Applying improved ddPCR to reliable quantification of MPXV in clinical settings.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) poses a global health threat. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) holds potential as an accurate diagnostic tool for clinical microbiology. However, there is limited literature on the applicability of ddPCR in clinical settings. In this study, the clinical features of patients with MPXV during the initial outbreak in China in June 2023 were reviewed, and an optimized ddPCR method with dilution and/or inhibitor removal was developed to enhance MPXV detection efficiency. Eighty-two MPXV samples were tested from nine different clinical specimen types, including feces, urine, pharyngeal swabs, anal swabs, saliva, herpes fluid, crust, and semen, and the viral load of each specimen was quantified. A comparative analysis was performed with qPCR to assess sensitivity and specificity and to investigate the characteristics of MPXV infection by analyzing viral loads in different clinical specimens. Consequently, common pharyngeal and gastrointestinal symptoms were observed in patients with MPXV. The optimized ddPCR method demonstrated relatively high sensitivity for MPXV quantification in the clinical materials, with a limit of detection of 0.1 copies/µL. This was particularly evident in low-concentration samples like whole blood, semen, and urine. The optimized ddPCR demonstrated greater detection accuracy compared with normal ddPCR and qPCR, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.939. Except for crust samples, viral loads in the specimens gradually decreased as the disease progressed. Virus levels in feces and anal swabs kept a high detection rate at each stage of post-symptom onset, and feces and anal swabs samples may be suitable for clinical diagnosis and continuous monitoring of MPXV. IMPORTANCE: The ddPCR technique proved to be a sensitive and valuable tool for accurately quantifying MPXV viral loads in various clinical specimen types. The findings provided valuable insights into the necessary pre-treatment protocols for MPXV diagnosis in ddPCR detection and the potentially suitable sample types for collection. Therefore, such results can aid in comprehending the potential characteristics of MPXV infection and the usage of ddPCR in clinical settings.

Freezing pre-treatment improves radio frequency explosion puffing (RFEP) quality by altering the cellular structure of purple sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam.].

Radio frequency explosion puffing (RFEP) is a novel oil-free puffing technique used to produce crispy textured and nutritious puffed snacks. This study aimed to investigate the effects of freezing at different temperatures (-20 °C, -40 °C, -80 °C) for14 h and freezing times (1 and 2 times) on the cellular structure of purple sweet potato and the quality of RFEP chips. The analysis of cell microstructure, conductivity, and rheology revealed that higher freezing temperatures and more freezing times resulted in increased damage to the cellular structure, leading to greater cell membrane permeability and decreased cell wall stiffness. However, excessive damage to cellular structure caused tissue structure to collapse. Compared with the control group (4 °C), the RFEP sample pre-frozen once at -40 °C had a 47.13 % increase in puffing ratio and a 61.93 % increase in crispness, while hardness decreased by 23.44 % (p < 0.05). There was no significant change in anthocyanin retention or color difference. X-ray microtomography demonstrated that the RFEP sample pre-frozen once at -40 °C exhibited a more homogeneous morphology and uniform pore distribution, resulting in the highest overall acceptability. In conclusion, freezing pre-treatment before RFEP can significantly enhance the puffing quality, making this an effective method for preparing oil-free puffing products for fruits and vegetables.

Angiotensin II type-2 receptor signaling facilitates liver injury repair and regeneration via inactivation of Hippo pathway.

The angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) is a well-established component of the renin-angiotensin system and is known to counteract classical activation of this system and protect against organ damage. Pharmacological activation of the AT2R has significant therapeutic benefits, including vasodilation, natriuresis, anti-inflammatory activity, and improved insulin sensitivity. However, the precise biological functions of the AT2R in maintaining homeostasis in liver tissue remain largely unexplored. In this study, we found that the AT2R facilitates liver repair and regeneration following acute injury by deactivating Hippo signaling and that interleukin-6 transcriptionally upregulates expression of the AT2R in hepatocytes through STAT3 acting as a transcription activator binding to promoter regions of the AT2R. Subsequently, elevated AT2R levels activate downstream signaling via heterotrimeric G protein Gα12/13-coupled signals to induce Yap activity, thereby contributing to repair and regeneration processes in the liver. Conversely, a deficiency in the AT2R attenuates regeneration of the liver while increasing susceptibility to acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Administration of an AT2R agonist significantly enhances the repair and regeneration capacity of injured liver tissue. Our findings suggest that the AT2R acts as an upstream regulator in the Hippo pathway and is a potential target in the treatment of liver damage.

Tailoring Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticle Surface Coating for Macrophage-Affinity Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, while macrophages as key players in plaque progression and destabilization are promising targets for atherosclerotic plaque imaging. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) has emerged as a powerful noninvasive imaging technique for the evaluation of atherosclerotic plaques within arterial walls. However, the visualization of macrophages within atherosclerotic plaques presents considerable challenges due to the intricate pathophysiology of the disease and the dynamic behavior of these cells. Biocompatible ferrite nanoparticles with diverse surface ligands possess the potential to exhibit distinct relaxivity and cellular affinity, enabling improved imaging capabilities for macrophages in atherosclerosis. In this work, we report macrophage-affinity nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of atherosclerosis via tailoring nanoparticle surface coating. The ultrasmall zinc ferrite nanoparticles (Zn0.4Fe2.6O4) as T1 contrast agents were synthesized and modified with dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid, and phosphorylated polyethylene glycol to adjust their surface charges to be positively, negatively, and neutrally charged, respectively. In vitro MRI evaluation shows that the T1 relaxivity for different surface charged Zn0.4Fe2.6O4 nanoparticles was three higher than that of the clinically used Gd-DTPA. Furthermore, in vivo atherosclerotic plaque MR imaging indicates that positively charged Zn0.4Fe2.6O4 showed superior MRI efficacy on carotid atherosclerosis than the other two, which is ascribed to high affinity to macrophages of positively charged nanoparticles. This work provides improved diagnostic capability and a better understanding of the molecular imaging of atherosclerosis.

Clinical effect of different concentrations of ropivacaine in the labor analgesia of dural puncture epidural technique for obese puerperae.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to analyze the clinical effect of different concentrations of ropivacaine in the labor analgesia of the dural puncture epidural (DPE) technique for obese puerperae. METHODS: One hundred and fifty first-term obese women who received vaginal delivery and required labor analgesia in our hospital were selected prospectively for this study, and divided into groups A, B, and C. The three groups of puerpera were given epidurals with different concentrations of ropivacaine (0.075%, 0.10%, and 0.125%) with sufentanil (0.5 µg/ml) for the labor analgesia regimen. The visual analog scale (VAS), Ramsay scale, and Bromage scale of puerperae before analgesia and at different time points after anesthesia, and analgesic onset time, analgesia time, first PCEA time, PCEA pressing time, ropivacaine consumption, labor time, maternal blood pressure and heart rate, maternal adverse reactions, blood gas analysis in the neonatal umbilical artery, and Apgar score were observed. RESULTS: The analgesia onset time, PCEA pressing time, and ropivacaine consumption in group C were lower and the analgesia time and the first PCEA time were longer than those in groups A and B. At T1-T3 and T5, VAS scores of group A were higher than those in groups B and C, Ramsay score of group A was lower than that of groups B and C at T2-T3, and Bromage score of group C at any time point was higher than other two groups. The time of the second stage of labor in groups B and C was longer than that in group A, which in group C was longer than that in group B. Compared with groups A and C, the blood pressure and heart rate of puerperae in group B were closer to normal values. Three different concentrations of ropivacaine had no significant effect on the umbilical artery blood gas analysis indices and Apgar scores at 1st minute and 5th minute in neonates. The incidence of maternal adverse reactions in group C was lower than those in groups A and B. CONCLUSION: 0.1% ropivacaine combined with 0.5 µg/ml sufentanil through DPE technique has good analgesic efficacy and few adverse effects in obese puerperae.

RNA binding motif 4 inhibits the replication of ebolavirus by directly targeting 3'-leader region of genomic RNA.

Ebola virus (EBOV) belongs to Filoviridae family possessing single-stranded negative-sense RNA genome, which is a serious threat to human health. Nowadays, no therapeutics have been proven to be successful in efficiently decreasing the mortality rate. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are reported to participate in maintaining cell integrity and regulation of viral replication. However, little is known about whether and how RBPs participate in regulating the life cycle of EBOV. In our study, we found that RNA binding motif protein 4 (RBM4) inhibited the replication of EBOV in HEK293T and Huh-7 cells by suppressing viral mRNA production. Such inhibition resulted from the direct interaction between the RRM1 domain of RBM4 and the "CU" enrichment elements located in the PE1 and TSS of the 3'-leader region within the viral genome. Simultaneously, RBM4 could upregulate the expression of some cytokines involved in the host innate immune responses to synergistically exert its antiviral function. The findings therefore suggest that RBM4 might serve as a novel target of anti-EBOV strategy.

Angiotensin II type-2 receptor attenuates liver fibrosis progression by suppressing IRE1α-XBP1 pathway.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been recognized as a crucial contributor to the development of liver fibrosis, and AT2R, an essential component of RAS, is involved in the progression of liver fibrosis. However, the underlying mechanisms by which AT2R modulates liver fibrosis remain elusive. Here, we report that AT2R was induced to be highly expressed during the progression of liver fibrosis, and the elevated AT2R attenuates liver fibrosis by suppressing IRE1α-XBP1 pathway. In this study, we found that AT2R is not expressed in the no cirrhotic adult liver, but is induced expression during liver fibrosis in both cirrhotic patients and fibrotic mice models. Upregulated AT2R inhibits the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In addition, our study showed that during liver fibrosis, AT2R deletion increased the dimerization activation of IRE1α and promoted XBP1 splicing, and the spliced XBP1s could promote their transcription by binding to the AT2R promoter and repress the IRE1α-XBP1 axis, forming an AT2R-IRE1α-XBP1 negative feedback loop. Importantly, the combination treatment of an AT2R agonist and an endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) alleviator significantly attenuated liver fibrosis in a mouse model of liver fibrosis. Therefore, we conclude that the AT2R-IRE1α signaling pathway can regulate the progression of liver fibrosis, and AT2R is a new potential therapeutic target for treating liver fibrosis.

Ternary Lithium Nickel Boride with 1D Rapid-Ion-Diffusion Channels as an Anode for Use in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Anode materials with high-rate performances and good electrochemical stabilities are urgently required for the grid-scale application of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Theoretically, transition metal borides are desirable candidates because of their appropriate working potentials and good conductivities. However, the reported metal borides exhibit poor performances owing to their lack of favorable Li+ storage sites and poor structural stabilities during long-term charging/discharging. In this work, a ternary alkali metal boride, Li1.2 Ni2.5 B2 , which displays a high Li+ storage capacity and remarkable electrochemical stability and an excellent rate performance is studied. In contrast to conventional transition metal borides, the introduction of Li atoms facilitates the formation of 1D Ni/B-based honeycomb channels during synthesis. This Ni/B framework successfully sustains the strain during Li+ intercalation and deintercalation, and thus, the optimized Li1.2 Ni2.5 B2 anode exhibits an excellent cycle stability over 500 charge/discharge cycles. This electrode also exhibits superior reversible capacities of 350, 183, and 80 mA h g-1 at 0.1, 1, and 5 A g-1 , respectively, indicating the considerable potential of the 1D Ni/B framework as a commercially available fast-charging LIB anode.

Automatic biometry of fetal brain MRIs using deep and machine learning techniques.

Linear biometric measurements on magnetic resonance images are important for the assessment of fetal brain development, which is expert knowledge dependent and laborious. This study aims to construct a segmentation-based method for automatic two-dimensional biometric measurements of fetal brain on magnetic resonance images that provides a fast and accurate measurement of fetal brain. A total of 268 volumes (5360 images) magnetic resonance images of normal fetuses were included. The automatic method involves two steps. First, the fetal brain was segmented into four parts with a deep segmentation network: cerebrum, cerebellum, and left and right lateral ventricles. Second, the measurement plane was determined, and the corresponding biometric parameters were calculated according to clinical guidelines, including cerebral biparietal diameter (CBPD), transverse cerebellar diameter (TCD), left and right atrial diameter (LAD/RAD). Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the correlation and agreement between computer-predicted values and manual measurements. Mean differences were used to evaluate the errors quantitatively. Analysis of fetal cerebral growth based on the automatic measurements was also displayed. The experiment results show that correlation coefficients for CBPD, TCD, LAD and RAD were as follows: 0.977, 0.990, 0.817, 0.719, mean differences were - 2.405 mm, - 0.008 mm, - 0.33 mm, - 0.213 mm, respectively. The correlation between the errors and gestational age was not statistically significant (p values were 0.2595, 0.0510, 0.1995, and 0.0609, respectively). The proposed automatic method for linear measurements on fetal brain MRI achieves excellent performance, which is expected to be applied in clinical practice and be helpful for prenatal diagnosis and clinical work efficiency improvement.

Proteomic Analysis of Rat Duodenum Reveals the Modulatory Effect of Boron Supplementation on Immune Activity.

The proper supplementation of boron, an essential trace element, can enhance animal immune function. We utilized the method of TMT peptide labeling in conjunction with LC-MS/MS quantitative proteomics for the purpose of examining the effects of boric acid on a rat model and analyzing proteins from the duodenum. In total, 5594 proteins were obtained from the 0, 10, and 320 mg/L boron treatment groups. Two hundred eighty-four proteins that exhibit differential expression were detected. Among the comparison, groups of 0 vs. 10 mg/L, 0 vs. 320 mg/L, and 10 vs. 320 mg/L of boron, 110, 32, and 179 proteins, respectively, demonstrated differential expression. The results revealed that these differential expression proteins (DEPs) mainly clustered into two profiles. GO annotations suggested that most of the DEPs played a role in the immune system process, in which 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase-like, myxovirus resistance 1, myxovirus resistance 2, dynein cytoplasmic 1 intermediate chain 1, and coiled-coil domain containing 88B showed differential expression. The DEPs had demonstrated an augmentation in the signaling pathways, which primarily include phagosome, antigen processing, and presentation, as well as cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). Our study found that immune responses in the duodenum were enhanced by lower doses of boron and that this effect is likely mediated by changes in protein expression patterns in related signaling pathways. It offers an in-depth understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms that lead to immune modulation in rats subjected to dietary boron treatment.

3D Lithiophilic CuZrAg Metallic Glass Based-Current Collector for High-Performance Lithium Metal Anode.

Lithium metal anodes face several challenges in practical applications, such as dendrite growth, poor cycle efficiency, and volume variation. 3D hosts with lithiophilic surfaces have emerged as a promising design strategy for anodes. In this study, inspiration from the intrinsic isotropy, chemical heterogeneity, and wide tunability of metallic glass (MG) is drew to develop a 3D mesoporous host with a lithiophilic surface. The CuZrAg MG is prepared using the scalable melt-spinning technique and subsequently treated with a simple one-step chemical dealloying method. This resultes in the creation of a host with a homogeneously distributed abundance of lithium affinity sites on the surface. The excellent lithiophilic property and capability for uniform lithium deposition of the 3D CuZrAg electrode have been confirmed through theoretical calculations. Therefore, the 3D CuZrAg electrode displays excellent cyclic stability for over 400 cycles with 96% coulomb efficiency, and ultra-low overpotentials of 5 mV for over 2000 h at 1.0 mA cm-2 and 1.0 mAh cm-2 . Additionally, the full cells partied with either LiFePO4 or LiNi0.8 Co0.1 Mn0.1 O2 cathode deliver exceptional long-term cyclability and rate capability. This work demonstrates the great potential of metallic glass in lithium metal anode application.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Inhibits the Progression of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Mice: The Earlier, the Better.

OBJECTIVES: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has a cardiovascular protective effect by preventing abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. However, it is unclear at what point the agent should be administered to achieve the optimal effect. In this study, we aimed to determine whether administering the GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide during the earlier stages would more efficiently inhibit AAA progression in mice. METHODS: Depending on the group, mice were given a daily dose of 300 µg/kg liraglutide for 28 days at 7, 14, and 28 days after aneurysm induction. The morphology of the abdominal aorta was monitored using 7.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during the administration of liraglutide. After 28 days of administration, the AAA dilatation ratio was calculated, and histopathological examination was performed. Oxidative stress levels were evaluated by the expression of malondialdehyde (MDA) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The inflammatory response was also evaluated. RESULTS: Liraglutide treatment led to a decrease in AAA formation, including a reduction in abdominal aorta expansion, elastin degradation in the elastic laminae, and vascular inflammation caused by leukocyte infiltration. The expression of MDA and the activity of MMPs (MMP-2, MMP-9) also decreased. Notably, administering liraglutide during the early stages resulted in a significant reduction in the dilatation rate of the aortic wall, as well as in MDA expression, leukocyte infiltration, and MMP activity in the vascular wall. CONCLUSIONS: The GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide was found to inhibit AAA progression in mice by exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, particularly during the early stages of AAA formation. Therefore, liraglutide may represent a potential pharmacological target for the treatment of AAA.

Developing radio frequency (RF) heating protocol in packed tofu processing by computer simulation.

Packed tofu was produced by reheating the mixture of preheated soymilk and coagulant in a sealed container. This study aimed to replace the conventional heating method with RF heating during the reheating of soymilk for packed tofu production. In this study, dielectric properties (DPs), thermal properties (TPs), and rheological properties of soymilk were determined. A mathematical model was developed to simulate the RF heating process of soymilk to determine the appropriate packaging geometry. Water holding capacity (WHC), texture analysis, color measurement, and microstructure observation were performed to evaluate the quality of RF-heated packed tofu. Results showed that soymilk added with Glucono-Delta-Lactone (GDL) coagulated at the temperature above 60 °C, and the loss factor (ε″) was slightly reduced when soymilk was converted to tofu at coagulation temperature. Based on the simulation results, the cylindrical vessel (φ50 mm × 100 mm) was chosen as the soymilk container for desired heating rate (5.9 °C/min) and uniformity (λ = 0.0065, 0.0069, 0.0016 for top, middle, and bottom layers). The texture analysis revealed that the hardness and chewiness of packed tofu prepared by RF heating were enhanced (maximum 1.36 times and 1.21 times) compared with commercial packed tofu, while the springiness were not significantly changed. Furthermore, the denser network structure was observed inside RF-heated packed tofu by SEM. These results indicated that packed tofu prepared by RF heating was of higher gel strength and sensory quality. RF heating has the potential to be applied in packed tofu production.

High-Speed T2 -Corrected Multiecho Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Quantitatively Detecting Skeletal Muscle Fatty Infiltration and Predicting the Loss of Ambulation in Patients With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

BACKGROUND: High-speed T2 -corrected multiecho MRS (HISTO-MRS) is emerging as a quantitative modality for detecting muscle fat infiltration (MFF). However, the predictive value of HISTO-MRS for the loss of ambulation (LoA) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is unknown. PURPOSE: To determine the feasibility of HISTO-MRS for assessing MFF in DMD and further identify the predictive value of HISTO-MRS for the LoA. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. SUBJECTS: A total of 134 DMD boys (9.20 ± 2.43 years old) and 21 healthy boys (9.25 ± 2.10 years old). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A 3 T, fast spin echo T1 -weighted imaging (T1 WI), two-point-Dixon gradient echo sequence (2-pt-Dixon) and HISTO-MRS. ASSESSMENT: Subjective T1 WI fat grades by three radiologists, ROI analysis for MFF on 2 pt-Dixon (Dixon MFF) and MFF on HISTO-MRS (HISTO MFF) by two radiologists. Clinical motor function: North Star Ambulatory Assessment, 10-m run/walk time, Gowers maneuver, and time to four-stairs climb and descend. STATISTICAL TESTS: Spearman rank correlation was used to assess the relation of fat filtration assessments and motor ability. Bland-Altman plots was performed to determine the agreement of HISTO MFF and Dixon MFF. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were analyzed to determine the discriminating ability of above MRI modalities for ambulatory and nonambulatory DMD. Logistic regression was used to identify the predictor of LoA. Variables with P < 0.05 in univariate logistic regression analysis were entered into the multivariate logistic regression model. RESULTS: HISTO MFF was significantly correlated with Dixon MFF. Bland-Altman plots show good agreement of HISTO MFF and Dixon MFF. ROC curves indicated that HISTO MFF show similar discrimination of LoA for DMD with Dixon MFF but better value than T1WI fat grades. Logistic regression showed that HISTO MFF was an independent predictor for LoA. DATA CONCLUSION: HISTO-MRS is a potential quantitative method for assessing fat infiltration and shows predictive value for LoA in DMD patients. TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 5.

Diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in children based on the XGBoost algorithm using nocturnal heart rate and blood oxygen feature.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious type of obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) that can cause a series of adverse effects on children's cardiovascular, growth, cognition, etc. The gold standard for diagnosis is polysomnography (PGS), which is used to assess the prevalence of OSA by obtaining the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), but this diagnosis method is expensive and needs to be performed in a specialized laboratory, making it difficult to be of benefit to children with suspected OSA on a large scale. Our goal was to use a machine learning method to identify children with OSA of varying severity using data on children's nighttime heart rate and blood oxygen data. METHODS: This study included 3139 children who received diagnostic PSG with suspected OSA. Age, sex, BMI, 3 % oxygen depletion index (ODI), average nighttime heart rate and fastest heart rate were used as predictive features. Data sets were established with AHI ≥ 1, AHI ≥ 5, and AHI ≥ 10 as the diagnostic criteria for mild, moderate and severe OSA, and the samples of each data set were randomly divided into a training set and a test set at a ratio of 8:2. An OSA diagnostic model was established based on the XGBoost algorithm, and the ability of the machine learning model to diagnose OSA children with different severities was evaluated through different classification ability evaluation indicators. As a comparison, traditional classifier Logistic Regression was used to perform the same diagnostic task. The SHAP algorithm was used to evaluate the role of these features in the classification task. RESULTS: We established a diagnostic model of OSA in children based on the XGBoost algorithm. On the test set, the AUCs of the model for diagnosing mild, moderate, and severe OSA were 0.95, 0.88, and 0.88, respectively, and the classification accuracy was 90.45 %, 85.67 %, and 89.81 %, respectively, perform better than Logistic Regression classifiers. ODI is the most important feature in all classification tasks, and a higher fastest heart rate and ODI make the model tend to classify samples as positive. A high BMI value caused the model to tend to classify samples as positive in the mild and moderate classification tasks and as negative in the classification task with severe OSA. CONCLUSION: Using heart rate and blood oxygen data as the main features, a machine learning diagnostic model based on the XGBoost algorithm can accurately identify children with OSA at different severities. This diagnostic modality reduces the number of signals and the complexity of the diagnostic process compared to PSG, which could benefit children with suspected OSA who do not have the opportunity to receive a diagnostic PSG and provide a diagnostic priority reference for children awaiting a diagnostic PSG.

Slaughter performance of the main goose breeds raised commercially in China and nutritional value of the meats of the goose breeds: a systematic review.

A number of goose breeds are raised commercially in China. However, the data on the slaughter performance of the goose breeds and the nutritional value of their meats lack a thorough comparative analysis. In this systematic review, the slaughter performance of the goose breeds and nutritional value of their meats were comparatively analyzed to provide an overview of the characteristics of the goose breeds raised commercially in China. Fifteen goose breeds were selected from 27 research articles published up to January 2022 on the slaughter performance of the goose breeds raised commercially in China and their nutrient composition after literature searching, literature screening, variety selection, and data collation. The slaughter indexes of the goose breeds and the basic nutrient composition, amino acid composition, and fatty acid composition of the meats of the goose breeds were standardized using min-max normalization and compared. The results suggest that the slaughter indexes and nutritional indicators of the meats of Yangzhou white goose, Xupu goose, Landaise geese, and Sichuan white goose are more balanced than those of the meats of the other goose breeds. The results of this review can lay the foundation for optimizing the breeding methods of the commercially raised goose breeds and processing methods of the meats of the geese. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Calix[6]arene functionalized lanthanide metal-organic frameworks with boosted performance in identifying an anti-epidemic pharmaceutical.

A novel composite was fabricated by hybridizing terbium 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic MOF (TB-MOF) with Cx[6]. The obtained composite TB-Cx[6] possessed long-term stability and dispersion stability and was used for on-site analysis of the anti-COVID-19 disinfection product Prednis via a combing remote sampling technique.

Cobalt-based MOF nanoribbons with abundant O/N species for cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to epoxides.

Chemical fixation of CO2 with epoxides is an effective option to achieve sustainable synthesis of cyclic organic carbonates. Although metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising catalysts for this reaction, their low stability in aqueous solutions makes this application infeasible. In an effort to overcome this limitation, cobalt-based metal-organic framework (Co(II)MOF) nanoribbons have been prepared by coordinating the Co(II) ions with a new ligand (C16H12N4O4) full of oxygen and nitrogen moieties. Strong chemical interactions occur between the adsorbed CO2 and oxygen/nitrogen atoms in this porous MOF structure. Co(II)-MOF nanoribbons with tetra-n-butylammonium bromide acted as cocatalysts with ∼97% yield of cyclic carbonate (reaction kinetic rate of 14.7 × 106 µmol g-1 h-1) upon the cycloaddition of epichlorohydrin (ECH) to CO2 (>99% reaction selectivity under solvent-free reaction condition at 80 °C, 3 h and 1 MPa CO2 pressure). This work may open a new avenue for chemical fixation of CO2 by rational design of the components and morphology of MOF-based catalysts.

White-Light GaN-µLEDs Employing Green/Red Perovskite Quantum Dots as Color Converters for Visible Light Communication.

GaN-based µLEDs with superior properties have enabled outstanding achievements in emerging micro-display, high-quality illumination, and communication applications, especially white-light visible light communication (WL-VLC). WL-VLC systems can simultaneously provide white-light solid-state lighting (SSL) while realizing high-speed wireless optical communication. However, the bandwidth of conventional white-light LEDs is limited by the long-lifetime yellow yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) phosphor, which restricts the available communication performance. In this paper, white-light GaN-µLEDs combining blue InGaN-µLEDs with green/red perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) are proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Green PQDs (G-PQDs) and red PQDs (R-PQDs) with narrow emission spectrum and short fluorescence lifetime as color converters instead of the conventional slow-response YAG phosphor are mixed with high-bandwidth blue InGaN-µLEDs to generate white light. The communication and illumination performances of the WL-VLC system based on the white-light GaN-based µLEDs are systematically investigated. The VLC properties of monochromatic light (green/red) from G-PQDs or R-PQDs are studied in order to optimize the performance of the white light. The modulation bandwidths of blue InGaN-µLEDs, G-PQDs, and R-PQDs are up to 162 MHz, 64 MHz, and 90 MHz respectively. Furthermore, the white-light bandwidth of 57.5 MHz and the Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) of (0.3327, 0.3114) for the WL-VLC system are achieved successfully. These results demonstrate the great potential and the direction of the white-light GaN-µLEDs with PQDs as color converters to be applied for VLC and SSL simultaneously. Meanwhile, these results contribute to the implementation of full-color micro-displays based on µLEDs with high-quality PQDs as color-conversion materials.

Transcriptome Profiling of Duodenum Reveals the Importance of Boron Supplementation in Modulating Immune Activities in Rats.

As an essential trace element, appropriate boron supplementation can promote immune function of animals. To illustrate the effects of boron in a rat model, RNA-Seq was conducted for the RNA from duodenum after treatment with different concentration of boron in which boron was given in the form of boric acid. More than 47 million reads were obtained in 0, 10, and 320 mg/L boron (0, 57.21, and 1830.66 mg/L boric acid) treatment groups that produced 58 965 402, 48 607 328, and 46 760 660 clean reads, respectively. More than 95% of the clean reads were successfully matched to the rat reference genome and assembled to generate 32 662 transcripts. A total of 624 and 391 differentially expressed candidate genes (DEGs) were found between 0 vs.10 and 0 vs. 320 mg/L boron comparison groups. We also identified transcription start site, transcription terminal site, and skipped exons as the main alternative splicing events. GO annotations revealed most of DEGs were involved in the regulation of immune activity. The DEGs were enriched in influenza A, herpes simplex infection, cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway, and antigen processing and presentation signaling pathways. The expression levels of genes enriched in these signaling pathways indicate that lower doses of boron could achieve better effects on promoting immune response in the duodenum. These effects on the immune system appear to be mediated via altering the expression patterns of genes involved in the related signaling pathways in a dose-dependent pattern. These data provide more insights into the molecular mechanisms of immune regulation in rats in response to dietary boron treatment.