Multicomponent Pathogen-Mimicking Nanoparticles Induce Intestinal Immune Responses against Paratuberculosis.

Given the worldwide problem posed by enteric pathogens, the discovery of safe and efficient intestinal adjuvants combined with novel antigen delivery techniques is essential to the design of mucosal vaccines. In this work, we designed poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based nanoparticles (NPs) to codeliver all-trans retinoic acid (atRA), novel antigens, and CpG. To address the insolubility of the intestinal adjuvant atRA, we utilized PLGA to encapsulate atRA and form a "nanocapsid" with polydopamine. By leveraging polydopamine, we adsorbed the water-soluble antigens and the TLR9 agonist CpG onto the NPs' surface, resulting in the pathogen-mimicking PLPCa NPs. In this study, the novel fusion protein (HBf), consisting of the Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis antigens HBHA, Ag85B, and Bfra, was coloaded onto the NPs. In vitro, PLPCa NPs were shown to promote the activation and maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells. Additionally, we found that PLPCa NPs created an immune-rich microenvironment at the injection site following intramuscular administration. From the results, the PLPCa NPs induced strong IgA levels in the gut in addition to enhancing powerful systemic immune responses. Consequently, significant declines in the bacterial burden and inflammatory score were noted in PLPCa NPs-treated mice. In summary, PLPCa can serve as a novel and safe vaccine delivery platform against gut pathogens, such as paratuberculosis, capable of activating both systemic and intestinal immunity.

Modulation of supramolecular structure by stepwise removal of tert-butyl groups from tetraazaperopyrene derivatives on Ag(111).

Tert-butyl functional groups can modulate the self-assembly behavior of organic molecules on surfaces. However, the precise construction of supramolecular architectures through their controlled thermal removal remains a challenge. Herein, we precisely controlled the removal amount of tert-butyl groups in tetraazaperopyrene derivatives by stepwise annealing on Ag(111). The evolution of 4tBu-TAPP supramolecular self-assembly from the grid-like structure composed of 3tBu-TAPP through the honeycomb network formed by 2tBu-TAPP to the one-dimensional chain co-assembled by tBu-TAPP and TAPP was successfully realized. This series of supramolecular nanostructures were directly visualized by high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy. Tip manipulation and density functional theory calculations show that the formation of honeycomb network structure can be attributed to the van der Waals interactions, N-Ag-N coordination bonds, and weak C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds. Further addition of two tert-butyl groups (6tBu-TAPP) leads to a completely different assembly evolution, due to the fact that the additional tert-butyl groups affect the molecular adsorption behavior and ultimately induce desorption. This work can possibly be exploited in constructing stable and long-range ordered nanostructures in surface-assisted systems, which can also promote the development of nanostructures in functional molecular devices.

Both gain- and loss-of-function variants of KCNA1 are associated with paroxysmal kinesignic dyskinesia.

KCNA1 is the coding gene for Kv1.1 voltage-gated potassium channel α subunit. Three variants of KCNA1 have been reported to manifest as paroxysmal kinesignic dyskinesia (PKD), but the correlation between them remains unclear due to the phenotypic complexity of KCNA1 variants as well as the rarity of PKD cases. Using the whole exome sequencing followed by Sanger sequencing, we screen potential pathogenic KCNA1 variants in patients clinically diagnosed with paroxysmal movement disorders and identify three previously unreported missense variants of KCNA1 in three unrelated Chinese families. The proband of one family (c.496G>A, p.A166T) manifests as episodic ataxia type 1, and the other two (c.877G>A, p.V293I; and c.1112C>A, p.T371A) manifest as PKD. The pathogenicity of these variants is confirmed by functional studies, suggesting that p.A166T and p.T371A cause a loss-of-function of the channel, while p.V293I leads to a gain-of-function with the property of voltage-dependent gating and activation kinetic affected. By reviewing the locations of PKD-manifested KCNA1 variants in Kv1.1 protein, we find that these variants tend to cluster around the pore domain, which is similar to epilepsy. Thus, our study strengthens the correlation between KCNA1 variants and PKD and provides more information on genotype-phenotype correlations of KCNA1 channelopathy.

Tuning the dimensional order in self-assembled magnetic nanostructures: theory, simulations, and experiments.

A major obstacle to building nanoscale magnetic devices or even experimentally studying novel nanomagnetic spin textures is the present lack of a simple and robust method to fabricate various nano-structured alloys. Here, theoretical and experimental investigations were conducted to understand the underlying physical mechanisms of magnetic particle self-assembly in zero applied magnetic field. By changing the amount of NaOH added during the synthesis, we demonstrate that the resulting morphology of the assembled FeCo structure can be tuned from zero-dimensional (0D) nanoparticles to one-dimensional (1D) chains, and even three-dimensional (3D) networks. Two numerical simulations were developed to predict aspects of nanostructure formation by accounting for the magnetic interactions between individual magnetic nanoparticles. The first utilized the Boltzmann distribution to determine the equilibrium structure of a nanochain, iteratively predicting the local deviation angle θ of each particle as it attaches to a forming chain. The second simulation illustrates the differences in nanostructure arrangement and dimensionality (0D, 1D, or 3D) that arise from random interactions at various nanoparticle densities. The simulation results closely match the experimental findings, as seen from SEM images, demonstrating their ability to capture the system's structural properties. In addition, magnetic hysteresis measurements of the samples were performed along two orthogonal directions to show the influence of dimensional order on the magnetic behavior. The normalized remanence (MR/MS||) of the FeCo alloys increases as the dimensions of nanostructures are increased. Of the three cases, the FeCo 3D network structures exhibit the highest normalized nanostructure remanence of 0.33 and an increased coercivity to above 200 Oe at 300 K. This combined numerical and experimental investigation aims to shed light on the preparation of FeCo nanostructures with tailorable dimensional order and it opens new avenues for exploring the complex spin textures and coercive behavior of these multi-dimensional nanomagnetic structures.

Transcriptomic analysis and carbohydrate metabolism-related enzyme expression across different pH values in Rhizopus delemar.

Introduction: pH is one of the important factors affecting the growth and performance of microorganisms. Methods: We studied the pH response and plant growth-promoting (PGP) ability of Rhizopus delemar using cultivation experiments and transcriptomics, and verified the expression profiles using quantitative real-time PCR. Results: pH affected the growth and PGP properties of R. delemar. At pH 7, the growth rate of R. delemar was rapid, whereas pH 4 and 8 inhibited mycelial growth and PGP ability, respectively. In the pot experiment, the plant height was the highest at pH 7, 56 cm, and the lowest at pH 4 and pH 5, 46.6 cm and 47 cm, respectively. Enzyme activities were highest at pH 6 to pH 7. Enzyme activities were highest at pH 6 to pH 7. Among the 1,629 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 1,033 genes were up-regulated and 596 were down-regulated. A total of 1,623 DEGs were annotated to carbohydrate-active enzyme coding genes. Discussion: The PGP characteristics, e.g., Phosphorus solubilization ability, of R. delemar were strongest at pH 7. The results provide useful information regarding the molecular mechanism of R. delemar pH response.

Birth Outcomes of Pregnant Women Infected with COVID-19 in Highland Areas of China from 2020 to 2022: A Retrospective Analysis.

Purpose: To explore the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection on neonates in plateau regions. Methods: Cases of newborns born to pregnant women infected with COVID-19 who received prenatal care or treatment at the Women and Children's Hospital of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Lhasa People's Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022 (infected group) and newborns born to healthy pregnant women (non-infected group) who were included by age, underlying disease and length of hospital stay were retrospectively collected. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 381 patients in the infected group and 314 patients in the non-infected group were included in the study. Results: The results of multivariate analysis showed that admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (OR = 3.342, 95% CI = 1.564-6.764), shortness of breath (OR = 2.853, 95% CI = 1.789-3.154), irregular breathing (OR = 2.465, 95% CI = 1.879-4.112) and neonatal jaundice (OR = 2.324, 95% CI = 1.989-2.445) were the factors influencing the low Apgar scores of neonates in the infected group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Neonates born to pregnant women infected with COVID-19 had lower Apgar scores and higher incidences of complications, such as shortness of breath, groaning, irregular breathing and neonatal jaundice, than newborns born to pregnant women not infected with COVID-19.

Two Disparity Channels in Human Visual Cortex With Different Contrast and Blur Sensitivity.

Purpose: Our goal is to describe the contrast and blur sensitivity of multiple horizontal disparity subsystems and to relate them to the contrast and spatial sensitivities of their monocular inputs. Methods: Steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) amplitudes were recorded in response to dynamic random dot stereograms (DRDSs) alternating at 2 Hz between zero disparity and varying magnitudes of crossed disparity for disparity plane and disparity grating stimuli. Half-image contrasts ranged between 2.5% and 80% and over a range of Gaussian blurs from 1.4 to 12 arcmin. Separate experiments measured contrast and blur sensitivity for the monocular half-images. Results: The first and second harmonics disparity responses were maximal for disparity gratings and for the disparity plane condition, respectively. The first harmonic of the disparity grating response was more affected by both contrast and blur than was the second harmonic of the disparity plane response, which had higher contrast sensitivity than the first harmonic. Conclusions: The corrugation frequency, contrast, and blur tuning of the first harmonic suggest that it reflects activity of neurons tuned to higher luminance spatial frequencies that are selective for relative disparity, whereas the second harmonic reflects the activity of neurons sensitive to absolute disparity that are driven by low monocular spatial frequencies. Translational Relevance: SSVEPs to DRDSs provide two objective neural measures of disparity processing, the first harmonic-whose stimulus preferences are similar to those of behavioral stereoacuity-and the second harmonic that represents an independent disparity-specific but not necessarily stereoscopic mechanism.

Modeling soil loss under rainfall events using machine learning algorithms.

Soil loss is an environmental concern of global importance. Accurate simulation of soil loss in small watersheds is crucial for protecting the environment and implementing soil and water conservation measures. However, predicting soil loss while meeting the criteria of high precision, efficiency, and generalizability remains a challenge. Therefore, this study first used three machine learning (ML) algorithms, namely, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and artificial neural network (ANN) to develop soil loss models and predict soil loss rates (SLRs). These soil loss models were constructed using field observation data with an average SLR of 1756.48 t/km2 from rainfall events and small watersheds in the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau, China. During training, testing and generalizability stages, the average coefficients of determination from the RF, SVM, and ANN models were 0.903, 0.860, and 0.836, respectively. Similarly, the average Nash-Sutcliffe coefficients of efficiency from the RF, SVM and ANN models were 0.893, 0.791 and 0.814, respectively. These results indicated that MLs have superior predictive performance and generalizability, and broad prospects for predicting SLRs. This study also demonstrated that the RF model outperformed better than the SVM and ANN models. Therefore, the RF model was used to simulate the SLR of each small watershed in the Chabagou watershed. Our results showed the four-year (2017-2020) average annual SLR of the small watersheds ranged from 0.73 to 1.63 × 104 t/(km2∙a) in the Chabagou watershed. Additionally, the results also indicated the SLR of small watersheds under the rainstorm event with a 100-year recurrence interval was 4.4-51.3 times that of other rainfall events.Furthermore, this study confirmed that bare land was the predominant source of soil loss in the Chabagou watershed, followed by cropland land and grassland. This study helps to provide the theoretical basis for deploying soil and water conservation measures to realize the sustainable utilization of soil resources in the future.

Meta-analysis of the Correlation between Helicobacter Pylori Infection and the risk of Colorectal Neoplasia.

Objective: To study the association of H. pylori infection with colorectal adenomas. Methods: Web searches of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases for randomized controlled trials, class-experimental studies, and cohort studies on the association between H. pylori and colorectal adenomas were performed from May 2000 to May 2023. Literature was screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, data were extracted and evaluated for quality, and statistical analyses were performed using RevMan 5.2 software. Results: A total of 15 studies were included, and meta-analysis showed a statistically significant difference between colorectal neoplastic polyp cases in the H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative groups [OR=1.80, 95%CI: (1.31, 2.47), P < .01, I2 = 95%]. Analysis based on subgroups of different H. pylori detection methods showed that the correlation between H. pylori infection and colorectal polyp incidence is not affected by their detection methods, with serological detection subgroup: [OR=0.13, 95%CI: (0.05, 0.21), P < .01, I2 = 88%], and non-serological detection subgroup: [OR=0.13, 95%CI: (0.04, 0.22), P < .01, I2 = 95%]. Subgroup analysis of pathological types showed that H. pylori infection is not significantly associated with the development of non-neoplastic polyps [OR=1.47, 95%CI: 0.98-2.22, P = .06], whereas it is correlated with the development of neoplastic polyps [95%CI: 1.69-3.22, P < .01]. In the subgroup analysis of geographic differences in the population, H. pylori infection was correlated with the development of colorectal polyps in different geographic populations (P < .01). Conclusion: H. pylori infection is a risk factor for colorectal polyp neoplasia, its infection is associated with colorectal neoplasia, and the correlation is not affected by the different methods of H. pylori detection and the different geographic regions of the population.

Azobenzene as a photoswitchable mechanophore.

Azobenzene has been widely explored as a photoresponsive element in materials science. Although some studies have investigated the force-induced isomerization of azobenzene, the effect of force on the rupture of azobenzene has not been explored. Here we show that the light-induced structural change of azobenzene can also alter its rupture forces, making it an ideal light-responsive mechanophore. Using single-molecule force spectroscopy and ultrasonication, we found that cis and trans para-azobenzene isomers possess contrasting mechanical properties. Dynamic force spectroscopy experiments and quantum-chemical calculations in which azobenzene regioisomers were pulled from different directions revealed that the distinct rupture forces of the two isomers are due to the pulling direction rather than the energetic difference between the two isomers. These mechanical features of azobenzene can be used to rationally control the macroscopic fracture behaviours of polymer networks by photoillumination. The use of light-induced conformational changes to alter the mechanical response of mechanophores provides an attractive way to engineer polymer networks of light-regulatable mechanical properties.

Pyruvate kinase M2 regulates kidney fibrosis through pericyte glycolysis during the progression from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease.

We aimed to investigate the role of renal pericyte pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in the progression of acute kidney injury (AKI) to chronic kidney disease (CKD). The role of PKM2 in renal pericyte-myofibroblast transdifferentiation was investigated in an AKI-CKD mouse model. Platelet growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRß)-iCreERT2; tdTomato mice were used for renal pericyte tracing. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were used to examine protein expression. An 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assay was used to measure renal pericyte proliferation. A scratch cell migration assay was used to analyse cell migration. Seahorse experiments were used to examine glycolytic rates. Enzyme-linked immunoassay was used to measure pyruvate kinase enzymatic activity and lactate concentrations. The PKM2 nuclear translocation inhibitors Shikonin and TEPP-46 were used to alter pericyte transdifferentiation. In AKI-CKD, renal pericytes proliferated and transdifferentiated into myofibroblasts and PKM2 is highly expressed in renal pericytes. Shikonin and TEPP-46 inhibited pericyte proliferation, migration, and pericyte-myofibroblast transdifferentiation by reducing nuclear PKM2 entry. In the nucleus, PKM2 promoted downstream lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) transcription, which are critical for glycolysis. Therefore, PKM2 regulates pericyte glycolytic and lactate production, which regulates renal pericyte-myofibroblast transdifferentiation. PKM2-regulated renal pericyte-myofibroblast transdifferentiation by regulating downstream LDHA and GLUT1 transcription and lactate production. Reducing nuclear PKM2 import can reduce renal pericytes-myofibroblasts transdifferentiation, providing new ideas for AKI-CKD treatment.

Scurvy in a young man: a rare case report.

Scurvy, resulting from vitamin C deficiency, has nonspecific constitutional symptoms, including weakness, malaise, and fatigue. It is frequently misdiagnosed due to the lack of specific clinical manifestations. Although there are sporadic cases of scurvy currently reported in children, scurvy in young people is seldom encountered. Here, we report on a 25-year-old male patient without any underlying conditions who presented with severe pain and ecchymoses of both lower extremities. He was diagnosed with scurvy due to a long history of staying indoors and inadequate intake of fruits or vegetables.

Impact of Visceral Fat Area on Intraoperative Complexity and Surgical Approach Decision for Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy: A Comparative Analysis with BMI.

BACKGROUND Optimizing surgical approaches for robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) is vital for better patient outcomes. This retrospective study aimed to examine how visceral fat area (VFA) and body mass index (BMI) correlate with intraoperative complexities, thereby guiding the selection of surgical techniques for RAPN. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study analyzed the medical records of 213 Chinese patients diagnosed with a range of benign and malignant renal neoplasms and treated with RAPN in 2020. Visceral fat area was quantified using computed tomography (CT) scans taken at the umbilical level. Various perioperative indicators, such as demographic details, clinicopathological parameters, operation time, estimated blood loss (EBL), warm ischemic time (WIT), and intraoperative complications, were assessed. RESULTS For the retroperitoneal approach, patients with either visceral obesity or general obesity had longer operation times (P<0.001 and P=0.004) and had a tendency for higher EBL (P=0.003 and P=0.001) compared to non-obese patients. In the transperitoneal approach, those with visceral obesity had significantly longer operation times (P=0.008) than their non-viscerally obese counterparts; however, general obesity showed no impact on operation time (P=0.251). Estimated blood loss was higher for patients with visceral obesity (P=0.004), but no significant difference was noted among those with general obesity (P=0.980). CONCLUSIONS VFA appears to offer predictive advantages over BMI in assessing intraoperative complexities for transperitoneal RAPN. When used in conjunction with BMI, it could serve as a valuable tool in selecting the most appropriate surgical approach for RAPN.

Characteristics of soil microbial communities in farmland with different comprehensive fertility levels in the Panxi area, Sichuan, China.

Soil bacterial communities are intricately linked to ecosystem functioning, and understanding how communities assemble in response to environmental change is ecologically significant. Little is known about the assembly processes of bacteria communities across agro-ecosystems, particularly with regard to their environmental adaptation. To gain further insights into the microbial community characteristics of agro-ecosystems soil in the Panxi area of Sichuan Province and explore the key environmental factors driving the assembly process of the microbial community, this study conducted field sampling in major farmland areas of Panxi area and used Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology to conduct bacterial sequencing. Soil organic matter (SOM), alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK) and other environmental factors were determined. The membership function method and principal component analysis method were used to evaluate the fertility of the soil. The results revealed minimal differences in alpha diversity index among samples with different comprehensive fertility indices, while NMDS analysis showed that community differences between species were mainly reflected in high fertility and low fertility (R: 0.068, p: 0.011). Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria were the main types of microbial communities, accounting for more than 60% of the relative abundance. Proteobacteria accounted for a higher proportion in the high fertility samples, while Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria accounted for a higher proportion in the middle and low fertility samples. Both the neutral theoretical model and zero model analysis showed that the microbial communities in tobacco-planting soil with different comprehensive fertility indices presented a random assembly process. With the increase in environmental distance difference, the diversity of the microbial community in medium and low-fertility soil also increased, but there was no significant change in high-fertility soil. Redundancy analysis showed that pH and SOM were the key factors affecting microbial community composition. The results of this study can provide a theoretical reference for the study of environmental factors and microbial communities in tobacco-growing soil.

The prognostic value of whole-genome DNA methylation in response to Leflunomide in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: Although Leflunomide (LEF) is effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there are still a considerable number of patients who respond poorly to LEF treatment. Till date, few LEF efficacy-predicting biomarkers have been identified. Herein, we explored and developed a DNA methylation-based predictive model for LEF-treated RA patient prognosis. Methods: Two hundred forty-five RA patients were prospectively enrolled from four participating study centers. A whole-genome DNA methylation profiling was conducted to identify LEF-related response signatures via comparison of 40 samples using Illumina 850k methylation arrays. Furthermore, differentially methylated positions (DMPs) were validated in the 245 RA patients using a targeted bisulfite sequencing assay. Lastly, prognostic models were developed, which included clinical characteristics and DMPs scores, for the prediction of LEF treatment response using machine learning algorithms. Results: We recognized a seven-DMP signature consisting of cg17330251, cg19814518, cg20124410, cg21109666, cg22572476, cg23403192, and cg24432675, which was effective in predicting RA patient's LEF response status. In the five machine learning algorithms, the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm provided the best predictive model, with the largest discriminative ability, accuracy, and stability. Lastly, the AUC of the complex model(the 7-DMP scores with the lymphocyte and the diagnostic age) was higher than the simple model (the seven-DMP signature, AUC:0.74 vs 0.73 in the test set). Conclusion: In conclusion, we constructed a prognostic model integrating a 7-DMP scores with the clinical patient profile to predict responses to LEF treatment. Our model will be able to effectively guide clinicians in determining whether a patient is LEF treatment sensitive or not.

Mechanochemical Release of Fluorophores from a "Flex-activated" Mechanophore.

Optical force probes that can release force-dependent and visualized signals with minimal changes in the polymer main chains under mechanical load are highly sought after but currently limited. In this study, we introduce a flex-activated mechanophore (FA) based on the Diels-Alder adduct of anthracene and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylatea that exhibits turn-on mechanofluorescence. We demonstrate that when FA is incorporated into polymer networks or in its crystalline state, it can release fluorescent anthracenes through a retro-Diels-Alder mechanochemical reaction under compression or hydrostatic high pressure, respectively. The flex-activated mechanism of FA is successfully confirmed. Furthermore, we systematically modulate the force delivered to the mechanophore by varying the crosslinking density of the networks and the applied macroscopic pressures. This modulation leads to incremental increases in mechanophore activation, successive release of anthracenes, and quantitative enhancement of fluorescence intensity. The exceptional potential of FA as a sensitive force probe in different bulk states is highlighted, benefiting from its unique flex-activated mode with highly emissive fluorophore releasing. Overall, this report enriches our understanding of the structures and functions of flex-activated mechanophores and polymeric materials.

Coordinated Priming of NKG2D Pathway by IL-15 Enhanced Functional Properties of Cytotoxic CD4+CD28- T Cells Expanded in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disorder, and numerous aberrations of T cell responses have been reported and were implicated in its pathophysiology. Recently, CD4-positive T cells with cytotoxic potential were shown to be involved in autoimmune disease progression and tissue damage. However, the effector functions of this cell type and their potential molecular mechanisms in SLE patients remain to be elucidated. In this study, we find that cytotoxic CD4+CD28- T cells are expanded in SLE patients with flow cytometry analysis, and the percentage of CD4+CD28- T cells positively correlates with the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR Damage Index (SDI). Furthermore, our study suggests that interleukin-15 (IL-15) promotes the expansion, proliferation, and cytotoxic function of CD4+CD28- T cells in SLE patients through activation of the Janus kinase3-STAT5 pathway. Further study indicates that IL-15 not only mediates the upregulation of NKG2D, but also cooperates with the NKG2D pathway to regulate the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway. Together, our study demonstrated that proinflammatory and cytolytic CD4+CD28- T cells expand in SLE patients. The pathogenic potential of these CD4+CD28- T cells is driven by the coupling of the IL-15/IL-15R signaling pathway and the NKG2D/DAP10 signaling pathway, which may open new avenues for therapeutic intervention to prevent SLE progression.

Multiple insights into lignin-mediated cadmium detoxification in rice (Oryza sativa).

Cadmium (Cd) is readily absorbed by rice and enters the food chain, posing a health risk to humans. A better understanding of the mechanisms of Cd-induced responses in rice will help in developing solutions to reduce Cd uptake in rice. Therefore, this research attempted to reveal the detoxification mechanisms of rice in response to Cd through physiological, transcriptomic and molecular approaches. The results showed that Cd stress restricted rice growth, led to Cd accumulation and H2O2 production, and resulted cell death. Transcriptomic sequencing revealed glutathione and phenylpropanoid were the major metabolic pathways under Cd stress. Physiological studies showed that antioxidant enzyme activities, glutathione and lignin contents were significantly increased under Cd stress. In response to Cd stress, q-PCR results showed that genes related to lignin and glutathione biosynthesis were upregulated, whereas metal transporter genes were downregulated. Further pot experiment with rice cultivars with increased and decreased lignin content confirmed the causal relationship between increased lignin and reduced Cd in rice. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of lignin-mediated detoxification mechanism in rice under Cd stress and explains the function of lignin in production of low-Cd rice to ensure human health and food safety.

Aal-circRNA-407 regulates ovarian development of Aedes albopictus, a major arbovirus vector, via the miR-9a-5p/Foxl axis.

Aedes albopictus shows a rapid global expansion and dramatic vectorial capacity for various arboviruses, thus posing a severe threat to global health. Although many noncoding RNAs have been confirmed to play functional roles in various biological processes in Ae. albopictus, the roles of circRNA remain a mystery. In the present study, we first performed high-throughput circRNA sequencing in Ae. albopictus. Then, we identified a cysteine desulfurase (CsdA) superfamily gene-originated circRNA, named aal-circRNA-407, which was the third most abundant circRNA in adult females and displayed a fat body highly expressed manifestation and blood feeding-dependent onset. SiRNA-mediated knockdown of circRNA-407 resulted in a decrease in the number of developing follicles and a reduction in follicle size post blood meal. Furthermore, we demonstrated that circRNA-407 can act as a sponge of aal-miR-9a-5p to promote the expression of its target gene Foxl and eventually regulate ovarian development. Our study is the first to report a functional circRNA in mosquitoes, expanding our current understanding of important biological roles in mosquitoes and providing an alternative genetic strategy for mosquito control.

Study on the influence mechanism of adoption of smart agriculture technology behavior.

Smart agricultural (SA) technology has become a technological support for modern agriculture. By exploring the decision-making process and psychological motivation of farmers in adopting SA technology, it is conducive to achieving the popularisation of SA technology and promoting the modernisation of agriculture. Based on microscopic research data, a Structural Equation Model (SEM) is used to analyse the influencing factors and extent of cotton farmers' adoption of SA technologies, using Deconstructive Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) as the analytical framework. This was combined with in-depth interviews to further reveal the motivations and influencing mechanisms of cotton farmers' adoption of SA technologies. The results show that under the behavioural belief dimension, cotton farmers value the positive effect of perceived usefulness even though the risk of the technology itself has a dampening effect on adoption intentions. Under the normative belief dimension, superior influence influenced the willingness to adopt SA technologies to a greater extent than peer influence. Under the control belief dimension, factors such as self-efficacy and information channels influence willingness to adopt technology and behaviour. In addition, behavioural attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control all contribute to cotton farmers' willingness to adopt SA technologies, and can also influence behaviour directly or indirectly through willingness to adopt. Policy and technology satisfaction positively moderate the transition from willingness to behaviour. Therefore, preferential policies are proposed to reduce the cost of adopting SA technologies; to continuously improve the level of SA technologies; to establish SA technology test plots to provide a reference base; and to increase knowledge training on SA and expand access to information.