15 older women (age 62 to 95) living alone at homes in two villages in Central Java. Through systematic text condensation procedure, we identified five themes: (1) negative feelings at times, (2) getting used to living alone, (3) needing help to support independent living, (4) coping toward negative feelings, (5) attachment to the original house. We depicted the struggles of older women living alone in their homes. Despite the coping strategies they have developed over time, older women needed help during hard times, especially when getting sick. Families and neighbors were the main resources to maintain their independent living. Improving the home environment to increase suitability for aging residents and providing a support system are the options that best fit the needs and values the older women believed.

Finite temperature string by K-means clustering sampling with order parameters as collective variables for molecular crystals: application to polymorphic transformation between ß-CL-20 and ε-CL-20.

Polymorphic transformation of molecular crystals is a fundamental phase transition process, and it is important practically in the chemical, material, biopharmaceutical, and energy storage industries. However, understanding of the transformation mechanism at the molecular level is poor due to the extreme simulating challenges in enhanced sampling and formulating order parameters (OPs) as the collective variables that can distinguish polymorphs with quite similar and complicated structures so as to describe the reaction coordinate. In this work, two kinds of OPs for CL-20 were constructed by the bond distances, bond orientations and relative orientations. A K-means clustering algorithm based on the Euclidean distance and sample weight was used to smooth the initial finite temperature string (FTS), and the minimum free energy path connecting ß-CL-20 and ε-CL-20 was sketched by the string method in collective variables, and the free energy profile along the path and the nucleation kinetics were obtained by Markovian milestoning with Voronoi tessellations. In comparison with the average-based sampling, the K-means clustering algorithm provided an improved convergence rate of FTS. The simulation of transformation was independent of OP types but was affected greatly by finite-size effects. A surface-mediated local nucleation mechanism was confirmed and the configuration located at the shoulder of potential of mean force, rather than overall maximum, was confirmed to be the critical nucleus formed by the cooperative effect of the intermolecular interactions. This work provides an effective way to explore the polymorphic transformation of caged molecular crystals at the molecular level.

Associations between social loneliness trajectories and chronotype among adolescents.

Late chronotype during adolescence is a critical risk factor for poor physical and mental health among adolescents. While social loneliness is confirmed to negatively influence sleep behaviors, the long-term effect of social loneliness on chronotype remains unknown. This study aims to investigate whether social loneliness trajectories from middle childhood to adolescence are associated with chronotype in late adolescence and examine the potential sex differences in these associations. Data were obtained from 2398 adolescents who participated in the Child and Adolescent Behaviors in Long-Term Evolution project. Chronotype was calculated as the midpoint of sleep on free days adjusted for sleep debt. Group-based trajectory modeling and multiple linear regression were employed to establish social loneliness trajectories and determine their associations with chronotype. Social loneliness trajectories were significantly associated with chronotype and varied by sex. Specifically, boys following a high-decreasing trajectory had earlier chronotype during late adolescence than did those following a low-decreasing trajectory (B = - 0.07; p < 0.05). By contrast, girls following a low-to-moderate-increasing trajectory exhibited later chronotype than did those following a low-stable trajectory (B = 0.07; p < 0.01). Social loneliness trajectories, especially those displaying significant fluctuations over time, are critical indicators influencing chronotype among adolescents. Furthermore, these trajectories and their associations with chronotype display sex differences. These findings highlight the need for early interventions for psychological factors such as social loneliness to ensure that the late chronotype can be prevented. In addition, sex variations must be considered.