Diagnostic yield using electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy for peripheral pulmonary nodules <2 cm.

BACKGROUND: Although electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) is highly sensitive in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary nodules (PPNs), its diagnostic yield for subgroups of smaller PPNs is under evaluation. OBJECTIVES: Diagnostic yield evaluation of biopsy using ENB for PPNs <2 cm. DESIGN: The diagnostic yield, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the ENB-mediated biopsy for PPNs were evaluated. METHODS: Patients who had PPNs with diameters <2 cm and underwent ENB-mediated biopsy between May 2015 and February 2020 were consecutively enrolled. The final diagnosis was made via pathological examination after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 82 lesions from 65 patients were analyzed. The median tumor size was 11 mm. All lesions were subjected to ENB-mediated biopsy, of which 29 and 53 were classified as malignant and benign, respectively. Subsequent segmentectomy, lobectomy, or wedge resection, following pathological examinations were performed on 64 nodules from 57 patients. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for nodules <2 cm were 53.3%, 91.7%, 92.3%, and 51.2%, respectively. The receiver operating curve showed an area under the curve of 0.721 (p < 0.001). Additionally, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 62.5%, 100%, 100%, and 42.9%, respectively, for nodules with diameters equal to or larger than 1 cm; and 30.8%, 86.7%, 66.7%, and 59.1%, respectively, for nodules less than 1 cm. In the subgroup analysis, neither the lobar location nor the distance of the PPNs to the pleura affected the accuracy of the ENB diagnosis. However, the spiculated sign had a negative impact on the accuracy of the ENB biopsy (p = 0.010). CONCLUSION: ENB has good specificity and positive predictive value for diagnosing PPNs <2 cm; however, the spiculated sign may negatively affect ENB diagnostic accuracy. In addition, the diagnostic reliability may only be limited to PPNs equal to or larger than 1 cm.

A comparative study on the gel and structural characteristics of starch from three rice varieties when combined with Mesona chinensis polysaccharides.

Mesona chinensis polysaccharide (MCP) has excellent gel-forming characteristic, previous studies showed that MCP could affect the gelling and structural properties of rice starch, but the effect of MCP on rice starch from different types is not clarified. In this study, the effects of MCP on the pasting, rheological, and structural characteristics of glutinous rice starch (GRS), japonica rice starch (JRS), and indica rice starch (IRS) were investigated. The results showed that GRS-MCP has the best viscosity, its peak and final viscosities are higher than JRS-MCP and IRS-MCP. The gel network structure was enhanced by MCP in the order of IRS > JRS > GRS, which was reflected by greater elasticity, higher gel strength and hardness, and less free water in JRS-MCP and IRS-MCP. MCP also enhanced the ordered structure and thermal stability of the three starch gels, which is conducive to their application in the market. These findings provide new theoretical insights to produce rice starch-based foods.

Psychological interventions for depression in children and adolescents: A bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: Depression has gradually become a common psychological disorder among children and adolescents. Depression in children and adolescents affects their physical and mental development. Psychotherapy is considered to be one of the main treatment options for depressed children and adolescents. However, our understanding of the global performance and progress of psychological interventions for depression in children and adolescents (PIDCA) research is limited. AIM: To identify collaborative research networks in this field and explore the current research status and hotspots through bibliometrics. METHODS: Articles and reviews related to PIDCA from January 2010 to April 2023 were identified from the Web of Science Core Collection database. The Charticulator website, CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to visualize the trends in publications and citations, the collaborative research networks (countries, institutions, and authors), and the current research status and hotspots. RESULTS: Until April 16, 2023, 1482 publications were identified. The number of documents published each year and citations had increased rapidly in this field. The United States had the highest productivity in this field. The most prolific institution was the University of London. Pim Cuijpers was the most prolific author. In the context of research related to PIDCA, both reference co-citation analysis and keywords co-occurrence analysis identified 10 research hotspots, including third-wave cognitive behavior therapy, short-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral analysis system of psychotherapy, family element in psychotherapy, modular treatment, mobile-health, emotion-regulation-based transdiagnostic intervention program, dementia risk in later life, predictors of the efficacy of psychological intervention, and risks of psychological intervention. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive overview of PIDCA from 2010 to present. Psychological intervention characterized as psychological-process-focused, short, family-involved, modular, internet-based, emotion-regulation-based, and personalized may benefit more young people.

Impact of Brewers' Spent Grain-Containing Biscuit on Postprandial Glycaemic Response in Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome: A Crossover Randomised Controlled Trial.

Brewers' spent grain (BSG) is a fibre and protein-rich by-product of beer-brewing. Fermenting BSG with Rhizopus oligosporus can further increase its content of soluble fibre, protein and certain antioxidants. Since nutrients rich in BSG can improve postprandial glycaemic response, this study assessed the postprandial glucose response (PPGR) and postprandial insulin response (PPIR) controlling effect of consuming 30% wheat flour substituted biscuits with autoclaved BSG (ABSG) or fermented BSG (FBSG) in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS). The effect on postprandial lipid panel, breath hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) concentration and subjective appetite response was also examined. Fifteen subjects with MetS participated in this crossover randomised controlled trial, and blood was collected at 9 time-points for 4 h after consumption of control biscuits (Control), ABSG and FBSG. A significant interaction effect was observed (Pinteraction = 0.013) for the glucose time-points concentration. At 180 min, the glucose concentration was lowered after the consumption of ABSG (p = 0.010) and FBSG (p = 0.012) compared to the Control. Moreover, the FBSG resulted in a significantly lower glucose incremental area under curve (iAUC) compared to the Control (p = 0.028). Insulin level was also lowered at 180 min after the ABSG (p = 0.010) and FBSG (p = 0.051) consumption compared to the Control. However, no difference was noted for postprandial lipid panel, breath H2 and CH4 concentration and subjective appetite response. In conclusion, the consumption of BSG-incorporated biscuits can attenuate PPGR, and fermented BSG incorporation conferred a further PPGR controlling benefit.

Structural changes of rice starch-anthocyanins complexes (V-type) and its impact on gut microbiotas and potential metabolic pathways during in vitro fermentation.

This study explored the differences in the in vitro fermentation properties of rice starch (RS) and rice starch-anthocyanins complexes (RS-A). Structural characterization suggested that RS and RS-A complexes showed a V-type crystalline structure. The degree of order (DO) and degree of double helix (DD) values of RS and RS-A complexes were enhanced after fermentation. Moreover, the RS-A complexes could improve the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Ruminococcaceae, and up-regulate gut microbiota diversity to maintain gut homeostasis. Relative abundance of potential metabolic pathways, such as energy metabolism, digestion system, and carbohydrate degradation overexpressed in the presence of RS-A complexes. The results demonstrated that the RS-A complexes had slower fermentation rates contributing to the transport of the formed short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) to the end of the colon and that the crystallinity might be a factor influencing the utilization of the starch matrix by the gut microbiota for SCFA formation.

Cultivation of microalgae-bacteria consortium by waste gas-waste water to achieve CO2 fixation, wastewater purification and bioproducts production.

The cultivation of microalgae and microalgae-bacteria consortia provide a potential efficient strategy to fix CO2 from waste gas, treat wastewater and produce value-added products subsequently. This paper reviews recent developments in CO2 fixation and wastewater treatment by single microalgae, mixed microalgae and microalgae-bacteria consortia, as well as compares and summarizes the differences in utilizing different microorganisms from different aspects. Compared to monoculture of microalgae, a mixed microalgae and microalgae-bacteria consortium may mitigate environmental risk, obtain high biomass, and improve the efficiency of nutrient removal. The applied microalgae include Chlorella sp., Scenedesmus sp., Pediastrum sp., and Phormidium sp. among others, and most strains belong to Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta. The bacteria in microalgae-bacteria consortia are mainly from activated sludge and specific sewage sources. Bioengineer in CBB cycle in microalgae cells provide effective strategy to achieve improvement of CO2 fixation or a high yield of high-value products. The mechanisms of CO2 fixation and nutrient removal by different microbial systems are also explored and concluded, the importance of microalgae in the technology is proven. After cultivation, microalgae biomass can be harvested through physical, chemical, biological and magnetic separation methods and used to produce high-value by-products, such as biofuel, feed, food, biochar, fertilizer, and pharmaceutical bio-compounds. Although this technology has brought many benefits, some challenging obstacles and limitation remain for industrialization and commercializing.

The rice LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL enhances salt tolerance by regulating Na+/K+ homeostasis and ABA signalling.

The circadian clock plays multiple functions in the regulation of plant growth, development and response to various abiotic stress. Here, we showed that the core oscillator component late elongated hypocotyl (LHY) was involved in rice response to salt stress. The mutations of OsLHY gene led to reduced salt tolerance in rice. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that the OsLHY gene regulates the expression of genes related to ion homeostasis and the abscisic acid (ABA) signalling pathway, including genes encoded High-affinity K+ transporters (OsHKTs) and the stress-activated protein kinases (OsSAPKs). We demonstrated that OsLHY directly binds the promoters of OsHKT1;1, OsHKT1;4 and OsSAPK9 to regulate their expression. Moreover, the ossapk9 mutants exhibited salt tolerance under salt stress. Taken together, our findings revealed that OsLHY integrates ion homeostasis and the ABA pathway to regulate salt tolerance in rice, providing insights into our understanding of how the circadian clock controls rice response to salt stress.

Effects of three different polysaccharides on the sol gel-behavior, rheological, and structural properties of tapioca starch.

The sol-gel behavior of tapioca starch (TS) plays a crucial role in the processing and quality control of flour-based products. However, natural tapioca starch has low gel strength and poor viscosity, which tremendously limits its application. To solve this problem, this study investigated the effects of κ-carrageenan (KC), konjac gum (KGM), and Mesona chinensis Benth polysaccharide (MCP) on the pasting behavior, rheological, and structural properties of tapioca starch. KC, KGM, and MCP significantly increased the viscosity of TS. With the exception of high-concentration KGM (0.5 %), all other blending systems showed decrease in setback. This may be attributed to the stronger effect of the high-concentration KC (0.5 %) and MCP (0.5 %) functional groups interacting with starch. KC, KGM, and MCP effectively improved the dynamic modulus (G' and G") of TS gel and were effective in increasing the gel strength and hardness of TS. The FT-IR analysis indicated that the short-range order of TS was mainly influenced by polysaccharides through non-covalent bonding interactions. Furthermore, it was confirmed that three polysaccharides could form dense structures by hydrogen bonding with TS. Similarly, more stable structure and pore size were observed in the microstructure diagram.

Survival Analysis of Lung Cancer patients in Brunei Darussalam.

BACKGROUND: Cancer has been the most common cause of deaths in Brunei Darussalam including lung cancer as one of the top killers. This study presents the survival analysis of primary lung cancer patients in Brunei Darussalam. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of a 15-year period (2002-2016) involving 797 primary lung cancer cases. De-identified data extracted from Brunei Darussalam Cancer Registry was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Bonferroni corrections were performed. RESULTS: 6 months, 1-year, 3-year, 5-year survival rates of lung cancer patients were 62.2%, 51.0%, 38.0% and 34.7% respectively. The median survival time was 12.4 months (95% Cl: 9.2, 15.7). Patients diagnosed 2002-2006 had significant longer survival than patients diagnosed 2007-2011 (p=0.039) and those diagnosed 2011-2016 (p<0.001). Survival time of patients diagnosed 2007-2011 was significantly longer than patients diagnosed 2012-2016 (p=0.049). Patients with localised disease had significantly longer survival time than patients with regional involvement (p<0.001) and distal site involvement (p<0.001). Patients with distal disease had significantly poorer survival rate than patients with regional involvement (p<0.001). Patients aged 50 or above had significantly shorter survival time than patients diagnosed at age 40-49 (p=0.003). There was no significant difference between survival time of other demographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The median survival time for lung cancer patients in this study was 12.4 months. Early diagnosis, early stage of cancer, and younger age were associated with longer survival time among lung cancer patients in Brunei Darussalam.

Rethreading Design of Ratiometric roGFP2 Mimetic Peptide for Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing.

Reconstruction of the miniaturized peptide to mimic the tailored functions of protein has been attractive but challenging. Herein, initialized from the crystal structure of redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein-2 (roGFP2), we propose a practical approach to construct the roGFP2 mimetic peptide by rethreading the aromatic residues adjacent to the chromophore fragment. By fine-tuning the residues of peptides, a mini tetrapeptide (Cys-Phe-Phe-His) was designed, which can act as a hydrogen peroxide sensor using its ratiometric fluorescence. The roGFP2 mimetic tetrapeptide is biocompatible and photostable and has competitive fluorescent properties with roGFP2 by the virtue of its assembly induced emissions. We expand the ratiometric tetrapeptide for sensing hydrogen peroxide in acidic chambers. The results provide a promising approach for the artificial design of miniaturized peptides with the desired function.

A preoperative predictive model for stage IV endometriosis.

This was a retrospective study that evaluated a total of 280 patients who underwent surgery for complete removal of endometriosis to develop and validate the predictive model for stage IV endometriosis. The differences between stage I-III and stage IV endometriosis were performed by logistic regression. A model for the prediction of stage IV endometriosis was constructed, which was subsequently validated. The independent variables were visual analogue scale (VAS)≥4 [3.855, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.675-8.871, p = 0.002], painful nodularity on uterosacral ligaments (13.954, 95% CI: 1.658-117.423, p = 0.015), and bilateral endometriosis (5.933, 95% CI: 1.931-18.225, p = 0.002). The AUC of the model was 0.777, with a sensitivity of 71.9% and specificity of 76.3% for stage IV endometriosis. Therefore, a complete collection of patient information prior to surgery, asking about pain and VAS scores, careful completion of pelvic examinations, and application of imaging techniques are conducive to better diagnosis and prediction of advanced endometriosis.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Endometriosis, a chronic disease causing pain and infertility, is characterised by endometrial-like tissue outside the uterine cavity, which is often treated via surgery at present. Considering the risks of surgery, it is necessary to identify patients with stage IV endometriosis through non-invasive predictive models for adequate preparation for surgery. However, there is no reliable non-invasive predictive model now, despite utilisation of patient medical history, symptoms especially pain-related ones, pelvic examinations, laboratory examinations, and images in the preoperative diagnosis of endometriosis in the clinic.What do the results of this study add? A model developed based on three simple, accessible and non-invasive indicators displays good performance in predicting stage IV endometriosis.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? It is conducive to diagnosing and predicting advanced endometriosis before surgery, so as to reduce the difficulty and improve the safety of surgery.

Quantitative Ratiometric Biosensors Based on Fluorescent Ferrocene-Modified Histidine Dipeptide Nanoassemblies.

Fluorescent proteins (FPs) provide a ratiometric readout for quantitative assessment of the destination of internalized biomolecules. FP-inspired peptide nanostructures that can compete with FPs in their capacity are the most preferred building blocks for the synthesis of fluorescent soft matter. However, realizing a ratiometric emission from a single peptide fluorophore remains exclusive since multicolor emission is a rare property in peptide nanostructures. Here, we describe a bioinspired peptidyl platform for ratiometric intracellular quantitation by employing a single ferrocene-modified histidine dipeptide. The intensiometric ratio of green to blue fluorescence correlates linearly with the concentration of the peptide by three orders of magnitude. The ratiometric fluorescence of the peptide is an assembly-induced emission originating from hydrogen bonds and aromatic interactions. Additionally, modular design enables ferrocene-modified histidine dipeptides to use as a general platform for the construction of intricate peptides that retain the ratiometric fluorescent properties. The ratiometric peptide technique promises flexibility in the design of a wide spectrum of stoichiometric biosensors for quantitatively understanding the trafficking and subcellular fate of biomolecules.

Sediment and residual feed from aquaculture water bodies threaten aquatic environmental ecosystem: Interactions among algae, heavy metals, and nutrients.

The effect of sediment and residual fish feed on aquaculture water bodies has gained increasing attention to alleviate the eutrophication and heavy metals enrichment induced by aquaculture. Thus, this study intended to reveal the possible interactions among nutrients, heavy metals, and Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) in aquaculture water bodies containing fish feed and sediment. The analyses showed that consistent with the composition of heavy metals in fish feed, manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) accounted for the highest proportions (68-78%) of heavy metals in sediment. Meanwhile, sediment in the centre of aquaculture water bodies (S2) contained more heavy metals than those in the perimeter (S1), but the released concentrations and rates (Rrelease) of heavy metals from S1 were higher than those from S2. Moreover, the biomass, growth rate, specific growth rate, and nitrogen and carbon fixation rate of C. vulgaris increased with adding fish feed, whereas superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased. In addition, with C. vulgaris, influenced by the release process from sediment and the uptake by C. vulgaris, the concentration and Rrelease of Mn, Pb, Cu, Mn, Cr and Cd from sediments coexisting with fish feed in water first increased and then decreased in general. The C. vulgaris biomass was significantly negatively related to Mn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Cd and PO43-P (P < 0.05), which was caused by the uptake of C. vulgaris and indicated that C. vulgaris biomass is easily affected by these factors. Accordingly, the input of residual fish feed and sediment should be controlled.

A versatile platform for colorimetric, fluorescence and photothermal multi-mode glyphosate sensing by carbon dots anchoring ferrocene metal-organic framework nanosheet.

Concerns regarding pesticide residues have driven attempts to exploit accurate, prompt and straightforward approaches for food safety pre-warning. Herein, a nanozyme-mediated versatile platform with multiplex signal response (colorimetric, fluorescence and temperature) was proposed for visual, sensitive and portable detection of glyphosate (GLP). The platform was constructed based on a N-CDs/FMOF-Zr nanosensor that prepared by in situ anchoring nitrogen-doped carbon dots onto zirconium-based ferrocene metal-organic framework nanosheets. The N-CDs/FMOF-Zr possessed excellent peroxidase (POD)-like activity and thus could oxide colorless 3, 3', 5, 5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into a blue oxidized TMB (oxTMB) in presence of H2O2. Intriguingly, owing to the blocking effect triggered by multiple interaction between GLP and N-CDs/FMOF-Zr, its POD-like activity of the latter was remarkably suppressed, which can modulate the transformation of TMB into oxTMB, generating tri-signal responses of fluorescence enhancement, absorbance and temperature decrease. More significantly, the temperature mode can be facilely realized by a portable home-made mini-photothermal device and handheld thermometers. The proposed multimodal sensing was capable of providing sensitive results by fluorescence mode and simultaneously realized visual/portable testing by colorimetric and photothermal channels. Consequently, it exhibited more adaptability for practical applications, which can satisfy different testing requirements according to sensitivity and available instruments/meters, presenting a new horizon for exploiting multifunctional sensors.

[Adsorption characteristics of six bisphenol compounds on magnetic three-dimensional nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials and their use in effervescent reaction-assisted dispersive microextraction].

Herein, we successfully prepared magnetic Co/Ni-based N-doped 3D carbon nanotubes and graphene nanocomposites (CoNi@NGC) using a simple high-temperature calcination method. The CoNi@NGC nanocomposites were used as adsorbents to study their adsorption performances and underlying kinetic mechanisms for six types of bisphenol compounds (BPs) in water. They were also used as extractants, and acid-base effervescent tablets were used to enhance extractant dispersion with the aid of vigorous CO2 bubbling. Thus, a novel pretreatment method was developed, denoted effervescent reaction-assisted dispersive solid-phase microextraction (ER-DSM), which was combined with high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) to rapidly quantify trace-level BPs in several drinks. The morphology and structure of the CoNi@NGC adsorbent were characterized in detail using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), N2 adsorption and desorption (BET-BJH), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The CoNi@NGC nanocomposites were successfully doped with N and exhibited large specific surface areas (109.42 m2/g), abundant pores, and strong magnetic properties (17.98 emu/g).Key parameters were rigorously optimized to maximize the adsorption performance of CoNi@NGC, including adsorbent dosage, solution pH, temperature, and time. Under the constant conditions of pH=7, 5 mg of CoNi@NGC, initial BP concentrations of 5 mg/L, and 5 min of shaking at 298 K, the adsorption percentages of bisphenol M (BPM) and bisphenol A (BPA) reached respective maxima of 99.01% and 98.21%. Remarkably, those of bisphenol Z (BPZ), BPA, and BPM reached almost 100% after 90 min. The adsorption between the BPs and CoNi@NGC was mainly governed by hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and π-π conjugation. The entire adsorption process was consistent with Freundlich adsorption and a quasi-second-order kinetic equation, representing spontaneous adsorption. Via integration with HPLC-FLD, ER-DSM was used to rapidly extract and analyze trace-level BPs in six types of boxed drinks. Critical factors were optimized individually, including the type of eluent and elution time and volume, which influenced the enrichment effect. Under the optimized extraction conditions (pH=7, 5 mg CoNi@NGC, elution with 2 mL acetone for 6 min), the limits of detection and quantification of the novel extraction method were 0.06-0.20 and 0.20-0.66 µg/L, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precisions spanned the ranges 1.44%-4.76% and 1.69%-5.36%, respectively, and the recoveries in the actual samples were in the range 82.4%-103.7%. Moreover, the respective residual levels of BPA and BPB in peach juice samples were 2.09 and 1.37 µg/L. Regeneration studies revealed that the CoNi@NGC adsorbent could be reused at least five times, which significantly reduced the cost of evaluation. In summary, compared to other methods, this method displays the advantages of a high sensitivity, rapid extraction, and environmental friendliness, thereby exhibiting considerable potential for use in conventional monitoring of trace-level BPs in food matrices.

The controversy of klotho as a potential biomarker in chronic kidney disease.

Klotho is an identified longevity gene with beneficial pleiotropic effects on the kidney. Evidence shows that a decline in serum Klotho level occurs in early chronic kidney disease (CKD) and continues as CKD progresses. Klotho deficiency is associated with poor clinical outcomes and CKD mineral bone disorders (CKD-MBD). Klotho has been postulated as a candidate biomarker in the evaluation of CKD. However, the evidence for the clinical significance of the relationship between Klotho and kidney function, CKD stage, adverse kidney and/or non-kidney outcomes, and CKD-MBD remains inconsistent and in some areas, contradictory. Therefore, there is uncertainty as to whether Klotho is a potential biomarker in CKD; a general consensus regarding the clinical significance of Klotho in CKD has not been reached, and there is limited evidence synthesis in this area. To address this, we have systematically assessed the areas of controversy, focusing on the inconsistencies in the evidence base. We used a PICOM strategy to search for relevant studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale scoring to evaluate included publications. We reviewed the inconsistent clinical findings based on the relationship of Klotho with CKD stage, kidney and/or non-kidney adverse outcomes, and CKD-MBD in human studies. Subsequently, we assessed the underlying sources of the controversies and highlighted future directions to resolve these inconsistencies and clarify whether Klotho has a role as a biomarker in clinical practice in CKD.

A new demethylase gene, OsDML4, is involved in high temperature-increased grain chalkiness in rice.

High temperature (HT) can affect the accumulation of seed storage materials and cause adverse effects on the yield and quality of rice. DNA methylation plays an important role in plant growth and development. Here, we identified a new demethylase gene OsDML4 and discovered its function in cytosine demethylation to affect endosperm formation. Loss of function of OsDML4 induced chalky endosperm only under HT and dramatically reduced the transcription and accumulation of glutelins and 16 kDa prolamin. The expression of two transcription factor genes RISBZ1 and RPBF was significantly decreased in the osdml4 mutants, which caused adverse effects on the formation of protein bodies (PBs) with greatly decreased PB-II number, and incomplete and abnormally shaped PB-IIs. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing analysis of seeds at 15 d after pollination revealed much higher global methylation levels of CG, CHG, and CHH contexts in the osdml4 mutants compared with the wild type. Moreover, the RISBZ1 promoter was hypermethylated but the RPBF promoter was almost unchanged under HT. No significant difference was detected between the wild type and osdml4 mutants under normal temperature. Our study demonstrated a novel OsDML4-mediated DNA methylation involved in the formation of chalky endosperm only under HT and provided a new perspective in regulating endosperm development and the accumulation of seed storage proteins in rice.

Modulation-free portable laser frequency and power stabilization system.

The performance of laser-based instruments heavily depends on the stability of their laser source. Some instruments, such as the Cs-4He magnetometer, even require the frequency stabilization and the power stabilization at the same time. In this work, we design a double-locking system with a fiber-coupled output on a small bread board and apply it to the pump laser of a Cs-4He magnetometer. By carefully choosing the stabilization methods, we significantly improve the long-term simultaneous stability of frequency and power of the pump laser. The laser frequency drifts in 2 h are reduced from 100 to 10 MHz. For 10 h continuous measurements, their Allan deviation obtains about two orders of magnitude improvement for the averaging time larger than 200 s and reaches σ(τ) = 1.57 × 10-9 with a 200 s averaging time. The laser power stability for 1.8 h also obtains two orders of magnitude improvement from 3.22% to 0.031%, and its power noise reaches a level that is very close to the electronic noise of the detector. Applying this stabilization system to the pump laser of a fiber-coupled Cs-4He magnetometer, its magnetic sensor noise is significantly reduced from 0.158 to 0.009 nT, which is a reasonable noise for magnetic field detection. With this on-board design of the laser stabilization system, it is more convenient to transform the magnetometer into an outdoor device.

Color-Tunable Fluorescent Hierarchical Nanoassemblies with Concentration-Encoded Emission.

Cephalopods possess a dynamic coloration behavior to change their iridescence due to the concentration-induced optical properties of chromatophores and hierarchical assembly of reflectin. However, cephalopods rarely have iridescence in the darkfield. It would be interesting to develop color-tunable fluorescent hierarchical nanoassemblies with concentration-encoded emission. Herein, to construct the bioavailable fluorophore with dynamic coloration properties, a histidine-rich peptide is designed, which can self-assemble into hierarchical nanoassemblies stabilized by hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions. The peptidyl nanoassemblies emit fluorescent iridescence, encompassing the blue to orange region due to the assembly-induced emission. The fluorescence of histidine-rich peptides is color-tunable and reversible, which can be dynamically controlled in a concentration-encoded mode. Due to the coloration ability of histidine-rich peptides, fluorescent polychromatic human cells are developed, highlighting its potential role as a fluorescent candidate for future applications such as bioimaging, implantable light-emitting diodes, and photochromic camouflage.