Current clinical application of lutetium­177 in solid tumors (Review).

Radionuclide-based therapy represents a novel treatment regimen for tumors. Among these therapies, lutetium-177 (177Lu) has gained significant attention due to its stability and safety, as well as its ability to emit both γ and ß rays, allowing for both imaging with single photon emission computed tomography and tumor treatment. As a result, 177Lu can be used for both diagnosis and treatment for diseases such as prostatic and gastric cancer. Therefore, based on the available data, the present review provides a brief overview of the clinical applications of 177Lu-targeted radionuclide therapy in metastatic prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumors and other types of solid tumors, and highlights the current therapeutic effect, reduction in damage to normal tissues and future research directions, including the development of new nuclides and the application of more nuclides in different tumors. In the future, such treatments could be used in more tumors.

Functional diversity of NLRP3 gain-of-function mutants associated with CAPS autoinflammation.

NLRP3-associated autoinflammatory disease is a heterogenous group of monogenic conditions caused by NLRP3 gain-of-function mutations. The poor functional characterization of most NLRP3 variants hinders diagnosis despite efficient anti-IL-1 treatments. Additionally, while NLRP3 is controlled by priming and activation signals, gain-of-functions have only been investigated in response to priming. Here, we characterize 34 NLRP3 variants in vitro, evaluating their activity upon induction, priming, and/or activation signals, and their sensitivity to four inhibitors. We highlight the functional diversity of the gain-of-function mutants and describe four groups based on the signals governing their activation, correlating partly with the symptom severity. We identify a new group of NLRP3 mutants responding to the activation signal without priming, associated with frequent misdiagnoses. Our results identify key NLRP3 residues controlling inflammasome activity and sensitivity to inhibitors, and antagonistic mechanisms with broader efficacy for therapeutic strategies. They provide new insights into NLRP3 activation, an explanatory mechanism for NLRP3-AID heterogeneity, and original tools for NLRP3-AID diagnosis and drug development.

H2O2 drives the transition from conchocelis to conchosporangia in the red alga Pyropia haitanensis with promotion facilitated by 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid.

The Bangiales represent an ancient lineage within red algae that are characterized by a life history featuring a special transitional stage from diploid to haploid known as the conchosporangia stage. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing the initiation of this stage by changes in environmental conditions are not well understood. This study analyzed the changes in phytohormones and H2O2 content during the development of conchosporangia. It also compared the gene expression changes in the early development of conchosporangia through transcriptome analysis. The findings revealed that H2O2 was shown to be the key signal initiating the transition from conchocelis to conchosporangia in Pyropia haitanensis. Phytohormone analysis showed a significant increase in 1-aminocylopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) levels during conchosporangia maturation, while changes in environmental conditions were found to promote the rapid release of H2O2. H2O2 induction led to conchosporangia development, and ACC enhanced both H2O2 production and conchosporangia development. This promotive effect was inhibited by the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium and the H2O2 scavenger N, N'-dimethylthiourea. The balance of oxidative-antioxidative mechanisms was maintained by regulating the activities and transcriptional levels of enzymes involved in H2O2 production and scavenging. Transcriptome analysis in conjunction with evaluation of enzyme and transcription level changes revealed upregulation of protein and sugar synthesis along with modulation of energy supply under the conditions that induced maturation, and exogenous ACC was found to enhance the entire process. Overall, this study demonstrates that ACC enhances H2O2 promotion of the life cycle switch responsible for the transition from a vegetative conchocelis to a meiosis-preceding conchosporangia stage in Bangiales species.

Prognostic value of preoperative serum ferritin in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization.

The present study investigated the prognostic impact of preoperative serum ferritin (SF) levels on the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Clinicopathological characteristics and laboratory biomarkers of 223 patients with HCC who underwent TACE were retrospectively reviewed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the overall survival (OS), and the log-rank test was used to evaluate statistical significance. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression to evaluate the prognostic impact of SF in these patients. The present findings identified extrahepatic metastases [hazard ratio (HR)=0.490,95%; confidence interval (CI)=0.282-0.843; P=0.010)] and vascular invasion (HR=0.373; 95% CI=0.225-0.619; P<0.0001) as independent prognostic factors for OS. However, preoperative SF levels could not independently predict OS when compared with other prognostic factors (HR=0.810; 95% CI=0.539-1.216; P=0.309). In conclusion, preoperative SF level is an unreliable biochemical predictor of survival in patients with HCC undergoing TACE.

Down-regulation of Musashi-2 exerts antileukemic effects on acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells and increases sensitivity to dexamethasone.

Musashi-2 (MSI2), implicated in the oncogenesis and propagation of a broad array of malignancies, inclusive of certain leukemia, remains a nascent field of study within the context of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Using lentiviral transfection, ALL cells with stable MSI2 knockdown were engineered. A suite of analytic techniques - a CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, and western blotting - were employed to evaluate cellular proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis and to confirm differential gene expression. The suppression of MSI2 expression yielded significant results: inhibition of cell proliferation, G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, and induced apoptosis in ALL cell lines. Furthermore, it was noted that MSI2 inhibition heightened the responsiveness of ALL cells to dexamethasone. Significantly, the depletion of MSI2 prompted the translocation of GR from the cytoplasm to the nucleus upon dexamethasone treatment, consequently leading to enhanced sensitivity. Additionally, the FOXO1/4 signaling pathway contributed to the biological effects of ALL cells evoked by MSI2 silencing. Our study offers novel insight into the inhibitory effects of MSI2 suppression on ALL cells, positing MSI2 as a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of ALL.

Phase-Pure α-FAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells via Activating Lead-Iodine Frameworks.

Narrow bandgap cubic formamidine perovskite (α-FAPbI3) is widely studied for its potential to achieve record­breaking efficiency. However, its high preparation difficulty caused by lattice instability is criticized. A popular strategy for stabilizing the α-FAPbI3 lattice is to replace intrinsic FA+ or I- with smaller ions of MA+, Cs+, Rb+, and Br-, whereas this generally leads to broadened optical bandgap and phase separation. Studies show that ions substitution-free phase-pure α-FAPbI3 can achieve intrinsic phase stability. However, the challenging preparation of high-quality films has hindered its further development. Here, a facile synthesis of high-quality MA+, Cs+, Rb+, and Br--free phase-pure α-FAPbI3 perovskite film by a new solution modification strategy is reported. This enables the activation of lead-iodine (Pb─I) frameworks by forming the coated Pb⋯O network, thus simultaneously promoting spontaneous homogeneous nucleation and rapid phase transition from δ to α phase. As a result, the efficient and stable phase-pure α-FAPbI3 PSC is obtained through a one-step method without antisolvent treatment, with a record efficiency of 23.15% and excellent long-term operating stability for 500 h under continuous light stress.

Variable phenotypes and outcomes associated with the MMACHC c.482G > A mutation: follow-up in a large CblC disease cohort.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to characterize the variable phenotypes and outcomes associated with the methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria type C protein gene (MMACHC) c.482G > A mutation in 195 Chinese cases with CblC disease. METHODS: We carried out a national, retrospective multicenter study of 195 Chinese patients with CblC disease attributable to the MMACHC c.482G > A variant either in a homozygous or compound heterozygous state. The control group consisted of 200 patients diagnosed with CblC disease who did not possess the c.482G > A mutation. Clinical features, including disease onset, symptoms, biochemical metabolites, gene mutation, and follow-up outcomes were reviewed and analyzed in detail. The median follow-up period spanned 3 years and 8 months, with a range of 1 year and 2 months to 12 years and 10 months. RESULTS: Among 195 patients carrying the c.482G > A variant, 125 (64.1%) cases were diagnosed by newborn screening (NBS), 60 (30.8%) cases were detected due to disease onset, and 10 (5.1%) cases were identified from sibling diagnoses. One hundred and seventeen (93.6%) individuals who were diagnosed by NBS, and nine patients who came from sibling diagnoses remained asymptomatic in this study. From 69 symptomatic patients of the c.482G > A group, more patients presented with later onset, and the top six common clinical symptoms at disease onset were developmental delay (59.4%), lower limb weakness and poor exercise tolerance (50.7%), cognitive decline (37.7%), gait instability and abnormal posture (36.2%), seizures (26.1%), and psychiatric and behavioral disturbances (24.6%). In the 159 symptomatic patients lacking c.482G > A variants, the most frequently observed clinical manifestations at disease onset included developmental delay (81.8%), lethargy and feeding difficulty (62.9%), lower limb weakness and poor exercise tolerance (54.7%), prolonged neonatal jaundice (51.6%), vomiting (47.2%), and seizures (32.7%). Before treatment, the levels of blood propionylcarnitine, propionylcarnitine/acetylcarnitine ratio, and homocysteine in the c.482G > A group were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those in the non-c.482G > A group, while the concentration of urinary methylmalonic acid was slightly lower (P > 0.05). The degree of decline in the above metabolites after treatment in different groups significantly differed in both plasma total homocysteine values and urinary methylmalonic acid levels (P < 0.05). In patients carrying the c.482G > A variant compared with the non-c.428G > A group, there were markedly lower rates of mortality (0.5% vs. 2.0%) and developmental delay (20.5% vs. 65.5%). When compared with individuals diagnosed due to disease onset, those identified through NBS in either group exhibited a reduced proportion of disease onset (6.7% vs. 100% in the c.482G > A group, 54.4% vs. 100% in the non-c.482G > A group), lower mortality (0.0% vs. 1.7% in the c.482G > A group, 0.0% vs. 3.6% in the non-c.482G > A group), and had a higher percentage of patients exhibiting normal psychomotor and language development (99.3% vs. 33.3% in the c.482G > A group, 58.9% vs. 10.9% in the non-c.482G > A group). CONCLUSIONS: The c.482G > A variant in MMACHC is associated with late-onset and milder phenotypes of CblC disease. Patients with this mutation tend to have a relatively better response to hydroxocobalamin, better metabolic control, and more favorable neurological outcomes. NBS and other appropriate pre-symptomatic treatments seem to be helpful in early diagnosis, resulting in favorable clinical outcomes. Video Abstract (MP4 136794 kb).

Key changes in the future clinical application of ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy.

Ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) is an external beam radiotherapy strategy that uses an extremely high dose rate (≥40 Gy/s). Compared with conventional dose rate radiotherapy (≤0.1 Gy/s), the main advantage of FLASH-RT is that it can reduce damage of organs at risk surrounding the cancer and retain the anti-tumor effect. An important feature of FLASH-RT is that an extremely high dose rate leads to an extremely short treatment time; therefore, in clinical applications, the steps of radiotherapy may need to be adjusted. In this review, we discuss the selection of indications, simulations, target delineation, selection of radiotherapy technologies, and treatment plan evaluation for FLASH-RT to provide a theoretical basis for future research.

Insight into regulation of adventitious root formation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and exogenous auxin in tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) cuttings.

Introduction: Adventitious root (AR) development, affected by various biotic and abiotic factors, is the most important procedure in tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) cutting propagation. Establishing symbiotic relationships with most terrestrial plants, AMF (Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus) can mediate the AR formation of several herbaceous and woody plants in previous studies. Methods: In this paper, effects of combined application of AMF and exogenous auxin on AR formation of cuttings from different tea plant varieties ('Pingyangtezao', 'Longjing 43' and 'Longjingchangye') were studied. Then we also performed RNA-Seq analysis with 'Pingyangtezao' cuttings aiming to find the possible auxin-related pathway of AM fungal regulation on AR formation. To accurately uncover the regulatory mechanism of AMF on AR formation of tea cuttings, rooting process were separated into four stages (S0, non-rooting; S1, AR protrusion; S2, AR formation and S3, AR elongation) at the same sampling time. Results and Discussion: Results showed that IBA treatment increased the mycorrhizal colonization rate, especially in 'Pingyangtezao' variety (from 37.58% to 46.29%). Both inoculating AMF and addition of IBA promoted the AR formation, and rooting of different tea plant varieties showed different dependence on auxin. AMF could alleviate the effect of auxin-related inhibitors (2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid, L-α-(Aminooxy)-ß-phenylpropionic acid and α-(phenylethyl-2-oxo)-IAA) on rooting of tea cuttings, even though the colonization of AMF was hindered at various degrees. Transcriptomic analysis showed that different numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at various rooting stages of tea cuttings with the most at S2 stage (1360 DEGs), indicating the increasing regulation by AMF with the development of AR. Similar trend was found in auxin-related DEGs, and family genes of YUC, GH, PIN, LAX, SAUR, AUX, and ABP involved in the AM fungal regulation on AR formation of tea cuttings. Additionally, AMF strongly mediated auxin transport and signal transduction pathways in tea cuttings as showed by the results of correlation analysis. Overall, interaction of AMF and exogenous auxin in promoting rooting and the preliminary mechanism of AMF regulating AR formation of tea cuttings was deciphered in this paper, which may provide a basis for further deep mechanistic research and cutting propagation of tea production.

Einstein's tea leaf paradox induced localized aggregation of nanoparticles and their conversion to gold aerogels.

Normally, stirring is regarded as a technology to disperse the substances in liquid evenly. However, Einstein's tea leaf paradox (ETLP) describes the phenomenon that tea leaves concentrate in a "doughnut" shape via a secondary flow effect while stirring. Herein, to demonstrate ETLP-induced concentration in nanofluid, we simulated the nanoparticle trajectory under stirring and made a grayscale analysis of SiO2 nanofluids during stirring and standing processes. Unexpectedly, a localized concentration effect in the layer flow was found beside the macroscopic ETLP effect. Subsequently, the localized concentration was applied to achieve the ultrafast aggregation of Au nanoparticles to form gold aerogels (GAs). The skeleton size of GAs was adjusted from about 10 to 200 nm by only adjusting the temperature of HAuCl4 solution. The fabricated GAs had extremely high purity and crystallinity, revealing potential applications in photocatalysis and surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Single coronary artery presenting dilated cardiomyopathy and hyperlipidemia with the SCN5A and APOA5 gene mutation: A case report and review of the literature.

We present a 55-year-old man with chest tightness and dyspnoea after activity lasting for 2 months who was diagnosed with single coronary artery (SCA) and presented with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with the c.1858C > T mutation in the SCN5A gene. The computed tomography coronary angiogram (CTCA) showed congenital absence of the right coronary artery (RCA), and the right heart was nourished by the left coronary artery branch with no apparent stenosis. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed enlargement of the left heart and cardiomyopathy. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) revealed DCM. Genetic testing showed that the c.1858C > T variant of the SCN5A gene could lead to Brugada syndrome and DCM. SCA is a rare congenital anomaly of the coronary anatomy, and this case reported as SCA accompanied by DCM is even rarer. We present a rare case of a 55-year-old man with DCM with the c.1858C > T (p. Arg620Cys)/c.1008G > A (p.(Pro336=) variant of the SCN5A gene, congenital absence of RCA, and c.990_993delAACA (p. Asp332Valfs*5) variant of the APOA5 gene. To our knowledge, this is the first report of DCM combined with the SCN5A gene mutation in SCA after searching the PubMed, CNKI and Wanfang databases.

Evaluation of the clinical, biochemical, genotype and prognosis of mut-type methylmalonic acidemia in 365 Chinese cases.

BACKGROUND: Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), which results from defects in methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (mut type) or its cofactor, is the most common inherited organic acid metabolic disease in China. This study aimed to investigate the phenotype and genotype of mut-type MMA in Chinese patients. METHODS: We recruited 365 patients with mut-type MMA; investigated their disease onset, newborn screening (NBS) status, biochemical metabolite levels, gene variations and prognosis; and explored the relationship between phenotype and genotype. RESULTS: There were 152 patients diagnosed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) expanded NBS, 209 patients diagnosed because of disease onset without NBS and 4 cases diagnosed because of sibling diagnosis. The median age of onset was 15 days old, with a variety of symptoms without specificity. Urinary levels of methylmalonic acid and methylcitric acid (MCA) decreased after treatment. Regarding the prognosis, among the 152 patients with NBS, 50.6% were healthy, 30.3% had neurocognitive impairment and/or movement disorders and 13.8% died. Among the 209 patients without NBS, 15.3% were healthy, 45.9% had neurocognitive impairment and/or movement disorders and 33.0% died. In total, 179 variants were detected in the MMUT gene, including 52 novel variations. c.729_730insTT, c.1106G>A, c.323G>A, c.914T>C and c.1663G>A were the five most frequent variations. The c.1663G>A variation led to a milder phenotype and better prognosis. CONCLUSION: There is a wide spectrum of variations in the MMUT gene with several common variations. Although the overall prognosis of mut-type MMA was poor, participation in MS/MS expanded NBS, vitamin B12 responsive and late onset are favourable factors for the prognosis.

Preclinical safety evaluation of intradermal SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine (Vero cells) administration in macaques.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute and highly pathogenic infectious disease in humans caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Six months after immunization with the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, however, antibodies are almost depleted. Intradermal immunization could be a new way to solve the problem of nondurable antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 or the poor immune protection against variant strains. We evaluated the preclinical safety of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for intradermal immunization in rhesus monkeys. The results showed that there were no obvious abnormalities in the general clinical condition, food intake, body weight or ophthalmologic examination except for a reaction at the local vaccination site. In the hematology examination, bone marrow imaging, serum biochemistry, and routine urine testing, the related indexes of each group fluctuated to different degrees after administration, but there was no dose-response or time-response correlation. The neutralization antibody and ELISpot results also showed that strong humoral and cellular immunity could be induced after vaccination, and the levels of neutralizing antibodies increased with certain dose- and time-response trends. The results of a repeated-administration toxicity test in rhesus monkeys intradermally inoculated with a SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine showed good safety and immunogenicity.

Molecular mechanisms of toxicity and detoxification in rice (Oryza sativa L.) exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are an emerging threat to higher plants in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the molecular of NP-related phytotoxicity remains unclear. In the present study, rice seedlings were exposed to polystyrene (PS, 50 nm) NPs at 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/L under hydroponic conditions to investigate the induced physiological indices and transcriptional mechanisms. We found that 50, 100, and 200 mg/L PS significantly reduced root (53.05%, 49.61%, and 57.58%, respectively) and shoot (54.63%, 61.56%, and 62.64%, respectively) biomass as compared with the control seedlings. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), were significantly activated in all PS treatment groups, indicating that PS inhibited plant growth and induced oxidative stress. Transcriptome analyses showed that PS modulated the expression of the genes involved in cell detoxification, active oxygen metabolism, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and plant hormone transduction pathways. Our study provides new insights into phytotoxicity by demonstrating the potential underlying toxicity of PS NPs in higher plants.

Decreased transthyretin predicts a poor prognosis in primary myelodysplastic syndrome.

Background: This study aims to investigate the prognostic significance of transthyretin in newly diagnosed myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Methods: The clinical, laboratory, and follow-up data of 280 newly diagnosed patients with MDS were collected. The relationship between serum transthyretin levels and overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox Regression Model. Result: In the MDS cohort, there were 121 cases in the low transthyretin group and 159 cases in the normal transthyretin group. MDS patients with decreased transthyretin had a higher risk score on the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) (p = 0.004) and on the molecular IPSS (IPSS-M) (p = 0.005), a higher frequency of TP53 mutation (p < 0.0001), a shorter OS (p < 0.0001) and LFS (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analyses showed that higher IPSS-R and IPSS-M score were adverse factors for OS (p = 0.008 and p = 0.015, respectively) and LFS (p = 0.024 and p = 0.005, respectively). Mutations of TP53 and NRAS were also poor factors for LFS (p = 0.034 and p = 0.018, respectively). Notably, decreased transthyretin was an independent adverse predictor for OS (p = 0.009, HR = 0.097, 95%CI, 0.017-0.561) but not for LFS (p = 0.167) when IPSS-R was included in the Cox regression model and an independent poor one for OS (p = 0.033, HR = 0.267, 95%CI, 0.080-0.898) and LFS (p = 0.024, HR = 0.290, 95%CI, 0.099-0.848) while IPSS-M involved. Conclusion: The results indicate that decreased transthyretin could be an independent adverse prognostic factor in patients with MDS and may provide a supplement to IPSS-R and IPSS-M.

Stabilization of Component-Pure α-FAPbI3 via Volatile Additives for Stable Photovoltaics.

State-of-the-art high-performance perovskite solar cells are mainly based on formamidinium (FA)-dominated perovskites because of their narrow band gap and remarkable thermal resistance. However, photoactive α-FAPbI3 is prone to transit to the photoinactive phase, and pioneering phase stabilization strategies can induce undesirable band gap broadening or phase segregation, seriously restricting the efficiency and long-term stability of the resultant photovoltaics. Herein, a small molecule of ammonium acetate (NH4Ac) was introduced as an additive in a modified ripening method to fabricate component-pure α-FAPbI3. Owing to the strong interaction between NH4Ac and PbI2, FAI via Pb-O coordination, and N-H···N hydrogen bonding, vertically oriented perovskites with relaxed crystal strain were first generated, which were fully converted to α-FAPbI3 in a further ripening process. The NH4Ac was fully volatized after the perovskite formation, resulting in component-pure α-FAPbI3 with a band gap of 1.48 eV and remarkable stability under light illumination. Ultimately, a champion device efficiency of above 21% was obtained based on the component-pure α-FAPbI3 and over 95% of the initial efficiency can be maintained after 1000 h of aging.

A multicenter prospective study of next-generation sequencing-based newborn screening for monogenic genetic diseases in China.

BACKGROUND: Newborn screening (NBS) is an important and successful public health program that helps improve the long-term clinical outcomes of newborns by providing early diagnosis and treatment of certain inborn diseases. The development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology provides new opportunities to expand current newborn screening methodologies. METHODS: We designed a a newborn genetic screening (NBGS) panel targeting 135 genes associated with 75 inborn disorders by multiplex PCR combined with NGS. With this panel, a large-scale, multicenter, prospective multidisease analysis was conducted on dried blood spot (DBS) profiles from 21,442 neonates nationwide. RESULTS: We presented the positive detection rate and carrier frequency of diseases and related variants in different regions; and 168 (0.78%) positive cases were detected. Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDD) and phenylketonuria (PKU) had higher prevalence rates, which were significantly different in different regions. The positive detection of G6PD variants was quite common in south China, whereas PAH variants were most commonly identified in north China. In addition, NBGS identified 3 cases with DUOX2 variants and one with SLC25A13 variants, which were normal in conventional NBS, but were confirmed later as abnormal in repeated biochemical testing after recall. Eighty percent of high-frequency gene carriers and 60% of high-frequency variant carriers had obvious regional differences. On the premise that there was no significant difference in birth weight and gestational age, the biochemical indicators of SLC22A5 c.1400C > G and ACADSB c.1165A > G carriers were significantly different from those of non-carriers. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that NBGS is an effective strategy to identify neonates affected with treatable diseases as a supplement to current NBS methods. Our data also showed that the prevalence of diseases has significant regional characteristics, which provides a theoretical basis for screening diseases in different regions.

Effect of butachlor on Microcystis aeruginosa: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of toxicity.

The rapid development of agriculture increases the release of butachlor into aquatic environments. As a dominant species causing cyanobacterial blooms, Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) can produce microcystin and poses threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health. However, the impact of butachlor on M. aeruginosa remains unclarified. Therefore, the physiochemical responses of M. aeruginosa to butachlor were investigated, and the relevant underlying molecular mechanism was highlighted. There were no significant changes (P > 0.05) in the growth and physiology of M. aeruginosa at the low concentrations of butachlor (0-0.1 mg/L), which evidenced a high level of butachlor tolerance in Microcystis aeruginosa. For the high concentrations of butachlor (4-30 mg/L), the inhibition of photosynthetic activity, disruption of cell ultrastructure, and oxidative stress were dominant toxic effects on M. aeruginosa. Additionally, the impaired cellular integrity and lipid peroxidation may be attributed to the substantial elevations of extracellular microcystin-LR concentration. Downregulation of genes associated with photosynthesis, energy metabolism, and oxidative stress was inferred to be responsible for the growth suppression of M. aeruginosa in 30 mg/L butachlor treatment. The upregulation of gene sets involved in nitrogen metabolism may illustrate the specific effort to sustain the steady concentration of intracellular microcystin-LR. These findings dissect the response mechanism of M. aeruginosa to butachlor toxicity and provide valuable reference for the evaluation of potential risk caused by butachlor in aquatic environments.

GmABCG5, an ATP-binding cassette G transporter gene, is involved in the iron deficiency response in soybean.

Iron deficiency is a major nutritional problem causing iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) and yield reduction in soybean, one of the most important crops. The ATP-binding cassette G subfamily plays a crucial role in substance transportation in plants. In this study, we cloned the GmABCG5 gene from soybean and verified its role in Fe homeostasis. Analysis showed that GmABCG5 belongs to the ABCG subfamily and is subcellularly localized at the cell membrane. From high to low, GmABCG5 expression was found in the stem, root, and leaf of young soybean seedlings, and the order of expression was flower, pod, seed stem, root, and leaf in mature soybean plants. The GUS assay and qRT-PCR results showed that the GmABCG5 expression was significantly induced by iron deficiency in the leaf. We obtained the GmABCG5 overexpressed and inhibitory expressed soybean hairy root complexes. Overexpression of GmABCG5 promoted, and inhibition of GmABCG5 retarded the growth of soybean hairy roots, independent of nutrient iron conditions, confirming the growth-promotion function of GmABCG5. Iron deficiency has a negative effect on the growth of soybean complexes, which was more obvious in the GmABCG5 inhibition complexes. The chlorophyll content was increased in the GmABCG5 overexpression complexes and decreased in the GmABCG5 inhibition complexes. Iron deficiency treatment widened the gap in the chlorophyll contents. FCR activity was induced by iron deficiency and showed an extraordinary increase in the GmABCG5 overexpression complexes, accompanied by the greatest Fe accumulation. Antioxidant capacity was enhanced when GmABCG5 was overexpressed and reduced when GmABCG5 was inhibited under iron deficiency. These results showed that the response mechanism to iron deficiency is more actively mobilized in GmABCG5 overexpression seedlings. Our results indicated that GmABCG5 could improve the plant's tolerance to iron deficiency, suggesting that GmABCG5 might have the function of Fe mobilization, redistribution, and/or secretion of Fe substances in plants. The findings provide new insights into the ABCG subfamily genes in the regulation of iron homeostasis in plants.

Perovskite solar cells based on screen-printed thin films.

One potential advantage of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is the ability to solution process the precursors and deposit films from solution1,2. At present, spin coating, blade coating, spray coating, inkjet printing and slot-die printing have been investigated to deposit hybrid perovskite thin films3-6. Here we expand the range of deposition methods to include screen-printing, enabled by a stable and viscosity-adjustable (40-44,000 cP) perovskite ink made from a methylammonium acetate ionic liquid solvent. We demonstrate control over perovskite thin-film thickness (from about 120 nm to about 1,200 nm), area (from 0.5 × 0.5 cm2 to 5 × 5 cm2) and patterning on different substrates. Printing rates in excess of 20 cm s-1 and close to 100% ink use were achieved. Using this deposition method in ambient air and regardless of humidity, we obtained the best efficiencies of 20.52% (0.05 cm2) and 18.12% (1 cm2) compared with 20.13% and 12.52%, respectively, for the spin-coated thin films in normal devices with thermally evaporated metal electrodes. Most notably, fully screen-printing devices with a single machine in ambient air have been successfully explored. The corresponding photovoltaic cells exhibit high efficiencies of 14.98%, 13.53% and 11.80% on 0.05-cm2, 1.00-cm2 and 16.37-cm2 (small-module) areas, respectively, along with 96.75% of the initial efficiency retained over 300 h of operation at maximum power point.