Highly Specific Aptamer-Antibody Birecognized Sandwich Module for Ultrasensitive Detection of a Low Molecular Weight Compound.

Herein, the aptamer-antibody sandwich module was first introduced to accurately recognize a low molecular weight compound (mycotoxin). Impressively, compared with the large steric hindrance of a traditional dual-antibody module, the aptamer-antibody sandwich with low Gibbs free energy and a low dissociation constant has high recognition efficiency; thus, it could reduce false positives and false negatives caused by a dual-antibody module. As a proof of concept, a sensitive electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor was constructed for detecting mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) based on an aptamer-antibody sandwich as a biological recognition element and porous ZnO nanosheets (Zn NSs) supported Cu nanoclusters (Cu NCs) as the signal transduction element, in which the antibody was modified on the vertex of a tetrahedral DNA nanostructure (TDN) with a rigid structure to increase the kinetics of target recognition for promoting the detection sensitivity. Moreover, the Cu NCs/Zn NSs exhibited an excellent ECL response that was attributed to the aggregation-induced ECL enhancement through electrostatic interactions. The sensing platform achieved trace detection of ZEN with a low detection limit of 0.31 fg/mL, far beyond that of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, the current rapid detection method) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC, the national standard detection method). The strategy has great application potential in food analysis, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnosis.

Senescent endothelial cells promote liver metastasis of uveal melanoma in single-cell resolution.

BACKGROUND: Uveal melanoma (UM), the most common adult intraocular tumor, is characterized by high malignancy and poor prognosis in advanced stages. Angiogenesis is critical for UM development, however, not only the role of vascular endothelial dysfunction in UM remains unknown, but also their analysis at the single-cell level has been lacking. A comprehensive analysis is essential to clarify the role of the endothelium in the development of UM. METHODS: By using single-cell RNA transcriptomics data of 11 cases of primary and liver metastasis UM, we analyzed the endothelial cell status. In addition, we analyzed and validated ECs in the in vitro model and collected clinical specimens. Subsequently, we explored the impact of endothelial dysfunction on UM cell migration and explored the mechanisms responsible for the endothelial cell abnormalities and the reasons for their peripheral effects. RESULTS: UM metastasis has a significantly higher percentage of vascular endothelial cells compared to in situ tumors, and endothelial cells in metastasis show significant senescence. Senescent endothelial cells in metastatic tumors showed significant Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) upregulation, overexpression of KLF4 in normal endothelial cells induced senescence, and knockdown of KLF4 in senescent endothelium inhibited senescence, suggesting that KLF4 is a driver gene for endothelial senescence. KLF4-induced endothelial senescence drove tumor cell migration through a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), of which the most important component of the effector was CXCL12 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12), and participated in the composition of the immunosuppressive microenvironment. CONCLUSION: This study provides an undesirable insight of senescent endothelial cells in promoting UM metastasis.

Effects of Enterobacter cloacae insecticidal protein on the Duox-ROS system and midgut bacterial community and function of Galleria mellonella larvae.

BACKGROUND: Enterobacter cloacae insecticidal proteins have been reported to kill Galleria mellonella larvae through affecting their midgut microbiome. However, the mechanisms involved remain unclear. Here we aim to investigate how the insecticidal proteins act on the midgut Duox-ROS system and microbial community of G. mellonella larvae. METHODS: Reverse transcription qPCR and fluorescence probes were utilized to assess the Duox expression levels and to evaluate quantitative changes of the ROS levels. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene sequences of the midgut bacteria of G. mellonella larvae was conducted for further analyses of bacterial diversity, composition, and abundance. RESULTS: After the injection of the insecticidal proteins, the Duox expression levels first increased within 28 h, then dramatically peaked at 36 h, and slowly decreased thereafter. Simultaneously, the ROS levels increased significantly at 36 h, peaked at 48 h, and rapidly declined to the normal level at 60 h. Responsive to the change of the ROS levels, the structure of the midgut microbial community was altered substantially, compared to that of the untreated larvae. The relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and other specific pathogenic bacteria increased significantly, whereas that of Lactobacillus decreased sharply. Importantly, notable shifts were observed in the crucial midgut predicted metabolic functions, including membrane transportation, carbohydrate metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. CONCLUSION: Insecticidal proteins of E. cloacae kill G. mellonella larvae mainly through generation of high oxidative stress, alterations of the midgut microbial community and function, and damage to the physiological functions. These findings provide insights into the inhibition mechanism of E. cloacae insecticidal proteins to G. mellonella larvae.

Optimal Harvest Period and Quality Control Markers of Cultivated Flos Chrysanthemi Indici using Untargeted/Targeted Metabolomics, chemometric analysis and in vivo study.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Flos Chrysanthemi Indici (FCI), the flower of Chrysanthemum Indicum L., is a popular traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treatment of inflammatory diseases in China. FCI is also a functional food, and is widely used as herbal tea for clearing heat and detoxicating. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore quality control markers of FCI based on the optimal harvest period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, UPLC-Q-TOF/MS based untargeted metabolomics was applied to explore the chemical profiles of FCIs collected at bud stages (BS), initial stages (IS), full bloom stages (FS) and eventual stages (ES) from eight cultivated regions in China. Subsequently, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cell inflammatory model and carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model were used to confirm the anti-inflammatory effect of FCIs collected at IS/FS. Then, UPLC-PDA targeted metabolomics was used to quantitatively analyze 9 constituents with anti-inflammatory activity (7 flavonoids and 2 phenolic acids) changed significantly (VIP > 4) during flowering stages. Finally, ROC curves combined with PCA analysis based on the variation of 9 active constituents in FCIs from different flowering stages were applied to screen the quality markers of FCI. RESULTS: FCIs at IS/FS had almost same chemical characteristics, but quite different from those at BS and ES. A total of 32 constituents in FCIs including flavonoids and phenolic acids were changed during flowering development. Most of the varied constituents had the highest or higher contents at IS/FS compared with those at ES, indicating that the optimal harvest period of FCI should be at IS/FS. FCI extract could effectively suppress nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells and regulate the abnormal levels of cytokines and PGE2 in carrageenan-induced paw edema model rat. The results of quantitatively analysis revealed that the variation trends of phenolic acids and flavonoids in FCIs were different during flowering development, but most of them had higher contents at IS/FS than those at ES in all FCIs collected from eight cultivated regions, except TC, Anhui. Finally, linarin, luteolin, apigenin and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were selected as the Q-markers based on the contribution of their AUC values in ROC and clustering of PCA analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the optimal harvest period of FCI and specifies the multi-constituents Q-markers of FCI based on the influence of growth progression on the active constituents using untargeted/targeted metabolomics. The findings not only greatly increase the utilization rate of FCI resources and improve quality control of FCI products, but also offer new strategy to identify the Q-markers of FCI.

From Pb6(HPO3)(H2PO3)Cl9 to Pb6(HPO3)2Br8(H2O)·H2O: Halogen Regulation to Achieve Inorganic Metal Phosphite Halide Nonlinear Optical Material with Unprecedented Pb-Centered Polyhedral Units.

Nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are widely used in various fields. The introduction of lone-pair cations is regarded as an effective strategy to explore NLO crystals. In this work, two novel lead phosphite halides, centrosymmetric Pb6(HPO3)(H2PO3)Cl9 and noncentrosymmetric Pb6(HPO3)2Br8(H2O)·H2O, were obtained via a hydrothermal method. Pb6(HPO3)(H2PO3)Cl9 is the first reported lone-pair metal phosphite with two kinds of phosphite groups (HPO32- and H2PO3-) and Pb6(HPO3)2Br8(H2O)·H2O is the first inorganic NLO phosphite halide with a phase-matchable SHG effect of 1.02 × KDP. In addition, the Pb-centered polyhedral units of PbOCl4, PbOCl6, PbO2Cl5, PbO2Br5, PbOBr6, and PbO3(H2O)Br3 in these two structures have never been reported before. An in-depth study on the structure-property relationship of the two compounds with halogen substitution is also performed.

Integrin αM promotes macrophage alternative M2 polarization in hyperuricemia-related chronic kidney disease.

Hyperuricemia is an essential risk factor in chronic kidney disease (CKD), while urate-lowering therapy to prevent or delay CKD is controversial. Alternatively activated macrophages in response to local microenvironment play diverse roles in kidney diseases. Here, we aim to investigate whether and how macrophage integrin αM (ITGAM) contributes to hyperuricemia-related CKD. In vivo, we explored dynamic characteristics of renal tissue in hyperuricemia-related CKD mice. By incorporating transcriptomics and phosphoproteomics data, we analyzed gene expression profile, hub genes and potential pathways. In vitro, we validated bioinformatic findings under different conditions with interventions corresponding to core nodes. We found that hyperuricemia-related CKD was characterized by elevated serum uric acid levels, impaired renal function, activation of macrophage alternative (M2) polarization, and kidney fibrosis. Integrated bioinformatic analyses revealed Itgam as the potential core gene, which was associated with focal adhesion signaling. Notably, we confirmed the upregulated expression of macrophage ITGAM, activated pathway, and macrophage M2 polarization in injured kidneys. In vitro, through silencing Itgam, inhibiting p-FAK or p-AKT1 phosphorylation, and concurrent inhibiting of p-FAK while activating p-AKT1 all contributed to the modulation of macrophage M2 polarization. Our results indicated targeting macrophage ITGAM might be a promising therapeutic approach for preventing CKD.

Ternary superhydrides for high-temperature superconductivity at low pressures.

Focusing on the ternary hydrides, the new hope of Room-Temperature Superconductivity, this perspective delves into the research background, highlights current challenges, and illuminates promising avenues for future studies.

A rare case of left atrial appendage aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Left atrial appendage aneurysm is a rare cardiac mass, with only a few cases reported. There are usually no specific symptoms, and a few patients visit the doctor with symptoms. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20-year-old male presented to our hospital with a "pericardial cyst found by medical evaluation in another hospital for 2 years." Cardiac ultrasound performed at clinics of our hospital suggested a cystic dark area in the left ventricular lateral wall and the anterior lateral wall, consistent with a pericardial cyst and mild mitral regurgitation. After further relevant examinations and ruling out contraindications, an excision of the left atrial appendage aneurysm was performed under general anesthesia and cardiopulmonary bypass with beating-heart. The postoperative pathological results identified that: (left atrial appendage) fibrocystic wall-like tissue with a focal lining of the flat epithelium, consistent with a benign cyst. CONCLUSION: Left atrial appendage aneurysms are rare and insidious. They are usually found by chance during medical evaluations. If the location is not good or the volume is too large, then compression symptoms or arrhythmia, thrombosis and other concomitant symptoms will occur. Surgical resection is presently the only effective radical cure for a left atrial appendage aneurysm.

A Bionic Flapping Magnetic-Dipole Resonator for ELF Cross-Medium Communication.

Extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic (EM) waves adeptly propagate in harsh cross-medium environments, overcoming rapid decay that hinders high-frequency counterparts. Traditional antennas, however, encounter challenges concerning size, efficiency, and power. Here, drawing inspiration from nature, we present a groundbreaking piezo-actuated, bionic flapping-wing magnetic-dipole resonator (BFW-MDR), operating in the electro-mechano-magnetic coupling mechanism, designed for efficient ELF EM wave transmission. The unique rigid-flexible hybrid flapping-wing structure magnifies rotation angles of anti-phase magnetic dipoles by tenfold, leading to constructive superposition of emitted magnetic fields. Consequently, the BFW-MDR exhibits a remarkable quality factor of 288 and an enhanced magnetic field emission of 514 fT at 100 meters with only 6.9 mW power consumption, surpassing traditional coil antennas by three orders of magnitude. The communication rate is doubled by the ASK+PSK modulation method. Its robust performance in cross-medium communication, even amidst various interferences, underscores its potential as a highly efficient antenna for underwater and underground applications.

The impact of benzoic acid and lactic acid on the treatment efficiency and microbial community in the sulfur autotrophic denitrification process.

Nitrate poses a potential threat to aquatic ecosystems. This study focuses on the sulfur autotrophic denitrification mechanism in the process of water culture wastewater treatment, which has been successfully applied to the degradation of nitrogen in water culture farm effluents. However, the coexistence of organic acids in the treatment process is a common environmental challenge, significantly affecting the activity of denitrifying bacteria. This paper aims to explore the effects of adding benzoic acid and lactic acid on denitrification performance, organic acid removal rate, and microbial population abundance in sulfur autotrophic denitrification systems under optimal operating conditions, sulfur deficiency, and high hydraulic load. In experiments with 50 mg·L-1 of benzoic acid or lactic acid alone, the results show that benzoic acid and lactic acid have a stimulating effect on denitrification activity, with the stimulating effect significantly greater than the inhibitory effect. Under optimal operating conditions, the average denitrification rate of the system remained above 99%; under S/N = 1.5 conditions, the average denitrification rate increased from 88.34% to 91.93% and 85.91%; under HRT = 6 h conditions, the average denitrification rate increased from 75.25% to 97.79% and 96.58%. In addition, the addition of organic acids led to a decrease in microbial population abundance. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria has always been the dominant bacterial genus, and its relative abundance significantly increased after the addition of benzoic acid, from 40.2% to 61.5% and 62.4%. At the genus level, Thiobacillus, Sulfurimonas, Chryseobacterium, and Thermomonas maintained high population abundances under different conditions. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Employing autotrophic denitrification process for treating high-nitrate wastewater. Utilizing organic acids as external carbon sources. Denitrifying bacteria demonstrate high utilization efficiency towards organic acids. Organic acids promote denitrification more than they inhibit it. The promotion is manifested in the enhancement of activity and microbial abundance.

[The Preventive Effect of Levofloxacin Combined with G-CSF or Only G-CSF Supportive Therapy on Infection in Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of levofloxacin combined with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) or only G-CSF supportive therapy in preventing infection in autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(ASCT), and to analyze the length of hospital stay, hospitalization cost and post-transplant survival of the patients. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in the patients with hematological malignancies who accepted ASCT at our hospital from January 2012 to July 2022, the febrile neutropenia, the incidence of bacterial infection and the use rate of intravenous antibiotics in the levofloxacin+G-CSF group and only G-CSF support group during ASCT were observed. The length of hospital stay, total cost during hospitalization and survival after 90 days of transplantation between the two groups were compared. RESULTS: A total of 102 cases were included in this study, including 57 cases of multiple myeloma, 36 cases of acute leukaemia, 7 cases of lymphoma, 3 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome, 1 case of light chain amyloidosis, and 1 case of POEMS syndrome. 47 patients received levofloxacin+ G-CSF antibacterial prophylaxis, and 55 patients received G-CSF supportive therapy. In the levofloxacin+ G-CSF group, 40 cases (85.11%) developed febrile neutropenia, and 13 cases (27.66%) were confirmed as bacterial infection. In the G-CSF group, 44 cases (80.00%) developed febrile neutropenia, and 16 cases (29.09%) were bacterial infection. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of febrile neutropenia and bacterial infection between the two groups (χ2=0.46，P =0.50; χ2=0.03，P =0.87). The use rate of intravenous antibiotics in the levofloxacin+ G-CSF group was 85.11% (40/47), which was not statistically different from 85.45% (47/55) in the G-CSF group (χ2=0.04，P =0.84). The detection rates of levofloxacin-resistant bacteria in the levofloxacin+ G-CSF group and G-CSF group were 8.57% (3/35) and 21.43% (6/28), respectively, with no statistical difference (χ2=0.65, P >0.05). The median length and median cost of hospitalization in the levofloxacin+ G-CSF group and G-CSF group were 25 d vs 22 d and 78 216.24 yuan vs 80 724.38 yuan, with no statistically significant differences ( t =3.00，P =0.09; t =0.94，P =0.09). Within 90 days after transplantation, two cases (4.26%) died in the levofloxacin+ G-CSF group and one case (1.82%) died in the G-CSF group, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (χ2=0.53，P =0.47). CONCLUSION: Application of levofloxacin+ G-CSF showed no significant benefit compared to G-CSF support for the prevention of bacterial infections during ASCT.

Anomalous Structural Transformation of Cu(I) Clusters into Multifunctional CuAg Nanoclusters.

We report an anomalous structural transformation of a Cu(I) cluster into two different types of copper-silver (CuAg) alloy nanoclusters. Different from previous reports, we demonstrate that under specifically designed reaction conditions, the Ag-doping could induce a substantial growth of the starting Cu15 and a Ag13Cu20 nanocluster was obtained via the unexpected insertion of an Ag13 kernel inside the Cu(I)-S shell. Ag13Cu20 demonstrates high activity to initiate the photopolymerization of previously hard-to-print inorganic polymers in 3D laser microprinting. Interestingly, a slight modification of the reaction condition leads to the formation of another Ag18-xCuxS (8≤x) nanocluster templated by a central S2- anion, which possesses a unique electronic structure compared to conventional template-free CuAg nanoclusters. Overall, this work unveils the intriguing doping chemistry of Cu clusters, as well as their capability to create different types of alloy nanoclusters with previously unobtainable structures and multifunctionality.

The Long Non-Coding RNA Gene AC027288.3 Plays a Role in Human Endometrial Stromal Fibroblast Decidualization.

During the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, endometrial fibroblast cells begin to change into large epithelial-like cells called decidual cells in a process called decidualization. This differentiation continues more broadly in the endometrium and forms the decidual tissue during early pregnancy. The cells undergoing decidualization as well as the resulting decidual cells, support successful implantation and placentation during early pregnancy. This study was carried out to identify new potentially important long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes that may play a role in human endometrial stromal fibroblast cells (hESF) undergoing decidualization in vitro, and several were found. The expression of nine was further characterized. One of these, AC027288.3, showed a dramatic increase in the expression of hESF cells undergoing decidualization. When AC027288.3 expression was targeted, the ability of the cells to undergo decidualization as determined by the expression of decidualization marker protein-coding genes was significantly altered. The most affected markers of decidualization whose expression was significantly reduced were FOXO1, FZD4, and INHBA. Therefore, AC027288.3 may be a major upstream regulator of the WNT-FOXO1 pathway and activin-SMAD3 pathways previously shown as critical for hESF decidualization. Finally, we explored possible regulators of AC027288.3 expression during human ESF decidualization. Expression was regulated by cAMP and progesterone. Our results suggest that AC027288.3 plays a role in hESF decidualization and identifies several other lncRNA genes that may also play a role.

Lactate metabolism and acute kidney injury.

ABSTRACT: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common clinically critical syndrome in hospitalized patients with high morbidity and mortality. At present, the mechanism of AKI has not been fully elucidated, and no therapeutic drugs exist. As known, glycolytic product lactate is a key metabolite in physiological and pathological processes. The kidney is an important gluconeogenic organ, where lactate is the primary substrate of renal gluconeogenesis in physiological conditions. During AKI, altered glycolysis and gluconeogenesis in kidneys significantly disturb the lactate metabolic balance, which exert impacts on the severity and prognosis of AKI. Additionally, lactate-derived posttranslational modification, namely lactylation, is novel to AKI as it could regulate gene transcription of metabolic enzymes involved in glycolysis or Warburg effect. Protein lactylation widely exists in human tissues and may severely affect non-histone functions. Moreover, the strategies of intervening lactate metabolic pathways are expected to bring a new dawn for the treatment of AKI. This review focused on renal lactate metabolism, especially in proximal renal tubules after AKI, and updated recent advances of lactylation modification, which may help to explore potential therapeutic targets against AKI.

Promotion of Dentin Biomimetic Mineralization and Bonding Efficacy by Interfacial Control of an Experimental Citric Acid Dental Etching Agent.

Resin-bonded restorations are the most important caries treatment method in clinical practice. Thus, improving the durability of dentin bonding remains a pressing issue. As a promising solution, guided tissue remineralization can induce the formation of apatite nanocrystals to repair defects in the dentin bonding interface. In this study, we present an experimental 20 wt % citric acid (CA) dental etching agent that removes the smear layer. After CA-etching, approximately 3.55 wt % residual CA formed a strong bond with collagen fibrils, reducing the interfacial energy between the remineralizing solution and dentin. CA helped achieve almost complete intrafibrillar and extrafibrillar mineralization after 24 h of mineralization. CA also significantly promoted poly(amidoamine)-induced dentin biomimetic mineralization. The elastic modulus and microhardness of remineralized dentin were restored to that of sound dentin. The remineralized interface reduced microleakage and provided a stronger, longer-lasting bond than conventional phosphate acid-etching. The newly developed CA dental etching agents promoted rapid dentin biomimetic mineralization and improved bonding efficacy through interfacial control, representing a new approach with clinical practice implications.

Genome-Wide Identification and Hormone Response Analysis of the COBL Gene Family in Barley.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), a diverse cereal crop, exhibits remarkable versatility in its applications, ranging from food and fodder to industrial uses. The content of cellulose in barley is significantly influenced by the COBRA genes, which encode the plant glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein (GAP) that plays a pivotal role in the deposition of cellulose within the cell wall. The COBL (COBRA-Like) gene family has been discovered across numerous species, yet the specific members of this family in barley remain undetermined. In this study, we discovered 13 COBL genes within the barley genome using bioinformatics methods, subcellular localization, and protein structure analysis, finding that most of the barley COBL proteins have a signal peptide structure and are localized on the plasma membrane. Simultaneously, we constructed a phylogenetic tree and undertook a comprehensive analysis of the evolutionary relationships. Other characteristics of HvCOBL family members, including intraspecific collinearity, gene structure, conserved motifs, and cis-acting elements, were thoroughly characterized in detail. The assessment of HvCOBL gene expression in barley under various hormone treatments was conducted through qRT-PCR analysis, revealing jasmonic acid (JA) as the predominant hormonal regulator of HvCOBL gene expression. In summary, this study comprehensively identified and analyzed the barley COBL gene family, aiming to provide basic information for exploring the members of the HvCOBL gene family and to propose directions for further research.

Niche convergence and biogeographic history shape elevational tree community assembly in a subtropical mountain forest.

Niche convergence or conservatism have been proposed as essential mechanisms underlying elevational plant community assembly in tropical mountain ecosystems. Subtropical mountains, compared to tropical mountains, are likely to be shaped by a mixing of different geographic affinities of species and remain somehow unclear. Here, we used 31 0.1-ha permanent plots distributed in subtropical forests on the eastern and western aspects of the Gaoligong Mountains, southwest China between 1498 m and 3204 m a.sl. to evaluate how niche-based and biogeographic processes shape tree community assembly along elevational gradients. We analyzed the elevational patterns of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity, as well as of individual traits, and assessed the relative importance of environmental effects on these diversity measures. We then classified tree species as being either tropical affiliated or temperate affiliated and estimated their contribution to the composition of biogeographic affinities. Species richness decreased with elevation, and species composition showed apparent turnover across the aspects and elevations. Most traits exhibited convergent patterns across the entire elevational gradient. Phylogenetic and functional diversity showed opposing patterns, with phylogenetic diversity increasing and functional diversity decreasing with elevation. Soil nutrients, especially phosphorus and nitrogen, appeared to be the main abiotic variables driving the elevational diversity patterns. Communities at lower elevations were occupied by tropical genera, while highlands contained species of tropical and temperate biogeographic affinities. Moreover, the high phylogenetic diversity at high elevations were likely due to differences in evolutionary history between temperate and tropical species. Our results highlight the importance of niche convergence of tropical species and the legacy of biogeographic history on the composition and structure of subtropical mountain forests. Furthermore, limited soil phosphorus caused traits divergence and the partitioning for different forms of phosphorus may explain the high biodiversity found in phosphorus-limited subtropical forests.

Cropland Microclimate And Leaf-Nesting Behavior Shape The Growth of Caterpillar Under Future Warming.

Predicting performance responses of insects to climate change is crucial for biodiversity conservation and pest management. While most projections on insects' performance under climate change have used macro-scale weather station data, few incorporated the microclimates within vegetation that insects inhabit and their feeding behaviors (e.g., leaf-nesting: building leaf nests or feeding inside). Here, taking advantage of relatively homogenous vegetation structures in agricultural fields, we built microclimate models to examine fine-scale air temperatures within two important crop systems (maize and rice) and compared microclimate air temperatures to temperatures from weather stations. We deployed physical models of caterpillars and quantified effects of leaf-nesting behavior on operative temperatures of two Lepidoptera pests: Ostrinia furnacalis (Pyralidae) and Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Crambidae). We built temperature-growth rate curves and predicted the growth rate of caterpillars with and without leaf-nesting behavior based on downscaled microclimate changes under different climate change scenarios. We identified widespread differences between microclimates in our crop systems and air temperatures reported by local weather stations. Leaf-nesting individuals in general had much lower body temperatures compared to non-leaf-nesting individuals. When considering microclimates, we predicted leaf-nesting individuals grow slower compared to non-leaf nesting individuals with rising temperature. Our findings highlight the importance of considering microclimate and habitat-modifying behavior in predicting performance responses to climate change. Understanding the thermal biology of pests and other insects would allow us to make more accurate projections on crop yields and biodiversity responses to environmental changes.

Model for predicting the recurrence of atrial fibrillation after monopolar or bipolar radiofrequency ablation in patients with AF and mitral valve disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the risk factors for postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients with valvular atrial fibrillation, and establish predictive models of atrial fibrillation recurrence. METHODS: Overall, 224 patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation of atrial fibrillation from November 2014 to November 2020 were included. The statistical package for social sciences, X-tile, and R-studio were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Patients were divided into training and validation sets according to a ratio of 3:1. The training set was analysed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis and showed that preoperative uric acid > 401 µmol/L (P = 0.006), B-type natriuretic peptide > 202 ng/L (P = 0.042), hypersensitivity C-reactive protein > 6.1 mg/L (P = 0.026), erythrocyte sedimentation rate > 7.0 mm/h (P = 0.016), preoperative left atrial diameter > 48 mm (P = 0.031) were significantly correlated with the recurrence of atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency ablation in patients with valvular atrial fibrillation. In the training set, a Cox regression model of the five related factors was established using the R language. The C-index of the model was 0.82, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.831 (P < 0.001). Internal and external verification was performed in the training and validation sets, respectively, and both showed that the fit of the verification curve was relatively good at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years postoperatively. After calculating the weight of each related factor using the nomogram, a new risk predictive model (BLUCE) for postoperative atrial fibrillation was established. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with atrial fibrillation, preoperative uric acid, B-type natriuretic peptide, hypersensitivity C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and left atrial diameter are risk factors for atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter recurrence after radiofrequency ablation. The BLUCE predictive model can distinguish high-risk groups of postoperative atrial fibrillation. High-risk patients in the BLUCE model were more likely to experience recurrence of atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency ablation and a low possibility of maintaining sinus rhythm.

Biomimetic bone-periosteum scaffold for spatiotemporal regulated innervated bone regeneration and therapy of osteosarcoma.

The complexity of repairing large segment defects and eradicating residual tumor cell puts the osteosarcoma clinical management challenging. Current biomaterial design often overlooks the crucial role of precisely regulating innervation in bone regeneration. Here, we develop a Germanium Selenium (GeSe) co-doped polylactic acid (PLA) nanofiber membrane-coated tricalcium phosphate bioceramic scaffold (TCP-PLA/GeSe) that mimics the bone-periosteum structure. This biomimetic scaffold offers a dual functionality, combining piezoelectric and photothermal conversion capabilities while remaining biodegradable. When subjected to ultrasound irradiation, the US-electric stimulation of TCP-PLA/GeSe enables spatiotemporal control of neurogenic differentiation. This feature supports early innervation during bone formation, promoting early neurogenic differentiation of Schwann cells (SCs) by increasing intracellular Ca2+ and subsequently activating the PI3K-Akt and Ras signaling pathways. The biomimetic scaffold also demonstrates exceptional osteogenic differentiation potential under ultrasound irradiation. In rabbit model of large segment bone defects, the TCP-PLA/GeSe demonstrates promoted osteogenesis and nerve fibre ingrowth. The combined attributes of high photothermal conversion capacity and the sustained release of anti-tumor selenium from the TCP-PLA/GeSe enable the synergistic eradication of osteosarcoma both in vitro and in vivo. This strategy provides new insights on designing advanced biomaterials of repairing large segment bone defect and osteosarcoma.