Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the oncology nurses health behaviors determinants scale: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To test the validity and reliability of the Oncology Nurses Health Behaviors Determinants Scale (HBDS-ON) in oncology nurses, the Chinese version was developed. Methods: The Brislin double translation-back translation approach was employed to forward translation, back translation, synthesis, cross-cultural adaptation, and pre-survey, resulting in the first Chinese version of the Oncology Nurses Health Behaviors Determinants Scale (HBDS-ON). A convenience sample technique was used to select 350 study participants in Liaoning, Shandong, and Jiangsu, China, who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, to assess the validity and reliability of the scale. Results: The Chinese version of the Oncology Nurses Health Behaviors Determinants Scale (HBDS-ON) had six subscales (perceived threat, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, cues to action, and personal protective equipment availability and accessibility), including 29 items. The average scale level was 0.931, and the content validity level of the items varied from 0.857 to 1.000. Each Cronbach's α coefficient had an acceptable internal consistency reliability range of 0.806 to 0.902. X2/df = 1.667, RMSEA = 0.044, RMR = 0.018, CFI = 0.959, NFI = 0.905, TLI = 0.954, and IFI = 0.960 were the model fit outcomes in the validation factor analysis. All of the model fit markers fell within reasonable bounds. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the Oncology Nurses Health Behaviors Determinants Scale (HBDS-ON) has good reliability and validity and can be used as a tool to assess the influencing factors of chemotherapy exposure for oncology nurses in China.

The femoral anterior tangent line could serve as a reliable alternative reference axis for distal femoral rotational alignment in total knee arthroplasty: an MRI-based study.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the reference value of the femoral anterior tangent (FAT) line as a guidance of distal femoral rotation on magnetic resonance images (MRI). Methods: We retrospectively included 81 patients (106 knees) diagnosed as ailing from primary knee osteoarthritis. The indirect rotational axes including the FAT line, the perpendicular line to the anteroposterior axis (pAPA), and the posterior condylar axis (PCA) were identified on MRI, and their angles related to the clinical transepicondylar axis (cTEA) or surgical transepicondylar axis (sTEA) were measured. The patients were further divided into subgroups according to the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grades, the joint-line convergence angle (JLCA), and the arithmetic hip-knee-ankle angle (aHKA) to assess the variance of different rotational reference axes. Results: The FAT line was -11.8° ± 3.6° internally rotated to the cTEA and -7.5° ± 3.6° internally rotated to the sTEA. The FAT/cTEA angle and the FAT/sTEA angle shared a similar frequency distribution pattern but a little greater variance to the pAPA/cTEA angle and the PCA/cTEA angle. The PCA/cTEA angle in the JLCA |x| ≥ 6° subgroup was significantly smaller than in the two other JLCA subgroups. The pAPA/cTEA angle and the PCA/cTEA angle also presented statistical significance within the aHKA subgroups. While the FAT/cTEA angle and the FAT/sTEA angle demonstrated superior stability among the different K-L grades, JLCA subgroups, and aHKA subgroups. Conclusion: The FAT line was less affected by the degree of knee osteoarthritis and lower limb alignment, which could serve as a reliable alternative reference axis for the distal femoral rotational alignment in total knee arthroplasty.

Community stability of free-living and particle-attached bacteria in a subtropical reservoir with salinity fluctuations over 3 years.

Changes in salinity have a profound influence on ecological services and functions of inland freshwater ecosystems, as well as on the shaping of microbial communities. Bacterioplankton, generally classified into free-living (FL) and particle-attached (PA) forms, are main components of freshwater ecosystems and play key functional roles for biogeochemical cycling and ecological stability. However, there is limited knowledge about the responses of community stability of both FL and PA bacteria to salinity fluctuations. Here, we systematically explored changes in community stability of both forms of bacteria based on high-frequency sampling in a shallow urban reservoir (Xinglinwan Reservoir) in subtropical China for 3 years. Our results indicated that (1) salinity was the strongest environmental factor determining FL and PA bacterial community compositions - rising salinity increased the compositional stability of both bacterial communities but decreased their α-diversity. (2) The community stability of PA bacteria was significantly higher than that of FL at high salinity level with low salinity variance scenarios, while the opposite was found for FL bacteria, i.e., their stability was higher than PA bacteria at low salinity level with high variance scenarios. (3) Both bacterial traits (e.g., bacterial genome size and interaction strength of rare taxa) and precipitation-induced factors (e.g., changes in salinity and particle) likely contributed collectively to differences in community stability of FL and PA bacteria under different salinity scenarios. Our study provides additional scientific basis for ecological management, protection and restoration of urban reservoirs under changing climatic and environmental conditions.

How Society Anxiety Influences Attention Control in College Students: The Moderated Mediation Effect of Cognitive Flexibility and Resting-state Electroencephalography Activity.

Social anxiety is a prevalent issue among college students, adversely affecting their overall well-being. Drawing from the cognitive model of social anxiety and attention control theory, heightened levels of social anxiety may correspond to poorer attention control ability. However, little is known about the underlying cognitive mechanisms of the relationship between social anxiety and attention control. To address this research gap, the current study recruited a sample of 156 college students (56 women) who underwent self-report measures of social anxiety, cognitive flexibility, and attention control, followed by a resting-state EEG recording. The results revealed a significant negative predictive effect of social anxiety on attention control, with cognitive flexibility partially mediating this relationship. Furthermore, resting-state theta power emerged as a significant moderator, accentuating the negative impact of social anxiety on cognitive flexibility among individuals with lower theta power. In addition, frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) demonstrated a moderating effect, with lower FAA intensifying the predictive influence of cognitive flexibility on attention control. Taken together, these results suggested that social anxiety can predict attention control either directly or indirectly via the mediating role of cognitive flexibility, and lower theta power and FAA has a risk amplification effect, which provide novel insights into the treatment and prevention of social anxiety and its negative impact on college students.

Fish oil-based microemulsion can efficiently deliver oral peptide blocking PD-1/PD-L1 and simultaneously induce ferroptosis for cancer immunotherapy.

Peptide immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy have attracted great attention recently, but oral delivery of these peptides remains a huge challenge due to the harsh gastrointestinal environment, large molecular size, high hydrophilic, and poor transmembrane permeability. Here, for the first time, a fish oil-based microemulsion was developed for oral delivery of programmed death-1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) blocking model peptide, OPBP-1. The delivery system was characterized, in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to evaluate its overall implication. As a result, this nutraceutical microemulsion was easily formed without the need of co-surfactants, and it appeared light yellow, transparent, good flowability with a particle size of 152 ± 0.73 nm, with a sustained drug release manner of 56.45 ± 0.36% over 24 h and a great stability within the harsh intestinal environment. It enhanced intestinal drug uptake and transportation over human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells, and drastically elevated the oral peptide bioavailability of 4.1-fold higher than that of OPBP-1 solution. Meanwhile, the mechanism of these dietary droplets permeated over the intestinal enterocytic membrane was found via clathrin and caveolae-mediated endocytic pathways. From the in vivo studies, the microemulsion facilitated the infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes in tumors, with increased interferon-γ (IFN-γ) secretion. Thus, it manifested a promising immune anti-tumor effect and significantly inhibited the growth of murine colonic carcinoma (CT26). Furthermore, it was found that the fish oil could induce ferroptosis in tumor cells and exhibited synergistic effect with OPBP-1 for cancer immunotherapy. In conclusion, this fish oil-based formulation demonstrated great potential for oral delivery of peptides with its natural property in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related ferroptosis of tumor cells, which provides a great platform for functional green oral delivery system in cancer immunotherapy.

Five-Year Follow-Up from the CoreValve Expanded Use Transcatheter Aortic Valve-in-Surgical Aortic Valve Study.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) provides an option for extreme-risk patients who underwent reoperation for a failed surgical aortic bioprosthesis. Long-term data on patients who underwent TAVR within a failed surgical aortic valve (TAV-in-SAV) are limited. The CoreValve Expanded Use Study evaluated patients at extreme surgical risk who underwent TAV-in-SAV. Outcomes at 5 years were analyzed by SAV failure mode (stenosis, regurgitation, or combined). Echocardiographic outcomes are site-reported. TAV-in-SAV was attempted in 226 patients with a mean age of 76.7 ± 10.8 years; 63.3% were male, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted risk of mortality score was 9.0 ± 6.7%, and 87.5% had a New York Heart Association classification III or IV symptoms. Most of the failed surgical bioprostheses were stented (81.9%), with an average implant duration of 10.2 ± 4.3 years. The 5-year all-cause mortality or major stroke rate was 47.2% in all patients; 54.4% in the stenosis, 37.6% in the regurgitation, and 38.0% in the combined groups (p = 0.046). At 5 years, all-cause mortality was higher in patients with versus without 30-day severe prosthesis-patient mismatch (51.7% vs 38.3%, p = 0.026). The overall aortic valve reintervention rate was 5.9%; highest in the regurgitation group (12.6%). The mean aortic valve gradient was 14.1 ± 9.8 mm Hg and effective orifice area was 1.57 ± 0.70 at 5 years. Few patients had >mild paravalvular regurgitation at 5 years (5.5% moderate, 0.0% severe). TAV-in-SAV with supra-annular, self-expanding TAVR continues to represent a safe and lasting intermediate option for extreme-risk patients who have appropriate sizing of the preexisting failed surgical valve. Clinical and hemodynamic outcomes were stable through 5 years.

CsBPC2 is essential for cucumber survival under cold stress.

Cold stress affects the growth and development of cucumbers. Whether the BPC2 transcription factor participates in cold tolerance and its regulatory mechanism in plants have not been reported. Here, we used wild-type (WT) cucumber seedlings and two mutant Csbpc2 lines as materials. The underlying mechanisms were studied by determining the phenotype, physiological and biochemical indicators, and transcriptome after cold stress. The results showed that CsBPC2 knockout reduced cucumber cold tolerance by increasing the chilling injury index, relative electrical conductivity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content and decreasing antioxidant enzyme activity. We then conducted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to explore transcript-level changes in Csbpc2 mutants. A large number of differentially expressed genes (1032) were identified and found to be unique in Csbpc2 mutants. However, only 489 down-regulated genes related to the synthesis and transport of amino acids and vitamins were found to be enriched through GO analysis. Moreover, both RNA-seq and qPT-PCR techniques revealed that CsBPC2 knockout also decreased the expression of some key cold-responsive genes, such as CsICE1, CsCOR413IM2, CsBZR1 and CsBZR2. These results strongly suggested that CsBPC2 knockout not only affected cold function genes but also decreased the levels of some key metabolites under cold stress. In conclusion, this study reveals for the first time that CsBPC2 is essential for cold tolerance in cucumber and provides a reference for research on the biological function of BPC2 in other plants.

Unbalanced diets enhance the complexity of gut microbial network but destabilize its stability and resistance.

Stability is a fundamental ecological property of the gut microbiota and is associated with host health. Numerous studies have shown that unbalanced dietary components disturb the gut microbial composition and thereby contribute to the onset and progression of disease. However, the impact of unbalanced diets on the stability of the gut microbiota is poorly understood. In the present study, four-week-old mice were fed a plant-based diet high in refined carbohydrates or a high-fat diet for four weeks to simulate a persistent unbalanced diet. We found that persistent unbalanced diets significantly reduced the gut bacterial richness and increased the complexity of bacterial co-occurrence networks. Furthermore, the gut bacterial response to unbalanced diets was phylogenetically conserved, which reduced network modularity and enhanced the proportion of positive associations between community taxon, thereby amplifying the co-oscillation of perturbations among community species to destabilize gut microbial communities. The disturbance test revealed that the gut microbiota of mice fed with unbalanced diets was less resistant to antibiotic perturbation and pathogenic bacteria invasion. This study may fill a gap in the mechanistic understanding of the gut microbiota stability in response to diet and provide new insights into the gut microbial ecology.

Development of a novel peptide targeting GPR81 to suppress adipocyte-mediated tumor progression.

GPR81, initially discovered in adipocytes, has been found to suppress lipolysis when activated. However, the current small molecules that target GPR81 carry the risk of off-target effects, and their impact on tumor progression remains uncertain. Here, we utilized phage display technology to screen a GPR81-targeting peptide named 7w-2 and proceeded to demonstrate its bioactivity. Although 7w-2 did not affect the proliferation of tumor cells, it effectively reduced adipocyte catabolism in vitro, consequently restraining the proliferation of co-cultured tumor cells. Furthermore, our findings revealed that 7w-2 could inhibit lipolysis in vivo, leading to a significant impediment in tumor growth and metastasis in the 4T1 murine tumor model. Additionally, 7w-2 exhibited the ability to significantly elevate the proportion and functionality of CD8+ T cells. Our study introduces 7w-2 as the first peptide targeting GPR81, shedding light on its potential role in adipocytes in suppressing tumor progression.

CsBPC2 is a key regulator of root growth and development.

BASIC PENTACYSTEINE (BPCs) transcription factors are important regulators of plant growth and development. However, the regulatory mechanism of BPC2 in roots remains unclear. In our previous study, we created Csbpc2 cucumber mutants by the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and our studies on the phenotype of Csbpc2 mutants showed that the root growth was inhibited compared with wide-type (WT). Moreover, the surface area, volume and number of roots decreased significantly, with root system architecture changing from dichotomous branching to herringbone branching. Compared with WT, the leaf growth of the Csbpc2 mutants was not affected. However, the palisade and spongy tissue were significantly thinner, which was not beneficial for photosynthesis. The metabolome of root exudates showed that compared with WT, amino acids and their derivatives were significantly decreased, and the enriched pathways were mainly regulated by amino acids and their derivatives, indicating that knockout of CsBPC2 mainly affected the amino acid content in root exudates. Importantly, transcriptome analysis showed that knockout of CsBPC2 mainly affected root gene expression. Knockout of CsBPC2 significantly reduced the gene expression of gibberellins synthesis. However, the expression of genes related to amino acid synthesis, nitrogen fixation and PSII-related photosynthesis increased significantly, which may be due to the effect of knocking out CsBPC2 on gibberellins synthesis, resulting in the inhibition of seedling growth, thus forming negative feedback regulation. Generally, we showed for the first time that BPC2 is a key regulator gene of root growth and development, laying the foundation for future mechanisms of BPC2 regulation in roots.

Polyphyllin VII induces autophagy-dependent ferroptosis in human gastric cancer through targeting T-lymphokine-activated killer cell-originated protein kinase.

T-lymphokine-activated killer cell-originated protein kinase (TOPK) is a serine-threonine kinase that is overexpressed in gastric cancer (GC) and promotes tumor progression. Polyphyllin VII (PPVII), a pennogenin isolated from the rhizomes of Paris polyphylla, shows anticancer effects. Here, we explored the antitumor activity and mechanism of PPVII in GC. Ferroptosis was detected by transmission electron microscope, malondialdehyde, and iron determination assays. Autophagy and its upstream signaling pathway were detected by Western blot, and gene alterations. The binding of PPVII and TOPK was examined through microscale thermophoresis and drug affinity responsive target stability assays. An in vivo mouse model was performed to evaluate the therapeutic of PPVII. PPVII inhibits GC by inducing autophagy-mediated ferroptosis. PPVII promotes the degradation of ferritin heavy chain 1, which is responsible for autophagy-mediated ferroptosis. PPVII activates the Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 (ULK1) upstream of autophagy. PPVII inhibits the activity of TOPK, thereby weakening the inhibition of downstream ULK1. PPVII stabilizes the dimer of the inactive form of TOPK by direct binding. PPVII inhibits tumor growth without causing obvious toxicity in vivo. Collectively, this study suggests that PPVII is a potential agent for the treatment of GC by targeting TOPK to activate autophagy-mediated ferroptosis.

TRAF1 improves cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury via inhibition of inflammation and metabolic disorders.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe clinical complication with no satisfactory therapies in the clinic. Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-associated factor 1 (TRAF1) plays a vital role in both inflammation and metabolism. However, the TRAF1 effect in cisplatin induced AKI needs to be evaluated. METHODS: We observed the role of TRAF1 in eight-week-old male mice and mouse proximal tubular cells both treated with cisplatin by examining the indicators associated with kidney injury, apoptosis, inflammation, and metabolism. RESULTS: TRAF1 expression was decreased in cisplatin-treated mice and mouse proximal tubular cells (mPTCs), suggesting a potential role of TRAF1 in cisplatin-associated kidney injury. TRAF1 overexpression significantly alleviated cisplatin-triggered AKI and renal tubular injury, as demonstrated by reduced serum creatinine (Scr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, as well as the ameliorated histological damage and inhibited upregulation of NGAL and KIM-1. Moreover, the NF-κB activation and inflammatory cytokine production enhanced by cisplatin were significantly blunted by TRAF1. Meanwhile, the increased number of apoptotic cells and enhanced expression of BAX and cleaved Caspase-3 were markedly decreased by TRAF1 overexpression both in vivo and vitro. Additionally, a significant correction of the metabolic disturbance, including perturbations in energy generation and lipid and amino acid metabolism, was observed in the cisplatin-treated mice kidneys. CONCLUSION: TRAF1 overexpression obviously attenuated cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, possibly by correcting the impaired metabolism, inhibiting inflammation, and blocking apoptosis in renal tubular cells. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: These observations emphasize the novel mechanisms associated to metabolism and inflammation of TRAF1 in cisplatin-induced kidney injury.

Beneficial Effects of Pleurotus citrinopileatus Polysaccharide on the Quality of Cherry Tomatoes During Storage.

Cherry tomatoes are highly well-liked and have a lot of nutritional value. However, the edible value of cherry tomatoes rapidly declines as their storage duration is extended. Pleurotus citrinopileatus polysaccharide (PCP) is a kind of polysaccharide obtained from P. citrinopileatus by water extraction. The effects of PCP were investigated to identify a way to maximally postpone cherry tomato degradation. The results showed that PCP had inhibitory effects on all 10 tested strains, and the inhibitory effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the strongest. PCP could effectively reduce the weight loss rate and malondialdehyde accumulation of cherry tomatoes during storage, weaken the activity of polyphenol oxidase, and delay the decline of hardness, titratable acid content, and VC content compared with untreated cherry tomatoes. PCP solution at a concentration of 2 g/L exerted the best preservation effects. Therefore, PCP can potentially contribute to the preservation of vegetables and fruits.

Predicting 5-Year Clinical Outcomes After Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (a Risk Score from the SURTAVI Trial).

Risk prediction scores for long-term outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) are lacking. This study aimed to develop preprocedural risk scores for 5-year clinical outcomes after TAVI or SAVR. This analysis included 1,660 patients at an intermediate surgical risk with severe aortic stenosis randomly assigned to TAVI (n = 864) or SAVR (n = 796) from the SURTAVI (Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) trial. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 5 years. The secondary end point was a composite of cardiovascular mortality or hospitalizations for valve disease or worsening heart failure at 5 years. Preprocedural multivariable predictors of clinical outcomes were used to calculate a simple risk score for both procedures. At 5 years, the primary end point occurred in 31.3% of the patients with TAVI and 30.8% of the patients with SAVR. Preprocedural predictors differed between TAVI and SAVR. Baseline anticoagulant use was a common predictor for events in both procedures, whereas male sex and a left ventricular ejection fraction <60% were significant predictors for events in patients with TAVI and SAVR, respectively. A total of 4 simple scoring systems were created based on these multivariable predictors. The C-statistics of all models were modest but performed better than the contemporary risk scores. In conclusion, preprocedural predictors of events differ between TAVI and SAVR, necessitating separate risk models. Despite the modest predictive value of the SURTAVI risk scores, they appeared superior to other contemporary scores. Further research is needed to strengthen and validate our risk scores, possibly by including biomarker and echocardiographic parameters.

Screening and characterization of Bacillus velezensis LB-Y-1 toward selection as a potential probiotic for poultry with multi-enzyme production property.

Bacillus spp. have gained increasing recognition as an option to use as antimicrobial growth promoters, which are characterized by producing various enzymes and antimicrobial compounds. The present study was undertaken to screen and evaluate a Bacillus strain with the multi-enzyme production property for poultry production. LB-Y-1, screened from the intestines of healthy animals, was revealed to be a Bacillus velezensis by the morphological, biochemical, and molecular characterization. The strain was screened out by a specific screening program, possessed excellent multi-enzyme production potential, including protease, cellulase, and phytase. Moreover, the strain also exhibited amylolytic and lipolytic activity in vitro. The dietary LB-Y-1 supplementation improved growth performance and tibia mineralization in chicken broilers, and increased serum albumin and serum total protein at 21 days of age (p < 0.05). Besides, LB-Y-1 enhanced the activity of serum alkaline phosphatase and digestive enzyme in broilers at 21 and 42 days of age (p < 0.05). Analysis of intestinal microbiota showed that a higher community richness (Chao1 index) and diversity (Shannon index) in the LB-Y-1 supplemented compared with the CON group. PCoA analysis showed that the community composition and structure were distinctly different between the CON and LB-Y-1 group. The beneficial genera such as Parasutterella and Rikenellaceae were abundant, while the opportunistic pathogen such as Escherichia-Shigella were reduced in the LB-Y-1 supplemented group (p < 0.05). Collectively, LB-Y-1 can be considered as a potential strain for further utilization in direct-fed microbial or starter culture for fermentation.

Repair of Ramp Lesions of the Medial Meniscus With ACL Reconstruction Can Better Restore Knee Stability: A Cadaveric Study.

Background: Ramp lesions of the medial meniscus have an impact on joint stability in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient knees, but the impact of lesion length and repair is unclear. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this cadaveric study was to evaluate the effect of medial meniscal ramp lesion repair on the biomechanics of ACL-deficient knee joints. It was hypothesized that (1) ramp lesions will increase the anterior tibial translation (ATT), internal rotation (IR), and external rotation (ER) in ACL-deficient knee joints; (2) increasing the length of the ramp lesion will further increase the ATT, IR, and ER; and (3) repairing the ramp lesion will reduce the ATT, IR, and ER after ACL reconstruction. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Included were 9 fresh-frozen cadaveric specimens (4 left knees, 5 right knees; 6 males and 3 females; mean age, 60 years [range, 40-73 years]). The specimens were tested on a biomechanical rig. Two external loading conditions were applied: a 134-N anterior tibial load and 5-N·m internal/external tibial torque with the knee at full extension and at 15°, 30°, 60°, and 90° of flexion. ATT was tracked via a high-speed video camera. The following knee states were tested: intact; ACL-deficient; ACL-deficient combined with a 5-, 10-, 15-, or 20 mm-long ramp lesion of the medial meniscus; ACL reconstruction; and ACL reconstruction combined with ramp lesion repair. The ATT, IR, and ER at all knee angles were analyzed by 1-way analysis of variance. Results: The ATT, IR, and ER were significantly increased after cutting of the ACL (P < .05). The ATT, IR, and ER continued to increase when ACL deficiency was combined with ramp lesions of 5 to 20 mm in length (P < .05). The ATT, IR, and ER significantly decreased after ACL reconstruction and ACL reconstruction combined with ramp lesion repair (P < .05). Conclusion: The laxity of knees with ACL deficiency combined with a ramp lesion of the medial meniscus increased more obviously as the ramp lesion increased in length. In a cadaveric model, ACL reconstruction combined with ramp repair improved knee joint stability.

Multifaceted regulatory functions of CsBPC2 in cucumber under salt stress conditions.

BASIC PENTACYSTEINE (BPC) transcription factors are essential regulators of plant growth and development. However, BPC functions and the related molecular mechanisms during cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) responses to abiotic stresses, especially salt stress, remain unknown. We previously determined that salt stress induces CsBPC expression in cucumber. In this study, Csbpc2 transgene-free cucumber plants were created using a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing system to explore CsBPC functions associated with the salt stress response. The Csbpc2 mutants had a hypersensitive phenotype, with increased leaf chlorosis, decreased biomass, and increased malondialdehyde and electrolytic leakage levels under salt stress conditions. Additionally, a mutated CsBPC2 resulted in decreased proline and soluble sugar contents and antioxidant enzyme activities, which led to the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide radicals. Furthermore, the mutation to CsBPC2 inhibited salinity-induced PM-H+-ATPase and V-H+-ATPase activities, resulting in decreased Na+ efflux and increased K+ efflux. These findings suggest that CsBPC2 may mediate plant salt stress resistance through its effects on osmoregulation, reactive oxygen species scavenging, and ion homeostasis-related regulatory pathways. However, CsBPC2 also affected ABA signaling. The mutation to CsBPC2 adversely affected salt-induced ABA biosynthesis and the expression of ABA signaling-related genes. Our results indicate that CsBPC2 may enhance the cucumber response to salt stress. It may also function as an important regulator of ABA biosynthesis and signal transduction. These findings will enrich our understanding of the biological functions of BPCs, especially their roles in abiotic stress responses, thereby providing the theoretical basis for improving crop salt tolerance.

Design of a novel chimeric peptide via dual blockade of CD47/SIRPα and PD-1/PD-L1 for cancer immunotherapy.

Although immune checkpoint inhibition has been shown to effectively activate antitumor immunity in various tumor types, only a small subset of patients can benefit from PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. CD47 expressed on tumor cells protects them from phagocytosis through interaction with SIRPα on macrophages, while PD-L1 dampens T cell-mediated tumor killing. Therefore, dual targeting PD-L1 and CD47 may improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. A chimeric peptide Pal-DMPOP was designed by conjugating the double mutation of CD47/SIRPα blocking peptide (DMP) with the truncation of PD-1/PD-L1 blocking peptide OPBP-1(8-12) and was modified by a palmitic acid tail. Pal-DMPOP can significantly enhance macrophage-mediated phagocytosis of tumor cells and activate primary T cells to secret IFN-γ in vitro. Due to its superior hydrolysis-resistant activity as well as tumor tissue and lymph node targeting properties, Pal-DMPOP elicited stronger anti-tumor potency than Pal-DMP or OPBP-1(8-12) in immune-competent MC38 tumor-bearing mice. The in vivo anti-tumor activity was further validated in the colorectal CT26 tumor model. Furthermore, Pal-DMPOP mobilized macrophage and T-cell anti-tumor responses with minimal toxicity. Overall, the first bispecific CD47/SIRPα and PD-1/PD-L1 dual-blockade chimeric peptide was designed and exhibited synergistic anti-tumor efficacy via CD8+ T cell activation and macrophage-mediated immune response. The strategy could pave the way for designing effective therapeutic agents for cancer immunotherapy.

Warming influences CO2 emissions from China's coastal saltmarsh wetlands more than changes in precipitation.

Coastal wetlands are an important carbon sink but are sensitive to climate changes. The response of CO2 emissions to these changes differs under different hydroclimatic conditions. Here, this article used meta-analysis to synthesize data from Chinese coastal salt marshes, to analyze sensitivities for CO2 emissions, and then to assess the relative contributions of air temperature (Ta) and precipitation (Pre). This article used the ratio between potential evaporation (Ep) and Pre to divide Chinese coastal saltmarshes into water- (Ep/Pre > 1) and energy-limited regions (Ep/Pre ≤ 1). Results show that emissions are more sensitive to both Pre and Ta in water-limited regions (E¯ = 0.60 eV, slope = 0.37) than in energy-limited regions (E¯ = 0.23 eV, slope = 0.04). Comparing the relative effects of changes in Ta (△CO2 = 21.86 mg m-2 h-1) and Pre (△CO2 = 7.19 mg m-2 h-1) on CO2 emissions shows that warming contributes more to changes in CO2 emissions. The response of emissions to changes in Pre is asymmetric and shows that warmer and drier may have antagonistic effects, while warmer and wetter may have synergistic effects. There was a 2.15 mg m-2 h-1 change in emissions in energy-limited regions when Pre increased by 139.69 mm, and a decrease of -0.15 mg m-2 h-1 in emissions when Pre decreased by 1.28 mm in water-limited regions. Climate change has the greatest impact on Phragmites australis in CO2 emissions, especially under warmer and wetter conditions in energy-limited regions. This indicates that warming drives CO2 emissions, while changes in Pre (resulting in wetter or dryer conditions) can mitigate or strengthen CO2 emissions from coastal wetlands in China. This article offers a new perspective and suggests that differences in hydroclimatic conditions should be considered when discussing carbon emissions from coastal wetlands.

Metagenomic analysis reveals indole signaling effect on microbial community in sequencing batch reactors: Quorum sensing inhibition and antibiotic resistance enrichment.

Indole is an essential signal molecule in microbial studies. However, its ecological role in biological wastewater treatments remains enigmatic. This study explores the links between indole and complex microbial communities using sequencing batch reactors exposed to 0, 15, and 150 mg/L indole concentrations. A concentration of 150 mg/L indole enriched indole degrader Burkholderiales, while pathogens, such as Giardia, Plasmodium, and Besnoitia were inhibited at 15 mg/L indole concentration. At the same time, indole reduced the abundance of predicted genes in the "signaling transduction mechanisms" pathway via the Non-supervised Orthologous Groups distributions analysis. Indole significantly decreased the concentration of homoserine lactones, especially C14-HSL. Furthermore, the quorum-sensing signaling acceptors containing LuxR, the dCACHE domain, and RpfC showed negative distributions with indole and indole oxygenase genes. Signaling acceptors' potential origins were mainly Burkholderiales, Actinobacteria, and Xanthomonadales. Meanwhile, concentrated indole (150 mg/L) increased the total abundance of antibiotic resistance genes by 3.52 folds, especially on aminoglycoside, multidrug, tetracycline, and sulfonamide. Based on Spearman's correlation analysis, the homoserine lactone degradation genes which were significantly impacted by indole negatively correlated with the antibiotic resistance gene abundance. This study brings new insights into the effect of indole signaling on in biological wastewater treatment plants.