Association of the triglyceride-glucose index with severity of coronary stenosis and in-hospital mortality in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction after percutaneous coronary intervention: a multicentre retrospective analysis cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the impact of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index on the severity of coronary stenosis and the risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). DESIGN: A multicentre retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Patients with STEMI undergoing PCI from three centres in China from 2015 to 2019. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1491 individuals presenting with STEMI were enrolled. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: The degree of coronary stenosis was quantified by the Gensini score (GS). The association between the TyG index and the severity of coronary stenosis was explored by using a logistic regression analysis. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to investigate the associations between the variables and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: We found a significant correlation between the TyG index and the degree of coronary stenosis in the present study. The TyG index was an independent risk factor for the severity of coronary stenosis (OR 2.003, p<0.001). Using the lowest tertile of the TyG (T1) group as a reference, the adjusted ORs for the T2 group and the T3 group and a high GS were 1.732 (p<0.001), 1.968 (p<0.001), respectively, and all p for trend <0.001. For predicting a high GS, the TyG index's area under the curve was 0.668 (95% CI 0.635 to 0.700, p<0.001). Additionally, the TyG index was further demonstrated to be an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with STEMI (HR 1.525, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The TyG index was associated with the severity of coronary stenosis and all-cause in-hospital mortality in patients with STEMI, which may help physicians precisely risk-stratify patients and implement individualised treatment.

A systematic review of parental burnout and related factors among parents.

BACKGROUND: Parenting is both a complex and stressful endeavor, so parents sometimes experience parenting burnout. The main objective of this study was to provide an overview of factors related to general parental burnout (PB) among parents with at least one child based on the Ecological Systems Theory (EST). METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, CNKI and WanFang were systematically searched for studies published from 2010 to July 2023 for peer-reviewed articles using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings such as "parenting", "parental", "burnout", "psychological burnout", "burn-out syndrome". Studies were included if they described associations between factors and PB among parents of children aged 0-18 years old in the general population, and published in an English or Chinese language peer-reviewed journal. The Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs (QATSDD) was employed to assess the risk of bias of included studies. RESULTS: Of 2037 articles, 26 articles met the inclusion criteria. Based on the Ecological Systems Theory (EST), we found that microsystem-individual factors such as gender, educational level, income, parental personality, internalization of maternal parental motivation, unmitigated communion, self-compassion and concern for others, alexithymia, anxiety and depressive symptoms, parental perfectionism, resilience, low self-esteem and high need for control, mother's attachment style were identified as being associated with parenting burnout. Mesosystem-interpersonal factors involve parent-child relationship and marital satisfaction. The exosystem-organizational or community factors include the number of children in the household, neighborhood and the number of hours spent with children, child's illness, child's behavior problems and social support. The macrosystem-society/policy or culture factors are mainly personal values and cultural values. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review found several factors that have been investigated in relation to PB. However, the majority of the factors were reported by one or two studies often implementing a cross-sectional design. Nevertheless, we still recommend that health policymakers and administrators relieve parenting burnout among parents with children by adjusting these modifiable factors.

Associations between self-perceptions of aging and social functioning in older adults: An analysis based on health and retirement study data.

OBJECTIVES: Self-perception of aging (SPA) and social functioning are two important variables in the process of healthy aging, but the relationship between them is still unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between SPA and social functioning in older adults. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal study utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study. The sample comprised individuals aged 50 and above. Socio-demographic, psychosocial, and lifestyle information of study participants was systematically collected at baseline (2012 and 2014) and during follow-up four years later (2016 and 2018). SPA was measured using a scale assessing individuals' attitudes toward their aging process. Social functioning was evaluated through 22 questions, reflecting individuals' abilities to engage in and perform various roles and tasks in their daily lives. Multilevel modeling was employed to analyze the relationship between SPA and social functioning. Differences in social functioning changes among various SPA groups were assessed through the Generalized Estimating Equations methodology. RESULTS: The study included 8,454 participants with an average age of 68.3 years (SD = 9.92). The multilevel model revealed a significant correlation between SPA and social functioning (ß = 0.131; P < 0.001). This relationship persisted after adjusting the model (ß = 0.088; P < 0.001). Generalized Estimating Equations indicated noteworthy differences in social functioning changes among distinct SPA groups (P = 0.034). DISCUSSION: Positive SPA is associated with the healthy social functioning of older adults. Healthcare providers could target modifiable aspects of SPA to enhance the social function of older adults and promote successful aging.

Effects of Breathing Exercises in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Network Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to compare and rank the effectiveness of various breathing exercises for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases to determine the articles. STUDY SELECTION: Publications investigating the effect of breathing exercises on exercise capacity (six-minute walk test [6MWT]), pulmonary function (the ratio of the first second forced expiratory volume of forced vital capacity [FEV1/FVC]), quality of life (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ]), inspiratory muscle pressure (maximum inspiratory pressure [PImax]), and dyspnea (Borg scale) were searched. DATA EXTRACTION: Data extracted by 2 researchers were entered into predesigned tables for data extraction. The quality of the literature was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. DATA SYNTHESIS: A total of 43 RCTs involving 1977 participants were analyzed. To boost exercise capacity, the top 2 exercises were inspiratory muscle training (75%), Chinese traditional fitness exercises (13%); To improve pulmonary function, the top 2 exercises were Chinese traditional fitness exercises (32%), diaphragm breathing (30%); To raise patients' quality of life, the top 2 exercises were yoga (52%), diaphragm breathing (28%); To increase inspiratory muscle pressure, the top 2 exercises were pursed-lip breathing (47%), Chinese traditional fitness exercises (25%); To improve dyspnea, the top 2 exercises were yoga (44%), inspiratory muscle training (22%). CONCLUSIONS: Various breathing exercises for COPD patients confer benefits that manifest in diverse ways. Pulmonary rehabilitation specialists could administer personalized breathing exercises tailored to each patient's condition to attain optimal therapeutic outcomes.

Optimization of the pulsed vacuum drying process of green walnut husk through temperature adaptive regulation.

This study aimed to optimize the temperature adaptive conditions of pulsed vacuum drying (PVD) for green walnut husk (GWH) to tackle the issues of severe environmental pollution and limited utilization of GWH. The results of the single-factor experiment revealed that the optimal drying temperature for PVD of GWH was 65°C, with a pulsed ratio of 9 min: 3 min. The drying time decreased from 10.87 to 6.32 h with increasing drying temperature and from 8.83 to 6.23 kW·h/kg with increasing pulsed ratio. Energy consumption also decreased with shorter drying time and shorter vacuum time. Under this optimal variable temperature drying condition, GWH exhibited the highest total active substance content, with respective values of 9.43 mg/g for total triterpenes, 35.68 mg/g for flavonoids, 9.51 mg/g for polyphenols, and 9.55 mg/g for quinones. The experimental drying data of GWH were best fitted by a logarithmic model, with R2 values ranging from 0.9927 to 0.9943. Furthermore, the observed microstructure of GWH corresponded to the variations in total active substance content. This study provided valuable theoretical guidance for addressing environmental pollution associated with GWH and facilitating the industrialization and refinement of GWH drying processes. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: There is a growing interest in harnessing the potential value of agricultural waste to transform low-cost raw materials into high-value products while mitigating environmental pollution. In this study, for the first time, the effects of variable temperature pulsed vacuum drying on the content of active substances, drying time, and energy consumption of green walnut husk (GWH) were investigated. The findings serve as a theoretical foundation for addressing environmental pollution issues associated with GWH and enabling the industrialization and precision drying of GWH.

SP-141 targets Trs85 to inhibit rice blast fungus infection and functions as a potential broad-spectrum antifungal agent.

Rice blast is a devastating disease worldwide, threatening rice production and food security. The blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae invades the host via the appressorium, a specialized pressure-generating structure that generates enormous turgor pressure to penetrate the host cuticle. However, owing to ongoing evolution of fungicide resistance, it is vitally important to identify new targets and fungicides. Here, we show that Trs85, a subunit of the transport protein particle III complex, is essential for appressorium-mediated infection in M. oryzae. We explain how Trs85 regulates autophagy through Ypt1 (a small guanosine triphosphatase protein) in M. oryzae. We then identify a key conserved amphipathic α helix within Trs85 that is associated with pathogenicity of M. oryzae. Through computer-aided screening, we identify a lead compound, SP-141, that affects autophagy and the Trs85-Ypt1 interaction. SP-141 demonstrates a substantial capacity to effectively inhibit infection caused by the rice blast fungus while also exhibiting wide-ranging potential as an antifungal agent with broad-spectrum activity. Taken together, our data show that Trs85 is a potential new target and that SP-141 has potential for the control of rice blast. Our findings thus provide a novel strategy that may help in the fight against rice blast.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing testing from the perspective of clinical benefits.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) provided promising supports to rapid pathogen diagnosis. However, summary of scientific application strategy based on clinical practice study is still necessary for enhancing clinical benefits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 775 samples from patients with suspected infectious diseases (IDs). Based on final diagnosis, diagnostic performance, clinical relevance and clinical impact of mNGS among various clinical settings were assessed, and influencing factors were deeply explored. RESULTS: 84.26 % tests were clinically relevant; sample, but not sequencing, was the influencing factor. 40.77 % tests contributed to positive clinical impact, while 0.13 % and 59.10 % to negative and no impact respectively. mNGS utility in patients with IDs, definite infection site, BALF and CSF contributed to higher positive impacts. Days of empirical treatment before sampling ≤ 5 in ICU and ≤ 2 or between 11 and 20 in non-ICU, and reporting in 2 days brought about higher clinical benefit rates. Characteristic pathogen spectrum between ICU and non-ICU cases were revealed. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlighted clinical benefits from mNGS varied among different clinical settings, and elucidated choices on patients, samples, sampling and reporting time were four key factors. Rational strategy should be concerned to promote scientific application of mNGS and better improve clinical value.

Exploring the association between circRNA expression and pediatric obesity based on a case-control study and related bioinformatics analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Our present study utilized case-control research to explore the relationship between specific circRNAs and pediatric obesity through a literature review and bioinformatics and to predict their possible biological functions, providing ideas for epigenetic mechanism studies of pediatric obesity. METHODS: CircRNAs related to pediatric obesity were preliminarily screened by a literature review and qRT-PCR. CircRNA expression in children with obesity (n = 75) and control individuals (n = 75) was confirmed with qRT-PCR in a case-control study. This was followed by bioinformatics analyses, such as GO analysis, KEGG pathway analysis, and ceRNA network construction. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to analyze the effects of circRNAs on obesity. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was also drawn to explore the clinical application value of circRNAs in pediatric obesity. RESULTS: Has_circ_0046367 and hsa_circ_0000284 were separately validated to be statistically downregulated and upregulated, respectively, in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of children with obesity and revealed as independent indicators of increased CHD risk [hsa_circ_0046367 (OR = 0.681, 95% CI: 0.480 ~ 0.967) and hsa_circ_0000284 (OR = 1.218, 95% CI: 1.041 ~ 1.424)]. The area under the ROC curve in the combined analysis of hsa_circ_0046367 and hsa_circ_0000284 was 0.706 (95% CI: 0.623 ~ 0.789). Enrichment analyses revealed that these circRNAs were actively involved in neural plasticity mechanisms, cell secretion and signal regulation. CONCLUSION: The present research revealed that low expression of hsa_circ_0046367 and high expression of hsa_circ_0000284 are risk factors for pediatric obesity and that neural plasticity mechanisms are closely related to obesity.

The value of shear wave elasticity and shear wave dispersion imaging to evaluate the viscoelasticity of renal parenchyma in children with glomerular diseases.

BACKGROUND: To study the value of shear wave elasticity and shear wave dispersion imaging to evaluate the viscoelasticity of renal parenchyma in children with glomerular diseases. METHODS: Forty-three children with glomerular diseases were prospectively evaluated by shear wave elasticity (SWE) and shear wave dispersion imaging (SWD); 43 healthy volunteers served as the control group. The shear wave velocities (SWV) and the dispersion slopes were measured at the upper, middle, and lower poles of both kidneys. The analysis of mean SWV and mean dispersion slope in control and patient groups was used to further evaluate the value of SWE and SWD in the viscoelasticity of renal parenchyma in children with glomerular disease. RESULTS: The mean SWV in children with glomerular disease was higher than that in the healthy control group (1.61 ± 0.09 m/s vs. 1.43 ± 0.07 m/s, p < 0.001). Compared with healthy group, the mean dispersion slope in children with glomerular disease was significantly increased (13.5 ± 1.39 (m/s)/kHz vs. 12.4 ± 1.40 (m/s)/kHz, p < 0.001). Correlation analysis showed absence of correlation between the SWV and dispersion slope of occult blood, serum creatinine, 24-h urine protein, blood albumin, BMI and ROI box depth of children with glomerular disease. CONCLUSIONS: The present study shows that it is feasible to use SWE and SWD to evaluate the difference of viscoelasticity of the renal parenchyma between healthy children and those with glomerular disease.

Evaluation of different doses of Femoston therapy for incomplete abortion: A prospective observational trial.

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of different doses of femoston with expectant management in patients with incomplete abortions. Patients diagnosed with incomplete abortion were included if they chose to continue medical treatment after relevant contraindications were excluded. Participants were divided into 3 groups: the femoston (1/10) and femoston (2/10) groups received different doses of femoston, and patients in the control group received expectant treatment. The success rate of complete abortion and the rate of menstrual recovery among the 3 groups were compared to evaluate the efficacy of different doses of femoston in patients with incomplete abortions. A total of 197 patients were analyzed: 73 in the femoston (1/10) group, 73 in the femoston (2/10) group, and 51 patients were followed up without treatment in the control group. The femoston group was significantly more effective than the control group P < .0001). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were 3.103 and 1.153 to 8.350 (P = .025). The success rate of complete abortion in the femoston (2/10) group was significantly higher than that in the femoston (1/10) group (adjusted OR: 0.403, 95% CI: 0.145-1.118, P = .081). In addition, the rate of menstrual recovery in the femoston group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P = .007), and the rate in the femoston (2/10) group was also higher than the femoston (1/10) group with statistically significant (P = .001). Femoston is effective in treating incomplete abortion, with femostons containing 2 mg estrogen being more effective. Patients with incomplete abortion are treated with femoston, and menstrual recovery time may be shortened. Femostons may be a new option for pharmacological treatment of incomplete abortions.

The effect of body mass index on self-rated health in middle-aged and older adults: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Health promotion for middle-aged and older people has received a lot of attention recently in the context of healthy aging. Furthermore, it is unclear how body mass index (BMI) presently affects self-rated health (SRH), a reliable and representative indicator of health. METHODS: This study used longitudinal follow-up data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Systematic collection of information on the socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health status of the subjects. Binary logistic regression was used to investigate the relationship between BMI and SRH, and gender-specific variations were examined. Subgroup analysis was used to examine interactions, and the results of the research stability were demonstrated. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, gender, education level, marital status, place of residence, number of chronic diseases, alcohol consumption, smoking, depressive symptoms, and SRH at baseline, it was found that obesity grade 1 and obesity grade 2 were good contributors to SRH compared to normal weight individuals, and this association was different in males and females. According to the results of the subgroup analyses, those under 65 years old, with junior high school or less education, with a spouse, residing in a city, having one chronic disease, and not smoking or drinking, respectively, all had stable positive associations between obesity and SRH. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that obesity may be associated with good SRH. Teams of healthcare professionals should revisit the potential impact of obesity among middle-aged and older adults and focus on developing prevention strategies for morbid obesity.

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction brings high-yield polysaccharides from Kangxian flowers with cosmetic potential.

The purpose of this work was to ameliorate the yield of polysaccharides from Kangxian flowers (PKFs) using ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) and to explore the structural features and cosmetic potential of PKFs obtained under the optimized UAE. According to response surface methodology, the optimal UAE for PKFs were liquid-to-solid ratio of 59: 1 mL/g, ultrasonic power of 404 W, time of 48 min, and temperature of 66℃, under which the yield of PKFs reached 26.8 ± 1.76 %, 2.6-folds higher than hot-water extraction. By comparing the microstructures, it can be seen that ultrasonication exerted great damage on Kangxian flowers to promote the outflow of PKFs. Various analyses revealed that the PKFs extracted with UAE were acidic polysaccharides with relatively lower molecular weights of 0.92 - 76.9 kDa, negatively charged potential of -16.3 mV, and arabinose the dominant monosaccharide followed by galactose. These structural features conferred PKFs pronounced antioxidant, moistureabsorptionandretentionproperties, showing great potential for cosmetic application.

Prognostic factors affecting the ruptured intracranial aneurysms: A 9-year multicenter study in Fujian, China.

BACKGROUND: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted to explore the factors affecting short-term prognosis and long-term outcomes of intracranial aneurysms (IA) rupture. Further, the prognosis prediction model was constructed based on survival analysis, contributing to the development of prevention strategies for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS: Data of 1280 patients with IA rupture were gathered between 2014 and 2022 in Fujian, China. Logistic regression was implemented to study the short-term prognostic factors of IA rupture. Survival analysis of 911 patients among them was performed to explore the long-term outcome status by Cox risk assessment. Nomogram prognosis models were constructed using R software. RESULTS: The findings displayed that blood type O (OR = 1.79; P = 0.019), high systolic pressure (OR = 1.01; P < 0.001), Glasgow Coma score (GCS) 9-12 (OR = 2.73; P = 0.022), GCS < 9 (OR = 3.222; P = 0.006), diabetes (OR = 2.044; P = 0.040), and high white blood cell count (OR = 1.059, P = 0.040) were core influencing factors for poor short-term prognosis. Survival analysis revealed that age > 60 years (HR = 2.87; P = 0.001), hypertension (HR = 1.95; P = 0.001), conservative (HR = 6.89; P < 0.001) and endovascular treatment (HR = 2.20; P = 0.001), multiple ruptured IAs (HR = 2.37; P = 0.01), Fisher 3 (HR = 1.68; P = 0.09), Fisher 4 (HR = 2.75; P = 0.001), and Hunt-Hess 3 (HR = 0.55; P = 0.05) were the major risk factors for terrible long-term outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: People over 60 years with characteristics of type O blood, high systolic pressure, diabetes, high white blood cell count, and onset GCS < 12 will have more complications and a worse short-term prognosis. Those aged > 60 years with hypertension, conservative and endovascular treatment, multiple ruptured IAs, Fisher ≥ 3 and Hunt-Hess 3 have a greater risk of poor long-term prognosis.

Effects of ferrous sulfate modification on the fate of phosphorous in sewage sludge biochar and its releasing mechanisms in heavy metal contaminated soils.

Modifications of sludge biochar with metal-based materials can enhance its fertilizing efficiency and improve safety. To elucidate the effects of ferrous sulfate modification on the fate of phosphorus in sludge biochar and its effect on phosphorus fractionation in soil, we investigated the changes in fractionation and bioavailability of phosphorus in modified sludge biochar and studied the changes in soil characteristics, microbial diversity and response, bioavailability, plant uptake of phosphorus, and heavy metals in contaminated soils after treatment with ferrous sulfate modified sludge biochar. The results demonstrated that ferrous sulfate modifications were conducive to the formation of moderately labile phosphorus in sludge biochar, and the concentrations increased by a factor of 2.7 compared to control. The application of ferrous sulfate-modified sludge biochar to alkaline heavy metal-contaminated soils enhanced the bioavailable, labile, and moderately labile phosphorus contents by a factor of 2.9, 3.0, and 1.6, respectively, whereas it obviously reduced the leachability and bioavailability of heavy metals in soils, exhibited great potentials in the fertilization and remediation of actual heavy metal-contaminated soils in mining areas. The biochar-induced reduction in soil pH, enhancement of organic matter, surface oxygen-containing functional groups, the abundance of Gammaproteobacteria, and its phosphonate degradation activity were primarily responsible for the solubilization of phosphorus from modified biochar in heavy metal-contaminated soils.

2D Plasmonic Molecules via Hydrogen Bond Interaction between Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles.

The use of macromolecular design features to regulate non-covalent bonding on the nanoscale is a young and emerging fabrication strategy for advanced nanostructures. For the first time, we describe a self-assembly method to create a series of 2D plasmonic molecules (PMs) using hydrogen-bond interaction between a pair of polymer-capped gold nanoparticles (hydrogen-bond donor and acceptor). Due to the nature of hydrogen-bond interaction, we found that polymer interaction and solvation compete with each other during the self-assembly process, which turns out to be the most important condition for controlling the coordination number of PMs. We have conducted an extensive study on the solvent effect, which has helped us to design and fabricate a series of precise PMs with high symmetry.

Responses of applied voltages on the archaea microbial distribution in sludge digestion.

As the development of urban population led to the increase of domestic water consumption, consequently the generation of surplus sludge (SS) produced increasingly during sewage treatment processes. In order to enhance the SS resource utilization efficiency, an electricity-assisted anaerobic digestion (EAAD) system was employed to examine the alterations in the digestion broth and the characteristics of gas production. Additionally, the response of applied voltages on the distribution of archaeal community near various electrodes within the sludge was explored. The results revealed that the application of high voltages exceeding 3.0 V hindered the CH4 production but stimulated the CO2 generation. Subsequently, both CH4 and CO2 production were impeded by the applied voltages. Furthermore, the increased voltages significantly decreased the abundance of Methanomicrobia, Methanosaeta, and Methanosarcina, which were crucial determinants of CH4 content in biogas. Notably, the excessively high voltages intensities caused the AD process to halt and even inactivate the microbial flora. Interestingly, the distribution characteristics of archaeal community were influenced not only by the voltages intensity but also exhibited variations between the anode and cathode regions. Moreover, as the applied voltage intensified, the discrepancy of responses between the cathode and anode regions became more pronounced, offering novel theoretical and technical foundations for the advancement of electricity-assisted with AD technology.

The triglyceride catabolism regulated by a serine/threonine protein phosphatase, Smek1, is required for development and plant infection in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Magnaporthe oryzae is a pathogenic fungus that seriously harms rice production. Phosphatases and carbon metabolism play crucial roles in the growth and development of eukaryotes. However, it remains unclear how serine/threonine phosphatases regulate the catabolism of triglycerides, a major form of stored lipids. In this study, we identified a serine/threonine protein phosphatase regulatory subunit, Smek1, which is required for the growth, conidiation, and virulence of M. oryzae. Deletion of SMEK1 led to defects in the utilization of lipids, arabinose, glycerol, and ethanol. In glucose medium, the expression of genes involved in lipolysis, long-chain fatty acid degradation, ß-oxidation, and the glyoxylate cycle increased in the Δsmek1 mutant, which is consistent with ΔcreA in which a carbon catabolite repressor CREA was deleted. In lipid medium, the expression of genes involved in long-chain fatty acid degradation, ß-oxidation, the glyoxylate cycle, and utilization of arabinose, ethanol, or glycerol decreased in the Δsmek1 mutant, which is consistent with Δcrf1 in which a transcription activator CRF1 required for carbon metabolism was deleted. Lipase activity, however, increased in the Δsmek1 mutant in both glucose and lipid media. Moreover, Smek1 directly interacted with CreA and Crf1, and dephosphorylated CreA and Crf1 in vivo. The phosphatase Smek1 is therefore a dual-function regulator of the lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and controls fungal development and virulence by coordinating the functions of CreA and Crf1 in carbon catabolite repression (CCR) and derepression (CCDR).

MoCbp7, a Novel Calcineurin B Subunit-Binding Protein, Is Involved in the Calcium Signaling Pathway and Regulates Fungal Development, Virulence, and ER Homeostasis in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Calcineurin, a key regulator of the calcium signaling pathway, is involved in calcium signal transduction and calcium ion homeostasis. Magnaporthe oryzae is a devastating filamentous phytopathogenic fungus in rice, yet little is known about the function of the calcium signaling system. Here, we identified a novel calcineurin regulatory-subunit-binding protein, MoCbp7, which is highly conserved in filamentous fungi and was found to localize in the cytoplasm. Phenotypic analysis of the MoCBP7 gene deletion mutant (ΔMocbp7) showed that MoCbp7 influenced the growth, conidiation, appressorium formation, invasive growth, and virulence of M. oryzae. Some calcium-signaling-related genes, such as YVC1, VCX1, and RCN1, are expressed in a calcineurin/MoCbp7-dependent manner. Furthermore, MoCbp7 synergizes with calcineurin to regulate endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis. Our research indicated that M. oryzae may have evolved a new calcium signaling regulatory network to adapt to its environment compared to the fungal model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Multi-bioinspired hierarchical integrated hydrogel for passive fog harvesting and solar-driven seawater desalination.

In recent years, with the outbreak and epidemic of the novel coronavirus in the world, how to obtain clean water from the limited resources has become an urgent issue of concern to all mankind. Atmospheric water harvesting technology and solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology have shown great potential in seeking clean and sustainable water resources. Here, inspired by a variety of organisms in nature, a multi-functional hydrogel matrix composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium alginate (SA) cross-linked by borax as well as doped with zeolitic imidazolate framework material 67 (ZIF-67) and graphene owning macro/micro/nano hierarchical structure has successfully fabricated for producing clean water. The hydrogel not only can reach the average water harvesting ratio up to 22.44 g g-1 under the condition of fog flow after 5 h, but also be capable of desorbing the harvested water with water release efficiency of 1.67 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun. In addition to excellent performance in passive fog harvesting, the evaporation rate over 1.89 kg m-2 h-1 is attained under 1 sun on natural seawater during long-term. This hydrogel indicates its potential in producing clean water resources in multiple scenarios in different dry or wet states, and which holds great promise for flexible electronic materials and sustainable sewage or wastewater treatment applications.