Pediatric RVOT reconstruction with ePTFE trileaflet valved conduits: a dual-center Chinese study.

Objective: This study aims to assess the early to mid-term clinical efficacy of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) trileaflet valved conduits in pediatric right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction for congenital heart disease. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of pediatric patients who underwent right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction using ePTFE trileaflet valved conduits at two cardiac centers in China, between January 2017 and June 2023. The main assessment criterion was the functionality of the prosthetic pulmonary valve conduit. Results: A total of 162 pediatric patients were included, with follow-up periods ranging from 0.1 to 5 years post-discharge, and a median follow-up duration of 1 year (interquartile range: 1, 2). Three patients (1.9%) required re-operation due to conduit obstruction. During follow-up, pulmonary valve flow velocities were recorded as <3 m/s in 134 patients (82.7%), between 3 and 4 m/s in 24 patients (14.8%), and >4 m/s in 4 patient (2.5%). Mild pulmonary valve regurgitation was noted in 148 patients (91.4%), and moderate pulmonary valve regurgitation was noted in 14 patients (8.6%), with no instances of more than moderate pulmonary valve regurgitation. Conclusion: The ePTFE trileaflet valved conduit, known for its accessibility and simplicity in manufacturing, demonstrates favorable early to mid-term clinical outcomes in pediatric RVOT reconstruction.

Rab7 GTPase, a direct target of miR-131-3p, limits intracellular Spiroplasma eriocheiris infection by modulating phagocytosis.

Spiroplasma eriocheiris is a kind of intracellular pathogen without cell wall and the causative agent of Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis "tremor disease", which causes significant economic losses in the crustacean aquaculture. However, little is known about the intracellular transport of this pathogen and host innate immune response to this pathogen. Rab GTPases are key regulators for endocytosis and intracellular pathogen trafficking. In this study, we showed that S. eriocheiris infection upregulated the transcription of Rab7 through the downregulation of miR-131-3p. Subsequently, both hemocytes transfected with miR-131-3p mimics and hemocytes derived from Rab7 knockdown crabs exhibited reduced phagocytic activities and increased susceptibility to S. eriocheiris infection. Additionally, Rab7 could interact with the cell shape-determining protein MreB3 of S. eriocheiris, and its overexpression promoted S. eriocheiris internalization and fusion with lysosomes, thereby limiting S. eriocheiris replication in Drosophila S2 cells. Overall, these results demonstrated that Rab7 facilitated host cell phagocytosis and interacted with MreB3 of S. eriocheiris to prevent S. eriocheiris infection. Moreover, miR-131-3p was identified as a negative regulator of this process through its targeting of Rab7. Therefore, targeting miR-131-3p might be an effective strategy for controlling S. eriocheiris in crab aquaculture.

Cadmium-induced fetal erythropoiesis disturbances in mice.

Maternal anemia has been identified as a contributing factor to adverse reproductive outcomes associated with cadmium (Cd) exposure, a common heavy metal. Our recent findings suggest that inhibited erythroid differentiation and enucleation also play significant roles in the direct embryonic toxicity resulting from maternal Cd exposure. However, the effects of Cd exposure on lipid metabolism remodeling, which is essential for physiological erythropoiesis, remain poorly understood. In the present study, pregnant mice were administered low doses of CdCl2 via oral exposure from early to late gestation to mitigate Cd-induced maternal anemia. Compared to vehicle-treated controls, embryos from Cd-treated mice exhibited a slight decrease in weight, though without signs of atrophy. Consistent with our previous observations, fetal livers from Cd-exposed embryos demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition of erythroid differentiation, as confirmed by ex vivo analysis. Notably, an intrinsic decrease in lipid peroxidation during erythroid differentiation was observed in the bone marrow and fetal livers of vehicle-treated mice, attributed to diminished lipid content. In contrast, this decrease in lipid peroxidation was absent in fetal liver erythroblasts from Cd-treated mice, where an increase in lipid peroxidation was instead noted. These findings elucidate a potential mechanism, lipid peroxidation, underlying Cd-induced embryonic toxicity.

Microfiber Actuators With Hot-Pressing-Programmable Mechano-Photothermal Responses for Electromagnetic Perception.

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is a ubiquitous harm and hard to detect dynamically in multiple scenarios. A mechano-photothermal cooperative microfiber film (MFF) actuator is developed that can synchronously detect EMR with high reliability. The programmable actuation is deployed by a hot-pressing methodology, achieving the MFF with moderate modulus (378 MPa) and superior toughness (87.26 MJ m-3) that ensure superior response (0.068 cm-1 s-1) and bending curvature (0.63 cm-1). A secondary hot-pressing can further program the actuation behavior with black phosphorus local photothermal enhancement patterns to achieve 2D-3D transformable geometries. An amphibious robot with a land-water adaptive locomotion mechanism is designed by programming the MFFs. It can crawl on land and locomote on water with a velocity up to ≈1.8 mm s-1, and ≈2.39 cm s-1, respectively. Employing the conductive fabric layer of the actuator with electromagnetic induction effect, the amphibious robot can synchronously perceive environmental EMR with sensitivity up to 99.73% ± 0.15% during locomotion, with superior adaptability to EMR source intensity (0.1 to 3000 W) and distance (≈9 m) compared to a commercial EMR detector. This EMR detective microfiber actuator can inspire a new direction of environment-interactive smart materials, and soft robots with multi-scenario adaptivity and autonomous environment perceptivity.

Prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes, heavy metal, and bacterial community composition in sea sediments influenced by Eriocheir sinensis breeding aquaculture.

Eriocheir sinensis is the main aquaculture species in China. With the continuous expansion of the aquaculture scale, the demand for E. sinensis seedlings was also increased. The water used in breeding has well-nourished and its discharge into the sea posed significant risks. This study sampled the wastewater discharge points of the E. sinensis seedlings in Sheyang County, Jiangsu Province, and the areas far from the discharge points that were not affected in March and May 2023, respectively. A large number of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were found in the sediment of the wastewater discharge area, and the highest ARG was sulfonamide ARG-sul1 using qPCR analysis, while ARGs were almost undetectable in the areas not affected by wastewater discharge. The 16S rRNA sequence analysis results showed that the main bacterial phyla at the wastewater discharge point were Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Thermodesulfobacteria. In the control point, the main bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria, Chlorobacterium, and Thermodesulfobacteria. There were significant differences in the composition of microbial communities between the two points, and the samples at the wastewater discharge point were more clustered and had higher similarity. The correlation network and redundancy analysis indicated that the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria at the wastewater discharge points were positively correlated with most ARGs. The wastewater discharge had no effect on heavy metals from the two points. This study sets a foundation for future research by identifying key microbial taxa as potential ARG carriers and examining the interactions between microbial communities, ARGs, and heavy metals.

Molecular and Serological Surveillance for Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis in Wild Red Squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) from Scotland and Northern England.

Leprosy is a poverty-associated infectious disease in humans caused by Mycobacterium leprae or M. lepromatosis, often resulting in skin and peripheral nerve damage, which remains a significant public health concern in isolated areas of low- and middle-income countries. Previous studies reported leprosy in red squirrels in the British Isles, despite the fact that autochthonous human cases have been absent for centuries in this region. To investigate the extent of M. leprae and M. lepromatosis presence in wild red squirrels in the northern UK, we analyzed 220 blood/body cavity fluid samples from opportunistically sampled red squirrels (2004-2023) for specific antibodies against phenolic glycolipid-I, a cell wall component specific for these leprosy bacilli. Additionally, we assessed bacillus-derived DNA by real-time PCR (qPCR) in 250 pinnae from the same cohort. M. lepromatosis and M. leprae DNA were detected by qPCR in 20.4% and 0.8% of the squirrels, respectively. No cases of co-detection were observed. Detectable levels of anti-PGL-I antibodies by UCP-LFA were observed in 52.9% of animals with the presence of M. lepromatosis determined by qPCR, and overall in 15.5% of all animals. In total, 22.6% (n = 296) of this UK cohort had at least some exposure to leprosy bacilli. Our study shows that leprosy bacilli persist in red squirrels in the northern UK, emphasizing the necessity for ongoing molecular and serological monitoring to study leprosy ecology in red squirrels, gain insight into potential zoonotic transmission, and to determine whether the disease has a conservation impact on this endangered species.

Urolithiasis Causes Osteoporosis in Asians: Genetic Evidence from Mendelian Randomization and Pathway Analysis.

BACKGROUND: It is an indisputable fact that patients with urolithiasis are prone to osteoporosis (OP), but the specific mechanism of their association is unclear. Previous studies have focused on the mediation of environmental factors such as diet; however, the potential of urolithiasis itself to induce OP remains uncertain. METHODS: In this study, we used data from the Japan BioBank (6,638 urolithiasis and 7,788 OP cases) to investigate the direct causal relationship and mechanism between urolithiasis and OP, applying Mendelian randomization (MR), genetic correlation analysis, colocalization, and pathway analysis. We selected ten genetic variants as instrumental variables (IVs) for urolithiasis. RESULTS: The results showed a positive association between genetically predicted urolithiasis and OP, with significant direct effects persisting after adjusting for OP-associated factors in four models. Reverse analysis revealed no significant causal effect of genetically predicted OP on urolithiasis. While genetic correlation analysis and colocalization did not find conclusive evidence, mediation analysis identified eGFR as a significant contributor. Co-risk factor analysis unveiled cardiovascular elements as common risks for both conditions. Bioanalysis implicates cytokine, metabolic, and calcium signaling pathways may bridge urolithiasis and OP, with BCAS3, DGKH, TBX2, and TBX2-AS1 identified as potential causal genes. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the study establishes a direct causal link between urolithiasis and OP, independent of environmental factors. Regardless of lifestyle, urolithiasis patients should remain vigilant about the risk of OP and consider regular OP screening. The biological mechanism of urolithiasis combined with OP and related drugs still needs to be further explored.

A PadR family transcriptional repressor regulates the transcription of chromate efflux transporter in Enterobacter sp. Z1.

Chromium is a prevalent toxic heavy metal, and chromate [Cr(VI)] exhibits high mutagenicity and carcinogenicity. The presence of the Cr(VI) efflux protein ChrA has been identified in strains exhibiting resistance to Cr(VI). Nevertheless, certain strains of bacteria that are resistant to Cr(VI) lack the presence of ChrB, a known regulatory factor. Here, a PadR family transcriptional repressor, ChrN, has been identified as a regulator in the response of Enterobacter sp. Z1(CCTCC NO: M 2019147) to Cr(VI). The chrN gene is cotranscribed with the chrA gene, and the transcriptional expression of this operon is induced by Cr(VI). The binding capacity of the ChrN protein to Cr(VI) was demonstrated by both the tryptophan fluorescence assay and Ni-NTA purification assay. The interaction between ChrN and the chrAN operon promoter was validated by reporter gene assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Mutation of the conserved histidine residues His14 and His50 resulted in loss of ChrN binding with the promoter of the chrAN operon. This observation implies that these residues are crucial for establishing a DNA-binding site. These findings demonstrate that ChrN functions as a transcriptional repressor, modulating the cellular response of strain Z1 to Cr(VI) exposure.

The W195 Residue of the Newcastle Disease Virus V Protein Is Critical for Multiple Aspects of Viral Self-Regulation through Interactions between V and Nucleoproteins.

The transcription and replication of the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strictly rely on the viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, which is composed of viral NP, P, L and RNA. However, it is not known whether other viral non-RNP proteins participate in this process for viral self-regulation. In this study, we used a minigenome (MG) system to identify the regulatory role of the viral non-RNP proteins V, M, W, F and HN. Among them, V significantly reduced MG-encoded reporter activity compared with the other proteins and inhibited the synthesis of viral mRNA and cRNA. Further, V interacted with NP. A mutation in residue W195 of V diminished V-NP interaction and inhibited inclusion body (IB) formation in NP-P-L-cotransfected cells. Furthermore, a reverse-genetics system for the highly virulent strain F48E9 was established. The mutant rF48E9-VW195R increased viral replication and apparently enhanced IB formation. In vivo experiments demonstrated that rF48E9-VW195R decreased virulence and retarded time of death. Overall, the results indicate that the V-NP interaction of the W195 mutant V decreased, which regulated viral RNA synthesis, IB formation, viral replication and pathogenicity. This study provides insight into the self-regulation of non-RNP proteins in paramyxoviruses.

Stereocontrolled Construction of Spirooxindole-Containing 5,6,7,8-Tetrahydropyrrolo[1,2-a]pyridine via Michael/Friedel-Crafts Domino Reaction Promoted by Secondary Amine-Squaramide.

An asymmetric Michael/Friedel-Crafts cascade reaction with Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) nitroallylic esters and 3-pyrrolyloxindoles has been developed for the stereoselective construction of spirooxindole-containing tetrahydroindolizines. A range of tetracyclic scaffolds possessing three consecutive chiral centers, including an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter, were generated in 53-85% isolated yields with high diastereoselectivities and enantiopurities (≥3:1 dr, 50-98% ee). A newly synthesized bifunctional secondary amine/squaramide organocatalyst was demonstrated to exhibit better stereochemical control than their tertiary analogues.

Phospholipid Bilayer Inspired Sandwich Structural Nanofibrous Membrane for Atmospheric Water Harvesting and Selective Release.

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) has been broadly exploited to meet the challenge of water shortage. Despite the significant achievements of AWH, the leakage of hydroscopic salt during the AWH process hinders its practical applications. Herein, inspired by the unique selective permeability of the phospholipid bilayer, a sandwich structural (hydrophobic-hydrophilic-hydrophobic) polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous membrane (San-PAN) was fabricated for AWH. The hydrophilic inner layer loaded with LiCl could capture water from the air. The hydrophobic microchannels in the outer layer could selectively allow the free transmission of gaseous water molecules but confine the hydroscopic salt solution in the hydrophilic layer, achieving continuous and recyclable water sorption/desorption. As demonstrated, the as-prepared AWH devices presented high-efficient adsorption kinetics from 1.66 to 4.08 g g-1 at 30% to 90% relative humidity. Thus, this work strengthens the understanding of the water transmission process along microchannels and provides insight into the practical applications of AWH.

Bionic Bilayer Scaffold for Synchronous Hyperthermia Therapy of Orthotopic Osteosarcoma and Osteochondral Regeneration.

Large osseous void, postsurgical neoplastic recurrence, and slow bone-cartilage repair rate raise an imperative need to develop functional scaffold in clinical osteosarcoma treatment. Herein, a bionic bilayer scaffold constituting croconaine dye-polyethylene glycol@sodium alginate hydrogel and poly(l-lactide)/hydroxyapatite polymer matrix is fabricated to simultaneously achieve a highly efficient killing of osteosarcoma and an accelerated osteochondral regeneration. First, biomimetic osteochondral structure along with adequate interfacial interaction of the bilayer scaffold provide a structural reinforcement for transverse osseointegration and osteochondral regeneration, as evidenced by upregulated specific expressions of collagen type-I, osteopontin, and runt-related transcription factor 2. Meanwhile, thermal ablation of the synthesized nanoparticles and mitochondrial dysfunction caused by continuously released hydroxyapatite induce residual tumor necrosis synergistically. To validate the capabilities of inhibiting tumor growth and promoting osteochondral regeneration of our proposed scaffold, a novel orthotopic osteosarcoma model simulating clinical treatment scenarios of bone tumors is established on rats. Based on amounts of in vitro and in vivo results, an effective killing of osteosarcoma and a suitable osteal-microenvironment modulation of such bionic bilayer composite scaffold are achieved, which provides insightful implications for photonic hyperthermia therapy against osteosarcoma and following osseous tissue regeneration.

Targeting a cardiac abundant and fibroblasts-specific piRNA (CFRPi) to attenuate and reverse cardiac fibrosis in pressure-overloaded heart failure.

Cardiac fibrosis under chronic pressure overload is an end-stage adverse remodeling of heart. However, current heart failure treatments barely focus on anti-fibrosis and the effects are limited. We aimed to seek for a cardiac abundant and cardiac fibrosis specific piRNA, exploring its underlying mechanism and therapeutic potential. Whole transcriptome sequencing and the following verification experiments identified a highly upregulated piRNA (piRNA-000691) in transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mice, TAC pig, and heart failure human samples, which was abundant in heart and specifically expressed in cardiac fibroblasts. CFRPi was gradually increased along with the progression of heart failure, which was illustrated to promote cardiac fibrosis by gain- and loss-of-function experiments in vitro and in vivo. Knockdown of CFRPi in mice alleviated cardiac fibrosis, reversed decline of systolic and diastolic functions from TAC 6 weeks to 8 weeks. Mechanistically, CFRPi inhibited APLN, a protective peptide that increased in early response and became exhausted at late stage. Knockdown of APLN in vitro notably aggravated cardiac fibroblasts activation and proliferation. In vitro and in vivo evidence both indicated Pi3k-AKT-mTOR as the downstream effector pathway of CFRPi-APLN interaction. Collectively, we here identified CFPPi as a heart abundant and cardiac fibrosis specific piRNA. Targeting CFRPi resulted in a sustainable increase of APLN and showed promising therapeutical prospect to alleviate fibrosis, rescue late-stage cardiac dysfunction, and prevent heart failure.

Head-to-head comparison of cone-beam breast computed tomography and mammography in the diagnosis of primary breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: To compare the diagnostic performance of cone-beam breast computed tomography (CBBCT) and mammography (MG) in primary breast cancer. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang DATA, and China Science and Technology Journal databases were searched comprehensively from inception to March 2023. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated using bivariate random-effects models, and a summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was constructed. Bivariate I2 statistics and meta-regression analyses were also performed. The differences in diagnostic performance between CBBCT and MG were analysed using Z-test statistics. Clinical utility was explored using Fagan's nomogram, and quality assessment was conducted utilising the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 checklist. RESULTS: The summary sensitivity and specificity for CBBCT in diagnosing primary breast cancer were 0.92 (95 % CI: 0.87-0.94) and 0.79 (95 % CI: 0.71-0.85), respectively, and the area under the curve (AUC) of the SROC was 0.93 (95 % CI: 0.90-0.95). For MG, the summary sensitivity and specificity were 0.77 (95 % CI: 0.69-0.83) and 0.75 (95 % CI: 0.66-0.82), respectively, with an AUC of 0.83 (95 % CI: 0.80-0.86). The Z-test revealed that the summary sensitivity of CBBCT was significantly higher than that of MG (P < 0.001). Additionally, the summary AUC of CBBCT was significantly higher than that of MG (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performance of CBBCT for primary breast cancer was better than that of MG. However, the results of both the CBBCT and MG are based on studies with small sample sizes. Further studies with larger sample sizes and more comprehensive designs are required to address this issue.

Diastereoselective Synthesis of Pyrroloquinolines via N-H Functionalization of Indoles with Vinyl Sulfonium Salts.

A [2 + 4]/[1 + 2] annulation approach was successfully established to construct pyrroloquinoline-fused cyclopropane in a highly diastereoselective fashion (>20:1 dr). The tetracyclic 1,7-fused indoles were efficiently obtained from readily available starting materials under mild conditions. This methodology displays impressive substrate generality with two reaction components. The products resulting from this doubly annulative strategy are useful synthetic intermediates.

Focusing field energy flow simulation of an azimuthally polarized Lorentz-Gaussian beam modulated by a concentric vortex phase mask.

Based on the vector diffraction theory, this paper investigated the energy flow evolution of focusing an azimuthally polarized Lorentz-Gaussian beam modulated by concentric vortex phase mask. Three concentric zones make up the concentric vortex phase mask: the center zone, middle circular zone, and outer circular zone. Each zone has an adjusted phase. The findings demonstrate that flexible transverse energy flow rings can be obtained in the focal plane and that transverse energy flows with various polygonal forms can be produced by varying the middle circular radius or phase distribution. By adjusting the phase of the center zone and outer circular zone, the normalized transverse energy flow distribution can be rotated or changed. Findings demonstrate that this technique offers a potent means of controlling the distribution and orientation of Poynting vectors and electromagnetic fields. Moreover, a series of energy flow rings are generated to facilitate the transportation of absorptive particles to predetermined positions. These phenomena may provide a new approach for particle capture and optical particle manipulation.

LncRNA CFRL aggravates cardiac fibrosis by modulating both miR-3113-5p/CTGF and miR-3473d/FN1 axis.

Cardiac fibrosis is a major type of adverse remodeling, predisposing the disease progression to ultimate heart failure. However, the complexity of pathogenesis has hampered the development of therapies. One of the key mechanisms of cardiac diseases has recently been identified as long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) dysregulation. Through in vitro and in vivo studies, we identified an lncRNA NONMMUT067673.2, which is named as a cardiac fibrosis related lncRNA (CFRL). CFRL was significantly increased in both mouse model and cell model of cardiac fibrosis. In vitro, CFRL was proved to promote the proliferation and migration of cardiac fibroblasts by competitively binding miR-3113-5p and miR-3473d and indirectly up-regulating both CTGF and FN1. In vivo, silencing CFRL significantly mitigated cardiac fibrosis and improved left ventricular function. In short, CFRL may exert an essential role in cardiac fibrosis and interfering with CFRL might be considered as a multitarget strategy for cardiac fibrosis and heart failure.

Field-friendly anti-PGL-I serosurvey in children to monitor Mycobacterium leprae transmission in Bihar, India.

Background: It has been amply described that levels of IgM antibodies against Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I) correlate strongly with the bacterial load in an infected individual. These findings have generated the concept of using seropositivity for antibodies against M. leprae PGL-I as an indicator of the proportion of the population that has been infected. Although anti-PGL-I IgM levels provide information on whether an individual has ever been infected, their presence cannot discriminate between recent and past infections. Since infection in (young) children by definition indicates recent transmission, we piloted the feasibility of assessment of anti-PGL-I IgM seroprevalence among children in a leprosy endemic area in India as a proxy for recent M. leprae transmission. Material and methods: A serosurvey for anti-PGL-I IgM antibodies among children in highly leprosy endemic villages in Bihar, India, was performed, applying the quantitative anti-PGL-I UCP-LFA cassette combined with low-invasive, small-volume fingerstick blood (FSB). Results: Local staff obtained FSB of 1,857 children (age 3-11 years) living in 12 leprosy endemic villages in Bihar; of these, 215 children (11.58%) were seropositive for anti-PGL-I IgM. Conclusion: The anti-PGL-I seroprevalence level of 11.58% among children corresponds with the seroprevalence levels described in studies in other leprosy endemic areas over the past decades where no prophylactic interventions have taken place. The anti-PGL-I UCP-LFA was found to be a low-complexity tool that could be practically combined with serosurveys and was well-accepted by both healthcare staff and the population. On route to leprosy elimination, quantitative anti-PGL-I serology in young children holds promise as a strategy to monitor recent M. leprae transmission in an area.

Enhancing the Ag-loading capacity on Ti3C2Tx sheets as hybrid fillers to form composite coatings with excellent antibacterial properties.

The settlement of microorganisms is an unwanted process in various practical fields, where also the first attaching microorganisms could promote other bacterial adhesion, causing an acceleration of bioaccumulation on the solid surface and damage to the surface functions. Developing an advanced composite coating with anti-microorganism attachment features is still a big challenge, and the critical element in any such method is to find an efficient functional agent for use in the coating system that could extend the service period. MXenes have received increasing attentions owing to their unique layer structure and large specific surface area. Increasing studies have been devoted to the development of MXene/polymer composites with creatively designed structures to realize various specific functions. Herein, two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbide material MXene as a carrier was etched and decorated with cellulose to enhance the anchor points to grasp functional Ag nanoparticles via a simple method. The MXene nanosheets (Ti3C2Tx) were modified by cellulose to graft hydroxy groups on their surface, and then they were incorporated into silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The results showed that the cellulose could increase the loading content of the Ag NPs on the MXene surface, and also could act as a stabilized material to form the composite filler MXene@cellulose@Ag NPs (MAC), which could serve as a functional agent. Furthermore, the obtained product MAC filler exhibited excellent dispersibility and stability among all the tested fillers (MXene and MA), and it could help avoid aggregation and promote homogenous dispersal in the coating network. Besides, MAC displayed outstanding antibacterial activities against E. coli and S. aureus at the same concentration among all the fillers. When the filler was embedded into the coating system, the composite coating PCB-MAC possessed abundant active Ag+ ions released by the Ag NPs, which could work against bacterial growth and achieve a favorable antibacterial inhibition effect. Therefore, we believe that the active MAC filler maintained high antibacterial efficiency, evincing its potential as a desirable agent for obtaining an excellent anti-adhesive behavior in numerous broad applications, such as the environment field or medical area.

Development of lateral flow assays to detect host proteins in cattle for improved diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) infection in cattle, is an economically devastating chronic disease for livestock worldwide. Efficient disease control measures rely on early and accurate diagnosis using the tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs), followed by culling of positive animals. Compromised performance of TST and IGRA, due to BCG vaccination or co-infections with non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), urges improved diagnostics. Lateral flow assays (LFAs) utilizing luminescent upconverting reporter particles (UCP) for quantitative measurement of host biomarkers present an accurate but less equipment- and labor-demanding diagnostic test platform. UCP-LFAs have proven applications for human infectious diseases. Here, we report the development of UCP-LFAs for the detection of six bovine proteins (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-6, CCL4, CXCL9, and CXCL10), which have been described by ELISA as potential biomarkers to discriminate M. bovis infected from naïve and BCG-vaccinated cattle. We show that, in line with the ELISA data, the combined PPDb-induced levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-6, CCL4, and CXCL9 determined by UCP-LFAs can discriminate M. bovis challenged animals from naïve (AUC range: 0.87-1.00) and BCG-vaccinated animals (AUC range: 0.97-1.00) in this cohort. These initial findings can be used to develop a robust and user-friendly multi-biomarker test (MBT) for bTB diagnosis.