Deciphering the structure and potassium-ion transport mechanism of potassium borate glass.

Potassium borate glass has great potential as an ion transport material. The ion transport rate is closely related to the microstructure of the glass. However, the disorder and variations in boron and oxygen atom types in the glass structure pose challenges in the analysis of this complex glass structure. In this work, the structure of potassium borate glass was unveiled through the neutron diffraction method and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. The B-O, K-O, and O-O atomic interactions, bond lengths, coordination numbers, cavity distribution, ring structure distributions and other detailed information in the microstructure of potassium borate glass were obtained. By comparing the structure and properties of potassium borate glass with those of crystals of similar components, it is found that the bond lengths of 3B-BO (BO, bridging oxygen), 4B-BO and 3B-NBO (NBO, non-bridging oxygen) are longer than those of corresponding crystals, so the structure of the boron-oxygen network is looser and the density is smaller than that of similar crystals. Moreover, we found a rule that in both borate glass and crystal, the increase of NBO shortened the length of the B-O bond, and the increase of 4B increased the length of the B-O bond. The key structures affecting the transport rate of K+ were NBO, chain structure units and cavities. This work will provide reference data for designing and developing electrically conductive amorphous materials with faster potassium-ion transport rates.

Artemisinin: a novel chiral electrochemiluminescence luminophore-assisted enantiospecific recognition and mechanism identification.

Exploring novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) molecules with high efficiency and good stability in aqueous solutions is crucial for achieving highly sensitive detection of analytes. However, developing chiral luminophores with efficient ECL performance is still a challenge. Herein, we first uncover that artemisinin (ART), a well-known chiral antimalarial drug, features a strong ECL emission at 726 nm with the assistance of a co-reactant potassium persulfate (K2S2O8), and an ECL efficiency of 195.3%, compared to that of standard Ru(bpy)3Cl2/K2S2O8. Mechanistic studies indicate that the strong ECL signal of ART is generated when the excited state formed by the reduction of ART peroxide bonds and combination with persulfate returns to the ground state. Significantly, we found that the ECL sensor based on chiral ART could efficiently identify and detect chiral cysteine (Cys) through ECL signals, with a lower limit of detection of 3.7 nM for l-Cys. Density functional theory calculations and scanning electrochemical microscopy technology further confirm that the disparity in the ECL signals is attributed to the different affinity between chiral ART and d/l-Cys, resulting in distinct electron transfer rates. The study demonstrates a new role of ART in ECL investigation and for the first time, achieves the development of ART for the enantioselective recognition and sensitive detection of chiral substances. This will be of vital significance for ECL and chirality research.

Bright Luminescence of Free Radical TEMPO Enabled by Electrochemiluminescence Technique.

Radicals can feature theoretically 100% light utilization owing to their nonelectron spin-forbidden transition and represent the most advanced luminescent materials at present. 2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) acts as a typically stable radical with very broad applications. However, their luminescent properties have not been discovered to date. In the present work, we observed the bright electrochemiluminescence (ECL) emission of TEMPO with a higher efficiency (72.3%) via the electrochemistry and coreactant strategies for the first time. Moreover, the radical-based ECL achieved high detection toward boron acid with a lower limit of detection (LOD) of 1.9 nM. This study offers a new approach to generate emissions for some unconventional luminophores and makes a major breakthrough in the field of new luminescent materials as well.

Salmonella manipulates macrophage migration via SteC-mediated myosin light chain activation to penetrate the gut-vascular barrier.

The intestinal pathogen Salmonella enterica rapidly enters the bloodstream after the invasion of intestinal epithelial cells, but how Salmonella breaks through the gut-vascular barrier is largely unknown. Here, we report that Salmonella enters the bloodstream through intestinal CX3CR1+ macrophages during early infection. Mechanistically, Salmonella induces the migration/invasion properties of macrophages in a manner dependent on host cell actin and on the pathogen effector SteC. SteC recruits host myosin light chain protein Myl12a and phosphorylates its Ser19 and Thr20 residues. Myl12a phosphorylation results in actin rearrangement, and enhanced migration and invasion of macrophages. SteC is able to utilize a wide range of NTPs other than ATP to phosphorylate Myl12a. We further solved the crystal structure of SteC, which suggests an atypical dimerization-mediated catalytic mechanism. Finally, in vivo data show that SteC-mediated cytoskeleton manipulation is crucial for Salmonella breaching the gut vascular barrier and spreading to target organs.

A c-di-GMP binding effector STM0435 modulates flagellar motility and pathogenicity in Salmonella.

Flagella play a crucial role in the invasion process of Salmonella and function as a significant antigen that triggers host pyroptosis. Regulation of flagellar biogenesis is essential for both pathogenicity and immune escape of Salmonella. We identified the conserved and unknown function protein STM0435 as a new flagellar regulator. The ∆stm0435 strain exhibited higher pathogenicity in both cellular and animal infection experiments than the wild-type Salmonella. Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses demonstrated dramatic increases in almost all flagellar genes in the ∆stm0435 strain compared to wild-type Salmonella. In a surface plasmon resonance assay, purified STM0435 protein-bound c-di-GMP had an affinity of ~8.383 µM. The crystal structures of apo-STM0435 and STM0435&c-di-GMP complex were determined. Structural analysis revealed that R33, R137, and D138 of STM0435 were essential for c-di-GMP binding. A Salmonella with STM1987 (GGDEF protein) or STM4264 (EAL protein) overexpression exhibits completely different motility behaviours, indicating that the binding of c-di-GMP to STM0435 promotes its inhibitory effect on Salmonella flagellar biogenesis.

Improvement of Multilevel Memory Performance of MnTe Thin Films by Ta Doping.

The pressing need for data storage in the era of big data has driven the development of new storage technologies. As a prominent contender for next-generation memory, phase-change memory can effectively increase storage density through multilevel cell operation and can be applied to neuromorphic and in-memory computing. Herein, the structure and properties of Ta-doped MnTe thin films and their inherent correlations are systematically investigated. Amorphous MnTe thin films sequentially precipitated cubic MnTe2 and hexagonal Te phases with increasing temperature, causing resistance changes. Ta doping inhibited phase segregation in the films and improved their thermal stability in the amorphous state. A phase-change memory cell based on a Ta2.8%-MnTe thin film exhibited three stable resistive states with low resistive drift coefficients. The study findings reveal the possibility of regulating the two-step phase-change process in Ta-MnTe thin films, providing insight into the design of multilevel phase-change memory.

Hydrolysis mechanism of the cyclohexaborate anion: Unraveling the intricacies.

B 6 O 7 OH 6 2 - is a highly polymerized borate anion of three six-membered rings. Limited research on the B 6 O 7 OH 6 2 - hydrolysis mechanism under neutral solution conditions exists. Calculations based on density functional theory show that B 6 O 7 OH 6 2 - undergoes five steps of hydrolysis to form H3BO3 and B OH 4 - . At the same time, there are a small number of borate ions with different degrees of polymerization during the hydrolysis process, such as triborate, tetraborate, and pentaborate anions. The structure of the borate anion and the coordination environment of the bridging oxygen atoms control the hydrolysis process. Finally, this work explains that in existing experimental studies, the reason for the low B 6 O 7 OH 6 2 - content in solution environments with low total boron concentrations is that it depolymerizes into other types of borate ions and clarifies the borate species. The conversion relationship provides a basis for identifying the possibility of various borate ions existing in the solution. This work also provides a certain degree of theoretical support for the cause of the "dilution to salt" phenomenon.

Piezo Mediates the Mechanosensation and Injury-Repair of Pulpo-Dentinal Complex.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research was to investigate the functions of Piezo channels in dentin defect, including mechanical signalling and odontoblast responses. METHODS: Rat dentin-defect models were constructed, and spatiotemporal expression of Piezo proteins was detected in the pulpo-dentinal complex. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) was used to investigate the functional expression pattern of Piezo channels in odontoblasts. Moreover, RNA interference technology was employed to uncover the underlying mechanisms of the Piezo-driven inflammatory response and repair under fluid shear stress (FSS) conditions in vitro. RESULTS: Piezo1 and Piezo2 were found to be widely expressed in the odontoblast layer and dental pulp in the rat dentin-defect model during the end stage of reparative dentin formation. The expression levels of the Piezo1 and Piezo2 genes in MDPC-23 cells were high in the initial stage under FSS loading and then decreased over time. Moreover, the expression trends of inflammatory, odontogenic, and mineralisation genes were generally contrary to those of Piezo1 and Piezo2 over time. After silencing of Piezo1/Piezo2, FSS stimulation resulted in significantly higher expression of inflammatory, odontogenesis, and mineralisation genes in MDPC-23 cells. Finally, the expression of genes involved in the integrin ß1/ERK1 and Wnt5b/ß-catenin signalling pathways was changed in response to RNA silencing of Piezo1 and Piezo2. CONCLUSIONS: Piezo1 and Piezo2 may be involved in regulating the expression of inflammatory and odontogenic genes in odontoblasts stimulated by FSS.

Multidimensional Ultrasound Evaluation of Diastasis Recti Abdominis During Different Gestational Periods.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to explore the application value of two-dimensional ultrasound and shear wave elastography (SWE) in the multidimensional evaluation of diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) during different gestational periods. METHODS: A cohort of 202 gravidas that were examined in our hospital between June 2021 and September 2022 were selected for the purpose of the study, which included 26 cases with <14 weeks of pregnancy, 36 cases in the 14th-27th week of pregnancy, 36 cases in the 28th-34th week of pregnancy, 32 cases in the 35th-38th week of pregnancy, 45 cases at 42 days postpartum, and 27 cases at 3 months postpartum. The inter-rectus distance (IRD) and the thickness in each gestational period were measured, and Young's modulus of the rectus abdominis at different gestational periods was measured using SWE by two sonographers. The differences in IRD, thickness, and elasticity characteristics during different periods, and the correlation between rectus abdominis elasticity and IRD, thickness, body mass index (BMI), neonatal weight, and delivery mode were analyzed and compared. The consistency of SWE parameters obtained by different sonographers was also compared. RESULTS: There were significant differences in IRD, thickness, and Young's modulus during different gestational periods (P = .000, P < .001, P < .001). Early postpartum IRD and Young's modulus did not restore to the level of early pregnancy (P < .001, P < .001), while the thickness of rectus abdominis was not significantly different from that of early pregnancy (P = .211). The Young's modulus of rectus abdominis was negatively correlated with the IRD (r = .515), positively correlated with the thickness of rectus abdominis (r = .408), and weakly negatively correlated with maternal BMI (r = -.296). There was no significant correlation with neonatal weight or delivery mode (P = .147, .648). The Bland-Altman plot showed that the two sonographers had good consistency in evaluating the elasticity of rectus abdominis by SWE. CONCLUSION: The multidimensional evaluation of DRA by ultrasound is feasible and IRD and Young's modulus can be used to evaluate the postpartum recovery of DRA. The combination of the two can objectively reflect the severity of DRA morphology and function.

A Novel Inverse Algorithm To Solve the Integrated Optimization of Dose, Dose Rate, and Linear Energy Transfer of Proton FLASH Therapy With Sparse Filters.

PURPOSE: The recently proposed Integrated Physical Optimization Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy (IPO-IMPT) framework allows simultaneous optimization of dose, dose rate, and linear energy transfer (LET) for ultra-high dose rate (FLASH) treatment planning. Finding solutions to IPO-IMPT is difficult because of computational intensiveness. Nevertheless, an inverse solution that simultaneously specifies the geometry of a sparse filter and weights of a proton intensity map is desirable for both clinical and preclinical applications. Such solutions can reduce effective biologic dose to organs at risk in patients with cancer as well as reduce the number of animal irradiations needed to derive extra biologic dose models in preclinical studies. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Unlike the initial forward heuristic, this inverse IPO-IMPT solution includes simultaneous optimization of sparse range compensation, sparse range modulation, and spot intensity. The daunting computational tasks vital to this endeavor were resolved iteratively with a distributed computing framework to enable Simultaneous Intensity and Energy Modulation and Compensation (SIEMAC). SIEMAC was demonstrated on a human patient with central lung cancer and a minipig. RESULTS: SIEMAC simultaneously improves maps of spot intensities and patient-field-specific sparse range compensators and range modulators. For the patient with lung cancer, at our maximum nozzle current of 300 nA, dose rate coverage above 100 Gy/s increased from 57% to 96% in the lung and from 93% to 100% in the heart, and LET coverage above 4 keV/µm dropped from 68% to 9% in the lung and from 26% to <1% in the heart. For a simple minipig plan, the full-width half-maximum of the dose, dose rate, and LET distributions decreased by 30%, 1.6%, and 57%, respectively, again with similar target dose coverage, thus reducing uncertainty in these quantities for preclinical studies. CONCLUSIONS: The inverse solution to IPO-IMPT demonstrated the capability to simultaneously modulate subspot proton energy and intensity distributions for clinical and preclinical studies.

PLC1 mediated Cycloastragenol-induced stomatal movement by regulating the production of NO in Arabidopsis thaliana.

BACKGROUND: Astragalus grows mainly in drought areas. Cycloastragenol (CAG) is a tetracyclic triterpenoid allelochemical extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Astragalus root. Phospholipase C (PLC) and Gα-submit of the heterotrimeric G-protein (GPA1) are involved in many biotic or abiotic stresses. Nitric oxide (NO) is a crucial gas signal molecule in plants. RESULTS: In this study, using the seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana (A. thaliana), the results showed that low concentrations of CAG induced stomatal closure, and high concentrations inhibited stomatal closure. 30 µmol·L-1 CAG significantly increased the relative expression levels of PLC1 and GPA1 and the activities of PLC and GTP hydrolysis. The stomatal aperture of plc1, gpa1, and plc1/gpa1 was higher than that of WT under CAG treatment. CAG increased the fluorescence intensity of NO in guard cells. Exogenous application of c-PTIO to WT significantly induced stomatal aperture under CAG treatment. CAG significantly increased the relative expression levels of NIA1 and NOA1. Mutants of noa1, nia1, and nia2 showed that NO production was mainly from NOA1 and NIA1 by CAG treatment. The fluorescence intensity of NO in guard cells of plc1, gpa1, and plc1/gpa1 was lower than WT, indicating that PLC1 and GPA1 were involved in the NO production in guard cells. There was no significant difference in the gene expression of PLC1 in WT, nia1, and noa1 under CAG treatment. The gene expression levels of NIA1 and NOA1 in plc1, gpa1, and plc1/gpa1 were significantly lower than WT, indicating that PLC1 and GPA1 were positively regulating NO production by regulating the expression of NIA1 and NOA1 under CAG treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that the NO accumulation was essential to induce stomatal closure under CAG treatment, and GPA1 and PLC1 acted upstream of NO.

Bio-Inspired Polyanionic Electrolytes for Highly Stable Zinc-Ion Batteries.

For zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs), the non-uniform Zn plating/stripping results in a high polarization and low Coulombic efficiency (CE), hindering the large-scale application of ZIBs. Here, inspired by biomass seaweed plants, an anionic polyelectrolyte alginate acid (SA) was used to initiate the in situ formation of the high-performance solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on the Zn anode. Attribute to the anionic groups of -COO- , the affinity of Zn2+ ions to alginate acid induces a well-aligned accelerating channel for uniform plating. This SEI regulates the desolvation structure of Zn2+ and facilitates the formation of compact Zn (002) crystal planes. Even under high depth of discharge conditions (DOD), the SA-coated Zn anode still maintains a stable Zn stripping/plating behavior with a low potential difference (0.114 V). According to the classical nucleation theory, the nucleation energy for SA-coated Zn is 97 % less than that of bare Zn, resulting in a faster nucleation rate. The Zn||Cu cell assembled with the SA-coated electrode exhibits an outstanding average CE of 99.8 % over 1,400 cycles. The design is successfully demonstrated in pouch cells, where the SA-coated Zn exhibits capacity retention of 96.9 % compared to 59.1 % for bare Zn anode, even under the high cathode mass loading (>10 mg/cm2 ).

2-Heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone confer oxidation off-flavor in cow milk storage.

Flavor sensation is one of the most prevalent characteristics of food industries and an important consumer preference regulator of dairy products. So far, many volatile compounds have been identified, and their molecular mechanisms conferring overall flavor formation have been reported extensively. However, little is known about the critical flavor compound of a specific sensory experience in terms of oxidized off-flavor perception. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the variation in sensory qualities and volatile flavors in full-fat UHT milk (FFM) and low-fat UHT milk (LFM) samples under different natural storage conditions (0, 4, 18, 25, 30, or 37°C for 15 and 30 d) and determine the main component causing flavor deterioration in the FFM and LFM samples using sensory evaluation, electronic nose, and headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). In addition, the Pearson correlation between the volatile flavor components and oxidative off-flavors was analyzed and validated by sensory reconstitution studies. Compared with the LFM samples, the FFM samples showed a higher degree of quality deterioration with increased storage temperature. Methyl ketones of odd carbon chains (i.e., 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, 2-tridecanone, and 2-pentadecanone) reached a maximum content in the FFM37 samples over 30 d storage. The combined results of the Pearson correlation and sensory recombination study indicated that 2-heptanone, 2-nonanone, and 2-undecanone conferred off-flavor perception. Overall, the present study results provide potential target components for detecting and developing high-quality dairy products and lay a foundation for specific sensory flavor compound exploration in the food industry.

Spatial transcriptomics reveals heterogeneity of macrophages in the tumor microenvironment of granulomatous slack skin.

Granulomatous slack skin (GSS) is an extremely rare subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma accompanied by an abundant number of macrophages and is clinically characterized by the development of pendulous skin folds. However, the characteristics of these macrophages in GSS remain unclear. Here, we conducted a spatial transcriptomic study on one frozen GSS sample and drew transcriptomic maps of GSS for the first time. Gene expression analysis revealed the enrichment of three clusters with macrophage transcripts, each exhibiting distinct characteristics suggesting that their primary composition consists of different subpopulations of macrophages. The CD163+ /CD206+ cluster showed a tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) M2-like phenotype and highly expressed ZFP36, CCL2, TNFAIP6, and KLF2, which are known to be involved in T-cell interaction and tumor progression. The APOC1+ /APOE+ cluster presented a non-M1 or -M2 phenotype and may be related to lipid metabolism. The CD11c+ /LYZ+ cluster exhibited an M1-like phenotype. Notably, these cells strongly expressed MMP9, MMP12, CHI3L1, CHIT1, COL1A1, TIMP1, and SPP1, which are responsible for extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and tissue remodeling. This may partially explain the symptoms of cutaneous relaxation in GSS. Further immunohistochemistry on four GSS cases demonstrated that CD11c predominantly marked granulomas and multinucleated giant cells, whereas CD163 was mainly expressed on scattered macrophages, appearing as a mutually exclusive pattern. The expression pattern of MMP9 overlapped with that of CD11c, implying that CD11c+ macrophages may be a source of MMP9. Our data shed light on the characteristics of macrophages in the GSS microenvironment and provide a theoretical basis for the application of MMP9 inhibitors to prevent cutaneous relaxation of GSS. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Measurement of the time structure of FLASH beams using prompt gamma rays and secondary neutrons as surrogates.

Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of online monitoring of irradiation time (IRT) and scan time for FLASH proton radiotherapy using a pixelated semiconductor detector.Approach. Measurements of the time structure of FLASH irradiations were performed using fast, pixelated spectral detectors based on the Timepix3 (TPX3) chips with two architectures: AdvaPIX-TPX3 and Minipix-TPX3. The latter has a fraction of its sensor coated with a material to increase sensitivity to neutrons. With little or no dead time and an ability to resolve events that are closely spaced in time (tens of nanoseconds), both detectors can accurately determine IRTs as long as pulse pile-up is avoided. To avoid pulse pile-up, the detectors were placed well beyond the Bragg peak or at a large scattering angle. Prompt gamma rays and secondary neutrons were registered in the detectors' sensors and IRTs were calculated based on timestamps of the first charge carriers (beam-on) and the last charge carriers (beam-off). In addition, scan times inx,y, and diagonal directions were measured. The experiment was carried out for various setups: (i) a single spot, (ii) a small animal field, (iii) a patient field, and (iv) an experiment using an anthropomorphic phantom to demonstratein vivoonline monitoring of IRT. All measurements were compared to vendor log files.Main results. Differences between measurements and log files for a single spot, a small animal field, and a patient field were within 1%, 0.3% and 1%, respectively.In vivomonitoring of IRTs (95-270 ms) was accurate within 0.1% for AdvaPIX-TPX3 and within 6.1% for Minipix-TPX3. The scan times inx,y, and diagonal directions were 4.0, 3.4, and 4.0 ms, respectively.Significance. Overall, the AdvaPIX-TPX3 can measure FLASH IRTs within 1% accuracy, indicating that prompt gamma rays are a good surrogate for primary protons. The Minipix-TPX3 showed a somewhat higher discrepancy, likely due to the late arrival of thermal neutrons to the detector sensor and lower readout speed. The scan times (3.4 ± 0.05 ms) in the 60 mm distance ofy-direction were slightly less than (4.0 ± 0.06 ms) in the 24 mm distance ofx-direction, confirming the much faster scanning speed of the Y magnets than that of X. Diagonal scan speed was limited by the slower X magnets.

Effect of Lard or Plus Soybean Oil on Markers of Liver Function in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Controlled-Feeding Trial.

Humans have consumed lard for thousands of years, but in recent decades, it has become much less popular because it is regarded as saturated fat. Animal studies showed that lard plus soybean oil (blend oil) was more advantageous for liver health than using either oil alone. This study aims to assess the effects of blend oil on liver function markers in healthy subjects. The 345 healthy subjects were randomized into 3 isoenergetic diet groups with different edible oils (30 g/day) (soybean oil, lard, and blend oil (50% lard and 50% soybean oil)) for 12 weeks. The reductions in both aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were greater in the blend oil group than in the two other groups (p = 0.001 and <0.001 for the interaction between diet group and time, respectively). The reductions in AST and ALT in the blend oil group were more significant compared with those in the soybean oil group (p < 0.001) or lard group (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the other liver function markers between the groups. Thus, blend oil was beneficial for liver function markers such as AST and ALT compared with soybean oil and lard alone, which might help prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the healthy population.

Rapid discrimination of the identity of infant formula by triple-channel models.

Infant formula is related to children's life and health. However, the existing identification methods for infant formula are time-consuming, costly and prone to environmental pollution. Therefore, a simple, efficient and less polluting identification method for infant formula is urgently needed. The aim of this study was to distinguish between goat and cow infant formula using HS-SPME-GC-MS and E-nose combined with triple-channel models. The results indicated that the main difference of them attributed to thirteen volatile compounds and three sensor variables. Based on this, the linear discriminant and partial least squares discriminant analyses were conducted, and a multilayer perceptron neural network model was constructed to identify the commercial samples. There was a high percentage of correct classifications (>90%) in samples. Together, our work demonstrated that the volatile compounds of infant formula combined with chemometric analysis were effective and rapid for detecting two infant formulas.

BR-Net: Band reweighted network for quantitative analysis of rapeseed protein spectroscopy.

Compared with the complexity of chemical methods, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is widely used in the detection of protein content because of its advantages of being fast and non-destructive. Aiming to tackle the problem that the raw near-infrared spectroscopy contains many redundant wavelengths, which affects the accuracy of quantitative prediction and requires expertise to process, we propose an end-to-end network: Band Reweighted Network (BR-Net) that automates wavelength reweighted and quantitative prediction of protein content in rapeseed. Unlike extracting part of wavelengths by the traditional wavelength selection methods, BR-Net retains all spectral wavelengths and assigns different weights to the wavelengths to express the correlation with the corresponding concentration, which enables wavelength selection without ignoring the information contained in the less relevant wavelengths. We compare BR-Net with traditional selection methods such as SPA, LARS, CARS, and UVE to verify its efficiency and robustness, finding that the R2 of the training set and test set are 0.9797 and 0.9215, the RMSEC and RMSEP are 0.4053 and 0.8501, respectively, and the RPD is 3.5686, which prove BR-Net outperforms all the traditional methods. The network described here is universally applicable to a variety of NIR quantitative analyses.

Variable Augmented Network for Invertible Modality Synthesis and Fusion.

As an effective way to integrate the information contained in multiple medical images under different modalities, medical image synthesis and fusion have emerged in various clinical applications such as disease diagnosis and treatment planning. In this paper, an invertible and variable augmented network (iVAN) is proposed for medical image synthesis and fusion. In iVAN, the channel number of the network input and output is the same through variable augmentation technology, and data relevance is enhanced, which is conducive to the generation of characterization information. Meanwhile, the invertible network is used to achieve the bidirectional inference processes. Empowered by the invertible and variable augmentation schemes, iVAN not only be applied to the mappings of multi-input to one-output and multi-input to multi-output, but also to the case of one-input to multi-output. Experimental results demonstrated superior performance and potential task flexibility of the proposed method, compared with existing synthesis and fusion methods.

Engineering of a probiotic yeast for the production and secretion of medium-chain fatty acids antagonistic to an opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans.

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen, with its infection as one of the causes of morbidity or mortality. Notably, the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii has shown the potential to fight against Candida infections. In this study, we aimed to engineer a commercial boulardii strain to produce medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) with antagonistic effects against C. albicans. First, we identified and characterized a boulardii strain and created its auxotrophic strain Δura3. Next, we constructed and expressed a heterologous MCFA biosynthetic pathway under the control of inducible and constitutive promoters. Aside from examining MCFA production and secretion, we confirmed MCFAs' effects on C. albicans' anti-biofilm and anti-hyphal formations and the immunomodulatory effect of MCFA-containing supernatants on Caco-2 cells. We found that under constitutive promoters, the engineered boulardii strain constitutively produced and secreted a mixture of C6:0, C8:0, and C10:0. The secreted MCFAs then reduced biofilm and hyphal formations in C. albicans SC5314. We also confirmed that MCFAs upregulated the expression of virulence-related genes in SC5314. Furthermore, we found that the constitutively produced MCFAs in the supernatant induced the upregulation of immune response genes in Caco-2 cells co-cultured with SC5314, indicating MCFAs' roles in immunomodulation. Overall, the engineered boulardii strain produced and secreted MCFAs, as well as demonstrated antagonistic effects against C. albicans SC5314 and immune-modulatory effects in Caco-2. To our knowledge, this represents the first study tackling the metabolic engineering of a commercial probiotic yeast strain to constitutively produce and secrete MCFAs showing anti-Candida effects. Our study forms the basis of the potential development of a live biotherapeutics probiotic yeast against Candida infections through metabolic engineering strategies.