Neural Encoding for Spatial Release from Informational Masking and its Correlation with Behavioral Metrics.

The central auditory system encompasses two primary functions: identification and localization. Spatial release from masking (SRM) highlights speech recognition in competing noise and improves the listening experience when a spatial cue is introduced between noise and target speech. This assessment focuses on the integrity of auditory function and holds clinical significance. However, infants or pre-lingual subjects sometimes provide less reliable results. This study investigates the value of cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs) onset and acoustic change complex (ACC) as an objective measurement of SRM. Thirty normal-hearing young adults (11 males) were recruited. We found the spatial separation of signals and noise (±90 degrees symmetrically) resulted in a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement of 9.00 ± 1.71 dB behaviorally. It significantly enhanced cortical processing at all SNR levels, shortened CAEPs latencies, and increased amplitudes, resulting in a greater number of measurable peaks for ACC. SRM showed mild to moderate correlations with the differences between the two conditions in CAEP measures. The regression model combining N1'-P2' amplitude at 5 dB SNR (R2 = 0.26), P1 amplitude at 0 dB SNR (R2 = 0.14), and P1 latency at -5 dB SNR (R2 = 0.15), explained 45.3% of the variance in SRM. Our study demonstrates that introducing spatial cues can improve speech perception and enhance central auditory processing in normal-hearing young adults. CAEPs may contribute to predictions about SRM and hold potential for practical application.

Insights into prokaryotic communities and their potential functions in biogeochemical cycles in cold seep.

Microorganisms are significant drivers of organic matter mineralization and are essential in marine biogeochemical cycles. However, the variations and influencing factors in prokaryotic communities from cold-seep sediments to the water column and the specific role of these microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles in the water column above cold seep remain unclear. Here, we investigated prokaryotic communities and their roles in nitrogen/sulfur cycling processes and conducted in situ dissolved organic matter (DOM) enrichment experiments to explore the effects of diverse sources of DOM on prokaryotic communities. Field investigations showed that the prokaryotic communities in the near-bottom water were more similar to those in the deep layer of the euphotic zone (44.60%) and at a depth of 400 m (50.89%) than those in the sediment (18.00%). DOM enrichment experiments revealed that adding dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and phosphorus DOP caused a notable increase in the relative abundances of Rhodobacterales and Vibrionales, respectively. A remarkable increase was observed in the relative abundance of Alteromonadales and Pseudomonadales after the addition of dissolved organic sulfur (DOS). The metagenomic results revealed that Proteobacteria served as the keystone taxa in mediating the biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur in the Haima cold seep. This study highlights the responses of prokaryotes to DOM with different components and the microbially driven elemental cycles in cold seeps, providing a foundational reference for further studies on material energy metabolism and the coupled cycling of essential elements mediated by deep-sea microorganisms. IMPORTANCE: Deep-sea cold seeps are among the most productive ecosystems, sustaining unique fauna and microbial communities through the release of methane and other hydrocarbons. Our study revealed that the influence of seepage fluid on the prokaryotic community in the water column is surprisingly limited, which challenges conventional views regarding the impact of seepage fluids. In addition, we identified that different DOM compositions play a crucial role in shaping the prokaryotic community composition, providing new insights into the factors driving microbial diversity in cold seeps. Furthermore, the study highlighted Proteobacteria as key and multifaceted drivers of biogeochemical cycles in cold seeps, emphasizing their significant contribution to complex interactions and processes. These findings offer a fresh perspective on the dynamics of cold-seep environments and their microbial communities, advancing our understanding of the biogeochemical functions in deep-sea environments.

Imaging Spin-Orbit Excitation of Yttrium through High-Energy Collisions with Rare Gas Atoms.

The energy required for spin-orbit excitation plays a critical role in understanding translational-to-electronic energy conversion, particularly in chemical reactions involving changes in spin states. This is particularly important for transition metal atoms possessing d-orbitals, which result in multiple spin-orbit split energy levels at low energies. The accurate identification and characterization of spin-orbit transitions in such species require advanced experimental techniques and theoretical support. In this study, the spin-orbit excited collisions of Y(2D3/2) with rare gas atoms Ne, Ar, and Kr leading to Y(2D5/2) were observed using laser-ablated crossed-beam and time-sliced ion velocity mapping imaging techniques. Through a comparison of the forward angular distributions of Y(2D3/2) to the backward and sideway scattering distributions of Y(2D5/2) from elastic and inelastic collisions of Y(2D) with rare gas atoms, this study reveals that the spin-orbit electronic excitation occurs with high collision energy and low impact parameters from backward and sideway collisions. The effectiveness of the spin-orbit excitation process is strongly dependent on the collision energy or temperature, suggesting that energy requirements of the process have to be considered in chemical reactions involving changes in spin states.

Preliminary Evaluation of Fine-Tuning the OpenDeLD Deidentification Pipeline Across Multi-Center Corpora.

Automatic deidentification of Electronic Health Records (EHR) is a crucial step in secondary usage for biomedical research. This study introduces evaluation of an intricate hybrid deidentification strategy to enhance patient privacy in secondary usage of EHR. Specifically, this study focuses on assessing automatic deidentification using OpenDeID pipeline across diverse corpora for safeguarding sensitive information within EHR datasets by incorporating diverse corpora. Three distinct corpora were utilized: the OpenDeID v2 corpus containing pathology reports from Australian hospitals, the 2014 i2b2/UTHealth deidentification corpus with clinical narratives from the USA, and the 2016 CEGS N-GRID identification corpus comprising psychiatric notes. The OpenDeID pipeline employs a hybrid approach based on deep learning and contextual rules. Pre-processing steps involved harmonizing and addressing encoding and format issues. Precision, Recall, F-measure metrics were used to assess the performance. The evaluation metrics demonstrated the superior performance of the Discharge Summary BioBERT model. Trained on three corpora with a total of 4,038 reports, the best performing model exhibited robust deidentification capabilities when applied to EHR. It achieved impressive micro-averaged F1-scores of 0.9248 and 0.9692 for strict and relaxed settings, respectively. These results offer valuable insights into the model's efficacy and its potential role in safeguarding patient privacy in secondary usage of EHR.

Cold seep nitrogen fixation and its potential relationship with sulfur cycling.

Dinitrogen (N2) fixation is a crucial source of bioavailable nitrogen in carbon-dominated cold seep systems. Previous studies have shown that diazotrophy is not necessarily dependent on sulfate-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane for energy, and diverse catabolism can fuel the high-energy-demanding process in sediments. However, it remains unclear whether diazotroph can obtain energy by sulfur oxidation in sulfur-rich cold seep water column. Here, field investigations and in situ experiments were conducted in Haima cold seep to examine the effects of diverse sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on N2 fixation, specifically containing sulfur, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. We found that active N2 fixation occurred in the water column above the Haima cold seep, with the Dechloromonas genus dominating the diazotroph community as revealed by nifH gene using high-throughput sequencing. In situ experiments showed an increased rate of N2 fixation (1.15- to 12.70-fold compared to that in control group) and a greater relative abundance of the Dechloromonas genus following enrichment with sulfur-containing organic matter. Furthermore, metagenomic assembly and binning revealed that Dechloromonas sp. carried genes related to N2 fixation (nifDHK) and sulfur compound oxidation (fccAB and soxABCXYZ), implying that the genus potentially serves as a multifunctional mediator for N2 fixation and sulfur cycling. Our results provide new insights regarding potential coupling mechanism associated with sulfur-driven N2 fixation in methane- and sulfide-rich environments. IMPORTANCE: N2 fixation is an important source of biologically available in carbon-dominated cold seep systems as little nitrogen is released by hydrocarbon seepage, thereby promoting biological productivity and the degradation of non-nitrogenous organic matter. Cold seeps are rich in diverse sources of dissolved organic matter (DOM) derived from the sinking of photosynthetic products in euphotic layer and the release of chemosynthesis products on the seafloor. However, it remains unclear whether N2 fixation is coupled to the metabolic processes of DOM, as determined by e.g., carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur content, for energy acquisition in sulfur-rich cold seeps. In this study, diazotroph community structure and its response to DOM compositions were revealed. Moreover, the metagenomics analysis suggested that Dechloromonas genus plays a dominant role in potential coupling N2 fixation and sulfur oxidation. Our study highlighted that sulfur oxidation in deep-sea cold seeps may serve as an energy source to drive N2 fixation.

Utilizing active learning strategies in machine-assisted annotation for clinical named entity recognition: a comprehensive analysis considering annotation costs and target effectiveness.

OBJECTIVES: Active learning (AL) has rarely integrated diversity-based and uncertainty-based strategies into a dynamic sampling framework for clinical named entity recognition (NER). Machine-assisted annotation is becoming popular for creating gold-standard labels. This study investigated the effectiveness of dynamic AL strategies under simulated machine-assisted annotation scenarios for clinical NER. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We proposed 3 new AL strategies: a diversity-based strategy (CLUSTER) based on Sentence-BERT and 2 dynamic strategies (CLC and CNBSE) capable of switching from diversity-based to uncertainty-based strategies. Using BioClinicalBERT as the foundational NER model, we conducted simulation experiments on 3 medication-related clinical NER datasets independently: i2b2 2009, n2c2 2018 (Track 2), and MADE 1.0. We compared the proposed strategies with uncertainty-based (LC and NBSE) and passive-learning (RANDOM) strategies. Performance was primarily measured by the number of edits made by the annotators to achieve a desired target effectiveness evaluated on independent test sets. RESULTS: When aiming for 98% overall target effectiveness, on average, CLUSTER required the fewest edits. When aiming for 99% overall target effectiveness, CNBSE required 20.4% fewer edits than NBSE did. CLUSTER and RANDOM could not achieve such a high target under the pool-based simulation experiment. For high-difficulty entities, CNBSE required 22.5% fewer edits than NBSE to achieve 99% target effectiveness, whereas neither CLUSTER nor RANDOM achieved 93% target effectiveness. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: When the target effectiveness was set high, the proposed dynamic strategy CNBSE exhibited both strong learning capabilities and low annotation costs in machine-assisted annotation. CLUSTER required the fewest edits when the target effectiveness was set low.

Advancements in modifying insoluble dietary fiber: Exploring the microstructure, physicochemical properties, biological activity, and applications in food industry-A review.

Recent research has primarily focused on strategies for modifying insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) to enhance its performance and functionality. IDF is obtained from various inexpensive sources and can be manipulated to alter its biological effects, making it possible to revolutionize food processing and nutrition. In this review, multiple IDF modification techniques are thoroughly examined and discussed, with particular emphasis on the resulting changes in the physicochemical properties, biological activities, and microstructure of the fiber. An extensive overview of the practical applications of modified IDF in food processing is provided. Our study aims to raise awareness about the vast possibilities presented by modified IDF and encourage further exploration and utilization of this field in the realm of food production.

Indium oxide-based Z-scheme hollow core-shell heterostructure with rich sulfur-vacancy for highly efficient light-driven splitting of water to produce clean energy.

Crafting an inorganic semiconductor heterojunction with defect engineering and morphology modulation is a strategic approach to produce clean energy by the highly efficient light-driven splitting of water. In this paper, a novel Z-scheme sulfur-vacancy containing Zn3In2S6 (Vs-Zn3In2S6) nanosheets/In2O3 hollow hexagonal prisms heterostructrue (Vs-ZIS6INO) was firstly constructed by an oil bath method, in which Vs-Zn3In2S6 nanosheets grew on the surfaces of In2O3 hollow hexagonal prisms to form a hollow core-shell structure. The obtained Vs-ZIS6INO heterostructrue exhibited much enhanced activity of the production of H2 and H2O2 by the light-driven water splitting. In particular, under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm), the rate of generation of H2 of Vs-ZIS6INO sample containing 30 wt% Vs-Zn3In2S6 (30Vs-ZIS6INO) could reach 3721 µmol g-1h-1, which was 87 and 6 times higher than those of Zn3In2S6 (43 µmol g-1h-1) and Vs-Zn3In2S6 (586 µmol g-1h-1), respectively. Meanwhile, 30Vs-ZIS6INO could exhibit the rate of H2O2 production of 483 µmol g-1h-1 through the dual pathways of indirect 2e- oxygen reduction (ORR) and water oxidation (WOR) without adding any sacrifice agents, far exceeding In2O3 (7 µmol g-1h-1) and Vs-Zn3In2S6 (58 µmol g-1h-1). The excellent photocatalytic activities of H2 and H2O2 generations of Vs-ZIS6INO sample might result from the synergistic effect of the sulfur vacancy, hollow core-shell structure, and Z-scheme heterostructure, which accelerated the electron delocalization, enhanced the absorption and conversion of solar energy, reduced the carrier diffusion distance, and ensured high REDOX ability. In addition, the possible photocatalytic mechanisms for the production of H2 and H2O2 were discussed in detail. This study provided a new idea and reference for constructing the novel and efficient inorganic semiconductor heterostructures by coordinating vacancy defect and morphology design to adequately utilize water splitting for the production of clean energy.

Preparation and evaluation of microencapsulated delivery system of recombinant interferon alpha protein from rainbow trout.

Diseases caused by viruses pose a significant risk to the health of aquatic animals, for which there are presently no efficacious remedies. Interferon (IFN) serving as an antiviral agent, is frequently employed in clinical settings. Due to the unique living conditions of aquatic animals, traditional injection of interferon is cumbersome, time-consuming and labor-intensive. This study aimed to prepare IFN microcapsules through emulsion technique by using resistant starch (RS) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS). Optimization was achieved using the Box-Behnken design (BBD) response surface technique, followed by the creation of microcapsules through emulsification. With RS at a concentration of 1.27 %, a water­oxygen ratio of 3.3:7.4, CaCl2 at 13.67 %, CMCS at 1.04 %, the rate of encapsulation can escalate to 80.92 %. Rainbow trout infected with Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and common carp infected with Spring vireemia (SVCV) exhibited a relative survival rate (RPS) of 65 % and 60 % after treated with IFN microcapsules, respectively. Moreover, the microcapsules effectively reduced the serum AST levels and enhanced the expression of IFNα, IRF3, ISG15, MX1, PKR and Viperin in IHNV-infected rainbow trout and SVCV-infected carp. In conclusion, this integrated IFN microcapsule showed potential as an antiviral agent for treatment of viral diseases in aquaculture.

Genomic Selection of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea) with a High Plant Protein Diet Enhances the Growth Performance of Offspring.

Fishmeal is over-represented in the diets of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea), and this farming mode, which relies heavily on fishmeal, is highly susceptible to the price of fishmeal and is unsustainable. Therefore, more and more studies on the large yellow croaker tend to replace fishmeal with land-based animal or plant proteins, but few studies have considered it from the genomic selection. In this study, we evaluated the survival rate (SR), final body weight (FBW), body weight gain (BWG), weight gain rate (WGR), and specific growth rate (SGR) of the large yellow croaker GS7 strain, which was obtained through genomic selection for tolerance to plant proteins and analyzed the differences in plant protein utilization between the GS7 strain and unselected commercial large yellow croaker (control group). The results of separate feeding for 60 days showed that although there was no significant difference in SR between the control and GS7 strains (P > 0.05), the BWG, WGR, and SGR of the control were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those of the GS7 group. Results of mixed feeding after PIT marking showed that compared to the control fish, the GS7 strain had significantly higher BWG, WGR, and SGR (P < 0.0001). To make the experimental results more precise, we compared fishes with equivalent initial body weight (IBW) in the GS7 strain and the control group. The final fish body weight (FBW) of Ctrl-2 (IBW 300-399 g) and Ctrl-4 (IBW 500-599 g) was significantly lower than those of the corresponding GS7-2 and GS7-4 (P < 0.05), while the FBW of Ctrl-1 (IBW 200-299 g) and Ctrl-3 (IBW 400-499 g) was much significantly lower than the corresponding GS7-1 and GS7-3 (P < 0.01). The BWG, WGR, and SGR of Ctrl-1 and Ctrl-4 were more significantly lower than those of the corresponding GS7-1 and GS7-4 (P < 0.01), while the BWG, WGR, and SGR of Ctrl-2 and Ctrl-3 were more significantly different from the corresponding GS7-2 and GS7-3 (P < 0.0001). Our results seem to point toward the same conclusion that the GS7 strain is better adapted to high plant protein diets than the unselected commercial large yellow croaker. These results will provide a reference for the low-fishmeal culture industry of large yellow croakers and the selection and breeding of strains tolerant to a high percentage of plant proteins in other marine fishes.

GM1 Ameliorates Neuronal Injury in Rats after Cerebral Ischemia and Reperfusion: Potential Contribution of Effects on SPTBN1-mediated Signaling.

Monosialoganglioside GM1 (GM1) has long been used as a therapeutic agent for neurological diseases in the clinical treatment of ischemic stroke. However, the mechanism underlying the neuroprotective function of GM1 is still obscure until now. In this study, we investigated the effects of GM1 in ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) brain injury models. Middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO/R) rats were treated with GM1 (60 mg·kg-1·d-1, tail vein injection) for 2 weeks. The results showed that GM1 substantially attenuated the MCAO/R-induced neurological dysfunction and inhibited the inflammatory responses and cell apoptosis in ischemic parietal cortex. We further revealed that GM1 inhibited the activation of NFκB/MAPK signaling pathway induced by MCAO/R injury. To explore its underlying mechanism of the neuroprotective effect, transcriptome sequencing was introduced to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). By function enrichment and PPI network analyses, Sptbn1 was identified as a node gene in the network regulated by GM1 treatment. In the MCAO/R model of rats and oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) model of primary culture of rat cortical neurons, we first found that SPTBN1 was involved in the attenuation of I/R induced neuronal injury after GM1 administration. In SPTBN1-knockdown SH-SY5Y cells, the treatment with GM1 (20 µM) significantly increased SPTBN1 level. Moreover, OGD/R decreased SPTBN1 level in SPTBN1-overexpressed SH-SY5Y cells. These results indicated that GM1 might achieve its potent neuroprotective effects by regulating inflammatory response, cell apoptosis, and cytomembrane and cytoskeleton signals through SPTBN1. Therefore, SPTBN1 may be a potential target for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Elderly Women Have a Higher Survival Rate of Grafted Donor Fat than Do Young Women Under the Influence of Low Estrogen Conditions.

BACKGROUND: Fat grafting is widely used in breast reconstruction and aesthetic plastic surgery. However, the success rate and effects of fat grafting, especially in elderly female donors, are observed. This study aimed to explore the difference in the survival rate of donor fat from elderly women and young women in fat grafting. METHODS: We collected adipose tissue samples from two healthy Chinese women: a young woman and an elderly woman. In addition, adipose tissue samples were collected from female nude mice in four experimental groups-CON-Y, CON-O, OVX-Y, and OVX-O-after fat transplantation. Grafts were harvested, weighed, and subjected to assessment of histology and angiogenesis. RESULTS: An ovariectomy model was successfully established to validate the effect of low estrogen levels on fat grafting results. Due to the influence of low estrogen levels, the graft survival rate of donor site fat was significantly higher in elderly women than in young women, accompanied by a lesser degree of angiogenesis. Low estrogen levels led to adipocyte hypertrophy, which may be related to decreased AQP-7 expression. CONCLUSIONS: AQP-7 downregulation due to low estrogen levels induces adipocyte hypertrophy, and donor fat from elderly women exhibits a higher survival rate after fat transplantation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Imaging Rovibrational Excitation of Scattered YO Molecules in Inelastic Collisions with Kr and Ne.

Energy transfer between atoms and molecules is fundamental to many physical and chemical processes, and understanding the mechanisms and outcomes of energy transfer is crucial for various applications in physics and chemistry. Here, the rovibrational excitation of YO(X 2Σ+) molecules with the collision of Kr and Ne has been studied in the laser-ablation crossed beam and time-sliced ion velocity map imaging setup in combination with the resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization scheme. Significant changes in the angular distribution for different rovibrational excitations of YO molecules are observed with the collision of Kr. The sharp forward distribution for low rovibrational excitation of YO(v' = 0, 1) molecules suggest that the weak attractive potential between Kr and YO is dominant at large impact parameters. Comparatively, the strong sideway distribution for highly rovibrationally excited YO(v' = 1, 2, 3, and 5) is due to rainbow scattering from the stronger attractive potential of Kr···YO at relatively small impact parameters. The more isotropic angular distribution in the highly rovibrationally excited YO(v' = 11) indicates the formation of a short-lived complex. A change in the angular distribution of scattered YO with different rovibrational excitations was also observed in the collisions of Ne. For YO as a heteronuclear diatomic molecule, collisions of the Y- and the O-end of YO with rare gases would affect the contribution of inelastic processes at different impact parameters.

Revisiting the advances and challenges in the clinical applications of extracellular vesicles in cancer.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been the subject of an exponentially growing number of studies covering their biogenesis mechanisms, isolation and analysis techniques, physiological and pathological roles, and clinical applications, such as biomarker and therapeutic uses. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity of EVs both challenges our understanding of them and presents new opportunities for their potential application. Recently, the EV field experienced a wide range of advances. However, the challenges also remain huge. This review focuses on the recent progress and difficulties encountered in the practical use of EVs in clinical settings. In addition, we also explored the concept of EV heterogeneity to acquire a more thorough understanding of EVs and their involvement in cancer, specifically focusing on the fundamental nature of EVs.

Heat shock protein-related diagnostic signature and molecular subtypes in ankylosing spondylitis: new pathogenesis insights.

Heat shock proteins (HSP) have been associated with a range of persistent inflammatory disorders; however, little research has been conducted on the involvement of HSP in the development of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The research aims to identify a diagnostic signature based on HSP-related genes and determine the molecular subtypes of AS. We gathered the transcriptional data of patients with AS from the GSE73754 dataset and conducted a literature search for HSP-related genes (HRGs). The logistic regression model was utilized for the identification of hub HRGs associated with AS. Subsequently, these HRGs were employed in the construction of a nomogram prediction model. We employed a consensus clustering approach to identify novel molecular subgroups. Subsequently, we conducted functional analyses, encompassing GO, KEGG, and GSEA, to elucidate the underlying mechanisms between these subgroups. To assess the immunological landscape, we employed the xCell algorithm. Through logistic regression analysis, the four core HRGs (CCT2, HSPA6, DNAJB14, and DNAJC5) were confirmed as potential biomarkers for AS. Subsequent stratification revealed two distinct molecular phenotypes, designated as Cluster 1 and Cluster 2. Notably, Cluster 2 was characterized by the upregulation of pathways pertinent to immune response and inflammation. Our research suggests that the CCT2, HSPA6, DNAJB14, and DNAJC5 exhibit potential as effective blood-based diagnostic biomarkers for AS. These findings contribute to a deeper comprehension of the underlying mechanisms involved in the development of AS and offer potential targets for personalized therapeutic interventions.

Nanoplastics impair growth and nitrogen fixation of marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria.

Nanoplastics pollution is a growing environmental problem worldwide. Recent research has demonstrated the toxic effects of nanoplastics on various marine organisms. However, the influences of nanoplastics on marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria, a critical nitrogen source in the ocean, remained unknown. Here, we report that nanoplastics exposure significantly reduced growth, photosynthetic, and nitrogen fixation rates of Crocosphaera watsonii (a major marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that nanoplastics might harm C. watsonii via downregulation of photosynthetic pathways and DNA damage repair genes, while genes for respiration, cell damage, nitrogen limitation, and iron (and phosphorus) scavenging were upregulated. The number and size of starch grains and electron-dense vacuoles increased significantly after nanoplastics exposure, suggesting that C. watsonii allocated more resources to storage instead of growth under stress. We propose that nanoplastics can damage the cell (e.g., DNA, cell membrane, and membrane-bound transporters), inhibit nitrogen and carbon fixation, and hence lead to nutrient limitation and impaired growth. Our findings suggest the possibility that nanoplastics pollution could reduce the new nitrogen input and hence affect the productivity in the ocean. The impact of nanoplastics on marine nitrogen fixation and productivity should be considered when predicting the ecosystem response and biogeochemical cycling in the changing ocean.

Transforming Undesired Corrosion Products into a Nanoflake-Array Functional Layer: A Gelatin-Assistant Modification Strategy for High Performance Zn Battery Anodes.

As corrosion products of Zn anodes in ZnSO4 electrolytes, Zn4SO4 (OH)6·xH2O with loose structure cannot suppress persistent side reactions but can increase the electrode polarization and induce dendrite growth, hindering the practical applications of Zn metal batteries. In this work, a functional layer is built on the Zn anode by a gelatin-assistant corrosion and low-temperature pyrolysis method. With the assistant of gelatin, undesired corrosion products are converted into a uniform nanoflake array comprising ZnO coated by gelatin-derived carbon on Zn foil (denoted Zn@ZnO@GC). It is revealed that the gelatin-derived carbons not only enhance the electron conductivity, facilitate Zn2+ desolvation, and boost transport/deposition kinetics, but also inhibit the occurrence of hydrogen evolution and corrosion reactions on the zincophilic Zn@ZnO@GC anode. Moreover, the 3D nanoflake array effectively homogenizes the current density and Zn2+ concentration, thus inhibiting the formation of dendrites. The symmetric cells using the Zn@ZnO@GC anodes exhibit superior cycling performance (over 7000 h at 1 mA cm-2/1 mAh cm-2) and without short-circuiting even up to 25 mAh cm-2. The Zn@ZnO@GC||NaV3O8 full cell works stably for 5000 cycles even with a limited N/P ratio of ≈5.5, showing good application prospects.

Inhibition of a conserved bacterial dual-specificity phosphatase confers plant tolerance to Candidatus Liberibacter spp.

"Candidatus Liberibacter spp." are insect-vectored, fastidious, and vascular-limited phytopathogens. They are the presumptive causal agents of potato zebra chip, tomato vein clearing, and the devastating citrus greening disease worldwide. There is an urgent need to develop new strategies to control them. In this study, we characterized a dual-specificity serine/tyrosine phosphatase (STP) that is well conserved among thirty-three geographically diverse "Candidatus Liberibacter spp." and strains that infect multiple Solanaceaea and citrus spp. The STP is expressed in infected plant tissues, localized at the plant cytosol and plasma membrane, and interferes with plant cell death responses. We employed an in silico target-based molecular modeling and ligand screen to identify two small molecules with high binding affinity to STP. Efficacy studies demonstrated that the two molecules can inhibit "Candidatus Liberibacter spp." but not unrelated pathogens and confer plant disease tolerance. The inhibitors and strategies are promising means to control "Candidatus Liberibacter spp."

On-Substrate Fabrication of CsPbBr3 Single-Crystal Microstructures via Nanoparticle Self-Assembly-Assisted Low-Temperature Sintering.

The growth of all-inorganic perovskite single-crystal microstructures on substrates is a promising approach for constructing photonic and electronic microdevices. However, current preparation methods typically involve direct control of ions or atoms, which often depends on specific lattice-matched substrates for epitaxial growth and other stringent conditions that limit the mild preparation and flexibility of device integration. Herein, we present the on-substrate fabrication of CsPbBr3 single-crystal microstructures obtained via a nanoparticle self-assembly assisted low-temperature sintering (NSALS) method. Sintering guided by self-assembled atomically oriented superlattice embryos facilitated the formation of single-crystal microstructures under mild conditions without substrate dependence. The as-prepared on-substrate microstructures exhibited a consistent out-of-plane orientation with a carrier lifetime of up to 82.7 ns. Photodetectors fabricated by using these microstructures exhibited an excellent photoresponse of 9.15 A/W, and the dynamic optical response had a relative standard deviation as low as 0.1831%. The discrete photosensor microarray chip with 174000 pixels in a 100 mm2 area showed a response difference of less than 6%. This method of nanoscale particle-controlled single crystal growth on a substrate offers a perspective for mild-condition preparation and in situ repair of crystals of various types. This advancement can propel the flexible integration and widespread application of perovskite devices.

Targeted Repair of Spinal Cord Injury Based on miRNA-124-3p-Loaded Mesoporous Silica Camouflaged by Stem Cell Membrane Modified with Rabies Virus Glycoprotein.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has no effective treatment modalities. It faces a significant global therapeutical challenge, given its features of poor axon regeneration, progressive local inflammation, and inefficient systemic drug delivery due to the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB). To address these challenges, a new nano complex that achieves targeted drug delivery to the damaged spinal cord is proposed, which contains a mesoporous silica nanoparticle core loaded with microRNA and a cloaking layer of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell membrane modified with rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG). The nano complex more readily crosses the damaged BSCB with its exosome-resembling properties, including appropriate size and a low-immunogenic cell membrane disguise and accumulates in the injury center because of RVG, where it releases abundant microRNAs to elicit axon sprouting and rehabilitate the inflammatory microenvironment. Culturing with nano complexes promotes axonal growth in neurons and M2 polarization in microglia. Furthermore, it showed that SCI mice treated with this nano complex by tail vein injection display significant improvement in axon regrowth, microenvironment regulation, and functional restoration. The efficacy and biocompatibility of the targeted delivery of microRNA by nano complexes demonstrate their immense potential as a noninvasive treatment for SCI.