Drivers of change behind the spatial distribution and fate of typical trace organic pollutants in fresh waste leachate across China.

There have been growing concerns regarding the health and environmental impacts of trace organic pollutants (TOPs). However, fresh leachate from municipal solid waste (MSW) has been overlooked as a potential reservoir of TOPs. Therefore, we investigated 90 legacy and emerging TOPs in fresh leachate from 14 provinces and municipalities in China. Additionally, the fate and final discharge impacts of TOPs in 14 leachate treatment systems were analyzed. The results revealed that the detection rate of 90 TOPs was over 50 % in all samples. Notably, polychlorinated biphenyls, banned for 40 years, were frequently detected in fresh leachate. The concentration of pseudo-persistent TOPs (105-107 ng/L) is significantly higher than that of persistent TOPs (102-104 ng/L). Spatial distribution patterns of TOPs in fresh leachate suggest that economy, population, climate, and policies impact TOPs discharge from MSW. For example, economically developed and densely populated areas displayed higher TOPs concentrations, whereas warmer climates facilitate TOPs leaching from MSW. We confirmed that waste classification policies were a key driver of the decline in multiple TOPs in leachate. Mass balance analysis shows that the final effluent and sludge from current dominant leachate treatment systems contain refractory TOPs, especially perfluoroalkyl acids, which must be prioritized for control. This paper was the first comprehensive investigation of multiple TOPs in fresh leachate at a large geographic scale. The factors affecting the occurrence, spatial distribution, and fate of TOPs in fresh leachate were revealed. It provides a valuable reference for the establishment of policies for the management of TOPs in MSW and the associated leachate.

Versatile plant genome engineering using anti-CRISPR-Cas12a systems.

CRISPR-Cas12a genome engineering systems have been widely used in plant research and crop breeding. To date, the performance and use of anti-CRISPR-Cas12a systems have not been fully established in plants. Here, we conduct in silico analysis to identify putative anti-CRISPR systems for Cas12a. These putative anti-CRISPR proteins, along with known anti-CRISPR proteins, are assessed for their ability to inhibit Cas12a cleavage activity in vivo and in planta. Among all anti-CRISPR proteins tested, AcrVA1 shows robust inhibition of Mb2Cas12a and LbCas12a in E. coli. Further tests show that AcrVA1 inhibits LbCas12a mediated genome editing in rice protoplasts and stable transgenic lines. Impressively, co-expression of AcrVA1 mitigates off-target effects by CRISPR-LbCas12a, as revealed by whole genome sequencing. In addition, transgenic plants expressing AcrVA1 exhibit different levels of inhibition to LbCas12a mediated genome editing, representing a novel way of fine-tuning genome editing efficiency. By controlling temporal and spatial expression of AcrVA1, we show that inducible and tissue specific genome editing can be achieved in plants. Furthermore, we demonstrate that AcrVA1 also inhibits LbCas12a-based CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) and based on this principle we build logic gates to turn on and off target genes in plant cells. Together, we have established an efficient anti-CRISPR-Cas12a system in plants and demonstrate its versatile applications in mitigating off-target effects, fine-tuning genome editing efficiency, achieving spatial-temporal control of genome editing, and generating synthetic logic gates for controlling target gene expression in plant cells.

A rolling-mode triboelectric nanogenerator with multi-tunnel grating electrodes and opposite-charge-enhancement for wave energy harvesting.

In light of the crucial role of marine ecosystems and the escalating environmental conservation challenges, it is essential to conduct marine monitoring to help implement targeted environmental protection measures efficiently. Energy harvesting technologies, particularly triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), have great potential for prolonging the lifespan and enhancing the reliability of sensors in remote areas. However, the high internal resistance, low current, and friction-induced abrasion issues of TENGs limit their performance in practical applications. This work presents a rolling mode triboelectric nanogenerator that utilizes multi-tunnel grating electrodes and the opposite-charge-enhancement mechanism to harvest wave energy efficiently. The device achieves significant instantaneous and root mean square power density of 185.4 W/(m3·Hz) and 10.92 W/(m3·Hz), respectively. By utilizing stacked devices and an exclusively designed power management module, a self-powered ocean sensing system including computing and long-range wireless communication (0.8 km) capabilities was developed. Laboratory and in-situ ocean tests were conducted to assess and validate the system. This work offers a potential solution for the challenging deployment of marine self-powered sensing nodes.

Seasonal changes in vitamin A metabolism-related factors in the oviduct of Chinese brown frog (Rana dybowskii).

The oviduct of the Chinese brown frog (Rana dybowskii) expands during pre-brumation rather than the breeding period, exhibiting a special physiological feature. Vitamin A is essential for the proper growth and development of many organisms, including the reproductive system such as ovary and oviduct. Vitamin A is metabolized into retinoic acid, which is crucial for oviduct formation. This study examined the relationship between oviducal expansion and vitamin A metabolism. We observed a significant increase in the weight and diameter of the oviduct in Rana dybowskii during pre-brumation. Vitamin A and its active metabolite, retinoic acid, notably increased during pre-brumation. The mRNA levels of retinol binding protein 4 (rbp4) and its receptor stra6 gene, involved in vitamin A transport, were elevated during pre-brumation compared to the breeding period. In the vitamin A metabolic pathway, the mRNA expression level of retinoic acid synthase aldh1a2 decreased significantly during pre-brumation, while the mRNA levels of retinoic acid α receptor (rarα) and the retinoic acid catabolic enzyme cyp26a1 increased significantly during pre-brumation, but not during the breeding period. Immunohistochemical results showed that Rbp4, Stra6, Aldh1a2, Rarα, and Cyp26a1 were expressed in ampulla region of the oviduct. Western blot results indicated that Aldh1a2 expression was lower, while Rbp4, Stra6, RARα, and Cyp26a1 were higher during pre-brumation compared to the breeding period. Transcriptome analyses further identified differential genes in the oviduct and found enrichment of differential genes in the vitamin A metabolism pathway, providing evidences for our study. These results suggest that the vitamin A metabolic pathway is more active during pre-brumation compared to the breeding period, and retinoic acid may regulate pre-brumation oviductal expansion through Rarα-mediated autocrine/paracrine modulation.

Correlation of FBXO45 Expression Levels with Cancer Severity by ZEB1 Ubiquitin in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

The early diagnostic methods for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are limited, lacking effective biomarkers, and the late stage surgery is difficult and has a high recurrence rate. We investigated whether the effects of FBXO45 in arcinogenesis and metastasis of NSCLC. The up-regulation of FBXO45 expression in NSCLC patients or cell lines were observed. FBXO45 gene promoted metastasis and Warburg effect, and reduced ferroptosis of NSCLC. FBXO45 induced ZEB1 expression to promote Warburg effect and reduced ferroptosis of NSCLC. Sh-FBXO45 reduced cancer growth of NSCLC in mice model. FBXO45 decreased the ubiquitination of ZEB1, leading to increased expression of ZEB1, which in turn promoted the Warburg effect and reduced ferroptosis in NSCLC. In vivo imaging, Sh-FBXO45 also reduced ZEB1 expression levels of lung tissue in mice model. FBXO45 in NSCLC through activating the Warburg effect, and the inhibition of ferroptosis of NSCLC by the suppression of ZEB1 ubiquitin, FBXO45 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for NSCLC.

Prenatal Exposure of PFAS in Cohorts of Pregnant Women: Identifying the Critical Windows of Vulnerability and Health Implications.

Cohorts of pregnant women in 2018 and 2020 were selected to explore prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Maternal serum during the whole pregnancy (first to third trimesters) and matched cord serum were collected for the analysis of 50 PFAS. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS) were the dominant PFAS in both the maternal and cord serum. The median ∑PFAS concentration was 14.18 ng/mL, and the ∑PFAS concentration was observed to decline from the first trimester to the third trimester. The transplacental transfer efficiencies (TTE) of 29 PFAS were comprehensively assessed, and a "U"-shaped trend in TTE values with increasing molecular chain length of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid (PFCA) was observed in this study. Moreover, the maternal concentrations of 9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonic acid (6:2 Cl-PFESA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), PFOS, and hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) in the 2020 cohort were significantly lower than those in the 2018 cohort, declining by about 23.85-43.2% from 2018 to 2020 (p < 0.05). Higher proportions of emerging PFAS were observed in fetuses born in 2020. This birth cohort was collected during the COVID-19 epidemic period. The change in the PFAS exposure scene might be in response to the different exposure profiles of the 2018 and 2020 cohorts, which are attributed to the impact of COVID-19 on the social activities and environment of pregnant women. Finally, by application of a multiple informant model, the third trimester was identified as the critical window of vulnerability to PFAS exposure that affects birth weight and birth length.

Heat acclimation with probiotics-based ORS supplementation alleviates heat stroke-induced multiple organ dysfunction via improving intestinal thermotolerance and modulating gut microbiota in rats.

Heat stroke (HS) is a critical condition with extremely high mortality. Heat acclimation (HA) is widely recognized as the best measure to prevent and protect against HS. Preventive administration of oral rehydration salts III (ORSIII) and probiotics have been reported to sustain intestinal function in cases of HS. This study established a rat model of HA that was treated with probiotics-based ORS (ORSP) during consecutive 21-day HA training. The results showed that HA with ORSP could attenuate HS-induced hyperthermia by regulating thermoregulatory response. We also found that HA with ORSP could significantly alleviate HS-induced multiple organ injuries. The expression levels of a series of heat-shock proteins (HSPs), including HSP90, HSP70, HSP60, and HSP40, were significantly up-regulated from the HA training. The increases in intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) and D-Lactate typically seen during HS were decreased through HA. The representative TJ proteins including ZO-1, E-cadherin, and JAM-1 were found to be significantly down-regulated by HS, but sustained following HA. The ultrastructure of TJ was examined by TEM, which confirmed its protective effect on the intestinal barrier protection following HA. We also demonstrated that HA raised the intestinal levels of beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus and lowered those of the harmful bacteria Streptococcus through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. These findings suggest that HA with ORSP was proven to improve intestinal thermotolerance and the levels of protective gut microbiota against HS.

Characteristics of disinfection byproducts from dissolved organic matter during chlor(am)ination of source water in Tibetan Plateau, China.

The Tibetan Plateau, a typical high-altitude area, is less affected by human activities such as industrial development, and the external pollution to water sources is extremely low. Then it is also an important source of water samples for exploring the molecular characteristics of precursors in the dissolved organic matter (DOM) of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in drinking water. Research data on DBPs in drinking water on the Tibet Plateau remains insufficient, leading to uncertainty about DBP contamination in the area. This study explores the formation potential of 35 typical DBPs, including 6 trihalomethanes (THMs), 9 haloacetic acids (HAAs), 2 halogenated ketones (HKs), 9 nitrosamines (NAs), and 9 aromatic DBPs, during chlorination and chloramination of typical source water samples in the Tibet Plateau of China. Moreover, in order to further investigate the characteristics of the generation of DBPs, the molecular composition of DOM in the collected water samples was characterized by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. The findings reveal that, for chlorination and chloramination, the average concentration of the five classes of DBPs was ranked as follows (chlorination, chloramination): HAAs (268.1 µg/L, 54.2 µg/L) > THMs (44.0 µg/L, 2.0 µg/L) > HKs (0.7 µg/L, 1.8 µg/L) > NAs (26.5 ng/L, 74.6 ng/L) > Aromatics (20.4 ng/L, 19.5 ng/L). The dominant compounds in THMs, HAAs, and NAs are trichloromethane, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and nitrosopyrrolidine, respectively. This study highlights a significant positive correlation between DBP generation and UV254, SUV254, and the double bond equivalents of DOM in the source water. It systematically elucidates DOM molecular composition characteristics and DBP formation potential in high-altitude water sources, shedding light on key factors influencing DBP generation at the molecular level in high-altitude areas.

Enhancing Rubber Industry Wastewater Treatment through an Integrated AnMBR and A/O MBR System: Performance, Membrane Fouling Analysis, and Microbial Community Evolution.

This study explores the effectiveness of an integrated anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) coupled with an anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (A/O MBR) for the treatment of natural rubber industry wastewater with high sulfate, ammonia, and complex organic contents. This study was conducted at the lab-scale over a duration of 225 days to thoroughly investigate the efficiency and sustainability of the proposed treatment method. With a hydraulic retention time of 6 days for the total system, COD reductions were over 98%, which reduced the influent from 22,158 ± 2859 mg/L to 118 ± 74 mg/L of the effluent. The system demonstrates average NH3-N, TN, and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies of 72.9 ± 5.7, 72.8 ± 5.6, and 71.3 ± 9.9, respectively. Despite an average whole biological system removal of 50.6%, the anaerobic reactor eliminated 44.9% of the raw WW sulfate. Analyses of membrane fouling revealed that organic fouling was more pronounced in the anaerobic membrane, whereas aerobic membrane fouling displayed varied profiles due to differential microbial and oxidative activities. Key bacterial genera, such as Desulfobacterota in the anaerobic stage and nitrifiers in the aerobic stage, are identified as instrumental in the biological processes. The microbial profile reveals a shift from methanogenesis to sulfide-driven autotrophic denitrification and sulfammox, with evidence of an active denitrification pathway in anaerobic/anoxic conditions. The system showcases its potential for industrial application, underpinning environmental sustainability through improved wastewater management.

Apolipoprotein B Secretion Assay from Primary Hepatocytes.

Apolipoprotein B (APOB) is the primary structural protein of atherogenic lipoproteins, which drive atherogenesis and thereby lead to deadly cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Plasma levels of APOB-containing lipoproteins are tightly modulated by LDL receptor-mediated endocytic trafficking and cargo receptor-initiated exocytic route; the latter is much less well understood. This protocol aims to present an uncomplicated yet effective method for detecting APOB/lipoprotein secretion. We perform primary mouse hepatocyte isolation and culture coupled with well-established techniques such as immunoblotting for highly sensitive, specific, and semi-quantitative analysis of the lipoprotein secretion process. Its inherent simplicity facilitates ease of operation, rendering it a valuable tool widely utilized to explore the intricate landscape of cellular lipid metabolism and unravel the mechanistic complexities underlying lipoprotein-related diseases. Key features • A pipeline for the isolation and subsequent culture of mouse primary hepatocytes. • A procedure for tracking the secretion of APOB-containing lipoproteins. • A rapid and sensitive assay for detecting the APOB level based on immunoblotting.

Soil's Hidden Power: The Stable Soil Organic Carbon Pool Controls the Burden of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Background Soils.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) tend to accumulate in cold regions by cold condensation and global distillation. Soil organic matter is the main storage compartment for POPs in terrestrial ecosystems due to deposition and repeated air-surface exchange processes. Here, physicochemical properties and environmental factors were investigated for their role in influencing POPs accumulation in soils of the Tibetan Plateau and Antarctic and Arctic regions. The results showed that the soil burden of most POPs was closely coupled to stable mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC). Combining the proportion of MAOC and physicochemical properties can explain much of the soil distribution characteristics of the POPs. The background levels of POPs were estimated in conjunction with the global soil database. It led to the proposition that the stable soil carbon pools are key controlling factors affecting the ultimate global distribution of POPs, so that the dynamic cycling of soil carbon acts to counteract the cold-trapping effects. In the future, soil carbon pool composition should be fully considered in a multimedia environmental model of POPs, and the risk of secondary release of POPs in soils under conditions such as climate change can be further assessed with soil organic carbon models.

Porous Agarose Layered Magnetic Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for Virus RNA Monitoring in Wastewater.

The detection of virus RNA in wastewater has been established as a valuable method for monitoring Coronavirus disease 2019. Carbon nanomaterials hold potential application in separating virus RNA owing to their effective adsorption and extraction capabilities. However, carbon nanomaterials have limited separability under homogeneous aqueous conditions. Due to the stabilities in their nanostructure, it is a challenge to efficiently immobilize them onto magnetic beads for separation. Here, we develop a porous agarose layered magnetic graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite that is prepared by agglutinating ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) beads and GO with agarose into a cohesive whole. With an average porous size of approximately 500 nm, the porous structure enables the unhindered entry of virus RNA, facilitating its interaction with the surface of GO. Upon the application of a magnetic field, the nucleic acid can be separated from the solution within a few minutes, achieving adsorption efficiency and recovery rate exceeding 90% under optimized conditions. The adsorbed nucleic acid can then be preserved against complex sample matrix for 3 days, and quantitatively released for subsequent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) detection. The developed method was successfully utilized to analyze wastewater samples obtained from a wastewater treatment plant, detecting as few as 10 copies of RNA molecules per sample. The developed aMGO-RT-qPCR provides an efficient approach for monitoring viruses and will contribute to wastewater-based surveillance of community infections.

High throughput identification of carbonyl compounds in natural organic matter by directional derivatization combined with ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry.

Carbonyl compounds are important components of natural organic matter (NOM) with high reactivity, so that play a pivotal role in the dynamic transformation of NOM. However, due to the lack of effective analytical methods, our understanding on the molecular composition of these carbonyl compounds is still limited. Here, we developed a high-throughput screening method to detect carbonyl molecules in complex NOM samples by combining chemical derivatization with electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR-MS). In six different types of dissolved organic matter (DOM) samples tested in this study, 20-30 % of detected molecules contained at least one carbonyl group, with relative abundance accounted for 45-70 %. These carbonyl molecules displayed lower unsaturation level, lower molecular weight, and higher oxidation degree compared to non-carbonyl molecules. More importantly, the measured abundances of carbonyl molecules were consistent with the results of 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. Based on this method, we found that carbonyl molecules can be produced at DOM-ferrihydrite interface, thus playing a role in shaping the molecular diversity of DOM. This method has broad application prospects in screening carbonyl compounds from complex mixtures, and the same strategy can be used to directional identification of molecules with other functional groups as well.

A Data-Driven Computational Framework for Assessing the Risk of Placental Exposure to Environmental Chemicals.

A computational framework based on placental gene networks was proposed in this work to improve the accuracy of the placental exposure risk assessment of environmental compounds. The framework quantitatively characterizes the ability of compounds to cross the placental barrier by systematically considering the interaction and pathway-level information on multiple placental transporters. As a result, probability scores were generated for 307 compounds crossing the placental barrier based on this framework. These scores were then used to categorize the compounds into different levels of transplacental transport range, creating a gradient partition. These probability scores not only facilitated a more intuitive understanding of a compound's ability to cross the placental barrier but also provided valuable information for predicting potential placental disruptors. Compounds with probability scores greater than 90% were considered to have significant transplacental transport potential, whereas those with probability scores less than 80% were classified as unlikely to cross the placental barrier. Furthermore, external validation set results showed that the probability score could accurately predict the compounds known to cross the placental barrier. In conclusion, the computational framework proposed in this study enhances the intuitive understanding of the ability of compounds to cross the placental barrier and opens up new avenues for assessing the placental exposure risk of compounds.

Soil Application of Bacillus subtilis Regulates Flavonoid and Alkaloids Biosynthesis in Mulberry Leaves.

Flavonoids and alkaloids are the major active ingredients in mulberry leaves that have outstanding medicinal value. Bacillus subtilis can effectively activate the plants defense response and regulate the plant secondary metabolism. In this study, we explored the effects of soil application of B. subtilis on the content of flavonoids and the most important alkaloids (1-deoxynojirimycin, DNJ) in mulberry leaves. Significant decreases in flavonoid content were observed in tender leaves and mature leaves after treatment with B. subtilis; at the same time, significant increases in DNJ content were observed in tender leaves. Based on widely targeted LC-MS/MS and high-throughput approaches, we screened out 904 differentially synthesized metabolites (DSMs) and 9715 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). KEGG analyses showed that these DSMs and DEGs were both significantly enriched in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, flavonoid synthesis and plant hormone signal transduction. Further correlation analysis of DEMs and DEGs showed that 40 key genes were involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, with 6 key genes involved in DNJ biosynthesis. The expression of CHS, CHI, F3H, F3'H, FLS, UGT and AOC significantly responded to B. subtilis soil application. This study broadens our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the accumulation of flavonoids and alkaloids in mulberry leaves.

Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton mitigates whole abdominal irradiation-induced intestinal injury via regulating macrophage function.

Background: Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced intestinal injury is a major side effect and dose-limiting toxicity in patients receiving radiotherapy. There is an urgent need to identify an effective and safe radioprotectant to reduce radiation-induced intestinal injury. Immunoregulation is considered an effective strategy against IR-induced injury. The purpose of this article was to investigate the protective effect of Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (Nr-CWS), an immunomodulator, on radiation-induced intestinal damage and to explore its potential mechanism. Methods: C57BL/6 J male mice exposed to 12 Gy whole abdominal irradiation (WAI) were examined for survival rate, morphology and function of the intestine and spleen, as well as the gut microbiota, to comprehensively evaluate the therapeutic effects of Nr-CWS on radiation-induced intestinal and splenetic injury. To further elucidate the underlying mechanisms of Nr-CWS-mediated intestinal protection, macrophages were depleted by clodronate liposomes to determine whether Nr-CWS-induced radioprotection is macrophage dependent, and the function of peritoneal macrophages stimulated by Nr-CWS was detected in vitro. Results: Our data showed that Nr-CWS promoted the recovery of intestinal barrier function, enhanced leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5+ intestinal stem cell survival and the regeneration of intestinal epithelial cells, maintained intestinal flora homeostasis, protected spleen morphology and function, and improved the outcome of mice exposed to 12 Gy WAI. Mechanistic studies indicated that Nr-CWS recruited macrophages to reduce WAI-induced intestinal damage. Moreover, macrophage depletion by clodronate liposomes blocked Nr-CWS-induced radioprotection. In vitro, we found that Nr-CWS activated the nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathway and promoted the phagocytosis and migration ability of peritoneal macrophages. Conclusions: Our study suggests the therapeutic effect of Nr-CWS on radiation-induced intestinal injury, and provides possible therapeutic strategy and potential preventive and therapeutic drugs to alleviate it.

DNAJA1­knockout alleviates heat stroke­induced endothelial barrier disruption via improving thermal tolerance and suppressing the MLCK­MLC signaling pathway.

Endothelial barrier disruption plays a key role in the pathophysiology of heat stroke (HS). Knockout of DNAJA1 (DNAJA1­KO) is thought to be protective against HS based on a genome­wide CRISPR­Cas9 screen experiment. The present study aimed to illustrate the function of DNAJA1­KO against HS in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. DNAJA1­KO cells were infected using a lentivirus to investigate the role of DNAJA1­KO in HS­induced endothelial barrier disruption. It was shown that DNAJA1­KO could ameliorate decreased cell viability and increased cell injury, according to the results of Cell Counting Kit­8 and lactate dehydrogenase assays. Moreover, HS­induced endothelial cell apoptosis was inhibited by DNAJA1­KO, as indicated by Annexin V­FITC/PI staining and cleaved­caspase­3 expression using flow cytometry and western blotting, respectively. Furthermore, the endothelial barrier function, as measured by transepithelial electrical resistance and FITC­Dextran, was sustained during HS. DNAJA1­KO was not found to have a significant effect on the expression and distribution of cell junction proteins under normal conditions without HS. However, DNAJA1­KO could effectively protect the HS­induced decrease in the expression and distribution of cell junction proteins, including zonula occludens­1, claudin­5, junctional adhesion molecule A and occludin. A total of 4,394 proteins were identified using proteomic analysis, of which 102 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were activated in HS­induced wild­type cells and inhibited by DNAJA1­KO. DEPs were investigated by enrichment analysis, which demonstrated significant enrichment in the 'calcium signaling pathway' and associations with vascular­barrier regulation. Furthermore, the 'myosin light­chain kinase (MLCK)­MLC signaling pathway' was proven to be activated by HS and inhibited by DNAJA1­KO, as expected. Moreover, DNAJA1­KO mice and a HS mouse model were established to demonstrate the protective effects on endothelial barrier in vivo. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that DNAJA1­KO alleviates HS­induced endothelial barrier disruption by improving thermal tolerance and suppressing the MLCK­MLC signaling pathway.

Dynamic Peripheral Hemoperfusion Distribution Monitoring Based on Janus Flexible Sensor System.

OBJECTIVE: Peripheral vascular disease is a worldwide leading health concern. Real-time peripheral hemoperfusion monitoring during treatment is essential to plan treatment strategies to improve circulatory enhancement effects. METHODS: The present work establishes a Janus flexible perfusion (JFP) sensor system for dynamic peripheral hemoperfusion monitoring. We develop a Janus structure with different Young's modulus to improve the mechanical properties for motion artifacts suppression. Besides, we propose a peripheral perfusion index (PPI) based on an optical perfusion model that is experimentally verified using an in-vitro model. The effectiveness of the system is assessed in three experimental scenarios, including motion artifact-robust test, induced vascular occlusion, and peripheral hemoperfusion monitoring with the intermittent pneumatic compression treatment. RESULTS: The noise level of the traditional rigid sensor is five times that of the JFP sensor within the effective signal frequency domain when there is movement. The PPI can effectively discriminate between different peripheral hemoperfusion states and has a correlation coefficient of 0.92 with the Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) mean values. The kappa statistic between the JFP sensor and LDF is 0.78, indicating substantial agreement to estimate the peripheral hemoperfusion improvements. CONCLUSION: The sensor system we proposed can monitor peripheral hemoperfusion variation in real-time and is insensitive to motion artifacts. SIGNIFICANCE: The proposed sensing system provides a functional module for real-time estimation of peripheral hemoperfusion during clinical interventions.

In situ growth of BiOBr on copper foam conductive substrate with enhanced photocatalytic performance.

Photocatalysis technology based on solar-powered semiconductors is widely recognized as a promising approach for achieving eco-friendly, secure, and sustainable degradation of organic contaminants. Nevertheless, conventional photocatalysts exhibit drawbacks such as a wide bandgap, and rapid recombination of photoinduced electron/hole pairs, in addition to complicated separation and recovery procedures. In this research, we cultivated BiOBr in situ on the surface of copper foam to fabricate a functional photocatalyst (denoted as BiOBr/Cu foam), which was subsequently employed for the photodegradation of Methylene Blue. Based on photodegradation experiments, the 0.3 BiOBr/Cu foam demonstrates superior photocatalytic efficacy compared to other photocatalysts under solar light irradiation. Furthermore, its ease of separation from the solution enhances its potential for reuse. The analysis of charge transfer revealed that the copper foam functions as an effective electron scavenger within the BiOBr/Cu foam, thereby facilitating charge separation and the generation of photo-induced holes. This phenomenon contributes to a significantly enhanced production of hydroxyl radicals. This study provides a valuable perspective on the design and synthesis of photocatalysts with heightened practicality, employing a conductive substrate.